The greatest battles come just before the greatest victories and often times the greatest seasons of advancement!
By Justin Akers
Over the last several weeks I have heard in my spirit “sure up the levees”. This was heavy on my heart for those few weeks. Immediately I began bracing in my mind for a spiritual attack. Sure up the levees or find the vulnerabilities the enemy would exploit and strengthen those weaknesses. Then, I found myself and many around me in the middle of an intense spiritual battle. This is great news because the greatest battles come just before the greatest victories and often times the greatest seasons of advancement!
However, in the middle of the fight, the last thing you think is “great, this is good”. The thoughts that usually go through your mind are more like “help”, “I can’t take anymore”, “how long God”, “I just want to run away”.
For a few days last week, I began hearing “Make Ready” in my spirit. Over and
over I would hear that phrase. Then I came across a Scripture that I have read
countless times, but it has never stood out like this. Proverbs 21:31 “The horse is made ready for the day of battle, but the victory belongs to the LORD.” (ESV).
The Passion Translation reads “You can do your best to prepare for the battle, but ultimate victory comes from the Lord God.” This verse just resonated with me!
What the Lord began speaking to me through this was “Make ready your weapons of war, but the battle is mine!” Make ready your weapons, prayer and praise particularly, and God will bring the victory!
Later in the morning after reading this, I was teaching a class with someone and the Lord began showing me that verse, showing me this word. I saw a field like you would see in a movie like Braveheart. The frontline was all the horsemen. All the horses were in formation. The soldiers on the horses were checking their shields and swords. The horses had steam coming from their nostrils and were ready to go. Behind the horsemen were the foot soldiers. All of which were making sure their swords and shields were ready. They would hit their swords against their shields with anticipation. Then a beautiful white horse began trotting back and forth in front of the soldiers. The horse would trot all the way to the far left and the man on the horse would raise His sword and yell “Make Ready!” Then He would trot to the far right, raise His sword and yell “Make Ready!” Then He came to the middle, facing the troops and yells “Make Ready Your Weapons!!” the man on the white horse is Jesus. The white horse turns, facing the enemy off in the distance.
Jesus yells again “Make ready Your Weapons!” Then the white horse rears up,
front legs high in the air, steam coming from his nostrils. Jesus raises His sword straight up and yells “Now!” All of a sudden praise rings out in the troops and as they shout and praise, an onslaught of arrows are released. Then Jesus charges into battle! Then I can see it. I must make ready my weapons of war; my praise, my prayers, my sword of the Spirit. I make ready my weapons and myself, but the battle is the Lord’s! Micah 2:13 says the “breaker goes before you”. The victory over the warfare is not your responsibility. The defeat of the attack is not on your shoulders. The breaker, Jesus, goes before us in battle! The battle is the Lord’s! Just as Joshua was given instructions to march around Jericho, it was the praise released on the seventh lap on the seventh day that released the power of God against Jericho.
With whatever attack you are facing, do not fear or be dismayed, the battle is the Lord’s! Do not let the enemy rob you of your praise, your prayer time, or your study. These are the times it is more difficult to study or get into the presence of God, but these are also the times some of the greatest revelations come forth. Do not let up or back down! Make ready your weapons! Increase your prayers!
Increase your praise!!
Justin Akers is a senior pastor who believes in the simplicity of loving God and
loving people. He pastors The Upper Room Church Ministries in Bastrop,
Louisiana. His focus is on the training and equipping of believers through the
power of the Holy Spirit to impact the world around them as we, the global
Church, pursue the greatest move of God man has seen.
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