Are y’all familiar with the story of Elisha and the Syrians (2 Kings 6:8-23)? It’s a GREAT account. It starts out by showing us what an amazing prayer life Elisha had. Syria was at war with Israel, and the Syrian king was SURE he had a spy in his camp. Everytime the Syrian army made a move, the Israelites were already a step ahead. No surprise attacks going on here! The Syrians would be all stealthy and sneaky, just SURE they were about to surprise the Israeli army, and then when they got there there Israelites were like, “Heeeey y’all!” The Syrian king was frustrated! The NIV says he was “enraged.”
What was happening? Did he have a spy in his midst? Well…did your Mama ever tell you that NOTHING is really ever done in secret, because God knows? That’s what was going on here. God knew. And God was telling Elisha. And Elisha was telling the King of Israel. How is that for a secret weapon? That gives new meaning to the scripture (in Romans 8:31), “If God is for us, who can be against us?”
2 Kings 6:11-12 NIV This enraged the King of Aram. He summoned his officers and demanded of them, “Tell me! Which of us is on the side of the king of Israel?” “None of us, my lord the king,” said one of the officers, “but Elisha, the prophet who is in Israel, tells the king of Israel the very words you speak in your bedroom.”
The Syrians decided they were going to find Elisha. Now, I don’t know about you, but in my mind, if the Lord is using Elisha to protect Israel in such an amazing way, logic would tell me He isn’t just going to let the enemy just ride up and prophet-nap Elisha and drag him off. Wouldn’t it stand to reason that the Lord would protect him too?
For whatever reason the King of Syria didn’t see it that way. They found Elisha and his servant, Gehazi. When Elisha got up the next morning there was the Syrian army – complete with horses and chariots – surrounding the city. In my mind I just see Elisha standing there rolling his eyes. He was probably thinking, “How long is it gonna take this king to figure this all out?” Somebody call Pat Sajack! This guy needs to buy a CLUE!
However, Elisha’s servant WAS freaked out. But Elisha basically told him to calm down, “There are more of us than there are of them.” And then Elisha prayed that Gehazi’s eyes would be opened. That’s when Gehazi looked around him and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire. Had the situation changed? Nope. But the way the Gehazi SAW the situation was VASTLY different.
The story goes on, and you can read the rest of it in 2 Kings 6:8-23, but I wanted to focus on the part where the servant’s eyes were opened. At the writing of this article (mid April 2020), the world is in the middle of a pandemic and there is a lot of FEAR out there. We see this virus and the effect it is having on other countries across the world. We are looking at the world – at our circumstance – with natural eyes. We are looking at things like Elisha’s servant, Gehazi, looked at things.
What would happen if we asked the Lord to open our eyes, and we looked again? When the servant looked again, THE CIRCUMSTANCES HAD NOT 
CHANGED. They were the same as before. What had changed was his PERCEPTION of the circumstances. He could NOW see the heavenly army that was ready to do battle on behalf of Elisha.
Ephesians 6:12 KJV For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
I also like the way the Passion Translation puts it:
Ephesians 6:12 TPT Your hand-to-hand combat is not with human beings, but with the highest principalities and authorities operating in rebellion under the heavenly realms. For they are a powerful class of demon-gods and evil spirits that hold this dark world in bondage.
What if we Believers were diligent about asking God to open our eyes to what is REALLY going on around us. Give us spiritual vision! I think we will find what Elisha’s servant found: There are more with us than there are with them.
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This is a pertinent word for the season we’re going through. I pray that it changes attitudes in people who are fearful. Being afraid doesn’t help the situation or ourselves. And fear begets fear. This is a good reminder that GOD is in control. He’s allowing this for a purpose and in HIS time we’ll know.
Yes! Perception is “reality,” but when our perception changes, so does our reality!