“There is a glory to your life that your Enemy fears, and he is hell-bent on destroying that glory before you act on it. This part of the answer will sound unbelievable at first; perhaps it will sound too good to be true; certainly, you will wonder if it is true for you. But once you begin to see with those eyes, once you have begun to know it is true from the bottom of your heart it will change everything.”
“The story of your life is the story of the long and brutal assault on your heart by the one who knows what you could be and fears it.” (John Eldredge Waking the Dead, 33-34)
When I read the above quote five months ago it stopped me right there…right in the tracks of my daily mundane life. In that moment, it became so real. I knew it like I had never known it before. I was at war…I mean real war. And that war wasn’t with just “any old enemy”. I was at war with the King of Darkness himself…Satan…the enemy of God.
It surprised me…but it shouldn’t have. I know about Spiritual Warfare…it’s not new to me. I believe in Spiritual Warfare. I’ve even taught about Spiritual Warfare. But never before have I been so aware of Spiritual Warfare. Never before have I thought of Satan as one who fears me. But why shouldn’t he? He fears Christ. Christ is in me. Christ in me is a threat to him and all that he sets out to do. He knows that I am a living stone in Christ’s living church with a mandate from Jesus himself, to storm the gates of the prison fortress Hell. And, Matthew 16:17 tells me that the fortified gates of hell will not prevail…they will fall to Christ and his church. Yes, Satan is afraid…he is very afraid indeed.
Last Thursday night I just couldn’t get away from God’s Word. We were scurrying around, getting our daughter’s things ready for college. We were supposed to leave for Oklahoma the next day…and there was still so much left to pack. The last thing I had time to do that night was read my Bible.
My asthma was acting up and I had to take a breathing treatment. As I was taking the treatment, I got on my PC Bible Study program and began reading in Ephesians chapter six. I had fully intended to stop reading when my treatment was through…but I just couldn’t. The Holy Spirit was speaking to me through His Word…leading me down a scripture path…one verse right after the next. His footsteps were strong. His presence was powerful. And the scriptures he was leading me to all had one thing in common. They were all battle scriptures.
My husband, Paul, came in the room to check on me and talk about our plans for leaving the next day. That’s a nice way of saying he was checking to see why I wasn’t working. I told him that I thought we should put the packing on hold and I began share with him what God was speaking to my heart. We both knew there wasn’t really time to read all these scriptures…to follow the path that the Holy Spirit seemed to be leading down. Tomorrow morning was going to be here before we knew it. The suitcases weren’t going to pack themselves. But we decided to press the “pause” button on our own schedule anyway. I felt absolutely compelled to follow the path that the Holy Spirit was leading me down.
I remember looking at Paul and sharing with him that I didn’t know what the week held for us, our friends, our family, or our church, but the scriptures God was leading me to, were battle scriptures. I told Paul that I felt I was being asked to raise my shield…as if a life or death situation was just ahead.
In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Ephesians 6:16
When I had started reading that evening, I had been reading about the “shield of faith” in Ephesians 6:16. God has been teaching me about his armor and specifically the shield for the last several weeks. I knew quite a bit about the shield. I had even made a replica out of construction paper for my Bible Study group. Let me list a couple of things for you that I had learned.
Over the past several weeks I had learned that the shield spoken of In Ephesians 6:16 was not a generic shield… it was a very specific shield, 4 feet high, 2 feet wide, shaped like a door, slightly curved…in the Greek language…a thureos.
The thureos-shield protected the Roman soldier from flaming missiles…arrows that were set on fire…and then fired at the soldier.
I had learned a couple of things about the “evil one” too. Specifically I had learned what his name meant. God could have chosen any name to describe this King of Darkness…but the one God chose was Diabolos…Devil. Diabolos means “a traducer”…literally “to cause humiliation or disgrace to by making malicious or false statements.” He is a liar…a bringer of false messages about who we are…our worth and value to God. His mission is to assault us with his messages…to destroy our hearts and minds. He does not want us to know or believe who we are in Christ. He wants us to feel abandoned, rejected, and alone.
I felt like I understood the Ephesians 6:16 shield pretty well. It was a shield…not physical…but spiritual…a truth…a faith…that I could hide behind. A faith-shield that would protect my heart and mind from the enemy’s attacks until I got to heaven. I had no idea that the shield meant so much more…no idea at all.
The information the Holy Spirit led me to last Thursday night forever changed how I see the shield. It forever changed the ultimate purpose that I see the shield used for. I was and still am amazed at what I learned. I had no idea just how much I didn’t know about the thureos…the shield. I had no idea that God was asking me to be part of a battle formation…called the Testudo.
The Testudo…Latin for “tortoise”…turtle. The Testudo was a battle formation used by Roman legionnaires to advance against a fortress. This unique formation was created by holding their shields overhead, providing safety from the enemy archers stationed on top of the fortresses gates and wall, and the flaming missals that they would fire down on the Roman soldiers as they laid siege to the entrances of the fortress. In other words, it allowed the Roman legionnaires to launch an aggressive offense while remaining protected.
A group of 27 men would form up in four ranks. It was usually the same men in each testudo as each had to know exactly where he was to be placed. Then they would raise their shields in a set pattern. The outer men would have their shields by their sides and the ones in the middle would hold the shields above their heads.
As little flesh was exposed as possible, and the shields would overlap to avoid any openings in their armour. This made a protective shell (like a turtle) around the soldiers. They would then crouch down and walk steadily toward the target as a uniform unit. Missiels, javelins and arrows thrown by the defenders would bounce off the shields.
When they arrived at the gates of the fortress, they would either use a small battering ram to break open the doors, or set a fire to burn them down. If there was more than one entrance, then a testudo would be deployed for each one to ensure maximum effect.
When the defenses had been breached, more soldiers would advance testudo fashion into the complex. Once inside, all hell broke loose as the Romans would slaughter without mercy all those inside.
As I began to read about the Testudo…I was absolutely overwhelmed. I thought of the job description that Jesus had given the church…Storm the Gates of Hell…they won’t prevail against you.
…on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. Matthew 16:17
The word overcome in the original Greek comes from two words that mean “to push down”. Do you see what Jesus was and is saying? On this rock I will build my church…and the Devil and his Demon soldiers on top of Hell’s Gates and Hell’s Fortified Prison Wall won’t be able to push the Church down as we attack the fortress. The Church will breach the Gates of Hell! And prisoners will be set free!
After all isn’t this the very image that Jesus used when he began his ministry in his own synagogue in Nazareth.
“The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him, and he began by saying to them, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing. Luke 4:18-21
To do this we have to form a Spiritual Testudo.
The traditionally ancient shields were red…the color of blood…to intimidate the enemy. So here is the picture. All of us…raising our red testudo-shields…overlapping them…forming the tortoise…digging our hobnailed sandals into the ground and advancing…together…against the gates of Satan’s Prison Fortress.
The Devil is real and he will hurl all the flaming arrows he has down on us, as we seek to share the good news of freedom to those who have been deceived and are in bondage to him. And to do this we all have to stay together…as a moving testudo of faith shields. No wonder Jesus prayed that we would be unified.
Listen to his prayer for us…
“My prayer is not for them alone (his disciples). I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message (that’s you and me friends), that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one: I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.” John 17:20-23
We in the American church have searched so many places for the “secret formula” to the church’s “success”. Could it be that it’s not found at the latest seminar, or the latest book, or even in a 5 year growth plan. Could it be as simple as unity. True oneness with God and each other. Agape love. Loving the Lord with all our heart…and loving each other…and loving our neighbors…with all our heart.
“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” John 13:34
Oneness…unity…raising our shields together. We can each make it to Heaven alone…behind our own shield…but the only way we can pierce the Kingdom of Darkness and rescue the perishing is to do it together. It is our unity…our love for each other and for Christ that shows the world we are his disciples and that God is real. It is the unity of our raised shields that deflects the flaming missiles the Devil hurls the church. If one shield falls…the testudo is breached.
As those of us in my own local church advance against Satan’s “fortress” in our inner-city neighborhood, he will hurl his missiles. He does not want the gates of his prison fortress to be breached. He does not want the people of our neighborhood to know who Jesus is and who they can be in him. He does not want them to know that they are loved, chosen, and sought after. Satan is scared to death of who they can be in Christ. He will hurl his attacks. God’s Word tells us we are not to be unaware of his schemes. We cannot let Satan’s arrows pierce our minds and deliver mortal wounds that kill our hearts.
Last Thursday night as God was leading me into the truth of his Shield…his Battle Formation…he led me to the book of Nahum…a small book of prophecy against the city of Nineveh. The three chapters that make up the book Nahum, contain the prophesy of God coming as the DIVINE WARRIOR…and God, himself, defeating the evil king of Assyria and its capitol city…Nineveh. But this book isn’t just a prophecy about the end of a wicked king and kingdom…it is also a prophecy about the final defeat of Satan.
Some of the imagery in the book of Revelation comes directly from the book of Nahum. As I read the words of Nahum last Thursday night I substituted the name Satan and his demonic kingdom for the words Nineveh and Assyria. What a powerful picture it gave me.
Paul and I gathered our children and we read the words of Nahum together. We read about how one day…in the future, Christ, the DIVINE WARRIOR is coming (remember the picture of Christ in Revelation – remember the sword in his mouth)…and he is going to make everything right.
We shared with them how Satan, the Devil, the master of lies, and evil, and pain, and bondage, and humiliation, and suffering, and darkness will be destroyed. We told the children that we did not know what the next week held, but that we were going to pick up our shields and form a testudo…and we were going to storm the gates of Hell for ourselves and our people. One day the Evil One will be punished. This is what we read.
1 Nineveh (Satan), armies are coming to attack you. Guard the forts! Watch the roads! Get ready! Gather all of your strength!
2 Assyria (Satan) once took everything of value from God's people. Its army destroyed all of their vines. But the Lord will bring back the glory of Jacob's people. He'll make Israel glorious again.
3 The shields of the soldiers attacking Nineveh are red. The armies are dressed in bright red uniforms. (the DIVINE WARRIOR”S soldiers are advancing in a formation of red shields)
The metal on their chariots flashes when they are prepared for war. Their spears are ready to use.
4 The chariots race through the main streets. They rush back and forth through them. They look like flaming torches. They dart around like lightning.
5 The commander of the attackers sends for his special troops. But they trip and fall on their way. They run toward the city wall (the battle place) . They keep their shield in front of them.
6 They open the gates that hold back the waters of the river. And the palace falls down.
7 The attackers order that the city's people be taken away as prisoners. The female slaves cry like sad doves. They beat their chests.
8 Nineveh (Satan) is like a pool. Its water is draining away. "Stop running away!" someone cries out. But no one turns back.
9 "Steal the silver!" the attackers shout. "Grab the gold!" The supply is endless. There is plenty of wealth among all of the city's treasures.
10 Nineveh (Satan) is destroyed, robbed and stripped! Hearts melt away in fear. Knees give way. Bodies tremble with fear. Everyone's face turns pale.
11 Assyria (Satan) is like a lion. (the Devil is like a roaring lion…seeking whom he may devour) Where is the lions' den now? Where did they feed their cubs? Where did all of the lions go? In their den they had nothing to fear.
12 The lion killed enough for his cubs to eat. He choked what he caught for his mate. He filled his home with what he had killed. He brought to his dens what he had caught.
13 "Nineveh (Satan), I am against you," announces the Lord who rules over all. "I will burn up your chariots with fire. Your young lions will be killed with swords. I will leave you nothing on earth to catch. The voices of your messengers will no longer be heard." (Diabolos, the Devil, will not bring anymore false messages.)
1 How terrible it will be for Nineveh (Satan)! It is a city of murderers! It is full of liars! It's filled with stolen goods! The killing never stops! (Satan comes to steal, kill, and destroy)
2 Whips crack! Wheels clack! Horses charge! Chariots rumble!
3 Horsemen attack! Swords flash! Spears gleam! Many people die. Dead bodies pile up. They can't even be counted. People trip over them.
4 All of that was caused by the evil longings of the prostitute Nineveh (Satan). That woman who practiced evil magic was very beautiful. She used her sinful charms to make slaves out of the nations. She worshiped evil powers in order to trap others. (Rev. chapter 17 tells us of the image of the great Prostitute - Rev 19:2 tells of her end)
5 "Nineveh (Satan), I am against you," announces the Lord who rules over all. "I will pull your skirts up over your face. I will show the nations your naked body. Kingdoms will make fun of your shame. (God will do to Satan what Satan has done to God's people...including what Satan did to Christ himself...when he was crucified naked and exposed on the cross)
6 I will throw garbage (dung) at you. I will look down on you. I will make an example out of you.
7 All those who see you will run away from you. They will say, 'Nineveh is destroyed. Who will sob over it?' Where can I find someone to comfort your people?"
8 Nineveh , are you better than Thebes on the Nile River? There was water all around that city. The river helped to keep it safe. The waters were like a wall around it.
9 Cush and Egypt gave it all of the strength it needed. Put and Libya also helped it.
10 But Thebes was captured anyway. Its people were taken away as prisoners. Its babies were smashed to pieces at every street corner. The Assyrian soldiers cast lots for all of its great leaders. They put them in chains and made slaves out of them.
11 People of Nineveh (Satan), you too will get drunk. You will try to hide from your enemies. You will look for a place of safety.
12 All of your forts are like fig trees that have their first ripe fruit on them. When the trees are shaken, the figs fall into the mouths of those who eat them. (Rev 6:12 moon will turn the color of blood, the battle color, and the stars in the sky will fall to earth as late figs drop from a fig tree when shaken by a strong wind)
13 Look at your troops. All of them are weak. The gates of your forts are wide open to your enemies. Fire has destroyed their heavy metal bars.
14 Prepare for the attack by storing up water! Make your walls as strong as you can! Make some bricks out of clay! Mix the mud to hold them together! Use them to repair the walls!
15 In spite of all of your hard work, fire will burn you up inside your city. Your enemies will cut you down with their swords. They will destroy you just as grasshoppers eat up crops. Multiply like grasshoppers! Increase your numbers like locusts!
16 You have more traders than the number of stars in the sky. But like locusts they strip the land. Then they fly away.
17 Your guards are like grasshoppers. Your officials are like large numbers of locusts. They settle in the walls on a cold day. But when the sun appears, they fly away. And no one knows where they go.
18 King of Assyria (Satan), your leaders are asleep. Your nobles lie down to rest. Your people are scattered on the mountains. No one is left to gather them together.
19 Nothing can heal your wounds. You will die of them. All those who hear the news about you clap their hands because you have fallen from power. All of them suffered because you never showed them any pity. Nahum chapter 2 and 3
New International Reader's Version
In 612 BC Nineveh fell and archeological excavations have shown that it happened just exactly as God's words described it would. The same thing will happen to Satan. He knows Jesus defeated him, but he will continue to wage war until one day the Divine Warrior return to execute judgment he so deserves.
I want you all to know… we are raising up our shields for you. We are lifting you up in prayer. One of our prayers is that God will give us all spiritual eyes to see that we are in a spiritual battle and that the battle is the Lord's to win. We are not alone. We keep our eyes on the finish line. Nothing can separate us from the love of God...and one day HE will make everything right. Jesus will not come back as a lamb...He will come back as the LION OF JUDAH the DIVINE WARRIOR and he will avenge us. So that brings me back to where I started...
"The story of your life is the story of the long and brutal assault on your heart by the one (Satan) who knows what you could be and fears it."
The Hero is on his way...He is coming and His robe is dipped in blood. He is riding a white horse and He is coming to rescue you. He is coming to defeat the one who desires to destroy you. Because you are his Beloved...you are his Bride.
"I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and makes war. His eyes are like blazing fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has a name written on him that no one knows but he himself. He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God. The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean. Out of his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. “He will rule them with an iron scepter.” He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty. On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written:
"KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS." Revelation 19:11-16
And what will God do to Satan? He will beat him with a scepter...to the music of tambourines and harps...the same music pagans played when making a human sacrifice. He will then hurl Satan into Topheth...the burning idol of human sacrifice. And then…with his own breath…HE WILL LIGHT THE MATCH! Compared to Jesus...Rambo will look like Bambi.
"The voice of the LORD will shatter Assyria; with his scepter he will strike them down. Every stroke the LORD lays on them with his punishing rod will be to the music of tambourines and harps, as he fights them in battle with the blows of his arm. Topheth has long been prepared; it has been made ready for the king (Satan). Its fire pit has been made deep and wide, with an abundance of fire and wood; the breath of the LORD, like a stream of burning sulfur, sets it ablaze. " Isaiah 30:33
Your Hero is coming soon! He will make everything right!
Until then…always remember…you are Sought After,
Cynthia
