FAITH BELIEVES in the face of RETURNING ATTACKS

FAITH BELIEVES in the face of RETURNING ATTACKS

By Harold Horton

Counter attacks are an established procedure in warfare. Everybody

acknowledges this. Yet many who have been healed by the Lord are

shocked and sometimes shattered when the spiritual foe counter attacks their bodies with the

old ailment. When the United Nations forces have gained some ground by determined

attacks, the enemy organizes a fierce counter attack in his endeavour to recover lost ground.

So it is in spiritual warfare. When we are healed by the Lord, we must not suppose that this

is the end of the conflict. The enemy may still bitterly seek to sweep us back into the old

defeat and despair. His wiles are subtle and his methods treacherous. Have you been healed

magnificently by the living Jesus, through the prayers of the saints and the gifts of the

Spirit? This is glorious victory.

But have you been fiercely counter-attacked since, and has the old disease seemed once

more to have fastened itself upon you with merciless hold? All is well if you will keep your

Faith operative. The same faith through which you were delivered will keep you delivered,

or repeat your deliverance if you have fallen before the strategy of the enemy. ONLY

BELIEVE - is still the unfailing principle of glorious victory. Cheer yourself in every attack,

by the Word of God.

Enemy counter attacks are a prominent part of revelation in God's Word. Though David in

his youth valiantly overcame Goliath, the boastful Gittite of Gath and all his mighty horde,

he fought this same malignant foe all through his long life; but he was triumphant in every

fierce conflict. Never was he defeated while he was faithfully serving the Lord and believing

His Word. In 1 Sam. 47:50,51 we read that "David prevailed over the Philistine . . . and

smote the Philistine and slew him." "And when the Philistines saw their champion was dead,

they fled." Victory through Faith! Yet later in David's history we read that "moreover the

Philistines had yet war again with Israel." And "there was yet a battle with the Philistines at

Gob." "And there was again a battle in Gob with the Philistines." "And there was yet a battle

in Gath. But in all these bitter attacks David was mightily victorious! He was a man of Faith

- and continued Faith.

THE PHILISTINES WILL DEFEAT YOU IF YOU WILL LET THEM.

But they and their boastful leader are already defeated if you will determine by grace to

stand in that victory. The battleground is often your body. But all the enemies of your body

are defeated long ago and their captain overcome by one greater than David, on the cross of

Calvary. There He won, for us a permanent victory. The enemy will again impudently lift

his defeated head if you will give him any leeway. But the Word assures you that Christ has

given you "power over all the power of the enemy." "Nothing shall by any means hurt you”

if you will stand in Calvary's victory. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Do not

parley with him when he meets you. Do not fence with him. He will disarm you with a swift

stroke and leave you defeated. Resist him, and he will give up the fight and leave you victorious on the field. In later life David learned a new way to deal with his enemies. He no

longer fought them – he ran through troops. He ignored them. He would not even recognise

their presence. When he came to a seemingly insurmountable barrier, a towering wall of

opposition, he did not seek for human means to overcome it. He leapt over walls - and ran

through troops. The fight is won long ago at Calvary. The counter attacks are also all won

long ago by the same Mighty Victor. Stand in victory. Not the subtlest foe nor the bitterest

attack can withstand FAITH in that finished work.

The land of Canaan belonged to the people of the Lord before they entered it. Enter now

your Promised Land of deliverance and health and victory. The' enemy in Canaan was

defeated before the people of the Lord encountered them. They had not even to fight them.

They were to sweep them out triumphantly before them. If the enemy failed to withdraw

before the triumphant tread of the Israelites, it was either through fear or sin. The Land was

theirs. All they had to do was to claim it and set their feet on it. The land of Health and

Victory is yours NOW. All you have to do is to claim it in the face of every challenge. Set

your feet on it and make it yours. It is yours in any case. Why not MAKE it yours by FAITH

NOW! This Minute! Faith is the Victory. Faith goes on believing in spite of every returning

attack. Your sins are gone at Calvary's cross. They do not come back on you, though you

may be strongly tempted to accept them once more, Resist them. Your sicknesses are also

gone at Calvary. "By His stripes you were healed." Your sicknesses do not come back any

more than your sins. But the enemy will tempt you to believe they are back again. Stand in

victorious FAITH. The enemy cannot withstand that. He will have to flee before your

triumphant Faith and leave you victor on the field. Resist NOW, though the fight may be

fierce. You are confronting a defeated foe. His power is stripped by the Victor - Jesus. But

he will terrorize you still if you will submit to him.

Once more consider the inspired analogy of David's victory over all the power of the

Philistines. David entered his public ministry by overcoming one mighty giant - in the Name

of Jehovah. Of him we read that "the staff of his spear was like a weaver's beam." 1 Sam.

17:7. At the end of his life David was confronted with four terrifying giants (1 Chron. 20:4-

8). As one of these terrible monsters advanced towards him, David must have shaken with

fear (2 Sam. 21:15-17). "Goliath!" his heart exclaimed. "Goliath again! The same towering

frame. The same boastful imprecations. The same gritted teeth. The same roaring threats.

The same resounding strides - Yes - the same terrible spear" – for we read of him - "Whose

spear staff was like a weaver’s beam.” 1 Chron. 20:5. No wonder David was filled with fear.

Did a doubt fill his heart as to whether Goliath was really dead? "Surely (David might have

inwardly reasoned) - surely I slew him many years ago by Faith in Jehovah! I severed his

head with his own helpless sword and carried it in triumph to King Saul. Yet There he

stands; before me in all his terrifying arrogance. Tbe same glaring eyes. The same poised

weapon. Was I deceived when I thought I slew him? Has be risen by satanic miracle from

the dead?" No wonder fear gripped his heart at this terrifying apparition. But now read in the

Word: "And there was war again with the Philistines; and Elhanan ... slew Lahmi The

brother of Goliath the Gittite, whose spear staff was like a weaver's beam!" Not Goliath -

but his brother! The same family likeness! The same diabolic resemblance; the same

satanic grimaces and gesticulations. But not Goliath. Lahmi! "He fell by the hand of David

and by the hands of his servants." Thank God there are still pebbles in the brook. The same

promises that slew Goliath long ago slay his brother now.

Are you threatened by the same affliction that the Lord healed long ago. The same swellings,

the same pains, the identical symptoms? Fear not. It is not Goliath. He is dead long ago. It is

Lahmi, his evil brother. Hurl the victorious pebble now - the Name of Jesus. The same Faith

that slew Goliath will slay all his evil brood. This counter attack is not the former disease

come back. It is a simulated sham to terrify you into defeat. Do not accept it. Stand in

victory. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Take no notice of the attacks. Run

through troops. Leap over walls. Place a promise in the sling of FAITH now, and bury it

deep the head of the giant that confronts you. You are the victor in the fight.

Faith must be tested. BUT THE TEST IS NOT DEFEAT. It is designed to lead to

triumphant victory. I prayed once for a broken man - dying of "disseminated sclerosis of the

spine" (horrifying words!). He was dying of a creeping paralysis. He was in mortal agony.

He was already dead from his feet to his bowels, He had spent thousands of dollars on

doctors and specialists, but was worse than ever in spite of all ... His legs and feet now were

so dead that you could push hat pins into them and he would feel nothing. The death had

reached his bowels and bladder, and be could not relieve himself either way. As he tried to

do so his agonizing screams were heard a block away. I instructed him in faith. I prayed for

him. I took his hand, and with brave but shaky faith he arose at my invitation. He started off

by himself, the first time in many months - walking - unsteadily, but walking. He uttered the

Name of Jesus at every step. His wife came weeping up to assist him. I said "No. Leave him

to Jesus." He went, unaided up and down the stairs, on Jesus at every step. He went into the

garden, and before the terrified neighbours stumbled in his unsteady gait, shouting "Jesus” at

every step. I left him walking - improving all the time. In a week or so I went to see him

again. He was back in bed, The doctors told him he was mad to try to walk. He was dying.

His relatives agreed. He succumbed to friends suggestions and went to bed - to die. I prayed

for him again. The brave man got up once more shouting "Jesus" at every step. In a few -

weeks he was perfectly healed. Strong legs, new internal organs, operating normally.

Are you suffering new attacks of the enemy? It is not Goliath. It Lahmi! It is not the old

disease. It is an imitated one with a family likeness. Resist it. The Promise hurled in faith

will defeat every returning attack of the bitter foe. Rise NOW in victory. The same Jesus

who healed you long ago heals you now in this new and heavy attack. NOW! Faith goes on

believing in the face of every returning attack. Faith is the victory!