By Andrew Williams
Series: The Year of the Prophet- Month 5: The Prophet’s Mandate: To Root Out and To Plant
Week 19: Pulling Down Strongholds (Spiritual Warfare)
Anchor Scripture: “And Elijah came to all the people, and said, ‘How long will you falter between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow Him; but if Baal, follow him.’ But the people answered him not a word.” — 1 Kings 18:21 (NKJV)
The Teaching
As we continue with the mandate to “throw down” and “destroy,” we must address the False Altars. In the Old Testament, the “High Places” were the most difficult to remove. Even good kings would reform the nation but often leave the “high places” standing. These were competing altars where people tried to combine the worship of God with the worship of the world. This is called Syncretism.
Syncretism is the most subtle form of spiritual rot. It’s when we have a “Christian” vocabulary but a “worldly” loyalty. We want the blessing of the Lord, but we also want the methods of the devil. We want “Kingdom growth,” but we use “corporate manipulation” to get it. We “falter between two opinions,” trying to keep a foot in both worlds.
The Prophet is called to the “Mount Carmel” moment. You are authorized to challenge these competing loyalties. You are the one who demands a Decision. Your mandate is to force the “High Places” to be abandoned. You speak a word that “flushes out” the hidden allegiances, making it impossible for the people to stay in the middle any longer. You don’t just “proclaim” the Truth; you “confront” the Lie.
Prophetic Insight
A “False Altar” is any area of compromise that we have made “holy” by giving it a religious name. If you sense a “divided heart” in a congregation or an individual—where they are praying for one thing but acting in the opposite spirit—you are looking at a High Place. The Prophet’s role is to Demand Fire. You say, “Let the God who answers by fire be God.” You expose the fact that the false altar has no fire, no power, and no presence. This confrontation is what leads to true reformation. It isn’t enough to “believe” in God; you must “follow” Him exclusively. The Prophet removes the option of the middle ground.
The Activation
Identify a “competing loyalty” in your own life—an area where you are “faltering between two opinions” (perhaps a desire for God vs. a desire for money, or a desire for Truth vs. a desire to be Liked). Today, “Choose Your Altar.” In a moment of intentional worship, say: “Lord, I choose Your Altar. I tear down the high place of my competing loyalties. I will no longer falter. If You are God, I will follow You with all my heart.”
Daily Prayer: Lord God, I thank You that You are One Lord. I repent for my divided heart and my ‘high places.’ Forgive me for trying to worship You while keeping my loyalty to the world. I choose today to tear down the false altars. Let the fire of Your Spirit consume my life. I will no longer falter between two opinions. You alone are my God, and You alone will I serve. Amen.
