(© William H. Anderson, March 15, 2002)

The time is come for us to become Spiritual Warriors for God. Satan has started attacking the chosen of God in ways never seen before. Instead of just one disaster after another he now attacks on multiple fronts at the same time. Do you have what you need to be an effective Spiritual Warrior?

Do you think you are ready? Every Christian thinks they are ready. But, being ready is a far cry from being prepared. We are always ready to respond to the challenges of this life. When you respond, will you attack, run, or defend? Just answering this question will make you proactive and will start you on the journey of preparation. 

Even the Israelites were always ready, but not always prepared, to accomplish Gods will. I think one of the best examples of this principle is found in the book of Judges 6: 34 - 7: 14. Gideon, had destroyed a Baal idol and its temple. The Midianites were angry and demanded the man be given to them for the punishment of death. Gideon refused and the Midianites and the Amalekites and the children of the east joined together to attack the Hebrews.

 To make sure that God was in favor of the Hebrews, Gideon placed a fleece outside of his tent and asked God to prove he was behind them by making the fleece wet with dew and leaving the surrounding ground dry. God accomplished that. Once again, Gideon then placed the fleece outside of his tent and asked God to prove he would support them by leaving the fleece dry and making the surrounding ground wet with dew. Again, God accomplished the task.

 Gideon then called for the assembling of the Hebrew warriors. Once they were assembled Gideon prepared to lead them into battle. But God stopped him and said that he had too many men to prove that God had won the battle. He said the Hebrews would take the credit for victory and not give thanks to God for the victory. God instructed Gideon to watch the warriors while they drank water from the stream.

 Some knelt and then bowed down enough to suck the water up with their mouth. A few knelt on one knee and scooped the water up to their mouth with the hollow of their hand and lapped the water from their hand as a dog might do. Those who lapped the water numbered only 300. God instructed Gideon that those who lapped the water were to be his army. And the others were to be sent back to their tents.

 Gideon had called together the mighty host of the Hebrew Warriors. But, God only used those who were "Prepared." With only those few warriors God defeated the standing army of the Midianites who had joined together to punish the Hebrews for destroying a temple of Baal.

 To prove the effectiveness of God's test there is a test you can accomplish for yourself. First, kneel down on both knees and then lean forward placing your head on the floor. (For those who are only "Ready", put a pillow on the floor.) How much can you see around yourself? How aware are you of the area around you? Now, see how quickly you can regain your feet to defend yourself, run or attack.

 The next part of the test is for you to kneel on one knee. Reach down with your hand, keeping the palm up and cupped. (Your choice of which knee and hand to use.) How much can you see around yourself? How aware are you of the area around you? Now, see how quickly you can regain your feet to defend yourself, run or attack.

 You see, those who knelt and bowed down to drink were "Ready" but not "Prepared" to do God's will. Even Jesus said in "Matt 22: 14 For many are called, but few are chosen. (KJV)" God will choose His Warriors, Ministers, Preachers, Prophets, Teachers and Deacons by testing for those who are "Prepared" not just "Ready."

 Are you prepared? Are you becoming prepared by studying God's word with other Christians, praying and worshipping together? Preparation comes with a price. We must "2 Tim 2:15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. (KJV)." Without that preparation we will always be ready, but never chosen.
 
How do you drink?
 
 Judges 6: 37 - 40
37 Behold, I will put a fleece of wool in the floor; and if the dew be on the fleece only, and it be dry upon all the earth beside, then shall I know that thou wilt save Israel by mine hand, as thou hast said.
38 And it was so: for he rose up early on the morrow, and thrust the fleece together, and wringed the dew out of the fleece, a bowl full of water.
39 And Gideon said unto God, Let not thine anger be hot against me, and I will speak but this once: let me prove, I pray thee, but this once with the fleece; let it now be dry only upon the fleece, and upon all the ground let there be dew.
40 And God did so that night: for it was dry upon the fleece only, and there was dew on all the ground.

Judges 7: 1 - 14
1 Then Jerubbaal, who is Gideon, and all the people that were with him, rose up early, and pitched beside the well of Harod: so that the host of the Midianites were on the north side of them, by the hill of Moreh, in the valley.
2 And the LORD said unto Gideon, The people that are with thee are too many for me to give the Midianites into their hands, lest Israel vaunt themselves against me, saying, Mine own hand hath saved me.
3 Now therefore go to, proclaim in the ears of the people, saying, Whosoever is fearful and afraid, let him return and depart early from mount Gilead. And there returned of the people twenty and two thousand; and there remained ten thousand.
4 And the LORD said unto Gideon, The people are yet too many; bring them down unto the water, and I will try them for thee there: and it shall be, that of whom I say unto thee, This shall go with thee, the same shall go with thee; and of whomsoever I say unto thee, This shall not go with thee, the same shall not go.
5 So he brought down the people unto the water: and the LORD said unto Gideon, Every one that lappeth of the water with his tongue, as a dog lappeth, him shalt thou set by himself; likewise every one that boweth down upon his knees to drink.
6 And the number of them that lapped, putting their hand to their mouth, were three hundred men: but all the rest of the people bowed down upon their knees to drink water.
7 And the LORD said unto Gideon, By the three hundred men that lapped will I save you, and deliver the Midianites into thine hand: and let all the other people go every man unto his place.
8 So the people took victuals in their hand, and their trumpets: and he sent all the rest of Israel every man unto his tent, and retained those three hundred men: and the host of Midian was beneath him in the valley.
9 And it came to pass the same night, that the LORD said unto him, Arise, get thee down unto the host; for I have delivered it into thine hand.
10 But if thou fear to go down, go thou with Phurah thy servant down to the host:
11 And thou shalt hear what they say; and afterward shall thine hands be strengthened to go down unto the host. Then went he down with Phurah his servant unto the outside of the armed men that were in the host.
12 And the Midianites and the Amalekites and all the children of the east lay along in the valley like grasshoppers for multitude; and their camels were without number, as the sand by the sea side for multitude.
13 And when Gideon was come, behold, there was a man that told a dream unto his fellow, and said, Behold, I dreamed a dream, and, lo, a cake of barley bread tumbled into the host of Midian, and came unto a tent, and smote it that it fell, and overturned it, that the tent lay along.
14 And his fellow answered and said, This is nothing else save the sword of Gideon the son of Joash, a man of Israel: for into his hand hath God delivered Midian, and all the host. (KJV)

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