In the book, the Art of War the following quote appears. “The opportunity to secure ourselves against defeat lies in our own hands, but the opportunity of defeating the enemy is provided by the enemy himself” ¹ Sun Tzu must have gotten this piece of wisdom from reading the Bible. This is exactly what took place through the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus. In his week’s post, let’s look at the strategic nature of the the Throne of God.

Revelation 19:11–16 (NCV)
11 Then I saw heaven opened, and there before me was a white horse. The rider on the horse is called Faithful and True, and he is right when he judges and makes war. 12 His eyes are like burning fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has a name written on him, which no one but himself knows. 13 He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God. 14 The armies of heaven, dressed in fine linen, white and clean, were following him on white horses. 15 Out of the rider’s mouth comes a sharp sword that he will use to defeat the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron. He will crush out the wine in the winepress of the terrible anger of God the Almighty. 16 On his robe and on his upper leg was written this name: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.

• Have you have never thought about the throne of God in terms of its military importance?
• God is a many faceted being.
• There is a side to Him, a warring side, a conquering side to Him we need to understand.
• Parents are naturally protective of their children.
• Parents get that protectiveness trait from the ultimate parent, God the Father.
• There is no parent more protective than God. And when somebody messes with His kids, watch out.
• Jesus is not the milky toast baby in the manager many portray him as.
• When people think of Jesus, they think of the scripture, about ‘turning the other cheek.’ They don’t think of Him as the conquering king of Revelation 19.
• According to the Bible, Jesus is the most perfect warrior who ever existed.
• Please excuse this very colloquial expression. I don’t mean to be rude or vulgar. Have you heard of the expression, “kick butt and take names later?” Well dear heart, Jesus already knows the names.

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Why is the Throne of God a Strategic Place?

• We have often thought of God’s Throne as a place of mercy.
  • If you are a believer in Jesus, it is.
• We have often thought of God’s Throne as a place of grace.
  • If you are a believer in Jesus, it is.
• But, it’s not only that.
• To the persecutors of the Body of Christ, to the enemies of God the Throne of God can become something more than just a place of mercy, grace and help (Heb. 4:16). In certain cases, the Throne of God can become a strategic place.
• The Throne can become War Central.

Godly Weaponry Available at the Throne

• There is plenty of Godly weaponry available at war central.

2 Kings 6:14–17 (TLB)
14 So one night the king of Syria sent a great army with many chariots and horses to surround the city. 15 When the prophet’s servant got up early the next morning and went outside, there were troops, horses, and chariots everywhere. “Alas, my master, what shall we do now?” he cried out to Elisha. 16 “Don’t be afraid!” Elisha told him. “For our army is bigger than theirs!” 17 Then Elisha prayed, “Lord, open his eyes and let him see!” And the Lord opened the young man’s eyes so that he could see horses of fire and chariots of fire everywhere upon the mountain!

• These chariots were God’s war chariots.
• One day a single angel angel destroyed 185,000 enemy soldiers who were threatening God’s children. We mentioned this in the post “Why is The Throne of God Power Central?”
• The devil understands the importance of the Throne
• The devil tried to exalt himself above the Throne one day.

Isaiah 14:12–14 (KJV)
12 How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! 13 For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: 14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.

• What was the result of this attack? Luke 10:18 says that Jesus beheld Satan as lightning thrown from heaven.

All Military Operations Against Evil Originate from the Throne Room

• The devil is not the only one who tries to have a plan.
• The devil is not the chief planner. God is.
• The Lord is the greatest planner of them all.

Psalm 33:11 (KJV)
11 The counsel of the Lord standeth for ever, The thoughts of his heart to all generations.

Proverbs 20:18 (KJV)
18 Every purpose is established by counsel: And with good advice make war.

• The greatest plan ever conceived in the history of war was conceived in the Throne room. It was the plan to bring Jesus into the earth.
• The plan was conceived in secrecy before the worlds were ever created.

1 Corinthians 2:7–8 (NCV)
7 I speak God’s secret wisdom, which he has kept hidden. Before the world began, God planned this wisdom for our glory. 8 None of the rulers of this world understood it. If they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.

• It was an awesome plan. It was shrouded in secrecy. The plan was called a mystery.
• It was hinted at in types and shadows to God’s people.
• The devil was a chief tool in the plan. The Lord used his own devices against himself.

Hebrews 2:14–15 (KJV)
14 Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; 15 And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.

• What was the plan of God? His plan was to infiltrate the place of death by allowing Jesus to become a substitute for our sins.
• What was the plan of God? To reach into the devil’s own tool box and use his tool of death.
• The enemy thought he was doing something killing Jesus. It was the same pattern that he used many times before.
• When the Lord predicted back in Gen. 3:16 that the seed of the woman would bruise his head, the devil immediately used death to try and thwart the plan. He tried to destroy every man or women who had any semblance of the anointing upon their life. That’s why he persecuted the prophets. That’s why he railed against the anointed kings and priests of the Lord. It seemed to be successful or so Satan thought. But, it was all a trap.
• The Lord used this tendency of the enemy against himself by sending the most anointed being ever, Jesus. The enemy played true to form. He took the bait. He attacked the anointing and killed Jesus.
• For 3 days the enemy thought he had won. He rejoiced along with his legions.
• All of a sudden on the 3rd day, a rumbling penetrated the realm of darkness. God’s power surged through the regions of the damned and raised Jesus up. The enemy realized he made a mistake (1 Corinthians 2:8). Too late! The penalty had been paid. The enemy could do nothing about it. By the resurrection of Jesus, death had been conquered. The devil had no idea what hit him.
• The game was over.
• The plan was executed with precision. That’s what all the prophecies concerning Jesus are about in the Old Testament.

ILLUSTRATIONS: Odds of Any Man Fulfilling Bible Prophecy
A number of years ago, Peter W. Stoner and Robert C. Newman wrote a book entitled Science Speaks. The book was based on the science of probability and vouched for by the American Scientific Affiliation. It set out the odds of any one man in all of history fulfilling even only eight of the 60 major prophecies (and 270 ramifications) fulfilled by the life of Christ. The probability that Jesus of Nazareth could have fulfilled even eight such prophecies would be only 1 in 10¹⁷. That’s 1 in 100, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000.
Stoner claims that that many silver dollars would be enough to cover the face of the entire state of Texas two feet deep.
Who in his right mind would suppose that a blindfolded man, heading out of Dallas by foot in any direction, would be able, on his very first attempt, to pick up one specifically marked silver dollar out of 100, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000 ²?

The Lord is Described as a Soldier

Read these verses. There is quite a few of them. There is plenty of evidence describing the Lord as a warrior.

Exodus 15:3 (KJV)
3 The LORD is a man of war: the LORD is his name.

• Why would the Lord be described as a man of war if war is not a Bible concept?

Rev 17:14 (KJV)
14 These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful.

• Look also at these additional verses. Scan your mouse over them for the pop-up. Josh 5:13–15, Psalm 24:8, 45:3, and Col 2:15.

The Lord Initiates War

• He doesn’t just let war happen among men. At times, He causes it.
• Let’s clarify, all war is not of God. A lot of it is selfishness and greed. It’s all about money.
• But in the same vein, all war is not of the devil. Some war is of the Lord. Note the underlined portions of the following verses.

1 Chronicles 5:18–22 (KJV)
18 The sons of Reuben, and the Gadites, and half the tribe of Manasseh, of valiant men, men able to bear buckler and sword, and to shoot with bow, and skilful in war, were four and forty thousand seven hundred and threescore, that went out to the war. 19 And they made war with the Hagarites, with Jetur, and Nephish, and Nodab. 20 And they were helped against them, and the Hagarites were delivered into their hand, and all that were with them: for they cried to God in the battle, and he was intreated of them; because they put their trust in him. 21 And they took away their cattle; of their camels fifty thousand, and of sheep two hundred and fifty thousand, and of asses two thousand, and of men an hundred thousand. 22 For there fell down many slain, because the war was of God. And they dwelt in their steads until the captivity.

Exodus 17:16 (KJV)
16 For he said, Because the LORD hath sworn that the LORD will have war with Amalek from generation to generation.

• One of my favorite references along this line is Judges 3:1–2

Judges 3:1–2 (KJV)
1 Now these are the nations which the LORD left, to prove Israel by them, even as many of Israel as had not known all the wars of Canaan; 2 Only that the generations of the children of Israel might know, to teach them war, at the least such as before knew nothing thereof;

• God purposely left enemy in the land so that Israel might learn war.
• It’s important to know how to fight spiritually. God, at times, leaves enemy behind so you can learn how to win.

Deuteronomy 4:34 (KJV)
³⁴ Or hath God assayed to go and take him a nation from the midst of another nation, by temptations, by signs, and by wonders, and by war, and by a mighty hand, and by a stretched out arm, and by great terrors, according to all that the Lord your God did for you in Egypt before your eyes?

• This verse refers to the Exodus. The Bible says, God brought the children of Israel out of Egypt by war. What war? who was fighting? Israel had no army, they were slaves.
  • It was God who was at war. It was God who was reigning down destruction on Egypt.
  • It was God at war splitting the Red Sea and eliminating the entire enemy army in one blow.
    • It was more than God just doing a miracle and saying, “Hey look at what I can do.” The splitting of the Red Sea was an act of war. It was strategic and it was surgical. And God took his shot, the war was over. The enemy was no more.
• See also these references Psalm 18:34, 144:1–2, and Revelation 12:7–9.

The Lord Gives Instruction for War

Proverbs 24:6 (KJV)
6 For by wise counsel thou shalt make thy war: and in multitude of counsellers there is safety.

• Jesus even gave a parable along this line.

Luke 14:31–33 (KJV)
31 Or what king, going to make war against another king, sitteth not down first, and consulteth whether he be able with ten thousand to meet him that cometh against him with twenty thousand? 32 Or else, while the other is yet a great way off, he sendeth an ambassage, and desireth conditions of peace. 33 So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple. See also these verses; 2 Cor 10:3 and 1 Tim 1:18.

Call to Action:

As you can see there’s plenty of scriptural evidence showing the Throne of God is a strategic place. Be encouraged. If you are facing enemy onslaughts, the Lord, the Most High God, a God of war is on your side. He knows how to deliver you. (2 Peter 2:9).

Question: Do you have a testimony of the Lord coming to your aid and fighting for you? If you do, would you please leave your testimony in the comments section below?

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