Spiritual Warfare
Spiritual warfare has been, perhaps, the most misunderstood revelation in the Body of Christ. The enemy has done an excellent job in the past of keeping the church from using any power or implementing any weapon that Christ Jesus died on the cross to give us. I love creating artwork that relay the principles of the glorious victory of the eternal King. I’m sure it’s different for other artists, but the majority of the artwork that I create is born out of prophetic intercession – that’s why it’s called prophetic art. In days gone by, artists would capture the beauty of the glory outside and bring it within their homes to enjoy it. Prophetic artists capture the beauty of the Kingdom inside and bring it out into our homes, so that we can be inspired and strengthened by it.
“For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.”
– Ephesians 6:12 (New King James Version)
This image, Triumph, basically depicts everything there is about spiritual warfare. The servants of the Living God, angels and men, are working as one in enforcing the eternal defeat of the forces of darkness, through the "it is finished” victory accomplished by the Savior on the cross.
This is my take on the classic image/sculpture of the archangel Michael slaying the dragon as described in Revelation 12. Here, we see Michael with his hot sword drawn and his foot upon the neck of the defeated foe, who had declared, “‘I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God.” Mmm, not so much! It’s not good to shake your fist at the Living God. This image should hang in every coven in America, so buy one as a gift (hah!).
This moving image entitled The Glory and Lifter of My Head depicts the Lord ever-so-gently lifting the beautiful head of this warrior He knew before He formed her in the womb. He knows each and every hurt, each doubt, each disappointment of all who are called to serve him and magnify the glory of His name.
He never forgets – although it seems like, in the middle of a long dark night, that He has forgotten us – He never, ever forgets. He knows exactly what we need, and is faithful to comfort those who are His. He is the glory and the lifter of all of our heads. We pray that wherever you are in your journey with Him, as you gaze upon this image, new courage, new strength, new rest, and new hope will fill you to the core of your being.
This is another image that I’ve done in two variants – a light-skinned and a dark-skinned version. No matter the color of our skin, or our heritage, satan sees to it that we’re all brought into bondage in some form or fashion. The Lord is the lifter of all of our heads out of the depression and prostration that have ensnared us and our bloodlines.
This image, Battle Hardened, was commissioned by a woman who gave me a description of basically what she wanted, depicted here. It was of a woman of faithfulness and strength who had been through many, many battles at the behest of the Lord. She had warred over nations in intercession at His leading.
As you can see, this woman (although young) has been battle hardened in her short journey through many conflicts, yet she still stands confident in who she is and confident in who the Lord is. The Lord has carried her through each and every battle, for truly the battle is the Lord’s. The flags of the nations are depicted on her dress, similar to the dress created for another image, She Holds the Nations in Her Heart. Here, the dress is torn, tattered, and bloodstained; she’s suffered some glancing blows and has even drawn blood, but she remains strong in her faith and confident in her God.
We All Fall Down is another of my favorite images. Perhaps it’s because I can strongly identify with the fallen soldier. It’s true, as we journey through this lifelong school of love, we all fall down. Every test I’ve ever failed is because I didn’t have enough love I needed at the moment.
Many of us never realize that little eyes are watching us in our falling down. It’s not how we fall down that counts, but truly, it’s how we get up that matters. The little boy portrayed here is wearing a hat that says “general” – without our knowledge, we are teaching future generals how to get up when they fall down.
I pray that wherever you are on your journey that you would dust yourself off and stand up strong, knowing that the Lord wasn’t surprised when you fell, and He has more grace than you can comprehend to help you get up and stand on your feet again.
“Out of the mouth of babes and nursing infants You have ordained strength, Because of Your enemies, That You may silence the enemy and the avenger.”
– Psalm 8:2 (New King James Version)
This image, Little Intercessor, was created out of a life experience. In 2012, I had a fifty-day prayer assignment in the city of Chicago. After our first weekend there, my friend Betty Love from Mississippi contacted me and said that she just had to share this with me. A family had brought their little son, Trace, to see her that weekend for her to counsel with them. Trace (who was three years old) had been talking about Chicago for two weeks; their family had no connection at all with the city.
On the first weekend of our assignment there, that Saturday, Trace – who lived several states away – spent the day with his building blocks. When his mother asked him what he was doing, he said, “I’m helping God rebuild the city of Chicago.”
Father has an army of intercessors whom most of us have no clue even exist. It’s the army of His little ones, full of innocence and faith, who, as they play with Him, create the future world they will live in as they advance His Kingdom on earth.
It’s mothers like this who say, Not on My Watch! They create the atmosphere for the little children like Trace to fully function in the freedom and joy a secure home brings. Secure homes don’t come easy; as you can see, this mother is on her knees praying for her bloodline and all the leaves on her family tree.
You can also see – just like the young woman depicted in Battle Hardened – she’s another one of those who wins many battles on her knees. She has a flaming sword – the word of God – stuck into the ground of the territory she is warring over as she declares, “Thus far and no more!”
So we declare today that families of this caliber are being awakened throughout the earth and warring mothers are taking their place on the wall with one united voice, saying “Not on my watch!”
In Not on My Watch, I depicted a mother on her knees, but Father also has those who have never married, but have countless spiritual children they have brought to full maturity in faith. These faithful spiritual mothers I’ve honored in this image, as Deborahs who raise up mighty, mighty warriors in the earth. Thy are molded in the form and fashion of Deborah of old, the judge of Israel.
In our nation, gathered in circles of two or three, there are countless warriors suited up in the armor Father has prepared for them. Many of them have been hammered into this armor, so it is fit and formed perfectly just for them. They have their hands on their swords; just as this sword has the globe affixed in the pommel, they have worldwide reach in their authoritative intercessions.
Like Glory and Lifter of My Head, I’ve created light- and dark-skinned versions of this image, Deborah, to speak to those spiritual mothers from every tribe and tongue.
The enemy has been very skilled at using the systems of the world to keep God’s warring sons covered in the dust of deception. In the hour we are in now, there is a global movement of Awakening Sons as Holy Spirit is being poured out on all flesh, as the prophet Joel said there would be.
This image depicts the awakening of the sons from the deception of demonic dust, with the double-portion sword raised, cutting off the heads of the serpents that have ensnared the children of God. So, wherever you are in your journey, we pray that you are among the awakened ones.