Complimentary Story
Year-End 2025On my way to church last Sunday, I passed my neighbor Steve’s house. He’s a very patriotic guy and always has an American flag flying. Being thankful for my life, my country, my freedom, and the lives of those who bought that freedom…I always love to see his flag a-flyin’. Well, on Sunday there was a new flag flying under Old Glory. A big white flag with one word written on it in decisive block letters…FREEDOM.
As I drove past, the Holy Spirit spoke to me… “Jehovah Nissi…the Lord is your Banner.” This holy whisper prompted an image in my mind as I saw my spiritual freedom boldly declared as I came under the banner of my God.
Jehovah Nissi is one of the names ascribed to God in the Old Testament. The Lord is our Banner.
Exodus 17:8-15 The Amalekites Defeated, “The Amalekites came and attacked the Israelites at Rephidim. Moses said to Joshua, ‘Choose some of our men and go out to fight the Amalekites. Tomorrow I will stand on top of the hill with the staff of God in my hands.’ So Joshua fought the Amalekites as Moses had ordered, and Moses, Aaron and Hur went to the top of the hill. As long as Moses held up his hands, the Israelites were winning, but whenever he lowered his hands, the Amalekites were winning. When Moses’ hands grew tired, they took a stone and put it under him and he sat on it. Aaron and Hur held his hands up — one on one side, one on the other — so that his hands remained steady till sunset. So Joshua overcame the Amalekite army with the sword. Then the Lord said to Moses, ‘Write this on a scroll as something to be remembered and make sure that Joshua hears it, because I will completely blot out the name of Amalek from under heaven.’ Moses built an altar and called it The Lord is my Banner. He said, ‘Because hands were lifted up against[a] the throne of the Lord,[b] the Lord will be at war against the Amalekites from generation to generation.’”
In past wartimes, a banner was a military flag that an army would raise as a rallying point and a place to gather the troops for battle. They identified the location of the commander and where people should go for marching orders. In Exodus, Moses ascribes this Name to God after his supernatural victory over the Amalekites. Moses was up on a cliff, overlooking the battlefield where Joshua was fighting the enemy. When Moses, with the help of a couple of friends, had the staff of God raised up, the battle was being won by the Israelites. When Moses let his ‘banner’ down, the tables would turn in favor of the Amalekites.
The staff of the Lord was Moses’ staff that the Lord used to perform miracles by in Egypt. It represents the work that is Divinely empowered to break down strongholds in enemy territory and bring a people to freedom. This was the ‘banner’ over the battle on that historical day. This is why Moses gave our God this Name…The Lord is our Banner. He is our Banner, our Commander, our Rallying Place, our Direction Giver, our Re-router, our King, and our God. Jehovah Nissi!
My neighbor’s flags and the battle of the Israelites against the Amalekites both illustrate a supremely important truth in our lives as Christians. The Lord is our Banner. Under that Banner, we find freedom. We are not saved only to be kept from the flames of hell, but to be transferred into the Kingdom of Heaven. Yes, there will be battles. Those battles will often be necessary for us to find true freedom in our walk. We have a Good Commander, Jehovah Nissi. Our victory is assured when we come under Him and His authority. We must choose to rally there and not try to find our own solutions to the things that hold us back from the fullness God desires us to live in.
There was another banner on another hill in the Bible. It read, “King of the Jews.” Under this banner, our King Jesus died to secure our freedom. Often we think that this freedom is only from the penalty of sin and death. While we, thankfully, are freed from this by Christ’s shed blood; we also are granted access to the freedom over the power of sin.
Come under the Banner of the Lord today. It is there we rally with our Commander and King. It is there we find out direction. It is there we make plans to secure our victory. He is a Good King. He is a Good God. He will meet you under His Banner. He will deliver you from the Enemy.
Will you come to the Banner with me? Will you rally under the loving care of Jehovah Nissi?
The Lord is our Banner!
Psalm 60: 4-5, “You have set up a banner for those who fear You that they may flee to it from the bow. That Your beloved ones may be delivered, give salvation by Your right hand and answer us!”
Isaiah 11:10, “And in that day there shall be a Root of Jesse, Who shall stand as a banner to the people; For the Gentiles shall seek Him, and His resting place shall be glorious.”
Chris McMahan
Email: Happy1970@icloud.com
