Waging War
“The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn’t exist” (a quote from one of my favorite movies, The Usual Suspects). Sadly, many Christians have fallen for this trick and live life completely in the physical realm. When things go bad, many Christians either try to handle it all on their own in the physical, or they cry out to God in frustration asking why God would let such things happen. They are never aware that they are living in a war and that battles are all around them.
Ephesians 6:12 – For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.
We must be awake to the spiritual realm around us. We also need to know how to fight. The book of Psalms is loaded with spiritual warfare prayers, some of which are surprisingly intense. These prayers aren’t meant to be spoken against people or things in the physical, but are rather to be spoken against the demonic realm that is oppressing people and influencing people to do wrong.
When I see children in the orphanage having nightmares and crying in their sleep, there isn’t much I can do in the physical to help them. I can wake them up, but the moment they fall back asleep the disturbing dreams will return. These children need deliverance! They need prayer! If I remain in the physical realm and only try to help them using physical means, then the kids will continue to be oppressed spiritually. But if I choose to be in the Spirit and worship the Lord and pray against the oppressive spirits, then I can change the spiritual atmosphere and bring peace to the children. We must wake up to the spiritual realm!
We are called to hate evil (Romans 12:9, Psalm 139:21-22). Once again, our battle isn’t with people (flesh and blood), but rather with the demonic forces (spiritual realm) that are coercing evil and injustice. We’re called to be angry on behalf of the victims of injustice and war for what is right. Here are just a few of many powerful warfare verses in the Psalms…
Psalm 58:6 – Break the teeth in their mouths, O God; tear out, O Lord, the fangs of the lions!
Psalm 144:1 – Praise be to the Lord my Rock, who trains my hands for war, my fingers for battle.
Psalm 144:6 – Send for lightning and scatter the enemies; shoot your arrows and rout them.
Psalm 18:42 – I beat them as fine as dust borne on the wind; I poured them out like mud in the streets.
We need to learn how to pray such prayers against the enemy and to not relent until we see deliverance. If I were to discover someone abusing the children in the orphanage, I would not be passive or slow in response. And I wouldn’t shield the kids for a moment and then from tiredness/apathy allow the abuse to start again. Rather, I would lunge at the perpetrator and use whatever force necessary to deliver the children. And I would make sure the kids would be protected from that perpetrator ever returning. In the same way we are called to be alert in the Spirit and to be strong in our language against such spiritually oppressive spirits, not relenting until we see the full deliverance. For example, “Father, in the name of Jesus I pray against the temptations of lust warring against my boys. I disallow these spirits of lust to have any influence or bite. Break the teeth in their mouths, O Lord! Tear out the fangs of the lions! And cover my boys with grace, wisdom, and holiness. Amen!”
Psalm 18:37 – I pursued my enemies and overtook them; I did not turn back till they were destroyed.
If this teaching is new to you, or you simply haven’t warred in the spirit for a while, then take some time to pray and ask the Holy Spirit to guide you in the areas that He has called you to wage war. Make a difference! The more believers that take a stand, the more the deliverance we will see.
