Warring With Wisdom and Revelation

At this time of year, there is a heightened level of demonic activity. The hearts of Americans are also being gripped by fear as Ebola ravages lives and communities, Islamic terrorism escalates, and our national security is severely threatened by open borders. We are reminded, however, “…we are not of those who shrink back to destruction, but of those who have faith to the preserving of the soul” (Heb. 10:39).

God is calling his remnant warriors to rise above this deluge of wickedness and employ the weapons of our warfare, which have the power to destroy even the mightiest of strongholds (2 Cor. 10:4). We cannot be tactical in our approach, however. God is calling us to a higher level in our warfare. As the church seeks God’s direction for moving forward in victory, I feel strongly that we must reconsider the importance of warring with wisdom and revelation.

Several years ago my daughter, Hannah, received a dream from the Lord that was not only for Hannah and me, but also for the body of Christ in general. In her dream, we were dropping her off at a college or university.  She had to get a new pair of shoes before entering the campus, which she picked up inside “Safeway” supermarket. Wondering why her new shoes were found in such an unusual place, she looked back and saw the name was no longer “Safeway” but “Other Things.”

As we prayed about this dream, we felt the Lord say that a new season or phase was coming (new shoes). On this new journey, we could not go the “safe” and familiar way; He was about to do “other things.” God was calling the body of Christ into a time of tremendous stretching and paradigm shifting to prepare the way for those who would pioneer new methods and activities. I also understood that we would have to keep coming back to the Lord in a very deliberate way so that He can show us what, how and when to do it.

Next in the dream, Hannah was given her room assignment: Room 601 on the “Gray Floor.” I knew that the color gray is biblically symbolic of wisdom. With my love of word studies, I remembered that 601 is the Strong’s Concordance number which corresponds to the Greek words for “revelation.” I knew this was a reference to Ephesians 1:17-18, “may give to you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him. I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints.”

The Two in Tandem

This dream was extremely significant to me. The symbolic designations of Hannah’s room and floor were intriguing. The broader area (the floor) was wisdom, yet it wasn’t complete without revelation (the room).  Neither would be adequate or function without the other. Unfortunately, most of the church focuses on one or the other—not a balance of the two—with the greater portion of Christ’s body emphasizing the need for wisdom and knowledge. While I would never downplay the need for wisdom—in the dream it was the larger portion—it is also true that wisdom without revelation is very detrimental to our cause.

Wisdom is yesterday’s revelation that has been processed and made into a way of thinking. It is a general understanding of God’s ways, purposes and principles learned over time. Wisdom serves as our foundation.

Revelation is God’s lifting of the veil created by sin from our hearts and allows us to receive fresh insight directly from Him (2 Cor. 4:3-6). Revelation is a spontaneous and specific understanding for current situations. It is applicable truth for today.

Revelation must be interpreted in the larger context of wisdom. Likewise, we cannot build, war and accomplish God’s desires based solely on the wisdom and knowledge we’ve acquired through the years. We also must seek revelation on how to apply that wisdom at the right time, and in the right way.

If you just operate based on wisdom, you become an old wineskin that cannot take in the new wine, the present Word of the Lord. Without revelation, we will merely maintain our ministries and not truly operate in kingdom advancement. We must continuously come to God for fresh truth so that our youth is renewed like the eagle (Ps. 103:5). This heart posture will keep us willing to break out of the mold and jump off new cliffs into deeper waters that He can release through us.

A Recipe for Hope

Effective intercession is absolutely linked to revelation. When praying about any situation, we must ask ourselves, “What Scripture applies to this?” Or “Holy Spirit, what is Your will and strategy in this matter?” Regardless of His chosen method for speaking to us, when we rise up and place God in His rightful place of authority, we will hear from Him and be the overcomers He desires us to be.

Using these principles, countless believers throughout history have prayed rebellious spouses and prodigal children to the foot of the Cross. Cycles of poverty and infirmity have been broken off of families. And through a word of knowledge or prophetic word shared, table servers have been launched into their destiny! By following the Holy Spirit’s promptings, nameless, faceless men and women have been used of God to deliver and transform entire people groups and nations.

Do you find yourself in a seemingly hopeless situation? Have circumstances caused your heart to be gripped by fear? Are you in need of direction or strategy for resolving a particular issue?

God wants you to find your room of revelation. It is often a process that requires time and great perseverance, but don’t give up. Draw near to Him; He’ll guide you there. Despite how difficult your situation, the Holy Spirit is willing to disclose heaven’s strategy and insight to you, enabling you to break free of oppression and adversity. Your destiny is to be a kingly warrior, overcoming in life through the kingdom authority of Jesus Christ. You can do it—if you live on the floor of wisdom, within the room of revelation!

Dutch Sheets is an internationally recognized teacher, conference speaker and author of The Power of Hope. He has written more than 20 books, translated into over 30 languages. His first work, Intercessory Prayer, sold nearly a million copies and is being used to empower believers worldwide for passionate prayer and societal transformation. He and his wife, Ceci, make their home in the Dallas area.