Don't Lower Your Guard
Introduction
The moment you commit your life to Jesus you're at war with Satan. The first step he uses is to get you to see your sin in one of two ways; either so bad you can't be forgiven or so insignificant that it really doesn't matter. Standing against him requires you to maintain the full armor of God. Falling isn't always preventable; but it is surmountable. It's not only the weak and immature that fall. Satan's strategy includes taking out the righteous and the unrighteous. The difference is the righteous rise up. Proverbs 24:16, "For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again: but the wicked shall fall into mischief." The righteous fall towards God and repentance; the unrighteous fall away from God and remorse.
I. The symptoms of being overtaken, vs. 8-10.
A. A change in our fortitude, vs. 8-10.
…and the children of Israel went out with an high hand., vs. 8 …and they were sore afraid… vs. 10.
When sin begins to slip back into our lives there will be a change in our fortitude and our attitude. Psalm 51:12, "Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit." David had lost his fortitude. Psalm 51:14, "Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, thou God of my salvation: and my tongue shall sing aloud of thy righteousness." But now he says forgive me and things will be right again. When you lose your love for righteousness, you'll lose your joy!
Look how the Israelites changed …out with an high hand…sore afraid… Their whole fortitude and attitude had changed! Why? Egypt is pursuing them and their minds begin to get off God go back and they begin to think, "It wasn't all that bad in Egypt; roof over our heads, three squares, clothes on our back, healthcare." It wasn't easy getting used to the new life! "Maybe, just maybe, we should go back so we don't have to die."
Satan is pursuing us in the same way and we lose our fortitude to serve God and our attitude becomes sour. Notice there's not only a change in our fortitude but also:
B. A change in our latitude, vs. 12.
"Is not this the word that we did tell thee in Egypt…" vs. 12.
Get this point please! The Egyptians are after them; they blamed Moses – another symptom of being overtaken is you're unhappy and you blame someone else.
I heard an illustration just the other day. You get unhappy with life. So you get a new wife; you get a new job; you get a new house, car and boat, but you've still got a problem. What is it? You still got he same old you! 90% of my problems are me! When you blame the wrong thing for your problems you'll come up with the wrong solution 100% of the time.
If you're being overtaken you change your latitude or your ability to see the whole picture, you limit your room to maneuver. If I blame something or someone else for my unhappy life; for my failure; for my misfortune, I lose room to maneuver.
They got on the side of negativeness and they said, "I knew this would happen… I told you so… Is not this the word that we did tell thee in Egypt…" vs. 12. Notice not only a symptom of being overtaken but also:
II. The sorrow of being overtaken, vs. 15.
A. There's nowhere to go, vs. 15.
"…go forward:" vs. 15.
The simple, yet profound, truth is Christians are to either stand fast or go forward. "…it had been better for us to serve the Egyptians, than that we should die in the wilderness.," vs. 12. These are the words of Satan! "The Red Sea in front of us; the Egyptians in the rear; let's go back!" Satan says you're on a dead-end road; God can't help you now!
"The LORD shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace.," vs. 14. This is the Lord's battle; He's the Shepherd looking for His lost sheep; He'll bring you through!
Now the hard part. "And the LORD said unto Moses, 'Wherefore criest thou unto me? speak unto the children of Israel, that they go forward:'" vs. 15. Stop your crying! Get up! Get right! Get going! Not only do we see there's nowhere to go but also:
B. There's no glory to God, vs. 18.
"And the Egyptians shall know that I [am] the LORD…" vs. 18.
If you don't move forward Satan will consume you on the banks of the Red Sea; the gateway to God's promise! Look at when God destroyed the enemy! "And Moses stretched forth his hand over the sea, and the sea returned to his strength when the morning appeared; and the Egyptians fled against it; and the LORD overthrew the Egyptians in the midst of the sea. And the waters returned, and covered the chariots, and the horsemen, and all the host of Pharaoh that came into the sea after them; there remained not so much as one of them.," vs. 27-28.
Look at your blessing today. Hebrews 10:36, "For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise." Lets give God the glory! Stay on track; don't run; don't go back; go forward and God will get the glory! "…I am the LORD…" vs. 4. "…I am the LORD…" vs. 18. Does the world know that He is the Lord of your life? God tests us so the world will know He is Lord!