“Submit yourselves then to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” James 4:7
A few months ago, I was praying and fasting. In the afternoon, I had to run a few errands, so my daughter and I headed to the grocery store first. When we walked in, there was static in my spirit and many people wouldn’t make eye contact with us. As we were leaving, I felt someone looking at us from outside the store. A long row of windows paralleled the parking lot and check-out lanes. When I glanced up, I noticed a woman, looking frazzled and upset, staring at us as she marched toward the entrance of the store. Immediately, the Holy Spirit said, “Go now. She has the spirit of anger.” As we were approaching the door, she walked in and went to get a shopping cart. All of the sudden, in a burst of rage, she began slamming carts into each other and causing a very loud commotion. I grabbed my daughter’s hand and we ran to the car. As we were buckling up, the Holy Spirit said to me, “Be careful where you go when you’ve been praying and fasting.”
We might be tempted to think that places like the grocery or the park are neutral ground as far as spiritual warfare goes, but I’ve found it’s not the location, but who it is that walks into an atmosphere and changes it with power from on high. The ones who live a steadfast life of prayer and fasting won’t have to venture far before they’re met with opposing spiritual forces. We must remember that disciples of Jesus Christ are the closest glimpse of Heaven that satan and his followers will ever see, which is why we often find them in the front row of those who are strongly advancing the Kingdom of God.
As I was praying about this encounter, I felt the Lord impress upon me the responsibility of waging the right warfare at the right time. Sometimes, He’ll ask us to leave and we should. And other times, He’ll want us to remain and stand firm in the faith while demons begin to manifest and make their presence known. This is where my spirit grieves as I’ve seen the body of Christ be entertained by demons, but at the word of God to cast out or expel them, they’re the ones who flee the scene first. More than I’d like to admit, God has asked me to move upon a situation for His namesake and I’ve asked Him if there was anyone else who could do it instead of me. Every single time, He instructed me to look around and then said softly said no.
I believe God is positioning Kingdom warriors in pivotal places right now. He is calling out first to those who already live a life of prayer and fasting. They are the ones who know His voice and follow His commands without question or hesitation. They’re the ones I’m contending for today, because inch by inch, they’re taking back territory from the enemy and demolishing the strongholds that are weakening our world. They disarm every evil attack and trample over defeated weapons of darkness. I look up to these faithful saints who never take off their armor of God and I’m confident the Lord is honoring their every move as they open gates, close doors, speak the words of the Father, release the tender love of Jesus, and light up every place with Holy Spirit fire.
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