Strategies from the Chess Board
Prophetic word received by Diane M. Fink, 2004
It was one of those mornings when your conscious mind coaxes you out of that place of deep sleep, nudging you along toward full waking. But you’re not quite there yet. It was in that state that I saw, in my mind’s eye, a picture. Some might call it a vision. What unfolded before me was a huge chess board with most of the pieces standing at attention, ready to begin. Other pieces waited to be put in play, positioned on the sidelines. As I surveyed the scene, I wondered, “Why chess?” I pondered the meaning of this picture and asked the Lord what He might want to speak through it.
The first thought that came was that chess was a game of strategy. It was a game of war. Unlike other contests, like tug of war, winning at chess was not about strength and might. Rather, it required an understanding of the all the players on the board as well as a clear strategy to win. Checkmate.
Having been years removed from my last game of chess, I found myself googling the rules and practices involved in winning. It was then I began to hear insights from the Lord that apply to the our lives personally and corporately as the body of Christ.
The right moves
Each piece on the board moves in a certain path, in a particular pattern. Every path is individual, unlike checkers where all the pieces move across the board in the same way. While each chess piece has a unique direction in which it moves, all the pieces work together to accomplish the goal: reach the other side and capture the opponent’s king.
The Knight moves in an “L” shape pattern and is the only piece allowed to jump over other pieces.
The Bishop moves on the diagonal, backwards and forwards.
The Rook moves horizontally and vertically, also backwards and forwards.
The Pawn is unique. It is like the foot soldier and can only move forward, one square at a time.
Unlike the other pieces, a pawn never retreats – it never moves backward.
On its first move, it can advance 2 spaces.
Its purpose is to defend the king and queen.
Pawns are most effective when positioned together on the board. Separated from the others, they become weak and vulnerable to attack, and the security of the king and queen is compromised.
Pawns are the foundation and wall of protection for the game. They open up diagonals for bishops, protect other pieces, and lead the way for attacks.
A pawn can retrieve pieces previously lost in the game by penetrating the opponent’s territory.
There are specific strategies for each piece that can either win or lose the game. Rooks belong on open files – lines where the squares are unobstructed by other pieces. Knights belong in the middle of the board – they are less effective on the outside of the board. Bishops can control a large area and are more successful towards the center of the board.
Strategies of the game reveal that there are 5 steps to victory (which have spiritual application):
Identify your own weakness.
We all have weaknesses; don’t be afraid to acknowledge areas of weakness.
Fix the weakness.
We do this not in our own strength or ability, but by submitting it to the Lord.
Look for your enemy’s weak area and attack there.
Your opponent will be forced to defend his weakness.
The very place the enemy attacks you, such as intimidation or fear, becomes his place of weakness when you choose to let God work in that area of your life. Goliath tried to intimidate young David, but when David chose to trust God, he defeated his enemy using Goliath’s own sword. We need to shift the mindset that keeps us on the defensive to one that is on the offensive.
Finally, attack the weakness with a pawn.
It doesn’t require a knight or a bishop to take a king…a pawn will do!
Then there are the king and the queen.
The King:
We tend to think of the king as the most powerful piece on the board since “checkmate” spells game over. The king can move in any direction – forward, backward, diagonally, horizontally, vertically. But he moves only one space at a time.
The Queen:
It’s interesting that the queen is the only “female” piece on the board. Unlike the other pieces that move in a prescribed path, she can move in any direction – backward, forward, diagonally, horizontally, vertically. Unlike the king, the queen can sweep across the entire board and penetrate enemy territory in one move. When it comes to scoring each piece, the queen scores the most points. The Bishop gets 3 points, the Rook, 5 points, but the Queen…she scores 9 points! (Interesting that there are 9 gifts and fruit of the Holy Spirit.)
The key strategy related to the queen is this: Don’t bring your queen out too early in the game. If you do and you lose your queen, you are likely to lose the game!
Playing without the queen
The church has, in a sense, been playing without the full force of the queen – the female gender – for many years. She has not been operating at full power. Therefore, the church has not had the full benefit of one of the most powerful pieces on the board.
As I mentioned, it is possible to regain pieces lost to your opponent and bring them back into play. I believe that is what God is doing with women – His queens – bringing them back into the game at full strength.
Whether it is the traditions of men or the strategy of the enemy that has held the female gender back, the truth is, now is the time God is moving the queens out to the forefront for His purposes and His plan for the end time season in which we are living. The female gender is being re-positioned “for such a time as this.”
God is reclaiming some who have been on the sidelines…He’s putting them back into the game.
Others who have been in certain positions on the board are being shifted into a different place.
Every piece is powerful when positioned in the right place.
It is about positioning. It is about advancing.
As I pondered this word, in my mind’s eye, the chess board began to morph into a map of the world. I saw women being positioned in different cities and nations. Positioned to advance and take the Gospel into the dark regions of the world. The Lord is calling you back into the game, taking you from the sidelines, bringing you into the midst of the battle.
It is a critical time. When you understand the power you have, you can advance regardless of the enemy’s tactics. You don’t know how much power your car has until put your foot on the accelerator pedal. It’s “pedal to the metal” time! You are moving forward in the power God has ordained, but not in an angry, strident, militarist way. Rather, you move out from a place of rest, knowing that you are loved by your Bridegroom…His beloved, His queen. You have the confidence of knowing that you war from a place of victory because the King has already secured the territory you are to occupy. So be confident, be encouraged, and step out clothed in the love of your Bridegroom.
