Of my 56 years of being in this world, 50 of those years I have been filled with the Holy Spirit with the evidence of speaking in tongues. I was only six years old when I attended my first Tiger Mountain church camp and it was there where I surrendered my heart to the Lord at the cross and became acquainted with His Holy Spirit. In those old-fashioned church camp services that literally went until midnight, I literally got hooked on Jesus as I learned how to pray in the Spirit and worship Him. It was there where I also learned I was a warrior for God and I had a calling to fulfill which is why I am still here today.

Though it has been a difficult journey at times because the enemy tries his best to stop those who are called, I often find myself having to get up early to battle the forces of darkness or sometimes when I go to lie down the Holy Spirit will bring people to my attention that I have to pray earnestly for before He lets me sleep. There are also times He will just wake me in the dead of the night to go to battle and I will grab my sword (which is His Word) and pray until I have the victory.

Now I believe we are in the last days and the battle is becoming more difficult. The devil doesn’t want us to make a difference in the lives of others. He wants us to run in fear instead of walking in faith. He wants us to look at all the devastation and destruction that he is orchestrating and he wants us to join in the chaos of this world, rather than looking to the Author and Finisher of our faith. However, the more disheartening everything feels, the more we have to trust Him and walk by faith not by sight and definitely not by our feelings. This is why as warriors of God we constantly have to engage in spiritual warfare. So we must prepare ourselves for battle to be prepared for it, physically, mentally and spiritually.

If you read Ephesians 6 you will see that we are called to be servants of Christ but not with eyeservice or to win favor from man but to “do the will of God from our hearts.” His Word says we should “Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord Himself, not just the people.” For with God there is no favoritism. We are all called and we are all warriors for His Kingdom.

This is why His Word tells us to “be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.” We are to “put on the whole armor of God that we may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.” His Word also states “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.” That’s why after all the murders and suicides in our small towns, my sister in Christ, Teresa Ellifritt, and I decided we needed to have a Violence Awareness Prayer Walk. We understood that these kinds of spirits don’t go out except by prayer and fasting. We were thankful for those who showed up or contacted us that they were praying. However, more of you should’ve shown up to show the enemy where you stand. We have to be willing to stand in the gap and go toe to toe with the enemy. Believe me; he’s looking for his next victim even in our little towns of Checotah, Eufaula, Muskogee and beyond. He doesn’t care if you are young or old, rich or poor, educated or ignorant. He wants to kill, and to steal and to destroy you. That’s why we can’t be ignorant to his devices. It’s time to fight back.

Sadly the enemy is using leadership today for his folly. He wants to divide America which still claims to be “One nation under God” but is not following His Word or His Will. Instead, many are making people the enemy simply because they look differently or believe differently than we do. This is not God’s Will. This is the enemy using politics and religion to control and bring division and hatred. Trust me, this is not godly, it’s demonic.

In 1 John 4:1 the Bible states “Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.” How can we believe that anyone can make America great again if we choose to walk away from godly principles and hate people when God says we are to love people? “For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether Jew or Gentiles, whether bond of free…the body is not made up of one part but of many.” (1 Corin. 12:13-31) This passage of scripture explains how the eye can’t say to the hand, “I don’t need you.” Just like the head can’t say to the feet, “I don’t need you.” For God Himself has put the body together and if one part suffers, every part suffers with it! Hence the world is suffering because the body of Christ isn’t following His Word, especially if we are battling each other instead of the enemy.

One of my favorite songs is “Together” by King & Country with Tori Kelly and Kirk Franklin. The chorus says “If you’re lookin’ for hope tonight, raise your hand. If you’re feelin’ alone and don’t understand. If you’re fightin’ in the fight of your life, then stand. And we’re gonna make it through this handin- hand. And if we fall, we will fall together, together. Oh and when we rise, we will rise together, together!” This is what being a warrior is about – side by side combat, fighting the enemy together and rising up together in Jesus name.

If we are getting ready to battle then we better put on the whole armor of God so we will be able to “withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.” It’s time to stand up against injustices. We cannot give in to all the chaos and animosity of this world. We have to stand with our loins girt about with truth – God’s truth, not our own. We have to put on the breastplate of righteousness and that means doing what is right in the eyes of the Lord. We need our feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace not hate. Then above all, we are going to take the shield of faith so we are able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. We are taking the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God, and we are praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit. We are watching with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints. That means every color of skin, every tribe and nation, male or female we are to fight for.

So I pray that “ utterance may be given unto me from His Holy Spirit and that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in bonds: that therein I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.”

Yes through the years, I have had my fair share of heartaches and hell on earth. However, I have also seen the power of the Holy Spirit move and touch lives and tear up the enemy’s territory. It’s time to take heed warriors and prepare ourselves for battle. Grab your sword and your shield! War has been waged in the heavenlies! The Holy Spirit is rising up in those of us who are listening to a Greater Commander.

Steady your hearts and your thoughts warriors as you prepare for this last battle. I will stand beside you, the Holy Spirit will lead you and God will go before you. I believe He is going to do a quick work and we have got to be ready to harvest the last of His fields. The enemy knows his time is short and he is pulling out every stop. So we have got to do the same. We have got to fight back hell with everything we’ve got. Remember if God be for us, who can be against us?

We are a force to be reckoned with! His angels are encamped around us to deliver us. No weapon formed against us will prosper and every tongue that rises against us, He will condemn!

We may have to run to this battle wounded and with many scars, but we are warriors of God and we are getting ready for the last battle! We will come out victorious when we stand together with our Savior! So look out devil, warriors are rising up and The Lion of Judah is fixing to roar!