                    [Times Square Church Pulpit Series]

                         Getting Back Your Fight!

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By David Wilkerson
October 25, 1993
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          Paul said: "Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on
          eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast
          professed a good profession before many witnesses." (1
          Timothy 6:12). And near the end of his ministry the
          apostle could boast, "I have fought a good fight, I
          have finished my course, I have kept the faith:" (2
          Timothy 4:7).

          Paul never lost his fight - he was filled with it to
          his dying day. And many of our other spiritual fathers
          died fighting as well. The writer to the Hebrews said
          of the elders of the church, "[They] waxed valiant in
          fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens."
          (Hebrews 11:34). Men like Joshua and Caleb were mighty
          warriors to the very end!

          What kind of fight have you been putting up in the past
          year? Have you been so overwhelmed at times you've lost
          your fight? Have you become a weak, passive soldier of
          the Cross - discouraged, wounded, perplexed?

          I pray this message from the Holy Spirit will put the
          fight back in you - that once more you'll be fearless
          against the devil's weapons. It's time for you to get
          back up and fight the good fight!

          Jacob is our example of how to get back our Fight - and
          how to prevail with God! When the prophet Hosea wanted
          to warn Israel about their cowardly spiritual
          condition, he reminded them of their father Jacob. The
          crux of his message was, "You've become weak, passive.
          And now the enemy is over-whelming you! You claim to be
          Jacob's seed - but I want to show you how far you've
          strayed from his example. I want to show you how Jacob
          prevailed - how he had power with God!"

          He told the Israelites this about Jacob:

          "He took his brother by the heel in the womb, and by
          his strength he had power with God: Yea, he had power
          over the angel, and prevailed: he wept, and made
          supplication unto him: he found him in Bethel, and
          there he spake with us;" (Hosea 12:3-4).

          In this very brief passage about Jacob, Hosea sums up
          three secrets to getting back our fight - and how to
          overcome and prevail with God! Let me list them for
          you:

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             1. "He Took His Brother by the Heel in the Womb"

                    ------------------------------------

          Esau came forth from his mother's womb first - a baby
          covered with man's hair! (His name means "hairy man").
          But his twin, Jacob, had grabbed his heel while still
          in the womb. What a shock the midwife must have had as
          she delivered Esau: As he came forth, a tiny hand had a
          grip on his heel!

          The Israelites listening to Hosea recount this story
          must have looked at each other in bewilderment. "What
          does this have to do with us?" they probably asked.
          "What does it have to do with fighting the enemy?"

          Hosea's message to them was very simple: "Here was a
          man greedy for God, hungry for everything God had for
          him!"

          Jacob came out of the womb in a fighting mood, greedy
          for the blessings of God! There was something of a
          godly instinct in this child. It was as if he were
          saying, "Brother, if you don't want the fullness of
          God, I do. Get out of my way! I won't be left behind in
          God's blessings!"

          The birthright and blessing Jacob desired throughout
          his life represent all the blessings that are in Christ
          Jesus! Yet it wasn't the double portion of his father's
          wealth that Jacob was after; it wasn't the promise of
          the land. He proved that wasn't so by laboring under
          Laban for fourteen years by the sweat of his brow.

          No, Jacob wanted something more. He wanted the blessing
          of God so he could be in the lineage of the Messiah!
          And he wanted the priestly blessing. This meant not
          only being priest of the clan - it also meant being
          able to bless others!

          We see this priestly ministry throughout Genesis 27,
          and as Isaac laid hands on Jacob and blessed him:
          "...that my soul may bless thee" (verses 4, 19, 27). It
          meant the high honor of having God's hand on him - and
          the power to bless others!

          Beloved this is what is being required of believers in
          these last days! God is wanting to raise up a people
          who aren't concerned only about making their own
          living, owning a house or driving a nice car. He is
          seeking those who are greedy for the blessings of God -
          not to consume it on themselves, but to be used of Him
          to help others!

          Jacob's brother Esau represents everything that God
          hates in mankind. He lived only for himself for
          immediate pleasure and self-satisfaction. He never
          considered God's eternal purposes. And God said of him:
          "... yet I loved Jacob, And I hated Esau..." (Malachi
          1:2-3).

          But Jacob lived for God's purposes! And his hand on
          Esau's heel was a powerful statement! It said: "I will
          not be held by sin's grip - I am more than a conqueror!
          I will lay hold of all that is of Satan and resist,
          fight, and be victorious! I want God's hand on me - I
          want His blessing at any cost. I was born to be a
          channel of His blessing!"

          Hosea used this to chide Israel: "You claim to be
          children of Jacob, but you know nothing of his
          consuming hunger for the things of God! You're carnal,
          lazy - you're careless about seeking His fullness. Your
          hands reach out for selfish things. You are nothing
          like your father Jacob!"

          Jacob spent years fighting to get and keep the blessing
          of God! And that same desire ought to put a fight in
          all of God's people. If you don't hunger for Jesus - if
          you only want to make it to heaven and not be bothered
          by the needs of others - then you have nothing to fight
          for! You are a powder-puff Christian, an easy mark for
          the devil!

          This is why so many followers of Jesus are in bondage
          to lusts and habits of all kinds. They have no fight -
          they refuse to grab the heel of their sin and cast it
          down through the power of God! Instead they claim, "I
          can't help my sin." But that is not so! There is great
          victory for all who will fight their besetting sin!

          A young man who was flirting with homosexuality
          recently told me, "I really don't fight it. In fact, I
          kind of like it." He can never be delivered until he
          sees it as evil - as sin - and he stands up and fights!

          Beloved, you've got to get a grip on the heel of your
          sin! You've got to grab hold and say, "God, I want your
          blessing. I want victory over everything in my life
          that is unlike You!"

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               2. "And by His Strength He Had Power With God"
                               (Hosea 12:3)

                    ------------------------------------

          Jacob had labored under Laban for fourteen years. And
          Laban changed his wages ten times. But Jacob was very
          prosperous because God's hand was on him. Now Laban's
          sons wanted to kill him because, they said, "He's
          stealing us blind!" And Jacob became concerned for his
          family's safety.

          Scripture says God came to Jacob in the middle of the
          night: "And the Lord said unto Jacob, Return unto the
          land of thy fathers, and to thy kindred; and I will be
          with thee" (Genesis 31:3).

          Jacob immediately obeyed. He gathered his family and
          flocks and set out on a journey home. Please understand
          this: He went in God's time, in God's way, with God's
          calling and mandate - and with His promise ringing in
          his ears: "I will go with you!" God made him go!

          Yet in spite of all this - in spite of being in God's
          perfect will, having a clear word from Him and obeying
          Him completely - Jacob suddenly entered into some of
          the hardest times a man of God ever experienced! He was
          hungry for God - worshipping the Lord, spending time at
          the altar, walking in complete obedience. But suddenly
          everything was spinning out of control!

          First he received word Esau was coming - racing toward
          him with 400 rough riders, appearing set for revenge!
          "Then Jacob was greatly afraid and distressed" (Genesis
          32:7). So Jacob divided his entourage into groups and
          droves of cattle. He sent the first group forth to meet
          Esau, instructing them, "Tell Esau all these camels and
          donkeys and sheep are his - a gift from his brother,
          Jacob!"

          Jacob then told the other groups to flee if the first
          group met with the sword. Finally, he sent his two
          wives, two women servants and eleven sons over the
          brook Jabbok - and he was left all alone.

          We need only to look into our own hearts to know what
          must have gone through Jacob's mind in that lonely
          hour. I see him pacing back and forth, his arms
          flailing in frustration. He was weeping, crying,
          wailing before God:

          "O God - it must have been the enemy who gave me the
          word to do this! How could You put Your obedient
          servant through such a trial? First You gave me a clear
          word telling me to go. And I obeyed You - I did exactly
          what You told me. But now I've ended up facing an army
          of powerful enemies!

          "My whole family is in the crisis of their lives! And
          I'm about to lose everything - my very life is on the
          line! What kind of guidance is this, God? You called me
          out here, and now You've abandoned me!"

          Beloved, this was not the worst part. At the very depth
          of his despair and deepest confusion, when Jacob needed
          the comforting Word of God - God came toward him as if
          an enemy, to fight him! "And Jacob was left alone; and
          there wrestled a man with him until the breaking of the
          day" (Genesis 32:24).

          Try to imagine the scene. Jacob sees the form of a man
          coming at him, with fists raised and a challenge: "Come
          on, Jacob - fight!"

          If ever a man seemed to have a reason to give up, it
          was Jacob! He was as low and confused at this point as
          he could ever get. And instead of getting an
          encouraging word from God, he was called out to fight!

          Jacob could have said, "That's it - no more! I can't
          take it! I've tried, I've obeyed. But everything is
          spinning out of control! All my circumstances tell me
          I'm not in God's will. I'm at my wits' end...

          "God, You told me You'd go with me. But instead You've
          come at me only to pin me to the ground. I'm about to
          die, and You say, 'Fight!' No man can take this! You
          can do what You want. You won't get any fight out of
          me!"

          Beloved - I have been there! I remember once standing
          by a window overlooking this city. On one side a death
          angel whispered, "Your daughter is next!" And on the
          other side Satan whispered, "I'll wreck your home and
          cause you to reproach His name!"

          Everything seemed to be unraveling. My own body was
          heavy with pain, fear, trembling - accusing demons on
          all sides!

          Yes, I know what it's like to scream at God, "What's
          going on? I'm not living in sin - I've obeyed You! I
          came to New York in faithfulness to You. I haven't done
          anything to deserve any of this. But it looks like
          You've allowed the devil to get to me! Is this what
          happens when I obey You, God? If I've done wrong, show
          me. But don't let this go on any longer!"

          To make matters worse, the Lord didn't come to me with
          outstretched arms of comfort. I heard no soft whisper
          of reassurance. Instead, He came at me with fists
          clenched, commanding me, "Stand up, David - fight!"

                      -------------------------------

                   It's Not Esau That Is Coming at Jacob
                         - It Is Life, the Future!

                      -------------------------------

          Jacob wasn't in any trouble with Esau. If he were, God
          would have delivered him. God had already promised
          Jacob at Bethel He would go with him to the very end.
          He'd even shown him a vision of a host of angels all
          around him, No, Jacob was in no danger from Esau - he
          was in danger from his own weakness to face the rest of
          his life!

          So God came as Jacob's fight trainer - as a sparring
          partner to make him into a strong warrior who could
          prevail over any enemy!

          Suppose a boxing trainer took his fighter to an
          isolated training camp. Then he spent the whole
          training season psyching up his man for the big fight.
          He tells him:

          "I'll be with you at ringside. I'll never leave you or
          forsake you. Here is a list of great boxers of the past
          - study their every move. You don't have to suffer
          through hard workouts. I told you you're a winner - and
          my word is all you need! When you step into the ring
          with Monster Man, I'll give you some diagrams on how to
          defeat him!"

          What kind of a trainer is this? Utterly foolish?
          Absolutely! I ask you - what would a good trainer do?
          He would find the best boxer he could, put him in the
          ring with his man and let them have it out!

          Beloved, how many Christians call themselves warriors
          who have never been tested or trained? We hear so much
          about the many prayer warriors in this nation. But the
          sad truth is, the vast majority of them have never been
          in battle! They've not been trained - they're not ready
          to fight!

          Recently I asked the Lord why so many true believers
          are going through such heavy, hard times. Why such deep
          suffering? I asked. Why are so many being tested to
          their limits?

          It is because the majority of Christians have quit the
          battle! They refuse to fight the devil or do battle
          against his kingdom. And when God does find a believer
          with a hunger and a desire for His blessing, He puts
          him into the ring!

          You see, God knows Satan is going to be loosed on the
          earth for his last hour of warfare. And the Lord is
          going to need well-trained warriors who will prevail
          over all the powers of hell. Right now He is doing a
          quick work in His remnant - it's called crisis
          training!

          These suffering, deeply tested saints are becoming the
          captains of His last-day army. God is putting Holy
          Ghost fight in them - and He's bringing forth warriors
          who are tested and tried, because they've wrestled with
          God. The more they suffer, the more intense their trial
          - the greater the work He has for them to do!

          This kind of training calls for physical discipline as
          well as spiritual. Jacob threw his whole body into the
          battle, all his human ability. A fighting spirit had
          risen up in him - and, Scripture says, "by his strength
          he had power with God"(Hosea 12:3).

          This verse has great meaning for all who want to
          prevail in prayer. It says Jacob prevailed and won the
          battle "by his strength"! And dear saint, if you're
          going to prevail in these last days, you're going to
          have to put all your body and physical strength into
          it!

          Many Christians expect God to somehow save their
          family, reconcile relationships, do miracles - all at
          no cost to them. They just want to rest - to sit in
          their rocking chair and "believe God for it all." But
          this matter of prevailing in prayer - "breaking
          through" to God, getting answers and seeing results -
          is going to cost your flesh something!

          Consider what it cost Jesus: "Who in the days of his
          flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications
          with strong crying and tears..." (Hebrews 5:7). Even
          though Jesus knew He was God in the flesh, He wept and
          cried out before the Father!

          Jacob also "wept, and made supplication unto him"
          (Hosea 12:4). And when Jacob did this, he was
          ninety-seven years old! He wasn't just getting by,"
          drifting along in some passive apathy. No! God's Spirit
          came upon him, and he dug in to lay hold of what God
          promised! He fought, wept, begged before God!

                      -------------------------------

                Jacob Realized His Battle Was Not With Esau
                          - It Was With the Lord!

                      -------------------------------

          This is one of the greatest lessons we can ever learn.
          Our battle is never with people - not our co-workers,
          not our neighbor, not our unsaved loved ones - but with
          God!

          If you settle things with God, everything else has to
          fall in line. You see, when you're right before God -
          sprinkled with Christ's blood, having no sin in your
          life, prevailing in prayer all the demons in hell can't
          make a dent in what God wants to do! He wants you to
          have that kind of strength - holy strength and that
          means putting your flesh into it!

          Hosea said, "The Lord hath also a controversy with
          Judah [His people]..." (Hosea 12:2). What is this
          controversy God has with His church? It is their
          spiritual laziness! We want miracles, blessings,
          deliverances - but at no cost, no effort!

          Who among God's people today prays all night -
          wrestling, fighting, weeping, crying out to God? Who
          disciplines their flesh to seek God, bringing their
          body under subjection to spend hours in prayer until
          breaking through? Who wants holiness, purity and
          Christ-likeness so much they're willing to shut
          themselves in with God until they prevail? Who is so
          consumed with pleasing God that they're desperate to be
          delivered from all habits, all lusts - and they cry
          out, fight and wrestle with God until He breaks all
          chains?

          Hosea said to Israel, "All you want is prosperity and
          security! You're not willing to take a stand. You don't
          want to live for Jehovah's pleasure, but for your own!"

          Jacob prevailed "by his strength" -and so must you and
          I! We have His strength - but we just don't use it!
          "Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious
          power, unto all patience and longsuffering with
          joyfulness" (Colossians 1:11). "That he would grant
          you, according to the riches of his glory, to be
          strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man"
          (Ephesians 3:16).

          The church of Jesus Christ is never going to see what
          God has for His body - until He sees us seeking Him in
          earnest! "The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous
          man availeth much" (James 5:16).

          God wants you to lay hold of Him - because He loves
          you! He is saying, "Here it is. If you want it, come
          and get it!" He wants to make a soldier out of you - to
          make you strong for His army!

              -----------------------------------------------

          3. "He Found Him in Bethel, and There He Spake With Us"
                               (Hosea 12:4).

              -----------------------------------------------

          This verse does not say God spoke to Jacob at Bethel.
          It says, rather, "He spake with us." Hosea was talking
          about Israel - and about us, His church, today! He is
          saying God wants to speak to us at Bethel!

          God met Jacob at Bethel on two occasions:

          The first time, Jacob was running from Esau, having
          stolen the birthright. He stopped at one point and
          piled up stones for a pillow. And as he slept, he
          dreamed of a ladder reaching into heaven, with angels
          ascending and descending. That was the first time God
          said to him: "And, behold, I am with thee, and will
          keep thee in all places whither thou goest..." (Genesis
          28:15). In other words: "I'm with you from this day on,
          wherever you go!"

          Jacob awoke and said: "...Surely the LORD is in this
          place; and I knew it not... How dreadful is this place!
          this is none other but the house of God, and this is
          the gate of heaven."..."And he called the name of that
          place Bethel..." (verses 16-17, 19). Bethel means
          "house of God" - a place to meet God!

          The second time God met Jacob at Bethel was after two
          of his sons committed a heinous act, Simeon and Levi
          were angry that Shechem the Hivite had raped their
          sister Dinah. So they took revenge and slew the entire
          town!

          Jacob said to them, "...Ye have troubled me to make me
          to stink among the inhabitants of the land, among the
          Canaanites and the Perizzites: and I being few in
          number, they shall gather themselves together against
          me, and slay me; and I shall be destroyed, I and my
          house."(Genesis 34:30).

          Jacob was in a terrible crisis once again - he didn't
          know what to do. Then, the Bible says: "...God said
          unto Jacob, Arise, go up to Bethel, and dwell there..."
          (Genesis 35:1). Then Jacob said, "... let us arise, and
          go up to Bethel; and I will make there an altar unto
          God, who answered me in the day of my distress, and was
          with me in the way which I went." (verse 3).

          That's what Bethel is - a place to go in our time of
          distress! And the lesson for Israel and for us today is
          this: Whenever Jacob was in trouble or danger - when
          things looked foreboding and hopeless - he knew where
          to go and what to do!

          God was saying to Jacob, "You know where I'll speak to
          you, where you'll hear My voice. Go back to Bethel! Go
          to the altar where I met you. Get down on your face
          before Me. And cleanse your house of all idolatry!"

          Jacob called his sons to bring forth all their idols,
          and he buried them under an oak tree. Then he led his
          family to Bethel, and there he erected an altar before
          God. Again God told Jacob, "I am with you." Then,
          Scripture says, "...the terror of God was upon the
          cities that were round about them, and they did not
          pursue after the sons of Jacob" (verse 5). The
          surrounding cities were afraid of Jacob - this little
          Jewish clan - because God put a dread in them!

          Beloved the Lord is still God of Bethel! And He is
          saying to us, "Go to Bethel - that's where I'm going to
          meet you! Every time you're in trouble or distress, run
          to the altar! Cry out - get alone with Me!" He is
          waiting for us to meet Him in the secret closet of
          prayer!

          But few Christians run to Bethel when they're in
          trouble or over-whelmed. Prayer isn't the first thing
          they do - it's the last! Instead, they try to "ride it
          out." They run to friends and counselors - they drag
          about in despair. Some even go across the country to
          hear so-called prophets give them a "personal word."

          But Jacob knew where to go to get a clear word from God
          Himself! He went to Bethel - to the altar! He shut
          himself in with God in a secret place!

          I believe God talks to us - I believe He gives us
          words. But it happens on our knees! That's where God
          says He will meet us!

                      -------------------------------

                   I Have a Word for Some Readers Today!

                      -------------------------------

          I believe God gave me this word to you for this very
          day:

          God is calling you today to get your eyes off all
          circumstances. Don't judge anything by your present
          condition. Don't try to figure it all out. Don't let
          fear cast you down. God will meet you in prayer!

          He will soon bring forth His word to you - he will not
          keep you in the dark. He didn't lie - He knows you're
          being obedient to Him.

          Just accept that you're being trained. Throw off your
          passive, defeated countenance. Cast aside all feelings
          of defeat - and stand up and fight! He has given you
          the strength. You just haven't used it!

          You re not going to hear God's voice until you're shut
          in with Him alone at your Bethel - down on your face
          before Him, weeping, crying out, "Lord, I'm not letting
          go until I hear Your voice!"

          Right now God is saying, "Come on, fight!" - because He
          loves you! He wants you to claim all His blessings.
          Rise up in faith and lay hold of His promise. Stand up
          and fight! You have His Strength - use it!

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