What is an ax? A tool use for cutting wood into pieces that can be used for firewood. My grandmother sold firewood, she cut the wood herself and tired them into bundles. An ax consist of two parts; the sharp edge that goes into the wood and the handle. The edge is very sharp, therefore you must be an expert to strike the wood. I know for a fact that she never had an accident for missing a strike. I consider her an expert. Firewood is meant for the fire; thus its name.

In Isaiah 7:4 “Say to him, ‘Be careful, keep calm and don’t be afraid. Do not lose heart because of these two smoldering stubs of firewood.” The Lord is referring to Rezin and Aram with their plan to invade Judah ( details in Isaiah 7: 1-18). God refers to Judah’s enemy as “stubs of firewood’.

If the Lord is a man of war as stated in Exodus 15:3 “The Lord is a man of war: the Lord is his name.”

Therefore, according to John 1:12 “But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.” Being children, we are recruited in the military camp. That is why he says in 2 Corinthians 10:4 “For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds.” and Ephesians 6:12 “For our battle is not against flesh and blood……

The creator of the heaven and earth is the only one with the qualifications to train us and use us as his battle ax for war.

God brings war to his enemies; Revelation 19:11 “Then I saw heaven standing open, and there before me was a white horse. And its rider is called Faithful and True. With righteousness He judges and wages war.”

The enemy is also at work; according to Psalm 24:8 “Who is this King of Glory? The LORD strong and mighty, the LORD mighty in battle.” However, 1 John 5:19 “We know that we are from God, and the whole world lies in the power of the evil one.” God has work to do with his battle ax and weapons of war as list below Jeremiah 51:20-24( details on Prayerline tonight)

Jeremiah 51:20-24 “20 You are My battle-ax and weapons of war: For with you I will break the nation in pieces; With you I will destroy kingdoms; 21 With you I will break in pieces the horse and its rider; With you I will break in pieces the chariot and its rider; 22  With you also I will break in pieces man and woman; With you I will break in pieces old and young; With you I will break in pieces the young man and the maiden; 23 With you also I will break in pieces the shepherd and his flock; With you I will break in pieces the farmer and his yoke of oxen; And with you I will break in pieces governors and rulers. 24  And I will repay Babylon

And all the inhabitants of Chaldea

For all the evil they have done

In Zion in your sight,” says the Lord.”

Ephesians 2:10 “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”

Pray that we will walk in what God had intended and created even before we were known, pray for the full manifestation of his work in us.

1 Samuel 16:18 “One of the young men answered, “Behold, I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite, who is skillful in playing, a man of valor, a man of war, prudent in speech, and a man of good presence, and the Lord is with him.”

For one to become God’s battle ax, God must first approve and after that, he dwell within us. What was the secret here? Ask God for help. Pray that as he approves, he should make you into a man of war.

Isaiah 41:15-16 “15 Behold, I will make you into a threshing sledge, new and sharp, with many teeth. You will thresh the mountains and crush them, and reduce the hills to chaff. 16 You will winnow them, and a wind will carry them away; a gale will scatter them. But you will rejoice in the LORD; you will glory in the Holy One of Israel.”

Pray that this word of God will be made manifest in your life just as it is written.

Psalm 18:34 “He trains my hands for war, so that my arms can bend a bow of bronze.” Psalm 144:1 “Blessed be the Lord, my rock, who trains my hands for war, and my fingers for battle.”

Ask God for training. Ask the Lord for help to walk in obedience. We cannot be military people but fight like civilians.

Isaiah 42:13 “The Lord goes out like a mighty man, like a man of war he stirs up his zeal; he cries out, he shouts aloud, he shows himself mighty against his foes.”

Pray that the Lord equips you with strategy

2 Corinthians 6:7 “By the word of truth, by the power of God, by the armour of righteousness on the right hand and on the left.”

Pray for the grace to walk in God’s truth, his power and to be clothed with the armor of his righteousness. This is our weapon against the enemy.

Jeremiah 1:10 “See, I have appointed you today over nations and kingdoms to uproot and tear down, to destroy and overthrow, to build and plant."

As God trains, he appoints; therefore arise and stand on his word.