The Scriptures frequently use military metaphors to describe our spiritual conflict because the principles are similar. One of the oldest and most effective military strategies is called concentration of forces. This strategy was employed for many in the most decisive military victories in history, including the recent Persian Gulf War. This strategy is about to be employed by the church to accomplish some of the most spectacular spiritual victories realized in centuries.
The Battle for Hearts
Battles usually unfold along lines of confrontation. From these lines each side will try to maintain defensible positions while probing the enemy lines to find a point where a breakthrough can be made. If a breakthrough can be accomplished at any point, the entire enemy line will then collapse and retreat to keep from being surrounded by the penetrating forces.
The spiritual battles for the hearts of men are likewise formed along spiritual lines of confrontation. Just as most wars include different battles on different fronts, the same is true of our present spiritual conflict. Battles lines have been formed along the strategic positions of different truths. Some of the battles now being fought are on the fields of the sanctity of life, church authority and government, the family, taking our cities, mission strategy, and the church’s relationship to Israel, the use of spiritual gifts, etc. Even though we are all in the same Army of God, it is appropriate for many Christians to become aligned with a specific force fighting a specific battle.
The Key to Victory
Each battle for a specific truth is also being fought over a different spiritual landscape with different strategies. The key to victory in each battle is accomplishing a breakthrough. When we see one city truly taken for the Lord, Christians all over the earth will rise up with an unprecedented zeal to take their cities, and many more will be secured as spiritual fortresses of truth and righteousness. In the last few years there have been some advances in accomplishing changes in the spiritual atmosphere over certain cities, but at best we have only pushed back the enemy lines a little bit in some areas—we still have not had a real breakthrough on this front.
The Battle for Our Cities
The advances that have been made in the battle for our cities have caused many more Christians to become aligned with the strategy of spiritual warfare for our cities. This has created a significant mobilization of forces. The key to the breakthrough will be the application of overwhelming force at a single point along the enemy lines. The enemy lines in this battle include every city and town, but the major points of conflict include just a few where the churches are coming together in unity to see revival come to their city and change the spiritual atmosphere over it. If just one world class city is taken, the enemy will then be in retreat in other major cities of the world. These lines need to tee strengthened and advanced as far as possible. but the concentration of forces will form around just a few that are chosen strategically by the Lord. Here overwhelming force will be applied at a point that will cause a breakthrough.
A Replay of the Sixties
As this decade unfolds it will become almost a replay of the 1960's. Many of the social forces that surfaced in the 60's will continue to arise until they dominate our attention, only this time it will be more intense. There will be world-wide conflicts with racism, countercultural and anarchic forces. In the midst of the confusion and conflict created by these forces will be some of the greatest opportunities for the gospel. A light is only needed when there is darkness and the entire world will soon be groping for light. We must now be sure that we have the light and that we live by that light.
The Battle of Racism
In many of the points of conflict between the truth and the lies of the enemy, the church has made no more progress than society in general. The church is called to be more than a reflection of the condition of society—the church is called to be the light that shows the way, the thermostat, not the thermometer. In the battle of racism the church has not made any more progress than society in general, and in some areas lags far behind society. This will be one of the main points of conflict between light and darkness in this decade and the church must now find the light and carry it as a beacon.
The Battle for Children
Another one of the most desperate spiritual battles during this decade will be for the hearts of our children. This battle has been raging and is actually going to intensify. If we do not now gird ourselves for this increasingly intense battle, we will be pushed back and lose our children to the enemy on an unprecedented level. We cannot be content to just hold our ground—we must aggressively go for a breakthrough and push the enemy back. Everything that the enemy is seducing our children with is a counterfeit for the true desire of their hearts—a genuine relationship with God who is all powerful, all wise and who loves them.
Created for Fellowship
With the intensity of the battle increasing, our children will not be kept in the fold by just having a good youth program. They will not be satisfied by good sermons or good Sunday School lessons. Men were created to have fellowship with God, who is Spirit— there is a spiritual void in every one of us that will be filled, either by the Holy Spirit or by an evil spirit. There is a hunger in every human being for a relationship with the supernatural, and this hunger is acutely felt during adolescence. If adolescents are denied a relationship with the supernatural power of God they will be extremely vulnerable to experimentation with evil, supernatural powers. Even though witchcraft has grown at a staggering rate in the last few decades, it will grow even faster in this decade if the church does not increase the battleground for the supernatural. True Christianity is a supernatural walk, as the Bible makes abundantly clear.
The Need for Discernment
One of the significant vulnerabilities of the church today is in the area of discernment. Many Christians do not recognize the enemy until he is well within their camp and has established a powerful stronghold. We must learn to discern the spiritual forces behind such things as music and movies. Just because a movie is rated PG, that does not mean that it is alright for our children to watch it. A PG-13 movie with demonic influence will have more power to seduce than an R or X rated movie that is just carnal in origin. If the church is to walk in truth we must have and use the spiritual gift of discernment and not rely upon such secular ratings and information sources. In the battle for the hearts of our children the enemy is not going to play fair; he is going to employ the most horrible and cruel means available to him. He is already circulating books, movies, television programs and music of such demonic power that an encounter with them of an unprotected soul will result in spiritual oppression or possession. If the church does not wake up in this area and aggressively assault the enemy’s positions, there is going to be an astonishing increase of violence committed by children against their parents or other adults.
Destroying Strongholds
This is not intended to impart fear, but wisdom. We cannot give our children over to the world to have their minds formed and expect them to grow up as Christians. The whole world really does lie in the power of the evil one. We really do live in enemy territory but regardless of our theology or eschatology, our purpose here is not to hide, but to raid the enemy at every opportunity and destroy his strongholds of darkness whenever we can, establishing our own fortresses of light.
As the countercultural forces begin to assert themselves again in this decade, seeking to disorient and subject our youth, it is time for the church to make its greatest advance with the culture (lifestyle) of the kingdom of God. This is far more than the religious forms and programs that church has often been reduced to. Church is twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. We must be delivered from our bondage to buildings and programs if we are going to be a part of the mighty force the Lord is now assembling. The true Biblical Christian lifestyle will be far more appealing to everyone, including our youth, than anything that the enemy can present. The reason why so many of our children and youth have been rejecting the church is because they have not yet seen the real church. When they do see it, it will be the desire of their heart because it will be a reflection of the way men were created to live.
God-Ordained Movements
There will be many God-ordained movements in the 90's seeking to reestablish the church on Biblical foundations. Some of these will drift into dogmatic extremes as has happened with every previous movement, but even if they drift off of the course at times they will accomplish much. Even so, we must understand that to be culture centered, church centered, or even kingdom centered, is idolatry. We must be King centered. Our calling is to grow up into Christ, not the church and not the kingdom. We are not called to follow the kingdom, but to follow the King. We preach about His kingdom and His ways as a reflection of His character, but our loyalty is to Him. We are loyal to His kingdom and His church because they are His, but they must never be exalted in our devotion above Him. Allowing a doctrine or ideal to become central is what causes so many movements to drift off the course.
The Centrality of Christ
The most important thing that we can do for our children is for us to get closer to the Lord ourselves. The culture of the church the way that it is supposed to be can be appealing, but we are not called to convert people to the church, but to Christ. As appealing as the culture of the church can be, it will never be as appealing as a relationship to the Lord Himself. There is nothing in the universe as appealing as the Son of God. When He is lifted up, all men are drawn to Him. There is nothing on earth as contagious as intimacy with the Lord and there is no one on earth who is as attractive as someone who is truly close to Him. Besides this, we will only live in the kingdom of God to the degree that we are intimate with the King Himself. Even the kingdom of God would be a boring and empty place without the presence of the King.
Distinguishing Presence
When Moses was commanded to lead Israel to the Promised Land, a type of the Kingdom of God, his reply was that he did not want to go anywhere unless the presence of the Lord went with them, because that was the only way that Israel could be distinguished from all of the other nations (see Exodus ). The same is true of the church. If the presence of the Lord is not with us, we can have the most perfect ideals, doctrine or culture, but we will not really be different enough to distinguish us from all of the other ideals and cultures on the earth. The conflict at the end of the age will not be fought merely in the realm of doctrines or ideals, but in the very presence of both the Lord and Satan. Just as the supernatural power and presence of the enemy will become increasingly manifest in his people, the supernatural power and presence of the Lord will become increasingly manifest in His people. To try to wage this battle in the realm of just doctrines and ideals will be to find yourself caught and exposed in the “no man’s land” between the lines of conflict. Those who do not know the supernatural power and presence of the Lord will soon find themselves increasingly subject to the supernatural power and presence of the enemy.
The Word and the Spirit
The Lord did not just preach the kingdom of God, He demonstrated it with power. The apostle Paul affirmed that his preaching was not just in persuasive words of wisdom, but in power and in demonstrations of the Spirit. He also affirmed that “the kingdom does not consist in words, but in power” (I Corinthians 4:20). The true message must come in both truth and power. As the Lord explained to the Pharisees they erred not knowing both the Scriptures and the power of God (Malt. 22:29). We too will be in error if we do not know both the Scriptures and the power of God. The church has, for most of this century, been divided into camps of those who focused on Biblical scholarship and those who focused on the power. There must and will be a union of these two camps before the church is delivered of her errors in both doctrine and practice.
Scripture and Power
When there is a marriage of the power of God and true Biblical scholarship (not just scholarship), the Lord will then have a people that He can endorse with unprecedented power and unprecedented truth. When Daniel was given his visions he was told to “seal up the books until the end” (Daniel 12:4). Many of the other Biblical prophecies, such as the Book of Revelation, have been sealed until the end. Likewise, the Lord has reserved the greatest release of power until the end, the “greater works” that He spoke of in . The decade of the nineties will witness an increasing crossover and interchange between the streams and denominations of those who are “mighty in the Scriptures” and those who are devoted to seeing the power of the Holy Spirit released. This is a significant cant sign that we are nearing the last battle. As the Lord warned the Pharisees, “You err not know the Scriptures and the power of God” (Man. 22:29). We will be in error to the degree that we do not know both the Scriptures and the power of God.
Humility and Openness
Those from each of these camps who refuse to be a part of this interchange will become increasingly subject to the errors and extremes that come from the lack of this interchange. “God resists the proud but gives His grace to the humble” (James 4:6). One of the greatest demonstrations of pride is our refusal to be open to those who are different from us. One of the greatest demonstration of humility is a genuine openness to those who are different. To make it through these times we are all going to need as much grace of God as we can get, so let us pursue humility with the resolution that it now deserves.
Building the Same Wall
At the same time that we are becoming more open and tolerant towards those who are different from us, FOCUS will be an increasingly important issue. As we all draw closer to the Lord, we will receive increasing clarity concerning His purpose for us. Like in Nehemiah’s time, each family will be given a specific part of the wall to complete, but all of us will be working on the same wall to stand together as one people. Those who devote themselves to knowing the healing power of God will, be not only tolerant of those who devote themselves to search the Scriptures, but will rely on them for teaching, edification and correction. When the person who has devoted himself to searching the Scriptures and teaching has need of healing, he will also know where to go. As we are all able to specialize on specific callings, the light we are given will become more focused. When light is focused enough it becomes a laser. The more focused the light becomes the more powerful it will be and the more resistance that it can cut through.
Maturity and Focus
When the eye becomes single (focused) the whole body will be full of light. The more light that we have the more potential that we have for power. The more the light is focused the more the power that is released. This is a basic form of concentration of forces. Until now, the Lord has not been able to entrust us with weapons of great power because we were more prone to use them upon one another than on the enemy. As we mature in tolerance and understanding of the entire scope of the battle and our place in it, and are able to recognize those who are on our side even though they may have a different function, the Lord will be able to give us spiritual laser weapons powerful enough to penetrate even the greatest of the enemy’s strongholds. Battlefields Of The Nineties by Rick Joyner Concentration of Forces in Atlanta in 1996 One of the cities where we will see a concentration of forces will be Atlanta, Georgia in 1996. During the American Civil War it was prophetically spoken that “the battle for Atlanta will decide the fate of the South.” This prophecy proved to be true. There were many more spectacular battles during the war, but possibly none that proved more strategic in deciding the war.
Lessons from History
Through 1864 the anti-war movement had been growing dramatically in the North, while General Lee and his Confederate Army at Richmond held their ground and inflicted terrible losses on the Union army that faced them. When it looked like popular sentiment was going to topple Lincoln’s government and the Union resolve to continue the war, a breakthrough was desperately needed. General Grant, unable to defeat Lee, sent his Western forces around the Confederate rear to take the city of Atlanta that was supplying the Southern army by rail.
Strategic Battles Decide the War
After days of intense fighting it looked like the Battle of Atlanta was going to be another impasse, which would have been a defeat for the North. Then General Sherman concentrated his reserves at Jonesboro, just South of Atlanta, for one last major thrust. There was a breakthrough and the Confederates were forced to abandon Atlanta. With the supply lines broken, Lee’s position at Richmond was untenable and his army began to collapse. The Battle of Atlanta did seal the fate of the South. The spiritual battle for Atlanta will be of the same kind of strategic significance.
Assaulting the Spiritual Forces of Darkness
Atlanta is now the cultural center of the South and a true world class city. Cultural centers often reflect their spiritual significance as culture is a reflection of prevailing spiritual powers. The South is still one of the enemy’s greatest strongholds for one of his most effective lies keeping men in darkness—RACISM. There have been significant advances against the forces of racism in the South, and there may be less racism in much of the South now than in the North, but there has not by any means been a victory over this terrible enemy of truth and righteousness. We cannot settle for advances, we must assault the forces of darkness until they are completely eradicated or there will be no peace.
The Spiritual Battle of Racism
The spiritual battle of racism has been waged since the Tower of Babel. The primary light that casts out the darkness of racism is the truth that God does not judge men by the color of their skin, but judges the heart, and so should we. This truth has made substantial advances in some areas, reverses in others. In much of the South there is now less confrontational racism than in many cities of the North. In most of the South there has been an uneasy truce between the confrontational forces, but neither side has laid down their arms and their fortresses continue to face each other. The complete victory over racism has not yet been accomplished anywhere and this battle is about to rage again along the entire front.
An Approaching Spiritual Conflict
It is no accident that the Olympics are coming to Atlanta in 1996. Just as the Olympics represent the contest of the best athletes, or physical forces from all nations, cultures and races, what will be taking place in the physical will just be a reflection of what will be happening in the spiritual realm. The cultural and spiritual forces of the world are being assembled in Atlanta for one of the ultimate spiritual conflicts.
A City for God
Atlanta in 1996 will be one of the greatest opportunities the church has had to engage and breakthrough some of the enemy’s most powerful strongholds. It will take a great concentration of forces, but the next three years will witness that in Atlanta. Believers from all over the world will feel called to go to Atlanta. Churches all over the world will begin praying for the church in Atlanta. Some of the church’s important spiritual generals will be raised up there in the form of apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers, who will effectively equip the saints for the work that they have been c ailed to, and will lead them with strategy and vision. The best soldiers will be defeated if they do not have good generals, and the best generals will still be defeated without good troops. Both are needed and are needed now in Atlanta. A great spiritual breakthrough in Atlanta will result in other strategic breakthroughs around the world. We can all be a part of this victory by praying for and supporting the work there.
Other Battlegrounds of Racism
There are other cities where the battle of racism will rage with increasing intensity, three of which are Berlin, Johannesburg and Jerusalem. We will also continue to see ethnic wars increase such as the one presently raging in the former nation of Yugoslavia. One of the most dangerous conflicts to arise in decades will originate around Armenia. The extraordinary danger of this conflict will be the way in which it draws in the other former Soviet Republics that will result in numerous tactical nuclear weapons falling into the hands of Islamic terrorists and terrorist states who will not hesitate to use them.
The Battle for Communications
Another one of the spiritual battlefields where we are seeing a great concentration of forces is in communications. It is no accident that the worldwide press will be assembled in Atlanta to cover the Olympics in 1996, and that CNN, which is based in Atlanta, has attained the worldwide stature that it has. Communication is important for the spread of the gospel. The Lord used Alexander the Great to conquer the known world with a vision of extending the Greek culture and language so that when the gospel was preached there would be a common language that was understood by almost everyone. In this way Alexander the Great helped prepare the way for the spread of the gospel. Many of the great awakenings and revivals in history were preceded by significant technological advances. The greatest advance of the gospel of all times came after the invention of the printing press. It was no accident that the very first book that came off of the very first press was the Bible. This advancement signaled the end of the Dark Ages.
Using Communications and Technology for the Kingdom of God
The increase of knowledge is neither a positive or negative event spiritually—it can and will be used for both. We must not automatically give such mighty tools of communication over to the devil, but seize and use them for the kingdom. The antichrist may or may not try to use a giant computer for his evil devices, but that does not make computers evil. It should make us even more determined to use computers for the gospel (while praying for a Holy Ghost computer virus to inflict his system with). We must not give any ground to the enemy, it does not belong to him. “The he earth and all it contains is the Lord’s” (Psalm 24:1). Radio, television, computers and other such technology is not the devil’s and cannot be used by him except to the degree that we allow it.
Praying for the Media
One morning I was in a small prayer meeting in Charlotte with a handful of spiritual leaders from the city. We prayed for the conversion of the Charlotte Observer Newspaper. This paper had been a real “Saul of Tarsus,” constantly seeking to find and print religious scandals. Within a week of our prayer, the publisher put his own testimony of conversion in the paper and there has been a very marked difference in its religious coverage since. It is by no means a Christian paper, and it still occasionally throws barbs at the church, but there is a measurable difference in its coverage. We do not intend to stop praying for it until it becomes a standard of news coverage that is committed to truth, integrity and fairness.
It is counterproductive for us to spend our time complaining about the liberal news media, governments or other problems when that same time and energy could be spent in praying for them. One of the most revolutionizing truths that many of us need to comprehend is that the Lord really does hear our prayers and He has delegated to as the awesome authority that what we bind in heaven will be bound on earth, and what we loose in heaven will be loosed upon the earth. Christians should be praying for every radio station, television station newspaper of other source of information in their geographical region.
A Common Language
Since World War II the English language has become a similar universal language to the way Greek was used during the first century. For the last forty years English has been the second language taught in the schools of almost every nation, including the former Soviet Union. Now the news that is broadcast around the world on CNN and other international stations is understood in a common language. There will be individual newscasts on secular stations made by heathen reporters that will accomplish more for the spreading of the gospel than the Christian networks will have accomplished during their entire existence. This is not to imply that the Christian networks are not accomplishing anything, but when the news of revival and the great acts of God are promulgated by secular, spiritually neutral newscasters, it will have an unprecedented impact on viewers.
I am sharing this for the purpose of asking you, your prayer groups, or your churches, to start praying for the conversion of both Ted Turner and the staff at CNN as well as the news media in your own city or region. Many of these will be used to fan the flames of revival. The Battle For Music Music will be another great battleground during the nineties. In many ways the 1990's will be like a recycled 1960's only the intensity will be increased a level. Just as the music of the Beatles and other groups both prophesied and gave direction to the great social upheavals of that period, music is going to again play a major role in setting the spiritual climate of this decade.
The Universal Language
Music is called “the universal language” because of its ability to cross almost every social and political barrier. Music is a spiritual language that can reach beyond the intellect to touch the heart. Those who know this “universal language” have a powerful weapon in the war for the hearts of men. The Lord is calling forth an army of musical warriors who will be used like spiritual artillery to bombard some of the enemy’s greatest strongholds, such as racism, drugs, pornography and spiritualism. The Lord is going to anoint songs that attack these strongholds and their message will start becoming popular across society.
We Must Guard Our Children
Satan is going to counter with demonically inspired music that sow the seeds of hate and moral degeneration on an unprecedented level. His special targets will be violent crimes against children and women. He will also use children to do his violence and some of the most heinous crimes will be committed by children. WE MUST GUARD OUR CHILDREN FROM SATANICALLY INSPIRED MUSIC. Those who are not responsible in watching over the spiritual influences of their children are likely to pay a very high price for their negligence.
God’s Anointing on “Cross-Over” Musicians
The Lord is anointing some of His minstrels to become “cross over” artists to reach secular audiences. The Lord is going to give the youth alternative role models to the popular moral and social degenerates that are now followed by many. The Lord is going to anoint some of His minstrels with a new sound that will capture men’s attention and sow the seeds of the gospel in their hearts, without ever mentioning the Lord or sounding like religious music. These minstrels are true evangelists who are called just to sow seeds that others will reap. It is important for these minstrels not to look religious or talk “religioneze.” Neither should they copy the world’s style. Those who are patient enough to wait on the Lord for this new music will also be given a new style that has more class and appeal than anything that the world can offer. True Christianity has a class and nobility that exceeds and is more appealing than anything the world can offer.
Reclaiming Music for His Purposes
It is no accident that Country Music is becoming the most popular music around the world. This music was born in the church and the Lord is reclaiming it for His purposes. Many more top country music artists will be born again and be mightily used by the Lord. The Lord is going to bring down many mountains and hills and raise up many valleys and low places. Country music, that has always been considered the music of the lower classes, is about to be given more class and esteem than any other kind of music and will be used to inspire multitudes to rise above their spiritual and physical poverty. This will help to result in some of the poorest sections of the country actually becoming some of the wealthiest and most socially stable.
New Worship Music Will Soon Arise
The musical rut that much of the church has been in was simply a reflection of the spiritual rut that much of the church has been in. Both are about to get out of this rut. There is a new worship music that will soon arise with a fresh new sound. This new worship music will span the generations and become popular with the old and young alike. Just as some popular music did originate in hell, with the writers claiming to have received the music from spiritual powers, the Lord is going to release in His church the music that He loves, that has its origin in heaven. Many of the Lord’s minstrels will have experiences of being caught up into the heavens to hear the music of heaven. Others will be given music and spiritual songs in dreams and visions. The power of this heavenly music will radically impact and enlighten Christian’s everyday lives as it imparts a true spirit of worship and adoration for the Lord. This music will also draw multitudes of unbelievers to the faith.
Minstrels as Frontline Soldiers
The church must begin to recognize its minstrels as frontline soldiers in the battle for this generation. A new vision for music evangelism is going to arise so that many music ministries will become recognized as true missionaries instead of mere entertainers. These ministers and missionaries need to be spiritually equipped and supported like every other ministry. Music will be one of the main spiritual battlegrounds of the nineties and has the potential for providing one of the greatest spiritual breakthroughs in the war against darkness.
The Battle For Our Children
Another great spiritual battleground during this decade will be for the hearts of our children and youth, just as we witnessed during the sixties. The enemy is presently empowering authors of books, music and television to plant seeds of doubt and hatred toward parents and authority figures in general. This will result in increasing violence by children and teenagers toward parents, adults, and the elderly. Some of the most heinous crimes during this decade will be in this category.
The Need to Follow Biblical Mandates
Those who fail to discipline their children according to the Biblical mandate will find themselves being disciplined by their children, or worse. Those who fail to monitor and control the books their children read, music they listen to, or the movies and programs their children watch, will soon see forces of evil arising in their children of the most extreme and demonic type.
Pray for Christian Parents
Now is the time for us to pray like never before for all Christian parents, for Christian children and youth workers, Christian children’s book authors, non-Christian children’s book authors that they might be converted, as well as children’s television and radio program producers. We need to pray for all teachers, principals and school boards.
Recognizing the Importance of Children and Youth Ministries
The church must start to recognize that its children and youth ministries are as important as any other ministry in the church. Children and youth ministers are not called to be babysitters, but equippers of a generation that has been destined from the foundation of the world to stand and confront the enemy in the world’s darkest hour. The Lord will greatly bless, prosper and anoint the congregations who devote their resources and give themselves to children and youth ministries that truly equip the coming generation.
Unprecedented Breakthroughs are Coming
If the church will mobilize against the strategy of the enemy during this decade, we will have unprecedented breakthroughs on every battleground. The gates of hell cannot prevail against the church. The gates of hell are the enemy’s access points, what he is using to gain entrance into our cities, schools, churches and families. If we will discern his gates and assault them we can close them. We can have cities of peace; we can have schools where truth prevails and we can have television and radio programs that lift up the highest moral and ethical standards. We can have a prevailing popular music that exalts the Lord and stirs men to walk in truth and worship the true God.
