Laying The Axe To The Root Part 2
In the first part of this post we read about king Joash and the advice of Elisha to him on how to root out the enemies of Israel (2 Kings 13:17-19). In this concluding part of the post, we shall be looking at six important strategies to learn from the advice that will help us deal with the root causes of negative behaviors in our lives.
Win first in the secret chamber. What happened between Elisha and King Joash in the secret chamber determined the outcome of the battle with Syria. It is what happens in the “secret chamber” with the Lord that determines the effectiveness of your spiritual life.
Use the Sword of the Spirit. Elisha told King Joash, “Take up the bow and arrows.” The Apostle Paul said, “Take the sword of the Spirit.” It is the Sword of the Spirit–which is God’s Word–that makes you truly Christian.
Put your hands on the weapon. Elisha told the king to put his hands upon the bow, then Elisha laid his hands upon the king’s hands. The biblical strategy is your hand upon the weapon of God’s Word and His hand will be on yours.
Open the window. Israel’s foe was to the east, so Elisha told the king to open the window eastward. God wants you to open up the “windows” of every area of your life to enable you to confront the failures, problems, and bondages caused by the enemy. Open the windows towards the enemy and prepare to attack every issue with the Word of God!
Shoot. Elisha told the king, “Shoot,” and the king shot. The open window towards the enemy is not enough. The weapon in your hand is not sufficient. Even God’s hand upon your hand will not win the battle. You must follow the command of the Lord of Hosts to “Shoot!” As you speak the prophetic, powerful, and apply the specific Word of God to your life, you will execute preemptive strikes against the work of the enemy in your live. And God’s Word does not return void. It accomplishes its supernatural purposes (Isaiah 55:11).
Persevere to the root of the issue. Elisha told the king to take the arrows and hit them on the ground as a symbol of his victory over Syria. The king did this, but only struck the ground three times and then stopped. Elisha told him that because he limited God by hitting the ground only three times, his military victory would be limited. Elisha said the Lord wanted the enemy to be totally consumed. By striking the ground only three times, the king settled for partial victory.
The Lord’s objective for you is total victory in every area of life. You must attack the root causes of problems and battle spiritually until you have achieved 100% victory.
It is vital that you persevere to discover the root cause of every problem. For example, the root cause is not drug addiction; it is what is fueling the drug addiction. The root cause is not immorality; it is the lust resulting in the immoral behavior.
The Bible commands us to diligently seek and destroy the roots of sinful behavior:
Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled. (Hebrews 12:15)
If the root causes of problems are not dealt with, then problems will only intensify. When Israel invaded the Promised Land, God told them not to allow any of the enemy to remain. But the Bible records that Joshua spared giants in three cities: Gaza, Ashdod, and Gath (Joshua 11:21‑22). Later, the Bible relates that Samson got in trouble in Gaza (Joshua 16); the ark of God’s glory was lost in Ashdod (1 Samuel 4-5); and Goliath paralyzed the troops of Israel in Gath (1 Samuel 17). None of these tragedies would have occurred, had not the giants been left in the land. Israel left a root, and it bore fruit. Giants beget giants in both the natural and spiritual worlds. Eliminate the spiritual giants of sin and they will no longer reproduce.
Shalom!
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