Christy Johnston

As I was about to go to bed a number of nights ago, I heard this phrase resound loudly in my spirit, as though a shout from heaven came into my ears: “Call in the battering ram.” Then, all night long, I dreamt of those words, and ever since, they have been repeatedly impressed upon my spirit. As soon as I woke up that following morning, I decided to do a little research on the battering ram, even though I was familiar with the term. The dictionary describes the battering ram as "1. a military siege weapon consisting of a large wooden beam with a head of iron used in ancient times to beat down the walls of a besieged place. 2. a heavy metal bar with handles used to batter down doors and walls.” As soon as I read this, I saw a vision of God’s children standing on the threshold of a new season and their promised land, but before them was a breach, an unauthorised obstacle standing between them and their promise, designed to prevent them from crossing over. I also felt strongly that this obstacle was not necessarily a physical obstacle for many, but an illusion of sorts. It was a discouragement of this past season. The enemy had cunningly placed the feeling of immense discouragement in front of God’s children to have them partner with it and ultimately prevent them from crossing over into their promises.

For myself personally, this past season has been a time of contending, and I believe it has been the same for many. You have seen your promised land in your sights, it’s within your grasp, but the enemy has sent onslaught after onslaught to prevent you from crossing into what God has ordained and promised for you. I saw sons and daughters standing at this threshold of promise with one final roadblock standing in their way. Just one final obstacle between them and your promised land. In this vision, I saw that many were beat down and their spirits were broken. They have fought hard and long and every time the enemy had sent another unexpected obstacle, they have fought back and got back up again… over and over. This time though, I saw the exhaustion and weariness on their faces, with no strength left to fight one last time into victory. Just like the Israelites who had been in their wilderness season for longer than they should have been, when the spies report came back of giants in the land, they fell prey to the negative report, likely because of their weariness, disappointment and exhaustion. They couldn’t imagine mustering up the resolve to fight again.

The enemy has known all along that if he could get you into a state of despair and discouragement, much like the Israelites, he can prevent you from beating him down as you stand in your promised land. He knows that what awaits him on the other side of your victory is his defeat.. and what awaits you on the other side of this crossing over is unrivalled victory, promise and dreams fulfilled. He can’t kill you, but he can send obstacle after obstacle, breach after breach, disappointment after disappointment and delay after delay until he can get you to fall into agreement that the promise is just an unlikely dream, a fairy-tale. He whispers, “all those prophetic words, they are just words to tease you. They’ll never happen. Look at where you are. You’ll never make it. There are too many giants in the land.” Let me tell you, if you’ve been hearing words like these, allow my voice to SHATTER those lies from your ears. I pray these words will be like those of Joshua and Caleb’s who said, “we can surely take the land.” Allow these words to PIERCE and BREAK the disappointment from your heart. YOU ARE STANDING ON THE THRESHOLD of your PROMISED LAND. It’s time to call in the BATTERING RAM.

In the vision, I heard these words again, “call in the battering ram.” At that moment, a mighty weapon emerged and stood between God’s children and the obstacle that stood in their way. They still appeared weak and exhausted, but I heard the Holy Spirit speak, “Make the decree: WORTHY IS THE LAMB!” For some, a whisper was all they could muster. For others, they fell to their knees in worship as they began to cry through broken tears, “worthy is the lamb.” As they did, the battering ram began to swing back with mighty force, so much so that they had to move quickly to get out of its way as it swung with vigorous weight into the breach that stood between them and their promise. As they continued to speak, “worthy is the lamb” the battering ram picked up momentum. It honestly reminded me of the fall of Jericho, where all God’s children had to do was lift up a shout, and He did the breaking for them. I hear the Lord saying, “you won’t have to fight like you have had to in past seasons. This fight will look different. All you need to do is stay still, worship me and decree what I show you to decree. This battle belongs to me.” If only the Israelites had of known that their battle would be won through a decree, they all would have entered in. I am here to charge you with this today: do not succumb to the negative whisperings of the enemy. Give yourself to worship and He will give you the battering ram. This victory will be the easiest of all.

You’re likely familiar with the picture of a battering ram if you’ve ever watched a war movie of any kind. It’s a large beam like structure with a pointed head, generally made of iron, hinged upon a pendulum device and it is used by an invading army to break down a wall or door. The invading army will align their battering ram with the entrance of the fortified structure that they want to break into and they will begin pulling back the beam which will swing forward with force into the target. They will repeat this until finally, the fortified door breaks down. I find it amazing that the head of the battering ram is generally made out of iron. In Psalm 2:9 it speaks of Jesus wielding a rod of iron saying; “And you will shepherd them with unlimited authority, crushing their rebellion as an iron rod smashes jars of clay!” Did you catch that? Iron biblically represents your authority in Christ. Jesus IS the battering ram who breaks through the enemies rebellion. In Genesis 22:13, Abraham discovers a ram caught in the thicket and used the ram as a sacrifice in place of his son. The ram prophetically points to Jesus, the battering ram stuck in the thicket on our behalf. He has gone before you and made a way for you into your promised land. You can know with confidence today that you are NOT stuck… for He was stuck for you. His blood has become that iron head of a weapon that will break down any obstacle and breach that stands between you and your promise.

This is a time of immense breakthrough. I don’t say that lightly. I realise the word ‘breakthrough’ can seem like a buzz word in Christian circles, but I want to highlight a key within the word itself and why it is so powerful that we cannot overlook what God is speaking for this season we are entering. The Hebrew word for breakthrough is ‘Baal Perazim.’ It was first mentioned in 2 Samuel 5:20 where David was battling to possess his own promised land of Jerusalem. David had relentless opposition from the Philistines and he himself was battle weary. Every time he found a small victory, he was confronted with another setback. When He inquired of the Lord, God gave Him a strategy and he fought and won saying, “The LORD has broken through my enemies before me like a breaking flood.” Therefore the name of that place is called Baal-perazim.” Baal-perazim means ‘Lord of the Breakthrough’ and it can also be translated as meaning, “Possessor of the breach.” Jesus IS the possessor of the breach, He is the One who breaks through like a breaking flood, over every obstacle that the enemy sends our way. There was however, one final breach that David had to overcome before possessing the land… in the same way that I saw many are facing one final obstacle right now. One last breach. The Philistines had returned back again into the Valley of Rephaim and were trying to unlawfully remain there. David had to fight them again. Rephaim means “That which we’ve been healed from” or “already dealt with.” Many are looking at this breach in front of them thinking, “I’ve already dealt with this, I’ve already been healed from it,” but the enemy is trying to convince you otherwise. This is where the battering ram comes in. God instructed David to go up and stand in front of the Balsam trees (2 Samuel 5:23). From on top of the Balsam trees came the sound of marching and David knew that when they heard that sound, it meant that God had gone before them and they could strike down their enemy with one final blow of victory. What does all this mean for you and I today?

Amazingly, the Balsam tree is where the healing balm of Gilead is from. The sound of heavens armies are marching upon the Balsam trees in this hour, in response to your obedience. As you obey the Holy Spirits simple instruction to worship, you will feel the forces of heaven behind you. It also points to the fact that you are not going to enter into this new season broken and weary, but healed and restored. A time of great refreshing is coming upon the church as a whole. God is restoring hearts, redeeming the weary, raising up the exhausted and broken and He has gone before you to BREAK down every breach and obstacle of opposition. The healing balm of Gilead is washing and cleansing hearts, in order that you can get up and follow the battering ram through the gates of your destiny. Allow the healing of Jesus wash over you as you worship. You will not carry the disappointments of this past season into the next.

As a side-note of intercession, I believe this is also speaking of what we see unfolding with President Trump right now and the impeachment hearings. I believe as we continue to intercede on his behalf and decree “worthy is the Lamb’ over the United States, we are going to see the Battering Ram smash against all of the rebellion and opposition to this God-appointed administration. President Trump has been positioned as a ruler of authority to help guard and protect the Nation in order to help usher in a time of restoration and mighty outpouring in America. This opposition will not be able to withstand the Battering Ram.

I am here to instruct you today, “call in the battering ram.” Decree, “Worthy is the Lamb” and you are going to see the Lord of the Breakthrough possess every breach of resistance that has opposed you. Jesus, the head of iron is breaking down the obstacles before you… This is the season of Breaking-Through!