“For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men. God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God….And I, when I came to you, brothers, did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom. For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. And I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling, and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, so that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.” (1 Corinthians 1:25 - 2:5 ESV)
“Proclaim this among the nations: Consecrate for war; stir up the mighty men. Let all the men of war draw near; let them come up. Beat your plowshares into swords, and your pruning hooks into spears; let the weak say, ‘I am a warrior’” (Joel 3:9-10 ESV). The King James Version states that last part of verse 10 as, “let the weak say, I am strong.”
When talking about spiritual warfare, I know that these verses may seem odd. We must understand that preparing for war is not just calling forth mighty men of war, but all men. Here in Joel 3, they are preparing for war. And in so doing, they called all the men forth – strong and weak. If the weak can say and believe that they are strong, then they will be as strong as the mighty ones. In this warfare within Joel 3, they called up the professional soldiers, and they also called up the farmers, and told the farmers to make weapons out of what they had, plowshares. Just because they weren't professional soldiers did not mean that they did not have grit and determination.
What you say determines your outcome. For when you speak, you always are giving birth to something, whether positive or negative, life or death, faith or doubt, it doesn't matter. You always give birth to something. If we don't want to bring forth death, then we must kill it by keeping our mouths closed.
The Word says that when the weak say that they are strong, they will become strong. Why? Because, if they can believe it, they can have it. The weak, though, should not just say, “I am strong,” they should also show it in their lifestyle. What you do speaks volumes without even having to use words to say anything. What you say is on one level, but what you do is on another whole level entirely.
I want to give to you seven ways of how victory in battle comes when you say that you are strong by your actions:
First, In your ability to make a decision. Indecision will bring chaos in your life. Making a decision establishes the beachfront for operations in your life. The decisions you make will affect your entire life. Strength is found in the man or woman who can make decisions and then stick by them. Let the weak say I am strong and I am a warrior!
Second, Through your perseverance. To make up your mind, to preserve through everything you're going through will make you strong, and it will make you successful in battle against the enemy. When you decide that you are not going to give up, no matter what, then you will start to become successful in warfare. Let the weak say I am strong and I am a warrior!
Third, In your ability to stay true to your vision. God has placed within each of us the vision of our destiny. It may be deeper in some people than others, but it is always there. When you hold on to your vision and stay true to it, it will make you strong. Believing in yourself that God has a purpose for your life will actually strengthen you on the battlefields of life. Let the weak say I am strong and I am a warrior!
Fourth, In your ability to get back up when you fall. If you are more worried about people seeing you fall, than in getting back up again, then you will remain weak. In this battle that we are fighting against the enemy of our soul, there will be times that we may get knocked down. The way to stay strong is to get right back up. If you just lay there and don't try to get up, and allow the devil to kick you over and over again, then you will grow weaker, not stronger. And each time you fall, you will find that it takes a little longer to get back up. But let the weak say I am strong and I am a warrior!
Fifth, In your ability to let things go. If you hold on to old things, old habits, old hurts, you will stay weak your entire life. In order to be a physically fit soldier in the Army, you have to do PT. If you are going to be spiritually fit as a Christian warrior, you need to learn how to let things go. Don't let things eat away at you until there is no more strength left in you. Let it go. Don't you see that? Holding on to those things, they are draining your strength. Let them go. And let the weak say I am strong and I am a warrior!
Sixth, In having self-confidence through Christ. If you don't believe in yourself, then who will? If you don't believe in yourself that “you can do all things through Christ who strengthens you,” you will always be weak. Why did Joel 3:10 say, “Let the weak say I am strong and I am a warrior”? Because if the weak can start believing in themselves again, they can be just as strong and effective in warfare as anybody. When you build up your self-confidence, you literally are making yourself stronger. Be secure in yourself as a warrior for Christ, and in the God who wants to use you. Let the weak say I am strong and I am a warrior!
Seventh, By your determination to love no matter what. What are the two Great Commandments? “To love the Lord your God with all of your heart, soul, mind, and with all of your strength, and to love your neighbor as you love yourself.” But what if you don't love yourself? Then you have a major problem on your hands. You must first love yourself so that you can love your neighbor. There is strength in love. A lack of love will make you a weak soldier. But exercising love will make you strong. Love builds you up. Love lifts you up. And whether you want to do it or not, if you can learn to love even your enemies in spite of what they have done to you, it will make you a strong warrior prepared for the battle. So let the weak say I am strong and I am a warrior!