Keep Up the Fight

Thursday, April 15, 2010

"So Ahab sent unto all the children of Israel, and gathered the prophets together unto mount Carmel. And Elijah came unto all the people, and said, How long halt ye between two opinions? if the LORD be God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him. And the people answered him not a word. Then said Elijah unto the people, I, even I only, remain a prophet of the LORD; but Baal's prophets are four hundred and fifty men. Let them therefore give us two bullocks; and let them choose one bullock for themselves, and cut it in pieces, and lay it on wood, and put no fire under: and I will dress the other bullock, and lay it on wood, and put no fire under: And call ye on the name of your gods, and I will call on the name of the LORD: and the God that answereth by fire, let him be God. And all the people answered and said, It is well spoken." I Kings 18:20-24 Don't allow the devil's threats to cause you to flee, but keep up the spiritual fight. The drought was coming to an end, but no one knew that yet. God sent Elijah back to Ahab to propose a meeting, a way of proving whose deity was supreme.

Elijah threw down the gauntlet, sent out the challenge, dared Ahab to put his gods to the test. The challenge? Meet on Mount Carmel with 250 of his Baal-worshipping priests; build an altar; and call down fire from above. Whoever's sacrifice was accepted by fire would prove whose God was real. Ahab accepted the challenge and headed for Carmel. As the events began, Elijah stepped aside for a minute and called out to the Israelites who had gathered. He pointed out their indecision and called on them to "choose a side." No more pretending to worship God but following the Baal worshippers.

He wanted them to follow one or the other, yet they remained silent. The events went according to plan. Ahab's prophets did all they could to summon fire from their gods but nothing happened. After the spectacle, Elijah built his altar, doused it in water, built a pool of water around it, and did all he could to make the altar fireproof. Then he called out to God, seeking to show the people the true Lord of Heaven. God answered his prayers and consumed the sacrifice, the altar, and the water surrounding it, proving His awesome power. What a great victory for God and His prophets! Yet notice how Elijah reacted when Jezebel got word of what had happened, "Then Jezebel sent a messenger unto Elijah, saying, So let the gods do to me, and more also, if I make not thy life as the life of one of them by to morrow about this time. And when he saw that, he arose, and went for his life, and came to Beersheba, which belongeth to Judah, and left his servant there" (1 Kings 19:2-3).

God has just shown that He was more powerful than any other god or being on earth, yet the threat of one woman scared Elijah into fleeing. Have you ever felt like Elijah? Atop the world one minute, only to be brought back down to earth by a person or situation. Perhaps you experienced a spiritual victory you'd been praying about for a while, only to be faced with another difficulty or temptation. The battle in the Christian life is never over. As soon as victory comes, the devil is ready with another attack. Letting down your guard can be a dangerous move. Remember God's words in Ephesians 5:15, "See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise." We are always to be on guard against the devil. Elijah experienced a great victory on Carmel, yet was brought down by the threat of the queen. Don't allow the devil's threats or attacks to cause you to flee; always be on the offensive in the spiritual battle. Keep a lookout for temptations, and continue fighting the battle no matter what threats or trials come your way.


Daily Bible Reading1 Samuel 27-29 Luke 13:1-22