Imagine suddenly waking up in the middle of a war zone. You don’t know how or why you’re there and you aren’t aware of the reason for the war. All you know is that you’re afraid because arrows are being shot on every side of you and you think that maybe you’re going to be struck by one or more of them. Your first reaction is to get on your knees and crawl low in an effort to get out of the line of fire and into some sort of safety.
Out of the Line of Fire
As you’re on the ground trying to hide from all the danger. You notice a small hiding spot in the ground. You have some hope for the moment because you can hide in this hole for protection from all the arrows that are bolting through the air at lightning speed.
The anticipation of the hiding spot is giving you life! When you get there you’re stunned by how seemingly perfect the carved out space is for you. It seems like the hole was dug out specifically for your comfort because it’s big enough for you and only you.
The Book
As you crawl into that snug space, you notice a book in the very bottom of the hole. You kneel down to pick it up and to your surprise it’s the Bible. What in the world? Why is there a Bible in this hole in the middle of a war zone?
Click the pic to read!
The whole war zone is a blood bath, but as of right now all you see are arrows. You don’t see who’s shooting them. The only thing you see clearly is this small space and the book that is in perfect condition. Not one page is wrinkled. It doesn’t have a single drop of blood or dirt on it.
Comfort is Here…
You open the book and it falls on a page where a passage is illuminated,
He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust. Surely he will save you from the fowler’s snare and from the deadly pestilence. He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart” Psalms 91:1-4
Click the pic to read!
In this moment, things start making sense. The size of the hole is not a coincidence and the Bible wasn’t randomly placed there. Now you’re assured that you are exactly where you need to be.
This isn’t a huge nightmare after all!
The urge you had to wake up and find an escape out of this crazy dream ceases.
You know what you’re here for…
All you have to do is hide in that hole and read the book until you become everything that the book promises you to become. You have to believe and cleave to everything that it says.
Click the pic to read!
Hungering for the Word
You have a lot of reading to do… Your mind is made up, you’re going to sit in that hole until you’re strong enough to assume your role in the war. At this point you’re craving every word in the book.
You flip through some more pages and find this verse:
The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. 2 Corinthians 10:4
Part II Woke to the War
And then you realize that you’ve been in the middle of this war zone for your entire life, but it’s only until now that you see it with your own eyes and at this magnitude. The heaviness of the battle strikes your heart to the core… Tears start welling up in your eyes as you ask out loud, “Why have I been so oblivious to the war until now?”
The pages of the book flip to the passage John 12:40:
“Their eyes are blinded, their hearts are hardened,
So that they wouldn’t see with their eyes and perceive with their hearts,
And turn to me, God, so I could heal them”.
Click the pic to read!
Sin, Idleness, and Spiritual Complacency
Tears start falling uncontrollably now. You can’t help but cry out loud. Your cry turns into wailing at the realization that the reason for your blindness to the glory of God and the unseen warfare is sin, idleness, and spiritual complacency…
In that small hole you’re overcome by a cry of repentance that has you curled up into a fetal position. You cry from the depths of your soul, “I’m sorry God! I’m sorry! Please forgive me! Please wash me and make me whole! I want to be used by you! I surrender everything to you, Oh God!”
If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land. 2 Corinthians 7:14.
The presence of God floods your soul as you lay in the hole with the Word closely held to your heart. You take another peak outside to see what’s going on. Your sight has been sharpened yet another degree.
Click the pic to read!
The Power Propelling the Arrows
Your discernment has kicked in… Deception, sin, and all kinds of wickedness are the power behind the arrows attacking all of the people, but the words in the book build a refuge around the souls. As the substance of those words in the book are ingrained into their identity, an impenetrable hedge of protection is formed.
Exercising free will to commit to the ways presented in the book, enlarges the field of protection that makes the arrows bounce back no matter how sharp and fast they are. Even if a person is not aware of the complexities of the war, they’re simply protected by grace. The arrows are coming so fast, you don’t even know what direction they’re coming from, but you see that they have no power against the safety the Word provides.
Click the pic to read!
Seeing Behind the Scenes
In addition to the arrows darting through the air, you can now see some of the lost souls wondering around. The only thing protecting them is prayers that have been sent up on their behalf and the grace of God that allows them time to live so that they may choose life for themselves one day.
You see others that got tired in the battle and instead of resting in their space and getting strength and training in the rules of the war from the book, they stayed out in the open, exposing themselves to the devices of their enemy, dying a slow death. The enemy doesn’t even waste time killing these souls off because they’re used inadvertently to infect other people. Their populating the scene to cause confusion. They’re used to make people wonder if rescuers really exist.
You see some people have weapons, but they’re not the right weapons. They try fighting the war according to their own understanding and with carnal weapons. But they need the Word of God as the ultimate weapon that will help them not only survive, but also triumph victoriously over the enemy.
There are casualties as well. Lying on the ground are mangled bodies of the souls that didn’t make it. The sight is so saddening because it didn’t have to end like this. Everything they needed to live and fight was at their disposal, but they never settled into their own place of safety. They took the book for granted and died in their ignorance.
There are people who have the book, but use it inappropriately. They have alternative motives for studying it. They use it to manipulate and control people. Others used the book get rich off of naïve people. But you can tell that this doesn’t even matter because the people that have a sincere heart for righteousness always escapes their evil grip.
Click the pic to read!
A Need to Intercede
All of your observations drive you to prayer because you could’ve been dead. You could’ve been lost. You could be the one that lives life lukewarm and oblivious to the warfare, but now you know. Your eyes were opened to this war zone for a reason. Convictions to stay in the hole until you’re called out to fight, settle in your heart. In the future you will be strong enough to walk around the war zone, unafraid, in the authority and boldness of Jesus Christ. You’re called to help other people find their space, that’s built specially for them.
Your goal is to be one of the people that fought until the end, not swiftly, but with endurance, self-control, and tenacity. You’re willing to dedicate your life to being an example and a light. You have a special gift to teach people how to use the gift of the book as the weapon to live victorious in the midst of that war zone.”
Because solely living for your own life is worthless. Living for love is why you’ve been gifted to be an influential and compelling light. Now that you’re woke to the war, you’re being used by the Creator to keep the space you fill lit up, so that people can see behind the scenes spiritually and get out of the line of fire too.
Destined Initiative:
Once you’ve found your own safety out of the line of fire, reach out for someone that is lost to help them find their way. You were born for this…
Did this post speak to you in any way? Do you remember when you first became aware of the reality of spiritual warfare? Would you care to share in a comment below? Feel free to share the love and share this post with someone you love!
People are getting their hands on their very own DI T-shirt! Have you grabbed yours?
They’re on sale now for $10. Plus free shipping!
Click the pic to scoop this deal today!
You’re beautifully made!
and you’re STRONG!!!
You can do all things through Christ that gives you strength!!
