Jehovah-Nissi

Jehovah-Nissi, the Lord my banner

Exodus 17:8-16 Then came Amalek and fought with Israel in Rephidim. And Moses said unto Joshua, “Choose us out men, and go out, fight with Amalek. Tomorrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the rod of God in mine hand.” So Joshua did as Moses had said to him, and fought with Amalek; and Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill. And it came to pass, when Moses held up his hand, that Israel prevailed; and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed. But Moses’ hands were heavy; and they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat thereon. And Aaron and Hur held up his hands, the one on the one side and the other on the other side; and his hands were steady until the going down of the sun. And Joshua discomfited Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword. And the Lord said unto Moses, “Write this for a memorial in a book, and recount it in the ears of Joshua; for I will utterly put out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven.” And Moses built an altar, and called the name of it Jehovahnissi that is, The Lord my banner; for he said, “Because the Lord hath sworn that the Lord will have war with Amalek from generation to generation.” 

Israel did not seek Amalek. Amalek sought Israel. In verse 7, Israel asks if the Lord is with them. They were unbelieving. God did not call them to the fight, but their unbelief exposed them. God had fought for them and provided for all their needs. They did nothing bu be the recipients of His grace. But this time Moses told Joshua to choose men and fight. 

Christ has finished the work for us alone. Christ has satisfied God for us. I can't fight death, judgment, or the penalty of sin. God does that whole thing for us. He has delivered us and cleanse us from our tresspasses. But the war with the flesh goes on. As long as we live in this body, we rage a war with it.

Galatians 5:16-17 This I say then: Galatians 5:18 But if ye are led by the Spirit, ye are not under the law.  For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary the one to the other, so that ye cannot do the things that ye would. 

Regeneration is not fixing your flesh. Those that are in the flesh cannot please God. When we accept Christ, we receive a new Spirit, a new nature, a new life; but we also receive a new enemy, the flesh. 

It was the Lord who delivered them from Egypt, the Lord Who brought them to the Red Sea, the Lord Who fed them and warded them, Who guided them. But when in unbelief, questioning if the Lord is with them, then came Amalek. 

We have three implacable enemies we don't have before we come to the Lord:

the world, the flesh, the Devil.

How on earth am I going to life for God?

1 John 2:15-17 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world — the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life — is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away and the lust thereof, but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever. 

This is why in John chapter 17 nineteen times Jesus talks about the world. It is a real enemy. 

We read about our enemy, the flesh, in Galatians 5. 

Galatians 5:16 This I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. 

Galatians 5:18 But if ye are led by the Spirit, ye are not under the law. 

When you and I sin against God it is because we are not trusting the Spirit of God that dwells in us; we are trusting ourselves and, of course, we fail. 

And we have read how the Devil is against us like a hungry lion. 

It is so easy for us to trust the flesh. So many christians fight a good battle against the world and the Devil, but how easy it is to yield to the lust of the flesh. 

How can we have victory then? 

The indwelling Spirit of God guarantees it. We do not need to fight this battle in uncertainty.

2 Corinthians 10:3-4 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God for the pulling down of strongholds...

Romans 7:24-25 O wretched man that I am! Who shall deliver me from the body of this death? I thank God — through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, with the mind I myself serve the law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin. 

Colossians 1:28-29 Him we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus, for which I also labor, striving according to His working, which worketh in me mightily. 

1 Corinthians 15:57 But thanks be to God, who giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ! 

The unsaved men doesn't want Christ as his saviour; he wants the flesh stand before God. He wants to improve the flesh to be acceptable before God, and God won't accept it. 

Romans 8:8 So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God. 

What does God require? 

For is to put our trust in Him. It is very hard for us not to put our trust in the flesh. Some people are still putting their trust in their flesh for their salvation. You are no more powerful against the flesh after you re saved then you were after. The flesh hasn't been redeemed or freed from its desires. The lust of the flesh is still there. I do things I don't want to. How easily I say things I didn't want to. 

Regeneration: it is not the flesh made righteous; it is having a new nature. We wait for the redemption of our bodies. 

I am not saved by keeping my body under control. I am saved by what Jesus did for on the Cross, because I belong to the Saviour, because He has taken hold of me, because He has given me His Spirit to dwell in me. But I am still in a body that is unredeemed. 

Look at the method of the victory over Amalek:

Israel was unprepared in war to face the Amalekites. 

The method of the victory was two-fold: first with the intercession of Moses. Prayer. 

We are surrounded by our three enemies: the world, the flesh, and the Devil; but we are not alone here.  

Jesus knew that and prayed for us. 

John 17:9 I pray for them; I pray not for the world, but for them whom Thou hast given Me, for they are Thine. 

Hebrews 7:25 Therefore He is able also to save to the uttermost those who come unto God by Him, seeing He ever liveth to make intercession for them. 

Isn't it wonderful that the Lord's hands never get tired to pray for us?

Romans 8:27, 34 And He that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because He maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God. Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ who died, yea rather, who is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us. 

We also have the Holy Spirit in us praying for us.

Romans 8:26-27 Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities; for we know not what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. And He that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because He maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God. 

Did you ever stop to think that you have One praying for you in Heaven and One in you praying. The Lord does not take any chances on anything. When you became His property, He is going to take care of you. What is He praying for? That we might be perfected and kept. 

The Lord Jesus is in Heaven taking care of my interests up there, and the Spirit of God is taking care of His interests in us. Can you trust God to take care of His own?

The Spirit of God takes the victory. We only enjoy the delivery. God gets the victory!

The second part of the victory was the sword of Joshua. 

What is this sword?

Ephesians 6:17 And take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God...

Victory is assured through subjection to His Word.  

John 8:31-32 Then said Jesus to those Jews who believed in Him, “If ye continue in My Word, then are ye My disciples indeed. And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” 

Read the Word of God! Read it and reread it and reread it!

This book will keep you from sin, and sin will keep you from this book. 

We serve under His banner, under His command, under His leadership. 

Hebrews 12:1-2 Therefore, seeing we also are compassed about by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. 

He will give us victory and one day righteousness shall reign, and you and I serve under His banner.