The third characteristic of the goodness of God revealed in the covenant and redemptive name of Yahweh is set forth in the book of Exodus.

Exodus 17:8-16 (New Living Translation):

While the people of Israel were still at Rephidim, the warriors of Amalek attacked them. Moses commanded Joshua, “Choose some men to go out and fight the army of Amalek for us. Tomorrow, I will stand at the top of the hill, holding the staff of God in my hand.” So Joshua did what Moses had commanded and fought the army of Amalek. Meanwhile, Moses, Aaron and Hur climbed to the top of a nearby hill. As long as Moses held up the staff in his hand, the Israelites had the advantage. But whenever he dropped his hand, the Amalekites gained the advantage. Moses’ arms soon became so tired he could no longer hold them up. So Aaron and Hur found a stone for him to sit on. Then they stood on each side of Moses, holding up his hands. So his hands held steady until sunset. As a result, Joshua overwhelmed the army of Amalek in battle. After the victory, the Lord instructed Moses, “Write this down on a scroll as a permanent reminder and read it aloud to Joshua: I will erase the memory of Amalek from under heaven.” Moses built an altar there and called it Yahweh (Yahweh)-Nissi (which means “the Lord is my banner.”) He said, “They have raised their fist against the Lord’s throne, so now the Lord will be at war with Amalek generation after generation”

     As the children of Israel moved toward the promised land, they faced an intense attack from the unrelenting and fierce Amalekites. Israel was encountering its first war in the wilderness and God revealed a magnificent aspect of His goodness during this physical and spiritual battle. Amalek was the grandson of Esau, and the Amalekites were direct descendants of Isaac. Yet they became the persistent and hereditary enemies of Israel, haters of God’s people and a constant menace to their national and spiritual life. This intense animosity began with the rivalry between Jacob and Esau. Esau hated his brother Jacob and bore an intense grudge against him, because Jacob bought Esau’s birthright for some stew and took the blessing of Isaac reserved for his older son Esau. Esau plotted to kill his brother Jacob, and as Jacob left Isaac’s household on a journey toward Haran, God Almighty spoke comforting words to Jacob.

Genesis 28:3,4,13-15 (The Message Bible):

And may the Strong God bless you and give you many, many children, a congregation of peoples; And pass on the blessing of Abraham to you and your descendants so that you will get this land in which you live, this land God gave Abraham. Then God was right before him, saying “I am God, the God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac. I am giving the ground on which you are sleeping to you and to your descendants. Your descendants will be as the dust of the Earth; they’ll stretch from west to east and from north to south. All the families of the Earth will bless themselves in you and your descendants. Yes. I’ll stay with you, I’ll protect you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this very ground. I’ll stick with you until I’ve done everything I promised you.

    God promised that no matter how much Esau or any other person plotted Jacob’s destruction, that they could not overcome the blessing and protection of God that surrounded him. God promised Jacob that the blessing of Abraham was upon him and his children, and He would give him the promised land of Canaan. God Almighty further promised He would stay with Jacob and his descendants and protect them wherever they went. God would stick right beside Jacob and never leave him helpless. Yet in the midst of this wonderful promise of protection and blessing, the bitter hatred of Esau for his brother grew and was passed down to his grandson Amalek.

   Given the close hereditary relationship of Israel to the Amalekites, it is very likely they knew about this promise of God that the land of Canaan had been given to Jacob and God’s promise of blessing and protection that would rest on him. However, Esau and his descendants did not care about the promise and oath of Yahweh, as they not only hated Jacob, but they opposed and hated God. The Amalekites wanted to destroy Israel and defeat the promises of God. They were bent on rebellion against God, His purposes, and His people.

Deuteronomy 25:17-19 (New Living Translation):

Never forget what the Amalekites did to you as you came from Egypt. They attacked you when you were exhausted and weary, and they struck down those who were straggling behind. They had no fear of God. Therefore, when the Lord your God has given you rest from all your enemies in the land he is giving you as a special possession, you must destroy the the Amalekites and erase their memory from under heaven. Never forget this.

   God told Israel never to forget how the Amalekites viciously and cruelly attacked them in the wilderness with harassing guerilla warfare that preyed upon the weak and weary stragglers who lagged behind. The Amalekites did not respect or reverence God, and they did not care about Him. The Amalekites were an evil, godless, people that would stop at nothing to thwart God’s people from the special possession of land and blessing that God had promised them. They raised their fist against God and declared perpetual war against His throne and His beloved children. They boldly stood in the way of God’s inheritance for His people and moved swiftly and secretly to destroy Moses and Israel in the wilderness.

   But God did not sit idly by while his children were attacked. Yahweh stood up and bore his arm for His people against this relentless enemy and declared war on the Amalekites from generation to generation. Only God can give us rest from our enemies and bring us victory in battle. Israel’s battle with the Amalekites is an analogy of our spiritual warfare as a Christian believer. The Amalekites represent the evil forces and schemes of the devil, and the devil’s intense hatred of God, His Word, and His people. The Amalekites illustrate the satanic forces that are opposed to Yahweh and His goodness throughout all ages. Israel faced an intense challenge and furious battle from this evil foe and had to decide whose strength and power they would rely upon to bring them victory.

   Moses spoke the word of the Lord and commanded Joshua to engage the Amalekites with his best men and to observe the staff of God, which he would raise over the battle from the top of the hill. As long as the staff of God was raised over the battle, the Israelites prevailed and overwhelmed the Amalekites in complete victory. The staff of God represented His presence and power. It symbolized God’s personal involvement in the battle, and that His mighty power leads to victory in every circumstance and against every foe. The staff of God served as an inspiration to all the soldiers of Israel as a visible symbol that Yahweh, their covenant God, was right beside them interceding in the battle for them.

   God was showing them the first principal in spiritual warfare and that is strength and victory against God’s foes in battle do not reside in the arm of the flesh, but rather in a constant and complete dependence upon Yahweh’s power and might. God was revealing to Israel the simple truth that the battle is not ours but the Lord’s. To face our spiritual enemy without the presence and power of God is a recipe for defeat. Yahweh will fight all our battles for us.

   After this victorious battle, God revealed himself to Moses and the children of Israel as Yahweh-Nissi, which means “the Lord is my banner.” The word “banner” in the Hebrew means: a signal pole, standard, ensign, banner or sign. It was a rallying point, or standard, that drew people together for some common action or to communicate some important information. It was often a rally point for troops for war and would become a symbol of victory. A banner in ancient times was not necessarily a flag, but often a raised pole with a brightly glistening object on the top, and it would become a point of focus and an object of hope.

   Yahweh is declaring that “I am the standard, the rallying point, the cause and the banner of victory and protection that my people are to trust and rally around.” The banner also symbolizes deliverance and salvation in the midst of battle. Some biblical scholars have even rendered Yahweh-Nissi as meaning “the Lord our Canopy,” which illustrates the protection of God as a special covering for the believer. Yahweh -Nissi is our covering, our protection, and our secure place of safety. Yahweh-Nissi is the God who fights the battles, who conquers the enemy, who brings the victory, and who defends His children. Yahweh-Nissi is the God of triumph and the absolute standard we should look to for victory. Yahweh-Nissi does not know defeat; Yahweh-Nissi cannot be overcome; Yahweh-Nissi cannot be beaten. In Him alone is the victory. In Him alone is deliverance from captivity. In Him alone is triumph over all of life’s discouragements and disappointments.

   What battle are you facing in your life? What problems are major obstacles in your daily living? What burdens have you pushed down with their overwhelming weight? You need to know and understand that God is your Yahweh-Nissi, and He has promised by His Word and His indestructible covenant with you that He will fight every battle, solve every problem, bear every burden, and bring you total victory and deliverance. Yahweh-Nissi fights the spiritual battles, the physical battles, the mental battles, the financial battles, and all of life’s daily challenges for you. Yahweh-Nissi is for you and vigorously wants to defend and protect you all the days of your life. Yet we so often foolishly attempt to fight our own battles without the power and strength of Yahweh-Nissi. We think we rely upon our ability, our own intelligence, and our own strength, but this only leads to failure. It is only under the banner of the Lord that victory is assured.

   The word of God clearly illustrates what happened to Israel against these same Amalekites when Yahweh-Nissi was not their rallying point and banner of victory.

Numbers 14:40-45 (NIV):

Early the next morning, they went up toward the high hill country. “We have sinned,” they said. “We will go up to the place the Lord promised.” But Moses said, “Why are you disobeying the Lord’s command? This will not succeed! Do not go up, for the Lord (Yahweh) is not with you. You will be defeated by your enemies. For the Amalekites and Canaanites will face you there. Because you have turned away from the Lord (Yahweh), he will not be with you and you will fall by the sword.” Nevertheless, in their presumption they went up toward the high country, though neither Moses nor the ark of the Lord’s covenant moved from the camp. Then the Amalekites and Canaanites who lived in that hill country came down and attacked them and beat them down all the way to Hormah.

   The foolish and headstrong Israelites went into battle against the Amalekites and Canaanites in direct disobedience of the Word of God. They had made up their minds that they could defeat their enemies without the power and presence of Yahweh-Nissi. They turned their backs on God and rushed into the battlefield with a false sense of security in their own military prowess. Without Yahweh-Nissi fighting the battle for them, Israel was soundly routed and completely defeated. They had no answer for the vicious attack of the enemy because Yahweh-Nissi was not with them, was not supporting them, was not protecting them, and was not fighting for them.

  When you turn away from Yahweh- Nissi and His Word, then you cannot enjoy victory over life’s challenges and problems. Without the Lord there is no true victory, and we are susceptible to the attack of the enemy. Only Yahweh-Nissi can move you from the sphere of defeat and failure into the sphere of triumph and victory. King Jehoshaphat wisely learned this lesson, as he chose to seek the Lord when his enemies were suddenly ganging up on him in an attempt to destroy Judah and God’s people.

II Chronicles 20:1-4 (Amplified):

After this, the Moabites, the Ammonites, and with them the Meunites came against Jehoshaphat to battle. It was told Jehoshaphat, a great multitude has come against you from beyond the Dead Sea… Then Jehoshaphat feared, and set himself [determinedly, as his vital need] to seek the Lord; he proclaimed a fast in all Judah. And Judah gathered together to ask help of the Lord; even out of all the cites of Judah they came to seek the Lord [yearning for Him with all their desire].

  Jehoshaphat was facing a vicious attack of enormous proportions from an enemy that outnumbered him in both fighting men and weapons of warfare. He knew he could not defeat this formidable foe by his own strength or power. Jehoshaphat wisely decided to seek Yahweh-Nissi as his vital necessity in the battle that loomed on the horizon, and all Judah followed his example by seeking the Lord with all their heart.

Verse 5 6,12: (Amplified):

And Jehoshaphat stood in the assembly of Judah and Jerusalem in the house of the Lord before the new court. And said, O Lord, God of our fathers, are you not God in heaven? And do You not rule over all the kingdoms of the nations? In Your hand are power and might, so that none is able to withstand you. O our God, will You not exercise judgment upon them? For we have no might to stand against this great company that is coming against us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are upon you.

   There is no power on Earth that can withstand Yahweh-Nissi. The word “withstand” in the Hebrew means: to set, place, station, stand, or present oneself against something as an adversary. Nothing can stand as an adversary against Yahweh-Nissi and ever be successful. Nothing can overcome the power and might in the hand of Yahweh-Nissi. No problem is big enough, no dilemma is large enough, and no crisis is great enough to stand in the way of Yahweh-Nissi. Our problems melt away in the presence of Yahweh-Nissi for He is the victory, He is the solution, and He is the answer for any adversity that we will ever face in our lives.

    So where are our eyes focused in the time of conflict and trouble? Are we looking to the Lord God for deliverance or are we looking to our own strength, knowledge, and experience? Jehoshaphat realized it was foolish to rely on his own ability and strength, for all his plans for victory were futile without the help of Yahweh-Nissi, the covenant God of victory in the midst of all conflict. How often in life is it so hard for someone to realize that they don’t know what to do. When we finally humble ourselves, and put aside our pride, and turn our eyes upon our wonderful Lord, then God can begin to move greatly in our lives no matter how impossible the circumstances.

Verse 14,15,17 (Amplified): Then the spirit of the Lord came upon Jahaziel…in the midst of the assembly. He said, Hearken all Judah, you inhabitants of Jerusalem, and you King Jehoshaphat. The Lord says this to you: Be not afraid or dismayed at this great multitude; for the battle is not yours, but God’s. You shall not need to fight in this battle; take your positions, stand still, and see the deliverance of the Lord Who is with you, O Judah and Jerusalem. Fear not or be dismayed. Tomorrow go out against them for the Lord is with you.

   The word “multitude” in the Hebrew emphasizes the roar and tumultuous sound of this exceeding great multitude. You could hear a tremendous roar from this enemy as they moved to attack. The Hebrew word for “dismayed” means: to be shattered, broken and filled with terror and to be dashed to pieces mentally with discouragement. No matter how loud the roar of enemy, no matter how relentless the attack, no matter how big the obstacle, and no matter how overwhelming the situation, we never have to be filled with terror or broken with discouragement for Yahweh-Nissi is with us. He never leaves our side and will fight every battle, problem, difficulty and attack if we only will let Him. The battle is not ours, but it is God’s battle, for we are His and He is ours.

   What a personal, loving God to say by the authority of His word that our personal battle is now His own. What peace and rest this truth brings to our soul-to know that God is on our side and will fight for us. Yahweh-Nissi is on your team, and that is better than having a Michael Jordon, Peyton Manning, General Patton or any other superstar or national war hero on your team. No one has more power or strength than our God and He cannot be defeated, broken, run over, overcome, or conquered. He simply asks us to stand still and let him fight for us, and then we will see the magnificent deliverance of the Lord. Quit trying to be the hero, and let the Lord be your hero and champion. We must develop the ability to simply stop what we are doing and stand still and trust God completely to work mightily in our dilemma. We must cast the care of the battlefield to Him and be totally dependent on Him to fight our battles. We are so busy running back and forth trying to solve our own problems that we forget to rest on His shoulders and lean on His bosom. Yahweh-Nissi cannot lose. No matter how fierce the enemy’s attack, we are victorious, for He is victorious; we are triumphant, for He is triumphant, and we are successful, for He is successful.

Joshua 1:5 (New Living Translation):

No one will be able to stand against you as long as you live. For I will be with you as I was with Moses. I will not fail you or abandon you.

Psalm 18:29 (New Living Translation): In your strength I can crush an army, with my God I can scale any wall.

   Nothing has enough power or might to stand against us our entire lives because Yahweh-Nissi is our intimate warrior who stands shoulder to shoulder with us on the battlefield. Yahweh-Nissi cannot fail us against any foe. The word “fail” in the Hebrew means: to sink down, to relax, to withdraw, to let drop, to leave in the lurch, to fade away, to become slack and to turn one’s back and leave one alone. Yahweh-Nissi will never relax His hold on us and let us fall to the ground; He will never allow us sink down into the night; He will never withdraw from us and leave us alone; He will never leave us in the lurch and become slack concerning any aspect of our lives; He will never fade away from us in the time of battle. Yahweh-Nissi will also never abandon you. The word “abandon” in the Hebrew means: to depart, to leave, to forsake, to be absent, to have nothing to do with and to abandon and leave behind. Yahweh-Nissi will never depart from you, never forsake you, and never leave your side in battle. How comforting to know that our Lord never fails and never abandon us when times get tough, but He is our champion and our defender. In His strength we can crush any army, any enemy, and any vicious attack. By our God we can scale any wall, no matter how tall and how insurmountable. This is a breathtaking characteristic of the goodness of God.

Proverbs 21:30,31 (NIV):

There is no wisdom, no insight, no plan that can succeed against the Lord. The horse is made ready for the day of battle, but victory rests with the Lord.

     True victory in life only rests with the Lord. No matter how brilliant the plan, or how wise the strategy, or how insightful the knowledge, it can never take the place of the Lord and bring true victory and deliverance to your life. No enemy, problem, or dilemma can succeed or overcome the power and strength of Yahweh-Nissi. .Only when we stand firmly in the might of our Lord and rest securely in Him are we ready for the day of battle. Your own plans, earthly wisdom, and limited insight are futile and worthless in the heat of battle for ultimate success and victory flows only from our wonderful Lord. Yahweh-Nissi is victory; Yahweh-Nissi is deliverance; Yahweh-Nissi is success.

II Corinthians 2:14 (Revised Standard Version):

But thanks be to God who in Christ always leads us in triumph and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere.

(God’s Word to the Nations): But I thank God, who always leads us in victory because of Christ…

I Corinthians 15:57 (NIV): But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

If you want to triumph in life then you must come to the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ came that we might daily live a life of triumphant victory as a son or daughter of God. He was completely victorious over sin and its consequences and broke the power of the prince of darkness over all those who believe and confess Jesus as their Lord. God in Christ always leads us in triumph, not once in awhile or only on Sundays. The word “always” in the Greek means “at all times,” as there is never a moment that passes by when God does not want to lead you in triumph. Jesus Christ’s victory in his death, resurrection, and ascension to the right hand of God is our victory. His triumph over the devil and all his wicked angels is our triumph. Nothing is lacking in this triumphant victory of Christ.

In the Roman Empire, a victorious general would have a triumphant procession through the streets of Rome to openly celebrate his victory in battle. Like a modern day ticker tape parade, the soldiers in the general’s army would participate, along with the captive prisoners of war. Fragrant incense would fill the air, and all in Rome saw the brilliant manifestation of victory in war. The apostle Paul uses this analogy to describe the victory that Christ has brought to the Christian believer. When we follow and serve our Lord, the whole world will see the triumphant lifestyle of victory that only Christ can bring to a person. God wants us to celebrate our new life in Christ and proclaim to the world the wonderful fragrant scent of the gospel, the good news of victory, which Jesus Christ has made available to the world. Jesus Christ led captive every kind of bondage known to mankind, and through Him complete deliverance is available from every type of captivity of mind and body.

    This is inherent in the name Yahweh-Nissi, namely, that God has fought our battles and brings triumphant victory over every type of enemy of body, soul and spirit. Yahweh-Nissi brings complete freedom to a person’s heart because this is the ultimate goal of the goodness of God in manifestation upon the earth. God wants the entire world to know that only He can set a person free from every disease, every fear and every obstacle.

Romans 8:31,37 (Amplified): What then shall we say to all this? If God be for us, who can be against us? [Who can be our foe, if God is on our side?] Yet amid all these things we are more than conquerors and gain a surpassing victory through him who loved us.

New Living Translation: But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us.

What does it matter who our enemy is or what difficulty we are facing? What does it matter how relentless the attack or how fierce the enemy? Why? Because God is for you and God is on your side, so what or who can stand against you? Who is powerful enough, who is big enough, and who is strong enough to contend with God Almighty and win? Yahweh-Nissi is greater than them all. He cannot be overcome; He cannot be defeated; He doesn’t come in second place. He can’t be beaten; He does not flee; He does not turn back. He stands firm in the most violent storm; He stands strong against the most furious assault, and He is the firm foundation that cannot be shaken or destroyed. It is only through Him and His great love for us that we are more than conquerors and have the surpassing victory in life.

   The word “more than conquerors’ in the Greek is hupernikao and comes from two Greek words: “huper” meaning “above, beyond, more than, to a greater degree, super” and “nikao” meaning “to conquer, to overcome, to carry off the victory, to come off victorious.” The Greek word implies that there is a battle and hupernikao describes one who is a super conqueror, one who is super-victorious, and one who is overpowering in achieving abundant victory. It is more than just an ordinary victory, but rather a lopsided victory in which the enemy or opponent is completely routed and defeated. It is winning a most glorious, complete victory in every way. It is to be a super-overcomer, and an exceedingly abundant conqueror. It is to have victory beyond measure. We are preeminently victorious in and through Christ.

   God uses this term in His Word to illustrate that the victory Yahweh-Nissi brings through Christ is beyond anything accomplished by the world’s standards. It is victory and the ability to overcome in such a high degree that it can only originate in God. It is victory that is so completely overwhelming and awesome that it boggles the mind. It is a victory beyond all measure, because it is not only victory in the physical realm, but a complete victory in the spiritual realm also. Jesus Christ completely defeated the devil and broke the dominion of Satan for every Christian believer. We are super-conquerors because we have been delivered from the power of darkness and the authority of Satan’s curse that lives and breathes throughout the whole earth. Oh how, we have underestimated what we are in Christ and what he is in us! No matter what circumstance or battle you are in, God says, “I have made you super-conqueror in Christ.” God’s love in Christ, that we can never be separated or cut off from, energizes us in all of lives adverse situations and propels us to victory in every realm and in every battle. When we walk in the spirit, live love, and stand upon our legal sonship rights, no earthly power, no satanic spiritual power, and no human plan or device can overcome us. We must have believing faith in the promises in God’s Word concerning Yahweh-Nissi and our super victory in Christ. We must confess our magnificent right to overwhelming and abundant victory because of the finished work of Jesus Christ, and never waver from this truth.

I John 5:4,5 (Amplified):

For whatever is born of God is victorious over the world; and this is the victory that conquers the world, even our faith. Who is it that is victorious over (that conquers) the world but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God [who adheres to, trusts in and relies on that fact]? Only someone who is born again can be more than a conqueror and be victorious over the world systems of evil.

Wuest’s Expanded Translation of the New Testament translates the first part of verse 4 as “because everything born of God is constantly coming off victorious over the world.”

    Wuest says that this verb is in the present tense, indicating it is a daily habit of life for the believer living by faith to constantly be overcoming the world. Victory should be the lifestyle of every Christian believer. Our believing faith is rooted and grounded in Jesus Christ, our Savior and we can go forth in his power, love, strength, glory, and compassion which make us victorious over every foe, every obstacle and every problem. We must always be aware that we have an adversary in the devil and are engaged in a raging spiritual battle. Ephesians instructs us on the battle plan to appropriate His victory in our lives, and how we are to stand against the wiles and methods of our spiritual enemy.

Ephesians 6:10-13 (Amplified): In conclusion, be strong in the Lord [be empowered through your union with him]; draw your strength from Him [that strength which His boundless might provides]. Put on God’s whole armor [the armor of a heavy-armed soldier which God supplies], that you may be able success- fully to stand up against all the strategies and the deceits of the devil. For we are not wrestling with flesh and blood [contending only with physical opponents], but against the despotisms, against the powers, against the master spirits who are the world rulers of this present darkness, against the spirit forces of wickedness in the heavenly supernatural sphere. Therefore put on God’s complete armor, that you may be able to resist and stand your ground on the evil day of danger, and, having done all the crisis demands, to stand firmly in your place.

    Our responsibility as a Christian believer is to be strong in the Lord and put on the whole armor of God. Yahweh-Nissi did not leave us helpless in the time of battle, but gave us a full armor so that we can resist and stand against any strategy and deceitful tactic of the devil. It is God’s armor, not our own, and therefore is the best designed offensive and defensive equipment to successfully hold your ground against the evil onslaught of our enemy. Nothing is lacking or missing in God’s complete armor. Every piece of God’s heavenly armor is important, and you must put on each part to be able to stand firmly in victory.

Verse 13 (New Living Translation): Use every piece of God’s armor to resist the enemy in the time of evil, so that after the battle you will be standing firm.

God did not give us this full armor so that we could put it in our closet next to our workout equipment and never use it. God does not put the armor on for you, but you must make the decision to put it on. The words “put on” in the Greek mean: to clothe with, to sink into a garment, to hide in and to dress in a garment. The verb is in the aorist imperative in the Greek, which conveys a sense of urgency-to do it once and for all without delay. It demands that one take decisive action immediately. God is commanding His sons and daughters to put on His full armor of God once and for all, and keep it on during the entire course of your Christian life. You cannot be strong in the Lord and accomplish the will and purpose of God for your life without it.

    As you put on and utilize the full armor of God in your daily life, you become more skilled and adept in utilizing each part of the armor of God, so it becomes a habit pattern of life, like putting on your garments each day. You would not think of going to work without any clothes on, so why is it any less important to have ourselves fully clothed in the armor of Yahweh-Nissi each and every day? This divine and complete armor of God is a necessity in the daily life of the Christian, for it enables us to stand our ground against the schemes of the devil.

   The word “stand” in the Greek means: to stand and hold one’s ground on a critical place on the battlefield. It is to hold your position; to hold your ground, and to not give an inch of territory to the enemy. It is not a causal standing, but conveys the idea of digging in. The Roman soldier’s sandals had spikes in them, so they could dig in and hold their ground against the onslaught of the enemy. This Greek word also has the meaning: to cause to stand immovable, to uphold or sustain the authority or force of anything, to stand ready or prepared, and to stand balanced and firm without hesitation or wavering.

    The word for “strategies and deceits” in the Greek means: planned, subtle, systematized error and implies the use of cunning, craftiness, trickery and deception.” It is a shrewd and sly organized method or strategy to gain a road or way into our lives. It is the game plan and blueprint of the devil, carefully built on lies and deception. The schemes are designed to mislead and distract the heart of God’s people away from His wonderful love and grace, in an attempt to weaken the Christian believer’s confidence in the Word of God and defeat God’s ordained purpose for our lives. It is ultimately a plan or method to instill doubt in you about the goodness of God, and trick you out of understanding and enjoying all the good that God has given you. It is designed to lure you into its deceptive net and dishearten, discourage, and distract you into believing a masterfully crafted lie that contradicts what God has made you in Christ. This strategy is fueled by fear, and the complete armor of God is perfectly designed to allow us to resist and overcome the best laid plans of the devil.

    Yahweh-Nissi has given us this armor so we can dig in and hold our position in Christ and not give an inch of territory to the devil. We can stand immovable, balanced, and firm without any hesitation or wavering against all the cunning strategies of our enemy. If we put on the whole armor of God, Satan cannot gain a foothold into our lives. No authority, no force, and no power can overcome God’s armor. The whole armor of God is not an outer garment but an inward one as we put on the armor of God in our mind. The battlefield or arena of our spiritual warfare with the devil is in our mind. The strategy of the devil is aimed to affect our thinking, and get us to believe his deceptions, rather than the truth of God’s Word. He wants to direct our minds to doubt, worry, and fear, rather than believe and have confidence in God and His goodness. Jesus Christ has already won the victory for us and accomplished our complete salvation. He eternally defeated the devil and his entire kingdom, and delivered us from the authority and darkness of Satan’s power.

However, the devil is still the god of this age, according to II Corinthians 4:4, and in order for us to be fruitful in our walk with Christ, accomplish God’s will for our lives and live a more than abundant life free from bondage we must resist him and stand against him.

Yahweh-Nissi is involved every second in protecting us from the evil one and fighting by our side in this spiritual battle. But we must put on the armor that He has so lovingly given us, in order to prevent the devil from building a stronghold or fortress in our mind. We must fasten the belt of the truth of the scripture in our mind, and hide it in our hearts. This is one of the reasons I give you so many scriptures in this book so you can study and meditate upon them and hide their truth in believing in your heart. We put on the breastplate of righteousness, knowing who we are in Christ and that we have the God given right to stand in the presence of our Heavenly Father with absolutely no sense of fear, unworthiness, guilt or shortcoming. Our heart is protected by this breastplate, as we know and understand our right standing with God. We face our enemy with firm footed stability and readiness because of the good news of peace that enlightens our soul as we are reconciled, and at peace with God, and our hearts delight and rest in the peace only our Lord could bring. At all times and in all circumstances, we lift up the shield of our believing faith where we can thwart, block, and extinguish every flaming missile of the wicked one. We take the helmet of salvation or wholeness, which protects or head from the blows of the enemy. We know we possess complete wholeness and deliverance spiritually, physically, mentally, and in every category of life because of our Lord Jesus Christ’s sacrifice. We wield the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, which cuts through every lie, every trick, and every deception of the devil. The final part of this armor is that we pray at all times and on every occasion in the spirit, maintaining a constant alertness and persistence to pray for all of our fellow members of the body of Christ. This is the full armor that Yahweh-Nissi has given us that enables us to stand in the evil day against all the onslaughts of our enemy.

    So now we understand another characteristic of the awesome goodness of God- that God is our Yahweh-Nissi, our victory in the midst of an unrelenting battle, our rallying point, our standard of triumph, our canopy of protection and our deliverer who fights our battles. Yahweh-Nissi is on our side in every battle or challenge we ever face in life, and He alone enables us to triumph in His glorious victory in Christ.

Exerpt from the book “The Magnificent Goodness of God and How it will Transform your Life”