Who is she who looks forth as the morning, fair as the moon, clear as the sun, awesome as an army with banners?  Song of Solomon 6:10

God is a man of war1

The history of the world began with a war, and it will end with a war. From Genesis to Revelation we see the unfolding of the battle that began with Lucifer and which will ultimately end in the confrontation described by John when final judgment is meted out to Satan and his followers. In between these two events, we see the hand of God on the earth waging war in righteousness and justice against the forces of darkness. The Hebrew Scripture uses the same word for righteousness and justice. Justice is God’s way of thinking and doing. Jesus is justice for us. The greatest of all wars took place on Calvary 2000 years ago. That victory has been won. Jesus has gone to the top of the heights and planted a standard so that revival will come to the earth in its season.  

Natural war is a manifestation of the spiritual clash of kingdoms. The increase in violence and warfare in our generation is an indication of the heightening pitch of the spiritual battle. Throughout his letters to the first-century church, Paul likens believers to spiritual soldiers. In his letter to the Ephesians he instructs them, “Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.”2 We have spiritual weapons mighty to pull down spiritual strongholds. The Church is God’s spiritual army. Take note of what is happening in the natural, and be prepared for the war that is being waged in the spiritual. The signs are all around us. It is time for war.

Revival is God’s way of waging war

Arthur Wallis once wrote, “Revival is divine military strategy: first to counteract spiritual decline and secondly to create spiritual momentum.3

Throughout the history of creation, revival always comes to a nation, people and culture when it is utterly and hopelessly dark—at the nadir of faithfulness. It is God’s mercy. We see it in the prayer of Habakkuk, a prophet who lived in the midst of a generation filled with violence and iniquity:  “O Lord, I have heard Your speech and was afraid; O Lord, revive Your work in the midst of the years! In the midst of the years make it known; in wrath remember mercy.”4

It is the strategy of the devil to overwhelm you with oppression and darkness. I want to encourage you, God has an answer for the darkness that pervades our culture; it is called revival. Exodus 13:17 tells us, “God did not lead them by way of the land of the Philistines, although that was near; for God said, ‘Lest perhaps the people change their minds when they see war, and return to Egypt.’” God is calling to His church. He is calling to His bride. Don’t be thwarted by the size of the enemy, or daunted by the scope of the battle. You can be the breakthrough for revival in this generation. Remember the story of the Little Dutch Boy? He saved all of Holland by plugging a small hole in the dyke, a hole the width of his child-sized finger. He is a legend to this day. Why? Because no matter what the magnitude of the wall facing you, the nation or our culture, all it takes is one little hole for the breakthrough. “It is not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit, says the Lord.”5 The key to this breakthrough is thanksgiving. It is the drill that will prepare a place for revival to break forth in our generation. Don’t get distracted by the size of the impasse, but fix your eyes on Jesus. He has given us the victory on the cross.

You are the point of breakthrough

God is calling us to take our place in the battle. As we position ourselves in our ranks, we will see God pour out His power. We see this in the life of David when he stepped into his place as king of Israel: “Then David said, ‘God has broken through my enemies by my hand like a breakthrough of water.’”6 This is a prophetic picture of God’s strategy for this hour. God is training our hands for war, and He is instructing His church to step into ranks. The military note has been lost to the church. But now is the time to restore it. We are praying for the restoration of the gifts of the Spirit to the body of Christ – power so she will be as terrible as the battle array with banners described by Solomon. This is a picture of the end-time bride. This is a picture of us!

The 82nd Airborne:

There’s a wonderful story that took place during World War II. Late on the night of Dec. 23, Sgt. John Bannister of the 14th Calvary group found himself meandering through a French village. He had been separated from his unit during the wild retreat during the first days of the Battle of the Bulge and had joined up with Task Force Jones defending the southern side of the fortified goose egg. Now they were in retreat again. The Germans were closing in on the village from three sides. American vehicles were pulling out. Bannister was once again separated from his new unit with no ride out. A tank destroyer rolled by, and somebody waved him aboard. Bannister eagerly climbed on. They roared out of the burning town, and someone told Bannister that he was riding with Lt. Bill Rogers. Who’s he? Bannister wanted to know? Will Roger’s son,” came the answer. An hour later they reached the main hwy. There they found a lone soldier digging a foxhole. Armed with Bazooka and rifle, unshaven and filthy, he went about his business with a stoic nonchalance. They pulled up to him and stopped. He didn’t seem to care about the refugees. “If you’re looking for a safe place,” he said, “just pull that vehicle behind me. I’m the 82nd airborne. This is as far as the **** are going.” The men on the tank destroyer hesitated. After the constant retreats of the last week they didn’t have much fight left in them. But the paratrooper’s determination was infectious. You heard the man, declared Rogers, “Let’s set up for business.” Twenty minutes later two truckloads of GIs joined their little road block. All through the night, men trickled in. Their defenses grew stronger until around that single paratrooper was formed the nucleus of a major strong point. And the battle turned.

You are the point of breakthrough in our day.

God is calling all who are able to go to war

We live in a time of revival. We are beginning to see with our eyes that the kingdom has come – miracles and power are being revealed in the church.  God is calling His bride to awaken–to be alive and active by the Spirit, the point of the spear for His visitation. This call is for all of us. God instructed Moses to number, “every male individually, from 20 years and above–all who are able to go to war…number them by their armies.”7 God has called you into rank as an active part of His formation–in this day on the earth. Don’t retreat in the face of the battle. You hold the keys of thanksgiving that can unleash revival power to wage war against the darkness of this hour. Let us decide today that we have the power for revival breakthrough. We are the bride of Christ, an awesome army arrayed with banners.

New! Awesome as an Army with Banners Live Worship and Intercession from the Watch of the Lord The end-time Bride of Christ is described as an awesome army with banners in Song of Solomon 6:10. Recorded live during an intense time of worship and intercession, this anointed worship CD will stir you to battle for revival-breakthrough in our day. Available Now. Click CD picture to order.