Protecting the Strength of Your Heart in Warfare - Part III
The Champion’s Anointing in Warfare
by Dr. John Tetsola

Last month we examined the three main reasons why believers lose heart in warfare – the barrage of the enemy’s taunts with no known solution, when your expectation of victory wanes under the ongoing pressure of the battle, and when the battle is perceived as being greater than the strength of God in us. As Christians there are three attributes we must possess and protect in order to manifest the champion’s anointing in our warfare. David walked in these attributes.

Attributes of a Champion

And a champion went out of the camp of the Philistines named Goliath of Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span [almost ten feet].

When the Philistine came forward to meet David, David ran quickly toward the battle line to meet the Philistine

I Samuel 17:4, 48 AMP

The first attribute of the champion’s anointing is desire. You must keep and protect your desire to accomplish what God has ordained in spite of how the battle looks. Goliath was close to ten feet tall, yet David ran quickly to the battle line when others fled in fear. David maintained his desire to fight, to defeat, and to defend God’s name. Each time the enemy attacks you, he always endeavors to attack your desire. The main vitality of our success in life is making sure that we keep our drive and desire protected and untouched by the enemy in whatever arena we are functioning in.

 

This day the Lord will deliver you into my hand, and I will smite you and cut off your head…that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel.

I Samuel 17:46 AMP

The second is devotion. Devotion is critical to manifesting the champion’s anointing in warfare. The word devotion simply means the dedication and consecration of oneself to an assignment or vision. It is the earnest attachment to a cause. David’s assignment was to let the earth know that there is a God in Israel. Champions devote themselves to the battle at hand. They become one with their assignment as they consecrate their lives for the cause of God. As believers dedicated to God and our assignment, we are called to demonstrate the attributes of a champion in our warfare as we devote ourselves fully to the battle at hand.

The third is discipline. Discipline is paramount to victory and promotion. A believer in warfare must maintain a lifestyle of discipline in order to experience victory. In spite of what Goliath was saying, David maintained strong discipline over his tongue and over the choice of words that proceeded out of his mouth. He never spoke words of defeat, fear, or failure. Instead he made prophetic decrees such as, “This day the Lord will deliver you into my hands!” If you want to manifest the champion’s anointing in the midst of your warfare speak words of victory, faith, and honor because an undisciplined life and tongue will cause you to lose your battle.