Stand Up, A CIA "A Coalition of Intercessors for Arkansas" Special Alert by Ron Wood

Too many of us are armchair soldiers. We think viewing the battle, reading about the battle, telling stories of when we used to be in the battle, is the battle. No, the battle is on the front lines, where real people are treading down the enemy or are getting hurt trying. War is hell. It isn't pleasant and Satan doesn't fight fair. The devil isn't out to give you a bad day; he is out to take everything you've got, ruin your health, steal your faith, dishonor your name, and cause you to despair and turn away from God. But God is bigger. He can keep us. Not only that, he will empower us to play a role in winning this end-time warfare. How big is your God?

God is at work in human history and he rules over all. He knows the end from the beginning. The Lord hasn't lost track of where things are. He doesn't look down from heaven and wonder, "How did that happen?" The calendar can roll over to a new millennium and God won't be surprised.

At the end of this age, the Bible says Christ will rule the nations with a rod of iron. When the last trumpet has sounded and time has ceased, God's Son will be on the throne. Every knee will have bowed in surrender to God's authority and every tongue will have acknowledged Jesus Christ as Lord. That conclusion has been written in advance by the One who is both Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end.

Meanwhile, Satan is not yet bound, sin still corrupts humanity, the gospel has not yet gone to the ends of the earth, and the church is not yet reflecting the fullness of Christ Jesus. Therefore, we have work to do before God consummates the marriage of his Son with his bride, the Church.

There are three players in end-time events whose actions must be taken into account as we seek to understand the times. Those three players are God, the devil, and people. Of these three, the human factor is most often overlooked. God has given us the power to use our faith and affect the outcome of events on planet earth.

Jesus asked, "Can't you discern the weather?" We are not to be ignorant of the future. Storm clouds are stirring. God is forecasting events with signs of the times. God's prophets are sensing what lies ahead. It is time we woke up to reality. The future is knocking on our door.

If the world did not have a devil loose among us, then perhaps secular humanists could have expected utopia by now. They are wrong if they discount the effects of sin-plagued human nature and if they ignore the unseen reality of a devil who tilts the playing field in his favor. There is a joker in the deck. But his tactics are being uncovered. Prayer is prevailing against him.

Here is what I believe the devil will do shortly. I believe I have seen a preview of coming attractions. Trouble is ahead. Peace and prosperity will be disrupted. Satan intends to provoke world leaders to precipitate foolish actions which will harm many. We have seen the insanity of terrorism bewitch foolish young people. But their guns are toys compared to rulers who control armies with nuclear weapons and biological plagues.

I expect there will be a detonation of a nuclear device in a breakaway Soviet republic. I expect to see chemical poison attacks such as the sarin gas release on the Japanese subway repeated. I expect to see biological plagues such as botulism released by crazed lunatics inspired by religious demons. Some of this will happen on American soil, and we are not prepared. I also expect to see persecution of Christians increase. When these troubles increase, the Lord has told me there will also be an unprecedented harvest of souls the likes of which the church has not seen since the first century.

The season has changed. Morally bankrupt leaders of nations, corrupt controllers of business wealth, and demonically deceived leaders of religions are vulnerable to injections of hellish ideas. These leaders will use their power to instigate war. A desire to dominate will pervert their judgment. Regional conflicts will threaten global stability. Clashes between causes will become flashpoints for military action. Ethnic strife and racial hatred will continue to be uncovered and will incense mob-like actions from previously civilized citizens. Religious wars will reveal the true spirit behind these conflicts—the spirit of lawlessness, unbridled ambition, lust for power, and murderous greed. These increased troubles will occur because Satan has stood up.

Satan has stood up

Satan is a provoker. There are examples of this in the Bible. "And Satan stood up against Israel, and provoked David to number Israel." (1 Chron. 21:1 KJV) What does it mean, for Satan to rise up against God's people? The devil is attracted to seats of government. His wicked spirits act to usurp rightful authority, to manipulate the thinking of leaders. That is why we are urged to pray for rulers (see 1 Tim. 2:2). Every leader at any level is a target, but most especially world rulers. The more authority and influence a person has, the more venomous and persistent Satan's attack against him (or her) will be. This is also true in the church. "Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the LORD, and Satan standing at his right side to accuse him." (Zech. 3:1 NIV) Joshua was a religious leader. He also was a target of attack because religious leaders also carry authority to govern. This shows us that both civil leaders and spiritual leaders are vulnerable to devilish attack. Satan hates the Holy Spirit's anointing. He can't tolerate it when the saints begin to pray and exercise their power over his darkness and lies. He despises godly character and fatherly wisdom. He is an enemy of God's dominion in whatever shape it takes. He wants to replace good government with tyranny and anarchy. He wants people to embrace spirituality but without orthodox truth or apostolic community. He wants to steal our children, silence the prophets, demolish covenant love, and disintegrate our unity.

He is Beelzebub, "Lord of the Flies." He breeds his flies in the carcasses of concealed corruption. If we want enduring peace and good order, it is vital we cover our leaders with intercessory prayer (1 Tim. 2:1-3). This increase of Satanic deception and disorder is predicted for planet earth at the end of the age (1 Tim. 4:1). "Woe to the earth and the sea, because the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, knowing that he has only a short time." (Rev. 12:12 NAS) We cannot alter what God has permitted. Like it or not, the world will be troubled by Satan at the end of the age (Rev. 13:7). But we can have our eyes opened so that we can escape those things that will confound those outside of Christ (Luke 21:34-36). We don't need to remain ignorant and vulnerable. We can use the weapon of prayer. We can be ready for the future.

God holds the trump card. He has a master plan. I have been concerned as Christians view end time events, that we are guilty of a subtle heresy. We have made God too small and the devil too big. In our fascination with the mark of the beast or the number of the anti-Christ's name (Is it my credit card?), in our desire to know when Jesus will split the sky and catch us away (No, it wasn't the date the NASA engineer set), in our perplexity over world events (Come and get us out of this mess!), we may become focused on the devil rather than the Lord. Which are you looking for—the return of the Christ, or the rise of the anti-Christ? Who is bigger in your eyes, Jesus or the devil?

I am glad I am part of an unshakable kingdom! I am glad that God is on the throne and that prayer changes things! The God I serve has decreed that all honor, all glory, all wealth, all power is to be given to His Son. That's the end of the story. I have read the last chapter in the Book, and God wins!

Jesus stood up

In the annals of church history, the first martyr was named Stephen. He was a deacon who served with fervor (Acts 6:5-8). When he was put on trial, he powerfully indicted his persecutors with his testimony. As they rushed on him to silence his witness, his eyes were opened to his audience in heaven. He saw Jesus standing at the Father's right hand (Acts 7:55).

Jesus, who is seated at the right hand of all power, stood to his feet to welcome his first martyr into glory. Heaven came to attention and applauded the faith and bravery of young Stephen. Our earthly perspective says, "What a waste." Eternity's perspective says, "The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church." Stephen kept the faith until the end, boldly spoke the truth, and forgave his own murderers. That act of grace was the opposite spirit of the Pharisees. Standing nearby, applauding the killing, was an angry Saul of Tarsus, breathing out religious fire, justifying the killing in the name of God. This same Saul would soon have an encounter with the Risen One and be appointed to carry this same message to the nations.

When persecution or trouble arises because of Satan's attack on the seed of the church, Jesus comes to attention. When the bully on the block assaults the Father's children, our God takes action. When the enemy of our soul harasses and vexes us, the Spirit of glory rests on us. Therefore, we do not despair when we undergo grievous trials. In fact, we count it all joy. Why? Because we know that the trial of our faith is producing a weight of glory that is eternal. The bigger the battle, the sweeter the victory. A one-pound attack? Keep the faith, and get a one-pound reward. A ten-ton attack? Keep the faith and reap a ten-ton package of vindication from the Father. He never loses track of who is due what. He is the righteous Judge. He honors faith. Jesus is standing up as the Court of Heaven renders its verdict in favor of the suffering saints (Daniel 7:21-22).

Apostles are standing up

The lead actors in the unfolding drama of the advance of God's kingdom are apostles. The word apostle simply means "sent one." It is a job description, not a title. It is a delegated representative of a ruler who is on a mission in the name of that ruler. In every city, God is raising up apostles. They may come from a Baptist or Assembly of God or non-denominational background. What is important is who they are in Christ, not the mother who raised them. Apostles, by their faith and by the grace they are equipped with, are known in heaven and noticed in hell. We would do well to receive them and recognize their rank in the body of Christ.

In the New Testament, we have recorded for us the exact commissioning, the very words of our Commander-in-Chief, as he spoke with one of His post-resurrection apostles. 'But arise, and stand on your feet; for this purpose I have appeared to you, to appoint you a minister and a witness not only to the things which you have seen, but also to the things in which I will appear to you; delivering you from the Jewish people and from the Gentiles, to whom I am sending you, to open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the dominion of Satan to God, in order that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who have been sanctified by faith in Me.' (Acts 26:16-18 NAS) Jesus told his recruit to stand up. Come to attention! We also need to get on a war footing.

You can stand up

Two things need to occur for this to happen in our day. The first is a change of attitude. Get over feeling slighted, bruised, rejected, misunderstood. War is not a time for petty injuries causing soldiers to break rank and drop out. Grow up! The church is now moving from a "mamma" mentality to a "mobilization" mentality. No longer a nursery school, the church has to become a boot camp. Nurses who coddled us have to give way to fathers who will command us. Are we ready for this?

Second, we need to get our feet healed. Satan has been afflicting the feet of the Bride of Christ. She has been unable to walk, much less run. Her mission of mercy has been hampered because she can't walk. This has been an attack of Satan to slow down the church. Marching and going into combat is impossible without healthy feet. The gospel needs the "beautiful feet" of healed messengers. The Bride of Christ needs to put on combat boots.

Peter and John walked up to the Gate Beautiful and saw the man crippled in his feet and legs from his mother's womb (Acts 3:2). Peter said to him, "Look at us!" Apostolic authority demands our attention. Then Peter issued a command of faith and the man was healed in his ankles and his feet. The church today is like that crippled man, infirm from its conception.

Jesus was often telling people to "Stand up, take up your bed and walk." He wanted them to have faith to be healed. He wanted them to get up and be productive with their lives.

Many of us were born crippled. We were conceived in a spiritual womb that left us deformed, unable to stand. Our past still shackles us. Our church birthed us in a powerless, impotent mode. We thought being crippled was our destiny. Now, the Lord Jesus Christ, mighty in battle, is speaking his transforming prophetic word into our lives. "Stand Up!" he says.

We need a Christian Veteran's Day when those who marched in previous campaigns are remembered and their lessons noted. Veterans are those who survived previous battles. When you see a "U.S. Marines" sticker on the back of a truck, you know the man driving that truck knows how to wage war. He has been trained to kill the enemy. God is going to put new decals on our vehicles. We will become known for how many demons we have cast out, how many souls we have won, how many sick people we got healed, how many church splits we averted, how many lies we defeated with the truth, rather than how nice we dress when we go to church.

Jesus wasn't a pacifist. His mission was to destroy the works of the devil. Coexistence is not an option. We overcome also by the blood of the Lamb, by the words of our testimony, and by our willingness to lay down our lives to win (Rev. 1211). It is not just the techniques of spiritual warfare that will enable us to win. It is also the purity of our faith and the perseverance of our character that will enable us to stand, having done all to stand, in the heat of battle (Eph 6:12).

© 1999 by Ron Wood. Feel free to duplicate this message, in its entirety, to forward to your friends. Ron is President of Touched by Grace, Inc., a prophetic ministry based in NW Arkansas. He is also Coordinator for the state of Arkansas for the U. S. Spiritual Warfare Network. He pastors Covenant Fellowship Church. For a free copy of the brochure, "Elijah Battles Jezebel," write TBG at P. O. Box 678, Rogers, AR 72757-0678., or email us at REWood@Compuserve.com.
 

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