Overwhelming It’s amazing how a handful of young men using only box knives were able to send the nation with the greatest military in history into a state of terror. They did overtake our own planes to use as weapons, but all they had to come up with themselves were those small blades. Though our whole country was a bit overwhelmed for several days, unsure of what other threats might be coming, it is our ultimate response that has effectively kept us from additional military attacks for 20 years. It hasn’t just been that we possess far superior weaponry, but we have unleashed it with an overwhelming force of crushing retaliation. Not satisfied to just shore up our security and try to prohibit further penetration, we purposefully took the battle to them. If they were audacious enough to attack us at all, we would totally annihilate them in return, or so was the intention. It is for the purpose of destroying things that weapons are made, to render the enemy unable and unwilling to launch any further threats. That an arsenal is superior is a great advantage, but there must also be a resolve to utilize it immediately at the first sign of an attack. Otherwise, a few meaningless threats can effectively shut down a force that should never know defeat. While a few negotiations may be tempting as an effort to avert direct confrontation, all a threatening adversary really understands is overwhelming defeat. We have a foe that never sleeps or slumbers in his unending determination to inflict eternal destruction with but a few lies. In Christ we have been given weapons that make the discrepancy between the box knives and atom bombs look like no difference at all. What we have are weapons that are mighty through God to pull down every stronghold of evil adversity. The weapons on their own, though, are completely ineffective at fending off our enemy’s threats. They must be coupled together with an overwhelming response before the opposition can be rendered impotent. It is the one who has activated purity, partnership, power, prayer and proclamation in Christ, and is taking the battle directly to the enemy that has hope for more than overcoming in every encounter of life. It’s not enough to just have this power, there must be a readiness and willingness to immediately and aggressively apply it at the conflict’s inception. Only when our enemy is completely overwhelmed by wielded superior weapons can there be lasting peace from his incessant threats. Notes The response of the overwhelmed - Overwhelm Psalms 90:15-17 (TPT) We’ve been overwhelmed with grief; come now and overwhelm us with gladness. Replace our years of trouble with decades of delight. [16] Let us see your miracles again, and let the rising generation see the glorious wonders you’re famous for. [17] O Lord our God, let your sweet beauty rest upon us and give us favor. Come work with us, and then our works will endure, and give us success in all we do. God Himself, through Jesus, overwhelmed the feeble threats of terror Isaiah 59:14-19 (NLT) Our courts oppose the righteous, and justice is nowhere to be found. Truth stumbles in the streets, and honesty has been outlawed. [15] Yes, truth is gone, and anyone who renounces evil is attacked. The LORD looked and was displeased to find there was no justice. [16] He was amazed to see that no one intervened to help the oppressed. So he himself stepped in to save them with his strong arm, and his justice sustained him. [17] He put on righteousness as his body armor and placed the helmet of salvation on his head. He clothed himself with a robe of vengeance and wrapped himself in a cloak of divine passion. [18] He will repay his enemies for their evil deeds. His fury will fall on his foes. He will pay them back even to the ends of the earth. [19] In the west, people will respect the name of the LORD; in the east, they will glorify him. For he will come like a raging flood tide driven by the breath of the LORD. Already overcome 1 John 4:4-6 (AMPC) Little children, you are of God [you belong to Him] and have [already] defeated and overcome them [the agents of the antichrist], because He Who lives in you is greater (mightier) than he who is in the world. [5] They proceed from the world and are of the world; therefore it is out of the world [its whole economy morally considered] that they speak, and the world listens (pays attention) to them. [6] We are [children] of God. Whoever is learning to know God [progressively to perceive, recognize, and understand God by observation and experience, and to get an ever-clearer knowledge of Him] listens to us; and he who is not of God does not listen or pay attention to us. By this we know (recognize) the Spirit of Truth and the spirit of error. How do we overwhelm? 2 Corinthians 10:3-5 (AMPC) For though we walk (live) in the flesh, we are not carrying on our warfare according to the flesh and using mere human weapons. [4] For the weapons of our warfare are not physical [weapons of flesh and blood], but they are mighty before God for the overthrow and destruction of strongholds, [5] [Inasmuch as we] refute arguments and theories and reasonings and every proud and lofty thing that sets itself up against the [true] knowledge of God; and we lead every thought and purpose away captive into the obedience of Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One), 5 P’s HG Extreme Response Plan Purity 1 John 3:18-22 (NKJV) My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth. [19] And by this we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before Him. [20] For if our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and knows all things. [21] Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence toward God. [22] And whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight. Partnership Ephesians 4:11-16 (NKJV) And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, [12] for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, [13] till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; [14] that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, [15] but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ— [16] from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love. Power Ephesians 6:10-18 (NKJV) Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. [11] Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. [12] For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. [13] Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. [14] Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, [15] and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; [16] above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. [17] And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; [18] praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints— Prayer Philippians 4:6-7 (NKJV) Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; [7] and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Proclamation Mark 11:23-25 (NKJV) For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says. [24] Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them. [25] "And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses. Develop spiritual eyes in the Spirit 2 Corinthians 4:16-18 (NKJV) Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. [17] For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, [18] while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal. Overview: When the enemy appears to be overwhelming, respond overwhelmingly. God has secured a triumph that has completely crushed any audacious threat. In Christ we have already overcome. Our superior weapons still need an aggressive activation. In Purity, Partnership, Power, Prayer, and Proclamation we respond with overwhelming force. Our eternal weight of glory far exceeds any temporal one. Prayer: “As You are magnified in my sights and in my praise, flood my heart with revelation of how much greater You are in me than anything in this world. Prepare in me Your superior weapons and lead me in Your overwhelming response to every evil threat in my life today.” Declarations: As I walk in the Light of God’s presence, my conscience is cleansed by the blood from all unrighteousness and I am enabled to walk in holiness with full confidence towards God. As I am joined with the Father, I am also joined with His body where together we are enabled to carry out God responses in the earth. I am strengthened in the Lord with the power of His might as I clothe myself in truth, righteousness, peace, faith, and the Word. I am not anxious about anything, but instead take everything to God in prayer, allowing the Spirit to guard my heart and mind with powerful and effective peace as tremendous power is activated through me. I have been given authority to speak and walk with overwhelming dominance where the enemy has come in and to completely submerge him in the power of the Spirit. I no longer look at the things that are seen, but only look at what is only revealed by the Spirit, where the light afflictions of this earth are completely overtaken by the weight of God’s glory.