The Warring Generation

By Thelma Dzwowa

For those who are tired of religion and long to see the kingdom of God manifest, then this is the book for you. Straight from the pews as a layman, I longed to see change not only in my life but in the lives of those around me and in my city. I had witnessed so many lives battered and wounded, and I seemed powerless to do anything. I became restless with my mediocre faith and realized that there had to be more. I wanted more, and I was going to have more. But the question was, would I be prepared to fight to see the kingdom of God and all it represents manifested in my everyday life?

There is a battle raging in the spirit realm for the souls of humankind. The battle lines have been drawn, but God is awakening a generation that will learn how to war. Their battle cry will echo into eternity as they boldly declare, Thy kingdom come! They will be known as the warring generation. They are prepared to contend to initiate change in their different areas of influence. They refuse to turn a blind eye toward the problems that plague people and society as a whole. So they choose the road less traveled and make a relentless stand for righteousness. They dare to believe for the manifestation of Gods kingdom in their lives, families, workplaces, schools, churches, cities, and nations. They are everyday people, most of whom are nameless and faceless but are a force to reckon with. They are the warring generation. Will you be part of this generation? Discover how you can awaken the warrior within you and make an indelible mark in your world as you read this book.

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: Dec 15, 2017
• ISBN: 9781512797244

Thelma Dzwowa

Thelma Dzwowa is a young up-and-coming writer and speaker with a desire to encourage and inspire people along their lifes journey. She uses her unique ability as a story teller to convey thought provoking insights in a fresh, humorous and engaging way. She is a graduate from Deakin University, Australia, with a Master of Business Administration (MBA). She has worked across the Private, Public and Not-for-Profit sectors in areas such as Program & Project Management, Sales & Marketing including Training & Development.

Book preview

Copyright © 2017 Thelma Dzwowa.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

Scripture quotations marked NLT are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright 1996, 2004, 2007. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked NIV are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version. NIV. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked NKJV are taken from the New King James Version. Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

WestBow Press

A Division of Thomas Nelson & Zondervan

1663 Liberty Drive

Bloomington, IN 47403

www.westbowpress.com

1 [phone]

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

ISBN: 978-1-5127-9725-1 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-5127-9726-8 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-5127-9724-4 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2017911564

WestBow Press rev. date: 12/14/2017

CONTENTS

Dedication

Foreword

Introduction

Chapter 1:     Call to Action

Chapter 2:     Know Thy Enemy

Chapter 3:     Defiance

Chapter 4:     The Wounded Warrior

Chapter 5:     The Making of a Warrior

Chapter 6:     Alliances

Chapter 7:     Commander in Chief: The Holy Spirit

Chapter 8:     Wielding the Word

Chapter 9:     Warring in Prayer

Chapter 10:   Warring in Worship

Chapter 11:   The Warrior’s Armor

DEDICATION

To my wonderful family and friends for their support and love. Mum and Dad, thank you for loving me unconditionally and always believing in me. Special thanks to Marisol, Julie Martinez, Phillip Dzwowa, Christina Dzwowa, Lorraine Mahaso, Simbarashe Dzwowa, Paul Sretenovic, Sean Thompson, Eddie Hsu, Yi-Ling Yong, Bennet Yong, Ayodele Hunter, Tafa Sadza and Dulcie Grant, who have supported me to make this book a reality. Thank you to my pastors and my home church, International City Church, for all their love and support.

FOREWORD

The first two Psalms in the Bible express the desire of every follower of Christ to truly live out the Word of God and to prepare the way for the coming of the King of kings to establish His Kingdom here on earth. Those who have these desires are facing extreme opposition in a battle to capture the hearts and minds of a generation. Every moral boundary is being challenged and marginalized and spiritual warfare is getting fiercer every day.

In the midst of this, God is raising up a generation who are preparing to battle the powers of darkness and to establish the Kingdom of God wherever they go. This book, The Warring Generation, will prove to be a powerful tool in their hands. It is not written by someone who is watching the battle from the distance, but from the front lines where it is raging at its strongest. The thorough biblical research, the excellent illustrations, application and examples of personal experience make this an enriching reading experience. The understanding the reader will gain from its pages will bring both confidence and courage to stand strong and engage in the battle.

Thelma Dzwowa is the real deal and I am privileged to recommend this book as an expression of her integrity and her genuine passion to pass on truths she has discovered in her own personal journey.

Mike Knott

Life Coach

New Zealand

Sharing one’s personal life experiences isn’t easy. The author relates challenges and victories using them to inspire her generation and older readers. Each experience has come from her heart of love for Jesus. She’s learned to battle the enemy, Satan, who contends against Christians. Learning the strength of the Lord’s armor became her tools of trade. Being led deeper in her prayer life opened truths of fasting and worship.

Throughout life the need to hear and respond to God’s call is important in ministry, mission or career. God has a unique role for everyone to fulfil. Within that call, temptations come from daily living that can entrap and entice Christians away from Jesus the central point.

Therein lies the battle but we can fight these battles knowing the Holy Spirit is within us and He will bring guidance for emergencies and enable us to walk in victory.

This book presents a challenge for today’s generation. Language, presentation and ideas are suited for them and all generations. I commend this book to the Reader with assurance they will be led into a more fulfilling and exciting life as a 21st century Christian. May you read and respond to these challenges.

Dulcie Grant

Missionary & Mentor

Australia

INTRODUCTION

G od is raising a generation that is equipped and prepared to fight for the advancement of the kingdom of God. They will be a warring generation that is fearless and not ignorant of Satan’s strategies but understand that the weapons of their warfare are mighty to uproot demonic strongholds and to establish new orders according to the will of God. They will be a generation that knows their God and will do great exploits in this lifetime for the kingdom of God.

For those who are tired of religion and long to see the kingdom of God manifest, then this is the book for you. Straight from the pews as a layman, I longed to see change not only in my life but in the lives of those around me and in my city. I had witnessed so many lives battered and wounded, and I seemed powerless to do anything. I longed to see the kind of Christianity that I read about in the Bible. It was the kind of Christianity that was demonstrated by signs and wonders. Even a man’s shadow could heal the sick as he walked past them, and the dead could be raised using the spoken word! It was the kind of Christianity that had the power to heal and transform lives, leaving an indelible mark in society as people encountered the kingdom of God.

I lived in a world full of biblical theory and explanations but very few manifestation of power. Did Jesus mislead us when he said, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these (John 14:12 NIV)? I was convinced that Jesus did not mislead us, but I just could not reconcile my overall experience with what was in the Bible. When was the last time you opened the eyes of the blind, or saw people who are lame get up and walk? The disciples of Jesus experienced all of this and more. But why was I not experiencing this? I had been a Christian all my life but honestly had not seen that kind of manifestation. I read about it and even sang about it but seldom experienced it. I became restless with my mediocre faith and realized that there had to be more. I wanted more, and I was going to have more. But the question was, would I be prepared to fight to see the kingdom of God and all it represents manifested in my everyday life?

There is a battle raging in the spirit realm for the souls of humankind. Satan is not going to sit back and watch me bring the kingdom of God to my spheres of influence. He will certainly put up a fight. The battle lines have been drawn, but God is awakening a generation that will learn how to war. Their battle cry will echo into eternity as they boldly declare, Thy kingdom come! They will be known as the warring generation. They are prepared to contend to initiate change in their different areas of influence. They refuse to turn a blind eye toward the problems that plague people and society as a whole. So they choose the road less traveled and make a relentless stand for righteousness. They dare to believe for the manifestation of God’s kingdom in their lives, families, workplaces, schools, churches, cities, and nations. They are everyday people, most of whom are nameless and faceless but are a force to reckon with. They are the warring generation. Will you be part of this generation?

We are not sent to minister to a congregation and be content if we keep things going. We are sent to make war and to stop short of nothing but the subjugation of the world to the sway of the Lord Jesus.

—William Booth

CHAPTER 1

38507.png

Call to Action

E nough was enough! I had finally reached the breaking point. Several years ago, I had reached a point where I was fed up with not seeing results and breakthroughs in my life, despite the fact that I was doing my part and even prayed to and believed in God. I’d had enough of a lack of success in my work even though I put in the effort and had exercised due diligence. I’d had enough of things falling through and never quite seeing the fulfillment of what I had planned to do. And I’d had enough of taking two steps forward and four steps back. Disappointment was becoming my constant companion, and with it my dreams were slowly slipping away.

As a result of the mounting disappointment and frustration, I finally lost my will to fight; my mantra became que será, será—what will be, will be. I even caught myself saying, Well if it’s God’s will, then it will happen, and then I sat back. That statement sounds so pious and almost holds sentiments of truth, but it’s laced with such a deadly passivity that permits you to just sit back and wait for the pieces to fall into place. Hence, where the pieces fall is supposedly God’s will. That mind-set of resignation is a terrible place to be, because we become victims of our circumstances when God destined us to be overcomers. We fail to see that we need to contend for the promises of God, just as the children of Israel had to contend for the Promised Land. Nevertheless, at that point in my life, contending was not something I was entertaining, because I had fallen into a pit of despair. I continued in this state until one day something happened that changed the course of my life and shifted my thinking. Anger arose inside of me as I listened over the phone to the constant chain of struggles that my friends and family were experiencing. No amount of religious jargon could suffice to explain the disillusionment that we were all starting to experience. As I hung up the phone in a fit of defiance, I uttered the words, Enough is enough!

I had lost sight of the fact I was in a spiritual war—and I had stopped fighting. I was losing ground as the enemy relentlessly lived up to his mission to steal, kill, and destroy. Satan had such a field day at my ignorance and passivity that he robbed, cheated, and nearly destroyed me. But I finally woke up from my complacency and stood my ground like the great warriors who have gone before me, such as Shammah. Shammah was one of King David’s mighty warriors. He lived during the time when the Philistines occupied certain territories belonging to the children of Israel. The Philistines were brutal oppressors, and as a result, the children of Israel lived in fear. One day the Philistines attacked the Israelites in a lentil field, and the Israelite army fled in fear—all except Shammah. Enough was enough! As menacing and intimidating as the Philistines were, Shammah stood his ground and fought back. The odds of victory were against him because he was outnumbered. But God gave him the victory because he stood his ground.

How much ground will we give up to the enemy before we stand and say that even an inch is too much? How much ground will we give up in our families and marriages, in our integrity, in our faith, in our principles, and in our churches, our cities, and our nations? At what point do we make a stand even for the smallest victory? Imagine if all the people of Israel at that time were like Shammah; there would have been no land occupied by their enemy. Will you be a Shammah in your generation? It’s time to fight back!

Hostile Territory

Opposition in the life of a Christian should not be a surprising phenomenon. Since the fall of humanity, there has been hostility between Satan and God’s children. In Genesis 3:15, God speaks to the serpent who represents Satan, and he says, I will cause hostility between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring. This hostility has continued as we read in Revelation 12:17–18 how Satan has declared war against all who keep God’s commandments and maintain their testimony for Jesus. Then the dragon took his stand on the shore beside the sea. Throughout the ages, Satan has continued to wage war against God and his children. With a perfect hatred, he opposes everything that God represents. Satan has sought to mar with sin what God holds most dear. There is a battle raging for the souls of humankind. The most precious of all created things is truly humanity. People matter to God because they were created in his own image. People are the reason Jesus came and laid down his life as the price of our redemption from the kingdom of darkness. It’s not a battle for planet Earth, because God can create planets at the mention of his word. You are what’s at stake as two kingdoms fiercely and relentlessly clash. The war rages in the spirit realm between the kingdom of God and the kingdom of Satan, and this war has an effect on the natural realm. We are born into this war, and as Christians, it is imperative to know how to fight. As representatives of the kingdom of God on the earth, our role is to bring the influence and cultural effect of God’s kingdom and let it permeate our families, societies, cities, and nations. When God’s rule and reign is established in our lives, families, cities, and nations, we can usher in the godly transformation that we so desperately need. We are going to have to fight for it as we war against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world and against evil spirits in the heavenly places (Eph. 6:12). It’s a war we can win, because the Lord of heaven’s armies is among us. It’s time for godly transformation in our nations.

In 1975, Bill Bright and Loren Cunningham developed a timeless strategy for influencing societal change. They asserted that every society is built on seven fundamental pillars that span the following areas: government, education, religion, family, media, arts and entertainment, and business. Therefore, for a nation to truly be transformed by the kingdom of God, it is essential to reach these seven mountains of influence and initiate godly change across each mountain.

Never has there been a need for the warring generation to rise up and take their place across the seven mountains as now. We can be agents of change. For a long time, these seven mountains of influence have been places that have been closed to us as Christians. This is largely because they have been the domain of the ungodly who have crushed the people with unrelenting tyranny and held nations in the confines of darkness. But the Lord is raising up a warring generation that will enter into these places of influence and be the light where there was only darkness. This warring generation will rebuild the broken foundations of our society on godliness and righteousness to the glory of God. They will be like Joshua and Caleb, who were among the twelve spies sent by Moses to survey the Promised Land. Out of the twelve, Joshua and Caleb were the only ones who were convinced of the capability of their God. They knew their God and were destined for great exploits. Secondly, they knew how to fight and were prepared to face the opposition, displace the enemy, and occupy new territory. The remaining ten spies were filled with fear at the sight of the opposition. They disregarded God’s presence and ability, inciting rebellion among the people by convincing them to turn back and return to Egypt. Consequently, a whole generation died in the wilderness at the edge of the Promised Land, because they were not willing or prepared to fight for what God had rightfully given them. Instead, faced with opposition, they cowered back because they perceived opposition as inevitable defeat. They failed to realize that even when the odds were stacked against them, with God, the odds were in their favor. This story is a sobering reminder that there will always be those around us, even fellow Christians, who will try to deter us with their fear and hopelessness of how