Civil Government: Power, Nations, and Constitutional Order: Where We Are & How We Got Here

Principles of Deliverance - 7

Transcript: AI Transcript

Professor: John Weaver

Subject: Civil Government

Genre: Sermon

Dictation Name:

Date: 2006-08-20

Synopsis: John Weaver examines Judges 7:16-25, focusing on God's use of psychological warfare to deliver Israel from the Midianites. He explains that God instills fear and deception in the enemy, turning their own swords against themselves. The sermon draws parallels to modern psychological operations and emphasizes that God uses small, dedicated minorities to achieve victory. Applications include standing firm with the trumpet of judgment, the light of the gospel, and the sword of the Word.

[John Weaver] All right, let's open our Bibles today, if we would please, to the book of Judges, Chapter 7. Judges, Chapter 7. And today we're going to be reading verses 16 through 25. And we're on number seven on the principles of deliverance.

[John Weaver] Now, Lord willing, next week I'm going to be trying to tie everything together and finish this series. But I'm grateful that you Live to the day so you can get your question answered from last week. Good. All right. All right. Let's read Judges chapter 7 and verse 16. And he divided the 300 men into three companies and he put a trumpet in every man's hand with the empty pitchers and lamps within the pitchers.

[John Weaver] And he said to them, look on me and do likewise. And behold, when I come to the outside of the camp, it shall be that as I do, so shall you do. When I blow with the trumpet, I and all that are with me, then blow ye the trumpets also in every side of all the camp, and say, The sword of the Lord, and of Gideon." So Gideon and the hundred men that were with him came into the outside of the camp in the beginning of the middle watch, and they had but newly set the watch, and they blew the trumpets and broke the pitchers that were in their hands. And the three companies blew the trumpets and broke the pitchers, and held the lamps in their left hands. and the trumpets in their right hands to blow with them, and they cried, The sword of the Lord, and of Gideon. And they stood every man in his place round about the camp, and all the hosts ran, and cried, and fled. And three hundred blew the trumpets, and the Lord stood every man's sword against his fellow, even throughout all the hosts.

[John Weaver] And the hosts fled to Bethshetta in Zerath, and to the border of Abel-meholah, and to And the men of Israel gathered themselves together out of Naphtali and out of Asher, and of all the Manasseh, and pursued after the Midianites. And Gideon sent messengers throughout all Ephraim, saying, Come down against the Midianites, and take before them the waters of Bethbara and Jordan. And all the men of Ephraim gathered themselves together, and took the waters of Bethbara and Jordan. And they took the two princes of the Midianites, Oreb and Zeb, and they slew Oreb upon the rock. Oreb and Zeb they slew in the winepress of Zeb, and pursued Midian, and brought the heads of Oreb and Zeb to Gideon on the other side, Jordan."

[John Weaver] Now today we're probably really only going to get down until about verse 22. But at the same time, I want to just remind you that I've dealt with the principle of preparation so far. And how when God begins to deliver a people, He prepares them. Deliverance is no accident. It does not just happen. It's a purposeful, deliberate act of God. And when God prepares us, He strips us of our pride and our self-ability and vain glory. And in the procedure, God always sends a preacher. He sends the preacher not only to declare the goodness and the grace of God, but to point out our wickedness and our rebellion as well. And then, of course, God chose the person to deliver. And, of course, that was Gideon.

[John Weaver] And we saw how that he was prudent and practical, how that he was discerning and perceptive. how that he was meek and humble, and of course how he was called and sent, and then lastly how he was bold and believing. And then we saw how the power in all of this was the power of God as well. And last week I really dealt with this point. We do not need a majority or a multitude to prevail. We need just simply a dedicated minority.

[John Weaver] Now you just stop and think about Gideon and his 300. An amazing thing is, as you look through Scripture, you will find that God delights in using small things. Do you remember that God used the hornets to drive the Amorites out of the land? Do you remember how God used the jawbone of an ass and the hand of Samson to slay a thousand Philistines? You remember in John chapter 6, it was a little lad that the Lord used with a few fishes and a loaf of bread to feed the multitude. So, God delights in using small things. In fact, the scripture tells us in the book of Zechariah chapter 4 verse 10 that we're not to despise the day of small things. And unhappily, there are a multitude of Christians who tend to look down upon themselves, and they limit themselves because they think we're so small and we're so insignificant. And yet, you know what our Lord said in Luke 12 and verse 32? He said to His disciples, listen now, fear not, little flock.

[John Weaver] It's the Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom. So it really doesn't matter how small you are. When the Father's good pleasure is involved, you can marker down it's going to be accomplished. We shall prevail. And the reason we shall prevail is because we've already been given the victory in and through our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.

[John Weaver] Now, I believe that one of the most fascinating and provocative scenes of scripture is in our passage before us today. This scene is not only simple on the one hand, yet on the other hand, it's complex. It is plain on one hand and grandiose on the other hand. It is a demonstration, now listen to me carefully, it is a demonstration of God's use of psychological warfare against His enemies. And yes, I did say psychological warfare.

[John Weaver] Now, you've heard the old adage that everything goes in love and in war. Well, that adage is true to a certain extent. As Christians, we're certainly bound by the Word of God, and we cannot go over, above, or beyond the Word of God. We cannot violate the principles that God has laid down for us in His Word. For instance, we cannot kill, harm, and torture innocent civilians and individuals who are not in the battle. Moreover, we cannot make war against creation the way Sherman, Sheridan, Ewing, and Abraham Lincoln did.

[John Weaver] No, we are forbidden to do that according to Deuteronomy chapter 20. However, we are free to use and engage every tactic that God commands or that He gives us by way of illustration and example. Now, the illustration and example that he's given us today is that of psychological warfare. I want to read to you four paragraphs that I downloaded from the United States Army's website on psychological warfare.

[John Weaver] And it may really surprise you. Here is their motto from their website first. It says capture their minds and their hearts and souls will follow. Capture their minds and their hearts and souls will follow. In other words, you get them brainwashed, you get them propagandized, you get them thinking the way that you want them to think, and then they're going to come on along and do whatever you want them to do. That's their motto.

[John Weaver] Now I'm going to read you just four short paragraphs from the United States Army's website on psychological warfare. Listen carefully. Psychological operations, or PSYOP, are planned operations. Did you get that? Are planned operations to convey selected information and indicators to audiences to influence their emotions, motives, objective reasoning, and ultimately the behavior of organizations, groups, and individuals. Used in all aspects of war, it is a weapon whose effectiveness is limited only by the ingenuity of the commander using it. A proven winner in combat and peacetime, PSYOP is one of the oldest weapons in the arsenal of man. It is an important force protector, combat multiplier, and a non-lethal weapons system. By the application of sound PSYOP techniques through face-to-face communication and mass media communications, We have demonstrated time and time again that we can appeal to the intelligence, reason, and emotions of our target audience to get them to think and to act as we desire.

[John Weaver] If these people are shooting at us, we can persuade them to lay down their arms. If they fear us, we can convince them that they have nothing to fear. If they are belligerent and uncooperative, we can show them the value of utility and cooperation. Lastly, and most important, the utilization of psyop can prevent needless bloodshed, destruction, and misery. That is why we say with conviction that psychological operations, or psyop, is truly a humane weapon. Here's the last paragraph. Listen now. Today, psychological operations are a vital part of the broad range of United States political, military, economic, and ideological activities used by the United States government to secure national objectives. The mission of providing psychological operations for the United States military today rests with the United States Army Civil Affairs and Psychological Operations Command at Fort Bragg, North Carolina."

[John Weaver] Now, I want you to note what they said. First of all, psychological operations are planned operations that convey selected information. In other words, they're going to give you the information they want you to have. And the reason they want to influence your emotions, your motives, your objective reasons, and ultimately your behavior. As they said in the second paragraph, plain and simple, to get them to think and act as we desire. And I want to just simply repeat this. You and I think of psychological operations internationally, that is, influencing our enemies and maybe influencing our friends. But when you read this paragraph, today psychological operations are a vital part of the broad range of the United States political, Democrats and Republicans, political, military, economic, and ideological activities used by the United States government to secure national objectives. What does that mean? They're using it against us within the states to secure what they want ideologically, through political correctness, economically. To me, that is a bald-faced assertion that the people of the United States are literally being brainwashed and propagandized.

[John Weaver] Now, one of the greatest military leaders of all times was the Chinese warrior Sun Tzu, and I certainly do not wholeheartedly endorse him because he did many things that were unbiblical as well as ungodly, yet he did enunciate a number of excellent principles in his book, The Art of War. Let me just read one of those principles that he enunciates. Listen to what he says, and he's teaching psychological warfare. He says, to capture the enemy's entire army is better than to destroy it. To take intact a regiment, a company, or a squad is better than to destroy them.

[John Weaver] For to win 100 victories in 100 battles is not the acme of skill. To subdue the enemy without fighting is the supreme excellence. Thus, what is of supreme importance in war is to attack the enemy's strategy.

[John Weaver] Next best is to interrupt his alliances by diplomacy. The next best is to attack his army, and the worst policy is to attack his cities.

[John Weaver] Now, what did Sun Tzu just get out of his mouth? He's saying the acme of skill is not winning a battle, but it is winning a war without fighting. How do you do that? Through psychological warfare.

[John Weaver] Now, I could spend hours on historical examples of psychological warfare from Genghis Khan to modern day battles. You will remember, by the way, that psychological warfare was waged against the Davidians in Waco, Texas. When they played that horrible music and dying rabbits and squealing animals hard rock and how they would throw the heavy spotlights on them all night to keep them from, that's psychological warfare. But I could give you illustration after illustration from psychological warfare throughout history, from Genghis Khan down to modern day. However, that psychological warfare in the Bible is which best illustrates my point.

[John Weaver] Let me make something exceedingly clear. Men may plan and scheme and manipulate, yet they fail. God never fails. Just stop and think for a minute. Can you imagine? Can you even conceive of what God could do to the minds of men? No one knows the mind of man as God knows it. God is the one who created us. God is the one who's given us our minds. And isn't it amazing how your mind plays tricks on you? Isn't it amazing how you hear things that are not there? You see things sometimes that are not there?

[John Weaver] Or you have a dream and you wake up and lo and behold, it's real. It's just real. I know there's one dream that I had years and years ago. I had to fight everything with every ounce in me to dispossess myself of that dream because it seemed so real. I know it was untrue. And yet it was so real. That's just simply the mind of man. You know what the Bible says in Job 21 and verse 27? Here's what God says, Behold, I know your thoughts, and the devices which you wrongfully imagine against me. Just stop and think about that. God knows the thoughts of man. God knows the imaginations and the devices that men imagine against Him. In Ezekiel chapter 11 and verse 5, God says this, I know the things that come into your mind, every one of them. You know, there's not one thing that you can think of that God doesn't already know that you thought of.

[John Weaver] And how about this passage? Let me just quote it. Psalm 139, verses 2 through 6. What did David say? David said, Thou knowest my down-sitting and my up-rising. Thou understandest my thought of far off. Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways. For there is not a word in my tongue, but lo, O Lord, Thou knowest it all together. Thou hast beset me behind and before, and laid Thine hand upon me.

[John Weaver] Such knowledge is too wonderful for me. It is high. I cannot attain unto it." What did David say? David said, Lord, You know the words that come into my tongue before I ever speak them. You know the thoughts that come into my mind before I ever think them. Since God knows the mind of man so well, and since God is able to control our thoughts, that means He is in absolute and total control.

[John Weaver] Now listen to this statement, because I'm going to show it to you from the Bible. Psychological warfare. involves fear, deceit, and the control of the mind, and thus the control of one's actions. Psychological warfare involves fear, deceit, the control of one's mind, and thus consequently the control of one's actions. The mind is a mysterious thing, and no one can place thoughts and fears and desires in the mind of men the way God can.

[John Weaver] I want you to turn in your Bibles to 1 Kings chapter 22. Hold Judges chapter 7. I'm just going to prepare you for what God has done in Judges chapter 7 in just for a moment. But look in 1 Kings chapter 22 if you would please. Here's a passage where God is going to destroy King Ahab. And I want you to understand that God had already told Ahab that he was going to die through the prophet Elijah. And he told Ahab that where the dogs licked the blood of Naboth, they were going to lick Ahab's blood. And so now Ahab has Ahab has gotten King Jehoshaphat to go up to battle with him.

[John Weaver] He wants to go up and take Ramoth Gilead. And all these prophets of Baal keep telling Ahab, go up and prosper, go up and prosper. Jehoshaphat says, wait a minute now, is there not here a prophet of the Lord? Yeah, he said, there's one, but I hate him. His name is Micaiah. He never speaks anything good of me but evil. And he said, let not the king say so. He said, get Micaiah. And by the way, Micaiah was kept in prison. So that's how the king knew where he was. And as he was sent, as he was sent for, the jailer who led him out said, now look, all these other prophets have prophesied good concerning Ahab in this war.

[John Weaver] Let thy mouth be the same. And old Micaiah said, as the Lord liveth, I can only say what God allows me to say. So when Micaiah gets in front of Ahab, Ahab asked him, he said, Shall we go up, Ramoth, Gilead, or shall we forbear? And old Micaiah said so in a very sarcastic way, Go up and prosper, O thou king. And all of a sudden Ahab said, realizing the sarcasm in his voice, How many times must I adjure thee to tell me nothing but the truth in the name of the Lord?" Micaiah said, you want the truth?

[John Weaver] I'll give it to you. God's going to take you to Ramoth Gilead to kill you. You're going to die. And of course, all false prophets then wanted to smite Micaiah and said, which way went the Spirit of the Lord from me to thee? And he said, you'll find out in the day that you hide yourself in an upper chamber. And here is what Makai is telling you. Look at it.

[John Weaver] Beginning there with verse 22. Well, let's begin reading with verse 19. Here's what Makai said. 1 Kings 22 verse 19, Hear thou therefore the word of the Lord. I saw the Lord sitting on his throne and all the hosts of heaven standing by him on the right hand and on the left. And the Lord said, Who shall persuade Ahab that he may go up and fall at Ramoth Gilead?

[John Weaver] And one said after this manner and another said after that manner. And there came forth the Spirit and stood before the Lord and said, I will persuade him. And the Lord said unto him, Wherewith? And he said, I will go forth, and it will be a lying spirit in the mouth of his prophets. And he said, Thou shalt persuade him, and prevail also. Go forth, and do so. Now therefore, behold, the Lord hath put a lying spirit in the mouth of all these thy prophets, and the Lord hath spoken evil against thee. But Zedekiah the son of Jannanah went near, and smote Micaiah on the cheek, and said, Which way went the spirit of the Lord from me to speak unto thee?

[John Weaver] Now I want you to note what happened. God says, Who's going to persuade Ahab to go up to Ramoth and Gilead? One said this and one said that. Finally, one spirit said, I'll go. I'll do it. How will you do it? I'll be a lying spirit in the mouth of his prophets. And the funny thing is, Micaiah told Ahab exactly what had happened. And Ahab still believed the false prophets and still went to Ramoth Gilead and got shot. And the blood from his body went in his chariot. And sure enough, when he came back, the dogs licked his blood exactly the way Elijah said.

[John Weaver] Now, you know about psychological warfare. What did God do? God deceived Ahab by sending a lying spirit to his false prophets. Are you listening? All warfare is deceit. Camouflage is deceit. When I go deer hunting, I put on camouflage. Why? I want that big buck to think I'm a bush. A big bush. But a big bush with a rifle. And I got news for you, if I'm overseas fighting an individual, I want him to think I'm a bush too. Whether it's a big one or a small one. I want to deceive him. Why?

[John Weaver] So I can destroy him. All warfare is deceit. Marker down. Do you realize, now listen carefully, do you realize the enemy first used deceit in the Garden of Eden. What did the serpent do? He deceived Eve. And the lex talionis, remember that word, Latin for the law of retribution, the lex talionis of Scripture is that the punishment must fit the crime. What does that mean? That the deceiver shall be deceived. So since Satan is the great deceiver himself, He deserves to be deceived. All who follow in His steps, and all who follow His pernicious ways, deserve to be deceived as well. That's why in Job 12 and verse 16, the Word of God says, concerning God, the deceived and the deceiver are His. That's why when you read the Bible, you will find out that Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and a multitude of others used deceit to overcome their enemies, and especially the wicked rulers.

[John Weaver] Now, someone's going to get pious and say, now, wait a minute, Brother Weaver. God would never use deceit. Oh? Well, look in your Bibles to 1 Kings chapter, not 1 Kings, but 1 Samuel chapter 16. 1 Samuel chapter 16. Do you remember how King Saul had sinned against God? refused to follow his commandments. And God rejected Saul. And so God is now going to find him another king and he sends Samuel to anoint David to be king. Well look in 1 Samuel chapter 16 beginning there of verse 1. And the Lord said unto Samuel, How long wilt thou mourn for Saul, seeing I have rejected him from reigning over Israel? Fill thine horn with oil, and go, and I will send thee to Jesse the Bethlehemite, for I provided me a king among his sons." Look at verse 2. And Samuel said, How can I go? If Saul hear it, he will kill me. And the Lord said, Take an heifer with thee, and say, I am come to sacrifice to the Lord.

[John Weaver] Now let me ask you a couple of questions. Did Samuel offer a sacrifice? Yes. Was that the main purpose of his mission? No. What did God do? God said you use deceit to deceive the deceiver. If Saul wants to know why you're going to Bethlehem, just tell him you're going to offer a sacrifice. And he did that. But that was not the reason he went there. He went there to anoint David to be king, to take Saul's place. He said, if Saul finds out, he'll kill me. God said, here's your cover story. You're just going to offer sacrifice. You see, there is nothing wrong with deceiving a deceiver.

[John Weaver] That is the lex talionis of Scripture. Saul had become God's enemy and the enemy of righteousness, and deception was used to overcome him and prevent violence from him. Are you listening? Deception is a nonviolent way to prevent violence by wicked men. You know, if I was approached by three or four men and their intent, I perceive, was to harm me, Probably, I'm going to put one hand behind my back or one hand in my pocket, and I'm going to start saying, don't make me bring my hand out of this pocket. You know what I'm implying?

[John Weaver] I've got a weapon there. Whether I do or whether I don't, it's immaterial. What am I doing? I'm using deceit to stop them from using violence. And that's right. There's nothing wrong with it. That's exactly what God did.

[John Weaver] Now, let me show you another illustration. Look in your Bibles, the second Kings chapter 7. Second Kings chapter 7. I'm just showing you how God uses psychological warfare. Psychological warfare is deceit and deception. That's all there is to it. It's placing fear in the minds of men, it's making them think things that are not necessarily true. But in 2 Cain chapter 7, when you get to this passage, you'll find the Syrians have surrounded Samaria. OK? Samaria is so broke because nothing is allowed to go out and nothing is allowed to come in.

[John Weaver] The people inside, or eating, the Bible says, dove's dung. And women are killing and eating their own children. And here are these two lepers sitting at the gate of the city. Remember now, lepers were not allowed inside the city. Well, how did the lepers live? They ate of the junk and the trash that was being thrown over the city walls. Well, nothing was being thrown over the city walls because there was nothing needed inside the city. And these two lepers say to the other, why sit we here till we die? If we go into the city, behold, we'll die there because starvation is in the city. If we sit here, we're going to starve to death. We're going to die anyhow.

[John Weaver] They said, come, let us fall to the Syrians. If they kill us, we will but be dead. In other words, you can't be any more dead put by the sword. than dead starving to death. Once you're dead, you're dead. That's it. Doesn't matter how you die, you're dead. And they said it could be that they might save us alive. So that's our only hope. Let's go fall to them.

[John Weaver] And they find a tremendous thing. All the host of the Syrians were gone. Look at it.

[John Weaver] Second Kings, chapter 7 and verse 3. And there were four leprous men at the entering end of the gate, and they said one to the other, why sit we here until we die? If we say we will enter the city, the famine is in the city, and we shall die there. If we sit there here, we shall die also.

[John Weaver] Now therefore, come and let us fall in the host of the Syrians. If they save us alive, we shall live, and if they kill us, we shall but die. And they rose up in the twilight to go to the camp of the Syrians. And when they were come to the uttermost part of the camp of Syria, behold, there was no man there. Why? had the Syrians left.

[John Weaver] They had the city right where they wanted it. The people were about to capitulate. How could an army fight when they had no food and no animals? Why did they leave, verse 6, For the LORD had made the host of the Syrians to hear a noise of chariots and a noise of horses, even the noise of a great host. And they said one to another, Lo, the kings of Israel have hired against us the kings of the Hittites and the kings of the Egyptians to come up against us. Wherefore they arose and fled in the twilight, and left their tents and their horses and their asses, even the camp as it was, and fled for their lives."

[John Weaver] Now, let me ask you, What did God do? He just caused them to hear a noise that wasn't there. And He caused them to think thoughts that were not true. And you know what they did? They just fled and left everything. That is psychological warfare. You talk about controlling the minds and the thoughts of men. God is unsurpassed at it. God is able to instill, to manufacture, and to develop fear, terror, and horror in every man. He is able to make men think what He wants them to think. By the way, if you look at 2 Kings chapter 19, God used a similar tactic to destroy the Assyrian army. Look in 2 Kings chapter 19 and verse 7.

[John Weaver] The Assyrians are threatening Jerusalem. Verse 6, let's read. And Isaiah said unto them, Thus shall you say to your master, that is to the king, Thus saith the Lord, Be not afraid of the words which thou hast heard, with which the servants of the king of Assyria have blasphemed me. Look what God says. Behold, I will send a blast upon him, and he shall hear a rumor, and shall return to his own land, and I will cause him to fall by the sword in his own land. God said don't worry about the king of Assyria. I'm going to cause him to hear a rumor. I'm going to cause him to hear a noise. And he's going to leave and go right back and be killed in his own city. Skip down to verse 28. Look what God says to the king of Assyria.

[John Weaver] Because thy rage against me and thy tumult has come up into mine ears, therefore I will put my hook in thy nose, and my bridle in thy lips, and I will turn thee back by the way which thou camest. And when the king of Assyria got back to his hometown, He was in the house of Nisroch, his God, worshipping, and his two sons, or two of his sons, murdered him. And then another son, Esarhaddon, took his place. What did God use? A rumor? A blast? A noise? That's psychological warfare.

[John Weaver] But now wait a minute. Someone's going to say, now wait a minute, Brother Weaver. I know these are illustrations of the Bible. But still, somehow, I just don't think that God would use deceit. Well, you can think what you want to think. But let me tell you this. The puny, fallible, sentimental mind of man is not the standard for who God is or what God does. His Word is the standard that reveals who He is and declares what He does. And if you want to have a good, clear illustration of what I'm telling you, you just turn in your Bibles to 2 Thessalonians 2. 2 Thessalonians 2.

[John Weaver] And let's begin reading there with verse 10. 2 Thessalonians 2. and verse 10. And we'll see whether or not God uses deceit and delusion. Notice 2 Thessalonians chapter 2. And let's begin, well let's read verse 9. 2 Thessalonians chapter 2 verse 9. The Bible says, even him whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders. Now watch this, 2 Thessalonians 2.10.

[John Weaver] and with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish, because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion that they should believe a lie, that they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness." Now what does God do? For those who hate him, hate his word, hate his truth, and refuse to bow to him.

[John Weaver] What's the scripture say he does? He sends them a what? A strong delusion. He deceives them. He lets them believe a lie. Why? That they all might be damned. Who believe not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

[John Weaver] Now does God use deceit? Well, of course he does. Of course he does, because it's a principle of scripture, the lex talionis, the deceiver shall be deceived. And if you will go back in your Bibles to Judges chapter 7, here you will see one of the clearest illustrations of psychological warfare and deceit that is ever recorded in the Bible. And here is where it is, where God uses this against the Midianites. Now, you've got to remember, God has already begun instilling fear in the Midianites. You remember how he told Gideon, take Phurah your servant, and you get down to the host, and you hear what they say. And this one man had a dream, and of course the barley cake came rolling down the hill, and smoked the tent, and the tent was squashed flat. That's a good southern word, squashed, okay. It's like tipping over a bucket.

[John Weaver] You squash something, you know. And then the one said, man, this is nothing but the sword of the Lord and of Gideon. God has given the host of Midian into his hands. Now, what in the world is God now beginning to do to the Midianites? Are you listening? He's beginning to terrorize them. For seven long years, they had terrorized his people. They had put fear into his people. And now God is going to take that same fear and that same terror and turn it right back upon the Midianites. They are going to be ruined by their own imagination and by their own fear. You know, God is quite capable of putting his fear and the fear of his people into his enemies.

[John Weaver] Let me just give you some scriptures. In Exodus 15 and verse 16, here's what God said. You don't have to turn there. Exodus 15, verse 16, fear and dread shall be upon them. By the greatness of Thine arm they shall be still as a stone, till Thy people pass over, O Lord, till the people pass over which Thou hast purchased." So what has God done? God has placed His fear upon men so much so that they were immobilized. They could not move until His people totally, completely, and successfully escaped. When you get to Exodus 23 and verse 27, God tells His people, I will send My fear before thee, and will destroy all the people to whom thou shalt come, and I will make all thine enemies turn their backs unto thee.

[John Weaver] Did you hear what He said? I will send My fear before thee. I'll make them turn their backs. I'll put things in their mind and things in their heart. They cannot stand against you. And when you get to Deuteronomy 2 and verse 25, God says, This day will I begin to put the dread of thee and the fear of thee upon the nations that are under the whole heaven, who shall hear report of thee and shall tremble and be in anguish because of thee. So when His people got ready to go into Canaan land, He said, I'm going to put your fear upon them. They're going to tremble. They're going to be in anguish. They're going to be terrorized because of you. What God is doing in Judges chapter 7, He is using the name of Gideon and putting the fear of Gideon as well as the fear of the Lord upon the Midianites.

[John Weaver] I want you to sit back and just think with me about the psychological impact of what is about to take place. The Bible tells us that Gideon has 300 men. He divides these 300 men into three companies. 100 men to a company. So probably he's got one company in front and one company on each side. In other words, he gives them a way out. He cannot surround them with 300 men. And so Gideon says, you've got a trumpet, you have a pitcher, it was a clay pot, and inside that there's a firebrand. That way the enemy could not see the fire as long as it was in the pitcher.

[John Weaver] So he said, basically, you watch me and you do what I do whenever I do it. Now the Bible tells us that he came upon them in the third watch.

[John Weaver] Now, the Romans divided the night into four watches. But in ancient Israel, it was in three watches. The middle watch was from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. Now, they had just changed watches. Probably, it was at 2 o'clock in the morning. When are you the deadest in sleep and the soundest in sleep? About two or three o'clock in the morning. And so, what Gideon has done now, he's divided his men into three companies. He's got them on three sides. It's two o'clock in the morning. And you know what it's like to be awakened out of a sound sleep. Instantly. You sit up and for a few minutes you don't know who you are or where you are or what you're doing.

[John Weaver] I mean, Alice and I have slept so soundly one Sunday afternoon when we woke up, we didn't even know what day it was. We didn't. Honestly. The only thing I could think of was I'm supposed to be a church preacher and I'm not there, you know. Thankfully, it was about four o'clock on Sunday afternoon, and we had time to get there. But, I mean, you wake up, and you're just confused, and you don't know which end is up.

[John Weaver] Well, this is what Gideon has done. He's taken this third watch, when men are going to be the most, sleeping the most soundly. And by the way, you take what it does to you, being awakened quickly out of a deep sleep, And you multiply that by the hundreds of thousands. You've got a couple of thousand men there. Secondly, you've got to think about the mules and the camels and the donkeys. OK, secondly. Verse 17, 18, Gideon says, you do as I do. Now, usually. Think about this. Usually there was one trumpet per army. Because that trumpet was used then to direct that army and to call them either retreat or to teach them to go forward or to take them left or right, whatever the signal was. So now Gideon has 300 trumpets. What is he going to make the enemy believe? That he's got 300 armies or 300 different companies of soldiers that are about to come upon them. 300 companies or 300 armies.

[John Weaver] That could be as many as a million people. It depends on how many you have in the army.

[John Weaver] Now, Granny Doris asked about the breaking of the pitchers. They blew the trumpets. And the next thing they did, they had these clay pitchers and they broke them. You know, Alice broke one of her clay pots last week somehow, I don't know how, but there was a part of it still under the carport. She was fixing to throw it away. So, I picked up the largest part and I took a tool and I hit it just to listen to the sound of it. You know what it sounded like?

[John Weaver] Now, you think about this. You've just been awakened from a deep sleep and all of a sudden you hear this noise and it sounded like thousands of swords being drawn. I mean, if you think the enemy's coming upon you and you hear that noise, that's all you can think about. And then when they broke the pot, the firebrand was exposed, and so the 300 men then held the firebrand. What does that mean? That means here are 300 men holding firebrands which the enemy is going to think are showing the way to the vast armies behind them. Psychological warfare? You better believe it.

[John Weaver] And then when they cried, the sword of the Lord and Gideon. God had already put the fear of Gideon in their hearts. And now he's put the fear of God in their heart, and they know that they're in deep trouble if Gideon and the Lord have gotten together against them. And you know what God does? Look down in verse 21 and 22. And they stood every man in his place round about the camp, and all the hosts ran and cried and fled. And the three hundred blew the trumpets, and the Lord set every man's sword against his fellow, even throughout all the hosts.

[John Weaver] Now you stop and think about this. Two o'clock in the morning, you hear these trumpets at 300 Abba, and you think of 300 armies. The pitchers are broken. It sounds like swords being drawn. All of a sudden you see the fire, which means the men are coming upon you right now. You are in the dark. You just woke up. Horses and mules and camels are running. People are charging you on every hand. What do you do? You start defending yourself.

[John Weaver] And you kill whoever is near you. And thus God used psychological warfare to turn the enemy's sword upon themselves. Those who were not killed instantly, the rest of them we'll pick up next week, fled to get out of there just through the use of psychological warfare.

[John Weaver] Now, let me make some applications. The first one is this. I want you to understand that God used a great noise, He used great fire, and He used a great shout to destroy the many nights. The reason the sword of Gideon was successful was because it was coupled with the sword of the Lord. Had it not been with the sword of the Lord, The Sword of Gideon would not have been successful.

[John Weaver] What does that teach us? It teaches us that men are God's instruments. And we are to be subservient to Him and in subordination to Him. We are not greater than He is. We are not equal to Him. We are subordinate to Him and in subservience to Him. He must have first place. The second application is this. The noted Bishop Hall said this, and I'm giving you a quote.

[John Weaver] I want you to think about it. He said, If these pictures, trumpets, and firebrands did so daunt and dismay the proud troops of Midian and Amalek, who shall be able to stand before the last terror? When the trumpet of the archangel shall sound, the elements shall be on fire, the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the Lord himself shall sit with a shout. Well, that's a decent application. If the enemies could not stand before just simple pictures in Joshua chapter 7, very obviously they're not going to be able to stand before the reality. The third application is this. I want you to note that Gideon and the 300 men did not immediately rush into the host of the Midianites.

[John Weaver] What does that teach us? It teaches that they were neither greedy for blood or spoil. They were patiently standing there waiting for God to finish His work. They were standing there observing the salvation of the Lord. They knew that God was turning every man's sword against his fellow. And so they just stayed out of it until the killing was done and the enemy was on the run.

[John Weaver] There is a broader picture that I want you to see. The sleep in many nights. Give us an example. Of the sleeping world. You know what the Bible says? In Romans 13, verse 11, and knowing the time that now is, it is high time to wake out of our sleep. For now is our salvation nearer than when we first believed. So we have, then, a sleeping world.

[John Weaver] The ungodly are asleep in the lap of the wicked one. And some of the godly are asleep as well. And therefore, in 1 Thessalonians 5, verses 6 and 8, the Word of God says, Therefore let us not sleep as do others, but let us watch and be sober. So, you have the sleeping Midianites giving us, then, a picture of a sleeping world.

[John Weaver] Secondly, you have the trumpet being sounded, which, of course, gives us a picture, again, that the trumpet is indeed a herald of judgment. They blew the trumpets at Jericho, you will remember. They blew the trumpets here at the defeat of Midian. And, of course, when you get Revelation 8, there are the last trumpets. And then there is the last trumpet. And so this trumpet then shows that judgment will fall upon the ungodly.

[John Weaver] Then there was the lights that Gideon in 300 had. You know, the Bible says men love darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil. Neither cometh any man to the light because light exposes his wickedness. But the Bible says concerning Christ, He is the light. Jesus Christ Himself said that He is the light of the world. And so we have the true light, which is Christ.

[John Weaver] And the fourth thing you have is the sword. The sword of the Lord and of Gideon. Do you remember what the Bible says in Hebrews 4 and verse 12? For the word of God is quick and powerful, sharper than what? A two-edged sword. And do you remember in Revelation 19? The lamb upon the white horse, out of his mouth went what? a two-edged sword. You know what the sword is? The sword is the Word of God. Here's the whole picture. Gideon was standing against a sleeping world with the trumpet of judgment, with the light of the Gospel, and with the sword of the Word in his hand.

[John Weaver] That is how we are to stand today. It is the sword of truth that men cannot stand. And just as God gave victory to Gideon, marker down folks, we are going to have victory through the Word of Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is not going to be defeated. His Gospel will not fail. We need to learn to stand fast. to declare the Word of God. Use the herald of the trumpet in declaring the righteous judgment and justice of God and hold up the light of the world, which is Jesus Christ. And we will be assured of the victory that's in Him.

[John Weaver] Let me tell you, it's amazing. God uses deceit to destroy his enemies. But he uses truth to convert his people. I don't know about you, but I'd rather believe the truth than a lie. Let's pray. Father, we're thankful for Jesus Christ. We're thankful for the Word of God. We're thankful for the victory that is ours through Him who loved us and gave Himself for us. Give us grace that we may serve Thee acceptably with reverence and godly fear. In Thy name we ask and pray, Amen and Amen.

Principles of Deliverance - 7

John Weaver | SermonAudio

Lecture Metadata	Details
Speaker	John Weaver
Source	SermonAudio
Media ID	10310684033
Subject	Civil Government
Course	Civil Government: Power, Nations, and Constitutional Order: Where We Are & How We Got Here
Genre	Sermon
Date	2006-08-20
Dictation Name
Book	Book 163: Principles of Deliverance — Chapter 7
Source Timed Segments	78

Formatted Transcript

Introduction and Review

Weaver introduces the passage and reviews previous principles of deliverance: preparation, the role of a preacher, and God's choice of Gideon.

All right, let's open our Bibles today, if we would please, to the book of Judges, chapter 7. Judges, chapter 7. And today we're going to be reading verses 16 through 25. And we're on number seven on the principles of deliverance.

Now, Lord willing, next week I'm going to be trying to tie everything together and finish this series. But I'm grateful that you lived to this day so you can get your question answered from last week. Good. All right. All right. Let's read Judges chapter 7 and verse 16.

Scripture Reading — Judges 7:16-25

"And he divided the 300 men into three companies and he put a trumpet in every man's hand with the empty pitchers and lamps within the pitchers."

And he said to them, "Look on me and do likewise. And behold, when I come to the outside of the camp, it shall be that as I do, so shall you do. When I blow with the trumpet, I and all that are with me, then blow ye the trumpets also in every side of all the camp, and say, 'The sword of the Lord, and of Gideon.'" So Gideon and the hundred men that were with him came into the outside of the camp in the beginning of the middle watch, and they had but newly set the watch, and they blew the trumpets and broke the pitchers that were in their hands. And the three companies blew the trumpets and broke the pitchers, and held the lamps in their left hands and the trumpets in their right hands to blow with them, and they cried, "The sword of the Lord, and of Gideon." And they stood every man in his place round about the camp, and all the hosts ran, and cried, and fled. And three hundred blew the trumpets, and the Lord set every man's sword against his fellow, even throughout all the hosts.

And the hosts fled to Beth-shittah in Zererath, and to the border of Abel-meholah, and to Tabbath. And the men of Israel gathered themselves together out of Naphtali and out of Asher, and of all Manasseh, and pursued after the Midianites. And Gideon sent messengers throughout all Ephraim, saying, "Come down against the Midianites, and take before them the waters of Beth-barah and Jordan." And all the men of Ephraim gathered themselves together, and took the waters of Beth-barah and Jordan. And they took the two princes of the Midianites, Oreb and Zeeb, and they slew Oreb upon the rock Oreb, and Zeeb they slew in the winepress of Zeeb, and pursued Midian, and brought the heads of Oreb and Zeeb to Gideon on the other side Jordan.

Now today we're probably really only going to get down until about verse 22. But at the same time, I want to just remind you that I've dealt with the principle of preparation so far. And how when God begins to deliver a people, He prepares them. Deliverance is no accident. It does not just happen. It's a purposeful, deliberate act of God. And when God prepares us, He strips us of our pride and our self-ability and vain glory. And in the procedure, God always sends a preacher. He sends the preacher not only to declare the goodness and the grace of God, but to point out our wickedness and our rebellion as well. And then, of course, God chose the person to deliver. And, of course, that was Gideon.

And we saw how that he was prudent and practical, how that he was discerning and perceptive, how that he was meek and humble, and of course how he was called and sent, and then lastly how he was bold and believing. And then we saw how the power in all of this was the power of God as well. And last week I really dealt with this point. We do not need a majority or a multitude to prevail. We need just simply a dedicated minority.

God Delights in Using Small Things

God often uses small, insignificant things to accomplish His purposes, as seen in Gideon's 300 men and other biblical examples.

Scripture Reading — Zechariah 4:10

Now you just stop and think about Gideon and his 300. An amazing thing is, as you look through Scripture, you will find that God delights in using small things. Do you remember that God used the hornets to drive the Amorites out of the land? Do you remember how God used the jawbone of an ass and the hand of Samson to slay a thousand Philistines? You remember in John chapter 6, it was a little lad that the Lord used with a few fishes and a loaf of bread to feed the multitude. So, God delights in using small things. In fact, the scripture tells us in the book of Zechariah chapter 4 verse 10 that we're not to despise the day of small things. And unhappily, there are a multitude of Christians who tend to look down upon themselves, and they limit themselves because they think we're so small and we're so insignificant. And yet, you know what our Lord said in Luke 12 and verse 32? He said to His disciples, listen now, "Fear not, little flock."

"It's the Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom." So it really doesn't matter how small you are. When the Father's good pleasure is involved, you can mark it down it's going to be accomplished. We shall prevail. And the reason we shall prevail is because we've already been given the victory in and through our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.

Psychological Warfare Defined

Weaver defines psychological warfare as planned operations to influence emotions, motives, and behavior, citing the U.S. Army's PSYOP motto and Sun Tzu.

Now, I believe that one of the most fascinating and provocative scenes of scripture is in our passage before us today. This scene is not only simple on the one hand, yet on the other hand, it's complex. It is plain on one hand and grandiose on the other hand. It is a demonstration, now listen to me carefully, it is a demonstration of God's use of psychological warfare against His enemies. And yes, I did say psychological warfare.

Now, you've heard the old adage that everything goes in love and in war. Well, that adage is true to a certain extent. As Christians, we're certainly bound by the Word of God, and we cannot go over, above, or beyond the Word of God. We cannot violate the principles that God has laid down for us in His Word. For instance, we cannot kill, harm, and torture innocent civilians and individuals who are not in the battle. Moreover, we cannot make war against creation the way Sherman, Sheridan, Ewing, and Abraham Lincoln did. No, we are forbidden to do that according to Deuteronomy chapter 20. However, we are free to use and engage every tactic that God commands or that He gives us by way of illustration and example. Now, the illustration and example that He's given us today is that of psychological warfare. I want to read to you four paragraphs that I downloaded from the United States Army's website on psychological warfare.

And it may really surprise you. Here is their motto from their website first. It says, "Capture their minds and their hearts and souls will follow. Capture their minds and their hearts and souls will follow." In other words, you get them brainwashed, you get them propagandized, you get them thinking the way that you want them to think, and then they're going to come on along and do whatever you want them to do. That's their motto.

Now I'm going to read you just four short paragraphs from the United States Army's website on psychological warfare. Listen carefully. "Psychological operations, or PSYOP, are planned operations." Did you get that? "Are planned operations to convey selected information and indicators to audiences to influence their emotions, motives, objective reasoning, and ultimately the behavior of organizations, groups, and individuals. Used in all aspects of war, it is a weapon whose effectiveness is limited only by the ingenuity of the commander using it. A proven winner in combat and peacetime, PSYOP is one of the oldest weapons in the arsenal of man. It is an important force protector, combat multiplier, and a non-lethal weapons system. By the application of sound PSYOP techniques through face-to-face communication and mass media communications, we have demonstrated time and time again that we can appeal to the intelligence, reason, and emotions of our target audience to get them to think and to act as we desire."

"If these people are shooting at us, we can persuade them to lay down their arms. If they fear us, we can convince them that they have nothing to fear. If they are belligerent and uncooperative, we can show them the value of utility and cooperation. Lastly, and most important, the utilization of PSYOP can prevent needless bloodshed, destruction, and misery. That is why we say with conviction that psychological operations, or PSYOP, is truly a humane weapon." Here's the last paragraph. Listen now. "Today, psychological operations are a vital part of the broad range of United States political, military, economic, and ideological activities used by the United States government to secure national objectives. The mission of providing psychological operations for the United States military today rests with the United States Army Civil Affairs and Psychological Operations Command at Fort Bragg, North Carolina."

Now, I want you to note what they said. First of all, psychological operations are planned operations that convey selected information. In other words, they're going to give you the information they want you to have. And the reason they want to influence your emotions, your motives, your objective reasons, and ultimately your behavior. As they said in the second paragraph, plain and simple, to get them to think and act as we desire. And I want to just simply repeat this. You and I think of psychological operations internationally, that is, influencing our enemies and maybe influencing our friends. But when you read this paragraph, today psychological operations are a vital part of the broad range of the United States political, Democrats and Republicans, political, military, economic, and ideological activities used by the United States government to secure national objectives. What does that mean? They're using it against us within the states to secure what they want ideologically, through political correctness, economically. To me, that is a bald-faced assertion that the people of the United States are literally being brainwashed and propagandized.

Now, one of the greatest military leaders of all times was the Chinese warrior Sun Tzu, and I certainly do not wholeheartedly endorse him because he did many things that were unbiblical as well as ungodly, yet he did enunciate a number of excellent principles in his book, The Art of War. Let me just read one of those principles that he enunciates. Listen to what he says, and he's teaching psychological warfare. He says, "To capture the enemy's entire army is better than to destroy it. To take intact a regiment, a company, or a squad is better than to destroy them." "For to win 100 victories in 100 battles is not the acme of skill. To subdue the enemy without fighting is the supreme excellence. Thus, what is of supreme importance in war is to attack the enemy's strategy."

"Next best is to interrupt his alliances by diplomacy. The next best is to attack his army, and the worst policy is to attack his cities." Now, what did Sun Tzu just get out of his mouth? He's saying the acme of skill is not winning a battle, but it is winning a war without fighting. How do you do that? Through psychological warfare.

Biblical Examples of Psychological Warfare

God uses deceit and fear to defeat enemies, as seen in Ahab's deception (1 Kings 22), Samuel's mission (1 Samuel 16), and the Syrian army's flight (2 Kings 7).

Now, I could spend hours on historical examples of psychological warfare from Genghis Khan to modern day battles. You will remember, by the way, that psychological warfare was waged against the Davidians in Waco, Texas. When they played that horrible music and dying rabbits and squealing animals hard rock and how they would throw the heavy spotlights on them all night to keep them from—that's psychological warfare. But I could give you illustration after illustration from psychological warfare throughout history, from Genghis Khan down to modern day. However, that psychological warfare in the Bible is which best illustrates my point. Let me make something exceedingly clear. Men may plan and scheme and manipulate, yet they fail. God never fails. Just stop and think for a minute. Can you imagine? Can you even conceive of what God could do to the minds of men? No one knows the mind of man as God knows it. God is the one who created us. God is the one who's given us our minds. And isn't it amazing how your mind plays tricks on you? Isn't it amazing how you hear things that are not there? You see things sometimes that are not there?

Or you have a dream and you wake up and lo and behold, it's real. It's just real. I know there's one dream that I had years and years ago. I had to fight everything with every ounce in me to dispossess myself of that dream because it seemed so real. I know it was untrue. And yet it was so real. That's just simply the mind of man. You know what the Bible says in Job 21 and verse 27? Here's what God says,

Scripture Reading — Job 21:27

"Behold, I know your thoughts, and the devices which you wrongfully imagine against me."

Just stop and think about that. God knows the thoughts of man. God knows the imaginations and the devices that men imagine against Him. In Ezekiel chapter 11 and verse 5, God says this, "I know the things that come into your mind, every one of them." You know, there's not one thing that you can think of that God doesn't already know that you thought of.

And how about this passage? Let me just quote it. Psalm 139, verses 2 through 6. What did David say? David said, "Thou knowest my down-sitting and my up-rising. Thou understandest my thought afar off. Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways. For there is not a word in my tongue, but lo, O Lord, Thou knowest it altogether. Thou hast beset me behind and before, and laid Thine hand upon me."

"Such knowledge is too wonderful for me. It is high. I cannot attain unto it." What did David say? David said, "Lord, You know the words that come into my tongue before I ever speak them. You know the thoughts that come into my mind before I ever think them." Since God knows the mind of man so well, and since God is able to control our thoughts, that means He is in absolute and total control.

Now listen to this statement, because I'm going to show it to you from the Bible. Psychological warfare involves fear, deceit, and the control of the mind, and thus the control of one's actions. Psychological warfare involves fear, deceit, the control of one's mind, and thus consequently the control of one's actions. The mind is a mysterious thing, and no one can place thoughts and fears and desires in the mind of men the way God can. I want you to turn in your Bibles to 1 Kings chapter 22. Hold Judges chapter 7. I'm just going to prepare you for what God has done in Judges chapter 7 in just for a moment. But look in 1 Kings chapter 22 if you would please. Here's a passage where God is going to destroy King Ahab. And I want you to understand that God had already told Ahab that he was going to die through the prophet Elijah. And he told Ahab that where the dogs licked the blood of Naboth, they were going to lick Ahab's blood. And so now Ahab has gotten King Jehoshaphat to go up to battle with him.

He wants to go up and take Ramoth Gilead. And all these prophets of Baal keep telling Ahab, "Go up and prosper, go up and prosper." Jehoshaphat says, "Wait a minute now, is there not here a prophet of the Lord?" "Yeah," he said, "there's one, but I hate him. His name is Micaiah. He never speaks anything good of me but evil." And he said, "Let not the king say so." He said, "Get Micaiah." And by the way, Micaiah was kept in prison. So that's how the king knew where he was. And as he was sent for, the jailer who led him out said, "Now look, all these other prophets have prophesied good concerning Ahab in this war." "Let thy mouth be the same." And old Micaiah said, "As the Lord liveth, I can only say what God allows me to say." So when Micaiah gets in front of Ahab, Ahab asked him, he said, "Shall we go up to Ramoth Gilead, or shall we forbear?" And old Micaiah said so in a very sarcastic way, "Go up and prosper, O thou king." And all of a sudden Ahab said, realizing the sarcasm in his voice, "How many times must I adjure thee to tell me nothing but the truth in the name of the Lord?" Micaiah said, "You want the truth?"

"I'll give it to you. God's going to take you to Ramoth Gilead to kill you. You're going to die." And of course, all false prophets then wanted to smite Micaiah and said, "Which way went the Spirit of the Lord from me to thee?" And he said, "You'll find out in the day that you hide yourself in an upper chamber." And here is what Micaiah is telling you. Look at it. Beginning there with verse 22. Well, let's begin reading with verse 19. Here's what Micaiah said. 1 Kings 22 verse 19,

Scripture Reading — 1 Kings 22:19-23

"Hear thou therefore the word of the Lord. I saw the Lord sitting on his throne and all the hosts of heaven standing by him on the right hand and on the left. And the Lord said, 'Who shall persuade Ahab that he may go up and fall at Ramoth Gilead?'"

"And one said after this manner and another said after that manner. And there came forth the Spirit and stood before the Lord and said, 'I will persuade him.' And the Lord said unto him, 'Wherewith?' And he said, 'I will go forth, and it will be a lying spirit in the mouth of his prophets.' And he said, 'Thou shalt persuade him, and prevail also. Go forth, and do so.' Now therefore, behold, the Lord hath put a lying spirit in the mouth of all these thy prophets, and the Lord hath spoken evil against thee." But Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah went near, and smote Micaiah on the cheek, and said, "Which way went the spirit of the Lord from me to speak unto thee?" Now I want you to note what happened. God says, "Who's going to persuade Ahab to go up to Ramoth Gilead?" One said this and one said that. Finally, one spirit said, "I'll go. I'll do it." "How will you do it?" "I'll be a lying spirit in the mouth of his prophets." And the funny thing is, Micaiah told Ahab exactly what had happened. And Ahab still believed the false prophets and still went to Ramoth Gilead and got shot. And the blood from his body went in his chariot. And sure enough, when he came back, the dogs licked his blood exactly the way Elijah said.

Now, you know about psychological warfare. What did God do? God deceived Ahab by sending a lying spirit to his false prophets. Are you listening? All warfare is deceit. Camouflage is deceit. When I go deer hunting, I put on camouflage. Why? I want that big buck to think I'm a bush. A big bush. But a big bush with a rifle. And I got news for you, if I'm overseas fighting an individual, I want him to think I'm a bush too. Whether it's a big one or a small one. I want to deceive him. Why?

So I can destroy him. All warfare is deceit. Mark it down. Do you realize, now listen carefully, do you realize the enemy first used deceit in the Garden of Eden. What did the serpent do? He deceived Eve. And the lex talionis, remember that word, Latin for the law of retribution, the lex talionis of Scripture is that the punishment must fit the crime. What does that mean? That the deceiver shall be deceived. So since Satan is the great deceiver himself, he deserves to be deceived. All who follow in His steps, and all who follow His pernicious ways, deserve to be deceived as well. That's why in Job 12 and verse 16, the Word of God says, concerning God, "the deceived and the deceiver are His." That's why when you read the Bible, you will find out that Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and a multitude of others used deceit to overcome their enemies, and especially the wicked rulers.

Now, someone's going to get pious and say, "Now, wait a minute, Brother Weaver. God would never use deceit." Oh? Well, look in your Bibles to 1 Samuel chapter 16. 1 Samuel chapter 16. Do you remember how King Saul had sinned against God? Refused to follow his commandments. And God rejected Saul. And so God is now going to find him another king and he sends Samuel to anoint David to be king. Well look in 1 Samuel chapter 16 beginning there of verse 1.

Scripture Reading — 1 Samuel 16:1-2

"And the Lord said unto Samuel, 'How long wilt thou mourn for Saul, seeing I have rejected him from reigning over Israel? Fill thine horn with oil, and go, and I will send thee to Jesse the Bethlehemite, for I provided me a king among his sons.'"

Look at verse 2.

Scripture Reading — 1 Samuel 16:1-2

"And Samuel said, 'How can I go? If Saul hear it, he will kill me.' And the Lord said, 'Take an heifer with thee, and say, I am come to sacrifice to the Lord.'"

Now let me ask you a couple of questions. Did Samuel offer a sacrifice? Yes. Was that the main purpose of his mission? No. What did God do? God said you use deceit to deceive the deceiver. If Saul wants to know why you're going to Bethlehem, just tell him you're going to offer a sacrifice. And he did that. But that was not the reason he went there. He went there to anoint David to be king, to take Saul's place. He said, "If Saul finds out, he'll kill me." God said, "Here's your cover story. You're just going to offer sacrifice." You see, there is nothing wrong with deceiving a deceiver.

That is the lex talionis of Scripture. Saul had become God's enemy and the enemy of righteousness, and deception was used to overcome him and prevent violence from him. Are you listening? Deception is a nonviolent way to prevent violence by wicked men. You know, if I was approached by three or four men and their intent, I perceive, was to harm me, probably, I'm going to put one hand behind my back or one hand in my pocket, and I'm going to start saying, "Don't make me bring my hand out of this pocket." You know what I'm implying? I've got a weapon there. Whether I do or whether I don't, it's immaterial. What am I doing? I'm using deceit to stop them from using violence. And that's right. There's nothing wrong with it. That's exactly what God did.

Now, let me show you another illustration. Look in your Bibles, the second Kings chapter 7. Second Kings chapter 7. I'm just showing you how God uses psychological warfare. Psychological warfare is deceit and deception. That's all there is to it. It's placing fear in the minds of men, it's making them think things that are not necessarily true. But in 2 Kings chapter 7, when you get to this passage, you'll find the Syrians have surrounded Samaria. OK? Samaria is so broke because nothing is allowed to go out and nothing is allowed to come in.

The people inside, are eating, the Bible says, dove's dung. And women are killing and eating their own children. And here are these two lepers sitting at the gate of the city. Remember now, lepers were not allowed inside the city. Well, how did the lepers live? They ate of the junk and the trash that was being thrown over the city walls. Well, nothing was being thrown over the city walls because there was nothing needed inside the city. And these two lepers say to the other, "Why sit we here till we die? If we go into the city, behold, we'll die there because starvation is in the city. If we sit here, we're going to starve to death. We're going to die anyhow."

They said, "Come, let us fall to the Syrians. If they kill us, we will but be dead." In other words, you can't be any more dead put by the sword than dead starving to death. Once you're dead, you're dead. That's it. Doesn't matter how you die, you're dead. And they said, "It could be that they might save us alive. So that's our only hope. Let's go fall to them."

And they find a tremendous thing. All the host of the Syrians were gone. Look at it. Second Kings, chapter 7 and verse 3.

Scripture Reading — 2 Kings 7:3-7

"And there were four leprous men at the entering in of the gate, and they said one to the other, 'Why sit we here until we die? If we say we will enter the city, the famine is in the city, and we shall die there. If we sit here, we shall die also.'"

"Now therefore, come and let us fall in the host of the Syrians. If they save us alive, we shall live, and if they kill us, we shall but die." And they rose up in the twilight to go to the camp of the Syrians. And when they were come to the uttermost part of the camp of Syria, behold, there was no man there. Why? Had the Syrians left. They had the city right where they wanted it. The people were about to capitulate. How could an army fight when they had no food and no animals? Why did they leave, verse 6, "For the LORD had made the host of the Syrians to hear a noise of chariots and a noise of horses, even the noise of a great host. And they said one to another, 'Lo, the kings of Israel have hired against us the kings of the Hittites and the kings of the Egyptians to come up against us.' Wherefore they arose and fled in the twilight, and left their tents and their horses and their asses, even the camp as it was, and fled for their lives."

Now, let me ask you, what did God do? He just caused them to hear a noise that wasn't there. And He caused them to think thoughts that were not true. And you know what they did? They just fled and left everything. That is psychological warfare. You talk about controlling the minds and the thoughts of men. God is unsurpassed at it. God is able to instill, to manufacture, and to develop fear, terror, and horror in every man. He is able to make men think what He wants them to think. By the way, if you look at 2 Kings chapter 19, God used a similar tactic to destroy the Assyrian army. Look in 2 Kings chapter 19 and verse 7.

The Assyrians are threatening Jerusalem. Verse 6, let's read. "And Isaiah said unto them, 'Thus shall you say to your master,' that is to the king, 'Thus saith the Lord, Be not afraid of the words which thou hast heard, with which the servants of the king of Assyria have blasphemed me.'" Look what God says. "Behold, I will send a blast upon him, and he shall hear a rumor, and shall return to his own land, and I will cause him to fall by the sword in his own land." God said don't worry about the king of Assyria. I'm going to cause him to hear a rumor. I'm going to cause him to hear a noise. And he's going to leave and go right back and be killed in his own city. Skip down to verse 28. Look what God says to the king of Assyria.

God Sends Delusion on the Wicked

2 Thessalonians 2:10-12 shows God sends strong delusion on those who reject truth, confirming that God uses deceit as a form of judgment.

But now wait a minute. Someone's going to say, "Now wait a minute, Brother Weaver. I know these are illustrations of the Bible. But still, somehow, I just don't think that God would use deceit." Well, you can think what you want to think. But let me tell you this. The puny, fallible, sentimental mind of man is not the standard for who God is or what God does. His Word is the standard that reveals who He is and declares what He does. And if you want to have a good, clear illustration of what I'm telling you, you just turn in your Bibles to 2 Thessalonians 2. 2 Thessalonians 2.

And let's begin reading there with verse 10. 2 Thessalonians 2 and verse 10. And we'll see whether or not God uses deceit and delusion. Notice 2 Thessalonians chapter 2. And let's begin, well let's read verse 9. 2 Thessalonians chapter 2 verse 9. The Bible says,

Scripture Reading — 2 Thessalonians 2:9-12

"Even him whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders."

Now watch this, 2 Thessalonians 2:10.

"And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish, because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion that they should believe a lie, that they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness." Now what does God do? For those who hate him, hate his word, hate his truth, and refuse to bow to him. What's the scripture say he does? He sends them a what? A strong delusion. He deceives them. He lets them believe a lie. Why? That they all might be damned. Who believe not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

Now does God use deceit? Well, of course he does. Of course he does, because it's a principle of scripture, the lex talionis, the deceiver shall be deceived. And if you will go back in your Bibles to Judges chapter 7, here you will see one of the clearest illustrations of psychological warfare and deceit that is ever recorded in the Bible. And here is where it is, where God uses this against the Midianites. Now, you've got to remember, God has already begun instilling fear in the Midianites. You remember how he told Gideon, "Take Phurah your servant, and you get down to the host, and you hear what they say." And this one man had a dream, and of course the barley cake came rolling down the hill, and smoked the tent, and the tent was squashed flat. That's a good southern word, squashed, okay. It's like tipping over a bucket.

The Psychological Impact on the Midianites

Gideon's strategy of trumpets, broken pitchers, and torches at the middle watch created confusion and fear, causing the Midianites to kill each other.

You squash something, you know. And then the one said, "Man, this is nothing but the sword of the Lord and of Gideon. God has given the host of Midian into his hands." Now, what in the world is God now beginning to do to the Midianites? Are you listening? He's beginning to terrorize them. For seven long years, they had terrorized his people. They had put fear into his people. And now God is going to take that same fear and that same terror and turn it right back upon the Midianites. They are going to be ruined by their own imagination and by their own fear. You know, God is quite capable of putting his fear and the fear of his people into his enemies.

Let me just give you some scriptures. In Exodus 15 and verse 16, here's what God said. You don't have to turn there. Exodus 15, verse 16,

Scripture Reading — Exodus 15:16

"Fear and dread shall be upon them. By the greatness of Thine arm they shall be still as a stone, till Thy people pass over, O Lord, till the people pass over which Thou hast purchased."

So what has God done? God has placed His fear upon men so much so that they were immobilized. They could not move until His people totally, completely, and successfully escaped. When you get to Exodus 23 and verse 27, God tells His people, "I will send My fear before thee, and will destroy all the people to whom thou shalt come, and I will make all thine enemies turn their backs unto thee."

Did you hear what He said? "I will send My fear before thee. I'll make them turn their backs. I'll put things in their mind and things in their heart. They cannot stand against you." And when you get to Deuteronomy 2 and verse 25, God says, "This day will I begin to put the dread of thee and the fear of thee upon the nations that are under the whole heaven, who shall hear report of thee and shall tremble and be in anguish because of thee." So when His people got ready to go into Canaan land, He said, "I'm going to put your fear upon them. They're going to tremble. They're going to be in anguish. They're going to be terrorized because of you." What God is doing in Judges chapter 7, He is using the name of Gideon and putting the fear of Gideon as well as the fear of the Lord upon the Midianites.

I want you to sit back and just think with me about the psychological impact of what is about to take place. The Bible tells us that Gideon has 300 men. He divides these 300 men into three companies. 100 men to a company. So probably he's got one company in front and one company on each side. In other words, he gives them a way out. He cannot surround them with 300 men. And so Gideon says, "You've got a trumpet, you have a pitcher, it was a clay pot, and inside that there's a firebrand." That way the enemy could not see the fire as long as it was in the pitcher.

So he said, basically, "You watch me and you do what I do whenever I do it." Now the Bible tells us that he came upon them in the third watch. Now, the Romans divided the night into four watches. But in ancient Israel, it was in three watches. The middle watch was from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. Now, they had just changed watches. Probably, it was at 2 o'clock in the morning. When are you the deadest in sleep and the soundest in sleep? About two or three o'clock in the morning. And so, what Gideon has done now, he's divided his men into three companies. He's got them on three sides. It's two o'clock in the morning. And you know what it's like to be awakened out of a sound sleep. Instantly. You sit up and for a few minutes you don't know who you are or where you are or what you're doing.

I mean, Alice and I have slept so soundly one Sunday afternoon when we woke up, we didn't even know what day it was. We didn't. Honestly. The only thing I could think of was I'm supposed to be a church preacher and I'm not there, you know. Thankfully, it was about four o'clock on Sunday afternoon, and we had time to get there. But, I mean, you wake up, and you're just confused, and you don't know which end is up. Well, this is what Gideon has done. He's taken this third watch, when men are going to be the most, sleeping the most soundly. And by the way, you take what it does to you, being awakened quickly out of a deep sleep, and you multiply that by the hundreds of thousands. You've got a couple of thousand men there. Secondly, you've got to think about the mules and the camels and the donkeys. OK, secondly. Verse 17, 18, Gideon says, "You do as I do." Now, usually. Think about this. Usually there was one trumpet per army. Because that trumpet was used then to direct that army and to call them either retreat or to teach them to go forward or to take them left or right, whatever the signal was. So now Gideon has 300 trumpets. What is he going to make the enemy believe? That he's got 300 armies or 300 different companies of soldiers that are about to come upon them. 300 companies or 300 armies.

That could be as many as a million people. It depends on how many you have in the army. Now, Granny Doris asked about the breaking of the pitchers. They blew the trumpets. And the next thing they did, they had these clay pitchers and they broke them. You know, Alice broke one of her clay pots last week somehow, I don't know how, but there was a part of it still under the carport. She was fixing to throw it away. So, I picked up the largest part and I took a tool and I hit it just to listen to the sound of it. You know what it sounded like?

Now, you think about this. You've just been awakened from a deep sleep and all of a sudden you hear this noise and it sounded like thousands of swords being drawn. I mean, if you think the enemy's coming upon you and you hear that noise, that's all you can think about. And then when they broke the pot, the firebrand was exposed, and so the 300 men then held the firebrand. What does that mean? That means here are 300 men holding firebrands which the enemy is going to think are showing the way to the vast armies behind them. Psychological warfare? You better believe it.

And then when they cried, "The sword of the Lord and Gideon." God had already put the fear of Gideon in their hearts. And now he's put the fear of God in their heart, and they know that they're in deep trouble if Gideon and the Lord have gotten together against them. And you know what God does? Look down in verse 21 and 22. "And they stood every man in his place round about the camp, and all the hosts ran and cried and fled. And the three hundred blew the trumpets, and the Lord set every man's sword against his fellow, even throughout all the hosts."

Now you stop and think about this. Two o'clock in the morning, you hear these trumpets at 300 Abba, and you think of 300 armies. The pitchers are broken. It sounds like swords being drawn. All of a sudden you see the fire, which means the men are coming upon you right now. You are in the dark. You just woke up. Horses and mules and camels are running. People are charging you on every hand. What do you do? You start defending yourself.

And you kill whoever is near you. And thus God used psychological warfare to turn the enemy's sword upon themselves. Those who were not killed instantly, the rest of them we'll pick up next week, fled to get out of there just through the use of psychological warfare.

Applications and Broader Picture

Weaver applies the passage: God uses noise, fire, and a shout; believers must stand with the trumpet of judgment, the light of Christ, and the sword of the Word.

Now, let me make some applications. The first one is this. I want you to understand that God used a great noise, He used great fire, and He used a great shout to destroy the Midianites. The reason the sword of Gideon was successful was because it was coupled with the sword of the Lord. Had it not been with the sword of the Lord, the sword of Gideon would not have been successful. What does that teach us? It teaches us that men are God's instruments. And we are to be subservient to Him and in subordination to Him. We are not greater than He is. We are not equal to Him. We are subordinate to Him and in subservience to Him. He must have first place. The second application is this. The noted Bishop Hall said this, and I'm giving you a quote.

I want you to think about it. He said, "If these pitchers, trumpets, and firebrands did so daunt and dismay the proud troops of Midian and Amalek, who shall be able to stand before the last terror? When the trumpet of the archangel shall sound, the elements shall be on fire, the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the Lord himself shall sit with a shout." Well, that's a decent application. If the enemies could not stand before just simple pitchers in Joshua chapter 7, very obviously they're not going to be able to stand before the reality. The third application is this. I want you to note that Gideon and the 300 men did not immediately rush into the host of the Midianites. What does that teach us? It teaches that they were neither greedy for blood or spoil. They were patiently standing there waiting for God to finish His work. They were standing there observing the salvation of the Lord. They knew that God was turning every man's sword against his fellow. And so they just stayed out of it until the killing was done and the enemy was on the run.

There is a broader picture that I want you to see. The sleep in many nights. Give us an example. Of the sleeping world. You know what the Bible says? In Romans 13, verse 11, "And knowing the time that now is, it is high time to wake out of our sleep. For now is our salvation nearer than when we first believed." So we have, then, a sleeping world.

The ungodly are asleep in the lap of the wicked one. And some of the godly are asleep as well. And therefore, in 1 Thessalonians 5, verses 6 and 8, the Word of God says, "Therefore let us not sleep as do others, but let us watch and be sober." So, you have the sleeping Midianites giving us, then, a picture of a sleeping world. Secondly, you have the trumpet being sounded, which, of course, gives us a picture, again, that the trumpet is indeed a herald of judgment. They blew the trumpets at Jericho, you will remember. They blew the trumpets here at the defeat of Midian. And, of course, when you get Revelation 8, there are the last trumpets. And then there is the last trumpet. And so this trumpet then shows that judgment will fall upon the ungodly.

Then there was the lights that Gideon and 300 had. You know, the Bible says men love darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil. Neither cometh any man to the light because light exposes his wickedness. But the Bible says concerning Christ, He is the light. Jesus Christ Himself said that He is the light of the world. And so we have the true light, which is Christ. And the fourth thing you have is the sword. The sword of the Lord and of Gideon. Do you remember what the Bible says in Hebrews 4 and verse 12?

Scripture Reading — Hebrews 4:12

"For the word of God is quick and powerful, sharper than what? A two-edged sword."

And do you remember in Revelation 19? The lamb upon the white horse, out of his mouth went what? A two-edged sword. You know what the sword is? The sword is the Word of God. Here's the whole picture. Gideon was standing against a sleeping world with the trumpet of judgment, with the light of the Gospel, and with the sword of the Word in his hand.

That is how we are to stand today. It is the sword of truth that men cannot stand. And just as God gave victory to Gideon, mark it down folks, we are going to have victory through the Word of Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is not going to be defeated. His Gospel will not fail. We need to learn to stand fast. To declare the Word of God. Use the herald of the trumpet in declaring the righteous judgment and justice of God and hold up the light of the world, which is Jesus Christ. And we will be assured of the victory that's in Him.

Study Guide

Major Themes

Psychological Warfare as a Divine Tactic

Summary: God uses psychological warfare—fear, deceit, and control of the mind—to defeat His enemies without physical combat.

Evidence: Weaver states, 'it is a demonstration of God's use of psychological warfare against His enemies' and cites multiple biblical examples.

God's Sovereignty Over the Mind

Summary: God knows and controls human thoughts, enabling Him to instill fear or delusion as He wills.

Evidence: Weaver quotes Job 21:27, Ezekiel 11:5, and Psalm 139:2-6 to show God's intimate knowledge of human thoughts.

The Lex Talionis: Deceiver Shall Be Deceived

Summary: Since Satan deceived in Eden, God righteously deceives those who follow in his steps, as seen in Ahab and the Syrian army.

Evidence: Weaver explains, 'the deceiver shall be deceived' and cites 1 Kings 22 and 2 Kings 7 as examples.

Victory Through a Dedicated Minority

Summary: God does not need a majority; He uses a small, obedient remnant to accomplish His purposes.

Evidence: Weaver says, 'We do not need a majority or a multitude to prevail. We need just simply a dedicated minority.'

The Believer's Arsenal: Trumpet, Light, and Sword

Summary: Christians are to stand against a sleeping world with the trumpet of judgment, the light of the gospel, and the sword of the Word.

Evidence: Weaver concludes, 'Gideon was standing against a sleeping world with the trumpet of judgment, with the light of the Gospel, and with the sword of the Word in his hand.'

Key Arguments

Psychological warfare is a biblical and legitimate tactic

Summary: Weaver argues that God Himself uses psychological warfare, as seen in Judges 7 and other scriptures, making it a valid strategy for believers.

Evidence: He says, 'it is a demonstration of God's use of psychological warfare against His enemies' and provides multiple biblical examples.

God uses deceit to judge the wicked

Summary: Weaver contends that God sends delusion and lying spirits to deceive those who reject truth, as a form of righteous judgment.

Evidence: He cites 1 Kings 22:19-23 and 2 Thessalonians 2:10-12, stating, 'God shall send them strong delusion that they should believe a lie.'

The Midianite defeat was a result of divine psychological manipulation

Summary: Weaver explains that the trumpets, broken pitchers, and torches created confusion and fear, causing the Midianites to turn on each other.

Evidence: He describes the scene: 'Two o'clock in the morning, you hear these trumpets... you start defending yourself. And you kill whoever is near you.'

Believers must use spiritual weapons, not carnal ones

Summary: Weaver applies the passage by urging Christians to stand with the trumpet (judgment), light (gospel), and sword (Word) rather than physical force.

Evidence: He says, 'That is how we are to stand today. It is the sword of truth that men cannot stand.'

Scripture References

Judges 7:16-25

Context: The primary passage describing Gideon's defeat of the Midianites with 300 men, trumpets, pitchers, and torches.

Zechariah 4:10

Context: Cited to support that God delights in small things: 'despise not the day of small things.'

Luke 12:32

Context: Jesus' encouragement to the 'little flock' that it is the Father's good pleasure to give them the kingdom.

Deuteronomy 20

Context: Referenced as forbidding war against creation, in contrast to Sherman and Lincoln's tactics.

Job 21:27

Context: God knows the thoughts and devices men imagine against Him.

Ezekiel 11:5

Context: God knows every thought that comes into man's mind.

Psalm 139:2-6

Context: David's declaration that God knows his thoughts, words, and ways completely.

1 Kings 22:19-23

Context: God sends a lying spirit to deceive Ahab's prophets, leading to his death at Ramoth Gilead.

1 Samuel 16:1-2

Context: God instructs Samuel to use a sacrifice as a cover story to anoint David, deceiving Saul.

2 Kings 7:3-7

Context: God causes the Syrian army to hear a noise of chariots, making them flee and abandon their camp.

2 Kings 19:6-7, 28

Context: God sends a rumor to the Assyrian king, causing him to return home and be killed.

2 Thessalonians 2:9-12

Context: God sends strong delusion on those who reject the truth, so they believe a lie and are damned.

Exodus 15:16

Context: Fear and dread fall on enemies by God's power, immobilizing them until His people pass over.

Exodus 23:27

Context: God promises to send His fear before Israel, making enemies turn their backs.

Deuteronomy 2:25

Context: God puts the dread and fear of Israel upon nations, causing them to tremble.

Romans 13:11

Context: It is high time to wake out of sleep, for salvation is nearer than when we first believed.

1 Thessalonians 5:6-8

Context: Believers are not to sleep as others do, but to watch and be sober.

Hebrews 4:12

Context: The Word of God is quick, powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword.

Revelation 19

Context: The Lamb on the white horse has a two-edged sword coming out of His mouth.

Historical References

Sun Tzu, The Art of War

Context: Quoted for his principle that subduing the enemy without fighting is the supreme excellence, illustrating psychological warfare.

Genghis Khan

Context: Mentioned as a historical example of psychological warfare, though not elaborated.

Waco Siege (Davidians)

Context: Cited as a modern example of psychological warfare using loud music and spotlights.

Sherman, Sheridan, Ewing, Abraham Lincoln

Context: Referenced as examples of making war against creation, which Deuteronomy 20 forbids.

U.S. Army Psychological Operations (PSYOP)

Context: Weaver reads from the Army's website, describing PSYOP as planned operations to influence emotions and behavior.

Bishop Hall

Context: Quoted for his application comparing the pitchers, trumpets, and firebrands to the last terror of the archangel's trumpet.

Important Quotes

it is a demonstration of God's use of psychological warfare against His enemies.

Significance: Weaver introduces the central theme that God employs psychological tactics in Judges 7.

Capture their minds and their hearts and souls will follow.

Significance: The U.S. Army PSYOP motto, used to illustrate the goal of psychological operations.

the deceived and the deceiver are His.

Significance: Weaver quotes Job 12:16 to show God's sovereignty over both deceivers and deceived.

God shall send them strong delusion that they should believe a lie, that they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

Significance: Key verse (2 Thessalonians 2:11-12) proving God uses delusion as judgment.

The sword of the Lord and of Gideon.

Significance: The battle cry of Gideon's men, emphasizing the partnership between divine and human agency.

We do not need a majority or a multitude to prevail. We need just simply a dedicated minority.

Significance: Summarizes the principle that God works through small, faithful remnants.

Gideon was standing against a sleeping world with the trumpet of judgment, with the light of the Gospel, and with the sword of the Word in his hand.

Significance: The concluding application, urging believers to use spiritual weapons.

Discussion Questions

How does the concept of psychological warfare in Judges 7 challenge or expand your understanding of how God works?

Context: Weaver argues that God uses fear, deceit, and mind control to defeat enemies.

Is it ever right for Christians to use deceit? Under what circumstances, if any?

Context: Weaver defends the use of deceit against deceivers, citing Samuel's mission and the lex talionis.

What does it mean that 'the deceived and the deceiver are His' (Job 12:16)? How does this affect our view of God's sovereignty?

Context: Weaver uses this verse to show God's control over all deception.

How can we apply the 'trumpet, light, and sword' imagery to our personal witness and spiritual warfare today?

Context: Weaver concludes with the application of standing with judgment, gospel, and Word.

Why does God often choose to work through small, seemingly insignificant groups or individuals?

Context: Weaver emphasizes that God delights in using small things, like Gideon's 300.

Applications

Trust God's use of small things

Summary: Believers should not despise their smallness or insignificance, for God delights in using the weak to confound the strong.

Evidence: Weaver says, 'Fear not, little flock. It's the Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom.'

Stand firm with spiritual weapons

Summary: Christians are to stand against the sleeping world with the trumpet of judgment, the light of the gospel, and the sword of the Word.

Evidence: Weaver concludes, 'That is how we are to stand today.'

Wait on God's deliverance

Summary: Like Gideon's men who stood in place, believers should patiently observe God's work rather than rushing into battle for spoil.

Evidence: Weaver notes, 'They were patiently standing there waiting for God to finish His work.'

Embrace truth over delusion

Summary: God uses deceit to destroy His enemies but truth to convert His people; therefore, believers must love and hold to the truth.

Evidence: Weaver states, 'God uses deceit to destroy his enemies. But he uses truth to convert his people.'

deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | clean_readable_transcript | 2026-06-05T15:40:38Z

deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | weaver_study | 2026-06-06T05:26:34Z

Clean Transcript

Principles of Deliverance - 7

Clean readable transcript. This view follows the Commentary.net cleaned segment text while preserving timestamps for audio follow-along.

All right, let's open our Bibles today, if we would please, to the book of Judges, chapter 7. Judges, chapter 7. And today we're going to be reading verses 16 through 25. And we're on number seven on the principles of deliverance.
#1 | 0:01 to 0:15 | cleaned
Now, Lord willing, next week I'm going to be trying to tie everything together and finish this series. But I'm grateful that you lived to this day so you can get your question answered from last week. Good. All right. All right. Let's read Judges chapter 7 and verse 16. "And he divided the 300 men into three companies and he put a trumpet in every man's hand with the empty pitchers and lamps within the pitchers."
#2 | 0:16 to 0:48 | cleaned
And he said to them, "Look on me and do likewise. And behold, when I come to the outside of the camp, it shall be that as I do, so shall you do. When I blow with the trumpet, I and all that are with me, then blow ye the trumpets also in every side of all the camp, and say, 'The sword of the Lord, and of Gideon.'" So Gideon and the hundred men that were with him came into the outside of the camp in the beginning of the middle watch, and they had but newly set the watch, and they blew the trumpets and broke the pitchers that were in their hands. And the three companies blew the trumpets and broke the pitchers, and held the lamps in their left hands and the trumpets in their right hands to blow with them, and they cried, "The sword of the Lord, and of Gideon." And they stood every man in his place round about the camp, and all the hosts ran, and cried, and fled. And three hundred blew the trumpets, and the Lord set every man's sword against his fellow, even throughout all the hosts.
#3 | 0:48 to 1:45 | cleaned
And the hosts fled to Beth-shittah in Zererath, and to the border of Abel-meholah, and to Tabbath. And the men of Israel gathered themselves together out of Naphtali and out of Asher, and of all Manasseh, and pursued after the Midianites. And Gideon sent messengers throughout all Ephraim, saying, "Come down against the Midianites, and take before them the waters of Beth-barah and Jordan." And all the men of Ephraim gathered themselves together, and took the waters of Beth-barah and Jordan. And they took the two princes of the Midianites, Oreb and Zeeb, and they slew Oreb upon the rock Oreb, and Zeeb they slew in the winepress of Zeeb, and pursued Midian, and brought the heads of Oreb and Zeeb to Gideon on the other side Jordan.
#4 | 1:45 to 2:28 | cleaned
Now today we're probably really only going to get down until about verse 22. But at the same time, I want to just remind you that I've dealt with the principle of preparation so far. And how when God begins to deliver a people, He prepares them. Deliverance is no accident. It does not just happen. It's a purposeful, deliberate act of God. And when God prepares us, He strips us of our pride and our self-ability and vain glory. And in the procedure, God always sends a preacher. He sends the preacher not only to declare the goodness and the grace of God, but to point out our wickedness and our rebellion as well. And then, of course, God chose the person to deliver. And, of course, that was Gideon.
#5 | 2:28 to 3:13 | cleaned
And we saw how that he was prudent and practical, how that he was discerning and perceptive, how that he was meek and humble, and of course how he was called and sent, and then lastly how he was bold and believing. And then we saw how the power in all of this was the power of God as well. And last week I really dealt with this point. We do not need a majority or a multitude to prevail. We need just simply a dedicated minority.
#6 | 3:13 to 3:45 | cleaned
Now you just stop and think about Gideon and his 300. An amazing thing is, as you look through Scripture, you will find that God delights in using small things. Do you remember that God used the hornets to drive the Amorites out of the land? Do you remember how God used the jawbone of an ass and the hand of Samson to slay a thousand Philistines? You remember in John chapter 6, it was a little lad that the Lord used with a few fishes and a loaf of bread to feed the multitude. So, God delights in using small things. In fact, the scripture tells us in the book of Zechariah chapter 4 verse 10 that we're not to despise the day of small things. And unhappily, there are a multitude of Christians who tend to look down upon themselves, and they limit themselves because they think we're so small and we're so insignificant. And yet, you know what our Lord said in Luke 12 and verse 32? He said to His disciples, listen now, "Fear not, little flock."
#7 | 3:45 to 4:56 | cleaned
"It's the Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom." So it really doesn't matter how small you are. When the Father's good pleasure is involved, you can mark it down it's going to be accomplished. We shall prevail. And the reason we shall prevail is because we've already been given the victory in and through our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.
#8 | 4:57 to 5:18 | cleaned
Now, I believe that one of the most fascinating and provocative scenes of scripture is in our passage before us today. This scene is not only simple on the one hand, yet on the other hand, it's complex. It is plain on one hand and grandiose on the other hand. It is a demonstration, now listen to me carefully, it is a demonstration of God's use of psychological warfare against His enemies. And yes, I did say psychological warfare.
#9 | 5:19 to 5:54 | cleaned
Now, you've heard the old adage that everything goes in love and in war. Well, that adage is true to a certain extent. As Christians, we're certainly bound by the Word of God, and we cannot go over, above, or beyond the Word of God. We cannot violate the principles that God has laid down for us in His Word. For instance, we cannot kill, harm, and torture innocent civilians and individuals who are not in the battle. Moreover, we cannot make war against creation the way Sherman, Sheridan, Ewing, and Abraham Lincoln did.
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No, we are forbidden to do that according to Deuteronomy chapter 20. However, we are free to use and engage every tactic that God commands or that He gives us by way of illustration and example. Now, the illustration and example that He's given us today is that of psychological warfare. I want to read to you four paragraphs that I downloaded from the United States Army's website on psychological warfare.
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And it may really surprise you. Here is their motto from their website first. It says, "Capture their minds and their hearts and souls will follow. Capture their minds and their hearts and souls will follow." In other words, you get them brainwashed, you get them propagandized, you get them thinking the way that you want them to think, and then they're going to come on along and do whatever you want them to do. That's their motto.
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Now I'm going to read you just four short paragraphs from the United States Army's website on psychological warfare. Listen carefully. "Psychological operations, or PSYOP, are planned operations." Did you get that? "Are planned operations to convey selected information and indicators to audiences to influence their emotions, motives, objective reasoning, and ultimately the behavior of organizations, groups, and individuals. Used in all aspects of war, it is a weapon whose effectiveness is limited only by the ingenuity of the commander using it. A proven winner in combat and peacetime, PSYOP is one of the oldest weapons in the arsenal of man. It is an important force protector, combat multiplier, and a non-lethal weapons system. By the application of sound PSYOP techniques through face-to-face communication and mass media communications, we have demonstrated time and time again that we can appeal to the intelligence, reason, and emotions of our target audience to get them to think and to act as we desire."
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"If these people are shooting at us, we can persuade them to lay down their arms. If they fear us, we can convince them that they have nothing to fear. If they are belligerent and uncooperative, we can show them the value of utility and cooperation. Lastly, and most important, the utilization of PSYOP can prevent needless bloodshed, destruction, and misery. That is why we say with conviction that psychological operations, or PSYOP, is truly a humane weapon." Here's the last paragraph. Listen now. "Today, psychological operations are a vital part of the broad range of United States political, military, economic, and ideological activities used by the United States government to secure national objectives. The mission of providing psychological operations for the United States military today rests with the United States Army Civil Affairs and Psychological Operations Command at Fort Bragg, North Carolina."
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Now, I want you to note what they said. First of all, psychological operations are planned operations that convey selected information. In other words, they're going to give you the information they want you to have. And the reason they want to influence your emotions, your motives, your objective reasons, and ultimately your behavior. As they said in the second paragraph, plain and simple, to get them to think and act as we desire. And I want to just simply repeat this. You and I think of psychological operations internationally, that is, influencing our enemies and maybe influencing our friends. But when you read this paragraph, today psychological operations are a vital part of the broad range of the United States political, Democrats and Republicans, political, military, economic, and ideological activities used by the United States government to secure national objectives. What does that mean? They're using it against us within the states to secure what they want ideologically, through political correctness, economically. To me, that is a bald-faced assertion that the people of the United States are literally being brainwashed and propagandized.
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Now, one of the greatest military leaders of all times was the Chinese warrior Sun Tzu, and I certainly do not wholeheartedly endorse him because he did many things that were unbiblical as well as ungodly, yet he did enunciate a number of excellent principles in his book, The Art of War. Let me just read one of those principles that he enunciates. Listen to what he says, and he's teaching psychological warfare. He says, "To capture the enemy's entire army is better than to destroy it. To take intact a regiment, a company, or a squad is better than to destroy them."
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"For to win 100 victories in 100 battles is not the acme of skill. To subdue the enemy without fighting is the supreme excellence. Thus, what is of supreme importance in war is to attack the enemy's strategy."
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"Next best is to interrupt his alliances by diplomacy. The next best is to attack his army, and the worst policy is to attack his cities."
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Now, what did Sun Tzu just get out of his mouth? He's saying the acme of skill is not winning a battle, but it is winning a war without fighting. How do you do that? Through psychological warfare.
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Now, I could spend hours on historical examples of psychological warfare from Genghis Khan to modern day battles. You will remember, by the way, that psychological warfare was waged against the Davidians in Waco, Texas. When they played that horrible music and dying rabbits and squealing animals hard rock and how they would throw the heavy spotlights on them all night to keep them from—that's psychological warfare. But I could give you illustration after illustration from psychological warfare throughout history, from Genghis Khan down to modern day. However, that psychological warfare in the Bible is which best illustrates my point.
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Let me make something exceedingly clear. Men may plan and scheme and manipulate, yet they fail. God never fails. Just stop and think for a minute. Can you imagine? Can you even conceive of what God could do to the minds of men? No one knows the mind of man as God knows it. God is the one who created us. God is the one who's given us our minds. And isn't it amazing how your mind plays tricks on you? Isn't it amazing how you hear things that are not there? You see things sometimes that are not there?
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Or you have a dream and you wake up and lo and behold, it's real. It's just real. I know there's one dream that I had years and years ago. I had to fight everything with every ounce in me to dispossess myself of that dream because it seemed so real. I know it was untrue. And yet it was so real. That's just simply the mind of man. You know what the Bible says in Job 21 and verse 27? Here's what God says, "Behold, I know your thoughts, and the devices which you wrongfully imagine against me." Just stop and think about that. God knows the thoughts of man. God knows the imaginations and the devices that men imagine against Him. In Ezekiel chapter 11 and verse 5, God says this, "I know the things that come into your mind, every one of them." You know, there's not one thing that you can think of that God doesn't already know that you thought of.
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And how about this passage? Let me just quote it. Psalm 139, verses 2 through 6. What did David say? David said, "Thou knowest my down-sitting and my up-rising. Thou understandest my thought afar off. Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways. For there is not a word in my tongue, but lo, O Lord, Thou knowest it altogether. Thou hast beset me behind and before, and laid Thine hand upon me."
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"Such knowledge is too wonderful for me. It is high. I cannot attain unto it." What did David say? David said, "Lord, You know the words that come into my tongue before I ever speak them. You know the thoughts that come into my mind before I ever think them." Since God knows the mind of man so well, and since God is able to control our thoughts, that means He is in absolute and total control.
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Now listen to this statement, because I'm going to show it to you from the Bible. Psychological warfare involves fear, deceit, and the control of the mind, and thus the control of one's actions. Psychological warfare involves fear, deceit, the control of one's mind, and thus consequently the control of one's actions. The mind is a mysterious thing, and no one can place thoughts and fears and desires in the mind of men the way God can.
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I want you to turn in your Bibles to 1 Kings chapter 22. Hold Judges chapter 7. I'm just going to prepare you for what God has done in Judges chapter 7 in just for a moment. But look in 1 Kings chapter 22 if you would please. Here's a passage where God is going to destroy King Ahab. And I want you to understand that God had already told Ahab that he was going to die through the prophet Elijah. And he told Ahab that where the dogs licked the blood of Naboth, they were going to lick Ahab's blood. And so now Ahab has gotten King Jehoshaphat to go up to battle with him.
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He wants to go up and take Ramoth Gilead. And all these prophets of Baal keep telling Ahab, "Go up and prosper, go up and prosper." Jehoshaphat says, "Wait a minute now, is there not here a prophet of the Lord?" "Yeah," he said, "there's one, but I hate him. His name is Micaiah. He never speaks anything good of me but evil." And he said, "Let not the king say so." He said, "Get Micaiah." And by the way, Micaiah was kept in prison. So that's how the king knew where he was. And as he was sent for, the jailer who led him out said, "Now look, all these other prophets have prophesied good concerning Ahab in this war."
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"Let thy mouth be the same." And old Micaiah said, "As the Lord liveth, I can only say what God allows me to say." So when Micaiah gets in front of Ahab, Ahab asked him, he said, "Shall we go up to Ramoth Gilead, or shall we forbear?" And old Micaiah said so in a very sarcastic way, "Go up and prosper, O thou king." And all of a sudden Ahab said, realizing the sarcasm in his voice, "How many times must I adjure thee to tell me nothing but the truth in the name of the Lord?" Micaiah said, "You want the truth?"
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"I'll give it to you. God's going to take you to Ramoth Gilead to kill you. You're going to die." And of course, all false prophets then wanted to smite Micaiah and said, "Which way went the Spirit of the Lord from me to thee?" And he said, "You'll find out in the day that you hide yourself in an upper chamber." And here is what Micaiah is telling you. Look at it.
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Beginning there with verse 22. Well, let's begin reading with verse 19. Here's what Micaiah said. 1 Kings 22 verse 19, "Hear thou therefore the word of the Lord. I saw the Lord sitting on his throne and all the hosts of heaven standing by him on the right hand and on the left. And the Lord said, 'Who shall persuade Ahab that he may go up and fall at Ramoth Gilead?'"
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"And one said after this manner and another said after that manner. And there came forth the Spirit and stood before the Lord and said, 'I will persuade him.' And the Lord said unto him, 'Wherewith?' And he said, 'I will go forth, and it will be a lying spirit in the mouth of his prophets.' And he said, 'Thou shalt persuade him, and prevail also. Go forth, and do so.' Now therefore, behold, the Lord hath put a lying spirit in the mouth of all these thy prophets, and the Lord hath spoken evil against thee." But Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah went near, and smote Micaiah on the cheek, and said, "Which way went the spirit of the Lord from me to speak unto thee?"
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Now I want you to note what happened. God says, "Who's going to persuade Ahab to go up to Ramoth Gilead?" One said this and one said that. Finally, one spirit said, "I'll go. I'll do it." "How will you do it?" "I'll be a lying spirit in the mouth of his prophets." And the funny thing is, Micaiah told Ahab exactly what had happened. And Ahab still believed the false prophets and still went to Ramoth Gilead and got shot. And the blood from his body went in his chariot. And sure enough, when he came back, the dogs licked his blood exactly the way Elijah said.
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Now, you know about psychological warfare. What did God do? God deceived Ahab by sending a lying spirit to his false prophets. Are you listening? All warfare is deceit. Camouflage is deceit. When I go deer hunting, I put on camouflage. Why? I want that big buck to think I'm a bush. A big bush. But a big bush with a rifle. And I got news for you, if I'm overseas fighting an individual, I want him to think I'm a bush too. Whether it's a big one or a small one. I want to deceive him. Why?
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So I can destroy him. All warfare is deceit. Mark it down. Do you realize, now listen carefully, do you realize the enemy first used deceit in the Garden of Eden. What did the serpent do? He deceived Eve. And the lex talionis, remember that word, Latin for the law of retribution, the lex talionis of Scripture is that the punishment must fit the crime. What does that mean? That the deceiver shall be deceived. So since Satan is the great deceiver himself, he deserves to be deceived. All who follow in His steps, and all who follow His pernicious ways, deserve to be deceived as well. That's why in Job 12 and verse 16, the Word of God says, concerning God, "the deceived and the deceiver are His." That's why when you read the Bible, you will find out that Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and a multitude of others used deceit to overcome their enemies, and especially the wicked rulers.
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Now, someone's going to get pious and say, "Now, wait a minute, Brother Weaver. God would never use deceit." Oh? Well, look in your Bibles to 1 Samuel chapter 16. 1 Samuel chapter 16. Do you remember how King Saul had sinned against God? Refused to follow his commandments. And God rejected Saul. And so God is now going to find him another king and he sends Samuel to anoint David to be king. Well look in 1 Samuel chapter 16 beginning there of verse 1. "And the Lord said unto Samuel, 'How long wilt thou mourn for Saul, seeing I have rejected him from reigning over Israel? Fill thine horn with oil, and go, and I will send thee to Jesse the Bethlehemite, for I provided me a king among his sons.'" Look at verse 2. "And Samuel said, 'How can I go? If Saul hear it, he will kill me.' And the Lord said, 'Take an heifer with thee, and say, I am come to sacrifice to the Lord.'"
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Now let me ask you a couple of questions. Did Samuel offer a sacrifice? Yes. Was that the main purpose of his mission? No. What did God do? God said you use deceit to deceive the deceiver. If Saul wants to know why you're going to Bethlehem, just tell him you're going to offer a sacrifice. And he did that. But that was not the reason he went there. He went there to anoint David to be king, to take Saul's place. He said, "If Saul finds out, he'll kill me." God said, "Here's your cover story. You're just going to offer sacrifice." You see, there is nothing wrong with deceiving a deceiver.
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That is the lex talionis of Scripture. Saul had become God's enemy and the enemy of righteousness, and deception was used to overcome him and prevent violence from him. Are you listening? Deception is a nonviolent way to prevent violence by wicked men. You know, if I was approached by three or four men and their intent, I perceive, was to harm me, probably, I'm going to put one hand behind my back or one hand in my pocket, and I'm going to start saying, "Don't make me bring my hand out of this pocket." You know what I'm implying?
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I've got a weapon there. Whether I do or whether I don't, it's immaterial. What am I doing? I'm using deceit to stop them from using violence. And that's right. There's nothing wrong with it. That's exactly what God did.
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Now, let me show you another illustration. Look in your Bibles, the second Kings chapter 7. Second Kings chapter 7. I'm just showing you how God uses psychological warfare. Psychological warfare is deceit and deception. That's all there is to it. It's placing fear in the minds of men, it's making them think things that are not necessarily true. But in 2 Kings chapter 7, when you get to this passage, you'll find the Syrians have surrounded Samaria. OK? Samaria is so broke because nothing is allowed to go out and nothing is allowed to come in.
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The people inside, are eating, the Bible says, dove's dung. And women are killing and eating their own children. And here are these two lepers sitting at the gate of the city. Remember now, lepers were not allowed inside the city. Well, how did the lepers live? They ate of the junk and the trash that was being thrown over the city walls. Well, nothing was being thrown over the city walls because there was nothing needed inside the city. And these two lepers say to the other, "Why sit we here till we die? If we go into the city, behold, we'll die there because starvation is in the city. If we sit here, we're going to starve to death. We're going to die anyhow."
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They said, "Come, let us fall to the Syrians. If they kill us, we will but be dead." In other words, you can't be any more dead put by the sword than dead starving to death. Once you're dead, you're dead. That's it. Doesn't matter how you die, you're dead. And they said, "It could be that they might save us alive. So that's our only hope. Let's go fall to them."
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And they find a tremendous thing. All the host of the Syrians were gone. Look at it.
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Second Kings, chapter 7 and verse 3. "And there were four leprous men at the entering in of the gate, and they said one to the other, 'Why sit we here until we die? If we say we will enter the city, the famine is in the city, and we shall die there. If we sit here, we shall die also.'"
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"Now therefore, come and let us fall in the host of the Syrians. If they save us alive, we shall live, and if they kill us, we shall but die." And they rose up in the twilight to go to the camp of the Syrians. And when they were come to the uttermost part of the camp of Syria, behold, there was no man there. Why? Had the Syrians left.
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They had the city right where they wanted it. The people were about to capitulate. How could an army fight when they had no food and no animals? Why did they leave, verse 6, "For the LORD had made the host of the Syrians to hear a noise of chariots and a noise of horses, even the noise of a great host. And they said one to another, 'Lo, the kings of Israel have hired against us the kings of the Hittites and the kings of the Egyptians to come up against us.' Wherefore they arose and fled in the twilight, and left their tents and their horses and their asses, even the camp as it was, and fled for their lives."
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Now, let me ask you, what did God do? He just caused them to hear a noise that wasn't there. And He caused them to think thoughts that were not true. And you know what they did? They just fled and left everything. That is psychological warfare. You talk about controlling the minds and the thoughts of men. God is unsurpassed at it. God is able to instill, to manufacture, and to develop fear, terror, and horror in every man. He is able to make men think what He wants them to think. By the way, if you look at 2 Kings chapter 19, God used a similar tactic to destroy the Assyrian army. Look in 2 Kings chapter 19 and verse 7.
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The Assyrians are threatening Jerusalem. Verse 6, let's read. "And Isaiah said unto them, 'Thus shall you say to your master,' that is to the king, 'Thus saith the Lord, Be not afraid of the words which thou hast heard, with which the servants of the king of Assyria have blasphemed me.'" Look what God says. "Behold, I will send a blast upon him, and he shall hear a rumor, and shall return to his own land, and I will cause him to fall by the sword in his own land." God said don't worry about the king of Assyria. I'm going to cause him to hear a rumor. I'm going to cause him to hear a noise. And he's going to leave and go right back and be killed in his own city. Skip down to verse 28. Look what God says to the king of Assyria.
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"Because thy rage against me and thy tumult has come up into mine ears, therefore I will put my hook in thy nose, and my bridle in thy lips, and I will turn thee back by the way which thou camest." And when the king of Assyria got back to his hometown, he was in the house of Nisroch, his god, worshipping, and his two sons, or two of his sons, murdered him. And then another son, Esarhaddon, took his place. What did God use? A rumor? A blast? A noise? That's psychological warfare.
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But now wait a minute. Someone's going to say, "Now wait a minute, Brother Weaver. I know these are illustrations of the Bible. But still, somehow, I just don't think that God would use deceit." Well, you can think what you want to think. But let me tell you this. The puny, fallible, sentimental mind of man is not the standard for who God is or what God does. His Word is the standard that reveals who He is and declares what He does. And if you want to have a good, clear illustration of what I'm telling you, you just turn in your Bibles to 2 Thessalonians 2. 2 Thessalonians 2.
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And let's begin reading there with verse 10. 2 Thessalonians 2 and verse 10. And we'll see whether or not God uses deceit and delusion. Notice 2 Thessalonians chapter 2. And let's begin, well let's read verse 9. 2 Thessalonians chapter 2 verse 9. The Bible says, "Even him whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders." Now watch this, 2 Thessalonians 2:10.
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"And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish, because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion that they should believe a lie, that they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness." Now what does God do? For those who hate him, hate his word, hate his truth, and refuse to bow to him.
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What's the scripture say he does? He sends them a what? A strong delusion. He deceives them. He lets them believe a lie. Why? That they all might be damned. Who believe not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.
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Now does God use deceit? Well, of course he does. Of course he does, because it's a principle of scripture, the lex talionis, the deceiver shall be deceived. And if you will go back in your Bibles to Judges chapter 7, here you will see one of the clearest illustrations of psychological warfare and deceit that is ever recorded in the Bible. And here is where it is, where God uses this against the Midianites. Now, you've got to remember, God has already begun instilling fear in the Midianites. You remember how he told Gideon, "Take Phurah your servant, and you get down to the host, and you hear what they say." And this one man had a dream, and of course the barley cake came rolling down the hill, and smoked the tent, and the tent was squashed flat. That's a good southern word, squashed, okay. It's like tipping over a bucket.
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You squash something, you know. And then the one said, "Man, this is nothing but the sword of the Lord and of Gideon. God has given the host of Midian into his hands." Now, what in the world is God now beginning to do to the Midianites? Are you listening? He's beginning to terrorize them. For seven long years, they had terrorized his people. They had put fear into his people. And now God is going to take that same fear and that same terror and turn it right back upon the Midianites. They are going to be ruined by their own imagination and by their own fear. You know, God is quite capable of putting his fear and the fear of his people into his enemies.
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Let me just give you some scriptures. In Exodus 15 and verse 16, here's what God said. You don't have to turn there. Exodus 15, verse 16, "Fear and dread shall be upon them. By the greatness of Thine arm they shall be still as a stone, till Thy people pass over, O Lord, till the people pass over which Thou hast purchased." So what has God done? God has placed His fear upon men so much so that they were immobilized. They could not move until His people totally, completely, and successfully escaped. When you get to Exodus 23 and verse 27, God tells His people, "I will send My fear before thee, and will destroy all the people to whom thou shalt come, and I will make all thine enemies turn their backs unto thee."
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Did you hear what He said? "I will send My fear before thee. I'll make them turn their backs. I'll put things in their mind and things in their heart. They cannot stand against you." And when you get to Deuteronomy 2 and verse 25, God says, "This day will I begin to put the dread of thee and the fear of thee upon the nations that are under the whole heaven, who shall hear report of thee and shall tremble and be in anguish because of thee." So when His people got ready to go into Canaan land, He said, "I'm going to put your fear upon them. They're going to tremble. They're going to be in anguish. They're going to be terrorized because of you." What God is doing in Judges chapter 7, He is using the name of Gideon and putting the fear of Gideon as well as the fear of the Lord upon the Midianites.
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I want you to sit back and just think with me about the psychological impact of what is about to take place. The Bible tells us that Gideon has 300 men. He divides these 300 men into three companies. 100 men to a company. So probably he's got one company in front and one company on each side. In other words, he gives them a way out. He cannot surround them with 300 men. And so Gideon says, "You've got a trumpet, you have a pitcher, it was a clay pot, and inside that there's a firebrand." That way the enemy could not see the fire as long as it was in the pitcher.
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So he said, basically, "You watch me and you do what I do whenever I do it." Now the Bible tells us that he came upon them in the third watch.
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Now, the Romans divided the night into four watches. But in ancient Israel, it was in three watches. The middle watch was from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. Now, they had just changed watches. Probably, it was at 2 o'clock in the morning. When are you the deadest in sleep and the soundest in sleep? About two or three o'clock in the morning. And so, what Gideon has done now, he's divided his men into three companies. He's got them on three sides. It's two o'clock in the morning. And you know what it's like to be awakened out of a sound sleep. Instantly. You sit up and for a few minutes you don't know who you are or where you are or what you're doing.
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I mean, Alice and I have slept so soundly one Sunday afternoon when we woke up, we didn't even know what day it was. We didn't. Honestly. The only thing I could think of was I'm supposed to be a church preacher and I'm not there, you know. Thankfully, it was about four o'clock on Sunday afternoon, and we had time to get there. But, I mean, you wake up, and you're just confused, and you don't know which end is up.
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Well, this is what Gideon has done. He's taken this third watch, when men are going to be the most, sleeping the most soundly. And by the way, you take what it does to you, being awakened quickly out of a deep sleep, and you multiply that by the hundreds of thousands. You've got a couple of thousand men there. Secondly, you've got to think about the mules and the camels and the donkeys. OK, secondly. Verse 17, 18, Gideon says, "You do as I do." Now, usually. Think about this. Usually there was one trumpet per army. Because that trumpet was used then to direct that army and to call them either retreat or to teach them to go forward or to take them left or right, whatever the signal was. So now Gideon has 300 trumpets. What is he going to make the enemy believe? That he's got 300 armies or 300 different companies of soldiers that are about to come upon them. 300 companies or 300 armies.
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That could be as many as a million people. It depends on how many you have in the army.
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Now, Granny Doris asked about the breaking of the pitchers. They blew the trumpets. And the next thing they did, they had these clay pitchers and they broke them. You know, Alice broke one of her clay pots last week somehow, I don't know how, but there was a part of it still under the carport. She was fixing to throw it away. So, I picked up the largest part and I took a tool and I hit it just to listen to the sound of it. You know what it sounded like?
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Now, you think about this. You've just been awakened from a deep sleep and all of a sudden you hear this noise and it sounded like thousands of swords being drawn. I mean, if you think the enemy's coming upon you and you hear that noise, that's all you can think about. And then when they broke the pot, the firebrand was exposed, and so the 300 men then held the firebrand. What does that mean? That means here are 300 men holding firebrands which the enemy is going to think are showing the way to the vast armies behind them. Psychological warfare? You better believe it.
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And then when they cried, "The sword of the Lord and Gideon." God had already put the fear of Gideon in their hearts. And now he's put the fear of God in their heart, and they know that they're in deep trouble if Gideon and the Lord have gotten together against them. And you know what God does? Look down in verse 21 and 22. "And they stood every man in his place round about the camp, and all the hosts ran and cried and fled. And the three hundred blew the trumpets, and the Lord set every man's sword against his fellow, even throughout all the hosts."
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Now you stop and think about this. Two o'clock in the morning, you hear these trumpets at 300 Abba, and you think of 300 armies. The pitchers are broken. It sounds like swords being drawn. All of a sudden you see the fire, which means the men are coming upon you right now. You are in the dark. You just woke up. Horses and mules and camels are running. People are charging you on every hand. What do you do? You start defending yourself.
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And you kill whoever is near you. And thus God used psychological warfare to turn the enemy's sword upon themselves. Those who were not killed instantly, the rest of them we'll pick up next week, fled to get out of there just through the use of psychological warfare.
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Now, let me make some applications. The first one is this. I want you to understand that God used a great noise, He used great fire, and He used a great shout to destroy the Midianites. The reason the sword of Gideon was successful was because it was coupled with the sword of the Lord. Had it not been with the sword of the Lord, the sword of Gideon would not have been successful.
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What does that teach us? It teaches us that men are God's instruments. And we are to be subservient to Him and in subordination to Him. We are not greater than He is. We are not equal to Him. We are subordinate to Him and in subservience to Him. He must have first place. The second application is this. The noted Bishop Hall said this, and I'm giving you a quote.
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I want you to think about it. He said, "If these pitchers, trumpets, and firebrands did so daunt and dismay the proud troops of Midian and Amalek, who shall be able to stand before the last terror? When the trumpet of the archangel shall sound, the elements shall be on fire, the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the Lord himself shall sit with a shout." Well, that's a decent application. If the enemies could not stand before just simple pitchers in Joshua chapter 7, very obviously they're not going to be able to stand before the reality. The third application is this. I want you to note that Gideon and the 300 men did not immediately rush into the host of the Midianites.
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What does that teach us? It teaches that they were neither greedy for blood or spoil. They were patiently standing there waiting for God to finish His work. They were standing there observing the salvation of the Lord. They knew that God was turning every man's sword against his fellow. And so they just stayed out of it until the killing was done and the enemy was on the run.
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There is a broader picture that I want you to see. The sleep in many nights. Give us an example. Of the sleeping world. You know what the Bible says? In Romans 13, verse 11, "And knowing the time that now is, it is high time to wake out of our sleep. For now is our salvation nearer than when we first believed." So we have, then, a sleeping world.
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The ungodly are asleep in the lap of the wicked one. And some of the godly are asleep as well. And therefore, in 1 Thessalonians 5, verses 6 and 8, the Word of God says, "Therefore let us not sleep as do others, but let us watch and be sober." So, you have the sleeping Midianites giving us, then, a picture of a sleeping world.
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Secondly, you have the trumpet being sounded, which, of course, gives us a picture, again, that the trumpet is indeed a herald of judgment. They blew the trumpets at Jericho, you will remember. They blew the trumpets here at the defeat of Midian. And, of course, when you get Revelation 8, there are the last trumpets. And then there is the last trumpet. And so this trumpet then shows that judgment will fall upon the ungodly.
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Then there was the lights that Gideon and 300 had. You know, the Bible says men love darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil. Neither cometh any man to the light because light exposes his wickedness. But the Bible says concerning Christ, He is the light. Jesus Christ Himself said that He is the light of the world. And so we have the true light, which is Christ.
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And the fourth thing you have is the sword. The sword of the Lord and of Gideon. Do you remember what the Bible says in Hebrews 4 and verse 12? "For the word of God is quick and powerful, sharper than what? A two-edged sword." And do you remember in Revelation 19? The lamb upon the white horse, out of his mouth went what? A two-edged sword. You know what the sword is? The sword is the Word of God. Here's the whole picture. Gideon was standing against a sleeping world with the trumpet of judgment, with the light of the Gospel, and with the sword of the Word in his hand.
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That is how we are to stand today. It is the sword of truth that men cannot stand. And just as God gave victory to Gideon, mark it down folks, we are going to have victory through the Word of Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is not going to be defeated. His Gospel will not fail. We need to learn to stand fast. To declare the Word of God. Use the herald of the trumpet in declaring the righteous judgment and justice of God and hold up the light of the world, which is Jesus Christ. And we will be assured of the victory that's in Him.
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Let me tell you, it's amazing. God uses deceit to destroy his enemies. But he uses truth to convert his people. I don't know about you, but I'd rather believe the truth than a lie. Let's pray. Father, we're thankful for Jesus Christ. We're thankful for the Word of God. We're thankful for the victory that is ours through Him who loved us and gave Himself for us. Give us grace that we may serve Thee acceptably with reverence and godly fear. In Thy name we ask and pray, Amen and Amen.
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Principles of Deliverance - 7

John Weaver | Freedom Ministries

John Weaver examines Judges 7:16-25, focusing on God's use of psychological warfare to deliver Israel from the Midianites. He explains that God instills fear and deception in the enemy, turning their own swords against themselves. The sermon draws parallels to modern psychological operations and emphasizes that God uses small, dedicated minorities to achieve victory. Applications include standing firm with the trumpet of judgment, the light of the gospel, and the sword of the Word.

Introduction and Review

Weaver introduces the passage and reviews previous principles of deliverance: preparation, the role of a preacher, and God's choice of Gideon.

Scripture Reading — Judges 7:16-25

"And he divided the 300 men into three companies and he put a trumpet in every man's hand with the empty pitchers and lamps within the pitchers."

God Delights in Using Small Things

God often uses small, insignificant things to accomplish His purposes, as seen in Gideon's 300 men and other biblical examples.

Scripture Reading — Zechariah 4:10

Now you just stop and think about Gideon and his 300. An amazing thing is, as you look through Scripture, you will find that God delights in using small things. Do you remember that God used the hornets to drive the Amorites out of the land? Do you remember how God used the jawbone of an ass and the hand of Samson to slay a thousand Philistines? You remember in John chapter 6, it was a little lad that the Lord used with a few fishes and a loaf of bread to feed the multitude. So, God delights in using small things. In fact, the scripture tells us in the book of Zechariah chapter 4 verse 10 that we're not to despise the day of small things. And unhappily, there are a multitude of Christians who tend to look down upon themselves, and they limit themselves because they think we're so small and we're so insignificant. And yet, you know what our Lord said in Luke 12 and verse 32? He said to His disciples, listen now, "Fear not, little flock."

Psychological Warfare Defined

Weaver defines psychological warfare as planned operations to influence emotions, motives, and behavior, citing the U.S. Army's PSYOP motto and Sun Tzu.

Biblical Examples of Psychological Warfare

God uses deceit and fear to defeat enemies, as seen in Ahab's deception (1 Kings 22), Samuel's mission (1 Samuel 16), and the Syrian army's flight (2 Kings 7).

Scripture Reading — Job 21:27

"Behold, I know your thoughts, and the devices which you wrongfully imagine against me."

Scripture Reading — 1 Kings 22:19-23

"Hear thou therefore the word of the Lord. I saw the Lord sitting on his throne and all the hosts of heaven standing by him on the right hand and on the left. And the Lord said, 'Who shall persuade Ahab that he may go up and fall at Ramoth Gilead?'"

Scripture Reading — 1 Samuel 16:1-2

"And the Lord said unto Samuel, 'How long wilt thou mourn for Saul, seeing I have rejected him from reigning over Israel? Fill thine horn with oil, and go, and I will send thee to Jesse the Bethlehemite, for I provided me a king among his sons.'"

Look at verse 2.

Scripture Reading — 1 Samuel 16:1-2

"And Samuel said, 'How can I go? If Saul hear it, he will kill me.' And the Lord said, 'Take an heifer with thee, and say, I am come to sacrifice to the Lord.'"

And they find a tremendous thing. All the host of the Syrians were gone. Look at it. Second Kings, chapter 7 and verse 3.

Scripture Reading — 2 Kings 7:3-7

"And there were four leprous men at the entering in of the gate, and they said one to the other, 'Why sit we here until we die? If we say we will enter the city, the famine is in the city, and we shall die there. If we sit here, we shall die also.'"

God Sends Delusion on the Wicked

2 Thessalonians 2:10-12 shows God sends strong delusion on those who reject truth, confirming that God uses deceit as a form of judgment.

Scripture Reading — 2 Thessalonians 2:9-12

"Even him whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders."

Now watch this, 2 Thessalonians 2:10.

The Psychological Impact on the Midianites

Gideon's strategy of trumpets, broken pitchers, and torches at the middle watch created confusion and fear, causing the Midianites to kill each other.

Let me just give you some scriptures. In Exodus 15 and verse 16, here's what God said. You don't have to turn there. Exodus 15, verse 16,

Scripture Reading — Exodus 15:16

"Fear and dread shall be upon them. By the greatness of Thine arm they shall be still as a stone, till Thy people pass over, O Lord, till the people pass over which Thou hast purchased."

Applications and Broader Picture

Weaver applies the passage: God uses noise, fire, and a shout; believers must stand with the trumpet of judgment, the light of Christ, and the sword of the Word.

Scripture Reading — Hebrews 4:12

"For the word of God is quick and powerful, sharper than what? A two-edged sword."

Principles of Deliverance - 7

John Weaver | SermonAudio

Lecture Metadata	Details
Speaker	John Weaver
Source	SermonAudio
Media ID	10310684033
Subject	Civil Government
Course	Civil Government: Power, Nations, and Constitutional Order: Where We Are & How We Got Here
Genre	Sermon
Date	2006-08-20
Dictation Name
Book	Book 163: Principles of Deliverance — Chapter 7
Source Timed Segments	78

Lecture Guide

Outline

Introduction and Review: Weaver introduces the passage and reviews previous principles of deliverance: preparation, the role of a preacher, and God's choice of Gideon.
God Delights in Using Small Things: God often uses small, insignificant things to accomplish His purposes, as seen in Gideon's 300 men and other biblical examples.
Psychological Warfare Defined: Weaver defines psychological warfare as planned operations to influence emotions, motives, and behavior, citing the U.S. Army's PSYOP motto and Sun Tzu.
Biblical Examples of Psychological Warfare: God uses deceit and fear to defeat enemies, as seen in Ahab's deception (1 Kings 22), Samuel's mission (1 Samuel 16), and the Syrian army's flight (2 Kings 7).
God Sends Delusion on the Wicked: 2 Thessalonians 2:10-12 shows God sends strong delusion on those who reject truth, confirming that God uses deceit as a form of judgment.
The Psychological Impact on the Midianites: Gideon's strategy of trumpets, broken pitchers, and torches at the middle watch created confusion and fear, causing the Midianites to kill each other.
Applications and Broader Picture: Weaver applies the passage: God uses noise, fire, and a shout; believers must stand with the trumpet of judgment, the light of Christ, and the sword of the Word.

Major Themes

Key Arguments

Psychological warfare is a biblical and legitimate tactic

Weaver argues that God Himself uses psychological warfare, as seen in Judges 7 and other scriptures, making it a valid strategy for believers.

He says, 'it is a demonstration of God's use of psychological warfare against His enemies' and provides multiple biblical examples.

God uses deceit to judge the wicked

Weaver contends that God sends delusion and lying spirits to deceive those who reject truth, as a form of righteous judgment.

He cites 1 Kings 22:19-23 and 2 Thessalonians 2:10-12, stating, 'God shall send them strong delusion that they should believe a lie.'

The Midianite defeat was a result of divine psychological manipulation

Weaver explains that the trumpets, broken pitchers, and torches created confusion and fear, causing the Midianites to turn on each other.

He describes the scene: 'Two o'clock in the morning, you hear these trumpets... you start defending yourself. And you kill whoever is near you.'

Believers must use spiritual weapons, not carnal ones

Weaver applies the passage by urging Christians to stand with the trumpet (judgment), light (gospel), and sword (Word) rather than physical force.

He says, 'That is how we are to stand today. It is the sword of truth that men cannot stand.'

Scripture References

Judges 7:16-25: The primary passage describing Gideon's defeat of the Midianites with 300 men, trumpets, pitchers, and torches.
Zechariah 4:10: Cited to support that God delights in small things: 'despise not the day of small things.'
Luke 12:32: Jesus' encouragement to the 'little flock' that it is the Father's good pleasure to give them the kingdom.
Deuteronomy 20: Referenced as forbidding war against creation, in contrast to Sherman and Lincoln's tactics.
Job 21:27: God knows the thoughts and devices men imagine against Him.
Ezekiel 11:5: God knows every thought that comes into man's mind.
Psalm 139:2-6: David's declaration that God knows his thoughts, words, and ways completely.
1 Kings 22:19-23: God sends a lying spirit to deceive Ahab's prophets, leading to his death at Ramoth Gilead.
1 Samuel 16:1-2: God instructs Samuel to use a sacrifice as a cover story to anoint David, deceiving Saul.
2 Kings 7:3-7: God causes the Syrian army to hear a noise of chariots, making them flee and abandon their camp.
2 Kings 19:6-7, 28: God sends a rumor to the Assyrian king, causing him to return home and be killed.
2 Thessalonians 2:9-12: God sends strong delusion on those who reject the truth, so they believe a lie and are damned.
Exodus 15:16: Fear and dread fall on enemies by God's power, immobilizing them until His people pass over.
Exodus 23:27: God promises to send His fear before Israel, making enemies turn their backs.
Deuteronomy 2:25: God puts the dread and fear of Israel upon nations, causing them to tremble.
Romans 13:11: It is high time to wake out of sleep, for salvation is nearer than when we first believed.
1 Thessalonians 5:6-8: Believers are not to sleep as others do, but to watch and be sober.
Hebrews 4:12: The Word of God is quick, powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword.
Revelation 19: The Lamb on the white horse has a two-edged sword coming out of His mouth.

Historical References

Sun Tzu, The Art of War: Quoted for his principle that subduing the enemy without fighting is the supreme excellence, illustrating psychological warfare.
Genghis Khan: Mentioned as a historical example of psychological warfare, though not elaborated.
Waco Siege (Davidians): Cited as a modern example of psychological warfare using loud music and spotlights.
Sherman, Sheridan, Ewing, Abraham Lincoln: Referenced as examples of making war against creation, which Deuteronomy 20 forbids.
U.S. Army Psychological Operations (PSYOP): Weaver reads from the Army's website, describing PSYOP as planned operations to influence emotions and behavior.
Bishop Hall: Quoted for his application comparing the pitchers, trumpets, and firebrands to the last terror of the archangel's trumpet.

Important Quotes

it is a demonstration of God's use of psychological warfare against His enemies.

Weaver introduces the central theme that God employs psychological tactics in Judges 7.

Capture their minds and their hearts and souls will follow.

The U.S. Army PSYOP motto, used to illustrate the goal of psychological operations.

the deceived and the deceiver are His.

Weaver quotes Job 12:16 to show God's sovereignty over both deceivers and deceived.

God shall send them strong delusion that they should believe a lie, that they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

Key verse (2 Thessalonians 2:11-12) proving God uses delusion as judgment.

The sword of the Lord and of Gideon.

The battle cry of Gideon's men, emphasizing the partnership between divine and human agency.

We do not need a majority or a multitude to prevail. We need just simply a dedicated minority.

Summarizes the principle that God works through small, faithful remnants.

Gideon was standing against a sleeping world with the trumpet of judgment, with the light of the Gospel, and with the sword of the Word in his hand.

The concluding application, urging believers to use spiritual weapons.

Discussion Questions

[Question]

How does the concept of psychological warfare in Judges 7 challenge or expand your understanding of how God works?

[Context]

Weaver argues that God uses fear, deceit, and mind control to defeat enemies.

[Question]

Is it ever right for Christians to use deceit? Under what circumstances, if any?

[Context]

Weaver defends the use of deceit against deceivers, citing Samuel's mission and the lex talionis.

[Question]

What does it mean that 'the deceived and the deceiver are His' (Job 12:16)? How does this affect our view of God's sovereignty?

[Context]

Weaver uses this verse to show God's control over all deception.

[Question]

How can we apply the 'trumpet, light, and sword' imagery to our personal witness and spiritual warfare today?

[Context]

Weaver concludes with the application of standing with judgment, gospel, and Word.

[Question]

Why does God often choose to work through small, seemingly insignificant groups or individuals?

[Context]

Weaver emphasizes that God delights in using small things, like Gideon's 300.

Applications

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