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Sunday 18 November 2001 - The key to a life of victory

(Summary of sermon by Rev Erlo Stegen)

2 Chron 32:1 - 8

In this portion of Scripture we find the answer to the question why so many Christians are weak or live defeated lives or backslide after a while. We will liken king Sennacherib to the devil, as the king came as an enemy to the children of God.

1. Small start: King Sennacherib was the ruler of a big empire - he had many nations under him. The empire started as a small strip of land which grew tremendously and became a great empire. In the same way the devil does not necessarily look for something big in a person's life but starts with something insignificant, something which one won't take note of. But if one gives him the little finger, he will grab the whole hand. We cannot allow even the smallest sins in our lives but must deal with it. (The example of 'Born free" is very appropriate: by loving a lion cub and raising it in the home, a lady in Kenya eventually lost her life through the offspring of that lioness.)

2. The king of Assyria wanted to conquer Jerusalem "for himself": We must know clearly that the devil is not our friend but our worst enemy. Whatever he does in our lives, he does not do for our benefit but only for himself. The Lord Jesus said that the devil only comes to steal and destroy and kill, but He, the Good Shepherd, laid down His life for us and came so that we can have life in abundance.

3. King Hezekiah found himself in a frightening situation when he saw the multitude of Assyrians coming against them, but he did two things which proved to be their salvation:

3.1 He did what he could: As we are taught in Ephesians 6, they armed themselves and made weapons and shields, they restored the city wall and built another wall around it, and they stopped the water in order that the enemy would not be able to stand. (Many Christians do the opposite: by looking at TV, newspapers, etc., they are feeding the devil and givng him strength in their lives. Such will never get free from their sin.) Watchman Nee, who had been a drug addict, stopped using heroine and for three days and nights he went through a terrible battle, but kept on pleading that God would help him not to go back to his sin. He got off that bed as a man of God who lived in victory over his sin.

3.2 He trusted God: Hezekiah strengthened himself and his people in the Lord: "Be strong and courageous; do not be afraid nor dismayed before the king of Assyria, nor before all the multitude that is with him; for there are more with us than with him. With him is an arm of flesh; but with us is the LORD our God, to help us and to fight our battles…" (2 Chronicles 32:7-8)

Even though the king of Assyria was powerful and famous and had many people, Hezekiah knew that one man and God are in the majority. As long as we are rightly related to God, we can fully trust Him to fight for us and give us victory.

May God grant each one of us such a life!

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