John K. Jenkins Sr - I Will Not Go Down Without a Fight (01/24/2026)
Scripture Reading: Joshua Chapter 11
If you have your Bibles, grab your Bibles. I want to go to Joshua chapter 11 for just a moment. I do have a product that we bought—it’s somewhere in the lobby, I think—somewhere that might be a blessing to you, and I won’t talk about that. But Joshua chapter 11. I want to begin at verse number one. I’m reading from the New King James Version.
«And it came to pass, when Jabin king of Hazor heard these things, that he sent to Jobab king of Madon, to the king of Shimron, to the king of Achshaph, and to the kings who were from the north, in the mountains, in the plains south of Chinneroth, in the lowland, and in the heights of Dor on the west, to the Canaanites in the east and in the west, the Amorites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Jebusites in the mountains, and the Hivites below Hermon in the land of Mizpeh.
So they went out, they and all their armies with them, as many people as the sand that is on the seashore in multitude, with very many horses and chariots. And when all these kings had met together, they came and camped together at the waters of Merom to fight against Israel.»
God’s Promise to Joshua
But the Lord said to Joshua, «Do not be afraid because of them, for tomorrow about this time I will deliver all of them slain before Israel. You shall hamstring their horses and burn their chariots with fire.»
So Joshua and all the people of war with him came against them suddenly by the waters of Merom, and they attacked them.
Look at your neighbor and say, «I will not go down without a fight.» No, no—that’s too timid. You’ve got to have attitude with that. You’ve got to have a little boldness. Let’s try that again. You have to say, «I’m not going down without a fight. I might lose, I might be bloody, I might not look good, but you’re going to know you’ve been in a fight. I’m not going to just quit and lay over and give up and walk away. I will not go down without a fight.»
Prayer
Father, I pray Your richest blessings upon us today. Anoint us, Father, to be Your instrument. Let someone’s heart receive the Word of Life. Allow, God, Your name to get the glory and the honor. I pray for the hedge of protection around this place and allow Your name to get the glory. Let somebody get the victory. Save somebody, deliver somebody, restore somebody, and let Your kingdom be exalted in the mighty and precious name of our resurrected Savior Jesus. We pray, and everybody said amen.
You might be seated. Thank you so much.
Joshua’s Mantle and Israel’s Conquest
In our text today, in this Book of Joshua, Joshua has picked up the mantle of responsibility of being the successor to Moses. That’s an amazing responsibility—to try to pick up and carry, to follow the man whom God spoke to face to face. It is an incredible responsibility to try to carry. Yet he picks up the mantle and he carries it. In fact, God uses him in an incredible way to help the children of Israel achieve and reach their destiny.
They take over, conquer, and achieve what God destined for them to do. They reach the Promised Land. They have been trying to get to the Promised Land for decades, but here they are now, crossing over and taking territory. The Book of Joshua is the story of their conquest.
I thought I ought to talk to you about it today because I believe there are some descendants of Joshua in this camp right here today. I thought I ought to talk about it because there’s somebody who’s afraid to move forward, somebody who’s fearful of thinking that maybe God cannot use them.
But God sent me here from the state of Maryland to come here on this great day to try to encourage somebody to know that God has anointed you to do and reach the things that you thought you would never reach or do.
The Call to Fight for Your Destiny
You see, Joshua has been assigned the responsibility of achieving that which Moses could not do. God did not allow Moses to carry them into the Promised Land. God raises up Joshua and anoints him, and Joshua does great things. He has 31 battles; he defeats 31 kingdoms. He takes over the territory after 31 battles—31 fights—with only one loss, which he later avenged. It is a great achievement in his life for his destiny.
So I wanted to just talk to somebody. That’s what my message is about today. My assignment is to challenge you to fulfill the destiny and the purpose and the call that God has for your life.
I know there’s a whole lot of drama that’s going on. We’re coming out of a pandemic, and I know you think you’ve had financial loss, economic loss—you’ve had loss on everything. There’s been a loss. We’re coming out of a pandemic, but God wanted me to tell you and remind you: all is not lost.
However, I do need to tell you that in order for you to reach your destiny and fulfill your call and accomplish your purpose, it is going to require a fight.
I thought I ought to talk to you about it because there is a generation of people who are persuaded and believe that everything ought to be handed to them on a silver platter. But my job is to tell you that if you’re going to reach your destiny, if you’re going to accomplish what it is God has required for you to do, it’s going to require a fight. It’s going to require a battle.
What Hell Knows About You
Whatever God has for you is worth fighting for. Your marriage is worth fighting for. Your children are worth fighting for. Your ministry is worth fighting for. Your business is worth fighting for. Your anointing is worth fighting for.
Israel faces—the children of Israel are facing—an army of people who have heard. Matter of fact, verse one of chapter 11 says when Jabin king of Hazor heard these things. What had he heard? If you go back through several chapters, you’ll hear that nation after nation had heard about Joshua. They had gotten the word about Joshua. They had heard that he had come in and taken over territory, defeated kingdoms, and taken territory. The word had spread about Joshua and the children of Israel.
They heard, and you need to know, brothers and sisters, that hell has heard about you. I know you may not believe it, but hell knows that if you ever reach your destiny, if you ever get to the place of doing what it is that God has called you to do, hell knows that you represent a threat to his kingdom.
You need to stop being timid and afraid and laid-back. You need to rise up and say, «I’m going to do what it is that God has called me to do. I am not afraid. I will not go down without a fight.» Tell your neighbor, «I’m not going down without a fight.»
When Enemies Unite Against You
They had heard. King Jabin of Hazor had heard, and so he gathers together all of these surrounding nations. Look at all of these nations that surround, and they have heard, and they’ve all come together—the king of Hazor and Madon and Shimron and Achshaph, and the kings south of Chinneroth, the Canaanites and the Amorites and the Hittites and the Perizzites and the Jebusites and the Hivites. Everybody was there. They had gathered everybody to come together for one sole purpose: fighting against Israel.
You know what I discovered? I discovered that when you are doing what it is that God has called you to do, people who would not ordinarily speak to each other will come together to try to stop you from achieving what it is that God has called you to do.
I have concluded, I believe, and I am persuaded that when everybody has to come together to try to stop you, you must be a bad somebody. Somebody tell your neighbor, «I must be special. The anointing on me must be an awesome anointing when they all have to gang up to come against me.»
And that’s the truth of the matter. What you represent and what God is going to do with you and through you and in your life—what God is going to do with you—you’re going to destroy devils, you’re going to win families, you’re going to save marriages. People are coming off drugs, prostitutes are coming off the street. Your anointing—I don’t know who I’m preaching to—but your anointing is so awesome and so bad that the devil is going to try to do everything he can to stop you. But don’t you go down without a fight.
Yes, you must be a bad somebody.
The Intensity of the Battle
And as a matter of fact, all of this—the text says that it was so many—as the number… They went out, they and all their armies with them, as many people as the sand that is on the seashore in multitude, with very many horses and chariots.
Here’s what that means: horses and chariots—that is the tanks of their day. They’re bringing all of their weaponry, they’re bringing all of their strength, all of their missiles, all of their guns, all of their might.
And you need to understand—some of you have gone through some hell through this last season—you need to understand that the more intense the battle is, it’s a representation of how great the victory is when you get on the other side of the battle.
I don’t know who I’m preaching to—it might just be one person who I’m preaching to—but my word to you today is: the more intense the battle, the greater the victory on the other side of what you’re going through. Don’t be discouraged, don’t be frustrated, don’t walk away, don’t quit, but recognize that you’ve got a great victory on the other side.
That’s why you can’t go down without a fight. Your anointing must be mighty, it must be great, it must be amazing.
Overcoming the Odds
As a matter of fact, all of these armies had come against Israel—it’s as many as the sand on the seashore. That’s how many were coming. The odds might be against you. The odds were against Israel with all of these armies. The odds might be against you.
For some of you, the odds might be against you getting married. The odds might be against your marriage making it. The odds might be against your ministry prospering. The odds might be against your business succeeding.
But if God be for you—if God is on your side—somebody ought to holler, «Who can stop what God has declared? Who can slow down when God has spoken a word about you? Who can stop you?»
They can’t stop you. They can’t slow you down. They can’t defeat you. I have fought too many battles for me to quit now. I’ve gone through too much hell. I’ve got too much in front of me for me to stop right now.
Don’t be surprised when they come against you. The fact that they’re coming against you is an indication that you are headed in the right direction. I wish I could get an amen right there from somebody.
The odds might be against you, but when it’s all said and done, you’re more than a conqueror. The odds might be against you, but you’re going to win.
What Do You Do When Odds Are Against You?
Who am I preaching to today? Who is this for? God has a destiny for you. God has an assignment and a call for you.
And what do you do? What do you do when the odds are against you? What do you do when the enemy’s coming against you? What do you do when they’ve lined up all the paperwork to fire you? What do you do when everybody’s warring against you?
What was Joshua to do? All of these nations and all of these kings have got their armies, and they’ve come against Joshua. What are you to do?
I’m glad you asked the question. Here’s what verse 6 says: «But the Lord said to Joshua…» See, y’all missed a great spot to say amen.
Let me tell you: whenever God sticks His «but» in your situation, that means something’s about to shift, something is about to change. Tell your neighbor, «God got a big old 'but, ' don’t He?»
Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all.
Joshua had an army coming against him, but God stuck His «but» in the situation. «But the Lord said…»
Do Not Be Afraid
Here’s what you do: you get a word from God. Joshua got a word from God, and what did God say?
He said, number one: «Do not be afraid because of them.» That’s the first thing He says. He says, «Don’t let fear control you.» Somebody look at your neighbor and say, «Stop being scared.» Tell your neighbor, «Stop being scared.»
Some of you have not moved forward because you’re afraid. I come to drive away a spirit of fear. I come to rebuke a spirit of fear—afraid to write the book, afraid to record the song, afraid to start the business, afraid to get married—afraid, afraid, afraid.
God has not given us a spirit of fear but of power and of love and of a sound mind. Don’t be afraid.
What I’ve learned about God is: don’t let fear drive you in the wrong direction. Some of you have been afraid to do anything because of fear, and what I’ve learned is that God wants me and you to learn how to always move in the direction of your fears.
When a pack of lions are going to attack a prey, they see the prey down in the valley, and the pack of lions send the old, slow, toothless lion over to the side by himself on one side while the pack of strong, fast, aggressive lions are on the other side. The slow, toothless lion has one assignment: to roar. When he roars, the prey runs away from the roar, not knowing that it’s going into the strength of the pack.
All I’m trying to tell you to do is stop running away from the roar. Your victory is running toward the roar. Your destiny is toward the roar. Your victory is toward the roar.
Look at your neighbor and say, «Face your fears.» Look on the other side and say, «Face your fears.»
Tomorrow About This Time
Here’s number two—I’m almost finished. He says right here, «But the Lord said to Joshua, 'Do not be afraid because of them, for tomorrow about this time…'»
I’m preaching to somebody to let you know: today, about this time tomorrow—I prophesy, I declare it, I preach it, I pray it, I say it—tomorrow about this time, whatever it is you’ve been fighting with, whatever it is you’ve been struggling with, whatever it is that’s been discouraging you—God told me to tell you He’s about to bring it to an end. He’s about to shut it down. He’s about to bring it to a conclusion.
It has tormented you and frustrated you and hurt you, and you’ve been crying, but God told me to tell you: bam—it’s about to come to an end. Somebody ought to go ahead and give God a shout and a praise.
Tomorrow about this time—He told me to tell you He’s put a limit on how long the devil can frustrate you. He’s put a time frame on it.
The fight won’t last long. The fight will not last long. Get ready, get ready, get ready. Don’t drop the mic. The fight won’t last long. Get ready—you’re going to be a winner. You’re going to win. It won’t last long.
Hamstring Their Horses
Here’s my final point—I’m a short-winded preacher. I’m a helicopter; I just go straight up and come down.
Then He says this: «You shall hamstring their horses and burn their chariots with fire.»
You shall hamstring their horses. Here’s what that means: when you hamstring a horse, it means to cut the horse at his strongest muscle in his hind legs, and when you cut that muscle, he’s rendered useless. As a matter of fact, when you cut the hamstring, that horse can’t heal, so they will kill a horse once the hamstring gets cut.
God says, «I’m going to empower you and anoint you to hamstring their horses and burn their chariots with fire. I’m going to take the strength of the horse away.»
I used to have a good government job. Lord, I had a good government job, and my boss took another job, and my boss’s boss called me into her office. I remember, Bishop, like it was yesterday. She was sitting in her office with her legs crossed and her arms folded, and she said, «You can apply for the job, but you’re not going to get it.» She said, «We want somebody with more experience, more training, more knowledge.» And I said, «Okay, fine.»
And so I did the job of my boss even though I didn’t apply for the job, even though she told me I wasn’t going to get it if I applied. Several months later, she called me back to her office, sitting in that same chair with her legs crossed and her arms folded, and said, «I just called you in here to tell you that you got selected for the job.»
I said, «Thank you very much. I appreciate the opportunity. I’m going to do the best I can. Thank you.» And I got up and I walked out back to my office. That’s what I did externally. Internally, I said, «You said I wasn’t going to get it. You said I wasn’t qualified. You said I could apply, but it wouldn’t be mine.»
I’m preaching to somebody today that’s been told you can’t get it, you won’t win, you won’t move up. I’m here to tell you: get ready to say…
What does this have to do with hamstringing horses? I didn’t know it at the time, but I found out later on that my boss’s boss’s boss told my boss’s boss, «Give the job to John Jenkins.» What had happened was the boss’s boss’s boss hamstrung the boss’s boss—took the boss’s boss’s power away—and gave me the job.
I don’t know who I’m preaching to today, but I want you to get ready to know that God is about to hamstring somebody who’s trying to hurt you, trying to defeat you, trying to frustrate you. They are about to be hamstrung.
Oh, I feel a shout coming on me right now. I feel the Spirit of God telling somebody: your life, your circumstance, your situation is about to change. And my job is to tell you: don’t go down without a fight.
Fight Like Laila Ali
Put your dukes up. Get in the battle. God has called you. God has anointed you. God has empowered you. God is getting you ready for something beyond what you ever dreamed or imagined. But you can’t go down without a fight. Hallelujah.
You can lie on me, try to embarrass me, walk out on me, scandalize me, sue me, uninvite me—whatever you want to do—but I’m going to fight.
You can provoke me, trick me, fool me, entice me, lure me, deceive me—but I’m still fighting.
And I’m here to tell you today: fight for your purpose, fight for your destiny, fight for your anointing, fight for your business, fight for your marriage, fight for your children, fight for your health.
A friend of mine, Jeffrey Johnson—pastors in Indianapolis, Indiana—told me this. I’m almost finished. Don’t sit down—you make me feel like I’m saying something.
He told me about… y’all know Muhammad Ali? Muhammad Ali has a daughter named Laila Ali. Yeah, and Laila decided to take up boxing. Yes, sir. She boxed for a few years. Matter of fact, she had a record of 24-0. She never lost a fight. She was a boxer.
In one of her matches, she had a rematch with somebody that she had a close fight with, and this rematch—she got a cut over her eye, sir, and a bloody nose, and it looked like halfway through the fight she was going to lose. But she came back and won the fight and knocked the girl out.
When the fight was over, they interviewed Laila and said, «Laila, you looked like you were about to lose that fight. How were you able to come back?»
She said, «I watched my father fight. I watched Muhammad Ali beat Joe Frazier and George Foreman and Sonny Liston. I watched him look like he was going to lose, but then I saw him come back. I watched him.»
And so then she said this: «When I thought about who my daddy was…»
Do you know who your Daddy is? He’s the Lily of the Valley. Do you know who your Daddy is? He’s the Bright and Morning Star. Do you know who your Daddy is? He is alive and well.
Put your dukes up and come on and get in the battle and get in the fight.
Be Aggressive
I thought I’d have more people in the battle with me. I thought there’d be some more people willing to get in the fight. But maybe you’re saying, «I can’t throw a punch like that. I can’t do the undercut. I don’t know how to throw a haymaker.»
It’s all right if you can’t be smooth like that. Do like this: just put your head down and just start swinging. Just get in the battle. Just start swinging. Start throwing punches. Say, «I’m not going down without a fight. I’m not quitting. I ain’t going to just walk away. I’m not going down without a fight.»
What shall we say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? He who did not even spare His own Son but delivered Him up for us all—how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?
We are more than conquerors. We are more than conquerors. Tell yourself, «I’m more than a conqueror. I’m the head and not the tail. I’m not going down.»
Fight for your marriage. Fight for your children.
One more thing—I’m finished. One more thing in the text I almost forgot this. God said, «Make sure you tell them about this.» And in verse 7 it says this: «So Joshua and all the people of war with him came against them suddenly by the waters of Merom, and they attacked them.»
Instead of Joshua waiting for all of those armies to come and attack him, he decided, «We’re going to get our army together and go and fight them.»
I’m just trying to tell y’all: stop sitting back waiting for somebody to attack you. You got to learn to be aggressive.
When I was growing up, we used to have a cheer that said: «Be aggressive. B-E A-G-G R-E-S-S-I–V-E. B-E aggressive. B-E A-G-G R-E-S-S-I–V-E.»
Say, «Be aggressive.» You’ve got to be the first one to jump out there. You’ve got to be the first one to go. You’ve got to be quick and fast. You’ve got to say, «Go ahead.»
I’m not going to wait for them to come and attack me. We are more than conquerors. We’ve got Jesus on our side. We’ve got the Lord who’s fighting with us. He already told us, «You shall hamstring their horses and burn their chariots with fire.»
I’m telling you to be aggressive. If your marriage is on the line, brothers—go and get some flowers and take them home to your wife. That’s aggressive.
Sister, if your husband done filed the divorce papers—no, don’t just lay down and give it up. Go to Victoria’s and figure out how you can be aggressive. Be aggressive. Don’t go down without a fight.
Altar Call
Who am I preaching to today? I declare to you, I prophesy, I speak over you that God is about to take you to places that you never thought or dreamed you would ever be, and He’s about to make you more than conquerors. Matter of fact, you’re already more than conquerors. He’s about to make you a winner.
But you have to have the mentality to say, «I’m not going down without a fight.» Go ahead, raise your hand and say, «That’s me, Lord.»
The devil thought that he had beat God when Jesus hung on the cross and died, but he didn’t recognize that what looked like He was down—in three days He got up out of the grave. And He’s the same God that lives in you and in me.
All you’ve got to know is: I’m not going to quit and just lay down. Give the Lord a shout of praise.
If you received that word, go ahead and give Him a praise and give Him a shout. Hallelujah. Glory to God. I receive it.
Somebody say, «I receive it.» I receive that it’s not going to last long. I receive I’m not going to be afraid. I receive I’m going to walk toward my fears and not run from my fears. In Jesus' name, amen.
Who needs Jesus in their life? Who needs to accept Jesus? Is there anybody here today who needs to accept Jesus? Who needs to receive the Lord Jesus?
If you need Jesus, come on down here. We’re going to help you accept Jesus right quick, right now. Just come on. You need salvation. Don’t be afraid. You need to rededicate yourself. You need a church home. Whatever you stand in need of—if you stand in one of those needs—come on right now. We’re going to get it straight with the Lord right now while the blood is running warm in your veins.
Right now is the time. Come, come. That’s right. Come, come. This very moment. Don’t put it off. Don’t delay it. Don’t be afraid, but say yes to the Lord. Amen, amen.
Step right over here. Amen, amen, amen. Somebody help me give the Lord a shout for these people who are coming today. That’s right. Come, come right now. Come say yes to the Lord. He loves you. He cares. He brought you here today for your deliverance, for your breakthrough, for your miracle. This is your day. This is your day. It’s your day to be turned around. It’s your day for stuff to change. This is your day. Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah. Amen.
Proud of you, young man. Proud of you, young lady. Amen. Praise the Lord. God bless you. God bless you. Praise the Lord. Amen. Hallelujah.
Salvation Prayer
Let me pray for you all. Look at me real quick. Look at me. Jesus Christ died on the cross for your sins. He was buried, and He rose again from the dead so you could have life. If you put your faith in Him, believe what He did, He’ll save you, turn your life around. But you’ve got to be willing to accept and receive. Pray this prayer with me:
Father, in Jesus' name, I confess my sins, and I want You to come into my life. Lord Jesus, I believe Jesus died on the cross for my sins and was raised from the dead. I yield to You, Almighty God. In Jesus' name, I receive the gift of salvation, and I ask You to fill me with Your presence. In Jesus' name, amen.
Go ahead and give the Lord a shout. Turn this way and follow—somebody’s going to direct you. Follow, follow them. Amen.
Give the Lord a shout for these people. Y’all help me celebrate them. I’m proud of you, proud of you, proud of you. Amen. Praise the Lord. God bless you. God bless you.
The devil is mad, but Heaven is shouting. The angels are rejoicing. Hallelujah. Praise Him, praise Him, praise Him, praise Him, praise Him.
Offering and Benediction
All right, y’all know how we respond to the Word of God: we sow a seed in that Word. And I want to ask you to prepare to sow a seed in that Word right now. Amen.
They’ll give instructions on the screen and tell you what you need to do, but let me ask you to sow a seed into that truth. Amen. That Word is for you. Say, «You know what? I want to sow right into that. I’m not going to be afraid. I’m going to move forward. I’m going to take the step toward those fears that have kept me from doing and being what God wants me to do and be. And I’m believing—I’m sowing a seed into the Word—that tomorrow this time something’s going to change, something’s going to turn around. About this time tomorrow, the breakthrough is going to come through.»
Sow a seed right there. I believe that. Amen. I trust God. I believe that’s the Word God gave me to tell you: somebody’s about to be hamstrung that’s been trying to hurt you. God’s about to take their power away and make you the victor.
Father, bless these gifts that we’re sowing right now. Allow it, Father, to accomplish what it’s destined to do, and let Your name get all of the glory and honor in the mighty name of the Lord Jesus we pray. Amen.