Over the next few weeks I will be sharing songs from my live worship recording called We Are the Army. This project was born during the early days of my ministry as a means of teaching the body of Christ how to use worship as a weapon of spiritual warfare…how to engage the lies of the enemy with the truth of God’s Word in song…how to run to the battle with an attitude of victory. In order to illustrate what I am talking about, I encourage you to listen to The Dennis Jernigan Podcast and the stories being three specific songs that God gave me to use in spiritual warfare against the lies of the enemy. You can find the link to that podcast at the end of this teaching and will be able to actually listen to the songs I am writing about today. I call this three song series The Spiritual Warfare Medley.
The first song in the medley is called Servants Of The Most High God and is based partially on the life of Daniel as portrayed in Daniel 3. This song was born on October 15, 1987. What follows are the circumstances that led to the birth of Servants of the Most High God.
On Sunday, October 11, 1987, our church - Western Hills Church in Oklahoma City - was set on fire during one of our regular services. Although the building was not destroyed, (only a few rooms in the basement were directly affected) the entire church was heavily damaged by the smoke. As a result, we had to re-locate for several months. Church on the Rock of Oklahoma City was gracious enough to allow us the use of its building on Sunday afternoons. It was because of this and other “inconveniences” that we began to see an exodus from our body. But what God was really doing was pruning us once again. And what Satan meant as an attack on our church God used for the good of His Kingdom. We really had no idea of the prophetic nature of this song. It soon became apparent what Satan was up to…..and this song became our battle cry! It is also inspired by the life of the prophet Daniel who endured so much for the sake of the kingdom of God. Just as Daniel saw himself as a servant of the Most High God, so we should see ourselves!
The next song in the medley is called Some Trust In Chariots. On August 17, 1986, this song was born during a time of intense warfare in our body. We were relatively new to this aspect of God’s Kingdom work and were beginning to come under some public criticism and attack. It was during this time that God began to reveal our hearts to us…began to show us that we feared man more than we feared Him. Yes, there is a time to show deference to others…but not if it means disobedience to God. You see, God still speaks to us and still desires to bless His children with good gifts. And yes, He is still God! Almighty God! If we are going to boast in anything let us boast in God Almighty! Let us stop trusting our own flesh and our own desire and fall completely on Him and His desires and rest completely in His power! The song was based on Psalm 20:7 NASB which says:
Some [boast] in chariots and some in horses,
But we will boast in the name of the LORD, our God.
The next song in the medley is called The Lion Comes and was inspired by an episode from the life of David when he told King Saul he - David - would go out and face Goliath. King Saul questioned David’s youth and ability, but David responded in faith. [1Samuel 17:34-36 NASB] says,
34 But David said to Saul, "Your servant was tending his father's sheep. When a lion or a bear came and took a lamb from the flock, 35 I went out after him and attacked him, and rescued [it] from his mouth; and when he rose up against me, I seized [him] by his beard and struck him and killed him. 36 "Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear; and this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, since he has taunted the armies of the living God.”
This song came to me during the early hours in the night of August 17, 1987. God had been speaking to my heart concerning the life of King David. In fact, He was having me write these meditations in the form of a book. As I contemplated David’s communion with God I was overwhelmed with David’s great boldness. Even though He must have been only a teenager when He confronted Goliath, he had a great confidence, not in his own abilities, but in the abilities and greatness and power of His God!
As I thought upon these things, the words and music to this song came simultaneously…and though it didn’t seem to fit the ‘rules’ of ‘good’ song writing, it struck a deep chord of boldness and praise to God in my heart. This song quickly became a bold declaration of our body. As we face the various directions during corporate prayer or praise (turning to face the north, south, east, and west with our physical bodies…looked crazy but was actually pretty awesome and powerful!), God brings to mind many situations we need to be standing against…and many people we need to be standing in the gap for! Thank You, Jesus, for giving us your Spirit and for releasing Your power in our hearts and lives that we might see Your Kingdom advance against the ruler of ‘this present darkness’!
Be of sober [spirit,] be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. 1 Peter 5:8 NASB
That’s a very important nugget of truth. Satan is a roaring lion. All bark and no bite! His only power is deception and we defeat deception with the truth of God’s Word. Let me remind you what that truth is.
3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh, 4 for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. 5 [We are] destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and [we are] taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ, 6 and we are ready to punish all disobedience, whenever your obedience is complete. 2 Corinthians 10:3-6 NASB
Let’s overcome the enemy with the truth of God’s Word today by proclaiming that truth to our own souls and in praise to our God.
Let’s listen to this warfare medley and let’s make it personal. What areas of your life do you need to see spiritual victory today? What loved ones are you doing spiritual battle for today? Let’s be who our God says we are and storm the gates of hell with the truth of God’s Word! Are you ready? Here we go!
Dennis Jernigan
To listen to The Dennis Jernigan Podcast on Spiritual Warfare, go to http://podcast.dennisjernigan.com/e/spiritual-warfare-medley/
Photo courtesy of https://cdn.pixabay.com/photo/2015/05/31/00/02/sword-790815_1280.jpg