Warfare Praying
By Joseph R. Chambers
Praying is a waste of time until the Prayer Warrior is willing
to engage Satan in combat. The Son of God made one of his greatest proclamations
about prayer in Matthew’s Gospel. His words took my breath when I read them
again a few days ago. My soul has been longing for a prayer life like John Knox,
Duncan Campbell, or John Wesley. The king of England declared that he feared the
prayers of John Knox more than all the armies of his enemies. Today, it is clear
that our politicians fear nobody, not even God.
That is about to change. Here is what Jesus Christ said about prayer, “But if I
cast out devils by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God is come unto you.
Or else how can one enter into a strong man's house, and spoil his goods, except
he first bind the strong man? and then he will spoil his house” (Matthew
12:28-29). Praying for a change in our churches, homes, or communities is
hopeless until we move beyond just making petitions to God about the needs. “In
whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds…” (2 Corinthians 4:4a). Satan
must be defeated by saints that engage him in combat. Satan has to be cast out
of a situation before prayer can change that situation.
The Father is ready for you and me to learn that we can bind Satan and every
evil spirit under his command. Never has our world been more overwhelmed with
the spirit of the Antichrist. Our children are deeply troubled by dark forces of
the night. Music of this generation is straight out of the pit. Rock, rap, and
most contemporary music are soulical at best and often diabolical. This music
creates bondage and spiritual blindness. Even small children are terribly
troubled by spirits of fear and selfishness. Only in defeating these spirits can
these lives be liberated.
Satan is nothing but a fallen angel. Jesus Christ has provided His church with
authority to bind Satan and his powers so that Satan can do nothing but yield.
The Son of God said “And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of
heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and
whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven” (Matthew 16:19).
This statement was made to Peter. Some might say that it does not apply to the
church. Our Lord of His church was careful to eliminate that possible argument.
Later, He speaks to the church about brother sinning against brother and the
authority of the church to deal with such situations. He then tells the church,
clearly identified as the church, “Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall
bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth
shall be loosed in heaven. Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree
on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of
my Father which is in heaven”(Matthew 18:18-19). The church is His authority on
earth, which includes the very realm of Lucifer. The very word church means
“called out and set in authority.”
The Apostle Paul gave us the picture of warfare in the spiritual realm and
warned us that it was like “hand-to-hand” combat. He said by the Spirit, “Put on
the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the
devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities,
against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against
spiritual wickedness in high places” (Ephesians 6:11-12). Using the term
“wrestle” reminds us of a personal engagement. It’s a spiritual war that we are
called to be part of in this Christian life. Many years ago, the church used
terms with a military ring, but our modern church is passive and resents such
terminology. Their helplessness is the result of this lost of a warfare
mentality.
This kind of warfare is not for the adult babies in our churches. The church is
full of worldly, emotionally titillated people trying to use spiritualistic
powers to bind spirits. They are making things worse, not better. The seven sons
of Sceva were of the same nature as these spiritual weaklings. Seven of his sons
tried to use the name of Jesus whom Paul preached and prayed over a possessed
man. The result was a perfect picture of our church world today. “And the evil
spirit answered and said, Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are ye? And the
man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them, and overcame them, and prevailed
against them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded” (Acts
19:15-16). Does Satan know our names like he knew Apostle Paul’s name?
Do not think to move quickly into this warfare with hell. Prepare your life by
separation from the world and a great period of consecration to a life hid in
Christ. Seek His righteousness and holiness until there is a broken and humble
spirit before the Lord. Obey every Biblical restriction of Godliness and learn
how to utterly depend on Christ and His Holy Spirit.
“Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching
thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints” (Ephesians
6:18). But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying
in the Holy Ghost” (Jude1:20). “…but the people that do know their God shall be
strong, and do exploits.” (Daniel 11:32b).
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