Your Enemies Are Beginning to Tremble — Carter Conlon

Possessing the Promises of God

Deuteronomy chapter 2 verses 24 and 25. These are the words of Moses now He's speaking to the children of Israel in retrospect. This has already happened. Moses is about to pass on the reins of leadership of God's people of that generation to Joshua.

He is giving them a history of God's faithfulness to the people He's giving them a charge to as it is prepared to go in and take the land of promise something which their forefathers had failed to do and There is in every generation Always a people somewhere who fail even though they have the full access to the victory of Christ they they fail to reach in and take what is rightfully theirs and Become a living testimony of the fact that Christ is raised from the dead to their generation.

Now this Old Testament story is a type of that of people who stood at the border of these incredible promises. But looked at the Giants and when they saw the Giants on the other side of the border They said it's it's too hard.

The battles are too fierce. We are not of sufficient power to overcome those obstacles that lie before us. And of course because of this they ended up living in a wilderness. If this is your mindset today your Christianity will leave you in a wilderness.

You can clap your hands and hoot and holler all you want in the house of the Lord. But when you walk out exits one two, three, four and five, you'll be in a wilderness experience. You will have no testimony.

You have no victory no power. But it's God's destiny to take the weakest of his Saints and give you the glorious Resurrection life and power of Jesus Christ and to cause your enemies to begin to tremble.

Rise up verse 24 and take your journey and pass over the River Arnon behold I've given into thine hand Sion the Amorite king of Heshbon and his land begin to possess it and Contend with him in battle.

Now Moses is telling the people of course. This is a history lesson in a sense, but he was saying this was the instruction of God for you. You're to go in and begin to contend with this particular king on The way through to possessing that place of promise that God has given you this day.

Verse 25 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 the report of thee and shall tremble and be in anguish because of thee now, this is incredible when you consider God says the moment you rise up and you begin to move in to possess this Promise that God has given of course.

This is a type this this entire Old Testament story is a shadow play of the real which is you and I? Moving in to possess our inheritance, which is Jesus Christ in his life being lived within us the moment I Believe I have always believed this the moment the weakest Saint in the house of God begins to understand this and Gets up and says I'm moving in.

I'm not strong. But the one who within who's within me is able to do all things For me and through me and I don't have a lot of strength and I never professed to have a lot of strength. But I have been given an inheritance and this inheritance is the life of Jesus Christ and everything that his life Has purchased for me on Calvary.

This is mine. I'm moving in the power of the Holy Ghost and I'm going to contend with everything that stands in my way. I'm going to begin to fight against. I don't care how big the demonic powers are.

I don't care how much stuff the enemy tries to infuse into my mind. I don't care what anybody says in this world. I'm going in and I'm going to possess. What is mine in Christ? I believe that the moment you do this There is a report of you that begins to go all through it.

There's a there's an absolute spiritual dark realm in this world, and I believe that hell begins to know your name. The devil begins to tremble and every power of evil begins to tremble when the least you can be 90 years old today.

And finally make the decision. I'm going in and taking what is mine and you can cause a trembling in the ranks of the enemies now there were two kings as The people of this generation got up to go in to possess their inheritance.

There were two kings which refused to allow them to pass into the land which God had promised them and Of course the defeat of these two kings marked the beginning of a conquering journey and a trembling on Every enemy that they will ever have to face.

Jonathan's Faith and the First Trembling

I think of the in the Old Testament in 1st Samuel chapter 14 Jonathan the son of Saul. The whole army of Israel is on a mountaintop as it is trembling once again because they have looked away from the source of their true Strength and Jonathan all of all of a sudden Jonathan just says hey.

It doesn't matter if God to God if there's a few or many in the battle. If the battle is his and if he's with us, he's going to give us the victory and Jonathan got up and he had an armor-bearer with him and the armor-bearer looked at Jonathan and he said whatever he's Jonathan said do you want to go up and and take on a few of these Philistines and The armor-bearer said whatever is in your heart.

Let's do it and the scripture tells us that Jonathan had to climb up upon His hands and upon his feet he had to climb a hard place and and sometimes they are hard places. God doesn't say it's going to be a cakewalk all the way through here.

There are some difficult battles. You're going to have to fight but what he does say is that you will win every battle. You will cross every valley you will go over every mountain. There will be no obstacle in your way that will stop you in your pursuit of the life of Christ.

This is the promise he does give. The scripture tells us in verse 14 of 2nd Samuel 14 or 1st Samuel 14 rather that Jonathan and his armor-bearer Stood up on they climbed up this steep place and there encountered them a garrison of the Philistines.

Which is about 20 men and they began to slay them and they took that little piece of ground not you to understand. We're fighting for a nation. The Philistines are trying to swallow the inheritance of God and this is there's a much bigger battle than this little wee parcel of land.

But Jonathan and his armor-bearer went up on top of this this high place as it is. They slew about 20 men on a piece of land which was about a half an acre and then the next verse is incredible only a little wee victory really.

Hardly even a blip on the screen if you were to look at it from space and look at the the magnitude of the forces. In the battle, it's just a little wee blip. But what was the response in? Verse 15 says there was a trembling in the host in the field.

I can envision Hundreds of thousands of Philistines gathered. They are really demonically inspired and they are saying we're going to take over this this inheritance of God. Now you have to understand from the Garden of Eden till today.

The battle has always been for the Christ and the seed of Christ. The devil knew that Christ the Messiah was going to come through the lineage of of the children of God Israel at that time and has always been a battle to try to capture this seed as it is and When one man in his armor bearer stood up to fight a trembling came in the host and in the field and among all the people.

The garrison the spoilers that means the the the pre raiding parties that went into Israel disguised Perhaps as Israelites. I'm not sure of that, but they went into Plunder and to do small raids and to cause the people to begin to fear Before the larger battle took place and you have to picture this with me.

Jonathan and his armor bearer Are up fighting and they take a half an acre, which is probably the size of this sanctuary, I guess and as they are Victorious in this half acre. There's a trembling hits all the host in the field.

All the people begin to tremble the garrison begins to tremble the spoilers begin to tremble the earth begins to tremble and The scripture says so it was a very great trembling. In other words everything that could be shaken began to shake only that which could not be shaken remained everything the enemy knows that his only weapon is unbelief in the hearts of God's people and the moment a single Saint arises and begins to say one more time.

I believe God. I believe what God has spoken to me. I believe God's promises are true. I believe there's a purpose and a destiny for my life. I believe that I have been given of God power to tread on serpents and scorpions and all the power of the enemy.

I believe that God can use my life as a key for much good to see people released from prisons of Darkness and evil all over the world. I believe it with all my heart the moment There's one soul rises up with that thought in his or her heart.

There is a trembling that goes through the host of darkness the devil fully will knows history. He remembers the day an 82 year old man Heard saw a burning bush and stopped and even though he was on the backside of the desert He stopped and faced this burning bush and heard the voice of God and with a stick in his hand Headed into Egypt and delivered three million people out of the captivity of the most powerful army on the earth of that generation.

The enemy knows. What happens when somebody stops to consider just for a moment the glory and the power of Almighty God? That's why he does everything in his power to keep people Captivated and trembling keep their focus away from the glory of God and the magnificent promises that are ours in Jesus Christ.

Pulling Down Spiritual Strongholds

Paul says in 2nd Corinthians chapter 10 Verses 4 and 5 he said the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but they are mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds. Now these strongholds are places and promises.

That Satan has no right to occupy. These strongholds are things that God has for you. He has for me. Things that he has destined for our lives, but the enemy has come in and the enemy has formed an argument.

Convinced you in your heart and in your mind that all this might be for somebody else. But this is not for you and he has built a stronghold. But he has no right in these places. He has no right to live there.

He has no right to dwell there. He was served an eviction notice on Calvary 2 ,000 years ago. And when Jesus Christ rose from the dead three days later every person who's ever trusted in him rose from the dead with him.

Death sin has no power over your life anymore. There are no limitations to the child of God. There's no such a thing as I can't if God says you can. There's no such a thing as I won't if God says you will.

There's no such a thing and the enemy knows it and Paul says the weapons of our warfare are casting down. Imaginations and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God. Satan has theories.

He has arguments. He has had. Who knows how many years to form these things against the knowledge of God against the power of God? His main tactic is to infuse the minds of God's people with limitations.

Boundaries borders to set up Kings and Giants to tell you to tell me that we will never Possess the inheritance that is ours. We'll never fully possess it. We'll sing about it. We'll talk about it. We'll read books about it, but we ourselves will not possess it.

You see this is his strategy now. Moses reminded the people of two kings who refused to give them passage and Encouraged them to believe that as these two kings fell so would all who opposed God's plans for his people and Deuteronomy chapter 2 let's start there again.

At verse 24, he said take your journey pass over the river I've given into your hand Sion the Amorite the king of Eshpon and his land begin to possess it and contend with him in battle. In 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 the report of thee and shall tremble and be in anguish because of thee? Verse 26. I sent messengers out of the wilderness of Kedemoth unto Sion the king of Eshpon with words of peace saying let me pass through thy land.

I will go along by the highway. I'll neither turn to the right hand nor to the left. Thou shalt sell me meat for money and that I may eat and give me water for money that I may drink. Only I will pass through on my feet.

As the children of Esau which dwelt in Seir and the Moabites which dwelt in Ar did unto me. Until I passed over Jordan into the land which the Lord our God giveth us. But Sion king of Eshpon would not let us pass by him.

For the Lord thy God hardened his spirit and made his heart obstinate that he might deliver him into thy hand as appears this day and the Lord Said unto me behold, I have begun to give Sion on his land before thee begin to possess that thou may inherit his land.

Then came Sion then Sion came out against us. He and all his people to fight at Jayaz now. There was a city called Eshpon in Sion. Perhaps one of the capital or chief cities of this time and this city was 4 ,000 feet above the tributaries or the small springs that fed into the Dead Sea.

It was the site historically of an excellent spring and when I begin to read this I thought of John 738 where Jesus said he that believes on me out of his belly shall flow Rivers of living water. There was an incredible pool of water, but it was 4 ,000 feet up you can imagine be quite a climb.

To get to this place where this wonderful spring as a matter of fact, I think song of Solomon. Solomon says to the maiden. He said your eyes are like the fish pools of of this particular area. Now Sion is the king who says that all the promises of God are out of reach.

They are too high to attain to this is the king. This is what these children of Israel had to fight before they even went in. You can't you can't inherit the life of Christ if you believe in your heart the promises are too high for you and this King will come against you the moment you get up and Begin to want to possess your life and inheritance in Christ.

This King will not make any deal with you. He will come out and he will fight against you and say yes if these promises were great for Charles Finney. They were great for Amy McPherson. They were great for John Wesley, but and even some people in Times Square Church, but they're not for you.

They're too high you're down too low. The promises are too high. Someone else may come there, but you may not dwell there. Now. This is an argument of the enemy. But yet the the gospel says Paul says in 2nd Corinthians chapter 1 and verse 20 all the promises of God In him that's in Christ are yea and in him.

Amen unto the glory of God by us. All the promises of God. Everything in this book is yours. It doesn't matter what your educational background is or how well you speak or don't speak or what you've done.

Are you what you've not done? That's insignificant when you came to Christ when you believed in him as your Lord and Savior all the promises of God. Became yea and amen to you. That means they're yours.

They're not out of reach. They're not out of your reach. You can be and will be everything that God has designed you to be. That's why the enemy fights so hard against this and you know full well what I'm talking about this morning.

You read the scriptures and you you see in Hebrews 11 for example. Where men and women were raised up of God and did tremendous exploits and it's all relegated in your mind to history. And when you begin to even remotely Think that God might want to use your life in this regard for his glory.

Then this Scion comes against you immediately and says no these are yes. The promises are true, but they're too high for you. They're 4 ,000 feet above where you're living right now. And therefore someone else might be able who's perhaps a little more stronger than you who's more of a tactician who has more battle Experience or has been to who's had more learning than you have or as a better speaker.

We'll be able to attain these things but beloved that's not what the scripture says. That's the enemy's tactic to stop the work of God in your life. We go back to Deuteronomy chapter 2 verse 33 and It says the Lord our God Delivered him before us and we smote him and his sons and all his people.

Now here's what they say. We didn't just kill Sion. We killed all of the trailer all of the descendants of Sion all future arguments That would come against us as we proceeded with God beloved. You have got to settle this issue in your heart before you even begin the journey.

It's not enough just to defeat him one time. You have to put to death all of his descendants. I am in Christ. Christ is in me. God has a call on my life. He will be glorified through me. The promises of God to me are yay and amen.

Everything God has spoken to me is mine. I have Christ's life being lived within me. The resources of heaven are Infinite to me. I sit with Christ in heavenly places at the right hand of God where there is.

He is in charge of all power and all authority. Every name that is named is under his feet. Hallelujah. He is the head. He is the fullness. He is the one who fills all in all and I am part of his church his body on this earth.

Therefore his victory is my victory where he sits. I sit we smote him. Moses says we smote his sons. We smote his children. We kill all of his descendants. We put to death this argument against the life and righteousness of Almighty God once and for all.

Verse 34 says we took his cities all of his cities at that time and Utterly destroyed the men the women the little ones of every city. We left none to remain. We go on to verse 36 from Aurora Which is by the brink of the River Arnon and from the city that is by the river even unto Gilead.

There was not one city too strong for us. The Lord our God delivered all unto us. Peter says in 2nd Peter chapter 1 verse 4 whereby are given to him to us Exceeding great and precious promises that by these you might be partakers of the divine nature.

Having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust God has given us promises and by these promises we become partakers of Christ's life. We escape the corruption that's in this entire society because of the fallen condition or the disease condition of humankind without God.

A Man without God can't do any more than what he is. He can't be any more than what's in his heart. The Bible declares that all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. Men without God are soulish men.

Even religious men without God are soulish men. They they can only move by the passions that that emanate from the diseased condition of their soul. But Peter says through the promises of God we can escape this kind of living.

We can escape this kind of mediocrity that brings no glory to God this selfishness this this Depravedness as it is that the guides and governs the lives of those who don't know Christ As Lord and Savior and have no knowledge of his resurrection power within them.

Og of Bashan and the Lusts of the Flesh

Chapter 3 of Deuteronomy and verse 1 tells the continuing story says then we turned and we went up the way to Bashan and Og the king of Bashan came out against us he and all his people to battle at Adraea.

Now they turned there were two kings that had to be defeated before they could inherit the promises and One is this king of unbelief? This king that says the promises are too high. But the promises become the key whereby we escape.

This depraved nature that is in all who are without God. And Moses said then we turned and we went to fight this King Og of Bashan now this this particular King Og Ruled a kingdom that had 60 fence cities with brass gates.

He was a giant an absolute giant. His bed, which was kept later as a souvenir. After his defeat was iron solid iron. It was 13 feet 6 inches long and 6 feet wide. Now whether he was actually that bigger whether his ego was just a little bigger than he was.

We're not quite sure. He was a worshipper of Ashtoreth which is a goddess of sex and sensuality. This goddess this this power of evil is the power of evil one of the ones that captured Solomon. Solomon ended up building a temple.

You remember to Ashtoreth log represents the king who says that the lust of the flesh cannot be conquered. It's an incredible thing when you think of it. Yes, you might inherit some of the promises but you have issues in your heart.

There are things in your life that guide you that lead you and they are too strong. They cannot be conquered. This was the second king. The first king was that you cannot trust the promises of God and the second king.

They came against God's people said and the lust of your flesh. You will never conquer them. You have an anger in your heart. It's a flash temper. You'll never get over it. You are addicted to pornography.

You will never be free. Your mind is obsessed with the lust for money and fame and pride and you'll never ever be able to break those chains. That operate within you and guide you and govern you and all of the other lusts if you'll go in Galatians 5 with me please in the New Testament Paul describes these things in Galatians chapter 5 and verse 16.

Now Paul says this I say then Walk in the spirit and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh and these are contrary the one to the other.

So that you cannot do the things that you would. But if you are led of the spirit, you are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are manifest which are these this is verse 19 of Galatians 5 here are the works of uncontrolled flesh adultery fornication uncleanness.

Lasciviousness that means a lawlessness as it is it makes the gospel itself even an unclean thing. Idolatry witchcraft hatred. Lust for vengeance, for example can be another uncontrolled passion of the heart variance emulations wrath strife.

Argumentativeness can be another lust a person who just simply cannot resist the tendency to argue over almost everything. It's an it's a it's a corruptive lust in the heart that always has to be right.

It always has to prove its point. It desires the preeminence in every situation. Wrath strife seditions heresies envying. Murders drunkenness revelings and such like of the which I tell you before as I've also told you in times past.

That they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love joy. Peace long-suffering. Gentleness goodness faith meekness temperance. Against such there is no law and They that are Christ's have crucified the flesh verse 24 with the affections and lusts if we live in the Spirit.

Then let us also walk in the Spirit. Paul says elsewhere in Romans chapter 8 in verse 2 the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death. This is the truth of God's Word.

Yes, I have a fallen nature and yes this fallen nature Wants to lead me and drag me through life and cause me to fail and fall short of the glory of God at every turn. But I'm not under the law of this fallen nature anymore.

When the Spirit of life and Christ came into me he gave me of his own life and in him I have the power now to subdue this carnal nature, which is no law. Which no longer do I have to be in subjection to it.

It doesn't mean I won't battle this King. It means that this King will no longer have dominion over me. I'm no longer under its guidance. I no longer have to bow down to its every whim. I have within me the life of Jesus Christ that will cause me to rise above all of the enemies that are resident even within My own heart.

Those things that are entrenched within my physical makeup and my natural body. Without Christ are now in subjection to the life of Christ within me and yes Oh with his brass bed can come out against the life of Christ in me, but Moses said we went and we took him.

Look at verse Deuteronomy at chapter 3 verse 2 and the Lord said unto me fear him not. Do not be afraid whatever passion is operating in your heart. Whatever battle you're going through that's trying to stop you from the life of Christ.

You do not have to fear this thing. It is not going to take your heart away from God. It is not going to take the life of Christ away from you. For I will deliver him and all his people and his land into thy hand the places that he causes you to walk in.

I'm going to deliver it into your hand and You will do to him as you did to Sion the king of the Amorites which dwelt at Eshphon. So the Lord our God Delivered into our hands all also the king of Bashan and all his people and we smote him until none was left to him remaining.

We went after him and can you understand now got why God said to Moses? The moment you rise up and begin to confront these things in the power of God. There's a trembling going to come into the very ranks of hell itself.

The devil knows. Hey, we've had this one Captivated but he's rising up. She's rising up. She was driven by a desire for fame. But all of a sudden she's being led now by a desire to glorify Christ and the enemy knows.

How do I fight against us and a trembling comes into the whole host? Somebody has risen up that in their heart knows that there's a plan and purpose for their life beyond just the satisfying of their flesh and their own desires.

And we took all his cities verse 4. All of his cities at that time there was not a city which we took not from them. Three score cities all the region of our gob and the kingdom of Og and Bashan and these cities were fenced with high walls and gates and bars besides unwalled towns a great many.

Verse 6 is and we utterly destroyed them as we did under Sion king of Eshbon utterly destroying the men women and children of every city and God Now says to Joshua. Or Moses rather in chapter 3 verse 21, and I commended Joshua at that time.

Saying the nice have seen all that the Lord your God has done unto these two kings. So shall the Lord do unto all the kingdoms whether thou passest you shall not fear them. For the Lord your God he shall fight for you.

The Lord says You've risen up and you have begun to believe that my promises to your true you've risen up and you have Begun to trust that my promises are sufficient to deliver you from the lust of your flesh the pride of your life and Everything in you that has led you astray from the purposes and plans of God.

And you have to defeat these two things before you can begin to possess the life of Christ because both of these are Deeply rooted in unbelief in the heart. God Says not only will I Prove to you my promises are true, but I will change you from the inside out.

You will become a new creation the old things in you will pass away and behold all things will become new as You simply rise up and begin to pursue this journey. You're going to have to do some fighting.

But I want you to know the Lord says that the battle has been won for you already before you even begin to fight. You are already more than a conqueror through Christ who loves you. Because you have you are and I are only entering into a victory that has already been won for us over 2 ,000 years ago.

A Personal Testimony of Faith

Now in Deuteronomy chapter 2 where we began Moses tells the people rise up and Take your journey and pass over the River Arnon behold. I've given into your hand Sion Etc. Etc. In this day verse 25 I'll begin to put the dread of thee and the fear of thee upon the nations that are under the whole heaven.

Who shall hear the report of thee and shall tremble and be in anguish because of thee. I Don't know how else to say this. But there was a day in my own life where I battled everything I've preached today from this pulpit.

Sat in the church and I love the histories in the stories of how God used others. I used to love to read biographies and I love to read the scriptures and where the Bible tells us how God used so many people so powerfully in the past.

But I had bought the argument in my heart for a season That the promises of God some of them were for me, but many of them were out of my reach. I Bought the argument in my heart that there were inherent weaknesses in me that would never change.

I Would always always Spend my Christian life perhaps just struggling Trying to make it through and overcome these things day by day. But one day I sat in a service where I heard a preacher say that God can take you and He can defeat all of your enemies and give you victory.

That his promises are true and there's no power of evil that can Be set against you that can stop what God is destined to do in your life. It's the first time I'd ever heard it and folks. I don't know if it's just a divine moment, but I believed it and I remember getting out of my seat and heading to an altar.

And saying Lord, I I believe this and my belief was was very small like the father that brought his demon-possessed child. He said Lord, I believe help my unbelief. I believe as much as I can believe you've got to help me where I don't believe so that I can believe you even more.

It was just a total abandoning to God. But God I do believe that you can take my life and use it for your glory. And I do come and I cast my future at your feet and I cast Everything I am and have at your feet and I believe that even if you call me To leave the shores of security as it is and the things that I know you'll give me the strength to do this.

I'm Yielding my life into your hands and and now I know I didn't know then but I know that I was among a multitude of that time and of every generation that come to these altars and the devil looks down and All hell begins to tremble again because he knows the moment one son or daughter of God rises up and says Lord I'm not much but you're everything and I don't have much but you have everything I need.

So I come to you in my bankruptcy and you become my resource. I come to you with my frailty and you you become my strength. I come to you with my confusion and you give me clear direction. I come to you with my powerless Loveless heart and God you're going to infuse my life with that.

Which caused you to go to Calvary in the first place and die for fallen humanity. I come with this fearful trembling heart. But God you tell me that you're going to infuse my life with power from on high.

You're going to give me faith so that I can stand and command Mountains of doubt and unbelief and sin and immorality to move out of the way that the kingdom of God may come not just for Me but for those that you send me to preach the gospel to God.

I believe it with all my heart and I yield to it and I ask you Lord. I ask you God To take me and use me for your glory. And that's where the journey begins and if I could have seen then standing in some of the places you saw in the video today and the places that God in His grace will take you and I to tomorrow the places of authority where we can stand and say every Evil spirit must bow and now every knee must bow before Christ and every tongue must confess that Jesus Christ is is Lord to stand in Nigeria with 200 chanting witches in the back and command their tongues to be silent and to see God break in and saved by the tens and hundreds of thousands all who came to these meetings to hear the gospel of Jesus Christ.