“The weapons may be formed, but they won’t prosper.”
A friend of mine whispered these words in my ear not too long ago. I’ve heard them before. I’ve sung them. I’ve read them. Though they weren’t new to me, this time they met my spirit differently. Suddenly, it became glaringly obvious that, YES, weapons form. The devil doesn’t have much power, but what he does have is cunningness, and he uses that against us. He uses his cunning ways to form weapons that may seem like they’re capable of taking me out, pulling me under, and putting me out of the fight for good. He can form the weapons. But just because they exist doesn’t mean they have any power over my future.
See, God is never taken by surprise. He kicked Satan to the curb in the beginning, removing him from Heaven because Satan thought he had more power than he actually did. (You catching on?) God knows the strategy behind each and every one of the weapons hell begins to form. God, in His infinite wisdom, allows hell to put together these weapons against us. Hell starts scheming and drawing up plans, while Satan sits back clapping his hands thinking he’s about to get the upper hand over one of God’s children. The weapons come together, and some of them even have a small amount of firepower.
Let’s stop right here so I can be clear. When you feel like you’ve got all of hell throwing fiery darts in your direction, that doesn’t feel like a ‘small’ amount of firepower. It feels like TONS of firepower. Just remember that while it feels like a truckload of fire being aimed at you, God has so much more power. He is so much stronger, and He’s not going to allow hell to have the power to overthrow you. Unless you give in, Satan can’t win. So when it feels like everyone else is catching a break, and you’re the only target hell has to pick on, go with what you know, not what you feel. We KNOW God is bigger, stronger, mightier, greater, and just plain better. He won’t let those weapons take you under.
So, we have a conniving devil, scheming minions, and newly formed weapons with a certain amount of power to hurt us. Or so hell thinks. Have you ever noticed that in the middle of what should have been the worst times of your life, God seemed to shine so much brighter? There can’t be healing without sickness. There can’t be a rainbow without a storm. There can’t be a testimony without a test. All of the things that hell throws at us, trying to destroy us with his weapons, turn out to be the very things that God uses to teach us, grow us, and promote us. In order for God to elevate us, we have to be somewhere low for Him to bring us up. Weapons may form, and they may even hit us, knock us down a bit. Then God steps in and lifts us up, taking us to a place higher than we’ve ever been before. He takes what the enemy meant for evil, to put us out of the race completely, and He turns it for our good.
The Bible tells us in Romans 8:28 that ALL things work together for the good of those that love God. If we only have good times, only highs and never any lows, how will our faith ever grow? How will we ever have a testimony to stand upon, where we can tell others how God brought us out? How can I look at someone going through a desperate time, and tell them God can lift them up, if I’ve never experienced that for myself? How can I know God on that deep, personal level if I’ve never walked a lonely and hard road with Him right by my side?
So yes, the weapons will form. They will form and be put together and be put to the test and they will be used against you. At some point, you will find yourself in the crosshairs, the target of hell’s weapons. They may hit you. They may bruise you. They may knock you around a bit. You may have to crawl or dig your heels in to pull yourself back up. But.
They. Won’t. Prosper.
Now read that again,
They. Won’t. Prosper.
It never said they wouldn’t form, in fact it said they would. It never said they wouldn’t hit us or hurt us. It never said we wouldn’t experience some pain and discomfort along the way. It never said we wouldn’t come out of the battle bruised, or that we would never have to fight back. It simply promises that the weapons formed against us won’t prosper. They won’t win. They won’t get the best of us. They’re not powerful enough to take us out. They’re unknowingly going to be used by God to propel us to higher ground, to new places, to anointed ministries.
The weapons are going to be formed. They are going to be used. We’re going to get tired and weary. We’re not going to come out unscathed. But right when the devil thinks he’s got us in our most vulnerable position, when he is jumping up and down in delight over our demise, God will step in and honor His Word. He will take us from the deepest hurt and darkest night, and set our feet in new places. He will walk in with His glory train filling our situation, and He will bring us through the fire shining like the purest gold. Over and over the weapons may form, and over and over Satan will lose. His own weapons will be used to make us stronger with every battle, so that we are able to stand against him.
So don’t fear when the weapons start forming. When you’ve got that target on your back and you can feel the heat of arrows coming your way, get ready. God is preparing to use the enemy’s own arsenal against him. Hold on tight. Keep on fighting. They. Won’t. Prosper.
We win.
