Are You Prepared for War?
Author Dawn Wilson
www.dawnwilsonministries.org
First let's look at Gideon and the soldiers who were assembled to go into war with him.
Judges 7:1-2 Then Jerubbaal (that is, Gideon) and all the people who were with him, rose
early and camped beside the spring of Harod; and the camp of Midian was on the north side
of them by the hill of Moreh in the valley. 2 And the LORD said to Gideon, "The people who
are with you are too many for Me to give Midian into their hands, lest Israel become boastful,
saying, 'My own power has delivered me.'
God told Gideon that there were too many soldiers assembled for this battle against Midian.
God did not want Israel to be able to think that they had been delivered by their own hand, by
their own strength, or by their own power and might. He wanted Israel to know that they had
been delivered only by the hand of the Lord. God wanted no flesh to be able to glory in the
victory!! All the glory for the victory of this battle was to be to Him. All the glory belonged to
God and God alone.
Judges 7:3 "Now therefore come, proclaim in the hearing of the people, saying, 'Whoever is
afraid and trembling, let him return and depart from Mount Gilead.'" So 22,000 people
returned, but 10,000 remained.
God first removed from this army “bragging rights.” He removed from them the ability to say,
“We were strong and we did this great feat.” God then removed from this army all who were
afraid and trembling. 10,000 soldiers remained to go into battle against Midian.
Judges 7:4 Then the LORD said to Gideon, "The people are still too many; bring them down
to the water and I will test them for you there. Therefore it shall be that he of whom I say to
you, 'This one shall go with you,' he shall go with you; but everyone of whom I say to you,
'This one shall not go with you,' he shall not go."
God brought this army of 10,000 soldiers down to the water to test them. The word for test
(try in the KJV) in the Greek means to refine, to purge away, to try. God was saying that He
would purge this army for Gideon. God, Himself, would hand pick the soldiers who would go
up into this battle with Gideon. God in this test is looking to see who is prepared for warfare!!
Judges 7:5-6 So he brought the people down to the water. And the LORD said to Gideon,
"You shall separate everyone who laps the water with his tongue, as a dog laps, as well as
everyone who kneels to drink." 6. Now the number of those who lapped, putting their hand to
their mouth, was 300 men; but all the rest of the people knelled to drink water.
Why did God purge out the soldiers who knelled to drink? What was different about the one
who knelled and the one who lapped his water like a dog?
The one who lapped the water like a dog was a soldier who DID NOT lay down his sword or
his shield to drink. He brought the water up to his mouth while keeping his eyes focused and
aware of possible attack from the enemy. This soldier was prepared for warfare at all times.
The one who knelled to drink laid aside his sword and his shield. He got down on his knees
and put his face to the water. This left him open to the attack of the enemy. This soldier was
not prepared for war.
We must be as these 300 warriors, ready for warfare at all times!!!
Have you laid aside your sword and shield thinking you are in a safe place, that there is so
battle here? Have you laid aside your sword and shield thinking this is not a time of battle?
Do you think you are in a time of peace? If so, then you must pick up your weapons of
warfare and become ready for war. The enemy is seeking for whom he may devour. He is
looking for the one who is open for attack. Do not allow yourself to be open to his attack.
Pick up your sword and your shield. Be on guard, be on watch at all times. Be prepared for
war at all times.
The soldiers God selected to go with him Gideon were prepared to go into battle. They were
prepared to make war.
We will look at the battlefield and being prepared to war.
Among those who "look" to be prepared for war are those who are in “false fatigue.” They
"look" like soldiers, they "look" like they are prepared for war but as soon as the battle starts
they go AWOL. They flee from the battlefield and the war.
2 Samuel 23:9 and after him was Eleazar the son of Dodo the Ahohite, one of the three
mighty men with David when they defied the Philistines who were gathered there to battle and
the men of Israel had withdrawn.
Three mighty men had joined with King David to defy the army of the Philistines. The army of
the Philistines “were gathered there to battle.” This scripture tells us the Philistines hadn't
come out and gathered to play "nicey nicey" with Israel. The Philistines were gathered to
make war against the people of the Living God.
When the three mighty men and King David assembled to go onto that battlefield to wage war
against the Philistines those who were in the “false fatigues”, those who only 'look" like they
were soldiers who were prepared for war went AWOL. This scripture says the men of Israel
had withdrawn. They had fled from the battlefield.
These in the “false fatigues” had stepped onto the battlefield with the three mighty men and
King David. In the face of the enemy and the battle ahead they fled. This scripture says the
men of Israel withdrew. TO WITHDRAW YOU MUST HAVE FIRST BEEN ON THE
BATTLEFIELD. You can not withdraw from something without first being a part of it. These
men withdrew from the battlefield. They were in “false fatigues” looking like they were
prepared for war but were not. THESE MEN OF ISRAEL WANTED SOMEONE ELSE TO
FIGHT THEIR BATTLE. They wanted the mighty men to fight this battle.
How does this apply to us? It applies to us every time we WITHDRAW from the battlefield
because we think "they don't need me", "they don't need my help", or "they can take care of
this themselves.” We often withdraw from the battlefield because we have believed the lie of
the enemy that we are not needed to warfare alongside of the mighty men. This is a lie of the
enemy to defeat the army of God. You are called by God to be a warrior who is prepared for
war. Do not withdraw from the battlefield.
This applies to us every time we WITHDRAW so that WE WON'T TAKE A BLOW!!! It applies
every time we say in our hearts, "I'll let the mighty men make a stand against the enemy and
let them take the blows for that stand." We step back (withdraw) so that the mighty men can
take the blow!!!
We must not withdraw from the battlefield. We must be soldiers who are prepared to go to
war and accomplish war on the battlefield. We must not be in “false fatigues.” We must not
be of those who “talk the talk” but do not “walk the walk.”
2 Samuel 23:10 He arose and struck the Philistines until his hand was weary and clung to
the sword, and the LORD brought about a great victory that day; and the people returned after
him only to strip the slain.
These same men of Israe who had withdrawn from the battle and left the battlefield COME
OUT AFTER THE VICTORY IS WON TO STRIP THE SLAIN. This scripture said they
RETURNED. Returned means these are the same ones who had withdrawn. Now here they
come out to celebrate the victory after it has been won by the mighty men!!! They come out to
take part in the victory by stripping the slain!! These, who had no part of the battle, now come
out to take part of the victory celebration. They were unwilling to take a blow but they are so
very willing to come celebrate, to come and receive the plunder after the victory is won.
I want you to see after the victory has been won by the mighty men these that had withdrawn
from battle now come out on the battlefield rejoicing and shouting the victory shout. I want
you to hear them yelling, "We knew we would win the battle." "We were with you all along."
"Didn't you hear us cheering you from the sidelines" THIS WAS NOT A FOOTBALL GAME!!!
They were not needed for cheering the mighty men on—they were needed to fight alongside
the mighty men on the battlefield. You have not been called to be cheerleaders. You have
been called to be warriors.
These run out on to the battlefield shouting for the victory and rejoicing over the victory.
These never stop and notice the mighty men that are laying on the ground bleeding from the
blows they have taken. They run right past these mighty men. They do not stop to help the
wounded get up from the ground, they do not stop to give first aid to the warriors wounds. No,
they run to plunder the slain.
1 Cor 14:8 For if the bugle produces an indistinct sound, who will prepare himself for battle?
God is blowing a clear trumpet sound which is calling us to war. Do you hear the trumpet
sound of God calling you to war? Will you prepare yourself to be a warrior? Will you prepare
yourself for battle?
God is sounding a War Cry for His Warriors to pick up their weapons. It is time to fight.
God is sounding a WAR CRY calling for His WARRIORS to come forth and accomplish
warfare.
Author: Dawn Wilson
Please Be Advised that all sermons and writing by Dawn Wilson of Dawn Wilson
Ministry is protected under the U.S. Government Copy Right Laws.