“There are many soldiers, but not many warriors,” a Special Forces officer once told me. There are many professional soldiers who may take their jobs very seriously and who may be very good at what they do, but when you meet a warrior, you know the difference. Likewise, the church leadership is about to be transferred from the hands of professionals to the true warriors which soldiers of the cross will all soon become.
Warriors run to the sound of battle, not away from it. Warriors thrive in the intensity of conflict and danger. They are not discouraged by opposition or trouble, but rather come alive when faced with them. Such will be the constitution of the emerging generation of Christians. Those who think the emerging generation is soft will be shocked at the warrior nation that will soon be revealed.
God is a Warrior. He uses the title “Lord of hosts” or “Lord of armies” ten times more than all of His other titles. He is a martial God. Those who are going to reveal Him in these times are going to begin to take on the demeanor and discipline of a warrior, because the emerging generation is being prepared to serve in the greatest time of trouble the world has ever known. Even so, they will face those troubles with faith and confidence. They will earn the title “overcomers” because they will never give way to opposition, troubles, or battles, but will fight to win like Joshua who extended the javelin until the victory was total.
These emerging warrior Christians will have this resolve because they will know who they are, Who has sent them, and the power of the kingdom that they represent. Like King David’s mighty men, their exploits will be noised abroad and strike fear into the hearts of the enemies of the King. As this warrior generation emerges, it will impact and bring transformation to the body of Christ, which will be so profound that churches will start being thought of more as military bases than congregations. Serious training and the sending out of spiritual forces for unprecedented strategic initiatives will become the order of the day.
As we are told in Ecclesiastes 3:8, there is “A time for war, and a time of peace.”This is a time for war. It is no accident that one of the greatest worshipers in Scripture, King David, was also one of the greatest warriors. True worship and warfare go together. How can one be a true worshiper of God and not be provoked by the evil of our time and stand for the truth by standing against the evil to set its captives free? The warriors who are about to arise will be provoked to action by every evil stronghold that holds men in bondage, and they will begin to bring them down with their divinely powerful weapons.
As this radical change comes upon the church, and every true Christian becomes a fearless warrior for the truth of the gospel, the basis of the great character change that will come will begin with them living by the greatest code of the greatest warriors the world has ever known—to die daily, to not live for themselves, but for the King, and to do all things for the sake of His gospel. As the Lord said in Luke 9:23-24:
If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.
For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it (NKJV).
This is the code of a true disciple, who is a true warrior. The world is about to witness what true disciples are like—the true salt and light of the world. When we are already dead to this world, then there is nothing that the world can do to us, and we will fear nothing on this earth. Those who live without fear are the most free and powerful people on earth. There is nothing that strikes more fear into the camp of the enemy than such a people walking the earth again. They are already among us and will now begin to emerge. It is a generation unlike any that has walked the earth before. The Lord really has saved His best for last.
There can be no victory without a battle. The bigger the battle, the bigger the victory. There has been a very subtle mentality spreading over much of the church that Christians should not experience troubles, and if they do, they are not walking in faith. This is exactly contrary to the Scriptures, as both the Lord Jesus and the apostles explained the trials and tribulations that Christians are called to go through, the purpose for them, and the victory that comes from facing them with faith and steadfastness. It was said of the ministry of the great Apostle Paul that he went about “strengthening the souls of the disciples, exhorting them to continue in the faith, and saying, ‘We must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God’”(Acts 14:22 NKJV).
The generation that embraced the pseudo faith teachings that promoted a refusal to even acknowledge problems and troubles became possibly the weakest generation of Christians in history. The meltdown of morality, integrity, and basic spiritual courage in the last generation resembles something like a drug induced stupor more than biblical faith. However, this has begun to change, and the change will continue until the transformation is complete.
Shock Troops
There is a new breed of Christians that are going to emerge who are more militant than the world has seen since the first century. They are warriors, fighters who will live with the resolve not to surrender a single acre of ground to the enemies of the cross. The emerging generation is about to change forever the impression that Christians are wimps, fearful and cowering before the intimidating forces of this world. Because of the present impression that this is the nature of Christians, the first wave will create shock waves of both fear and wonder in the present powers that be. This will begin to awaken the rest of Christianity to its true nature and destiny, just as Gideon’s breakthrough caused the rest of Israel to arise and take the spoil.
Clean Your Weapons
Soldiers know that a weapon which jams at the wrong time can mean death to themselves and many others, so they spend much time cleaning and caring for their weapons. The Apostle Paul wrote about the divinely powerful weapons that we have been given. Few Christians understand these and fewer still have learned to use them. That is about to change, and we are going to take the same kind of daily care for what we have been entrusted with as the finest, most trustworthy soldiers.
We must understand that the weapons of our warfare are not carnal weapons, but much more powerful. The divinely powerful weapons are spiritual—love, truth, and the uncompromising love of the truth. Truth spoken under the anointing is the most powerful force on the earth. Like a good soldier, we should be continually cleaning and caring for the precious truth we have been entrusted with. We must become the most skilled marksmen who can hit their targets right in the heart every time, without hesitation. Our weapons must never jam.
Nations will soon bow the knee to the irresistible power of the truth that is about to be proclaimed by an irresistible army. They will confront the greatest darkness of our time, and they will push it back. In all things, they will stand resolute and without compromise so that all evil will retreat before them.
This coming army will not be like the world’s armies which kill and destroy, pillaging, plundering, and raping their way through territory, but will instead heal, restore, and set free those who are conquered by it. They will not come to take, but to give. The earth has never seen such an army as that which will soon be released upon the earth. The call is right now going forth all over the earth to all who would be a part of it. This army will strike fear into all who are not a part of it, including many sleeping or deluded Christians. The world has never seen anything like this before. The spirit of Elijah, which was upon John the Baptist to prepare the way for the Lord the first time, is coming upon tens of thousands to prepare for His second coming. Just as all of Judea came out to see John, whole nations will come to hear and be baptized by those who are about to be revealed.
A New Trumpet Sound
As stated, as the church begins to take on this resolve, they will start to be thought of more as military bases, and they will begin to take on the characteristics of military bases for training, equipping, and deploying effective spiritual forces. In time, the church will actually be organized more as a military force with an army, navy, air force, etc. These, too, will all learn to function together in harmony, protecting one another and helping each other exploit opportunities. Like these, we will begin to organize more around function and purpose than the doctrinal emphases that now often characterize movements and groups within the church.
Along with the coming martial discipline and demeanor, as the time of trouble increases, the soldiers of the cross will become known for their love and unshakable peace in the midst of crisis. They will bring love, peace, and stability wherever they go. They will be the true freedom fighters and the true champions of the oppressed who fight to set men free from the most terrible yokes of bondage of all—sin and all of its consequences.
The Transition
How is this going to happen practically? There are already many movements, missionary organizations, and even some churches which are beginning to make this transition even though they may not have thought about it in those terms. Leaders are starting to gather around common purpose and function rather than just doctrinal emphases. As this happens, doctrines that once seemed to conflict with each other will begin to be seen as complementary. For those who keep the higher purpose of the kingdom in their hearts and motives, this transition will be easy.
For others, it will not be quite as easy, but it will be done. Just as the nations mobilized for the World Wars, and those who had been regular citizens became great warriors when they realized the great evils that were seeking to dominate the world, Christians will soon awaken to the much greater evil and threat that we face now than the world faced in the last century. Many will consider it better to pay any price, even death, than to give in to the tyranny that now threatens the world. It is better to die standing for truth, than to live under a lie.
The seriousness of our purpose as soldiers of the cross will become much more pronounced with all true Christians in the time ahead. Instead of the pursuit of career or material comforts as being the primary goal of believers, fighting for truth will become the main focus and goal of our lives. Christlikeness, and doing the works He called us to do, will become the true measure of the success of our lives. Just as a soldier does not entangle himself in the everyday affairs of this life, the true soldiers of the cross will live the most simple lives and give themselves to the things that are eternal, not temporary.
Women and children will be some of the principle soldiers and leaders in this coming militarization of the church. As it has been said, “If men can be a part of the bride of Christ, women can be a part of the army of God.” From the time of the resurrection of Christ, when the men hid in fear, women courageously went to His grave to seek Him. Women will arise who will risk all for the sake of His gospel. The women who went to His tomb remained faithful, even though it looked as if truth had been completely defeated. They were therefore blessed with the great honor to first take up the apostolic commission to be witnesses of His resurrection. Courageous women have always been on the front line of the battle between light and darkness, and will be so until the end.
However, women will not have to become masculine to take their rightful place in His army. In fact, a big part of the initial battle that must be waged is for men to be restored as true men and women to be restored as true women. When this happens, the whole world will take notice, being strongly drawn to the true men and true women who have thrown off the confusion which has sought to blur the distinctions between men and women. This blurring of the distinctions that God made is a root of the great and increasing confusion now dominating the world.
However, true men are secure enough not to have to dominate and be controlling, but will always treat women, and all other people, with the dignity and respect that is due them. True men will soon arise, and true women with them, who will walk in all of the dignity and respect that the children of the King of kings should conduct themselves with and show to one another. The world will marvel and esteem them.
A New Sound
Even though the leadership of the church is presently almost 90 percent male, there has been such a feminization of the church that most men do not feel comfortable in it, are bored with it, and do not want to be a part of it. If they do, it is often done grudgingly out of religious duty because they simply do not feel that they have a place in it. This is why such a majority of churchgoers are women. Men, even those who love the Lord, and would love to be used by God, often do not like church and will do just about anything to keep from going to church. In general, the church as it is today does not speak to many of the most basic needs of men. This is one reason for the remarkable popularity of men’s movements that rose up outside of the church.
To be the church we are called to be, we must have the faith to radically change the present definition and organization to be both feminine and masculine, meeting the needs of and speaking to both men and women. Both men and women should feel at home in the church, and know quickly how they fit into it. Church should be the most exciting, exhilarating, and challenging association that we could ever be a part of. It will be so again, soon.
Mega-church Redefined
When the church embraces its true calling and begins to reflect its true nature, it will become the most esteemed and desirable nation on earth. It will become so strikingly different that it will be thought of, and will in fact be, a nation within the nations. The churches which make the transition that is coming will quickly swell in numbers and need to be prepared for this by raising up captains of tens, hundreds, and thousands.
We need to be prepared to serve and incorporate unprecedented numbers without compromising the essence of who we are called to be. This will be no small undertaking and can only be accomplished by the Holy Spirit. This is beyond any human organization and leadership. The Lord will be the Head of His church, and those who do not know or submit to His Headship will not last long in the times ahead.
The church will soon become all that she is called to be. When the church does, she will be the most attractive and compelling society found on the earth, a true reflection of the coming kingdom. With the meltdown of the family being one of the biggest problems of our time, the church will become the family that it is called to be. Christian families will then start to become what they are supposed to be. With the coming great emphasis on discipline, there will also be a great emphasis on relationships, especially to strengthen families and to resist every assault that is coming against them.
Schools and Other Battlefronts
Christian schools will also become one of the most important missions of the church and a major answer to many of the fundamental problems eroding the church and families. However, Christian schools will, like the church, have to make many profound changes to fulfill their purpose in these times.
It is not possible for us to turn our children over to the world to have their minds formed and expect them to have renewed minds. Studies have shown that nearly 75 percent of Christian children lose their faith in the first thirty days of college! In most colleges and universities, every college freshman will be subjected to a basic and systematic assault on their Christian faith that begins with orientation. Few are able to stand this onslaught because they have not been armed to do so. This can be easily changed, and must.
The arguments used to erode the faith of college freshmen begins with an assault on the Bible. This was the serpent’s strategy in the Garden, to get Eve to question what God had said, and the devil has not changed his tactics since then because they work so well. Once they have the students wondering if the Bible really is the Word of God, they bring them onto what is presently their field of battle where they have the great advantage—the sciences and human reasoning, which themselves have had an agenda to undermine religious faith for centuries.
The arguments that are used to refute the credentials of the Bible and attack Christian faith are distortions of the facts, exaggerations, and outright lies, and can be easily refuted, but our children must be armed to do this. It is time for apologetics to become a true part of the foundation of Christian education. “Apologetics” does not mean to apologize, but is taken from a Greek word that means “to defend” the truth. We must help our children build their own shield of faith which no dart of the enemy can penetrate. We have the tools for this, and must now use them.
Science, education, and the media are all battlegrounds which the church must fight for and retake. They are all actually children of the faith, and though they may be rebellious children now, they will return to the family. Mark this and remember it—science, education, and the media will become great lovers of the truth and true allies of the faith.
As Jon Amos Comenius, the “father of modern education,” said, “All true science will lead to the Creator,” and this prophecy is being dramatically fulfilled in our time. Many of the most brilliant, and all of the truly intellectually honest scientists, are recognizing that the evidence of science overwhelmingly confirms the creation by intelligent design. We can expect this trend to increase until it is an avalanche.
As Robert Jastrow, who now sits in Hubble’s chair as the director of the Mount Wilson Observatory, and who has previously proclaimed himself a religious agnostic, said, “That there are what I or anyone would call supernatural forces at work is now, I think, a scientifically proven fact.” This was stated in an interview as recorded in Christianity Today, August 1982 edition. Many other great scientific minds are echoing the same thing. Jastrow concluded in his book, God and the Astronomers, (page 116):
For the scientist who has lived by his faith in the power of reason, the story ends like a bad dream. He has scaled the mountains of ignorance; he is about to conquer the highest peak; as he pulls himself over the final rock, he is greeted by a band of theologians who have been sitting there for centuries.
Expect a continuing and increasing sentiment in science, education, and the media. However, though I do not advocate that we must meet them halfway for the reunion, we do need to examine, and confess, some of the errors of our own dogma which are not only contrary to reason, but are contrary to the Scriptures themselves. This is a subject too extensive to address in a mere Bulletin like this, but the lovers of truth must be resolute in also acknowledging our own distortions of the truth wherever and whenever they have occurred.
It is still rare for universities to be as candid and honest as scientists are becoming, because most are actually running decades behind the cutting edge increase of knowledge and basic trends in even their specialty fields. There are notable exceptions to this, but the day of universities being the host of cutting edge research and innovation has long ago passed.
There is a saying that “Those who can do, do, and those who can’t do, teach.” Teaching itself is a high calling, but it should be done by those who are proven doers. Professors today are generally still echoing what they learned decades ago and are lagging further and further behind true cutting edge thinking, which is now found mostly in corporations. Universities and educators will bellow their protests at this, but it is true now and becoming more true every day. Can you think of a significant development, technology, or innovation that has come out of a university lately?
I am not advocating that this is the way it should be, but the way that it generally is now. There have been forces at work in education that have crippled true creative thinking, not aided and encouraged it. Education in general has gotten further and further out of step with the times, and it must radically change if it is to be the kind of brilliant illumination of civilization that it is called to be. The church, which was the birthplace of the university and modern education, must once again reclaim its mandate for education on all levels.
The church, when unified in this purpose, can do much better. We must become “the light of the world”(see Matthew 5:14) we are called to be, the main source of knowledge and truth— in every field! As we are told in I John 2:27:
And as for you, the anointing which you received from Him abides in you, and you have no need for anyone to teach you; but as His anointing teaches you about all things, and is true and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you abide in Him.
Everything should be taught under the anointing, including science, math, history— everything! Who could teach us better about the creation than the Creator? When the church recovers this basic truth, we will quickly pass the world in all knowledge, and it will rapidly beat a path to our door for help. We must begin by reclaiming the universities which were begun by the church, but have been surrendered to the spirit of the world. We must raise up new cutting edge schools that are based on truth, taught by the anointing.
Schools are the most important mission of the church, and we need to send out teachers, professors, and administrators like missionaries. For the army of the Lord to fulfill its purpose and gain the victories we are here to secure, we must learn to fight day-by-day, as well as with a long-term vision. In fact, we need to have a one thousand year vision. We are called to prepare the way for the Lord and the coming of His kingdom. We will do this by living in the kingdom now, and laying a foundation for it to come throughout the earth.
In a very basic way schools, governments, and even industries can be built or rebuilt on kingdom principles that will be used during the one thousand year reign of Christ on the earth. This is our calling and mandate. Many are beginning to see it, and some are beginning to give themselves to this great cause, which is the preaching of the gospel of the kingdom.
It will take the focus, discipline, and faith of true warriors to fight the good fight of faith in our time, but the sound of the trumpet is now being heard, and the gathering of the last-day army is now taking place. The church will retreat no further before the enemies of the truth, but will be the champion of truth, the true freedom fighter that she is called to be. The church, which was the birthplace of the university and modern education, must once again reclaim its mandate for education on all levels.
