The following is the last chapter from my book The Rogue Christian.
For context, the first several chapters of Rogue discusses how the enemy has taken significant ground in the church and our nation. The last 7 chapters of the book provide effective answers that equip the individual and the church.
Invasion
“When the servant of the man of God rose early in the morning and went out, behold, an army with horses and chariots was all around the city. And the servant said, “Alas, my master! What shall we do?” He said, “Do not be afraid, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” Then Elisha prayed and said, “O Lord, please open his eyes that he may see.” So the Lord opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw, and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha. And when the Syrians came down against him, Elisha prayed to the Lord and said, “Please strike this people with blindness.” So he struck them with blindness in accordance with the prayer of Elisha.”
2 Kings 6:15-18
“No matter what I preach or what we claim to believe in our heads, the future will depend upon our times of prayer.”
-Jim Cymbala
We began this book with a picture of the desperate situation we’re in. Our country is steeped in sin and evil, and the church is compromised.
The enemy has set up strongholds all over the US. Now it’s our turn.
Armies of angels mounted on horses and chariots of fire are everywhere, waiting for us to act with prayer, waiting for the restoration of our first love, waiting for zealous repentance, and anticipating the other actions we’ve looked at in this book.
Satan is called “the prince of the power of the air” (Ephesians 2:2). An ongoing assault of prayer and repentance will release God’s forces to rout the armies of darkness. We must stay on our knees in fervent prayer until there is a ground-shaking revival and spiritual awakening. Many in our country have been attempting to push God out for decades; let’s welcome the Lord back in.
“And Jesus went throughout all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.”
-Matthew 9:35-38
Let’s pray earnestly and ask the Lord to send His people into every corner of our country, as we saw in Chapter 8.
Ask God to send His workers into the church. We are in dire need of prayer-fueled, Holy Spirit-filled Isaiahs, Jeremiahs, Elijahs, Pauls, and others who are willing to rouse God’s people from apathy, even if it means thinning out the lukewarm. Pray for your pastors and other ministry leaders. They have a heavy load and need to be lifted up often. We’re all on the same team.
“And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” Then I said, “Here I am! Send me.”
-Isaiah 6:8
Let’s launch the ground war.
I encourage you to go before the Lord as Isaiah did and say, “Here I am! Send me.” We can’t build an army if everyone is watching from the sidelines. As prayer sets the air war in motion, so God’s people launch the ground war when they are willing to step into battle. You can expect to take some flack, but so what. This is where the Christian life becomes a dangerous, exhilarating adventure.
“For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands, for God gave us a spirit not of fear
but of power and love and self-control.”
-2 Timothy 1:6
Your gifts and calling are unique. God designed you with a specific purpose in mind. You may not even be aware of all the gifts and desires you’ve been given (Psalm 37:4). As you delight in the Lord, He will show you the spiritual gifts He’s planted in your heart.
Ladies, you have a role in this war too; we need you. Read Judges 4. During that time in Israel’s history when the nation was corrupt, many of the men had checked out. It was so bad that Barak, the leader of the army, didn’t want to face the Canaanites in battle unless Deborah, the prime minister of Israel, was by his side. Deborah agreed but prophesied that it would not be Barak, but a woman who would get the honor of killing Sisera, the general of the enemy army. Enter Jael. Israel routs the Canaanite army, and the remnant scatters in retreat. As Sisera is retreating he passes by Jael’s tent. She invites him into her tent to rest and gives him milk to drink, which puts him asleep. Then, Jael hammers a stake through his forehead.
Ladies, you are meant to be a Jael or Anna of our day. Just as in Jael’s time, many men have been taken out by apathy, pornography, and other sins; they’re missing in action. Many women have been wounded by the scourge of pornography and adultery in the church, including those who are married to pastors. We need you to speak up and make your voices heard. Most of the conferences we’ve held on freedom and healing from porn were set up because a wife asked her church to invite us.
My brothers and sisters in Christ, you are blood-bought sons and daughters of the living God, given His authority, filled with His Spirit, and destined to be overcomers and warriors. You have more spiritual weapons and fire-power than most Christians realize, and you have a role to play in the battles to turn back and crush the onslaught of the orcs.
“For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ”
-2 Corinthians 10: 4-5
See The Rogue Christian for more information.
