The earth is being tossed to and fro as our transgressions are heavy upon it just as the prophet Isaiah declared. This year has been infused with moments of uncertainty as economic and political twists and turns continue to force the entire globe to navigate uncharted waters—waters which appear to be troubled with blatant lies, deception and an antichrist agenda in full swing.
This is not the time for believers to shrink back and allow their hearts to drift into focusing on the storm. It is not the time to allow your language to be consumed with heralding all that the devil is doing without boldly declaring and knowing who your God is and what He is doing.
Proverbs 18:21 says, “Death and life are in the power of the tongue, And those who love it will eat its fruit.” The time has come for every blood-bought believer in Jesus Christ to recognize the hour that you live in and that you were born for such a time as this.
As signs of the times rapidly unfold before our eyes catapulting the earth into the soon revealing of the Antichrist, we must be certain that it only means that we are closer to the return of the Lord Jesus Christ.
We must close out this year suited up for battle ready to advance the kingdom of God next year, the years to come and as long as the Lord tarries. As believers, we are not of this world, therefore we must not live entangled by this world and consumed by its realities.
We have one mission on this planet and that is to please the Lord Jesus Christ, destroy the works of the devil in the process of living a life that is worthy to hear Jesus say, “Well done my good and faithful servant!”
Second Timothy 2:4 says, “No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier.”
You may feel that since the pandemic of 2020, there are some dents in your spiritual armor. You may feel that your belt of truth is being attacked with lies and deception. You may feel that your breastplate of righteousness is dented as you fight for your love to not grow cold in the last days.
You may feel that your helmet of salvation feels a little twisted as counterfeit Christianity surges in America. Your feet may not be moving as quickly to go and preach the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Your shield may feel cracked as you lost strength to keep it oiled by the Holy Spirit, making it vulnerable to the fiery darts of the wicked one. You may feel that your sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God, is not coming out of its sheath as readily and quickly due to the constant twisting of the Scriptures that is happening at every angle.
I charge you in the name of Jesus to properly assess your armor, get into the presence of God and ask the Holy Spirit to restore your passion to contend against the powers of darkness.
The enemy desires for the church to be under siege by his plans and strategies. But the battle-tested church is arising in the last days with a clear decree that “No weapon formed against us shall be able to prosper!”
Ephesians 6:12-17 says, “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore, take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day.”
Regardless of how you feel, you must close this year suited up for battle prepared for next year and the years to come.
Caleb Cooper is pastor of New Hope Revival Church in Truth or Consequences, New Mexico. He is the author of Pioneering Prophetic Patterns of Purpose, Jesus Focused: Awakening Endtime Prophetic Strategy, The Convergence of Revival and the King’s Arrival, The Call For Strong Godly Leadership, and Uncompromised Revival Fire, available at calebcooperbooks.com and amazon.com.
