- Chase the Enemies
Leviticus 26:7 And ye shall chase your enemies and they shall fall before you by the sword.
This promise is meant for war leaders like Joshua and the Judges, for David and the kings, but spiritually the promise is for us. We are also called to warfare, spiritual warfare, if we believe in Jesus. Faith in Christ puts us in spiritual battle against Sin, Death, and the Devil. And we will be at war with these enemies until final victory in the Great Battles of all Battles is fought and won at the End of the Age by our Lord of Lords. At the end of the story, the end of the age, the end of the war, the end of life on earth as we know it Jesus Christ comes to earth the second time to do battle against all sin and evil. And We Win!
Meanwhile, while we remain in spiritual struggles between the two Comings of the Christ, we have this promise that we shall chase our enemies, and they will fall before us by the Word of God. The Word is the primary weapon in this spiritual war by which we chase the enemies. The Word is the sword of victory. We use the Word of Grace against Sin in various ways employing the power of the Law and the Gospel to chase away Sin. Forgiveness is stronger than guilt. The Word of Truth is used to overcome the Devil, just like Jesus wielded it in the Temptation. When resisted he must flee. The Word of Life has great power in its effects to chase away Death, even forevermore. Death cannot come and take us into the Second Death. The Word says that we have eternal life, which is for now and for forever.
These enemies are always lurking around, looking for openings in our spiritual defenses to attack. They attempt to bring us into misery and defeat. Look around and see that you are still in the world where there is no lack of sin and trouble; pinch yourself and see that you are still in the sinful flesh with its selfish desires; and be aware that the devil is always around with his lies to steal the peace of God and the joy of the Lord.
But we take heart, we repent, we believe the gospel, and we chase with the sword; we overcome with the Word of God. The promise is for us every day, and every week. We take hold of this promise and apply it to every present issue.