Spiritual Boot Camp

The Making of a Spiritual Warrior!

"...ABSTAIN from all appearance of evil. And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. FAITHFUL is he that calleth you, who also will do it..."

I Thessalonians 5:22-24 KJ

In order to understand how to advance from one level to the next within each particular degree of the operation of prophecy and intercession, we have to look at two supporting scriptures which surround verse twenty-three. Look at the first word of verse twenty-two and the first word of verse twenty-four: we see the word ABSTAIN and the word FAITHFUL. These are the two key ingredients that will both develop and enable the PROPHET or prophetic person to become a successful SPIRITUAL SOLDIER and enable them to climb the ladder of spiritual progress/promotion in the work of intercession and the prophetic! In the Making of a Spiritual Warrior, God's watchman, it is imperative that we understand, like with any ARMY or MILITARY SERVICE there is a time period of proving or training required before a soldier is released into COMBAT. And likewise it is the same with the WATCHMAN, God's Prophet, or prophetic people.

"Thou therefore ENDURE HARDNESS, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. No man that WARRETH entangles himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier."

2 Timothy 2:3-4 KJ

"ENDURE HARDSHIP AS DISCIPLINE; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father?"

Hebrews 12:7 NIV

The Apostle Paul said, "Endure hardness as a good soldier of Jesus Christ." Enduring hardness or discipline as a good soldier is part of the training required for the soldier to take the next step, or even graduate to the next level of combat readiness. The Apostle Paul then goes on to say "No man that WARRETH entangles himself with the affairs of this life." Until a PROPHET comes to a place in their own personal spiritual development and discipline, where they have learned to ABSTAIN and live a life of self-denial, they will never be ready to be a spiritual warrior in the ARMY and SERVICE of the Lord Jesus Christ. The WATCHMAN is both DISCIPLINED and ABSTAINS from anything and everything that will DISQUALIFY him from being ready for BATTLE. "But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway" (I Cor.9:27). The word castaway means unapproved and rejected; abandoned by God: unworthy of His favor; useless. The HALLMARK (that distinguishing characteristic) of the Spiritual Warrior who is WELL-TRAINED and HIGHLY-SKILLED: is his/her FAITHFULNESS while on the battlefield; they will always know their OBJECTIVE and will not quit until the assignment from the Lord is either accomplished prophetically, or obliterated in PRAYER WARFARE!

"In those days came John the Baptist, PREACHING IN THE WILDERNESS of Judea, and saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. For this is he that was spoken of by the prophet E-sai'-as, saying, The voice of one crying IN THE WILDERNESS, PREPARE YE THE WAY OF THE LORD, MAKE HIS PATHS STRAIGHT. And the same John had his raiment of camel's hair, and a leathern girdle about his loins; and his meat was locusts and wild honey. Then went OUT TO HIM Jerusalem, and all Judea, and all the region round about Jordan, and were baptized of him in Jordan, CONFESSING their SINS."

Matthew 3:1-6 KJ

"The BEGINNING of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God; As it is written in the prophets, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee. The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. John did BAPTIZE IN THE WILDERNESS, and preach the baptism of REPENTANCE for the remission of sins."

Mark 1:1-4 KJ

"And as they departed, Jesus began to say unto the multitudes concerning John, What went ye OUT INTO THE WILDERNESS to see? A reed shaken with the wind? But what went ye out for to see? A man clothed in soft raiment (gorgeously appareled, and living delicately: Luke 7:7)? Behold, they that wear soft clothing are in kings' houses. But WHAT WENT YE OUT FOR TO SEE? A PROPHET? yea, I say unto you, and more than a prophet. For this is he, of whom it is written, Behold, I send MY MESSENGER before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee. Verily I say unto you, Among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist: notwithstanding he that is LEAST in the kingdom of heaven is GREATER than he. And from the DAYS OF JOHN the Baptist Until NOW the kingdom of heaven SUFFERETH VIOLENCE, and the VIOLENT TAKE IT BY FORCE. For all the prophets and the law PROPHESIED UNTIL JOHN."

Matthew 11:7-13 KJ

As we look at the LIFE, MISSION, and MESSAGE of John the Baptist we find a very important KEY to SUCCESSFUL Spiritual Warfare, and the MAKING OF A PROPHET or prophetic person! Notice that Jesus said, that FROM the days of John UNTIL NOW the Kingdom of Heaven SUFFERETH VIOLENCE, or is forcefully advancing and only the VIOLENT or FORCEFUL MEN lay hold of it. What is it about John the Baptist that has brought about SUCCESSFUL Spiritual Warfare? The IMPACT of the Ministry of John the Baptist is seen in not only the PROPHETIC MESSAGE HE PREACHED, but also in the CONSECRATED LIFE he was CALLED to LIVE. His MISSION was to PREPARE THE WAY and to MAKE READY a people; and the only way to effectively do this was to be a huge part of that way he was preparing! John's MISSION was to prepare the way by being a LIVING EXAMPLE of that WAY! You will notice that it was not the message alone that qualified and identified him as the VOICE sent by God; but, most assuredly, his holy and set-apart life and/or lifestyle! Notice his meat and clothing was in direct correlation with that wilderness lifestyle! To correlate means to establish a mutual or reciprocal relation between. This voice was crying out from that wilderness place! Many today also believe that God has raised them up to be His VOICE; but they wear soft raiment (are gorgeously appareled) and live delicately (live very comfortable lives). Many today believe they have a MESSAGE from God; but they are missing the other part of the equation! These same people may be speaking the truth; but most assuredly do not represent His VOICE! The chief element to the making or preparation for spiritual service/warfare is spiritual discipline! Prayer or effective intercession is not how loud you shout; or how many songs you sing; nor even how long you pray; but it is the level or degree of one's spiritual consecration! This consecration involves more than simply the outward mechanics of spiritual discipline: such as prayer, fasting and the study of God's Word: but a genuine separation! Not until every root-cause of greed, ambition, lust, and self-centeredness is totally obliterated will we experience true INNER spiritual transformation, humility, and death to our self-life. Before the spirit-warrior can root-out (tear down), pull-down, and destroy in prayer-warfare; he/she, the prophet must first allow these same things to take place in their own inner spiritual development. Then and only then will God be able to plant and build within the inner-makeup/inner-life of the Man/woman of God or prophetic people that necessary preparation and equipping for TRUE prophetic service (Jer.1:10).

The WILDERNESS is a PLACE of testing: a very difficult environment that works to PURGE, PURIFY, and REFINE the life of the one sent to go through these particular experiences. Everything that John did, he was coming from "in the wilderness" or from the Place of Consecration. Even though, we who have encountered a wilderness experience will eventually come out of that wilderness: the wilderness should never come out of us, it should forever leave its mark! You may take the PROPHET or prophetic person out of the wilderness, but you should never try to take the wilderness out of the PROPHET or prophetic person! "In the wilderness", refers to John as coming from a Place of Spiritual Preparation. As prophets, seers, and intercessors it is very important as we GO through, and GROW through our own Wilderness Experiences, that we allow these particular experiences to LEAVE THEIR MARK; never forgetting the things that we have learned and being mindful to maintain the discipline that was gained! The lesson we glean from the life of John the Baptist, is that great discipline he maintained toward the THINGS of God. This also presents to us a MENTALITY or a MIND SET of the one who refused to leave that place of self-denial. To John the WILDERNESS was his WAY OF LIFE; and as well, his life's WORK!

In order for the Prophet and/or Intercessor to be SUCCESSFUL IN SPIRITUAL COMBAT they must maintain their lives in the Place of Consecration. The Apostle Paul said that he was always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus Christ that the life of Christ Jesus might be made manifest through his mortal body. DEATH WAS WORKING IN HIM, so that life might have a chance to work in somebody else. The GREATER THE PROPHETIC PURPOSE, the greater the bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus; or in other words, the more will be required of you at the Place of Consecration. Because of the NATURE OF THE TASK given to John the Baptist, he spent all the days of his life in the desert till the time of his appearing unto Israel. What we must come to understand and begin to put into practice is the spiritual truth: Spiritual Warfare (and being effective prophetically) BEGINS at the Place of Consecration! And from the days of John the Baptist UNTIL NOW the kingdom of heaven SUFFERETH VIOLENCE and the VIOLENT take it by FORCE! We have to place our focus on not only what John may have said or did, but also on HOW HE WAS CALLED TO LIVE HIS LIFE. The Prophet should never be released into PROPHETIC SERVICE until the Place of Consecration (the wilderness) has accomplished its mission in the HEART, MIND and LIFE of the SERVANT OF GOD. God will never violate the principles set forth in His Word! The Spirit of God declared through the Apostle Paul "Not a Novice (one that lacks or is without this spiritual process; one who is still not fully developed or made ready for mature spiritual service) lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation (the same temptation) of the devil" (I Tim.3:1-7 this being true of any or every ministry or spiritual service in the Body of Christ). Satan will tempt them, and they will fall into pride and great error; or spiritual deception casting their ministries aside each in their own respective function. This is why so many who are aspiring to become leaders in the House of God are taken by flattering titles and positions of power that bring greater honor to the MAN; rather than, to God who called them to this special spiritual service! A Novice is not only a new convert; but also one who lacks leadership experience and lacks true inner spiritual development and maturity. When God calls a person to operate under the anointing to make priestly or prophetic intercession, or to function in any ministerial capacity: He will do this, very, very slowly; here a little, and there a little! God will never just thrust one immediately into prophetic service until fully TRIED and QUALIFIED! How God may choose to develop that one in Prophetic Service will differ and vary from one Prophetic Appointment to another; but the objective will always be the same regardless of how unlike other prophets or prophetic people your Prophetic Appointment might be.

John was SET APART for the very PURPOSE of God, so the Place of Consecration became a COMMANDMENT to him, not just something that was being suggested. Notice the emphasis that Jesus placed on the WILDERNESS LIFESTYLE when questioning the multitude concerning John. Jesus was trying to help the people to MAKE THE CONNECTION between the Place of Consecration, and being MADE READY and ABLE to receive a VISITATION from Almighty God (The definition Jesus gives where it concerns recognizing the true Operation of Prophecy or recognizing a true functioning Prophet: the wilderness lifestyle! The DISTINCTION or MARKS of the wilderness lifestyle upon the Prophet's own character is the only PROOF or evidence of a life that has spent considerable time and is now living in the Place of Spiritual Discipline). The Bible says that the Kingdom of Heaven is forcefully advancing even at this very moment, but only the VIOLENT or forceful men will be part of this great moving of God; even causing or being used as a CATALYST to bring about a GREAT VISITATION of God; or to usher in a DEMONSTRATION of God's PURPOSE in the earth by a mighty move of the Holy Spirit. It is the very LIFESTYLE of John the Baptist that brought GREAT VIOLENCE to the REALM of the SPIRIT! There is great power and spiritual force behind a Man or Woman of God who lives in the PLACE of the consecrated life! All the LAW and the PROPHETS prophesied UNTIL JOHN. The Place of the Consecrated Life is where the old life ends, and where the NEW WALK BEGINS! The Bible tells us that John performed NO MIRACLE! The Place of the Consecrated Life is a PLACE of TOTAL and UTTER OBSCURTIY (remote, hidden, humbling). Without those wilderness experiences, and staying in the Place of the Consecrated Life, the Prophet is doomed to SELF-DESTRUCTION and will not have the SPIRITUAL STRENGTH to resist TEMPTATION in the day of BATTLE.

"And Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost returned from Jordan, and was LED by the Spirit INTO THE WILDERNESS, BEING forty days TEMPTED of the devil. And in those days he did eat nothing: and when THEY WERE ENDED, he afterward hungered."

Luke 4:1-2 KJ

"And when the devil had ended all the temptation he departed from him for a season. And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee: and there went out a fame of him through the entire region round about."

Luke 4:13-14 KJ

"That word, I say, ye know, which was published throughout all Judea, and BEGAN from Galilee, AFTER the baptism which John preached; How God ANOINTED Jesus of Nazareth with the HOLY GHOST "AND" with POWER: who went about DOING GOOD, and HEALING all that were OPPRESSED of the devil; for God was WITH HIM."

Acts 10:37-38 KJ

"And Jesus answered them, saying, The HOUR is come, that the Son of Man should be GLORIFIED. Verily, verily I say unto you, Except a CORN of Wheat (Represents the Life of Christ as a Seed) fall into the ground and die (Crucifixion), it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit. He that loveth his life (Natural Life/Self-life) shall lose it; and he that HATETH his life in this world shall keep it unto LIFE ETERNAL. If any man SERVE ME, let him FOLLOW ME; and where I am, there shall also MY SERVANT BE: if any man SERVE ME, him will my Father HONOR. Now is my soul troubled; and what shall I say? Father, save me from this HOUR: but for this cause came I unto this HOUR, Father, Glorify thy name. Then came there a voice from heaven, saying, I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again. The people therefore, that stood by, and heard it, said that it thundered: others said, An angel spake to him. Jesus answered and said, "This voice came not because of me, but for your sakes. NOW is the JUDGMENT of This WORLD: NOW shall the PRINCE of This World be CAST OUT. And I, if I be LIFTED UP from the EARTH, will draw all men unto me, This he said, SIGNIFYING what DEATH he should die."

John 12:23-33 KJ

Jesus, before he RETURNED from Jordan where John had just baptized Him in the river, was BEING FILLED with the Holy Spirit or BEING BAPTIZED in the Holy Spirit's POWER after He came up out of the Waters of Baptism; and then IMMEDIATELY led by the Spirit of God INTO THE WILDERNESS TO BE TEMPTED by the devil for forty days and forty nights. Once the SEASON OF TESTING was accomplished, Jesus RETURNED FROM THE WILDERNESS IN THE POWER OF THE SPIRIT into Galilee and there began His ministry. Notice that Jesus was filled with the Holy Spirit prior to going into the Place of being TRIED. It is important to keep in mind that His whole life up to this point in time was used as an opportunity for Spiritual Preparation; but now he was coming into the TIME of His RELEASING, and at that very moment this was the most important season of His life and calling to the ministry. After His experience WITH BEING TEMPTED and encountering great personal difficulty, Jesus came out of this Place of Spiritual Preparation now having the ability to release great power for spiritual service!

Notice that Jesus was ANOINTED with both the Holy Spirit "and" with POWER. The key word in this verse is the word "and"; this word is used to both CONNECT and SEPARATE, to both JOIN and DIFFERENTIATE BETWEEN, or make a distinction between TWO different HAPPENINGS. The word "and" is a FUNCTION word, which means it has a special purpose, or job to do. It is used here to indicate a connection, or an addition, and is used to join the different sentence elements together and indicates that there is a RELATIONSHIP between the joining and connecting elements. In other words, these sentence elements are dependent upon one another. Now we understand how these two elements are CONNECTED (this being both the presence and operation of the Spirit) but WHAT MAKES THEM CONNECT?

The word "and" teaches that while you can't have the POWER of God without the presence of the Holy Spirit; at the same time it is possible to have the presence of the Holy Spirit and NOT WALK IN HIS POWER! There is a clear connection between WALKING in the POWER and BEING FULL of the HOLY GHOST, as well as a clear distinction made between WALKING IN POWER and the infilling of the Holy Spirit! Being filled with the Holy Spirit, does not guarantee that you will walk in His power. Being filled with the Holy Spirit speaks of the receiving of His PERSON, and PRESENCE; but having POWER speaks of the receiving and RELEASING of His MIGHT and ABILITY! The word "and" acts like a bridge connecting or joining two different separate elements together. The word "and" is set between, just as WILDERNESS EXPERIENCES or Place of Preparation for Spiritual Service is set between: Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost "and" RETURNING in the power of the Spirit into Galilee. WILDERNESS EXPERIENCES will allow us to make the connection between being full of the Holy Spirit "and" RETURNING in the POWER of the Spirit; or even CONNECT our Spiritual Service to the RELEASING of the Power of God! The Apostle Paul, writing to the Church at Corinth, exhorting the believers to participate in, and to partnership with that process that works to equip them for spiritual service, and while at the same time enable them to make the connection that they might release his power and ability in prophetic service (2 Cor.1:1-11; 4:7-18; 6:1-10; 7:1-7; 11:16-31; 12:1-10; 13:3-11).

"And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, NOW is come SALVATION, and STRENGTH, and the KINGDOM of our God, and the POWER of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down which ACCUSED them before our God day and night. "AND" they OVERCAME HIM by the BLOOD of the Lamb, "AND" BY THE WORD of their TESTIMONY; "AND" they LOVED NOT THEIR LIVES unto the DEATH."

Revelation 12:10-11 KJ

We OVERCOME every attack of the enemy, and forcefully advance against anything or everything that doesn't have a part in God's Kingdom. We do this by the BLOOD of the Lamb, which speaks of the purchased, privileged position we have in God in Christ, "and" by the WORD OF OUR TESTIMONY, which points to the POWER of our own CONFESSION concerning HIS REPORT, which we BELIEVE; "and" NOT LOVING OUR LIVES even unto DEATH, which clearly illustrates the place of the consecrated life. If we are going to be an Overcomer in demonstration and not only in name, then we have to make the connections between what this privileged position has afforded us, "and" our need to stand on and exercise the practicing of His report, "and" making sure that we live a life of complete and total surrender to God. For you and I to REJECT the PROCESS used by God that works to enable us to MAKE THAT CONNECTION: will cause the PROPHET to be DISQUALIFIED from ever RE-LEASING the power of God in SPIRITUAL COMBAT/Service.

Now to understand the context of this verse, you have to understand the context of the entire chapter. We find contained within the twelfth chapter of the book of Revelation: The PAST, and the PRESENT, and the FUTURE. We see a WAR in heaven when LUCIFER, here represented by the DRAGON: in REBELLION, drew a third part of the stars of heaven (angels) away from God, That's PAST; We see another BATTLE in this chapter, and this battle takes place on the earth; this time it's a STRUGGLE OVER the Woman (Israel) and her child (Christ). This BATTLE began at the BIRTH of Christ and ended with His DEATH and Resurrection. It is important to understand that the VICTORY of this STRUGGLE continues PRESENTLY in our day, and is being WORKED OUT in and through our lives, and will continue to be worked out until the end of time. That is why, RIGHT NOW there is a WAR in heaven, and Satan is running out of TIME and SPACE to operate in. He has but a short time left! And the closer it gets to the time of the end, the more difficult it will be for everyone involved. That is why SATAN'S WRATH is so great. Not much time left! Keep in mind that this chapter is not only pointing to a futuristic happening, but a PRESENT everyday REALITY as well! The Cross of Calvary was the beginning of the end for the POWERS OF DARKNESS, and NOW, because the SALVATION, and STRENGTH of the KINGDOM of our God, and the POWER of His Christ having ALREADY COME; all that is left to do is to APPROPRIATE this AVAILABLE POWER and STRENGTH, and SALVATION (deliverance) that is at work within that invisible eternal spiritual dynamic of all things created and redeemed! (Ps.144:1; Judges 2:1-4,6-7,10-11/3:1-4; Rom.5:20-21/6:11,13-14,16,18; Matt.3:1-6/11:7-13; Mark 1:1-4; Luke 1:15-17,76-80; John 10:40-42).