God Will Fight For Me

[0:00] Thank you for choosing to listen to today's message by Rev. Dr. David Etchley. We know you will be blessed as you seek and serve God. We believe that this message will stir up a desire for more of God even as you listen.

[0:14] Be blessed. It is one of the Hebrew names for God, which means the Lord of hosts.

[0:38] I'm going to explain that in a minute. Say the Lord of hosts. And so when we say Jehovah's Sabbath, it simply means the Lord of hosts. You can actually see that clearly in Romans chapter 9 verse 29 and Jehovah chapter 5 verse 4.

[0:54] It mentions the Lord of hosts, Jehovah or the Lord's Sabbath. Now, watch this. What do we mean by the Lord of hosts? When we say the Lord of hosts, what the Bible actually means is that he is the sovereign, the captain, the chief, the chief in charge of the host.

[1:14] So what is this host we are talking about? The host we are talking about is when we talk about host, we are talking about an army, a battalion. And we're talking about when the Bible talks about the host, it's talking about the angelic forces that fight.

[1:28] But I'll show you something. Some of us don't have a clue about how aggressive God can be in physical battles.

[1:40] God can be very aggressive. That is why it's good to engage prayer. And anything, any demonic entity that tries to stand against you, you face the aggression of God.

[1:51] Some of us don't have aλέon. Somebody say, the Lord of hosts. The Lord of hosts. I'm loving this. I'm loving this. Now, it means the Lord who is sovereign over the armies.

[2:03] Now, look at, if you will, look at 1 Samuel 1, verse 11. I'll show you something quickly.

[2:15] It says that, then she made a vow and said, what did she say? Let's all read it together.

[2:33] Are you reading? Okay, I think it's on the screen. Alright, let's read it from the beginning. Let's go. Now, you realize that this is the prayer of somebody who was desperate.

[3:08] Say, desperate. This is the prayer of somebody who was desperate and needed something desperately from God. And see how he approached God. He called God by a covenant name.

[3:19] He said, oh Lord, the fighter. In prayer. She was in prayer. At the time of her knees, she went into prayer and said, oh Lord of hosts, if you will do this for me.

[3:39] She engaged the Lord who fights. Do you know why? If you read the story earlier on, she had a rival who was afflicting her.

[3:49] Making her feel so bad. Making her feel so sad. Making her feel like, as for you, you are worth nothing. See, her rival really afflicted her.

[4:05] Do you know what her rival was afflicting her with? She was married. She was married. She was married. She was married. She was married. She was married. They both were married to one man. And her rival had several children.

[4:17] And she didn't have any. And year after year. The time was ticking. And she wasn't having children. And this rival really, really make her feel sad.

[4:32] And so it got to a time. She said, I can't take this anymore. Because it's different. The rival had something in her hands. Which she was using against Hannah.

[4:45] And Hannah couldn't do anything about it. Because if you don't have it, you don't have it. If you don't have it, you just don't have it. You can go and eat some things.

[4:56] You say, okay, I'll finish eating by next week. I'll vomit out a child. If you don't have it, you don't have it. And Hannah was always being threatened. And being challenged.

[5:07] And being humiliated by her opponent. And her rival was always making her feel so sorry. And she needed somebody to help her deal with this challenge.

[5:18] So she went to the Lord of hosts. God is the one who when you are faced with difficult situations. He comes in to help you.

[5:29] The Bible says that he helps us. He aids us against the enemy. Somebody shout help. I believe in that story.

[5:40] And so Hannah in prayer. That's why the first scripture I want us to see is this one. Because we are also going to approach God in prayer. Listen. When you approach God in prayer.

[5:51] And you call on his covenant side of battle. Fighting. Intervention. The story. The dynamics of the situation change. Somebody's that.

[6:02] The dynamics in your life is going to change. The dynamics in your marital issues is going to change. The dynamics in your challenge right now is going to change. The amen is very weak.

[6:12] Now watch this. Look at the same chapter 17. First Samuel chapter 17. First Samuel chapter 17.

[6:26] Look into your Bibles. Look into your Bibles. And look at first Samuel chapter 17. Verse 45. Then David said to the Philistine. You come to me with a sword.

[6:39] With a spear. And a javelin. But I come to you in the name. Now. Now. Most of us have heard this story.

[6:56] I've heard about this story. David and Goliath. David and Goliath. Goliath was threatening them. The whole of Israel. David said I'll take this man home. Because he spoke against my God.

[7:07] I'll take him home. And David went before Goliath and the Bible said Goliath began to curse David by his cause.

[7:19] Some of us are dealing with people who are beginning to seek the assistance of the supernatural. And the thing is working against you. You'll be very, very, very, very naive if you don't also seek the assistance of the supernatural.

[7:35] Somebody is fighting with you. He's using machine guns. And you want to go and use machete? Chief, change. You have to think fast.

[7:50] If armed robbers are using sophisticated, or terrorists are using sophisticated weapons, or things like the internet, electronic media, to fight, it would be very foolish to think that you can just use newspapers.

[8:08] Jump on if they are using the internet. Don't try to use some books to try. No, use to go on the internet. Fix them out. Arrest them. Now, some of us are dealing with situations of people or circumstances that have satanic influences.

[8:24] And you want to use the advice of just experts to deal with it. The experts, the advice are good. But it can't help you. I know several people.

[8:37] In fact, there's a woman here. Doctors told her that this one will not be. But she believed against the worst of doctors. And trusted God. And the circumstances changed. Sometimes, what we are dealing with is not what you are just seeing.

[8:51] You are dealing with something that is bigger, but it just comes in the front. So you see this child. The child is becoming very, very, very troublesome. You just don't understand. Don't think, oh, is this just, just, just juvenile behavior?

[9:05] Or whatever. No, no, no, no, no. Begin to go on your knees. My sister, learn how to pray. Because don't wait for the thing to get out of hand. As for the experts, they are trained to tell you something.

[9:18] So if you go and see before an expert, his daily bread is connected to what he tells you. So he has to find something to tell you. He has to find something to tell you. For it to look very, he must look very intellectual, intelligent for you to trust him.

[9:33] So even if you don't, watch this. Even if you don't have, they don't have anything to tell you. They have to find something. Because they are trained to find the problems.

[9:46] So they keep telling you. Some of us have been to doctors. We think it's this one. But let's still examine. Let's scan. Let's take some tests. And they keep taking tests. And now they say, we are not sure.

[9:57] My sister, you must learn how to engage the supernatural. I'm not saying every medical condition is supernatural. But you'll be very, very naive. And you'll be very deceived to think that some of the things we are dealing with.

[10:10] Bible said, Goliath came to David. Bible said, and Goliath cares David by his goals. Don't be deceived. The battle was not just Goliath's height. The whole of Israel were treated because of the stature of Goliath.

[10:22] But the thing was not in his stature. If it was just his stature, he wouldn't talk. He would just come back. And Bible said, when he came to David, he killed David by his goals. In spite of the stature, there was something behind him.

[10:34] And that's what David located. And Bible said, David said, you are coming before me with fear. But I came to you in the name of the Lord of hosts. Hey! Somebody say, the Lord of hosts.

[10:47] The Lord of hosts. He said, I come to you in the name of God, the fighter. You are coming to fight with me.

[10:58] You curse me. But I'm coming to you with the God who fights. You just curse me by your goals. But my God, I won't just curse you by my God. I'll get him to fight you.

[11:12] Somebody say, the Lord of hosts. The Lord of hosts. Look at second somehow. God shall fight for you.

[11:24] And you will hold your peace. Listen. If you are here and you have something going on against you, I said, God shall fight for you.

[11:35] If you can engage him like Hannah did, she went in prayer and said, God, you got to do something about my circumstance. About my situation.

[11:47] Listen. It is not you whose situation would defy God's sovereignty. If you can pray, God will manifest. I said, if you can pray, God will manifest.

[11:59] If you can pray, God will manifest. This story is not the final situation you've been in. Where you are is just your location. It's not your destination. Tell someone their story is changing.

[12:13] No, tell the person, my story is changing. Tell the person, my story is changing. Second Samuel chapter 5 verse 10. What does it say?

[12:28] Read it from your Bible. Some of you are not reading from your Bible. I mean, your Bible. I didn't mean from the screen.

[12:40] It said, this book of the Lord shall not depart from your mouth. Did it say, this projector screen shall not depart? Look into your Bible. Let's read it together from your own Bible. Read it.

[12:50] And then you pray to God and the Lord shall not depart. And the Lord shall not depart. All right. Now let's all read it from the screen. Let's go.

[13:00] So today you pray to God and the Lord shall not depart. Guess who was with him? The Lord shall not depart. Who was with him?

[13:12] The Lord shall not depart. You remember before he went ascending the throne, before he slain Goliath, before he killed Goliath, he engaged the Lord of hosts. The Bible says this same Lord of hosts has been with him.

[13:23] So since that day, David went on. That wasn't all his testimony. Some of us, we have one testimony. It's finished. We've been waiting for three years for a new testimony.

[13:34] It's not coming. Four years, it's not coming. Hey, remember, call on the name of the Lord of hosts. And you'll keep going on. Every month you'll have testimony. You don't believe it.

[13:46] Hallelujah. Clap for Jesus. So David went on and became great.

[13:58] That's the key. He didn't just stop it. He went on and became. He became the dominion. He wasn't great previously. He knew how to engage the Lord of hosts.

[14:12] Because you know why? I'm going to say something very strongly. Some of you. Some of you. If God doesn't come in. Your condition will not change.

[14:23] Oh. Let me see. It's not a curse. Because you examine things very well. If God doesn't come in. That is why we are here tonight. We are not here to just walk away the time.

[14:35] We are here to engage. Hey. That's why I know your situation will not get worse. But it's going to change for the better. Oh. You don't believe it.

[14:46] I said that is why I know your situation will not get worse. It will change for the better. They don't care what is threatening you. They don't care what you are afraid of. They know that when the Lord of hosts is on your side.

[14:58] You will move on until you become great. Show me somebody who has the Lord of hosts on his side. And I'll show you somebody who will continue to move on.

[15:11] You will continue to move on. When people are losing their jobs, you will be having office. Yes. When people are losing their homes, you will be having opportunity to buy more.

[15:25] Yes. That's what I'm talking about. God does not deal with you according to the statistics. He deals with you according to his sovereignty.

[15:36] Yes. And so when you call on his name. Listen. Outside of God, things remain the way they are. And the devils play. They use you. And your life becomes filled for them to play around in.

[15:50] So when God doesn't come in, either life goes the way it goes, or the devil messes things up. But when God comes in, life doesn't just go the way it is. Things change.

[16:03] Tell somebody, it will change. Tell somebody, it will change. It will change. Do you believe it? Yes. Why? Yes. Wow.

[16:15] The Lord God of hosts. His God's battalion. Army. Army. Angelic. They are called the heavenly hosts.

[16:28] They are the heavenly. Remember, a official said that, for wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against spiritual weakness. And if you have heavenly hosts, the Lord of the heavenly hosts on your side.

[16:44] Tell me. Some of us get discouraged too quickly. Shake somebody and tell the person, don't be discouraged. Shake the person and tell them, don't be discouraged.

[16:55] And so the secret of David is because, the Lord of hosts was with him. I like this. He says that, because the Lord God of hosts was with him.

[17:08] I came to announce to you, that he is available for you. Get him on your side. Get him to work for you. Hallelujah. Look at Exodus chapter 14, verse 14.

[17:19] Easy to remember. Exodus chapter 14, verse 14. Let's all read it together, a very loud voice.

[17:34] I told you God fights. Ah, it is the Old Testament that he was in there. He was fighting the Old Testament. Now, in the New Testament, he's dying. He's dying for people to save them.

[17:49] Let me tell you something. The deep truth is that, he fought for covenant people. In the Old Testament, that means that, you are exempted. Because you are not a Jew.

[18:02] But if he has to fight for you, he has to find a way of getting you into the covenant team. So once you are in the covenant team, then he can fight for you. And so these things are there, not as stories, but just to let us know, the characteristics of God.

[18:15] how God deals with his, for his people, and with his people. So when you read the Old Testament, it's an elaborate description, of how God deals, with his people.

[18:28] In the New Testament, it's an expression, of how God gets, opens the door, to select special chosen people. Previously, it's from just by, it used to be by birth.

[18:42] So once you are born Jew, and you are circumcised, you are in it. But now, the dynamics have changed. God has opened the door through Christ. So once you are in Christ, once you are in Christ, and he said, before I go, some of you look at me, I don't believe what you are saying.

[19:01] All right, let me just show you something. Let me digress. In Ephesians, quickly, I'm going to Ephesians. Ephesians chapter 2, Ephesians chapter 2, verse 11. See, it is talking about, it's describing you.

[19:14] Verse 11, what does it say? Therefore, remember that you, once Gentile in the flesh, who were called uncircumcision, by that which is called circumcision, made by the flesh in the hands, that at that time, you were without Christ, being aliens from the covenant of Israel, and strangers from the covenant of promise.

[19:31] You were strangers. You were not part of it. You didn't concern, he said that, having no hope, without God in the world, but now, in Christ, you who were once far, have been brought near, by the blood of Jesus.

[19:44] So you, who God could not fight for, God couldn't fight for you, but now, say but now, say but now, did you see that in your Bible?

[19:55] In the verse 14, he said, but now, once you are in Christ, but now, in Christ Jesus, you, say me, who were once far, far, who were once, there was a time, you were very far, so God can fight for you, but now, you are in the covenant, now, you are, when God is saying, my people, you also are part of the people.

[20:20] That's right. Yeah. Look, the previous verse, talks about the condition, how you were, he said, he said, you were without God, you were strangers, from the covenant of promise, I explained this on TV, the other time, you were strangers, from the covenant of promise, and you were, you were, you were aliens, from the commonwealth of Israel, so without Christ, strangers from the covenant, the covenant of God, what's the covenant?

[20:45] Covenant is the contract, between God and man, that God said that, I will fight anybody, who fights with you, and anybody, who does things well for you, I will take care of the person, so that means, that anything that touches you, touches me, that's the covenant, and say you, you were very far from it, you were very far, but God wanted to fight, so that he only passed you out, he wants to fight, because some people are suffering, they need God, so if you need God, and God is not available for you, you are in serious trouble, because the devil doesn't care anything, fight anybody, and so God made provision, for you and I, to be in, so he said, but now, in Christ, see, the word in Christ, in Christ means, that when you are a Christian, a Christian, Christ-ian, you are in Christ, so much, that you become, like Christ, Christian, when you are, now, but now, in Christ Jesus, you who were once, far, say I was far, I was far, look at the person, but now, I was far, I was far, I was far,

[21:45] I was far, I was far, I was far, I was far, tell another person, you were once, very far, I was far, say it back now, I was far, the story is six, hallelujah, put your hands in the love of Jesus, and so back to my text, he said, for God shall fight for you, when you read Exodus, after 14, verse 13, he said that, don't, do not be afraid, he said, fear not, because of these Egyptians, for these Egyptians, you see today, you shall see them, again, no more, and he went to explain that, God will fight for you, and you will hold your peace, say God will fight for me, God will fight for me, it's interesting, it is that God will fight for them, God will fight for us, but God will fight for you, his covenant people, you, his covenant daughter, you, his covenant son, I came to tell you, you won't be put to shame, you won't be put to shame, he said, for God will fight for you, and you, will hold your peace, say God will fight for me,

[22:51] God will fight for me, say God will fight for me, God will fight for me, do you know how God fights, let me show you this, and then, look at Exodus chapter 23, Exodus chapter 23, verse number 22, but if you indeed obey his voice, and do all that I speak, then I will be, hi, Jesus, then I will be what, an enemy to your enemies, and what, two things, he said, I will be an enemy to your enemies, an adversary to your adversary, what's the difference between an enemy, and an adversary, an enemy, you don't have to do anything, for the enemy to hit you, and fight against you, so even if you sleep, the enemy, an enemy, even when you are sleeping, is trying to fight against you, if you are not doing anything, the enemy wants to just destroy you, but, an adversary, is somebody, who is doing something, contrary to what you are trying to do, it's an opponent, so some of you, are trying to get, your family stabilized, you are trying to get your life, and some situations, and people are just fighting, against this thing, that's an adversary,

[24:05] God said me, I will fight against anyone, who will fight against you, He said, I will be an enemy, to your enemies, and an adversary, so anything, that rises up, to oppose you, God said, I will also rise, to oppose that thing, who told you, God doesn't want to fight, He likes fighting, He fights for people, who are in the covenant, with Him, so He says that, anybody who is just supposed, to mess things up, in your life, I will make sure that, I will also determine, to mess things up, for the, that's what He said, He said that, if you obey my voice, then I will be, an enemy, to your enemies, and an adversary, to your adversaries, this is God, we are talking about, say the Lord, will fight for me, the Lord will fight for me, the last scripture, how does he fight, very messiest thing, let's check it, from the scripture, just watch after 10,安,

[25:06] Lord, what do you know, Thank you, Lord.

[25:20] Joshua chapter 10, verse number 9. Joshua therefore came upon them suddenly, having marched all night from Gilgal.

[25:34] So the Lord routed them before Israel, killed, you see, the Lord killed them with a great slaughter at Gibeon. Chased them along the road that goes to Beth Haram.

[25:50] And struck them down as far as Azekah and Makedah. Can you imagine? God, that was a God, slew the enemies who Joshua was fighting against.

[26:03] If we really read, we'll just read more from the verse 1. It's interesting, Joshua chapter 10 from verse 1. So God fought against these guys and did not leave them.

[26:14] He chased them. We think God is an old man sitting somewhere. God chased these guys. They started running. God, Pastor, how did he do it?

[26:24] He said a lot of force. He has armies. He has angelic force. So these people were running. God didn't say, okay, it's okay. They have stopped. No, no, no. Some people, they have been frustrating you for so long.

[26:38] Now they realize that they can't succeed. They want to stop. God said, no, no, stopping is not enough. I have to now come on you. God will rise up against anything that has risen against you.

[26:49] Listen, some of us, people have made declarations and pronouncements that as for you, nothing would work for you. Some people are sitting somewhere and wishing you evil.

[27:02] The opposite will happen. And what they wish against you, if they don't take care, you begin to engage the Lord of hosts. God of hosts will just take the same package and increase it and give it to them.

[27:13] I'm telling you, some of you are, I've seen it before. I've seen it happens. When you pray, God can cause the people who rise up against you to rise up against themselves and begin to ask you to come and help them.

[27:31] And some of you have people coming to confess to you that, please, I did this. I did this against you. I did this. Forgive me. Please forgive me. I can't sleep. When I sleep, I feel fire all over my body.

[27:41] Please forgive me. Some of you still don't believe it. This is anybody who is behind your trouble. The person who suffers from today. Oh, master, you don't say that because, you know, some people, they just don't know what they are doing.

[27:57] Yes, that's why they will have to know who they are dealing with. Hallelujah. Somebody shout, the Lord of hosts. The Lord of hosts. So, God chased these guys.

[28:09] And he said, I like the word, the Bible said, and God chased them. Can you imagine? God ran after them. God went after them. But that's not the end of the story. Look at verse 9.

[28:20] Verse 11, sorry. All right. Let's not read it from the screen because this is interesting. Let's read it together. Let's go.

[28:31] And it happened. So, when the battle was not good for them, they started running away.

[29:01] God chased them and still was dealing with them and guess what? It got to a time they went very far. The Bible said God said, okay, these guys, they are very smart. So he commanded hailstones. Very rough. It's not like this.

[29:15] Big ice blow. It hits your head. It's more than a rock. It's true. Because see what? See what happened. God cast down himself. God did it himself. He cast down. So it's like he was sitting there and he was throwing it.

[29:31] I can guarantee you, God will not miss. When he targets you, he looks at this person. He looks at this person. He looks at it. He wants to eat. He cuts you. And so somebody will be running.

[29:43] But it's like, then you fall down. And then goes, okay, now the other one too. That's what God, he was doing like he was playing video game. Pastor, so this is the Bible.

[29:55] That's what you are seeing. No, it's not like we printed something on the computer to put it there. No, if you can't, check the reference. Let's take it. That's why I say everybody read it for me. Did God do that? Yes, he did. Watch this.

[30:06] And Bible says that God cast down large hailstones from heaven. This one is not from Joshua. This one is from above. From heaven. On them as far as Ezekiel. And they died.

[30:16] See, God killed them. Watch this. There were more who died from hailstones. Many people died.

[30:28] But God killed more than the normal Israelites were fighting. I told you, go fight. Why would he fight? There's no citizen where he doesn't have anything.

[30:39] If you touch his covenant people and they call on his name, he'll come after you. Now, having understood this, we are going to call on the name of God. This thing, God spoke into my heart.

[30:52] He gave me the thing that tell my people, God will fight for you. If you don't want it, if you want to go to fight for you, say, God, no, that's okay. I'm fine.

[31:03] Just say, God, I'm fine. I'll be okay. But if you want God to fight for you, we are going to pray. Say prayer. Say prayer. We are going to pray.

[31:14] We are going to engage the Lord of hosts. We are going to engage the Lord who fights. Oh, God. Some of you begin to experience the hand of God.

[31:27] I'm telling you. I'm telling you. Some of you begin to see reactions in people. God is going to fight for somebody. Bible says that God himself killed down from heaven.

[31:39] He cast out large hairstyles and killed the enemies of Israel such that the children of God's ability ability could not kill as much as God himself by the hailstones killed.

[31:55] God will fight for you. Now, what is the point, Pastor? What are you trying to say? Some of you have been dealing with things that are stronger than you. You don't have the answer. You don't know how to handle it.

[32:08] You don't know what to do about it. You look okay on the outside, but internally you are working in fear because you can't handle this situation. It's bigger than you.

[32:22] And the worst of it all. Some of us have situations and there are personalities either with bodies or without bodies. Personalities behind the situation fighting against you.

[32:35] Fighting against you. Frustrating you. When you are sleeping, they are awake. You wake up all of a sudden, I don't know why I have this thing. You go to the doctor, they say, oh, you have a kidney problem. What are you from this one too?

[32:45] Like, wah, they squeeze it. You are sleeping. Now, from today, you sleep and then they do it. They say, oh, yeah, then the thing is coming after them.

[32:55] Oh, yeah, the thing is coming after them. God, God, it's a God. Bible says God chase them. He didn't just chase them. He chased them and then he didn't command. Pastor, it would have been interesting if God has commanded stones or hailstones.

[33:09] Bible says himself, he casts down from heaven. He casts down. Tell me who can miss this one. That's why, Peter, that's why we can't afford not to pray. That's what Hannah did.

[33:21] She calls on the name of the Lord of Hosts and it's the Lord of Hosts if you can help me. If somebody has a situation and you want to call on the name of the Lord of Hosts, you want to say, Lord of Hosts, help me. We're going to pray.

[33:35] We're going to pray. We thank God for using his servant, Reverend Dr. David Andrews, to share this awesome word.

[33:47] If this message has blessed you in any way, please spread the word by sharing it and send us an email to amen at karis.org. Remember to stay connected with us on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and Twitter for regular updates on what God is doing here at Karis Ministries.

[34:03] Stay blessed. Thank you.