The Open Window: Understanding the Enemy's Strategy Before the Appointed Time

For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. 4 The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. 5 We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. 6 And we will be ready to punish every act of disobedience, once your obedience is complete. 2 Corinthians 10:3-6 NIV

The Waiting Series: Part 2

After publishing Part 1 of this series, I found myself reflecting on the responses it received. The question that kept coming to mind was simple: Why is this resonating with so many people? The more I thought about it, the more I realized that many believers seem to be standing in the same season. We know God has spoken. We know He has made promises. We know a shift is coming. Yet many of us find ourselves in a prolonged season of waiting, watching, and anticipating God's hand to move.

For those who have spent years learning spiritual warfare, kingdom authority, and the operation of spiritual weapons, this season can be especially frustrating. We watched prayer move mountains. We have seen worship shift atmospheres. We have experienced the power of fasting, intercession, and strategic warfare. We have learned about kingdom rank and authority, and we have witnessed situations change as we partnered with God. Then suddenly, we find ourselves in a season where we are doing all the things we know to do and seeing little movement. It can feel confusing and exhausting. There comes a point where you have to stop wearing yourself out trying to force movement and instead sit before God and ask, "What is really happening here?"

As I was discussing this with a friend, a familiar passage of Scripture came to mind. In 2 Corinthians 10, Paul writes that although we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. He goes on to explain that the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty through God for the pulling down of strongholds. Most believers are familiar with verses four and five. We focus on the weapons. We focus on pulling down strongholds, casting down imaginations, and bringing every thought into captivity. However, there is a phrase in verse six that often receives very little attention. Paul writes that there is a readiness to punish disobedience "when your obedience is fulfilled." That phrase taught me something profound about both warfare and God’s timing.

Years ago, when God instructed me to host spiritual warfare conferences, I learned this principle firsthand. The conferences were typically held in September, but registration would open months earlier. As soon as registration was launched, an intercessory team would begin covering every aspect of the event. We prayed over the speakers, the attendees, the logistics, the finances, and every detail connected to the assignment. Everything was covered in prayer. Yet despite the prayer covering, attacks still came. Obstacles still appeared. Unexpected challenges surfaced. Resistance would seem to increase the closer we got to the conference date.

After much contemplation, it occurred to me my obedience began the moment I said yes to the assignment, but it was not fulfilled until the conference actually took place. Between the instruction and the completion of the assignment, there was a window. During that window, the enemy's objective was to convince me to quit. If enough pressure could be applied, if enough discouragement could be introduced, or if enough chaos could be created, perhaps I would decide it wasn’t worth it and walk away. Had I done that, my obedience would never have been fulfilled.

Remembering this concept has reminded me of how to view seasons of waiting. I believe there are many situations where warfare cannot move God's timeline. Prayer cannot accelerate it. Fasting cannot speed it up. Worship cannot manipulate it. Praise cannot force it. Tithing/Giving won't move it. Your authority cannot command it. Your rank cannot influence it. All these weapons will sustain YOU (mind, emotions) in the wait, but do very little to shift the situation(s). When God has established an appointed time, that appointed time cannot be moved. It is fixed according to His wisdom, His purposes, and most of all, His sovereignty.

However, while that appointed time remains in the future, there is an open window. It is not a window for God to change His mind. It is a window for the enemy to try to change yours.  Scripture repeatedly demonstrates that the enemy is aware when God is preparing to move. We see it when Pharaoh attempted to destroy Hebrew male children during the days of Moses. We see it when Herod ordered the death of infants around the time of Jesus’ birth. The enemy may not know everything, but he often recognizes when something significant is approaching. His strategy is not always to stop God’s plan. Sometimes his strategy is simply to convince you to abandon your place in it.

This is why so many believers experience intensified pressure during seasons of waiting. Financial challenges arise. Emotional exhaustion sets in. Relationships become strained. Delays seem endless. Opportunities appear to disappear. Confusion increases. Hope is tested. The goal is not necessarily the situation itself. The goal is to wear you down. The enemy wants you to lose confidence in God. He wants you to doubt what God said. He wants you to create a Plan B by leaning on your own understanding because Plan A, the one where you must trust God, appears to be taking too long or not going to ever happen.

Yet what if the delay is accomplishing something greater than we realize? What if God is building endurance? What if He is developing long-suffering? What if He is teaching us how to trust Him beyond our circumstances? What if He is expanding our capacity so that when the promise finally arrives, we are able to carry it well?

Receiving a promise and sustaining a promise are two different things. God is not only concerned with bringing us into a new season. He is concerned with preparing us for that season. Character must be developed. Endurance must be strengthened. Trust must mature. Wisdom must increase. Capacity must expand. The process between the promise and its fulfillment is often where those things are formed.

This is why it is so important not to walk away. If God has spoken something to you and it feels as though you are getting farther away from it instead of closer, do not assume that resistance means rejection. The enemy would love for you to abandon the assignment. He would love for you to forfeit the promise. He would love for you to believe that God is not moving simply because you cannot see movement.

Remember that obedience must be fulfilled. There are victories attached to assignments that can only be obtained by completing what God instructed you to do. There are promises attached to endurance. There are rewards attached to perseverance. There are lessons attached to waiting that cannot be learned any other way.

So, if you find yourself in a season where nothing seems to be moving, do not immediately assume that something is wrong. Ask God whether He is developing something within you that is necessary for where He is taking you. Allow Him to strengthen your endurance. Allow Him to mature your trust. Allow Him to expand your capacity. Allow Him to teach you long-suffering. Allow Him to complete the work He is doing within you.

Because sometimes the greatest miracle is not what God is preparing for you. Sometimes the greatest miracle is who God is preparing you to become before the appointed time arrives. If you’re a fan of the Chronicles of Warfare, then you know all too well the chess board. Yesterday after I dropped this blog, an event happened that I had been waiting on. In the spirit, it was like a click. A chess piece moved. One of the things that God needs in place for my promise to be fulfilled had finally moved into position. Fret not my sister. Worry not my brother. The chess pieces are moving, and God’s promises are yes and amen. Fulfill your obedience. Endure your waiting season.

Remember, it's real in these spiritual streets.

Dr. Melinda Michelle Jefferson