Prepare for Battle!

1 Peter 5:8, “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: 9 Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.”

The devil is a wild animal going about seeking to devour. He is attempting to destroy everything and everyone associated with God. The spirit of antichrist is becoming stronger as each day passes. The verdict of the world is for the destruction of everything affiliated with Jesus Christ. This is the rise of the last days influence of Satan setting the stage for the beast in the prophecy of Daniel in the Old Testament and in the prophecy of John in the book of Revelation.

This is not a new conflict. The forces of good and evil have been embroiled in battle since Lucifer's original rebellion in heaven. God could not allow him to continue in his angelic role in his rebellious state. Therefore, he was cast out of heaven and he became the prince of darkness, ruler of the darkness of this world. Consequently, all humanity has been thrust into the midst of this ageless conflict beginning with original man and affecting every generation since.

The conflict has manifest itself through the centuries with an ebb and flow of severity. However, the consequences of the conflict can be directly related to the rebellion of man against the laws and sovereignty of God. Although times of evil and darkness have gripped the earth in centuries past, the grand finale is still to come. Satan is preparing for his last stand. He knows his end and will do everything in his power to destroy all he can. He has targeted world governments, world leaders, Christian leaders, Christian churches, families and individual Christians. His goal is to destroy order and control. Instead He wants to create total chaos.

We find ourselves fully engaged in this timeless struggle. Paul stated in Ephesians 6:12 that we are fighting a warfare in the spiritual realm, against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. We are fighting for our very lives, our children, grandchildren, friends, neighbors and as many as our Lord God shall call. But we know how the story ends and that is our hope. God did not allow the original rebellion to go unpunished and He will address it again in the end.

The course of human history is directly related to the willingness of mankind to seek after and follow the sovereign will of God. We can make that observation in relation to the current state of human affairs.In recent years we have seen a digression from Biblical morals and values and a more rapid deviation from Biblical principles in the past decade. This behavior has brought us to where we are as a world community and as a nation. The consequences of rebellion will rule eternity. How we respond to the voice of God will determine our future and the future of all who will hear us. Sound the alarm!!!

The stage is set for Satan's last stand. The spirit of antichrist is moving all the players into their positions. Demonic powers held in check by the WORD and the HOLY SPIRIT are running rampant. The world population is following the deception like sheep to the slaughter. Because the nations have rejected the influence of the Gospel and the work of the Holy Spirit, God has left them to their own devices to the destruction of their societal structure.

There are few voices to warn the nations when “danger” should be shouted from the mountain top. God is preparing the whole world for the last phase. The last phase will be the “new world order,” or “one world order.” He is the spirit of antichrist energized by the spirit of darkness. We know from Scripture that his goal is one world government and one world religion. In the coming week the United Nations will discuss progress on the “2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.” This document was originally presented in 1987 as “Agenda 21.” The goal is to unify world laws on environment, religion and distribution of wealth. The plan proposes an array of actions which are intended to be implemented by every person on earth. It calls for specific changes in the activities of all people. Effective execution will require a profound reorientation of all humans, unlike anything the world has ever experienced. Every person in the world needs to read Agenda 21. Sounds like one world government to me. All you need is a leader like Daniel or John describes.

The World Council of Churches will also meet this week for a week of advocacy in support of “an end to the illegal occupation of Palestine” by Israel. “It's time to end Israel's illegal occupation of territory; it is time for the political rights of the Palestinian people to be recognized and implemented;” We know that Israel will possess the land God gave to Abraham. We don't know the conflict and warfare that will occur before that time.

The bottom line is that individual liberties are being destroyed and control relegated to the powers that be...governments, local, state, national and international. The stage is set and the players are moving into place. We can not change what is coming, only our response to it. The sin of the world hastens the coming judgment. Let the watchman on the wall cry aloud as the enemy approaches. In doing so he will save himself and all that will hear him. 

 "Your lifestyles and your actions have brought these things on you. This is your calamity—it is indeed bitter, for it has reached your heart!" ISV