Day NINE -- CAPTAIN OF THE HOSTS OF HEAVEN

Lift your eyes to the Lord, the Maker of Heaven and earth. Let this reality settle in your soul. Offer words of praise for His greatness. Consider the spiritual battles you have faced in the past week. What were some of them? Relational issues? Doubt? Fear? Frustration? Self-condemnation? What did you do? Were you able to identify the attacks against your faith that Satan may have launched? Were you are able to draw on Jesus, as the Source of victory for these things? Why or why not?

In your prayer journal, write out what you feel is the greatest spiritual battle you face right now. Ask God to speak to your heart concerning it as you continue your time with Him.

Read

Peruse the following verses slowly, asking God to press your heart into their truth. Follow this by reading the devotional.

He said, "No; rather I indeed come now as captain of the host of the LORD." And Joshua fell on his face to the earth, and bowed down, and said to him, "What has my lord to say to his servant?" The captain of the LORD'S host said to Joshua, "Remove your sandals from your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy." And Joshua did so.

You alone are the LORD. You have made the heavens, the heaven of heavens with all their host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them. You give life to all of them, and the heavenly host bows down before You.

Or do you think that I cannot appeal to My Father, and He will at once put at My disposal more than twelve legions of angels?

Joshua 5:14-15, Nehemiah 9:6, Matthew 26:53

My youngest son, who at fifteen years old is a walking encyclopedia on military, wars, and weapons, intrigues me. He spends most of his free time watching old war movies, strategizing for virtual combat on the computer, or organizing his collection of military action figures. He's made a hobby of photographing them in battle scenes, giving careful attention to the slightest detail, such as the slant of their weapon, or the precision of their uniform.

This tends to give my husband and me great pause, given we own no guns, nor have we ever purchased them as toys for our sons. While I tend to fret and try to discourage his quest for military erudition, there is some comfort in knowing that my son, like scores of boys gone before him, is captivated by an age-old theme, the triumph of good over evil. Perhaps this fascination reflects a desire God Himself placed in his heart, a shadow of spiritual reality invisible to the natural eye.

Scripture tells us that in the spiritual realm beyond the pale of this physical world, powers, principalities, rulers, and authorities wage a war unlike any other, massive in its scope. Though much must be left to the imagination, a few things are clear. Two forces vie for the hearts of men, and though the war was actually won when Christ cried out, It is finished, the mop-up operation will continue in earnest until the end of time. Jesus Christ, Captain of the hosts of heaven leads His armies in continual assault against Satan and his defeated demons.

What plan is taking place in this heavenly saga? What are the strategies by which the armies of the evil one will one day face final defeat? A few things are clear. First, like any successful war leader, Jesus, our Captain is personally committed to the cause for which He leads His forces. His passion for His Father's glory and His own name drives Him forward with thunderous zeal. Though Satan the thief ever lives to rob, steal, kill and destroy God's reputation, Jesus's passion to uphold it is stronger. This, He explained to His disciples, would be the impetus behind Him answering all prayer in His name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son (John 14:13).

Second, just as military commanders cannot fight effectively without sanction to lead as they see fit, Jesus Christ answers only to the Father who has given Him all authority on heaven and earth, even over Satan and His demons. Because He created them for His own use, Jesus reigns over all that is visible and invisible, over thrones, dominions, rulers and authorities (Colossians 1:16). Though we do not yet see the full scope of it, when Jesus rose from the dead to be seated at God's right hand, He put all things in subjection under His feet, leaving nothing outside His rule (Hebrews 2:8). Jesus alone has the authority to do what it takes to bring His armies to victory.

Third, troop loyalty is critical for strength in leadership. A captain must be sure that his forces will follow his command. The hosts of heaven -- numbering in multiplied millions -- bow low before Jesus their Captain. They are ministering spirits, at His beck and call to do His bidding. Jesus told the disciples in the Garden of Gethsemane that He could simply appeal to His Father, and twelve legions of angels would be instantly at His disposal (Matthew 26:53). Could we but see into the unseen realm, we might be astonished at the glorious victories won daily by Christ's hosts in battle array.

Finally, a military captain must have sufficient fire power to fight to the finish. In one of the most exquisite prophecies in Scripture, Isaiah sees a vision of the crucified Christ that powerfully reveals the nature of His warring spirit. Marching in majestic strength with garments stained by the lifeblood of those He died to redeem, Jesus proclaims that upheld by the Father's wrath, He trod the wine trough alone, for the day of vengeance was in My heart, and My year of redemption has come (Isaiah 63:1-5).

The firepower against Satan is fueled by nothing less than the wrath of God against sin, the very wrath that Jesus took upon Himself in the endless agony of Golgotha. And though the Father did not lift His hand to bring relief during those tortuous moments, a day is coming when He will express the full force of His ire. What the world will witness in that day of vengeance -- as God vindicates the redemption for which His Son paid so dearly -- is beyond imagination. The firepower of His fierce wrath will not subside until Satan and his demons have been cast into outer darkness for the rest of eternity.

As followers of Christ, we will be in the thick of battle until the day He calls us home or returns in glorious victory. We have been given an incredible privilege, primarily through prayer, to fight this war and enjoy conquests every day of our lives, as we storm the gates of hell. Our voices may be silent, our lips may not move, but our eye is on our Captain. Our hand is touching His throne. Our faith is raising the banner of the cross. Our soul is shouting the name of Jesus. ( Duewel, Wesley L, Mighty Prevailing Prayer, Zondervan, 1990, p. 236.)

With eager anticipation, the church of Jesus Christ marches on, for our Captain is a sure victor. Heavenly hosts abound, existing for no other purpose than to carry out Christ's plans. May this reality fill us with confidence and stir us with zeal, until we go forth like a mighty army, rejoicing in the hope of that final day when wars cease and our Captain reigns in glorious and eternal victory.

Respond

Christ, Captain of the multiplied millions of angels who do His bidding, defeated Satan through His death and resurrection. Though a defeated foe, Satan seeks to destroy anything that glorifies God. What kinds of lies do you think he tells you personally in order to accomplish this?

Victory in Christ is ours to the degree that we yield control of our lives to Him. He has the ultimate power and authority over all spiritual authorities to finish the work of the Cross in your own heart. He is the Conqueror in every situation, good or bad. What might change in your life if you were continually aware of this truth? Write a prayer of affirmation based on one of the passages you've read today concerning the battles in your spiritual journey.

A Prayer

Jesus, I confess that I tend to treat the truth of the war in the heavenlies like a fantasy -- some kind of sci-fi saga outside my reach. But evil is so very real and the battle to destroy Your holy name screams in the streets, at times ravaging my own soul. You are the victorious warrior and I long to live in that hope. Let me hear Your voice commanding the hosts of heaven, proclaiming victories large and small, that I might see the beauty of Your glorious reign. Send Your ministering spirits to my heart and home, flaming with Your fire until the day You lead us to our final triumph, O conquering Captain.

<< Back to the Daily Devotionals, Home or Unsubscribe