From Scripture, we discover that God trains His people for war by equipping their hands for battle and fingers to fight. As it is written: He teacheth my hands to war, so that a bow of steel is broken by mine arms. Thou hast also given me the shield of thy salvation: and thy right hand hath holden me up, and thy gentleness hath made me great (Psalm 18:34-35). Training is also part of the Abrahamic covenant; he armed his trained servants, and they emerged as men of valour (Genesis 14:14-17). It is a risk to arm an untrained soldier; therefore, we must train up to command triumph in battle (Hebrews 5:13).
So, God usually prepares us for battle behind the scenes before we emerge as conquerors in the open. Concerning Paul, the Bible says: But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man. For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ (Galatians 1:11-12). Paul subscribed to learning at the feet of Jesus to be equipped for the task God had given him. Olympic stars work themselves behind the scenes to emerge as gold medalists in the open. Life is a battlefield, so don’t approach the battles of life casually; get equipped for the battle, and you will bring home the victory without stress. So, it is not enough to be armed; we must be strong for the battle. As it is written: If thou faint in the day of adversity, thy strength is small (Proverbs 24:10; see also Judges 7:1-25; 1 Samuel 17:37-50).
Before I was married, I read eight books on marriage because I did not want any trouble; I was trying to find out what makes it work, and I found it from the Lord. When I found it, I knew, and I said I was set for a hitch-free marriage. Therefore, training is not free; it is at a cost, and it is not always about money; it will also cost inconvenience to be adequately prepared for the battle. Furthermore, the wisdom of God is the ever-winning weapon in the battles of life. As it is written: A wise man scaleth the city of the mighty, and casteth down the strength of the confidence thereof (Proverbs 21:22). Wisdom is acting on the instructions of the Scripture concerning victory over the battles of our lives (Deuteronomy 28:1, 7).
Access to direction in battle is secured in three ways:
- Through Prayers. As it is written: If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God… (James 1:5). There is no temptation around your life without a way out with God. When you ask God to show you the way out of any situation, you are asking for wisdom.
- Through the study of the Word. That is where we receive instructions on how to go about the battles that confront us (2 Timothy 4:13).
- Through meditation. This is thinking through scriptures to get a solution. As it is written: That which I see not teach thou me… (Job 34:32). We need to find out what we don’t know so we can be free from oppression. You cannot engage His ways and lose the battle; meditation gets us to the realm where we become smarter than our enemies (Psalm 119:97-98).
To keep growing in the wisdom of God that wins the war, keep:
- Making demands for wisdom. The Bible says: If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him (James 1:5).
- Walking in the fear of God. The secret of God is with them that fear Him (Psalm 25:14). Daniel had access to the secrets of God, and he won that impossible battle as he came out of the lion’s den without a scratch (Daniel 6:1-5, 20-23).
- Staying in love with God for sustainable access. You can sustain your access to the wisdom from above through sustainable love for God (1 Samuel 13:14, 18:14; 2 Samuel 14:20).
- Maintaining the joy of the Lord in your heart. Without joy, there is no access to revelation (Isaiah 12:3; Philippians 1:18; 4:4; 1 Thessalonians 5:16). Everyone who flows in revelation and access to the secrets of God, flows in joy supernaturally.