"Recently, I was meditating on the name Jehovah Nissi. I asked my eight-year-old son what “The Lord is my Banner” meant to him. He said “a banner is something that is way above us. We can’t reach it and everything we do is underneath it. Like banners at a carnival. And that is like God Who is so powerful and high above us and sees everything we do. But Momma, you should tell it like a war because everyone thinks battles are interesting.”
I chuckled at the thought, but before I knew it a scene began to unfold before my mind’s eye. There I am, standing on a muddy battlefield. I’m wearing the Armor of God. The breastplate is a little too large for me, but it gleams in the semi-darkness and the symbol of the Lord of Hosts is emblazoned on the chest. My helmet is firm on my head, the chin strap pulled as tightly as it will go. I’m clumsily holding the Sword of the Lord in two hands, unsure of my skill but confident in its deadly sharpness. I can see the faces of my enemies through the fog surrounding me. Familiar faces…many of them old friends. Friends from before I saw the Light. Before I realized that they were never my friends at all but were traitors who betrayed me to the enemy. There’s Worry with his sharp arrows. Arrows that would pierce my heart at night, sending jolts of anxiety through my body and keeping sleep at bay. He always told me I should fix things myself, that it would be fine if I just found all the right solutions and anticipated every possible outcome. He was wrong.
There’s Covetousness with her vicious whip. She said if I just worked harder I could have everything my friends had and more. That if I had a nicer home or nicer clothes it would make people like me better. She was wrong.
Pride looms in the shadows, swinging his deadly cudgel. The cudgel that beat me over the head every time I thought about asking for help, admitting I was wrong, sharing my pain, or submitting to God. He told me I wasn’t one of those “needy” people that bothered others with their problems, and that I was strong enough to handle everything on my own. He was wrong. Every false standing before me offered me promises that the ways of the world would take care of me, and every one of them was a lie. There is a tense moment before the battle begins where I wonder if we could form a truce. Maybe I didn’t have to destroy them. Maybe we could find a way to coexist, and I would just ignore them when they got too pushy. But I glance up at the banner waving on a pole high above my head. The name of JEHOVAH NISSI flies in gold and white, unstained by the battlefield. My heart is stirred and courage pumps through my veins. It is at that moment that I know that these sins (for I can only see them for what they are now) cannot exist under that holy banner. The only answer is total annihilation. Claiming His power for my own, I raise my sword and charge into battle. Because I know something they don’t know--sin and death have already been defeated. The battle is already won, and with the Lord as my Banner, Jehovah Nissi, these sins will no longer find a home in my heart." —Amber
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Read more: Jehovah Nissi: The Lord My Banner
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2 Comments
5/7/2024 11:54:45 am
Under his banner, we dare to confront the evil of the current era!
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5/7/2024 11:57:13 am
Amen, Michele!! :) Indeed, under the banner of Jehovah Nissi, we find the courage to face the challenges of our time, and there are so many! His banner of love and protection emboldens us to stand firm against the forces of darkness, knowing that He goes before us into battle. Let us take heart and trust in the victory that is already won through Him!
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