Shirley's Desk

No Weapon

No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is of me, saith the LORD. Isaiah 54:17

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There is one story that comes to mind whenever I read Isaiah 54:17. It’s the story of Balaam and Balak recorded in Numbers chapters 22-24.

The Israelites camped in the plains of Moab. Balak, the king of Moab, was terrified of the Israelites because of their great numbers and how they had conquered the Amorites. Balak heard how the Israelites had defeated all their enemies on their way to the Promised Land. Their reputation caused fear to grip him. Knowing he could not defeat the Israelites, Balak summoned Balaam, a famous prophet in that area, for help. Balaam was known for his ability to put powerful curses on people. Balak hired Balaam to put a curse on the Israelites – God’s chosen people.

All who are truly God’s children will experience spiritual attacks. The enemy desires to curse us with weakness, so we have little strength to fight. The good news is that he cannot succeed without God’s permission and our cooperation. The enemy is relentless in his pursuit. If he can’t get us one way, he’ll try another way. We must always be on guard, for we never know when the enemy will launch an attack. (See, Ephesians 6: 10-18.)

Although it seemed that Balaam had knowledge of the true God, he was not devoted to Him. Balaam was a prophet for hire. He knew that the Israelites were God’s chosen people, yet Balaam asked God multiple times for permission to go see Balak. Balaam had significant spiritual gifts that he didn’t always use for God’s glory. (See, Romans 11:29.) God was angry that Balaam went to Balak for compensation.

But Balak didn’t get what he paid for. Whenever Balaam opened his mouth to curse Israel, only blessings came forth. No devil in hell can curse us when God has declared that we are blessed. No weapon formed against us will prosper. We can and will be victorious when we are obedient and remain in God’s will. Balaam didn’t succeed in cursing the Israelites, but he suggested to Balak that using Moab women to entice the men to engage in sexual immorality, idolatry, and eating foods sacrificed to idols would cause Israel to lose God’s protection. This plan worked, and the Israelites cursed themselves due to their disobedience. God was displeased and sent a plague that killed many of them. (See, Numbers 31:16, and Revelation 2:14.)

Sisters and brothers, we will all come under attack, but God is faithful. He promised to be with us in trouble. The enemy cannot defeat us without God’s permission and our cooperation. Let’s remain faithful and obedient to God’s Word regardless of the enemy’s attack. Stand on God’s Word and say, “No Weapon Formed Against Me Shall Prosper.”


Elder Shirley Freeman
Daughters of Zion Women’s Ministries