By Steven Lambert
A dictionary definition of an apologist is someone who speaks or writes in defense of someone or something that is controversial, unpopular, or subject to criticism.
The spirit of the apologist is often a nemesis of genuine prophets, who are the surrogate spokesmen of God. Prophets speak on behalf of God. Carriers of the spirit of the apologist often seek out and target prophets feeling God has assigned them to be the critic of God’s prophets, criticizing, censoring, and correcting them either for what they say, or if they cannot find anything to criticize of what they say, to reprove them for how they said it in an attempt to negate or counter it.
The spirit of the apologist seeks to neutralize the words prophets speak, because the words of a genuine prophet are so powerful and destructive to the kingdom of darkness. They shed light on dark places and expose what is lurking in the darkness. The words of genuine prophets elucidate, shining light where darkness prevails, and where darkness prevails the people are beset with ignorance. God said through the prophet Hosea, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge” (Hos. 4:6). Lack of knowledge destroys! The words of genuine prophets open the eyes of the spiritually blind; they are revelatory.
God Chooses Whom He Uses
God chooses, anoints, and appoints His prophets. No one can choose to be a prophet; rather, they are chosen by God. As God indicated to the prophet Jeremiah, prophets are known, consecrated, and appointed by God as prophets before the egg of their mother is fertilized by the sperm of their father and as a result they are formed in their mother’s womb as a viable life, regardless of the circumstances of their conception: “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, And before you were born I consecrated you; I have appointed you a prophet to the nations” (Jer. 1:5).
To state it another way, the knowing, consecration, and appointment by God of genuine prophets predates their conception and birthing.
The profundity of this fact in terms of the substance a genuine prophet’s life, and what it entails, especially during the prophet’s mature years, is unfathomable.
Prophets, like apostles, and the other three Fivefold Ministry functionaries, as well, are SET APART by God from other believers. God does things in the life of a prophet He cannot do in the lives of other believers. Though many despise such truths, especially those who espouse egalitarian deceptions, God’s prophets are SPECIAL in terms of who they are and how God uses them. They are in no way ORDINARY.
God Trains and Fashions His Prophets — They Are HIS Workmanship
God sees to it in the case of every prophet that they are tested and tried in the fiery furnace of troubles, trials, and tribulations. God is the perpetual Chairman of the Ways and Means Committee of Heaven.
The Apostle Paul warned, “Let not many of you become teachers, my brethren, knowing that as such we will incur a stricter judgment” (Jas. 3:1). The Amplified Translation explains the meaning of the original even better: “Not many [of you] should become teachers [serving in an official teaching capacity], my brothers and sisters, for you know that we [who are teachers] will be judged by a higher standard [because we have assumed greater accountability and more condemnation if we teach incorrectly]” (Jas 3:1). Many times greater is that judgment in the case of prophets than it is for teachers. God keeps His prophets under perpetual strict discipline to ensure they do not wander from the Truth and godliness, for being a carrier of Truth is the number one role of the prophet.
Let The Prophets Speak — Unhindered, Without Censorship
In First Corinthians 14:29, God, speaking through the Apostle Paul, commands, “Let the prophets speak….” And, He goes on to say in verse 14, that “the spirits of prophets are subject to PROPHETS.” God is saying that prophets must be allowed to speak what God gives them to speak the way God leads them to speak it, without censoring, governing, reproving, suppressing, sanitizing, or in any way blunting their prophetic sword. The prophet’s sword is intentionally sharp; it divides asunder between the spirit and the flesh. Not only is the SUBSTANCE of what a prophet speaks inspired by God, but also the WAY he says it. Often people who are not prophets think what prophets speak is too harsh or could be said in a more diplomatic or less offensive way. Immature, untrained, unproven prophets do sometimes speak in a way that is so offensive that the substance of what they say is compromised or lost. But, again, that is the case with less matured prophets. MATURE prophets know exactly what they are saying as well as how they are saying it, and it is not the role of anyone else, especially someone who is not a prophet, to censor or reprove them. The spirit of prophets is subject ONLY to other prophets on the human level.
Matters like this are the constant irritant between those who function as pastors regarding God’s anointed and appointed prophets. Many pastors erroneously try to rehabilitate prophets to be like them–never saying anything that will offend one or more of their congregants who may get angry and stop attending church and more importantly stop giving their money to the church to underwrite the pastor’s salary.
How To Receive A Prophet
Jesus made a very vital statement about receiving prophets. He said, “He that receiveth a prophet in THE NAME of a PROPHET shall receive a PROPHET’S REWARD; and he that receiveth a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man’s reward. (Mat 10:41; KJV).” He was saying that to receive the benefit of a prophet or what the prophet brings you from God, you must receive him AS A PROPHET, as opposed to something else! You must not be constantly trying to make a prophet into your own image as a pastor or teacher or any other Fivefold Ministry function. Before his cytoplasm formed in his mother’s womb, a prophet was a prophet, who are you to presume a need or ability to modify or change who God made that prophet to be? In so doing, you see yourself as God’s editor, and that it is your job to change who God made that prophet to be in any and all aspects of his life! Are you kidding me? Really?
God’s Perfection In Choosing Whom He Uses
Real prophets are not going to conform to the Casper Milquetoast, pansy, week-kneed, limp-wristed, politically correct, ear-tickling, seeker-sensitive, never-offend culture and manner of speaking demanded by worldly-minded, unsaved, unredeemed, Christians-in-name-only, posers associating themselves with the ecclesiastical organizations today, who are obsessed with making sure no one’s toes get stepped on.
Can you imagine prophets of old like Moses, Elijah, Elisha, Jeremiah, Isaiah, and any of the other “Major Prophets” kowtowing to demands of such people to be ever oh so careful how they speak to people so as to not offend anyone? Are you kidding me? Have you actually ever read the writings of the prophets who authored the Old Testament Bible books? What about Jesus’ words to the religionists of His day–the Pharisees, Sadducees, and Wouldn’t-Sees? He called them a den of snakes, whitewashed tombs, empty sepulchers; that they had so presumptuously arrogated themselves so as to seat themselves in the Chair of Moses; accusing them of abject hypocrisy, in that, “They tie up heavy burdens and lay them on men’s shoulders, but they themselves are unwilling to move them with so much as a finger” (Mat. 23:4); that they do all they do to be noticed by men, loving “the place of honor at banquets and the chief seats in the synagogues” (Mat. 23:6). He publicly shredded and denounced them as being total and complete frauds! This was the Premier Prophet in action! On and on we could go excavating examples from the Bible where God’s prophets spoke “TRUTH to power” or whoever, without sugarcoating it or caring one wit about how they said what they said. Depending on the situation, sometimes a harsh, hard, polemic, unequivocating word is what is needed. The Holy Spirit is quite capable of governing the mouths of the prophets through whom He speaks! It’s not the recipients’ role to determine how or what God speaks to them; it’s their role to receive what God says, regardless of how or through whom it is communicated! The errant prophet Balaam was rebuked for his lunacy by a dumb ass! God still uses dumb asses today to do His bidding! Jesus rebuked the person religion regards as the first pope, calling him “Satan” to his face! How is that for lack of tact?
A man has joy in an apt answer, And how delightful is a timely word! (Pro. 15:23) Regardless of how it is spoken.
I have many times witnessed God using plain speaking, uneducated, oratorically unskilled believers to speak a word of truth at exactly the right moment it was needed. We need to be much more concerned with the substance of what is said than the manner in which it is spoken. We need to receive Truth no matter who speaks it or how it is spoken.
The Apostle of Faith — An Unlikely Choice
Smith Wigglesworth (10 June 1859 – 12 March 1947), known as “The Apostle of Faith,” who prior to being chosen by God as a special messenger of faith and miracles had been a hard-drinking, brawling, foul-mouthed plumber in England, was notoriously gruff, brusque, curt, stern, austere, and uncouth. In prayer lines, he would sternly question petitioners, “What’s Uuup?!” (meaning what’s up, or what’s the matter with you?). Nevertheless, some of the most extraordinary miracles ever seen were wrought through the ministry of the idiosyncratic and enigmatic Wigglesworth, who often referred to himself as “one of the biggest conundrums in the world”! He was very much aware of his so-called “weaknesses,” as men would see it, due to his lack of formal education, but never considered himself lacking with respect to faith for the supernatural and dunamis-power to perform miracles. He frequently attributed his ministerial success almost exclusively to his “speaking in tongues” as a result of having received the Baptism in the Holy Spirit. He once elaborated:
“I want you to see that he that speaketh in an unknown tongue edifieth himself or builds himself up. We must be edified before we can edify the church. I cannot estimate what I, personally, owe to the Holy Ghost method of spiritual edification. I am here before you as one of the biggest conundrums in the world. There never was a weaker man on the platform. Language? None. Inability–full of it. All natural things in my life point exactly opposite to my being able to stand on the platform and preach the gospel. The secret is that the Holy Ghost came and brought this wonderful edification of the Spirit. I had been reading this Word continually as well as I could, but the Holy Ghost came and took hold of it, for the Holy Ghost is the breath of it, and He illuminated it to me.”
God apparently was not limited in His ability to use Wigglesworth mightily due to his poor academic education or his lack of oratorical and social skills. His inordinate faith and spiritual edification with which he was constantly permeated by way of speaking in tongues, ostensibly, were the main elements allowing him to overcome his shortcomings, resulting in his being used by God in an extraordinary and incredible way.
Lester Sumrall — God’s Choice For a Pentecostal Pioneer
Lester Frank Sumrall (February 15, 1913 – April 28, 1996) was a Pentecostal pioneer if ever there was one. I had the privilege and honor of narrating his autobiography, “The Life Story of Lester Sumrall.” Toward the end of Smith Wigglesworth’s life, while he was living in England, prior to the commencement of WWII, Sumrall visited Wigglesworth frequently. During these visits, Sumrall stated, Wigglesworth would read the Bible, sometimes offering his commentary, but mostly they would pray, with the younger Sumrall gladly deferring to the prayers of the now elderly Apostle of Faith. The commonalities between the two men’s ministries were many. Interestingly, Sumrall was also often considered to be harsh, gruff, brusque, curt, stern, and austere, more in his private and personal conversations and relationships than on the platform. Certainly, he was no wilting wallflower! However, Sumrall too had an extraordinary faith for the supernatural and miracles that often was in display during his meetings and teaching sessions, many of which were recorded for posterity and can be viewed on YouTube. He was particularly known for his extraordinarily strong anointing for deliverance and casting out of demons. A famous incident reported worldwide in which he was used by God to cast several demons out of a 17-year-old demon-possessed woman, Clarita Villanueva, who was incarcerated in Bilibid prison in Manilla in May 1953, generated international notoriety for the evangelist. Again, God did not seem to be put off or in any way debilitated in His use of the man by his rough edges and somewhat crude demeanor.
I highly recommend you read Lester Sumrall’s autobiography and listen to the audiobook I narrated! Truly, Lester Frank Sumrall lived an incredible 83-year life and had an extraordinary long and successful ministry of 65 years that began when he was only seventeen! Much can be gleaned from his story that will minister to anyone aspiring to ministry!
There is a history in the continuum of His Story in which God mightily used men who would be the most unlikely to be so used in the opinions of men! The list of such individuals of God’s choosing recorded in Old Testament is vast! I am convinced God chose these individuals as “vessels of honor” for the very reason of who they were and the personalities with which He fashioned and formed them! It is up to us to stop the lunatic thinking that we need to critique God in matters of His choices of vessels He uses! As high as the heavens are above the earth so are His ways above man’s! His ways are past finding out or understanding!
The Spirit of the Apologist Produces the Doublemindedness of Unbelief
The spirit of the apologist compels its victims to live in constant doublemindedness. The person who this spirit influences feels forever obliged to “see both sides of the coin,” not knowing that is the essence of doublemindedness, and doublemindedness is in essence the spirit of unbelief.
Almost invariably the believer so influenced cites the incident during Jesus’ ministry when the father of the epileptic boy responded to Jesus statement that “All things are possible to him who believes” with the statement, “I believe; help my UNBELIEF.” Jesus commanded the demon to come out of the boy, and immediately it did, but Jesus performed this miracle based on His own faith, not the faith of the father tainted as it was with unbelief.
Unbelief negates miracle-producing faith. Such was the case when Jesus came to his hometown of Nazareth: “And He did not do many miracles there because of their unbelief” (Mat. 13:58). The familiarity of the residents of Nazareth prevented them from having faith in Him as the Son of God to perform miracles there. Their loss!
The person influenced by the spirit of an apologist will often cite this incident and the father’s confession of unbelief as a source of justification for their unbelief. But, what needs to be understood is that this man, the father of the epileptic boy, was not a Born Again believer infused with the Spirit of God; no one was Born Again at that juncture, nor could they be, for Jesus had not yet gone to the cross to purchase our redemption, nor had He yet risen from the dead, as the first fruits of resurrection.
God says in the book of James:
“But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him. BUT HE MUST ASK IN FAITH WITHOUT ANY DOUBTING, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind. For that man ought not to expect that he will receive anything from the Lord, being a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.” (Jas. 1:5-8)
This describes to a “T” the person who has a spirit of an apologist. He/she is doubleminded with faith mixed with doubt. Always trying to see “the other side of the coin.” Well, with God the coin is the same on both sides! There is no other side! You either believe or you don’t. Belief mixed with doubt is not faith, but rather UNBELIEF! The doubleminded person ought not to expect he/she will receive ANYTHING from the Lord! And they won’t!
Jesus said that Mountain-Moving Faith works this way:
“Truly I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and cast into the sea,’ AND DOES NOT DOUBT IN HIS HEART, BUT BELIEVES THAT WHAT HE SAYS IS GOING TO HAPPEN, it will be granted him. “Therefore I say to you, all things for which you pray and ask, believe that you have received them, and they will be granted you. (Mar 11:23-24; NASB)
Again, doubt negates faith! Doubt, for the believer, is being doubleminded! Doubt will cancel out your faith every time and all the time! Real faith speaks, it verbalizes what it believes, and it believes that what is spoken is going to happen!
Repent and Be Delivered From the Spirit of the Apologist
When I say “the spirit of an apologist,” I am using the word “spirit” in the classic biblical sense; I’m referring to an evil, demonic spirit. I do not mean it is an attitude of those influenced by the spirit. I mean a DEMON! It is NOT the person who is thinking and doing the things that this spirit thinks and does. It is the evil spirit behind the thinking and actions I am identifying. Thus, the only way for the person in whom this spirit is operating to be liberated from the spirit is that it be CAST OUT! Demons cannot be rehabilitated through counseling; Demons cannot be counseled; they are what they are perpetually. Demons must be CAST OUT! That’s the ONLY remedy.
Don’t let the spirit of the apologist operate in your life! If you recognize any of its work or influence in your life, take authority over it in Jesus’ name and COMMAND that it leave you, and it will! If you feel you need help with getting rid of it, ask another believer to cast it out of you, for them that believe in Jesus’ name WILL cast out demons, i.e., evil spirits!
If you are a believer that spirit is not resident in your human spirit, but in your soul, i.e., your mind, will, and emotions. If you have it you are not possessed, but if it has had a major influence in your life you are obsessed with it. Regardless, as a believer you have the authority to demand that it leave your life! Amen!
RECOMMENDED READING: https://realtruthpublications.com/catalog-store/prophetic-book/
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