The fruit of the Christian lifestyle is
excitement, fulfillment – and warfare. Since the very nature of the
apostolic is warring unto breakthrough, learning the art of war is a
given.
I joined the staff of what was then one of the largest
apostolic ministries and Bible schools in Europe. The
church’s vision was to preach the Gospel and establish new churches
in Scandinavia, Russia and around the world. It was so exciting to
be a part of an active church where every believer was challenged to
evangelism, missions, an overcoming lifestyle and holiness, and the
services were filled with the glory of God.
But the excitement and fulfillment was also accompanied by battles
and challenges that were, at that time, new to me. There was a
feeling in the overall atmosphere of constant heaviness and
oppression. It almost felt like I was breathing depression. I knew
it was not homesickness or even the adjustment to a whole new
culture, rather I had entered a completely different spiritual
climate – one that I had never known before.
I also experienced real persecution for the first time when I
decided to join a local basketball team to stay physically fit and
make some non-Christian friends. After a practice, one of the girls
asked me why I was in the country. My answer was simple – to serve
on staff at the church and Bible school. I was shocked by the hatred
that came into her eyes; her attitude influenced the whole team.
They refused to speak to me in English, never let me in the game,
and eventually asked me to leave.
The basketball story may sound trivial, but it led me to an
understanding that this was a strongly anti-Christ country and that
the God-hating spirit was deeply embedded in the people. It opened
my eyes wide to the fact that I had just entered into a new kind of
war! It was a battle that could not be fought in the natural. It was
a spiritual battle that had to be fought with spiritual weapons.
Keep in mind that in the late 1980s there wasn’t much available
teaching on the ministry of an apostle. Only in recent years has the
revelation on the apostolic come to the forefront. But teaching or
no teaching, one thing was certain: If I was going to be apostolic
(and survive) I was going to have to know how to fight, stand, plow
and press through to victory in many areas.
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Of course, I was a strong, mature believer before I joined an
apostolic church, but becoming an active part of an apostolic church
sometimes brought out the worst in me (for holiness and cleansing).
Still, for the most part it was one of the most rewarding, exciting
and fruitful times of my life and ministry. Now, I don’t want to be
a part of anything but an apostolic ministry!
But be prepared: One of the most basic, but frustrating, experiences
of coming into the apostolic is that an apostolic anointing arises
out of war and conflict. It seems like warfare and attacks are
everywhere. The most important lesson is to learn how to fight –
and to get good at it. A powerful way to dominate and subdue the
enemies and spiritual atmospheres is through prayer. If you are
apostolic you will have to learn how to pray, and make prayer a way
of life. Prayer is a launching pad for God’s weapons. I discovered
that my personal prayer life and my participation in corporate
prayer was a key in my victory and the church breaking through with
its vision.
For some believers the paradigm shift from the “standing in faith”
brand of kind, gentle, loving Christianity to a warfare lifestyle
and mentality is difficult. The Scriptures make it clear that God
has weapons that He wants us to use for pulling down strongholds (2
Corinthians 10:3-5). He has also given us armor (Ephesians 6:11-12).
Part of the “standing” process is actually engaging in the battle
through prayer by using the armor and the weapons to fight and
eventually win for yourself and the Kingdom of God.
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A thorough study of Scripture makes it clear that God’s very nature
is that of a warrior (Exodus 15:3); we are to be like Him. He wants
every generation to be taught the art of war (Judges 3:1-2). Other
biblical terms such as subdue, occupy and possess are actually
military terms.
It’s easy in today’s culture of ease, comfort, entertainment and
peace to accept these Scriptural commands as just symbolic, or to
make excuses leading to passivity instead of engaging in the
spiritual battle that is raging from the heavenlies into the earth
realm today.
Making the choice to enter the battle instead of running takes
commitment, integrity, patience, fortitude and learning how to fight
everyday. It also requires you to develop covenant friendships with
people who will stand together in every battle. One of the greatest
rewards for living as an overcomer is watching God manifest through
you and in you as you obey Him and act on His Word and leading. The
victories are sweet and the spoils help transition you from a
part-time apostolic career to full-time apostolic living.
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Mary Alice Isleib learned what it means to stand in faith and resist the Devil the hard way. She pressed through against the odds in an anti-Christ European nation.
