How to Enter God's Rest & Peace

Are you struggling to find peace in this modern age? The world offers distractions and destructive "solutions", but they never lead to true peace.

Learn how to come into the secret place with the Lord, why the ancient Israelites could not enter into God's rest, how to become invisible to and untouchable by the enemy, and why unbelief and not trusting in the Lord is one of the most dangerous sins and hindrances to entering God's rest.

How to Enter God's Rest

Entering God's Rest

Jesus said that unless you eat His flesh and drink His blood you will not have life. In this teaching, you will partake of Jesus and allow the Holy Spirit to lead you so that you can be edified by the Spirit.

Fellowship is an important part of our faith. Fellowship is the body of Christ. It allows Jesus to be head over his body and over His Church. Be the Church!

The whole world is chasing after peace. Man's answer is drugs, but God's answer is God's Word, the Holy Spirit, the message of the cross, and Jesus.

Why were the ancient Israelites unable to enter into God's rest?

If we're battling then we need to understand how to enter into that secret place with Christ.

When you enter into God's rest, then you are literally hidden in Christ and the enemy cannot touch you. You will be walking in the fruit of the spirit.

The land of Canaan, the promised land, was a type and foreshadowing of God's rest available in Christ Jesus that was to come. In the book of Hebrews it says "there remains a rest".

David even spoke about it, which was much later than what was recorded in the book of Exodus.

The rest was all pointing to Christ.

You have to abide in Christ.

In that place of abiding there is no anxiety or worry but only thoughts of peace, faith, hope, and love.

In Christ, you are seated next to the Father. Know that everything was accomplished and finished at the cross.

Hebrews 4:1-2 Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it. For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it.

The opposite of rest is unrest.

Some synonyms for unrest include discontent, rebellion, dissatisfaction, anxiety, and fear.

We see an account of God's perfect rest right at the beginning of creation with Adam & Eve in the garden. They were in perfect unity with God and totally in God's provision before sin entered them.

In Genesis, you can recall when Adam & Eve walked in the garden and they had no anxiety or worry.

They were totally covered by God. God was their covering.

They had no knowledge of evil.

Christ was their nature.

In contrast, the Israelites were anxious and fearful.

They were looking back and not looking forward. Obviously, they were not trusting God.

God is a God of restoration. He restores all things.

He is not only restoring all things, but improving things. He is actually making things better.

He uses rebellion and discord to bring about beauty. In Isaiah 61, it says that He brings beauty from ashes.

From the ashes of Adam and Eve's rebellion, He brings in holiness. He brings salvation.

He brings unity. He brings perfection.

God has actually perfected us.

In so doing, He actually uses man to destroy the devil, who is the author of unrest.

The source of unrest is sin and that is all rooted in Satan.

God beat Satan in his own craftiness. God already knew that Satan was going to rebel. God knows everything.

When you look at the world and at creation, things were allowed to veer off track because of God's love.

Whenever love is to rule and reign, it requires choice. God is always bringing about correction, purification, reconciliation and beauty out of corruption.

He loves doing that!

That's the sort of world we live in. God uses things that to us might seem strange and unfair.

But one key insight from studying the carnal mind is that it is a trap to try to work things out with the carnal mind.

You have to learn to trust God. The Bible says as high as the heavens are above the earth, so are His ways higher than your ways.

The carnal mind cannot know God. It is an enemy of God.

The Israelites and believers must deal with the curse of the carnal mind, which is a product of Satan.

God had to deal with that.

The carnal mind can't know the things of God.

Each and everyone of us really has to learn a new way of thinking. When you come into Christ, there is a new way, and a much better way than what existed under the Law of Moses.

The New Covenant is a far better covenant. There has been a transformation.

You are going to work up to that transformation.

In the meantime, you must identify the things that would block and stop you from doing that.

The Old Testament was written from our admonition. That means it was written so that you would not make the same mistakes as ancient Israel.

Sometimes you have to learn in hindsight. When you get older, you look back and say to yourself, "Oh my goodness! I would not make those mistakes again." That's why it is so important to read the Word of God. You can learn from the mistakes of others and say, "Ah! I get it. I'm not going to do that because that's the mistake that they made."

When we learn to enter God's rest, it is like Psalm 91 becomes alive.  You can walk through the valley of the shadow of death and fear no evil. When you are walking like that, regardless of what situation comes up, you will look at that situation and see God's glory in it. Whatever happens, you must focus on God's glory.

The problem with the Israelites is that they did not truly see. Although they'd seen it with their eyes, they did not believe it with their minds and with their heart.

Because of that old Adamic nature, God had to deal with that in mankind.

God must show you that you still have that Adamic nature. If you allow it to rule and reign over you, then you will become a slave to it.

Instead, you must learn to become a slave of righteousness and by becoming an heir, become a son of God.

In order to enter God's rest you must learn to walk by faith.

What is this kind of faith?

Romans 14:23 And he that doubteth is damned if he eat, because he eateth not of faith: for whatsoever is not of faith is sin.

Faith is the key. Faith is not carnally minded.

The carnal mind cannot know faith. The carnal mind is totally ruled by your emotions, and the Adamic soul, which is what you can see, feel, taste, etc. with your natural senses.

The carnal nature says unless it sees something it won't believe it. It's like doubting Thomas who said that unless he saw the holes in Jesus's hands and in his side with his own eyes then he would not believe.

Jesus said that blessed are those who have not seen yet believed.

That is where you get blessed. When you have faith to just believe and to be like a little child, then you will be blessed.

Imagine a little baby asleep in God's hands. That's a peace that passes all understanding. It is also a type and shadow of being like a little child who knows total sufficiency in God. It is totally dependent on God, and without God that little baby would perish.

That's the way you are. Without God's covering you will perish.

There is a way that seems right to man, but it's end is death.

Psalm 95:8 Harden not your heart, as in the provocation, and as in the day of temptation in the wilderness:

Rebellion relates to the word "Meribah". The trial in the wilderness was a testing. Meribah related to quarreling and contention. This rebellion related to an incident that happened at Meribah where there was dissension and quarreling. That pertains to how we defined unrest earlier: discontent, rebellion, dissatisfaction, and protest. It also includes anger, fear, anxiety, worry, and discord.

Psalm 95:9-10 When your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my work. Forty years long was I grieved with this generation, and said, It is a people that do err in their heart, and they have not known my ways:

God knew that he had to deal with the heart of man. Man had a heart of stone. Again, it was the Adamic heart which was corrupted by sin. It was no longer God sufficient but self sufficient.

This heart that you are dealing with is a heart of self, not a heart of Christ. This is why God must give you a new heart.

To truly enter into God's rest, you have to understand the carnal mind.

Everyone has the carnal mind. God's answer to the carnal mind is the Cross. God deals with the carnal mind through the Cross. It's called dying to self and being crucified with Christ.  

Your mind, in that process, has to be transformed through the renewing and washing of the Word. (Romans 12).

God has given you a new heart. He has given you a new, born-again spirit.

Now, God has to train you to trust Him and equip you. You will be able to do this because you are not on your own and now have the nature of Christ in you. So you are now led by His nature through the power of the Holy Spirit.

God has deposited a new way, His way, into you. The fullness of Christ dwells in you bodily.

That is the Holy Spirit in you. He is your teacher. He is your guide. he is your healer and your deliverer.  He is God's and Jesus's power. The dunamis power is in you through the Holy Spirit.

The Father, Jesus, and Holy Spirit are one.

Psalm 95:11  Unto whom I sware in my wrath that they should not enter into my rest.

Those are pretty strong words.

Even today, you do not want to be in a situation where you get in a place where you cannot enter God's rest.

You will soon know it. As soon as you get out of God's rest you know straight away.

One big thing that blinds people to this is pride. People that have pride do not know God's rest. You cannot enter into His rest with pride. With pride you do not have the nature of Christ. You have your own nature.

What is the meaning of Meribah? The rebellion relates to Meribah.

The episode recounted by the Book of Exodus features the Israelites quarreling with Moses about the lack of water, and Moses rebuking the Israelites for testing Yahweh; the text states that it was on this account that the place gained the name Massah, meaning testing, and the name Meribah, meaning quarreling.

When Moses struck the rock, the waters gushed out, which was a type of God's provision.

Hebrews 3:12 Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God.

This is so serious. A heart of unbelief. Many people battle with this and it is evil. You have got to recognize unbelief straight away. It is evil, double-mindedness. The Bible says such a person is unstable in all their ways.

It is a picture of faithlessness.

There is no faith in an evil heart of unbelief. Unbelief is the opposite of faith. To be faithless is to have unbelief.

Strong's #4190 defines evil as: ponērós, (pronounced pon-ay-ros'); from a derivative of G4192; hurtful, i.e. evil (properly, in effect or influence, and thus differing from G2556, which refers rather to essential character, as well as from G4550, which indicates degeneracy from original virtue); figuratively, calamitous; also (passively) ill, i.e. diseased; but especially (morally) culpable, i.e. derelict, vicious, facinorous; neuter (singular) mischief, malice, or (plural) guilt; masculine (singular) the devil, or (plural) sinners:—bad, evil, grievous, harm, lewd, malicious, wicked(-ness).

Neuter means to be de-sexed ad to be made impotent. It really does end you there and there from a future.

Ponērós is actually another word for the devil!

Do you now get the picture of how bad an evil heart of unbelief is?

Do not take unbelief casually. Understand what it really means. Unbelief is an abomination to God.

You can see why God was so angry with Israel about their unbelief. Unbelief put them on the side of the devil.

Hebrews 4:3 For we which have believed do enter into rest, as he said, As I have sworn in my wrath, if they shall enter into my rest: although the works were finished from the foundation of the world.

The Israelites in their rebellion was like an uncooperative dog on a leash. It was as if God had a leash on Israel and was trying to pull them along, but they would not go anywhere. In fact, they wanted to go back, do nothing, and get fed in Egypt.

Hebrews 4:4-5 For he spake in a certain place of the seventh day on this wise, And God did rest the seventh day from all his works. And in this place again, If they shall enter into my rest.

When Jesus came He had a work to do. But everything is finished.

You now enter into that finished work.

As Jesus said on the Cross, "It is finished". You can now enter into God's rest.

Unbelief will stop you from receiving anything from God. Really what you are doing is siding up with the devil.

Unbelief is being carnally minded. Jesus said the carnal mind is enmity with God. That's what the Israelites were operating out of. They were being carnally minded and were not trusting God.

Though the Israelites had the Law of Moses they were unable to receive Jesus because it was not mixed with faith.

God calls this heart of unbelief evil. A heart of unbelief is diseased, grievous, bad, malicious, wickedness, and is the devil. All these words point to destruction. It is extremely wicked. The devil is extremely wicked. He is the whole sum of wickedness and evil.

Unbelief is sin. It is lawlessness. It's rebellion. It's witchcraft. It's stubbornness. It's idolatry.

If you are in that state, for whatever reason, you are literally in evil. You are in with the devil.

You are literally in the devil's shoes.

Paul learned by the Spirit. All the disciples did. That is how we have to be led.

Everyone is learning to walk by the Spirit. To walk in the Spirit is to abide and walk in the promises of God. It is not leaning toward your own understanding but acknowledging the Word in all your ways by faith.

It is abiding in the promises of God. It is not walking with your eyes, ears, and senses. It is actually trusting God and loving God with all your heart, mind, strength, and soul.

It comes back to the first commandment.

If you love God, Jesus said, "If you love me, keep my commandments".

Walking in the Spirit is being totally sold out to Jesus.

What happens with the carnal mind and the flesh is that God quarantines it. Because of the work of the Cross, you are bought by the blood of Jesus. You no longer belong to you. You have been bought and you belong to Jesus now.

You are actually transformed because of Christ's blood. He paid the price and bought you literally.

You are no longer a slave of Satan. You have now become God's kid, a slave unto righteousness.  

God quarantines the carnal mind. The way to relate to that is if you get a virus on your computer, then your antivirus software grabs that virus and puts it in a cache. It can't do anything. It is bound. It can't activate. It can't do anything. It's silenced.

That is what happens with the mind of Christ.

When you are walking in the Spirit, then the mind of Christ overrides the carnal mind. Christ's mind is a greater power. Jesus said that everything is under his feet. Everything comes into submission to Christ, even the demons.

You are under a new law. You are under the Law of Christ now. You are under a better covenant, and now you are led by His Holy Spirit.

Now, you have to learn to rest and trust in God by being led by His Spirit.

That's a whole new way of living. It is not living in self but living in Christ.

That is something that everyone must understand. You must die to self. That is the key!

The key is, "It is no longer I who love, but Christ who lives in me".

If Christ lives in you, then what do you have to worry about?

But do you do that? Do you trust God in everything? Do you believe that He has prepared the way for you? Do you believe that in every situation that you go through it just doesn't matter?

How do you overcome?

By the blood of the Lamb, the word of your testimony, and loving your life not unto death.

It doesn't matter what happens to you. Paul said that he counts all things to be dung other than Christ crucified. He gloried in every tribulation.

Why did he glory in every tribulation?

He knew that God would get the glory in every situation.

If you trust God then He has prepared the way. You will learn from this situation and you will become better.

What does tribulation provide? What is the fruit of tribulation?

Patience.

What Gospel do you have?

Do you have the prosperity Gospel where it's all about "me, myself, and I" getting blessed and having happy feelings?

The Bible says that when we suffer in Christ that it is better for us.

You do not have to suffer all the time. But what actually suffers is your flesh. Your flesh suffers.

God uses suffering to purge you out of the flesh and the Adamic, fleshly, carnal nature.

He is bringing you through experience into trusting Him.

God will answer you to the multitude of your idols.

In order for you to come out of your idolatry, you must first go through the curse. You will be under the dominion of that idol, but God is still under control. He will bring you through it and you will learn a lesson from it.

You will never go back to that place again.

Afterward, your relationship with Christ will become more firm.

Often many blessings come through our tribulations. That is what God does. He brings blessing out of calamity.

Don't complain. If you start complaining then you are entering into the evil heart of unbelief.

Then, you've fallen in with the devil.

You must trust God and have faith that He is going to bring you through your situation.

Your flesh is not going to like it, but spiritually, if you walk in the Spirit, you can have rest. You can peace.

Your flesh may not like that experience. Your carnal mind certainly doesn't like it, but you will have a peace inside of you.

When your flesh pops up again, you can say, "No! I cast that down in the name of Jesus".

You must cast down every thought and imagination that exalts itself above the Word of God.

You will be literally standing on the rock and moving by faith. You will not be looking with your eyes.

You will be looking at the situation like Elijah with his servant. Elijah was not worried. He said, "Lord, open his eyes."

When God opened the servant's eyes, what did he see? He saw the armies of God there.

If you could only see in the Spirit what is really going on, you would go, "Hallelujah! Praise God! What was I worried about?"

God has prepared the way. He has gone before you saying, "Do not fear. I have prepared the way."

What does that say to you?

If God speaks to you about a certain situation, and says to you, "Do not fear. I have prepared the way," then you can respond, "Wow! Praise God. Thank you, Jesus! I am not going to worry. Why do I need to worry?" because you know that God is going to get the glory.

You have to give all the glory to Him.

You must learn to rest in Him.

Christ is seated. He is not standing up. He is seated at the right hand of the Father because it is finished. He said, "It is finished."

So, what are you doing in God's rest?

You're resting from your works and abiding in His finished works.

When you go through tribulation and suffering in whatever way, you've just got to rest in the knowledge that God is going to make you a much better person afterward.

It doesn't matter what happens. Whatever happens it will be for God's glory. God is going to get the glory if you trust in the Lord.

If you don't trust in the Lord, and you have fear and anxiety, then you need to get out of it quickly. You need to get around believers. You need to get in fellowship.

Satan loves to isolate Christians. Satan hates when believers have fellowship with one another.

He wants to isolate you. When Satan can isolate you by causing you to take offense or get you into unbelief or hopelessness, that is when you are very vulnerable to him.

Christ's ministry is a body ministry. As a body, we are entwined with each other as a body as we are entwined with Christ. We are bound together in Christ.

A kingdom divided against itself cannot stand. When Christians attack other ministries, they are dividing the Kingdom against itself so that it cannot stand.

If you have faith, let God be God and don't attack other ministries.

You have to let God be God and start trusting Him.

If something is of God, no one will stop it. But, if it's not of God, then it will fail.

Do not fall for the enemy's trick to isolate you from other believers if that is a situation that you are currently facing.

It doesn't matter where you get fellowship from as long as it is with the true Body of Christ.

Where two or more are gathered, Jesus is in the midst. The Church is a Body made up of many members.

It should not be like a herd of sheep scattered all over a hillside. When the Lord was struck, the sheep were scattered. That's what Satan wants to do. He wants to scatter the sheep.

Where there is unity in the true body (I am not speaking of the ecumenical movement. That is heretical and unbiblical), and the true remnant coming together and operating as a body, that is how God intended for things to work.

We all must learn this.

You will grow more as a Christian when you become involved in being the Church.

Entertainment does not create disciples. Participation creates disciples.

You must step out of fear.

One of the biggest things that stops Christians from entering into God's rest is fear.

When you get tested, one of the first things that comes against you is fear. You will be tested with fear.

But, what has God given you?

He has not given you a spirit of fear, but one of power, love, and a sound mind.

He has given each and every one of us grace.

All you have to do is learn to trust Him.

Learn to trust the Lord. Everyone is on a journey to learn this, and you should consider others greater than yourself.  

Every believer is totally dependent on God. None of us can do anything without God.

Without Christ you are nothing, but in Christ you can do all things.

You are a priest, king, and an ambassador.

If you are not covered by the blood of Jesus, then Satan does have power over you because you are a slave unto sin and unto the devil.

If you are operating in an evil heart of unbelief, then you are a slave of the devil.

Do not expect to receive anything from God.

God is sovereign. He can do whatever He likes. God can do whatever He wants to do.

He has His ways according to His Word.

Do not try to work out God with your own mind. The Bible warns you not to even try.

Simply be as a little child and trust. Jesus said that unless you become like a little child you cannot enter the Kingdom of God.

What do children do?

They do not worry about how much money is in their parent's bank account. They do not worry about how they are going to get clothed the following week. They don't worry about anything because they trust their parents to provide for their needs, whatever they are.

This example applies to children reared by godly parents, not those who have grown up in traumatic circumstances.

Healthy children do not worry about being taken care of. They are totally secure.

You need to have that same mindset.

If you were a child and tried to work things out and started to worry about how much money was in your parent's bank account, that would be ridiculous! There would be nothing that you could do about it!

When Jesus sent out the disciples he told them not to take two tunics. He instructed them to take hardly anything on their journey. He may have done that so that his disciples would have to trust Him as their Father.

He wanted to show them that God had prepared the way.

In my personal testimony, the Lord audibly spoke to me two years after I had become a Christian when I first came to Australia. The first morning after I arrived in Australia, he said,

"Do not fear. I have prepared the way.".

He's only ever done that one time. I've never heard him speak audibly to me since then.

Those words have been a big comfort to me, and I have clung to them throughout the years.

Whatever circumstances arrive, I respond with, "Thank you, Jesus! You have prepared the way as you promised!"

That's exactly what He did for me. As soon as I arrived in Australia, after being here only two days, I walked straight into an absolutely awesome job. It had been posted for six months and the employer could not find the right candidate. They'd even advertised for that position in Sydney.

I walked straight into that job the second day after being in Australia. I am still getting blessed from that job to this day.

God has prepared the way!

But, if you have unbelief then look out!

Everyone must beware of unbelief, murmuring, complaining, and bickering.

In my experience, people do not get deliverance when they operate in these attitudes. If that is what is in your heart, then nothing is going to happen.

The Bible says don't think that a person like that will receive anything from the Lord.

Hebrews 3:12-13 Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God. But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.

Remember, in Hebrews 4 it spoke about entering God's rest.

Exhorting one another pertains to fellowship with other believers. It is really important that we stay together as a Body and have fellowship.

Hebrews 3:14 For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end;

Until the end. You must hang on to the truth until the very end.

Hebrews 3:15-19 While it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation. For some, when they had heard, did provoke: howbeit not all that came out of Egypt by Moses. But with whom was he grieved forty years? was it not with them that had sinned, whose carcases fell in the wilderness? And to whom sware he that they should not enter into his rest, but to them that believed not? So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief.

The rebellion spoken of here relates to Meribah where the people of Israel were bickering and complaining about being thirsty.

An evil heart of unbelief will keep you from entering God's rest.

1 Samuel 15:23 For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the Lord, he hath also rejected thee from being king.

You are a king in the Lord.

You are a priest.

You are an ambassador.

You are a royal priesthood.

However, if you fall into an evil heart of unbelief, then you will become stubborn. You will allow iniquity, idolatry, and rebellion, which is as the sin of witchcraft, into your heart.

What was the sin of Meribah?

Rebellion.

That is as the sin of witchcraft.

The evil heart of unbelief is really, really, really bad.

Exodus 17:1-7 And all the congregation of the children of Israel journeyed from the wilderness of Sin, after their journeys, according to the commandment of the Lord, and pitched in Rephidim: and there was no water for the people to drink. Wherefore the people did chide with Moses, and said, Give us water that we may drink. And Moses said unto them, Why chide ye with me? wherefore do ye tempt the Lord? And the people thirsted there for water; and the people murmured against Moses, and said, Wherefore is this that thou hast brought us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our cattle with thirst? And Moses cried unto the Lord, saying, What shall I do unto this people? they be almost ready to stone me. And the Lord said unto Moses, Go on before the people, and take with thee of the elders of Israel; and thy rod, wherewith thou smotest the river, take in thine hand, and go. Behold, I will stand before thee there upon the rock in Horeb; and thou shalt smite the rock, and there shall come water out of it, that the people may drink. And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel. And he called the name of the place Massah, and Meribah, because of the chiding of the children of Israel, and because they tempted the Lord, saying, Is the Lord among us, or not?

Remember that Massah means testing and Meribah means the rebellion, quarreling, and contentiousness.

This is one of the reasons that we do not want to have quarreling when we come together as a Body.

Deuteronomy 8:2 And thou shalt remember all the way which the Lord thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness, to humble thee, and to prove thee, to know what was in thine heart, whether thou wouldest keep his commandments, or no.

What is in your heart?

Ezekiel spoke of iniquity in the heart. Are there idols in your heart of idolatry?

God's answer to iniquity and idolatry is the Cross.

Horeb means desolate place. It is not pleasing to the flesh at all.

But, if you are in the Spirit, you will not be worried. You will be praising God.

Moses was commanded by God to strike the rick with his rod and water gushed out.

This is a picture of Christ being struck on Calvary.

The water gushing out is a picture of the Holy Spirit being poured out at Pentecost. This is where man was given a new heart, a new identity, be born again, receive the mind of Christ, and be set free from the sinful nature of Adam and the carnal mind.

In this you can see a clear lesson that can prevent you today from entering God's rest.

Not trusting the Lord, complaining, contending, testing the Lord, murmuring, quarreling, complaining, and looking back to Egypt.

Looking back to Egypt refers to looking back in our own lives.

Exodus 17 shows us Moses striking the rock and water gushing out.

Who is the rock?

Christ.

What comes out of Christ?

The water.

When he was crucified water gushed out of Him. When the blood and the water came out of Him, the veil was ripped from top to bottom. The veil, representing Christ's flesh, was split wide open. Then man could enter freely and boldly into the throne room of grace.

This is all a type and shadow.

Imagine if Israel had eyes to see what was going to be fulfilled through Christ Jesus?

If they had eyes to see what the water rushing out of the rock of Mt. Horeb represented, they would have understood that it foreshadowed the Holy Spirit being poured out at Pentecost.

It is awe-inspiring!

God's ways are not your ways. You must learn this.

God's glory was being poured out.

Israel did not have eyes to see. They had eyes of the flesh and of the Adamic, sinful nature.

They did not have faith.

Jesus is the rock.

John 7:37  In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink.

If you drink the waters that Jesus gives you then you will never thirst.

Exodus 17:8-16 Then came Amalek, and fought with Israel in Rephidim. And Moses said unto Joshua, Choose us out men, and go out, fight with Amalek: to morrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the rod of God in mine hand. So Joshua did as Moses had said to him, and fought with Amalek: and Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill. And it came to pass, when Moses held up his hand, that Israel prevailed: and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed. But Moses hands were heavy; and they took a stone, and put it under him, and he sat thereon; and Aaron and Hur stayed up his hands, the one on the one side, and the other on the other side; and his hands were steady until the going down of the sun. And Joshua discomfited Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword. And the Lord said unto Moses, Write this for a memorial in a book, and rehearse it in the ears of Joshua: for I will utterly put out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven. And Moses built an altar, and called the name of it Jehovahnissi: For he said, Because the Lord hath sworn that the Lord will have war with Amalek from generation to generation.

This passage deals with the flesh.

One thing that we are all born with is this flesh.

You have to learn to overcome it. It is a battle. Your flesh and your spirit war against each other.

The spirit wars against the flesh and the mind of Christ wars against the carnal mind.

But guess who has the victory?

The mind of Christ has the victory because everything is finished.

Everything is under Christ and under His feet.

Where are you seated?

In Christ!

If you're resting in Christ then everything is under your feet!

It's not because of anything you did but because of what Jesus has already done.

There is such an awesome revelation in this passage of scripture in Exodus that relates beautifully to the flesh wrestling against the spirit.

The name Joshua means Jehovah is salvation.

As a servant of Moses, he fought against Amalek in Rephidim.

It is very important to understand that Amalek were the descendants of Esau.

Esau represents the flesh. He sold out his birthright for a bowl of porridge.

In the Bible God said, "Esau I have hated but Jacob I have loved".

Amalek is a type of the flesh, which represents the evil, Adamic nature of Adam in Man.

The Amalekites represent the flesh.

In this passage in Exodus, you can see a picture of Moses's hands being held up in prayer and intercession, depending upon God.

Notice that Moses was seated on a rock.

Who is the rock?

Christ!

He was seated on the rock. His foundation was Christ.

He had his hands being held up and lifted up in prayer.

But, when his hands sagged down, then Amalek got the advantage in the battle.

The flesh came in and got the advantage.

The carnal mind came in. the Adamic sinful nature came in.

You can see here a type of shadow of the spiritual life. After the Spirit is given at conversion, the flesh (represented as Amalek) fights against the spirit.

This is a war that is going on right now for your whole life.

Prayer and the Word overcome Amalek, which is the flesh and the carnal mind.

With lifted hands, Moses points to the Lord's banner above him and declares the victory over the flesh and the inherited nature of Man.

God promised to utterly destroy and blot out all remembrance of Amalek.

Amalek is the flesh. God is going to defeat the flesh.

When all things pass away, love will never pass away.

In Christ's Kingdom when all things have been fulfilled, Amalek will be blotted out.

Every single believer is going through a testing with their flesh.

You have to understand that you are in a war.

But, guess what?

You've got the victory!

You've got to keep your hands up.

You see Aaron and Hur on top of the hill holding up Moses's hands.

This is how important fellowship is.

Church does not center around one person. That's why God hates the Nicolaitan doctrine., where one person is in charge.

That is not God's way. God is in charge, not Man.

When you have fellowship of the saints, they can work together as a Body.

Moses seated upon the Rock, upon the Word, upon Christ with his hands lifted up in prayer and intercession points to the banner of the Lord, faith, and the mind of Christ.

Remember when his hands sagged, the flesh took precedence.

This is the battle you have with your carnal mind.

You must crucify your carnal mind and the flesh in Christ.

Then you will have victory over the flesh.

Through Christ crucified, you take up your cross daily and follow Him.

You have the victory through prayer, through faith, upholding God's Word, and through intercession.

By trusting in the Lord with hands lifted high you enter in through His gates with praise.

When you enter into God's presence as well as His promises, then you will have the victory.