(It’s A Long Read, But If You Love Your Soul, And The Truth, You’ll Read Every Word Of It!)
From my plausible research, I can tell you, down through history, that the WINNING CHURCH stands on two legs: PRAYER and CONFRONTATION. The winning church has always been a praying and warring church. There’s no other way to win the battles of life, be it political, financial, economic, or physiological, without setting yourself FIRST to pray, and THEN to confront whatever is trying to limit, kill or hem you in. Beginning with Abraham, the Father of Faith, he had a covenant with GOD, he talked with GOD (in meditative prayers), but he fought a physical WAR (The Battle of the Vale of Siddim or the War of Nine Kings – Genesis 14) to rescue his people, and to enter into his inheritance. He prayed and warred!
In the battle against the Amalekites in Exodus 17, Moses, Aaron and Hur went up the mountain to PRAY for victory, while Joshua, Caleb and the rest of the Israeli army were in the valley fighting the physical battle. Read the beautiful account from verse 8 down to 16. “Now Amalek came and fought with Israel in Rephidim. And Moses said to Joshua, “Choose us some men and go out, FIGHT with Amalek. Tomorrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the rod of God in my hand.” So Joshua did as Moses said to him, and fought with Amalek. And Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill. And so it was, when Moses held up his hand, that Israel prevailed; and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed. But Moses’ hands became heavy; so they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it. And Aaron and Hur supported his hands, one on one side, and the other on the other side; and his hands were steady until the going down of the sun. So Joshua defeated Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword. Then the Lord said to Moses, “WRITE THIS FOR A MEMORIAL IN THE BOOK and recount it in the hearing of Joshua, that I will utterly blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven.” And Moses built an altar and called its name, The-Lord-Is-My-Banner; for he said, “Because the Lord has sworn: the Lord will have war with Amalek from generation to generation.”
There are many other examples of praying priests and psalmists going out to battles with armies in the Old Testament. A classic example is that of Jehoshaphat in 2 Chronicles 20: spiritual intelligence combined with physical routing of Israel’s enemies. In verse 15 to 17, GOD’S instruction came to the king, “Listen, King Jehoshaphat and all who live in Judah and Jerusalem! This is what the Lord says to you: ‘Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God’s. TOMORROW MARCH DOWN AGAINST THEM. They will be climbing up by the Pass of Ziz, and you will find them at the end of the gorge in the Desert of Jeruel. YOU WILL NOT HAVE TO FIGHT THIS BATTLE. TAKE UP YOUR POSITIONS; STAND FIRM AND SEE THE DELIVERANCE THE LORD WILL GIVE YOU, Judah and Jerusalem. DO NOT BE AFRAID; DO NOT BE DISCOURAGED. GO OUT TO FACE THEM TOMORROW, AND THE LORD WILL BE WITH YOU.’”
The modern day Israel still survives today based on that instruction above: MARCH DOWN AGAINST THEM! TAKE UP YOUR POSITIONS; STAND FIRM AND SEE THE DELIVERANCE THE LORD WILL GIVE YOU! DO NOT BE AFRAID; DO NOT BE DISCOURAGED. GO OUT TO FACE THEM, AND THE LORD WILL BE WITH YOU! GOD’S People – ISRAEL – live by their FAITH in GOD, and BATTLE OFTEN TO REMAIN IN EXISTENCE and TO THRIVE where GOD has planted them. No church, people or gathering can survive otherwise! And, that is why I disagree vehemently with the Nigerian Church, that is always calling for prayers (hiding its head actually in prayers) without corresponding physical strategy (like the German and American Churches) to wrest power from the ‘Sons of Belial’ plundering the nation. It’s utterly hypocritical and unwholesome. Deliverance won’t come by prayers alone. No! It’ll come when prayer is combined with strategic corresponding physical measures, actions and confrontations. The Church is the LIGHT, and it must ARISE to CONFRONT the darkness/evil in Nigeria, both spiritually and physically. There is no other way!
Praying alone, as seen in the last 30 years, is NOT enough! At best, it has made us like the proverbial ostrich burying its head in the sand to ward off or avert danger. It doesn’t work like that! Wow! The late Benson Idahosa knew this prayer and confrontation approach very well, and he manned up to confront witches, not just in prayers, but physically, in Benin, and we know who shifted grounds eventually. The Nigerian Church needs more courageous men/women like him, like Matthew Hassan Kukah, like David Oyedepo, etc.
The religious bigots will tell me that the New Testament believer (Christian) does not war with physical weapons, and often quick to quote 2 Corinthians 10:4, “The weapons of our warfare are not carnal/fleshly, but powerful by God for overturning strongly entrenched things. For we are overturning reasonings (pulling down strongholds) and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God.” That’s the spiritual/prayer part, which is okay, but the corresponding war strategy is found in Luke 22:35-38, “And He (JESUS) said to them, “When I sent you without money bag, knapsack, and sandals, did you lack anything?” So they said, “Nothing.” Then He said to them, “But now, he who has a money bag, let him take it, and likewise a knapsack; AND HE WHO HAS NO SWORD, LET HIM SELL HIS GARMENT AND BUY ONE. For I say to you that this which is written must still be [e]accomplished in Me: ‘And He was numbered with the transgressors.’ For the things concerning Me have an end.” SO THEY SAID, “LORD, LOOK, HERE ARE TWO SWORDS.” AND HE SAID TO THEM, “IT IS ENOUGH.”
Those were the WORDS OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST HIMSELF! That’s the physical strategy. Apostle Paul was right in what he wrote in 2 Corinthians 10:4. Please, NOTE: “10-4” is A MILITARY SLANG used to confirm that certain information has been received and will be taken into account (in strategizing for physical battle, and VICTORY). JESUS was preparing his disciples for the possibility of physical confrontation, which He knew was likely to happen when His accusers would come for him, and didn’t want any of His disciples hurt. He prepared them to defend themselves! Will you tell me He asked them to take swords with them to complete their dressing?! Certainly not! JESUS had an aggressive Peter and a zealot called Simon among His twelve disciples, and He knew they could wield swords if push came to shove, hence, I’m guessing, He said, “Two swords are enough.” He also had James and John, the ‘Boarnerges’ (Sons of Thunder – Mark 3:17) close to His Chest. ‘Boarnerges’ could also mean a fiery preacher, especially one with a powerful voice. I’m more like that, and apologies to nobody for my fiery, confrontational articles. I’m a JESUS Boy, just as much as your gentle, always praying pastor or G.O. is!
Here’s the balance: every EFFECTIVE Church, all through history, has been constituted by those who prayed (the ‘Prayors’) and the Warriors (the foot soldiers who are used of GOD when He answers the prayers of the Prayors. No church gets to the Promised Land with the Prayors (Moses, Aaron and Hur) alone. No! They NEED the Joshuas and Caleb’s to get there. Take NOTE: Moses and Aaron didn’t even make it to the Promised Land, but Joshua and Caleb DID! Prayer and Anointing’ alone won’t take you there. No! You NEED MILITANT MEN like Joshua, Caleb, Peter, Simon the Zealot, and Thunder callers like Elijah, James and John. TRUTH be told, every Church NEEDS an Elijah that would call Ahab (our leaders), “The TROUBLER of ISRAEL/NIGERIA”, with his father’s house; a Jehu that would call Jezebel (our leaders’ wives) a prostitute and witch; and a ‘Jesus’ that would call Herod a fox. All these things are in the Bible, Old and New Testaments. Read them!
In conclusion, the WISE, WINNING CHURCH encourages the ‘PRAYORS’ to pray and EMPOWERS the Warriors, overtly and covertly, to defend and promote her Cause. GOD won’t do that for you o! He raises men and women among the congregation of His People, and not area boys and touts, to work His Will. He can use outsiders, but He often raises DELIVERERS among His own people. That is what Obadiah 21 is about, “Then SAVIORS shall come to Mount Zion to judge the mountains of Esau, and the kingdom shall be the LORD’s.” In what way are you a SAVIOR in Nigeria, to NIGERIANS? How is your CHRISTIANITY a benefit to other NIGERIANS, apart from the covert operations to populate your church because of the love/lure for tithes and offering? Rather than criticize MILITANT BRETHREN, the WISE CHURCH should be praying earnest and fervently for us, FOR GOD TO STRENGTHEN AND EMBOLDEN US THE MORE, TILL HIS WORK IN/THROUGH US IS ACCOMPLISHED. At least, saints on earth are called ‘THE CHURCH MILITANT’, while departed souls are called, ‘SAINTS TRIUMPHANT!’
Selah o!
NB: if you don’t know by now that our political leaders in Nigeria are out to steal, kill and destroy, then, you’re probably not that intelligent, and require some appropriate education. Yeah, I noticed that people remember my insults more! Why would you ask the people of GOD to be praying for such, when we should be praying for our deliverance, and His judgment on them?
As for me, I command what I want upon them, and, if GOD ever EMPOWERS me like He did Jehu or Rawlings, I’ll not hesitate to do the NEEDFUL! Prayor or Warrior, we’re all heaven bound, and we NEED each other to get there. I’ll see you when we get there, if you ever get there, a la Coolio!
DA