1) YOU WILL BE ATTACKED

Micah 7:8 Rejoice not against me, (1) O mine enemy: (2) when I fall, (3) I shall arise; when I sit in darkness, the LORD shall be a light unto me.

Promise #1:You will have enemies

The world is full of people who like nothing better than to kill you- (not physically – but there are those who areserial killers out to destroy your reputation and murderers to kill your spirit, and there are executioners who would love to extinguish your mission

Promise #2: You will fall
Promise #3: You will arise

2) YOUR ATTACKER WILL STAB YOU IN THE BACK

Many times our attacks come from those who are the closet to us. We get stabbed in the back.

Ephesians 6:14 Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; 15. And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16. Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. 17. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: 18. Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;

Ephesians talks about the armor of God, the interesting thing is that there is nothing to cover our backs. WE NEED A BACK COVERER!

3) YOU NEED A BACK COVERER!

The story of Deborah is found in Judges 4-5
In her role as prophet she delivers a message to Barak to go into the battle, to organize the troops and form two tribes to fight the Canaanites on Mt Tabor
General Barak is reluctant, and agrees to follow what the Lord is saying as long as Deborah goes on the journey with him, to cover his back

Judges 4:8 And Barak said unto her, If thou wilt go with me, then I will go: but if thou wilt not go with me, then I will not go.

She accompanied the reluctant General Barak onto the Theatre of Battle, there to cover his back and offer moral and spiritual support.
You need someone to cover your back….Who do you have to watch your back?
Who is providing cover for you?

THE BENEFIT OF DEBORAH

A) DEBORAH MOTIVATES YOU

Judges 4:6 And she sent and called Barak the son of Abinoam out of Kedesh-naphtali, and said unto him, Hath not the LORD God of Israel commanded, saying, Go and draw toward mount Tabor, and take with thee ten thousand men of the children of Naphtali and of the children of Zebulun? 7 And I will draw unto thee to the river Kishon Sisera, the captain of Jabin’s army, with his chariots and his multitude; and I will deliver him into thine hand.

B) DEBORAH GIVES YOU SPIRITUAL SUPPORT

Sometimes Deborah fight alongside you on the front lines; but mostly they cover you with prayer from a distance
(From a Distance)
Deborah didn’t fight next to Barak, but she covered Barak’s back with the fire of her words, her spirit, and her
courage
She was always close enough to catch Barak’s eye, and the presence of her spirit bolstered his own
Sometimes we need a Deborah to protect us from ourselves – from our gaffs and our moods

THE ROLE OF DEBORAH

Ephesians 6:18 Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;
Matthew 17:20 And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you. 21. Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting.

1) PRAYER

2) FASTING

Ezekiel 22:29The people of the land have used oppression, and exercised robbery, and have vexed the poor and needy: yea, they have oppressed the stranger wrongfully. 30.And I sought for a man among them, that should make up the hedge, and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I should not destroy it: but I found none. 31.Therefore have I poured out mine indignation upon them; I have consumed them with the fire of my wrath: their own way have I recompensed upon their heads, saith the Lord GOD.

This series is loosely based off Leonard Sweet’s book by 11: Indispensable Relationships You Can’t Be Without and the preaching notes of my friend, Shawn Stickler, Lead Pastor of The Pentecostals of Quinte in Belleville, ON. I have also personalized these outlines with my own thoughts and stories.