We are living in conflicted times. Many times, the shifts we make are not our willful choices but result from the spiritual wars of the season. We would love to see something go one way, but atmospheric shifts in the spirit realm, conflicts of opinions, conflicts of philosophies and conflicts of emotions cause things to go a different direction.
The apostle James said that we war because we have cravings and desires in us that cannot be satisfied. Many times, these desires hold us in wilderness places. We are meant to cross over into prosperity, but we choose to have our way in a situation instead of submitting to the will of God. We are in a great warfare over a threefold cord controlled by Satan’s kingdom consisting of poverty, infirmity and religion.
War is the grace to fight. When the Lord calls us to war, He gives us the grace to triumph. God never calls His children to do anything without the grace that is necessary to fulfill His purpose. Therefore, in the midst of war, there is grace. We are called to protect our vineyard. My greatest concern for the church today is this:
Will a new generation rise up and war for all the promises that have been redeemed or paid for by the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ?
Christians must learn why it’s imperative that we fight and overturn the plans of the enemy. Learning to war comes easier to some than to others. To those who grew up in relative peace and comfort, it may come hardest of all. Why is war—particularly spiritual war—necessary? And more generally, why do nations and factions go to war? Why can’t people live in harmony—spiritually, emotionally, relationally, even nationally?
These are the questions we ask our parents when we are first exposed to conflict through the media, in school and playing with kids in the neighborhood. We ask the questions of our history teachers when we are learning the events that brought us to the present. Most importantly, we ask God, “If You are a loving God, why do war and destruction occur?”
The short answer is that there are two kingdoms in conflict. Satan’s demonic angels roam the earth trying to keep his kingdom in place. We, however, belong to God’s army of warriors. The Lord has already defeated Satan and all his dominions, powers and principalities. However, we are called to enforce that defeat. If we do not heed His call, then the enemy will step in and rule in our stead. We are called to possess, secure and protect our inheritance. We must remember that the earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof (see Ps. 24:1, KJV).
As the Holy Spirit moves us toward becoming more Christlike, the methodology of an old season will not propel us into the future. We need something new and fresh—as our Lord inquired in Matthew 9:17, who puts new wine into an old, fragile wine skin? We need a new glory. This is one of the wiles of the enemy: to hold us captive in the former manifestation of God.
Therefore, we live in the past rather than moving into the best that is ahead for our lives. This is how religious spirits operate. We become entrenched and enamored with past glory, our egos hold on to it and the enemy takes advantage. Instead, God is calling us to let go so He can take us into the new season. Stop looking backward in longing toward the “leeks and onions of Egypt” (see Num. 11:5).
He’s delivered you from bondage, and you need to walk forward from your Passover! {eoa}
Adapted from Chapter 3 of The Passover Prophecies by Chuck Pierce: A New Era With a New Season of War (Charisma House, 2020).