In Judges we have this awesome passage about the raising up of Gideon as a judge over Israel. Israel once again had done evil in the eyes of the Lord and the Lord allowed the enemy to ravage their land. This enemy was so large that they could not count them and they impoverished their land. They cried out to God and he sent them a prophet who said, “I am the Lord your God do not worship the gods of the Amorites in whose land you live but you have not listened.” So after seven years of this oppression by the enemy God began to raise up a leader to help them defeat the enemy. The angel appeared to Gideon and said, “The Lord is with you, mighty warrior.” 13 “Pardon me, my lord,” Gideon replied, “but if the Lord is with us, why has all this happened to us? Where are all his wonders that our ancestors told us about when they said, ‘Did not the Lord bring us up out of Egypt?’ But now the Lord has abandoned us and given us into the hand of Midian.” 14 The Lord turned to him and said, “Go in the strength you have and save Israel out of Midian’s hand. Am I not sending you?” 15 “Pardon me, my lord,” Gideon replied, “but how can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family.” 16 The Lord answered, “I will be with you, and you will strike down all the Midianites, leaving none alive.” Here are a few criteria for us to defeat our enemies. First of all we cannot do it without the Lord. Second we are not seeing the glory of God poured because we have disobeyed God’s command. (No one wants to admit that). Third God has not abandoned us but comes when we seek Him wholeheartedly. Fourth, you may think you have nothing to offer this kingdom because you are weak, small and the least of those around you but so what God has said, “Am I not sending you!” The truth of the matter is we cannot do this in our own strength. “Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,’ says the Lord Almighty.” When we call out to God and humble ourselves before Him, he will answer us and come and free us from our enemies. Paul said in Philippians 4:13 “I can do all this through him who gives me strength.” We were also told to put on the full armour of God so that we can stand against the evil because “Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. 9 Resist him, standing firm in the faith.” (1 Peter 5) Ephesians 6:10 “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armour of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13 Therefore put on the full armour of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground.” Like Gideon we too will take our stand against an enemy too large to be counted and we will be victorious but it will be in a way that we may not boast that our own strength has saved us. The Spirit of the Lord came upon Gideon and they were victorious.