July marks the second half of 2019, and as I was asking the Holy Spirit what He was saying for the remainder of this year, I saw a cloak of courage coming down from heaven like a cloud, resting upon the body of Christ.
I heard the Father speak to my heart, “In the next six months, you will see and feel courage rest upon your shoulders like you have never felt before. I am mantling you with a cloak of courage. It is a cloak of royalty, and it is the seal of your kingly authority. Where many of My children have been intimidated by the enemy, there is a fresh anointing that you will physically feel upon your shoulders, moving you into a courageous determination to seize your promises.”
Many of you have been feeling the contention and war upon your promises this year, and rightly so. The fulfillment of your promises is a direct threat to the enemy. Your promises fulfilled will dismantle the enemy’s strongholds across the earth.
I believe, for many people, the battles have been fierce, and I can hear the questions, “What about the prophecies for this year? Will I see them fulfilled?” I hear His voice say, “Listen, beloved, I have seen the pressures you have faced, I have walked with you through the fires, and I am answering your cries for help. I am releasing this cloak of fresh courage and boldness upon your shoulders that you may charge ahead unafraid and grasp in faith what has been promised you.”
I saw this cloak of courage as a twofold promise. It is for the personal promises God has given each of us individually, and it is for the body of Christ as a whole. This cloak of courage will greatly disrupt and bring confusion to the enemy who has been pushing in on every side to silence the Body.
A Changing of the Guard and a Second Wind
I then saw another vision. I saw a picture reel of a woman with a crown upon her head and a royal cloak resting upon her shoulders. She was in hand-to-hand combat fighting an onslaught of opposition, surrounded by many opponents. She appeared to be growing weak in strength as she fought, as her enemy was seemingly overcoming her. She then paused for a moment with the chaos still raging all around her, and the vision turned into slow motion as she closed her eyes and took a deep breath. As she closed her eyes, she stepped out of her own strength, and the cloak appeared to glow over her shoulders, infusing her with a fresh anointing. It was just like a scene from a superhero movie, as though she had accessed her secret source of strength. She then opened her eyes, blazing with fire, and at that moment, a sonic boom burst forth from within her, throwing all of her opponents to the ground without effort.
I believe this is a picture of the bride of Jesus at this moment. There has been rising persecution against the body of Christ and increased opposition in the Spirit as the children of God advance upon the promises and high places of the earth. However, many have been fighting in their own strength, but there is a fresh anointing of His Spirit that will release a second wind to you, breathing new life and bringing effortless victory through His strength.
I have been seeing a recurring theme of the wind of His Spirit, and I felt Him impress to my heart that this fresh wind of the Spirit was here to breathe a second wind into the hearts of those who have grown weary. The contention on your promises has been a direct assault to abort their fulfillment simply because of what it means for the enemy. Your victories are his defeat. Remember that. I saw that many people have been losing strength, losing hope and even losing faith—doubting whether the promises would be fulfilled.
“The next six months will not be in your strength,” says the Lord Almighty. “In the next six months. My people will move into victories by my strength as my courage rests upon them. As they receive by faith, My second wind will blow mightily upon their weariness and renew them like the eagle lifting up higher upon the winds. Where persecution has been increasing around the world, where My children have grown weary in their own personal battles, I am causing them to push back the darkness through the power of My authority that rests upon them.
“My people are arising in boldness, power and courage as has never been seen since the days that Jesus walked the earth. Even then, they will do even greater—for they will move as one with My Spirit, each one moving with My cloak of courage and might resting upon them.”
These Are the Days of Elijah
This phrase keeps repeating in my spirit: “These are the days of Elijah.” I did some Bible research on the word “cloak” and amazingly found this Scripture that links to Elijah and the cloak:
“When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood in the entrance of the cave. And behold, a voice came to him and said, ‘What are you doing here, Elijah?'” (1 Kings 19:13, NASB).
In Hebrew, the word “mantle” and the word “cloak” are the same word, addereth, which can also mean “glory, splendor and magnificence.” Elijah was just about to emerge from the cave of intimidation. He had seen marvelous victories, but also faced fierce persecution and fear. As Elijah emerged from the cave, he wrapped his face in his “mantle” or his “cloak.” Another way to see it is this: he wrapped his face in God’s “glory.”
This cloak I saw in the spirit is also the glory of God. I believe the Holy Spirit is inviting us to “wrap” ourselves in it, behold it, gaze upon Him and be fully immersed in the magnificence of His glory. This is an invitation, just as it was for Elijah, to come out of the caves of hiding and intimidation, come out of the cave of fear and faithlessness, wrap yourself in the cloak of His glory and listen for His voice. He is covering you in new courage to move in the direction He has for you. He is calling you out into the open and into His presence. It is only when you come out that you will hear the still, soft whisper which is directional for the next steps. You can’t stay in the cave any longer; you must come out in order to receive the coordinates for your next move.
I hear the Father’s voice resounding over you:
“No more will My people be backed into a cave. No more will they retreat with intimidation, for they are coming out of the caves as lions and lionesses, roaring fiercely with the sound of heaven reverberating through them. It is time for them to emerge and roar! It is time for My people to take their promised lands, for them to take back what the enemy has stolen and advance upon the high places of the earth.
“Watch as mighty strongholds fall swiftly all around you in the next six months. The delay, retaliation, backlash and resistance you have faced will be obliterated in a moment. For I am frustrating the plans and purposes of the enemy, and every giant that stands before you will fall. Stand up again, My mighty ones. Get up off the battlefield; wipe yourself clean from the battles past; receive My strength and My courage to move forward again, for you are at the threshold. Now is not the time to back down. My victory is your victory. Receive My cloak of courage today. Be covered in My glory.”
How to Move Out of the Caves and Cells of Fear
Finally, in my study, the Holy Spirit led me to Acts 12:7-8. which says,
Suddenly an angel of the Lord approached him, and a light shone in the prison. He struck Peter on the side and woke him up, saying, “Rise up, quickly.” And the chains fell off his hands.
Then the angel said to him, “Dress yourself and put your sandals on.” And he did so. Then he said to him, “Wrap your cloak around you and follow me” (Acts 12:7-8, MEV).
Peter had been in prison with chains around him, and here an angel of the Lord miraculously sets him free, instructing him to “rise up, quickly,” gird himself, put on his sandals, wrap his cloak around him and then follow him.
There is a prophetic picture here for me and you that connects our story to Elijah’s. I feel to break intimidation, fear and hopelessness off of you. In my spirit, I heard the words: “I don’t want to read another prophecy and get my hopes up again.” Yet, I hear the Spirit of the Lord saying to you this day: “It is your hope and your faith that are the very key to break out of the current cell or cave you have been trapped in.”
I believe He is giving you these instructions today:
- Get up off the floor of the battlefield.
- Arm yourself with His Word
- Put on your strength (shoes represent peace which is His strength).
- Wrap yourself in His glory.
- Follow Him.
It is interesting that it is the same thing Elijah was required to do. Get up, put on His strength, cover himself in the glory and then emerge from the cave. Only then did direction come.
The voice of the Lord is not found in the cave; it is found in the emerging. Many of you have been searching for your next steps, next direction, feeling at a loss and as though your hands are tied for this next season. The Lord is saying, “Get up by faith and emerge. My direction for you is waiting on the other side of your obedience to get out of the cave.”
A declaration: I break off any fear or disappointment you have been trapped in. Like the chains that fell to the ground around Peter, the past has no power to hold you in bondage any longer in Jesus’ name. You have a calling, a higher purpose, and you are needed for this hour.
Lift up your eyes, mighty ones, that the King of glory may come through you. Receive the cloak of His glory, filled with courage, that He is releasing to you this day. Wrap yourself in it, immerse yourself in His glory. It will be your resolve and strength in the days to come. You will fight off any resistance with ease as you move in His strength. This is your hour to seize your promises and see the prophecies for this year fulfilled. For the promises that are fulfilled this year will greatly affect the years to come.
I declare the next six months are going to astound you!
Christy Johnston was born and raised in Australia. After living the majority of her life plagued with insecurity and fear, she came to learn the power of her identity in Christ. She now lives with the mandate to breathe fresh hope and life into God’s sons and daughters through her passion of writing, uncovering the truths of living in grace and freedom through our identity in Christ. Nate and Christy have two daughters, Charlotte and Sophie, and currently live on the Gold Coast in Australia.
Stephen Strang 
Charisma Media Staff 
Charisma Staff 
