Spiritual Sleeper Cells

We live in a time of war, surrounded by warfare of every kind: conventional, asymmetric, even guerilla, but we’re not fighting monkeys. But a more insidious type of warfare took over, terrorism. Cloaked in deception and violence, the fighters strike when least expected using fear and terror to immobilize their enemy. Lethal fighters comprise sleeper cells, but they are not asleep. They live within a population, quiet, secret, unnoticed and unsuspected. Sleeper cell fighters blend in, they look and seem like everyone else. Nothing on the surface would indicate danger, until they are activated and come out fighting for their cause.

As Christians, we face a spiritual war; children of the Kingdom of Light in Jesus against the evil forces of the Kingdom of Darkness. We fight with prayer, holiness, love, and kindness. We fight knowing Jesus and praying back the forces of darkness. Jesus brings the victory and we walk in it in His authority. This war is real, but frankly, lately, it seems as if the powers of darkness are taking over, especially with the younger generation.

We worry as we watch adult children leave the church, deconstruct their faith, and lay down their Bibles. For those of us who raised children in church in the 1980s and 90s, we question what went wrong. Faith discussions are off limits, leaving us wondering whether our children have abandoned their faith in Jesus.

A Different Time

Let’s face it – darkness spreads in the earth and we worry about the resolve of the church to come. We worry that the virgins are asleep without oil and may not light up when the bridegroom comes.

When my children were young, Sunday was “church day,” a day to gather and worship God. And Worship we did, with songs and praising, and dancing and flags. We prayed at the altar and prayed for each other. The preacher preached, the teachers taught, and the kids’ church rocked the Bible lessons. We had Youth Group, Awana, Pioneer Girls, Missionettes, Royal Rangers, and Vacation Bible School. The children of the 80s and 90s were immersed in teaching and church life.

But that generation grew up, and many left the church and have gone silent. Sunday is no longer “church day” and for those trying to stay connected, the struggle to go against Sunday secular culture leaves them questioning, “Why bother?”

As the older generation, we watch with trepidation as we approach the last days, when the Harvest is ripe and the darkness rages. Our grown-up church kids look just like the rest of the culture; they blend in, spiritually asleep.  As parents we worry, are they reading their Bible, praying, or seeking the Lord? What about the grandchildren?

Peter and The Waves

Far into the dark night, the waves tossed and crashed against the disciples’ boat. Jesus approached, walking on the troubled waters. We know the story, Peter asked the Lord, to make him walk on water and Jesus called him to come. We all know what happened. At first Peter walked through the raging waves just fine, but the minute he took his eyes off Jesus and put them on the waves and wind, he began to sink.

We must be wary of the war being waged against us. As sons and daughters of the Light, we must keep our eyes on Jesus. If the next generation of Believers, who will carry the faith forward, seem to be asleep, our fear will not help them. If we lose hope in them, then how will they ever stand in the last day? Furthermore, if we ourselves don’t get our eyes back on Jesus and off the waves, we are going to sink.

Blustering Winds and The Rage of the Enemy

We are late in the dark night. The wind and waves are rocking our boat. Just like the war of terror, the enemy wishes to terrorize us with thoughts that the darkness will prevail. Even within the church, his sleeper cells of evil people, unleash havoc to demoralize believers and discredit the Gospel of Jesus. One way to immobilize Christians is to fill them with hopeless thoughts and worry. The lies of the Kingdom of Darkness bluster and blow, but terror need not overcome us, because we know the One Who crushed the serpent’s head.

Pray The Promises

SIsters and brothers – we need to mobilize our own faith to see a hope and a future for God’s people. We know how to fight the waves with faith, and not just vague fuzzy feelings, but praying with radical belief in the promises of God for the next generation. Those promises still stand and all the promises of God are Yes and Amen in Jesus! 

When we pray these promises in faith, we silence the mouth of the enemy.

This generation will not permanently stray from the Way of the Lord.

Train up a child in the way he should go,
when he is old he will not turn from it.
Proverbs 22:6 TLV

The Word in them will remain!

“As for Me,” says the Lord, “this is My covenant with them:
My Spirit who is upon you, and My words which I have put in your mouth,
shall not depart from your mouth, nor from the mouth of your descendants,
nor from the mouth of your descendants’ descendants,” says the Lord,
“from this time and forevermore.”
Isaiah 59:21 NKJV

God Himself will teach them what to do in this hour.

All your children shall be taught by the Lord,
And great shall be the peace of your children.
Isaiah 54:13 NKJV

God will bring them through this life in His victory!

^“being confident of this very thing,
that He who has begun a good work in you
will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ;
Philippians  1:6 NKJV

Let’s pray the promises over them that they will stand. Let’s love them where they are and fight for them on our knees.

Spiritual Sleeper Cells

This younger generation of Believers may blend in with the secular culture at the moment, but I like to think they are like spiritual sleeper cells. They look like the secular world, but the Word of God is in them like fire. I trust that their moment in time will come, and their faith will rise to life. But we will not activate their faith by nagging and arguing with them. The One who will activate their faith is the Holy Spirit of God. When He breathes on them, they will fight back against the powers of darkness in the earth.

These kids are full of the Word of God and that Word does not return to the Lord empty!

For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,”
declares the Lord.
“As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts.
As the rain and the snow come down from heaven,
and do not return to it without watering the earth
and making it bud and flourish,
so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater,
so is my word that goes out from my mouth:
It will not return to me empty,
but will accomplish what I desire
and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.
Isaiah 55:8-11

If this generation fell asleep, the Holy Spirit will wake them up. When He does, the spiritual forces of wickedness will have to back off as these kids take their place.

Like arrows in the hands of a warrior  are children born in one’s youth.
Blessed is the man  whose quiver is full of them.
They will not be put to shame when they contend with their opponents in court.
Psalms 127:4-5

These sons and daughters of Light in Jesus will contend with the forces of darkness and fulfill their purpose in their generation.

Wake Up Sleepers

Finally, it’s important to note that while waiting for the bridegroom to come, all 10 virgins fell asleep, ALL of them, those with oil and those without. In the late hours of the dark night, their lamps flickered and went out as they slept. But some of them stored up extra oil and lit their lamp to meet the Bridegroom.

This next generation, like those virgins, will wake up activated by the leading of God’s Spirit. These spiritual sleeper cells will fight back in holiness and faith and light up this dark age with the presence of Jesus and the truth of the Word of God.

HALLELUJAH!
Amen!