ULTIMATE CARE DEVOTIONAL⛪October 4, 2022♨️♨️♨️♨️♨️♨️♨️♨️♨️♨️Today’s Theme: ⛪️ FIGHT THE LORD’S BATTLE”And Saul said to David; behold my elder daughter Merab, her will I give thee to wife; only be thou valiant for me, and fight the Lord’s battles. For Saul said, let not mine hand be upon him, but let the hand of the Philistines be upon him”Text: 1 Samuel 18:17MESSAGE💚Battle is a sustained fight between two organized forces or kingdoms. This could be battle between two unseen forces or between seen and unseen forces or kingdoms. Battle involves two opposing kingdoms. This is why Jesus said,“Every kingdom divided against itself cannot stand, it must be brought into destruction” (Luke 11:17).Every fight involving any child of God is the Lord’s battle. And we as believers are commanded to fight the LORD’S BATTLE (1 Samuel 18:17). The Lord’s Battle that the believer is commanded,” is to fight the good fight of faith”;“Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and has professed a good profession before many witnesses” (1 Tim.6:12). And the Lord prepares and trains us for the battle;“Blessed be the Lord my strength, which teacheth my hands to war, and my fingers to fight” (Psalm 144: 1).John Stewart Mills once said, “A man who has nothing which he is willing to fight for, nothing which he cares about more than his personal safety, is miserable creature who has no chance of being free”.This is the reason David declared to the Philistines;“And all these assembly shall know that the Lord saves not with sword and spear; for the battle is the Lord’s, and he will give you into our hands” (1 Samuel 17:47)The sacramental host of God’s elect is warring still on earth, Jesus Christ being the captain of their salvation (Hebrews 2:10). He has said;“Lo! I am with you always, even unto the end of the world (Matthew 28:20).Hark to the shouts of war! Now let the people of God stand fast in their ranks, and let no man’s heart fail him. It is true that just now in Nigeria the battle is turned against us, the Christians and unless the Lord Jesus shall lift his sword, we know not what may become of the church of God in this land; but let us be of good courage, and play the men just like Joab against the Syrians (2 Samuel 10: 12);“Be of good courage, and let us play the men for our people, and for the cities of our God; and the Lord do that which seemeth him good. And Joab drew nigh, and the people that were with him, unto the battle against Syrians; and they fled before him” (2 Samuel 10:12).By the actions of Joab, and the choice men of Israel, the Syrians fled and they were smitten. Beloved, irrespective of how many your enemies are, as you stand in the gap for yourself, people, nation, and fight, your adversaries shall flee and will be smitten.There was never a day when Christians seemed to tremble more in the scales than now that a fierce effort is making to take Nigeria as an Islamic nation. We greatly want a bold voice and a strong hand to preach and publish the old gospel for which martyrs bled and confessors died. The Saviour is, by his Spirit, still on earth; let this cheer us. He is ever in the midst of the fight, and therefore the battle is not doubtful. And as the conflict rages, what a sweet satisfaction it is to know that the Lord Jesus, in his office as our great Intercessor, is prevalently pleading for his people! O anxious gazer, look not so much at the battle below, for there thou shalt be enshrouded in smoke, and amazed with garments rolled in blood (Isaiah 9:5); but lift thine eyes yonder where the Saviour lives and pleads, for while he intercedes, the cause of God is safe.Let us fight as if it all depended upon us, but let us look up and know that all depends upon him. We, in Nigeria, must fight knowing for sure, what is left for us now, is to fight and take our nation back from the hands of the heathen. We must initiate the battle of our nation’s redemption, and the man of war is on our side. In your family, you must fight to redeem the land from the ancestral idolatrous spirits ravaging our families and communities. We must fight to come of the marine witchcraft spirit putting us and our people in captivity. Let us blow the alarm for war, for God will fight for us from heaven. Remember, the battle is the Lord’s. God bless you.Now, by the lilies of Christian purity, and by the roses of the Saviour’s atonement, by the roes and by the hinds of the field, we charge you who are lovers of Jesus, to do valiantly in the Holy War, for truth and righteousness, for the kingdom and crown jewels of your Master. Onward! “For the battle is not yours but God’s.”(1 Samuel 17: 47)Is it right to fight?Yes? There are times when it is the lesser of two evils. There are times when it is appropriate and there are times when it is inappropriate. Ecclesiastes 3:8 declares, “There is a time for war and a time for peace”. The Bible is realistic about this. There are many examples in the Bible where God commanded a war. He said, “Go to war”. When you look at the great heroes of faith in Hebrews 11; Joshua, David, Gideon, Sampson-these men were warriors.In the New Testament, at one time, Jesus told his disciples to sell their coats and buy a sword (Luke 22:36). It is time for true believers to rise up for the battle of the Lord to redeem our Land. No part of Nigeria must be given to the heathen. Nigeria belongs to God. O Nigeria, my country, my birth place.The following are the reasons we must fight:In order to preserve freedom. We need the freedom of worship and association, not intimidation and destruction of lives. Freedom is not free, there is a price tag (Number 32).In order to defend innocent people. Attack is the best form of defend. Proverbs 21:15. When Justice is done, it brings joy to the righteous but terror to evil doers.Our God is a God of peace and justice.In order to stop the spread of evil. Romans 13:4.In order to maintain steady progress. Joshua 1: 7.In order to secure our prosperity. Joshua 1: 8. Praise the Lord.PRAYERSHeavenly Father, I thank you this day for the grace of life and destiny fulfilment. Thank you for the gift of life and grace to fight the battle of my destiny.”Blessed be the Lord my strength who teacheth my hands to war and my fingers to fight”(Psalm 144:1). Lord, empower me this day to fight the battles of my life. You have promised that you will fight for me while I hold my peace (Exodus 14:14)Lord my anchor is on you, Grant me all round victory today in all my efforts through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.Heavenly Father, I plead that you come to the rescue of Nigeria, let thy angels of war rise for war, let the heavens declare it’s amour, let the earth unveil her arsenals, and the waters rise from its coast. Let them fight for us, even from heaven. Let the stars of heaven rise up for war. Father, let all you created fight for us. Let the sand rise up for war and the dust roars from the pits against my enemies and the enemies of the church of God in Nigeria. Lord, fight for your kingdom, that the heathen prevails not. Father, disappoint the devices of the crafty in my life, in my family and in Nigeria, so that their evil hands will no longer perform their evil enterprises. Thank you, faithful Father, may your faithfulness keep me and grant me total victory through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.FUTHER BIBLE READINGEXODUS 14; 2 CHRONICLES 20: 15-17BIBLE READING PLAN FOR THE YEAR, 2022MORNING: EXODUS, 17-18;EVENING: LUKE, 23-24♨️♨️♨️♨️♨️♨️♨️♨️♨️♨️Author: Pastor NseAbasi Harry♨️♨️♨️♨️♨️♨️♨️♨️♨️♨️