- Spiritual Warfare Training: Part One, Be Alert
- Spiritual Warfare Training Part 2: Consider Your Environment
- Spiritual Warfare Training Part 3: Growing Up and Out of Lawlessness
(Friends, we hope you enjoy this introduction to Spiritual Warfare Training, a critical series, in this season for the Body of Christ. In Part One, we look at the structure of authority God uses. May you grow hungry for more of God. Get ready for battle!)
In this midnight hour, we must train our fingers to battle and our hands to war.
Waiting for the man or God of woman of God to come to our rescue is no longer an option in this season of confinement. We must grow and become the person God has designed. In this season, we must train our own hands to war!
Does that mean we should become bulked out boxers or mighty marksmen who never miss? In the spirit realm, perhaps, but in the physical realm, that’s not necessary.
Yet, if ever there was a time to train to war, it is now.
So where do we start?
1. Start with the Source.
Jesus picked 12 disciples and anointed them. Yet long before He anointed them, Jesus stood up and declared, “The Spirit of God has anointed Me” (Luke 4:18). As God anointed Jesus with the Spirit in baptism, so Jesus anointed His disciples. Jesus our Source, the wellspring of our salvation. (Isaiah 12:3), our beginning and ending. Anointing comes from the Lord. Without Jesus, we cannot do anything.
2. Recognize when action is required.
When Adam was placed in the Garden, God said, “Multiply and replenish the earth.” (Gen 1:28) God placed one in charge, Adam, and multiplication by the son was fully expected.
In the same way, Jesus, the Son of God, followed the same system as His Father. The Restorer of everything (Rev 21:5) prayed, chose a dozen men, then anointed and appointed them. He told His disciples, “Whomever you forgive, their sins will be forgiven” and sent them out. They were told to do the same.
The Kingdom of God advances forcefully. Passive prayers and good intentions did not spread the gospel to the nations. People did. So when God commands you to multiply, and you see little fruit, you have to start investigating what the problem is and then do something about it!
3. Walk in the Authority Christ has given to you.
When Jesus, Son of God, forgave sins, He shocked the Pharisees. Their skin just about peeled off when Jesus ministered to a paralyzed man who was lowered to the meeting by his faithful friends. Jesus first healed his soul, saying, “Son, your sins are forgiven” before healing his broken frame. (Luke 5:17-39)
Now Jesus was the Perfect Man. Yet Jesus gave His disciples, sinners, all of them, the authority to do what He did:
Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give (Mathew 10:8).
Team Jesus were given the very same power as the Son of God! In the Kingdom, when Christ gives His authority, His power is implicit.
So how much power have you seen recently?
For sure, Satan does not want you to believe that you could live on earth as Jesus lived on earth.
Jesus expects it. He calls us Light, as He is Light. (Matthew 5:14) He commands us to shine forth with such good deeds that people will give the Father praise (Matthew 5;16).
Jesus anointed His disciples to continue the work and He hasn’t changed. We are to represent Him, the Body of Christ, on earth, to multiply the seed He has given.
Friend, you represent the Lord! When the enemy sees you, he doesn’t see you, he sees the blood of Jesus that covers you! It makes him furious! You can’t figure out why attacks occur because perhaps, you just don’t know who you are.
You are the hands and feet of Christ, His Body.
You are a Christian. “Anointed ones”.
You are His.
Now renew your mind.
4. Shine bright in Christ and embrace who you are: His Unique Light!
When the Lord Jesus was ascending to heaven, He sent the team to the end of the world.
The Lord said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation.” (Mark 16:15).
Now, none of Jesus’ disciples fulfilled the commission in the exact same way.
Different men and women of God have different graces, different streams. Not everyone will become an apostle or prophet or evangelist. The greatness of our God is that He has made everything to be diverse. Different nations, different skin colours, different species, different landscapes fill this beautiful earth. Our Creative God graces His Church to reflect the beauty of His palette in all variations.
Each man of God was sent out to a different nation, releasing unique grace, yet all were anointed by Christ.
Take Philip, the revivalist. Everywhere he went, revival fires erupted. Now Apostle John, beloved of Jesus, stirred up deep love in the believers. Paul taught concepts of the New Testament; his theologies are still being uncovered. Peter counselled families and groups to operate in the grace of Christ. James preached on holiness and the derailment of sin. Different men carried different insights of the revelation of Christ: all were good.
Get to know yourself in God and delight in the unique grace He has given to you and stop comparing.
5. Finally, connect with God!
If you want to train for war, if you want your spirit man to grow, you must be connected to heaven more than ever! The more deeply you connect to Christ, the more you will reflect Christ here on the earth.
To hear more, head to the sermon “Unveiling Spiritual Weapons of War!“ on our Youtube Channel for Revive Nations. Like and Subscribe and Share to one whom you love!
In our next part of this series, we learn how an individual connected to heaven can change their environment to advance the Kingdom. Together we will engage and rule, as the Holy Spirit faithfully trains our hands for war!
Watch the video here.