The Lord Whose Sword Is Drawn

The Lord Whose Sword Is Drawn
(En Español)

There is something about the time just prior to a move of God that causes many to wonder if the Lord is for them or against them. He seems confrontational -- too intense, too "different" from the gentle, patient Shepherd we have learned to trust. Yet to lead His people into the future, we need not only be "saved;" we need to be trained for spiritual warfare.

Perhaps you have been through a time when the tip of Christ's sword seemed aimed straight at your heart. Let me reassure you: God is for you. In fact, it is His expressed purpose to release this same "sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God" (Eph. 6:17), through your words and prayers. But before the Lord's sword will come through your mouth, it must first pass through your heart.

Do not withdraw or be terrified at this new unveiling of the Son of God, for He is, in fact, fitting us for battle. By the time we are fully trained, we will be fearless warriors in His army.

Yet we must be realistic about our current state: many of us have been pampered and undisciplined. We have not understood the day of warfare that looms before us. Nor are we prepared for the final raging of Satan as his time shortens (Rev. 12:12).

Isaiah tells us,
"The Lord will go forth like a warrior, He will arouse His zeal like a man of war. He will utter a shout, yes, He will raise a war cry. He will prevail against His enemies" (Isa. 42:13).

We have known the Lord as our Savior and our Shepherd. These revelations of our beloved Master are no less true because a new aspect of His nature is revealed. It is simply that this new dimension is so startlingly different from how we have known Him. Be of good cheer. This frightening Warrior King, with His sword drawn, with the shout of war upon His lips, is the same blessed Savior who died on the cross for our sins.

Yet we cannot soften the shock of this great unveiling of Christ. Our immediate dismay shall be in no way less dramatic than that which was revealed to Joshua on the plains of Jericho. Our concepts will be shaken and fears confronted.

"Now it came about when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, a man was standing opposite him with his sword drawn in his hand, and Joshua went to him and said to him, 'Are you for us or for our adversaries?'" (Josh. 5:13).

Joshua already knew the Lord in the wilderness tabernacle. But here standing before him was a new revelation of the Son of God. Now He appeared as Captain of the Host to lead His people into war.

Ultimately, these refugees from Egypt and their wilderness children would defeat many nations stronger and more numerous than themselves (Deut. 9:1). They would do the impossible through the power of the Lord.

Though initially Joshua was taken aback, both Joshua and the people with him were more prepared for this battle than they realized. Their time in the wilderness had conditioned them for war!

Likewise, the wilderness for you has not been a time of punishment but a season of preparation and of learning obedience. You have learned from the struggles. Today you walk in the fear of God and are not blinded by the sin of presumption.Before Jesus returns, those who have passed the wilderness tests will receive another revelation: Christ will be revealed to them as Captain of the Host. We will be ready to follow the Lamb wherever He goes.

"And Joshua fell on his face to the earth, and bowed down, and said to him, 'What has my lord to say to his servant?' The captain of the Lord's host said to Joshua, 'Remove your sandals from your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy.' And Joshua did so" (Josh. 5:14-15).

This new unveiling of the Lord is holy. Just as the Lord brought down atheistic communism in the former Soviet Union, so we will see additional hundreds of millions find salvation in the Son of God. Nations are being touched and prepared. Let us not gainsay nor criticize what we may not fully understand. God will shake everything that can be shaken, even while we receive His kingdom that cannot be shaken (Heb. 12:27-28).

The promise of the Lord, which we read earlier, is that He "will go forth like a warrior. . . . He will raise a war cry. He will prevail against His enemies" (Isa. 42:13). Within the ranks of the advancing church, Jesus is raising a war cry. Can you hear His shout? A new authority is being raised up. Yes, they will be tested, but leaders will arise with the voice of prophetic prayer. Christ Himself will prevail against His enemies. Indeed, the gates of hell shall not stand against the church Jesus is building (Matt. 16:18).

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Adapted from Francis Frangipane's book, The Three Battlegrounds, available at www.arrowbookstore.com.

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Any time the Spirit of God's kingdom is truly manifested in the earth, it will ultimately confront the strongholds of hell. Indeed, wherever evil spirits have either a foothold or a stronghold, you can expect that the overcoming church will be engaged in warfare, and expect also that the gates of hell will not prevail against the church that Jesus builds.

In this book, Francis Frangipane explores the three arenas of spiritual warfare that the maturing Christian will face: the mind, the church and the heavenly places. It provides a foundation of insight, wisdom and discernment on the nature of the battle and the keys to victory.

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