Stand, because the victory has been won.
We are told in the book of Ephesians to stand against the enemy (Eph. 6:13). It is crucial for us to realize that the enemy (the devil) has already been defeated—so we do not have to attack him! Instead, we must stand our ground against darkness, and learn to never give in. In doing this, the enemy is forced to flee.
Now I understand, "standing your ground" can sound a lot easier than it actually is sometimes, but one of the most powerful ways to stand against the enemy is to verbally declare the word of God—out loud—especially in the midst of opposition. Do not waste your time trying to fight an already defeated foe! We are on this earth as an occupying army; not a fighting one.
Son of man, can these bones live?
Turn with me to Ezekiel 37:1-10: "THE VALLEY OF DRY BONES." In the early verses, we see Ezekiel struggling as he looks upon the valley of dry bones… But, he could also hear a marching army.
37 The hand of the Lord was on me, and he brought me out by the Spirit of the Lord and set me in the middle of a valley; it was full of bones. 2 He led me back and forth among them, and I saw a great many bones on the floor of the valley, bones that were very dry. 3 He asked me, “Son of man, can these bones live?” I said, “Sovereign Lord, you alone know.” 4 Then he said to me, “Prophesy to these bones and say to them, ‘Dry bones, hear the word of the Lord! 5 This is what the Sovereign Lord says to these bones: I will make breath[a] enter you, and you will come to life. 6 I will attach tendons to you and make flesh come upon you and cover you with skin; I will put breath in you, and you will come to life. Then you will know that I am the Lord.’” 7 So I prophesied as I was commanded. And as I was prophesying, there was a noise, a rattling sound, and the bones came together, bone to bone. 8 I looked, and tendons and flesh appeared on them and skin covered them, but there was no breath in them. 9 Then he said to me, “Prophesy to the breath; prophesy, son of man, and say to it, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Come, breath, from the four winds and breathe into these slain, that they may live.’” 10 So I prophesied as he commanded me, and breath entered them; they came to life and stood up on their feet—a vast army.
Ezekiel had a choice to make, just like you and I do. My question to you is: Are you only able to agree with your eyes (what you naturally see) or can you agree with your ears (what you hear the spirit of God saying)? God wanted Ezekiel to release words into the atmosphere. He needed Ezekiel’s verbal words so he could begin to work on his behalf, and told him what to say in Ezekiel 37:4, "Then he said to me, 'prophecy to these bones and say to them, ‘OH DRY BONES, HEAR THE WORD OF THE LORD.'" And those dry bones became a mighty army! God is wanting you and I to do the same, and to prophesy over our situation. If dry bones can hear, then things like cancer can hear; money can hear; depression can hear; and any situation or circumstance, no matter how dire it may appear, can hear. God will begin to work for you when you begin to prophesy and release words into the atmosphere, and I believe he is challenging us to hold our ground and declare his word over our lives. When you do this, your “dry bones” will begin to rattle and shake, and your situation will come together; just like it did for Ezekiel.
Looking aheaD…
We are on the brink of a new season. So begin to speak what you hear the spirit of God saying to you. Prophecy over your body, over your children, over your finances... Begin to prophesy about how 2019 is going to unfold for you. The new year is going to be different for all us as we align ourselves with God’s word and begin to prophesy about the next 12 months. I absolutely believe it can be our best year yet, but it is up to us to make it happen, and to allow God to move on our behalf.
God bless you all, and happy new year!
- Pastor David