What Banner do you Wave?

What is it about the flag that causes elderly veterans to tear up during the Pledge of Allegiance and the National Anthem?  

Why do soldiers who fight on the battlefield wear American Flag badges on their uniforms?  What connotations does this red, white, and blue banner convey to these men?

First and foremost, confidence.  And confidence is so powerful, because confidence leads to courage, courage leads to perseverance, and perseverance leads to victory.

The American flag calls us to remember our history:

• America has the greatest military in the world.
• America won the Revolutionary War
• America won WW1
• America won WW2
• America has done it before and America will do it again.

The American flag is the banner that waves over America, instilling confidence and courage to its people.

Now let’s get personal:  what banner do you wave over your life?

As a child of God, you are endowed with free will, and you have the freedom to wave whatever banner you want to.

Maybe you’ve never thought of it like this before, because after all, your banner is invisible.  But think of it now, because the banner you choose to wave will lead you into your future, influence every decision you make, and determine the person you will become.

Choose carefully.

Think about Solomon’s wife.  Before she became Queen, she worked all day in the hot sun, either tending vineyards or leading flocks of goats around the countryside. 

She said that this occupation wasn’t her choice; the reason she worked in the hot sun day after day, year after year, was because her brothers were angry at her.  (See Song of Songs 1:5-7)

So this begs the question:  if she hated her life, why did she continue to go out into the fields every day?

It’s likely because the banner she waved over her life, the flag she chose to follow, was called, “unworthy,” and the connotations it carried were the words and threats of her angry brothers.  Unknowingly, she followed that flag into a pit of despair, oppression, and hopelessness.

Well, that’s really depressing, isn’t it!!  But, halleluiah, all of this changed the day she met Solomon.  Solomon tore down her flag called “unworthy” and gave her a new flag called “love” (SOS 2:4).

Did she accept the new flag?  Did it change her life?  Yes, yes, a thousand times yes!!

One of my favorite verses in the Bible is Song of Songs 6:4, where Solomon tells his wife, “You are beautiful, my darling… lovely as Jerusalem, majestic as troops with banners.”  (NIV) 

At this point, the former shepherd girl wasn’t just waving one banner, but several.  I imagine they were banners of love, acceptance, approval, favor, and success.

Now let’s jump back to the days of Joshua.

In the first couple chapters of Joshua, God said some interesting things. 

Moses had just died, and Joshua was about to lead the people into the Promised Land.  Before they started fighting battles though, God told Joshua to circumcise all the men. When this was done, God said, “Today I have rolled away the reproach of Egypt from you” (Joshua 5:9 NIV)

Even though the Israelites had left Egypt 40 years earlier, apparently they still carried the banner of slavery, with connotations of shame, disgrace, reproach.   And on this day God said, in essence, “No more.”  As Solomon did with his bride, God did with the nation of Israel.  He ripped off the invisible banner of unworthiness and slavery and gave them a new banner to wave.

This banner was called “Children of God,” and it held powerful connotations of Victory:

• We will be blessed when we go in, and blessed when we go out
• All that we touch will be blessed
• We are the head, not the tail, we are above, not beneath, lenders, not borrowers
• The Lord our God will cross over ahead of us
• The Lord our God will destroy nations before us
• The Lord our God loves us, is with us, and will never leave or forsake us

God knew that this new banner was necessary.  Without it, the Israelites would not have the courage to fight against the giants that lived in the land.

God knew that under their old banner of “slave,” they might look at the giants and waver.  He told them in advance to be strong and courageous, to meditate on his words day and night, to believe his words in their hearts, and to declare them with their mouths.

He told them that when they entered the Promised Land they would have two options to focus on:  the giants, or His Words.  If they chose to focus on the giants they would die, but if they chose to focus on His Words, they would live and be successful.  As Moses declared:

This day I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live and that you may love the Lord your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him.  (Deuteronomy 31:1-20 NIV)

What did the people choose? 

They chose life.  They put these Words into the Ark of the Covenant, and like a banner, or a battle flag, the Ark of the Covenant led the nation of Israel as they crossed the Jordan River into the Promised Land.    

Years later, God’s people, under the leadership of King Jehoshaphat, once again faced a giant army on one side and the Words of God on the other.  And, once again, they chose life.  They held up His words like an invisible banner that read, “Children of God,” and they marched out against the enemy singing, “Give thanks to the Lord, for His love endures forever”  (2 Chronicles 20:21 NIV).  The connotations of their battle flag were:

• If we believe in the Lord we will win
• If we believe in His Words we will win
• God’s love endures forever – He’s still with us, He still fights for us!
• This battle is not ours, it’s God’s!!

As Jehoshaphat's army sang and marched, the giant enemy army suddenly became confused.  The soldiers started to fight among themselves! 

By the time Jehoshaphat’s army reached the battle, it was over.  The enemy had destroyed itself!!  (See 2 Chronicles chapter 20)

I’ll repeat the question I asked earlier.  What banner do you wave over your life? 

Let it be, “Child of God,” and let the connotations be:

• I am free from the law of sin and death (see Romans 8:2)
• I am holy and without blame before Him in love (see Ephesians 1:4 & 1 Peter 1:16)
• I am a joint-heir with Christ (see Romans 8:17)   
• I am an overcomer by the blood of the Lamb and the word of His testimony (see Revelation 12:11)  
• I am part of a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a purchased people (see 1 Peter 2:9)  
• I am forgiven of all my sins and washed in the Blood of Jesus (see  Ephesians 1:7)  
• I am redeemed from the curse of sin, sickness, and poverty (see Deuteronomy 28 & Galatians 3:13) 
• I am healed by the stripes of Jesus (see Isaiah 53:5 & 1 Peter 2:24)
• I am greatly loved by God (see Romans 1:7, Ephesians 2:4, Colossians 3:12 & 1 Thessalonians 1:4)  
• I am holy in the sight of God (see Col 3:12)
• I am dearly loved by God (see Col 3:12)
• I am blessed and redeemed and blameless and forgiven and chosen (see Ephesians 1:3-11)
• I am not condemned anymore for my sins. (see Romans 8:1)
• I have eternal life in Heaven (see John 3:16)
• I belong to God (see 1 Cor 6:20)
• I am seated with Christ (see Ephesians 2:6)
• I can now do all things (see Philippians 4:13)
• I am a temple of the Living God (see 1 Cor 3:16)
• I have the Spirit without measure (see John 3:34)
• God’s making all things work together for my good (see Rom 8:28)
• I am blessed in the city and blessed in the country (see Dt 28:3)
• I am blessed when I come in and blessed when I go out (see Dt 28:6)
• Everything I touch is blessed (see Dt 28:8)
• I can and will overcome the devil (see Rev 12:11)
• The Holy Spirit flows through me (see John 7:38)
• I am more than a conqueror (see Rom 8:37)
• God always causes me to triumph (see 2 Cor 2:14)
• God always gives me the victory (see 1 Cor 15:57)
• no weapon that’s formed against me will ever prosper (see Isaiah 54:17)!!

As you fight your spiritual battles, pull out all your favorite weapons.  Declare, decree, praise, rebuke demons, apply the blood of Jesus, or speak in tongues.  Use whatever weapon you choose.

But no matter what weapon you choose to fight with, make sure to take your banner with you onto the battlefield.  Let your banner wave and billow and crack loudly over your head. 

May its connotations and truths never depart from your heart and your mouth. 

May it instill a deep-seated source of confidence, courage, and perseverance. 

And may it always lead you into victory.

 

 

 

Scripture quotations marked (NIV) are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version, NIV  Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.  Used by permission of Zondervan.  All rights reserved worldwide.www.zondervan.com.  The “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.

 

Scripture quotations marked (TLB) are taken from The Living Bible copyright © 1971. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.