2024 – THROUGH THE DOOR OF WAR INTO VICTORY - PICK UP YOUR SWORD!
Recently, I had a vision that depicted a powerful victory, and it immediately manifested in the natural. Within 24 hours, two friends who are also prophets shared that they had victories also. I believe it signifies what 2024 holds in store for the Body of Christ. We have been in a season of war, but the victory is at hand; pick up your sword and move through the door of war into victory!
This year the Body of Christ has been under severe attacks taking many forms. There have been attacks on my health, our finances and our ministry. My predominant warfare stance has been thanking, praising and worshipping God. In the midst of all the attacks, He has blessed us and has been showing me that He is bringing about His redemptive purposes in our lives!
THE VISION
The most recent attack was an obvious spirit of control and manipulation. As I was praying, decreeing and declaring with a friend, I had a vision of a huge silver sword severing the head of a large snake. The victory was immediate and thorough, and shortly after I received the two confirmations. The sword of the Spirit is the Word of God (Eph. 6:17) and it is mighty to move us out of satan’s stronghold and return us into the stronghold of the Lord!
"Return to the stronghold, You prisoners of hope. Even today I declare [That] I will restore double to you. For I have bent Judah, My [bow], Fitted the bow with Ephraim, And raised up your sons, O Zion, Against your sons, O Greece, And made you like the sword of a mighty man."" (Zec 9:12-13 NKJV)
The Apostle Paul tells us in 1 Cor. 16:9, "For a great door and effectual is opened unto me, and [there are] many adversaries." But Jesus Himself has given us a victory promise in Lk. 21:15: "For I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which all your adversaries shall not be able to gainsay nor resist."
BREAK OFF PASSIVITY!
Many have grown weary from the continuous attacks from the enemy – oppression, mind-blinding, witchcraft, etc. - and succumbed to the spirit of passivity. The passive spirit produces apathy, indifference, numbness and spiritless-ness. Some of the definitions of passive are: acted upon by an external agency; receptive to outside impressions or influences; lacking in energy or will; not taking an active or dominant part; receiving or enduring without resistance: submissive. The spirit of passivity produces submission to the devil! We are to be submissive to God, and resist the devil!
"Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you." (Jas 4:7 NKJV)
BREAK OFF REPROACH!
Sometimes passivity comes from fear of man and fear of his reproach - disgrace, rebuke and shame.
""Listen to Me, you who know righteousness, You people in whose heart [is] My law: Do not fear the reproach of men, Nor be afraid of their insults." (Isa 51:7 NKJV)
The root of the word reproach in Hebrew is the word herpa. Herpa is the family of amphibians and reptiles – snakes! When the enemy brings reproach, pick up your sword and cut it off! Your past, your sins are under the blood of Jesus! He Himself is your righteousness; stand tall and fight!
Worship and intercession are important tools of warfare, but there are times you need to pick up your sword and fight. You certainly wouldn’t allow a burglar to come into your home and rob you, or harm your loved ones without a fight! When you are in a war you don’t just put on armor to stand there, you fight! Having done ALL, we stand. (Eph. 6:13)
We fight in the Lord’s strength and in His timing. If you are under attack, that is the right timing! First, check your heart and ask the Holy Spirit for His wisdom – is this an attack that you brought on yourself from agreement with the enemy’s lies, or things you have spoken or done? Repent and move forward!
"If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us [our] sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." (1Jo 1:9 KJV)
Have you become conditioned to defeat? Sometimes we become passive by settling for temporary relief. Until we leave this life and enter heaven, we will have battles to overcome. His warrior spirit in us is nullified by passivity when we don’t resist the attacks and just accept what happens. We have the victory in Christ; He has already overcome everything we will ever face, so we press into Him and His Holy Spirit will lead us to victory.
FRESH BREATH TO THE LIFELESS!
The Holy Spirit reminded me of Ezekiel 37:9, "Also He said to me, "Prophesy to the breath, prophesy, son of man, and say to the breath, 'Thus says the Lord GOD: "Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these slain, that they may live."
I heard the Holy Spirit say that the Lord is releasing the angels upon the four winds to rejuvenate those slain spiritually, to bring awakening and revival for His end time army to arise in power. I heard Him say, “You have been under attacks that are great, but now I say it’s time to awake. You have endured much in the fire, seeking My will and not your own desire, now I am breathing fresh breath to bring you higher. I have increased your capacity to endure, what once was fleeting and obscure shall now be known as steadfast and sure.”
RISE UP!
For weeks I have been hearing repeatedly, “Rise up arm of the Lord!”
"Awake, awake, put on strength, O arm of the LORD! Awake as in the ancient days, In the generations of old. [Are] You not [the arm] that cut Rahab apart, [And] wounded the serpent?" (Isa 51:9 NKJV)
The word awake in Hebrew also means rise up, rouse oneself. Allow the arm of the Lord to awaken in you! Let His strength in you arise! Do not allow fear to rule; the fury of the oppressor is silenced and the Lord of Hosts has the victory! (Is. 51:13-15) Pick up your sword and declare the word of the Lord! He wants to use you to overcome, take back what the enemy has stolen, and establish the Kingdom of God in your midst!
"And I have put My words in your mouth; I have covered you with the shadow of My hand, That I may plant the heavens, Lay the foundations of the earth, And say to Zion, 'You [are] My people.' "" (Isa 51:16)
YOU ARE EMPOWERED!
Throughout this year, the Holy Spirit has been emphasizing to me the authority and power that has been given to the Body of Christ. A few months ago, He opened up to me a deeper revelation of this in Ephesians 1:19-20: ("And what [is] the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set [him] at his own right hand in the heavenly [places],"
“According to” actually means “in the same measure as”, or “to the exact degree.” Do you hear this? Receive it! When you believe, the power working in you is in the same measure as, and to the same degree, as the power that raised Christ from the dead!
YOU ARE SENT!
Christ sends you out in His authority! "As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world." (Jhn 17:18) "So Jesus said to them again, "Peace to you! As the Father has sent Me, I also send you."” (Jhn 20:21)
Jesus is the head of His body, the church. The head represents authority and power, and gives direction to the parts of the body. We are sent by Jesus in His authority to function on His behalf in the earth.
THE HEAD (AUTHORITY) OF SATAN IS SEVERED!
The head of the serpent is severed! Give satan no place in your life! The sword of the Spirit breaks satan’s attacks, just as it did when Jesus was tempted by satan in the wilderness (Luke Chapter 4). He declared the word of God and satan left Him for a season. I heard the Lord say, “Pick up your sword and take your stand for I have said the victory is at hand. Now go forth and possess the land. Do not back down to the opposition; I send you equipped, empowered and fully commissioned.”
DECLARATION
Declare with me, “Every evil plan against my life, my family and my ministry, all witchcraft - every curse, spell, incantation, and hex - is broken. To any demonic, familiar or familial spirit, every spirit that hinders God’s plan and purpose in my life, family or ministry, I command you to go in the mighty name of the Lord Jesus Christ of Nazareth, who has all dominion and power. I declare the blood of Jesus that was poured out at the cross, nullifies all evil plans. I break off weariness, laziness, passivity, unbelief and doubt. I speak to my flesh and soul by the Spirit of the Living God that dwells inside me, and decree and declare: yield and be aligned to the purposes and plans of God that have been written and declared from before the world was formed. By the power and authority of the LORD Jesus Christ, the authority of His word and His name and the power of His blood, unto His everlasting dominion in this age and the age to come, I decree and declare the words of the Lord on the cross, “It is finished.” I pick up my sword, the word of God, and move through the door of war into victory. In the Mighty Name of the Lord Jesus Christ, the Messiah, Yeshua Ha Mashiach, and for the Glory of God to be seen and known! Amen!
Alane Haynes, 12/13/2023