Defeating the Midianites in Your Life

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Introduction: Every Christian will have to fight their own Midianites at some point in their life. Consider the Midianites:

• A Totally Intimidating Foe – 135,000 soldiers (Judges 8:10)
• An Entrenched Foe – Having ruled for 7 years (Judges 6:1)
• An Unsettling Foe – Chasing them to dens, etc. (Judges 6:2)
• A Consuming Foe – Leaving no sustenance (Judges 6:3-5)
• A Prayer-inducing Foe – Israel cried to the Lord (Judges 6:5-6)

So now, you have been beaten up by this foe and have cried to the Lord for deliverance. The Lord promises to help you. But what do you do? How do you face such a great enemy? Let Gideon show you the way.

I.                   REPLACE YOUR FEAR WITH FAITH (7:2-3)

A.   Faith Keeps You From Fighting the Battle

1.                 Fear freezes you up and keeps you from taking action

2.                 God does not give you the spirit of fear (2Timothy 1:7)

B.   Faith is Required for Salvation (Romans 10:8-10)

C.   Faith is Necessary in Order to Please God (Hebrews 11:6)

II.                REPLACE YOUR CARELESSNESS WITH VIGILANCE (7:4-5)

A.   The Careless Inhabitants of Laish (Judges 18:7-11)

B.   The Careless Soldiers of Gideon (Judges 7:6)

C.   The Careless Daughter of Babylon (Isaiah 47:7-8)

III.             CHOOSE YOUR TEACHERS CAREFULLY (7:17-18)

A.   The Example of the Apostle Paul (1Corinthians 11:1; 2Timothy 2:2)

B.   The Ensamples to the Flock (1Peter 5:3)

C.   Who Are Your Teachers?

IV.            BLOW YOUR TRUMPET LOUDLY (7:20)

A.   The Purpose of the Trumpet – to call to battle (Numbers 10:9; 31:6; 2Chronicles 13:13-16)

B.   The Purpose of the Blast – to call attention to yourself in the sense of letting your enemy know that you are in the fight

C.   Have you declared yourself a soldier? Or, are you hoping that you can sit it out without anyone noticing?

V.               BREAK YOUR EARTHEN PITCHER (7:20)

A.   This Speaks of our Fleshly Nature (2Corinthians 4:7; 2Timothy 2:20-21)

B.   It Must Be Broken So We Can Win the Battle (Psalm 34:18; 51:17)

VI.            HOLD YOUR LAMP HIGH (7:20)

A.   The Lamb Must be in the Vessel (Judges 7:16)

B.   The Vessel Must Be Broken So the Light Can Be Seen by Others (Judges 17:19)

C.   We are to Shine as Lights in the World (Philippians 2:15-16)

VII.         PROCLAIM THE SWORD OF THE LORD (7:20)

A.   The Sword is the Word of God (Ephesians 6:17; Hebrews 4:12)

B.   It Must First Be the Sword of the Lord – this is its authority (1Thessalonians 2:13) 

C.   It Must Then Be Made Our Own Sword – this puts it into our possession (Colossians 3:16; Jeremiah 15:16)

Conclusion: Are you a soldier of the cross?

• Are you walking by faith?
• Are you aware of potential dangers?
• Are you learning from the right teachers?
• Have you declared yourself a combatant?
• Have you surrendered your own will?
• Do you hold your lamp high?
• Do you proclaim the sword of the Lord?