The devil is on the limits of retardation! He is so spiritually dead that he can only work in the realm of the flesh. His aim is to bind you with fear and keep you sweating with worry all the days of your life. That's why the devil tries to get you to believe his lies instead of the Word of God.

His tactics are old and weak, but your weapons are mighty through God for the pulling down of strongholds. All you have to do is put on the armor of God, stand on the Word and never let him see you sweat.

I love to surprise the devil and mess up his plans for my defeat. I can't help it, I'm possessed! I am possessed with a Holy Spirit, so powerful that it keeps me at peace in the midst of strong opposition.

Jonathan, son of King Saul, was the same way. He was possessed to wage war on the enemies of God. He didn't care how many were against him or how invincible the enemy appeared to be. He was a man who was totally possessed with victory at any cost.

First Samuel 13 tells us how the army of Israel was greatly outnumbered by the Philistines who were camped at Michmash. The Hebrews were so terrified that they were literally trembling in fear as they scattered in every direction from the army of the Philistines, and hid themselves in caves, in thickets, in cliffs, in cellars and in pits (v. 6).

And then 1 Samuel 14 says:

Jonathan said to the young man that bare his armour, Come, and let us go over unto the garrison of these uncircumcised: it may be that the Lord will work for us: for there is no restraint to the Lord to save by many or by few.

And his armour-bearer said unto him, Do all that is in thine heart: turn thee; behold, I am with thee according to thy heart.
(vv. 6-7)

Jonathan was possessed with the idea of attacking the Philistines. It didn't make a lick of difference how many were against him or how difficult the path—he never let them see him sweat. He had hope, faith, inspiration and daring effort as he climbed over sharp rocks to the garrison of the Philistines.

When they saw Jonathan and his armor-bearer, they said, Behold, the Hebrews come forth out of the holes where they had hid themselves.

And the men of the garrison answered Jonathan and his armour-bearer, and said, Come up to us, and we will shew you a thing. And Jonathan said unto his armour-bearer, Come up after me: for the Lord hath delivered them into the hand of Israel.

And Jonathan climbed up upon his hands and upon his feet, and his armour-bearer after him: and they fell before Jonathan; and his armour-bearer slew after him.

And that first slaughter, which Jonathan and his armour-bearer made, was about 20 men, within as it were an half acre of land, which a yoke of oxen might plow.

And there was trembling in the host, in the field, and among all the people: the garrison, and the spoilers, they also trembled, and the earth quaked: so it was a very great trembling.

And the watchmen of Saul in Gibeah of Benjamin looked; and, behold, the multitude melted away, and they went on beating down one another.
(1 Sam. 14:11-16)

Victory was won because someone had hope that God would fight their battle and faith that He was not restrained to save by many or by few.

Hope starts out first, and faith finishes the course.

In order to win, we need to have a blueprint, a plan. Ideas grow in power over us when we nourish them, brood over our thoughts and purpose by the aid of the Spirit of God. Never be faithless to any conviction given to you by God.

Jonathan's conviction was so strong that it possessed him. He knew that it wasn't his project to be carried out; it was the Lord's cause to be advanced.

Inspiration shields the faithful and works the wonders of redemption. The life of a true man or woman of God is crowded with evidence of divine inspiration. Jonathan became inspired when he realized that he was dealing with uncircumcised people who didn't have a covenant with God. The only thing they had was their own physical strength, but he had a covenant with Jehovah that could not be broken.

Jonathan's defeat of the Philistines was theatrical. Hope and faith worked to produce strong inspiration which convinced his armor-bearer to follow him in the Lord's cause.

Daring effort is a must, even if it means great risk.

God gives us strength according to our requirements. Though the might is God's, the daring, will and effort are ours.

Jonathan knew the might was the Lord's. Therefore, it didn't matter to him if he had to fight two or 2000. However, nothing would have happened until Jonathan's will lined up with God's will. He had to link daring effort with his faith-filled words before victory could be realized.

We must stand up and exercise daring effort to be a part of the great harvest that is before us. Revival will not come easily, for it is a campaign waged against the world, the flesh and the devil. Abortion clinics scream at revival. Bar rooms and honky tonks scream at revival. Prostitution houses scream at revival. Crime, drugs and booze scream at revival.

The need for revival is great, but our God is not restrained to save by many or by few. You can kick out any evil in the area around you, because greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world.

It will take hope, faith, inspiration and daring effort, but true revival will come. Its influences will be felt all across our land. Jesus is coming for a church without spot or wrinkle, full of faith and power.

Source: The Ministry of Cheerfulness by Jesse Duplantis
Excerpt permission granted by Harrison House Publishers