A month ago I was just leaving a friend’s 18th birthday when a gang decided to gatecrash. I was walking out the gate as a bunch of 8-10 guys entered. Looking behind me down the path I noticed several were hiding poles and wooden stakes. Immediately suspicious and concerned about their intentions I followed them down the back. But as soon as I arrived I witnessed one of the guys start laying into another with his fists and some other kind of weapon. Fearing an all-out brawl I just ran, escaping to the street to call for help and warning my other friends to move away. There was definitely a level of panic and fear that fuelled my reaction.
In that case, the fear probably worked for my safety – but sometimes fear can be just paralysing. [Question to Group] Can anyone share an example of when they felt surrounded or outnumbered? Either by people, or just a problem that seemed so difficult to handle.
…
Life sometimes just throws us situations that we can’t control, and we just sit there feeling trapped.
I love the scene in the Matrix: Revolutions where Trinity, Morpheus and Seraph enter a building to find the Merovingian. They force their way in despite being hopelessly outnumbered by henchmen. I love the picture of them hunched together, back to back, confidently ready to take on anyone in their way.
Even when it’s not people physically surrounding you, other things come to stand in your path leaving you feeling inadequate, powerless, helpless. Sometimes the enemy just seems to keep winning and you become so discouraged that you’re unable to win against them.
The prophet Elisha was massively outnumbered, surrounded by an entire army. Yet he wasn’t afraid,
and actually prevented a fight. Checkout what happens…Passage
Turn to 2 Kings 6:8. [Read verses 8 to 23]
What an amazing story. Here the king gets ticked off because a prophet knows all his moves before he does them, so he takes a large force there with horses and chariots and surrounds the town so that he can’t escape. The servant wakes up in the morning and starts freaking out because they’re about to be attacked, however Elisha already knows all the king’s moves and he doesn’t hold any fear.[1]
[Question for Group] Somebody tell me why Elisha wasn’t afraid.
(Maybe he’d read Psalm 3:6… “I am not afraid of the thousands of enemies who surround me on every side.”)[2]
Why? Because he could see into the spiritual realm and knew who had the greater power. Underline verse 16… Elisha says “Don’t be afraid; we have more on our side than on theirs.” The servant would have spent a lot of time living with Elisha but still didn’t comprehend …
As God opened his eyes, he was able to see the forces of the unseen spiritual world that were on his side.
Sometimes we feel like we’re the minority fighting against overwhelming odds, yet Elisha speaks to us, even today: “Don’t be afraid; because we have more on our side than on theirs.” The army of God spectacularly dwarfs the size and strength of any human contingent, as well the demonic powers out to deter us.
Although it doesn’t often surface in our western society, the spiritual realm is very real (maybe even more real than our world). Let’s look at another passage:
Daniel 10 [read it]
The battle in the passage actually seemed to prevent the angel from doing his work and delayed the answer to Daniel’s prayer. He didn’t know the answer was already on its way so he faithfully kept praying.
There is an intense spiritual battle occurring; but sometimes it only surfaces in the physical world in ways that seem natural: tiredness, busyness, laziness, apathy, discouragement, depression, fear, anger. And the more intimacy and obedience in your relationship with God, the bigger target you are for attack.
[Question] Can anyone offer some examples of situations where we might benefit from seeing God’s perspective – seeing who’s really on our side?
…
When you’re making a stand for truth on your own…
When there’s pressure to join in with alcohol and drugs…
When there’s ridicule and persecution because of following Jesus…
When you’re tired and discouraged…
When you feel like you’ve failed…
I believe that we can develop our hearing to be in tune with God’s voice as he prompts us to say and do things, and speaks encouragement and insight into our situations.[3]
Application[Question] How do you think we actually see into the spiritual realm?
Sometimes in exceptional circumstances, God may actually show the spirit realm to us with our eyes, or through a dream or vision (how amazing would that be? And pretty scary I’d imagine.)
But I think most of the time God reveals spiritual things through us listening to him (prayer, reading the word) and also through people we interact with. People with gifts of prophecy, intercession and discernment often have a greater sensitivity to the spiritual realm.[4]
[Question] Have any of you had an experience when you were given insight into the spirit realm directly or through someone else?
What do you think about those gifts I mentioned? Do you or anyone you know have those gifts and practice them?
Wouldn’t it be an amazing encouragement if our entire group kept a lookout for one another, not just in physically, but in the spiritual realm too – by praying[5], and asking God to open the eyes of whoever is feeling a bit fearful or discouraged or outnumbered.
This coming week and month, I want you to keep Elisha’s story in mind, (perhaps read it a couple more times) and next time something comes up that seems difficult, unsurmountable, or discouraging, immediately stop and seek God for his perspective.
Ask him two questions:
- God what is really going on that I’m not seeing?
- What should I do to respond?
May we learn to be a force marked by “supernatural sight”, seeing our circumstances from God’s perspective and responding boldly because of that. Elisha’s a man who demonstrated amazing power and miracles and I think we’re in need of that edge again today.
Let’s pray for God to open our eyes and speak to us, and we’ll spend a little time just watching & listening…
Bibliography
Matthew Henry, Matthew Henry’s Commentary on the whole Bible, Bible e-Sword Electronic Version (1662 - 1714)
Joel Silver, The Wachowski brothers, The Matrix: Reloaded (Warner Bros., Village Roadshow, 2003)
Footnotes
[1] Matthew Henry’sCommentary on the whole Bible
[2] Ibid.
[3] “Don't worry about anything, but pray about everything. With thankful hearts offer up your prayers and requests to God. Then, because you belong to Christ Jesus, God will bless you with peace that no one can completely understand. And this peace will control the way you think and feel.”
(Phi 4:6-7 CEV)
[4] It could also be helpful to look here at some encounters with New Testament prophets in the book of Acts as an example of how they ministered.
[5] Matthew Henry’s Commentary on the whole Bible
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