The spirit of Amalek
Remember what Amalek did to you on the way as you were coming out of Egypt, how he met you on the way and attacked your rear ranks, all the stragglers at your rear, when you were tired and weary; and he did not fear God. Deuteronomy 25:17-18
Some of my non-believer friends express their reason for not believing in God or staying away from religion by saying that most wars are caused by religion. In reality, God is not the problem; people are, especially those under demonic influence.
Whether we like it or not, we are under spiritual warfare. In the bible, some of the major conflicts are explained, such as the rivalry between descendants of Isaac and Ishamel. Other major conflicts are attributed to the spirit of Amalek, a spiritual force that targets aggressively on both Jews and Christians. “The rivalry with the Amalekites is also a product of the "family business".
As far back as Genesis 36 tells us, Amalek was the grandson of Esau, and the Amalekites have been the constant enemies of Israel until this day. Israel was first attacked by the Amalekites after they left Egypt and arrived at Rephidim (Exodus 17). Throughout the book of 1 Samuel, the Amalekites waged wars against Saul's kingdom, and David was severely attacked by the Amalekites at Ziklag. In Esther's time, Haman, the wicked Amalekite who planned to destroy the Jews, was the descendants of the Amalekites. Thus, under the spirit of Amalek, it caused anti-semitism, so even in our modern day history and current political situation, the demonic spirit of Amalekites continues throughout the generations, causing people to be anti-Jews with vicious and murderous attacks and even committing genocides and attempts to wipe out Israel.
Along with the national level or territorial warfare, the spirit of Amalek will also attack us on a personal level. In the key verse today, it states that the Amalek attacks us when we are tired and weary. When we feel 'spiritual fatigue', we are more susceptible to the attack. What can we do about the spirit of Amalek?
The answer can be found in Exodus 17, the famous passage "God is our banner." When Moses raised his arms, Israel prevailed, but when he dropped them, Amalek prevailed. As Moses' hands grew heavy, Aaron and Hur supported his arms until the war was won.
Despite our winning side, we need to go out and fight Amalek, but not through flesh and blood, but through faith in God like Moses raising his hands to show His dependence on God and receiving support from fellow believers. Let's fight boldly, don't cross our arms or fight alone, let's raise our hands to proclaim God is our victor. The spirit of Amalek shall be expelled!
Blessing prayer: Lift our hands up when we feel tired or weary. Deliver us from the evil spirit as we may take refuge in your victory. In Jesus’ name, Amen
