"When the people of Ashdod rose early the next day, there was Dagon, fallen on his face on the ground before the ark of the Lord! They took Dagon and put him back in his place." 1 Samuel 5:3 (NIV)

The Philistines had captured the Ark of the Covenant in battle, and taken it to the temple they had built for their demonic god Dagon. The Ark of the Covenant represented the presence of God. They placed the Ark before their demonic god, and the next morning found him lying on his face before the Lord. They stand him back up, but to no avail, for once again the following morning they find him once fallen before the Lord, only this time his head and hands had been broken off. The Philistines quickly discovered that there was no god before the Mighty God of Israel!

Still today there is no demon or man that can stand before the awesome presence of our God! Our God is a consuming fire to all who would oppose Him! He is mighty in battle! Indeed, He is a Man of War! Absolutely no force on earth, below the earth, or in Heaven can stand before our God! If you find yourself plagued by some, seemingly, overwhelming force today, bring it before your God, and it will bow down! If you have struggled with addictions and old habits, set them before your God and they will fall! Elisabeth Elliot wrote, "Spiritual strongholds begin with a thought. One thought becomes a consideration. A consideration develops into an attitude, which leads then to action. Action repeated becomes a habit, and a habit establishes a 'power base for the enemy,' that is, a stronghold." If the enemy has set up a strong hold in your life, set it before the Lord, and He will behead the enemy and break his hands off, so he can no longer keep a hold on you!

"...As surely as I live, says the Lord, every knee will bow before me; every tongue will acknowledge God." Romans 14:11 (NIV)