As impossible as it can seem to gain a victory over embedded evil, God will always reveal a way into a fortress of darkness, enabling us to rename what has been held captive, giving it a new name – a name that aligns with the will of God.
Scripture speaks of a city called Jebus, where the Canaanite tribe, the Jebusites, lived. Jebus would eventually be called Jerusalem. The Jebusites were described as “the original inhabitants of the land who were living there” (II Samuel 5:6). From the wall of the city, the Jebusites mocked Israel, “You will not get in here; even the blind and the lame can ward you off.” (vs. 6).
God had commanded Joshua to remove all the remaining tribes of those who had possession of the Promised Land. Yet the Jebusites held on because they lived within an impregnable fortress called Zion in a city called Jebus. They were part of the Canaanite tribe, who overconfidently believed the city was impossible to conquer. But David found a way to enter the city of Jebus through a water system and conquered the Jebusites.
“For the Jebusites thought they were safe. But David captured the fortress of Zion, which is now called the City of David. (vs 6-7). When David’s army defeated the Jebusites, he renamed Jebus the City of David, later to be known as Jerusalem.
In the New Covenant, God will always reveal a way into what has been shortsightedly thought to be unassailable – the human heart. After the death and resurrection of Jesus, all fortresses of the human heart became vulnerable to the work of the Spirit. This kind of victory works from the inside out, not as something that can be conquered with human efforts and means, but as a spiritual conquest.
Only the Spirit can reveal the way into the human heart, just as it was for David when he approached the fortress of Zion and discovered a vulnerable water system that would lead him into the city.
Waiting for that revelation is critical in any form of spiritual warfare. Without it, we will focus on the fortress, not on the instructions of the Lord, who will always be faithful to reveal a way into the human heart.
Good morning Garris,
What a timely reminder that I need to hear before I react to situations. I’m in the process of learning to stop and get Holy Spirit’s heart on the matter and respond instead of going off “half cocked “. It also speaks to me that in spite of how long a problem has been going on (many years between Joshua’s command and David’s conquest) God has the answer/solution to turn the test (thorn?) into a testimony.
Thank you, Mark