PROPHETIC WORDS

DON’T BE DISCOURAGED BY THE WARFARE AT THE GATE – ENTER GOD’S PROMISES

by Jill Smith

December 2025

I’ve been sensing that the Holy Spirit is drawing attention to what many in the Body of Christ have been experiencing lately: both the invitation to enter God’s promises, and a battle right at the doorstep of promise fulfilled. It feels similar to the moments in Scripture when God’s people arrived at a threshold, right on the edge of promise or new territory, and suddenly things intensified instead of easing.

It’s a recurring pattern. When Israel stood at the border of the Promised Land they encountered the giants. The presence of the giants didn’t mean the promise had disappeared, it meant they had reached the threshold. The same thing happened at Jericho, where Israel faced a fortified “front door” to the land God had given them. The walls were real, the challenge was real, but the strategy was God’s and the breakthrough was His doing.

Many have been sensing that promises are pending, but also feeling intense pressure. There’s a sense of anticipation and desire for the new, but also of standing in front of something that seems big and intimidating. For some, it has felt like the identity-level wrestle Jacob went through at Peniel, where before stepping into a new name and a new season, there was a deep internal struggle. For others, it’s been more like David facing the Philistines just as he stepped into kingship, or like Jesus confronting the enemy in the wilderness before moving into the public part of His calling. At times like this the threshold becomes a place of formation.

Be encouraged that this kind of battle at the gate doesn’t signify that we’ve missed the path, but more likely that we’re standing right where God has positioned us. The intensity isn’t about failure, it’s connected to the significance of what’s ahead. It’s also about a strengthening that God is doing through it, clarifying identity, refining trust, stripping away old patterns, changing minds, and establishing a deeper steadiness that will be needed for the next stretch.

There’s also a reminder that Jesus has already gone before us. He’s the One who passed through the ultimate gate in His resurrection. The gate of death couldn’t hold Him, and because of that, every other gate we face is under His authority. We don’t enter new seasons by pushing our way through, but we enter as He leads and opens what needs to open.

So if this seems relevant for you just now, I pray that clarity and fresh perspective will come in place of confusion that has harassed and destabilised you, and that God’s own strength will steady places where your confidence in Him has been shaken.

Keep focussing on God and you will see obstacles that have stood in your way start to yield as His timing unfolds. Align yourself with His goodness, faithfulness, and peace. Keep in step with the Spirit in simple obedience, quiet trust, and worship that aligns you. Remember, it's the Lord Himself who is faithful to fulfil His promises concerning you as you put your trust in Him.

BIO