Occasional defeats in spiritual battles are not failures. They are temporary setbacks. Consider the record of Bible characters such as:
-Sampson, who was a womanizer.
-David who had an illicit affair and orchestrated a murder.
-Elijah, who at one point seemed suicidal.
-Jonah, who ran from God.
-Peter, who denied Christ.
-The disciples who deserted Christ at the time of His greatest need.
Yet each of these individuals were restored to their faith and mightily used by God.
Along the journey to your spiritual destiny, you will experience defeats. You will also suffer major setbacks that are perceived to be failures. In reality, you never truly fail until you stop trying, because every setback can be turned into a comeback, and there is no defeat so great that you cannot return to God.
Look at a major defeat experienced by Israel during their conquest of the Promised Land. The story of this failure is recorded in Joshua chapter 7. The problem occurred because of the sin of a man named Achan, who disobeyed by taking the spoils of the battle of Jericho, an act which God had forbidden.
When Achan’s sin was finally exposed and had been dealt with, Israel returned to battle at Ai once again. This time, they were victorious:
Joshua 8:26 "For Joshua drew not his hand back, wherewith he stretched out the spear, until he had utterly destroyed all the inhabitants of Ai."
It is from the story of Ai, you can learn how to overcome defeat, rise up again, and return to the spiritual battlefield as a victorious Christian warrior.
You don't have to experience failure over and over again if you learn how to deal with potential defeats before they occur. Whether you are facing or have experienced failure, you can learn vital principals from this series that will prove your life and ministry in the face of defeat. Don't let a setback destroy you destiny.
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