Be Ready for Attacks

In the Jr. high class we are learning some lessons from the life of Hezekiah. What do we know about Hezekiah?

Remember Hezekiah started off as the new king of Judah strong. He made some bold moves. But las week we started a lesson about a mistake from Hezekiah. About 14 years after he became king, Hezekiah we blindsided by his enemy. He doesn’t response the right way. After telling Assyria that He wasn’t going to pay them anymore, in his fear from Assyria’s attack he goes back on his word and pay them with money he took from the temple.

Read: 2 Chronicles 32:1-8

So, we begun learning some lessons from Hezekiah’s mistakes. Let’s look at couple this morning

Lesson #1 Recognize The Enemy Does Not Fight Fair

In 1896, the world welterweight boxing champion was a man named Norman Selby, professionally known as “Kid McCoy” (from which we get the term “the real McCoy”). In addition to his “corkscrew punch,” McCoy was known for many things, but what made him popular in the ring, ironically, was his cheating and underhanded tactics. He considered beneath him in order to win, including spraying ammonia in his opponents’ eyes or scattering thumbtacks under their bare feet. In one fight, McCoy learned his opponent was deaf and decided to use this to his advantage. Close to the ned of the third round, he stepped back pointed to his opponent’s corner, indicating the bell had rung to end the round, although it really hadn’t. When his opponent turned his head, McCoy unloaded a powerful blow and knocked him out cold. Was it fair? Definitely not. But it was effective.

So far, we’ve seen Hezekiah cower in fear of Assyria’s advancing army and compromise his convictions by stealing from the temple to pay Sennacherib in hopes that the attack would stop. In 2 Chronicles 32 Hezekiah learned his enemy was not about to fight far.

2 Chronicles 32:2 KJV 1900

And when Hezekiah saw that Sennacherib was come, and that he was purposed to fight against Jerusalem,

See the Deception

Hezekiah’s deal with Sennacherib was that if Hezekiah paid the money, Assyria would stop advancing on Judah. But after the money was paid, Sennacherib continued his attack, and this time he aimed for Jerusalem. He’s lied to Hezekiah; he never intended to keep his ind of the deal! Like the cheating boxer, Sennacherib was going to do whatever it took to win.

We need to realize that Satan never fights fair. He advertises fun and pleasure, but his actual product is agony and defeat. The temptation to compromise ourselves and to sin never delivers what it promises. We shouldn’t be surprised by this. The Bible tells us that Satan is a liar and a deceiver by nature.

John 8:44 KJV 1900

Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.

If we aren’t careful, we’ll listen to the enemy’s lies, and that’s exactly when he’ll go for the knockout punch.

See the Destruction

When Hezekiah looked out to see Sennacherib advancing, he realized that Sennacherib had never wanted to help him at all; he wanted to hurt him. He saw the Assyrian King’s ultimate goal was not to negotiate fro more money or more control over Judah. He intended to destroy Hezekiah and Jerusalem.

Sometimes the way we talk or make jokes about Satan makes it seem that we don’t believe he’s really as evil as the Bible says he is. We must understand Satan is not just out to trick us into doing bad things every once in a while. He is a dangerous enemy who is on a warpath to destroy us.

1 Peter 5:8 KJV 1900

Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:

John 10:10 KJV 1900

The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

The enemy the Bible speaks of doesn’t want to negotiate or pick a little fight with us. He wants an all-out war. Satan wants to use our mistakes to cripples us, but God wants to use our mistakes to cultivate us. So when you find yourself in the middle of and attack from an enemy who doesn’t fight far, recognize that you have a place to turn to:

Psalm 56:3–4 KJV 1900

What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee. In God I will praise his word, In God I have put my trust; I will not fear What flesh can do unto me.

Psalm 56:3–4 KJV 1900

What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee. In God I will praise his word, In God I have put my trust; I will not fear What flesh can do unto me.

Lesson #2 Anticipate the Attack

In the moment that Hezekiah saw the deception and destruction of Sennacherib, he was like the prodigal son who “came to himself”

Luke 15:17 KJV 1900

And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father’s have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger!

and saw things clearly for the first time. He realized his fear had only led him and the nation into deeper trouble. Hezekiah needed to make things right- so he prepared for battle.

When we are attacked spiritually, we need to be prepared for it. We need to recognize when we’ve gone wrong and take action. But how do we do that? How do we make sure we are prepared? Let’s look to Hezekiah for example:

Stop the Water

Read what happens next:

2 Chronicles 32:3–4 KJV 1900

He took counsel with his princes and his mighty men to stop the waters of the fountains which were without the city: and they did help him. So there was gathered much people together, who stopped all the fountains, and the brook that ran through the midst of the land, saying, Why should the kings of Assyria come, and find much water?

Hezekiah realized Jerusalem’s water supply was running beyond the city into outer cities and supplying the Assyrian armies encamped there. He knew if Judah was going to win the war, they couldn’t afford to give the enemy such an advantage. So he called his advisors to help him stop the water supply.

If we are going to win the spiritual battle we face on a daily basis, we can’t give our enemy any unnecessary advantages. See how the apostle Paul put it:

2 Corin 2:10-11

2 Corinthians 2:10–11 KJV 1900

To whom ye forgive any thing, I forgive also: for if I forgave any thing, to whom I forgave it, for your sakes forgave I it in the person of Christ; Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices.

Like Hezekiah, many times we also supply “water” that gives our enemy and advantage over us. We flirt with the enemy. We don’t distance ourselves from ungodly influences. We continue to go to places we know aren’t good for us. But in the Bible we are told:

Romans 13:14 KJV 1900

But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.

Galatians 6:8 KJV 1900

For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.

If you want to win the war, stop the water. Don’t sow to the flesh. Don’t give it an advantage over you. Stop the water.

Spiritually speaking, without the supply of water to our flesh, the sinful desires of our hearts can’t grow either. So be smart: determine to stop the water by distancing yourself from bad influences. Don’t even go near places or people you know will bring nothing but temptation.

Proverbs 22:3 KJV 1900

A prudent man foreseeth the evil, and hideth himself: But the simple pass on, and are punished.

Strengthen the Walls

Hezekiah’s next move was to make sure the city was protected against Assyria’s attacks:

2 Chronicles 32:5 KJV 1900

Also he strengthened himself, and built up all the wall that was broken, and raised it up to the towers, and another wall without, and repaired Millo in the city of David, and made darts and shields in abundance.

The battle was coming. Hezekiah knew that if Jerusalem was going to withstand an attack, its defenses needed to be strengthened. The broken wall was the city’s weak point: if Sennacherib could get through it, entire city would vulnerable. So Hezekiah got to work rebuilding the walls.

In the same way, if we are going to withstand spiritual attack, we need to identify the weak points where the enemy will most certainly attack us and get to work rebuilding some walls. What are of you life needs rebuilding? Is it your devotional life? your time with your family? Your commitment to volunteer with a church ministry? or maybe you don’t need to rebuild a wall, maybe you need to put up walls where there has never been one before.

Supply the Weapons

After attending to the walls, Hezekiah took inventory of the weapons that were available to his army. He knew that winning a war requires a good supply of offensive and defensive weapons. The same is true spiritually.

2 Corinthians 10:4 KJV 1900

(For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)

But what are our spiritual weapons?

Ephesians 6:11-17

This tells us the Word of God is our weapon to stand against the enemy. We know it’s the most effective weapon because Jesus used it when he was tempted in the wilderness in Matthew 4. If the Word of God was how Jesus defended Himself against Satan, how much more should we turn to it in our daily spiritual battles?