New Seasons Require New Weapons

I was awakened one morning in the middle of the dream. 

As I worked to get my bearings, the Holy Spirit whispered to my spirit: “You just had a dream. It was about the need to use a different weapon in each different season that comes upon you.”

After talking with my bride for a minute, I stumbled into the … er, the “library” and God & I continued our conversation. I’ll cut to the chase.

I believe that the circumstances we confront, the “battle” if you can handle the warfare metaphor, will be changing, perhaps rapidly. Moreover, every time the nature of the circumstances change, we’ll need a new weapon. For example, I was instructed that right now, I need to use the weapon of “Rest in the Spirit.” 

I have always considered myself pretty good at resting, at least at physical rest, and I’m gaining expertise at resting my soul – my mind, my will and my emotions. But I’m not as good at resting in Him. Nevertheless, that’s my weapon for a while.

I heard that, at least for me, the battle will be changing again shortly, when I will need the new weapon of “Replacing the Lie with the Truth.” Sounds cheesy, I know. Nevertheless, I believe that this is a legitimate warning for others as well: we’ll need to develop proficiency in a number of weapons (or “disciplines” if you like that better) to confront a variety of assaults against us in the coming weeks and months.

Later this morning, after this whole interesting conversation, I received an email from a friend in Canada, warning that he’s hearing God talking about what he calls “a major initiative by the enemy” in the realm of “dead spirits rising.” I translate that to include “Things that I have overcome are coming back for another shot at me,” and indeed many folks I know have been dealing with that in the past 24 hours or so.

So you can take this warning as you like: it has cost you nothing and it may be worth nothing to you. As for me and mine, we’re going to keep our eyes open for changes in the circumstances that confront us, and keep our ears open for appropriate responses in the Spirit to keep us in all this.

Are You At a Threshold of Faith?

I have some encouragement for the pioneers. Over the last few weeks, I’ve kept hearing this language - that we are at thresholds of faith.

What is a threshold? A threshold is defined as: the point of entering or beginning something new. So, what is a threshold of faith?

A threshold of faith is a place you come to when you can no longer keep operating or living within the confines of your previous limitations. God is leading you into a significant breakthrough in that area to expand you and prepare you for what’s coming.

Thresholds of faith at first feel like pressure. 

They feel emotionally triggering.

They feel like the enemy is warring against your mind.

It can feel even feel like a rollercoaster of soul highs and lows as God brings precious things to the surface to free you and lighten you. 

Why? Because God is pulling you higher, and the enemy is trying to keep you lower.

 God is calling you to fly like an eagle, while the enemy wants to keep you grounded with the turkeys.

In this calling we go from glory to glory with God (2 Corinthians 3:18). So He’s always leading us into greater levels of truth about who we are and about our calling as sons and daughters, as leaders, and as fathers and mothers. There are always deeper dimensions of capacity, anointing, character, and fruit that we are meant to walk in. 

So we go through thresholds of faith not because something is wrong or because things are falling apart, but because we’ve asked Him for more. This pressure is the very thing we’ve been praying for.

But we often forget - before breakthrough comes, God upgrades our internal operating system. If He brings us into breakthrough without transformation, we’ll crash and burn.

The issue is that In this consumer-Christian culture we’ve inherited, we want our circumstances to change, but we often resist the internal transformation required.


We avoid deliverance. We avoid healing. We avoid conviction. We avoid the refining fire.

We want the goods without the fire. We want the promise without the pruning. But it doesn’t work like that.

Right now, the Lord is trying to pull us higher, but there’s been a battle. There’s been tension. And there are moments where everything around you feels like it’s in ruins. Promises haven’t come to pass and God didn’t come through. That’s where the fight is because it feels too late, like it’s the eleventh hour and so how can you trust God again when your last promise didn’t come to pass?

By faith even Sarah herself received the ability to conceive, even beyond the proper time of life, since she considered Him faithful who had promised.” - Hebrews 11:11

Sarah’s breakthrough looked impossible. She was past the point of fruitfulness. But God was working internally. She had to shift her focus to His ability, not her own. She had to stop striving and simply trust His miracle-working power.

That’s how you know you’re at a threshold - you feel barren. You feel like nothing is working. And yet, God is asking you to believe again. To dream again. To step forward into something you don’t even have faith for yet.

He’s not asking for perfect faith. He’s asking for a yes.

Thresholds often feel like the most broken, most vulnerable, most disqualified place you’ve ever been. And that’s exactly where God chooses to expand you.

Not when everything’s in order. Not when you feel strong. It’s when you feel empty, unworthy, and unprepared that He calls you into the new.

As I was praying about this, I kept hearing the word “Jordan” and I instantly knew what the Lord was showing me.

In the Bible, the Jordan River represents thresholds of calling, identity, and breakthrough.

Joshua 3:17 – The Israelites crossed the Jordan into the Promised Land.

2 Kings 2:8 – Elijah struck the Jordan before being taken up.

2 Kings 2:14 – Elisha crossed back with a double portion.

Matthew 3:13 – Jesus was baptized in the Jordan, then led into the wilderness.

Genesis 32:22 – Jacob crossed the brook Jabbok (connected to the Jordan), leaving behind his old identity and life. 

I believe we are at the Jordan right now with our foot about to step in. 

Oh not deeper waters! It’s scary. What if I can’t swim? What if I trip? That’s what we feel in this moment. 

I’ve felt it in my own life where God is stretching me and I know it’s for my benefit. But in the natural, it looks like warfare, mental attack, depletion and robbery, failure, closed doors, confusion, and feeling out of your depth. 

Why? Because God is revealing the places you’ve placed your trust, your identity in and is revealing where you leant on your hustle, your gifting, and your own strength. Those things can’t sustain you anymore.

And at the same time, the enemy is trying to discourage you, to make you give up right at the point of the threshold.

He wants you to break right before your breakthrough. But God is asking you:

Will you trust Me in this moment? Will you believe even when it doesn’t look like it’s working?

A few months ago, I was in that exact place surrounded by doubt and pressure.

And I heard the Lord whisper “The only way to survive this season is to stay at My feet. Stay in My presence.”

That’s the key to crossing the threshold. Not knowledge. Not connections. Not hustle. Just surrender.

So I prophesy this over you now - Just as Caleb and Joshua lingered in the tent and came out with a different spirit, so will you. You will cross the threshold with new eyes, new ears, and a new heart. Even now, God is breaking off the old operating system. He is breaking off the pain and reproach of your past.

“Today I have rolled away the reproach of Egypt from you.” - Joshua 5:9

The shame, the failure, the false labels they are being cut away. You are being recommissioned.

This threshold of faith is the breakthrough you’ve been praying for and it’s time to step over in Jesus name!

Nate Johnston, Redding, CA