Women, Raise Your Guards
Women are under attack on different fronts because of their significance in the revival. The Bible raises the status of women from the oppression that we have seen in society. However today women are under attack on several fronts to diminish their role in the revival.
Women are the Most Persecuted Group in the World (www1.cbn.com).
Women are already discriminated against for several reasons, but even more so Christian women experience persecution. Persecution against Christian women seems to be rising. A prime example is Boko Haram kidnapping Christian girls and women, raping some, and killing others.
200 Million Girls are Missing Due to Sex-Selective Abortions, Abandonment, Murder (unicef.org)
Transgenderism
For example, male to female transgenders who participate in female sports and begin to win races. The biological male, identifying as a female, has an unfair advantage since men are naturally stronger than women.
In some countries in the western world, transgender women are allowed to use female restrooms violating the privacy of biolgical females.
The idea now that any man can be a woman
Radical Feminism
Emphasizing so-called abortion rights.
Destroying Gender Roles in the Home
De-emphasizing marriage, motherhood
Promoting the hatred of men
Quote from Robin Morgan, a radical feminist: “I feel that 'man-hating' is an honorable and viable political act, that the oppressed have a right to class-hatred against the class that is oppressing them.” — Robin Morgan (www.thoughtco.com)
Women need to Raise their Guards, not against men, but against the satanic agenda that is trying to neutralize the place of women in revival. What should women do to guard themselves against these attacks?
The Guards
Call for Men to Lead
Opposite to the tenets of radical feminism, women raise their guards against the attacks on them by calling for men to lead. Men who walk in their God-given roles, and recognize a lady’s worth, will protect women.
How can women call men to lead?
Prophetically
Judges 4:6 And she sent and called Barak the son of Abinoam out of Kedeshnaphtali, and said unto him, Hath not the LORD God of Israel commanded, saying, Go and draw toward mount Tabor, and take with thee ten thousand men of the children of Naphtali and of the children of Zebulun?
Just as how God used the Deborah to prophesy to Barak to lead the army of Israel against the enemy, women should receive the prophetic outpouring prophesied in Joel 2:28, and prophesy to the men around them. Women, by the Spirit of God, prophesy to your fathers, brothers, and husbands. Prophesy to the men in your churches. As you prophesy, men will be moved to lead according to God’s will.
Through Submission
1 Peter 3:1-6 Likewise, ye wives, be in subjection to your own husbands; that, if any obey not the word, they also may without the word be won by the conversation of the wives;.
Wives submit to the leading men whom God has placed in your life. Young ladies submit to your fathers; wives submit and respect your husbands; and, all women should submit to the leading men of God in their local church. The woman’s submissiveness places a demand on men to walk in their God-given roles.
Through Inner Beauty
1 Peter 3:3-4 3Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel; 4But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price.
The beauty of a lady is in her gracious character: her humility, gentleness, kindness, and virtue. The kindness of Rebecca attracted the attention of Abraham’s servant who was seeking a wife for Isaac, Abraham’s son (Genesis 25). Just as Rebecca kindness attracted a husband, a woman’s virtue will bring men in her life who can cover her.
Raise Children
Women have the unique role of bringing children into the world and nurturing them. Every child is an extension of a woman’s potential: the actuation of her prayers, dreams, and aspirations. Therefore, children are a powerful weapon against the enemy. Women raise their guards by raising children.
Her Seed Bruises the Enemy
Genesis 3:15 And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.
The seed of the woman is destined to bruise the head of the serpent, the devil. We know that the ultimate fulfillment of this is in Jesus Christ, who was born of a woman, and through death conquered the devil. But this scripture also shows that the woman's children would be in conflict with the devil's agents. The woman that raises her children in Christ are nurturing a seed that will conquer the devil and his agents.
Eve knew that every child she delivered was from the Lord. Genesis 4:1 And Adam knew Eve his wife; and she conceived, and bare Cain, and said, I have gotten a man from the LORD. Mothers should know that their children are from the Lord. A child can even restore things that were previously lost, like how Eve recognized that God gave her Seth to replace Abel. Genesis 4:25 And Adam knew his wife again; and she bare a son, and called his name Seth: For God, said she, hath appointed me another seed instead of Abel, whom Cain slew.
Fear God and Save Children
Exodus 1:17-21 But the midwives feared God, and did not as the king of Egypt commanded them, but saved the men children alive. 18And the king of Egypt called for the midwives, and said unto them, Why have ye done this thing, and have saved the men children alive? 19And the midwives said unto Pharaoh, Because the Hebrew women are not as the Egyptian women; for they are lively, and are delivered ere the midwives come in unto them. 20Therefore God dealt well with the midwives: and the people multiplied, and waxed very mighty. 21And it came to pass, because the midwives feared God, that he made them houses.
Even women without children can play a role in protecting and raising children. Pharaoh commanded the midwives to kill the firstborn male of all the Hebrew children. But because the midwives feared God, they disobeyed the command. God used the midwives to avert the infanticide of the Hebrew males and protect the children of Israel. One of the surest ways for women to stand against a wicked patriarchy is not to reject male leadership in general, but to fulfill the role of raising children. Every woman can positively influence the children around them.
Abortion is anti-women. It robs a woman from fully functioning in a role that is unique to her gender. Men cannot carry and give birth; only women can. It is a female-only function. Aborting children cheapens the woman's reproductive function. Every woman should fight against abortion, just as the midwives refuse to kill the Hebrew boys. To stand against abortion is to stand for womanhood.
Amazingly, God blessed the midwives for saving the Hebrew male babies, even giving them their own families. God will bless all women that nurture and care for the children around them.
Give Prophetic Insight
Genesis 21:10.10Wherefore she said unto Abraham, Cast out this bondwoman and her son: for the son of this bondwoman shall not be heir with my son, even with Isaac. 11And the thing was very grievous in Abraham's sight because of his son. 12And God said unto Abraham, Let it not be grievous in thy sight because of the lad, and because of thy bondwoman; in all that Sarah hath said unto thee, hearken unto her voice; for in Isaac shall thy seed be called.
God will give women prophetic utterance, revelation, and insight as a weapon against the enemy. Women who have prophetic insight are well guarded against the devil and are weapons in the hands of God.
Sarah gave Abraham advice based on a prophecy and a promise. Sarah gave her advice to cast out Hagar and Ishmael, the bondwoman and her son because she knew the inheritance belonged to Isaac by promise. God told Abraham to do as she advised. Even so, women can give advice based on prophetic insight to the men in their lives - husbands, brothers, fathers, and leaders. When the advice is based on God-given insight, God can speak to the men to listen and follow.
Sometimes this will require for a woman to embrace a given prophecy. Elisabeth held on to the prophecy of the angel that she would bear a son, and his name would be called John. Even when her relatives and friends thought that the name of the child should be a traditional family name, Elisabeth held her ground believing God’s revelation. Women raise their guards by believing and declaring the proven prophecies of scripture and current prophetic revelations.
Luke 1:59-60 And it came to pass, that on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child; and they called him Zacharias, after the name of his father. 60And his mother answered and said, Not so; but he shall be called John.
Women may need to prophesy to men as the Spirit gives the utterance and revelation. As mentioned before, Deborah the prophetess, prophesied to Barak, leader of the Israeli army, to stand up and fight against the enemy. Barak only stood up to the challenge because of the prophecy of the woman. Even so, when a woman prophesies men are ignited to walk in their God-given role.
Support the Move of God
Wise women will join the move of God occurring in these last days. A woman who attaches herself to the move of God will be guarded against oppressive men. The wicked man, Nabal, cursed David, even though God had selected David to be the next king of Israel. David and his army had protected Nabal’s cattle and substance while camping around Nabal’s property. In need, David requested food from Nabal. But instead, Nabal cursed David and his soldiers. Therefore, David was getting ready to slaughter Nabal’s household. Abigail’s life was saved from the slaughter because she supported David’s ascension to the throne as king, contrary to her husband’s rejection of David. She was supporting the move of God in Israel in making David the next king. Abigail’s action saved her life and the life of her household. Due to this, she was blessed by God.
1 Samuel 25:32-35 And David said to Abigail, Blessed be the LORD God of Israel, which sent thee this day to meet me:33And blessed be thy advice, and blessed be thou, which hast kept me this day from coming to shed blood, and from avenging myself with mine own hand. 34For in very deed, as the LORD God of Israel liveth, which hath kept me back from hurting thee, except thou hadst hasted and come to meet me, surely there had not been left unto Nabal by the morning light any that pisseth against the wall. 35So David received of her hand that which she had brought him, and said unto her, Go up in peace to thine house; see, I have hearkened to thy voice, and have accepted thy person.
Similarly, women should support the move of God in their local church, and worldwide through the giving of their time, skills, and money. Women who support the move of God, even when men refuse to, are raising a guard in their life..
Joshua 2:12-14 Now therefore, I pray you, swear unto me by the LORD, since I have shewed you kindness, that ye will also shew kindness unto my father's house, and give me a true token: 13And that ye will save alive my father, and my mother, and my brethren, and my sisters, and all that they have, and deliver our lives from death. 14And the men answered her, Our life for yours, if ye utter not this our business. And it shall be, when the LORD hath given us the land, that we will deal kindly and truly with thee.
By faith, Rahab saved the Hebrew spies. Therefore, Rahab and her family were saved from death when Israel invaded Jericho. Rahab saw the move of God through the Israelites. She knew God would give Israel the land. In faith, she requested for her household to be saved when the children of Israel conquer the land. When God gave the Israelites the land of Jericho, they remembered Rahab and her family.
Even so, by faith, women should stand in support of the move of God to guard their life and household.
Kill the Enemy
Jael was the one to kill the captain of Israel’s enemies when Barak went to war against Sisera and his army. She used her feminine traits as an opportunity to kill Sisera. Being a woman, and not trying to take on man’s role, is the sure way for women to defeat the attacks against her life and destiny.
Jael utilized her feminine hospitality. She welcomed the enemy’s captain into her home and treated him well. She was kind to him and gave him something to drink. While he rested in her tent, she killed him with a nail and hammer. She cornered and killed the enemy not by taking on a masculine role, but by utilizing her feminine charm and wit.
Judges 4:17-22 Howbeit Sisera fled away on his feet to the tent of Jael the wife of Heber the Kenite: for there was peace between Jabin the king of Hazor and the house of Heber the Kenite. 18And Jael went out to meet Sisera, and said unto him, Turn in, my lord, turn in to me; fear not. And when he had turned in unto her into the tent, she covered him with a mantle. 19And he said unto her, Give me, I pray thee, a little water to drink; for I am thirsty. And she opened a bottle of milk, and gave him drink, and covered him. 20Again he said unto her, Stand in the door of the tent, and it shall be, when any man doth come and inquire of thee, and say, Is there any man here? that thou shalt say, No. 21Then Jael Heber's wife took a nail of the tent, and took an hammer in her hand, and went softly unto him, and smote the nail into his temples, and fastened it into the ground: for he was fast asleep and weary. So he died. 22And, behold, as Barak pursued Sisera, Jael came out to meet him, and said unto him, Come, and I will shew thee the man whom thou seekest. And when he came into her tent, behold, Sisera lay dead, and the nail was in his temples.
Women who utilize their feminine traits: kindness, humility, gentleness, nurturing, and caring, are raising up guards against the enemy. Women can kill the onslaught against their place in the revival by maximizing the God-given role given to them in the home and in society.
