Infinite Fellowship Ministries

Divine Strategy In The Employment Of War: Sermon By Rev. Loice Achola

Scripture Focus: The Book of Esther & Exodus 17

King Xerxes called the Princes in the Persian Empire to a party. He instructed his servants that all who were in attendance were to have all that they required and not more than they could handle and that they were comfortable.

King Xerxes then called for his wife however she did not come. Vashti’s disobedience was God’s way of setting up Esther to access King Ahasuerus [Xerxes].

God’s divine decree is His eternal purpose for mankind according to His sovereign will.

And he said, Because [theirs] is a hand against the throne of the Lord, the Lord will have war with Amalek from generation to generation. 

Exodus 17:16 (AMPC)

God desires that we are unified in terms of lifting Him up no matter what battles we are facing. It takes courage and strength to hold someone’s arms up during war. We should not allow circumstances to destruct us from worshipping God.

In Exodus 17:16, God’s decree was that the Lord would fight the Amalekites.

We do not fall into situations. God actually ushers and preordains how things will pun out in our lives. When God says something, we are to rest assured that God is personally invested in it. He looks for a willing vessel to work alongside Him.

And Mordecai had brought up Hadassah, that is, Esther, his uncle’s daughter, for she had neither father nor mother. The young woman was lovely and beautiful. When her father and mother died, Mordecai took her as his own daughter. So it was, when the king’s command and decree were heard, and when many young women were gathered at Shushan the citadel, under the custody of Hegai, that Esther also was taken to the king’s palace, into the care of Hegai the custodian of the women. Now the young woman pleased him, and she obtained his favor; so he readily gave beauty preparations to her, besides her allowance. Then seven choice maidservants were provided for her from the king’s palace, and he moved her and her maidservants to the best place in the house of the women. Esther had not revealed her people or family, for Mordecai had charged her not to reveal it. And every day Mordecai paced in front of the court of the women’s quarters, to learn of Esther’s welfare and what was happening to her.

Esther 2:7-11 (NKJV)

Esther was at the right time for the fulfillment of the completion of destroying Amalek, who Haman was a descendant of.

God says what He means and means what He says. His purpose will not be frustrated. We are prepared for things that we will actually do. Do not look at another person’s preparation. Desire your own. One’s individual preparation will set one apart to stand in the places where God has called us to be.

Do not think for a moment that God is blind to what you go through. He is not, because He is God and He sees and knows all.

God honours His word. He doesn’t honour us as individuals.

Before you go to battle, you must know that God is far above all else.

Remember what Amalek did to you on the way when you had come forth from Egypt. How he did not fear God, but when you were faint and weary he attacked you along the way and cut off all the stragglers at your rear. Therefore when the Lord your God has given you rest from all your enemies round about in the land which the Lord your God gives you to possess as an inheritance, you shall blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under the heavens; you must not forget. 

Deuteronomy 25:17-18 (AMPC)

Straggler: a person or animal that is last in a group to do something or the last to get to or leave a place.

God was angry at the Amalekites because they set themselves up against the throne of God.

The Amalekite spirit is one that brings forth a level of hopelessness. It is there to plunder everything that you have and leave you completely destroyed. It will knock you out when you are at the weakest. We need to be wary of the Amalekite spirit as we may end up forgetting about God and the power of His word.

Esther needed to first confront fear before facing the battle that was ahead of her. Her strategy was to seek God in a fast. The fast was to seek God for strength as she faced the crisis at hand. Prayer and fasting does not eliminate the problem one faces. Rather, it enables one to face the problem with clarity. In war, you need to face things with clear vision.

Just like God, the devil too has a plan for your life. To steal from you, to destroy you and to kill you. That is what the Amalekite spirit is for. You must choose to stand firm against the devil and his plans.

Haman knew of the plans of God to destroy his people. Haman knew his history, and so did Mordecai. Mordecai knew of the history of the Amalekites and knew that they were a people who had no regard for the Lord. Haman was consulting mediums – he was demonically inspired.

We need to let our children know of how the Lord has been with us just like the Israelites did from generation to generation. God will cause the plans of evil men to fail because of His word.

We are yet to see the day that God is worried over our situations. He reigns and is sovereign. God sees beyond time and has set out a way out.

Before being in a place of war, you will need a strategy. Esther was given a divine strategy to go into the King’s court.

God will never stop before He does what He says He would. The devil knows about what God has done. The enemy knows of the Lord’s exploits.

There are very many people who have given themselves over to knowledge, forgetting that there is a God who is the source of all knowledge and wisdom.

The Israelites were few and obscure but they won the battle because of the divine strategy they employed. Esther was an orphan and poor. God used her despite her condition.

Haman was killed along side his 10 sons. They were a royal family decimated. Mordecai was given wisdom to over rule the edict instigated by Haman.

Each of the names of the sons of Harman point to attributes of the carnal nature. You cannot go into battle carnally.

Further Reading: Esther 9:1-32.

And they killed Parshandatha, Dalphon, Aspatha, Poratha, Adalia,Aridatha, Parmashta, Arisai, Aridai,And Vaizatha, the ten sons of Haman son of Hammedatha, the Jews’ enemy; but on the spoil they laid not their hands. 

Esther 9:7-10 (AMPC)

Parshandatha – meaning curious self/ I am curious/given to knowledge

Dalphon – meaning weeping self/ self pity

Aspatha – meaning assembled self/self sufficient

Poratha – meaning generous self/self indulgent

Adalia –  meaning weak self/humble self

Aridatha – meaning strong self/self assertive

Parmashta – meaning preeminent self/self ambition

Arisai – Bold self/I am bold

Aridai – I am superior/dignified self

Vaizatha – pure self/self righteous

The Amalekite spirit is one that will bring hopelessness to you. In your Christian walk, be assured that you will face this spirit.

The Amalekite spirit is characterized by self indulgence, self sufficiency, self assertiveness; doing-it-yourself, pride and self-righteousness.

You cannot go to war carnally. When you walk carnally, you will be hopeless and hence be destroyed. After Moses’s hands were lifted up by Aaron and Hur, he built an altar and named it Jehovah Nissi – the Lord is my Banner.

Prayer is the reserve of the powerful saint.

You cannot get to the place of dominion if you are not at the place of prayer. Waiting on God will give you strength that you think you did not have. We need to be secure and confident in God to know that He will fulfil His word. We should realise that we are sons who are to show fourth God’s glory.

The strategies that God will give us will be very different. It is our business individually to find out for ourselves.

We need to build God’s house. We shouldn’t just pray for ourselves. God doesn’t just bless an individual but He blesses others as well.

Elucidation by Apostle Gobanga:

God is only moved by faith. He isn’t moved by tears or our ranting and complaining. The Amalekite spirit attacks when you least expect. The warfare we are engaging in is spiritual.

God does not forget. Every enemy that has waylaid you, God will confront. Seek the Lord that He may grant you divine strategy for battle.