“He will defy the Most High and oppress the holy people of the Most High.” Daniel 7:25a (NLT)
The prophet Daniel wrote about the last days and the strategy of the devil, through the anti-Christ. Other translations say, he will “wear down” (NASB) or “wear out” (ESV) the saints. The devil may not be able to defeat the Lord our God directly, but he relentless attacks God’s children to wear them down and out. Just look at the fallout these past 18 months! Look at how the church has been whittled down. The core remains, but the fringe, the lukewarm, those who really were not committed, have fallen away. Jesus talked about a day of great deception (Matthew 24) and Paul alerts us for a great falling away (2 Thessalonians 2:3). The KJV calls it an apostasy while the NIV calls it a rebellion. Some say that up to 60 even 70% of the church has fallen away. When it is easy to be a follower, many tag along. But when the going gets tough, when it actually costs to be a follower of Christ, the stragglers turn and leave. Ask Jesus what happened when He talked about eating His flesh and drinking His blood and many ceased following Him (John 6:66). And when He spoke about denying self, dying and picking up their cross daily, more left (Luke 9:23-26). Jesus even questioned would He find faith on the earth when He returns (Luke 18:8). Then even at Gethsemane, the hardcore disciples ran, BUT they came back.
The devil is working hard to wear out God’s kids. He is using this anti-Christ regime right now. Just consider the multiple of issues that are pressing in on followers of Christ today…
• The value of all life, from womb to tomb!
• Our freedom of speech
• Our freedom to meet together
• Our being forced to agree with the foul lies of CRT (Critical Race Theory) or be called a domestic terrorist (Attorney General said this on October 4, to parents challenging CRT at School Board meetings)
• The protection of our children from sexual predators (in California they are trying to make pedophilia legal)
• The defilement of our children (schools around our nation use sexually explicit curriculum in their classrooms)
• The lies, misinformation and controls operating around Covid, masks, restrictions and the jabs…
And of course, the list goes on and on and on. The devil is attempting to wear down the saints! In this hour we need divine, supernatural stamina! We need God given endurance. Obviously all this did not happen in a vacuum. Those who have been growing in their faith have been much more able to stand the onslaught of the demonic agenda. Nevertheless, so many in the church are simply weary and want this whole thing to go away. Many have simply tapped out and have accepted the demonic outcome. But not everyone! Some, a remnant, continue to resist, to stand, to speak up, and though they are such a small percentage, they are increasing! This is not the hour to give up, to hide away, to be friends of the world system! This is the day we have trained for, hoped for and even prayed for. This is the day of the great revival!
If you are one who has fallen away, please come back. Now is the time to step out of the snare of the enemy and into your place in God’s army! Please cry out to God to fill you a fresh with strength, energy, stamina and endurance. Ask God to use you in your weakness, for His strength to be release through you today. Pray for your pastor to have strength to stand and not compromise any ground to the devil! Pray for the pulpit to be a place for anointed messages of the full gospel to be preached. Pray that your church would be a place where the weary can come and find rest, refreshment, strength and empowerment of the Holy Spirit. Pray that the church across our city would stand strong in this hour, as our victory is so close! Thank the Lord for the faith that is arising in our city, and across our nation! Thank the Lord for the revival that is here and is coming!!!
