Giving up or Pressing Through? 

Living victoriously through effective spiritual warfare

When Jesus stood on the water, it was during a storm. As long as Peter’s eyes were on Him, the storm was of no consequence. The longer Peter looked at the storm (one of our carnal weaknesses), the weaker his faith became, until he began to sink.

I have learnt from experience that the longer a believer’s focus is on what the enemy is doing, the weaker his faith becomes. Unless he refocuses on the Lord, as Peter did, that believer will sink.  

Finding resolve

We need to be brave. I think of secular leaders like Tommy Robinson, who is willing to suffer significant societal humiliation and even go to prison for what he believes. If our ministry leaders, pastors and their flocks had half the resolve of Robinson, and channelled it into serious fasting and prayer, as well as bold action, we would not be in the futile ‘surrender’ mode that we find ourselves.

Tragically, the demons in the UK do not seem to fear the Church, and the wicked have little regard for us. The Lord instructed us to occupy the land until He comes; He did not say we should give in.

Based on what we read in 2 Chronicles 7:14, the Lord holds His people responsible for the wellbeing of the land. Based on what I know in the word of God, the Lord places responsibility for the wellbeing of the United Kingdom in the hands of the Church, and especially our leaders.

The government, in turn, fears the spirit of Islam to the extent of virtually selling the country over to it.

To the anointed of the Lord, who know their place before Him, neither the Prime Minister nor those politicians whose mouths harbour the frogs of lies and deceit are really of any consequence. Do we think that after settling things with the Lord at Mount Sinai, Elijah or Elisha would panic because some tribal leader said something that concerned them?

Fearing the Lord

It is too early to become weary. Yet many church leaders in the UK fear the government more than they fear the Lord. The government, in turn, fears the spirit of Islam to the extent of virtually selling the country over to it. What would great men of God of yore, like John Knox in Scotland, say to us if they were to see the way we cower because a politician proverbially sneezed?

It seems as if our strategies are wrong; that they are more human (fleshly, intellectual) than divine (heavenly). What would Queen Esther say to us? Or king Jehoshaphat? Or king Hezekiah? What do we see when we read the accounts of the bold characters we find in our bibles? Indeed, why did the Lord put these stories in the Bible in the first place? We are talking about the cloud of witnesses here (Heb 12).

Faint or prevail

Jeremiah 12:5 says; “If you have run with the footmen, and they have wearied you, Then how can you contend with horses? And if in the land of peace, In which you trusted, they wearied you, Then how will you do in the [a]floodplain of the Jordan?” (NKJV)

Luke 18:1: “Then He spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart.” (NKJV)

James 5:16: “Confess to one another therefore your faults (your slips, your false steps, your offenses, your sins) and pray [also] for one another, that you may be healed and restored [to a spiritual tone of mind and heart]. The earnest (heartfelt, continued) prayer of a righteous man makes tremendous power available [dynamic in its working].” (AMPC)

A great many believers in this country and western Europe – including church leaders –  have a defeatist mindset.

Based on these scriptures, we have two options – we can faint (which is to give in), or we can prevail through prayer.

Hebrews 11:32-34: “And what more shall I say? For the time would fail me to tell of Gideon and Barak and Samson and Jephthah, also of David and Samuel and the prophets: who through faith subdued kingdoms, worked righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, became valiant in battle, turned to flight the armies of the aliens.”

Defeatist mindset

After over twenty years living in the UK, I can say that a great many believers in this country and western Europe – including church leaders –  have a defeatist mindset. They find it easier to give in than to press through. I am also very aware that many believers are tired. They have done what they were taught to do, the way they were taught to do it, and still things have not worked out as they have expected.

Weariness is now in their bones, and the effects of that oozes out of their mouths. Something is not right. The way we have been doing things is no equal match for the challenges before us. If a company is making losses, they must consider changing their business strategies to stay in business.

I do not believe that Rees Howells had a ‘give in’ mentality. Nor did John and Charles Wesley or Smith Wigglesworth, or countless other great men and women of God. The prophet Elijah did not operate in this kind of mindset, and neither did the apostles. Most importantly, neither did the Lord Himself. So where did it come from?

The prophet Elijah did not operate in this kind of mindset, and neither did the apostles. Most importantly, neither did the Lord Himself. 

James 5:17-18: “Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain; and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months. And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit.” (NKJV)

Hebrews 12:3-4: “For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls. You have not yet resisted to bloodshed, striving against sin.” (NKJV)

Resolve and anointing

I do not claim to be anybody important, but I have felt led to make several attempts at conversations with some pastors and ministry leaders regarding things plaguing the body of Christ in the UK. Some respond with offence; others just ignore the subject, or outrightly let me know that they have effectively given in.

Tommy Robinson has the resolve but not necessarily the anointing. Many church leaders in the UK supposedly have the anointing but lack the resolve! They have an inherently defeatist mindset. This yoke must be destroyed if we are going to see clear victory in our conflict with the spiritual enemy in this land. I honestly believe that far too many Christian leaders in the UK are servants to worldly authorities, whom they only to quick to obey (Rom 6:16).

Acts 4:19-20: “But Peter and John answered and said unto them, Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye. For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.” (KJV)

I honestly believe that far too many Christian leaders in the UK are servants to worldly authorities, whom they only to quick to obey.

When the Church in Acts 4 was threatened by the devil, who was speaking through the religious and the civil governments of that day, what was the response and the summary of their prayer point? “As long as your instruction contradicts His instructions to us, we will not obey you; we will only obey the Lord”. In essence, “we are primarily His servants and not yours.”

Acts 4:29: “behold their threatenings: and grant unto thy servants, that with all boldness they may speak thy word.” (KJV)

May we pray for the same boldness in Jesus' name and see the Lord respond accordingly. Weak prayer produces weak results.

Human tradition

One day in 2020, during lockdown, the UK government instructed church leaders to close their churches. Many of them robotically obeyed this human instruction, instead of doing as the disciples did in Acts 4. I doubt if many consulted the Lord before closing their buildings. When discussion later arose, instead of remorse and repentance, some responded with offence, while others just carried on as if it was no big deal.

I will not engage in what the Lord has not authorised me to engage in. This is why I am trying to talk with pastors, to encourage them to stay strong. The Bible says that we are to submit to God and resist the devil – and if we do this, the devil will flee (not just walk away). Logically if we resist the devil and he does not flee, then we should check if we have truly submitted to the Lord!

One thing that is sucking life out of the British Church is that most of what passes for Christianity is merely human tradition – with no biblical basis. In accordance with Mark 16, the Lord only confirms His word, not human traditions, even if presented as His counsel. Jesus taught us that human traditions make void the word of God (Mark 7:13).

Jesus taught us that human traditions make void the word of God.

What we are often served in churches is a mixture of God's word and human tradition. A mix of chaff and flour. More traditions (chaff) and less word (flour) results in less confirmation of the word by the Holy Spirit. It is directly proportional. More word (flour) and less chaff (traditions) means more confirmation of the word by the Holy Spirit.

Psalm 65:5: “By awesome deeds in righteousness You will answer us, O God of our salvation, You who are the confidence of all the ends of the earth, And of the far-off seas.” (NKJV)

Spiritual strategies

Are we positioned in our thoughts, words and actions for the Lord to respond like this on our behalf in this land?

The responsibility for the wellbeing of the UK lies on the shoulders of our pastors and ministry leaders and not on secular leaders, because the matter is spiritual and not physical. Only the effective employment of spiritual weapons and spiritual strategies will work.

We still have time to change things for the better, by full submission to the Lord Almighty, and to Him alone.

Maranatha