Focus: Keep Shooting!

Text: 1Pet.5:9

"Whom resist stedfast in the faith…"

This world in which we live was made by God, but the system that operates in it is being determined by Satan, whom Paul describes as "the god of this world," and the reason being that man rejected God's truth and chose Satan's lie. The Lord Jesus Christ calls Satan, "the father of lies." The system of the world is formed by the lies of Satan. You find Satan's lies everywhere and in all our governmental systems. These lies control even the Fashion Industry in which nakedness has become a fashionable thing. 

Man is fooling and demeaning himself by believing in Satan's lies. In John 1:10, we read, "He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not." The world made by God did not recognize its maker when he took upon himself man's form and lived among men.

Peter tells the believer in Christ to "be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour" (1Pet.5:8). 

Satan is the arch-enemy of the believer. He seeks every little opportunity to harm us, but we are adequately empowered and sufficiently equipped to neutralize him.

Peter says, "Whom resist steadfast in the faith…" Our faith places us in the position of authority, and from that position we are given the right to resist Satan, and we do so insistently, persistently and perseveringly. We do not resist once and then relax. We keep at it. The believer in Christ is a combatant soldier and thoroughly armed. Yes, the believer is armed and dangerous. His garment of warfare or armor is dyed in the blood of Jesus Christ. Satan cannot stand the blood of Jesus Christ. Christ's blood has sealed Satan's doom.

From the story of king Joash of Israel in 2Kgs.13, we find an interesting illustration of how we can persistently resist the devil. Joash was an evil king of Israel. Israel had suffered from the Syrian oppression for a very long time, and the time for God to save Israel had come, and Joash was the available instrument for the execution of the divine deliverance. So Joash came to Elisha the prophet, who was sick and dying at the time. The man of God asked him to take his bow and arrows, open the window eastward, that is, in the direction of Syria, and shoot. Elisha said, "Take the arrows. And he took them. And he said unto the king of Israel, Smite upon the ground. And he smote thrice, and stayed" (2Kgs.13:18). With the hands of Elisha on his hands, Joash shot thrice to the ground, and stopped. The Scripture says that "the man of God was wroth with him, and said, Thou shouldest have smitten five or six times; then hadst thou smitten Syria till thou hadst consumed it: whereas now thou shalt smite Syria but thrice" (2Kgs.13:19). Joash did not persist with the shooting. He had opportunity to, but he lacked faith and courage. Shooting only three times meant that his victory over Syria was short lived. It didn't last for long.

Child of God, Satan is diehard personality! He keeps coming back. You must take advantage of the victory of Christ on the cross and the arrows He has already provided for you. 

On top of that, be conscious of the fact that the hands of your God are upon your own hands to determine your victory. You are not fighting or shooting alone. You have the assurance of God's presence and power.

Open your window eastward and just shoot! Keep shooting and hitting your target! Keep winning until losing becomes winning in disguise! In Christ you are sentenced to a lifetime of victory. Sustain your victory by persistent shooting. You have enough arrows to last you for a lifetime. Summon the courage to keep smiting and striking. Paul says, "Be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might." In Jesus Christ you have all the strength you need. In Him you surge with energy and function with staying power.

It is up to you to decide and determine how far or long you want to keep winning in life. Satan may leave for a season, but he keeps returning to attack. Never forget that!

Keep striking! Keep smiting! Keep shooting! Keep striving and stretching! Keep aiming!

Keep persevering! Keep insisting and persisting! Keep resisting the devil steadfastly in the faith! Keep praying, believing and hoping! Keep standing firm! Keep standing against the evil of oppression and injustice! Stop wining and waning, and start winning! Keep at it! Don't lose your guards!

Always partner with the Holy Spirit! You need His hands on yours for final and total victory. Keep partnering with God for success in everything!

Elisha was sick and dying, yet never less anointed. His anointing of God did not depreciate because of the sickness. God's strength was made perfect in his weakness. His hand on Joash's hand could still effect victory for Israel.

Realize that what you have on your hand is the arrow of the Lord's deliverance. It is the arrow of deliverance from your enemy. God delivers you and uses you to deliver others. God is interested not only in delivering you but also in developing your faith. It is when God places His strong hands on your feeble hands that your weakness turns into strength.

God wants your victory to be total, not partial. You possess God's arrows. They are in your life. They are right in your spirit. Use them! With those spiritual arrows you can bring down your enemy.

The arrow is an offensive weapon. It is for attack. With it you can advance and take charge. With your spiritual arrows you can make the enemy to keep retreating. It is the arrow of the Spirit and the Word. Shoot and keep shooting!

by Bishop Moses E. Peter