Warfare Prayer and Fasting
July 20, 2025
Dr. Bradford Reaves
Crossway Christian Fellowship
Matthew 17:21, James 5:13-18, Ephesians 6:10-20
Introduction
Prayer and fasting are not passive religious rituals; they are mighty weapons in God’s arsenal to demolish strongholds and advance His Kingdom in the unseen realm
1. The Battle Requires Supernatural Weapons
19 Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, “Why could we not cast it out?” 20 He said to them, “Because of your little faith. For truly, I say to you, if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you.” (Matthew 17:19–20)
3 For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. 4 For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. 5 We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ, (2 Corinthians 10:3–5)
Jesus said, “This kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting.” (Matthew 17:21; Mark 9:29).
The disciples had the right theology and the right assignment—but when they faced this particular demonic stronghold, they hit a wall. Their usual methods weren’t enough. Why? Because some battles require more than casual prayers or surface-level faith.
Some strongholds will not budge until God’s people step into focused, fervent prayer and fasting. This isn’t about twisting God’s arm—it’s about tuning our hearts to His and unleashing Heaven’s power into the fight.
Think of it like this: Military precision strikes require specialized weapons. You don’t send in a BB gun to take out a bunker. Likewise, prayer and fasting are God’s “precision strike” tools in spiritual warfare—designed to break chains the enemy swore would never come loose.
If you’re trying to fight hell’s artillery with fleshly effort, don’t be surprised if the enemy doesn’t flinch.
2. The Power of Fervent Prayer (James 5:16–18)
16 Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working. 17 Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth. 18 Then he prayed again, and heaven gave rain, and the earth bore its fruit. (James 5:16–18)
“The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.” (James 5:16b) The Bible isn’t exaggerating. When Elijah prayed, he didn’t just “feel close to God.” He shut down the skies and turned the weather systems of Israel into a spiritual object lesson (v.17–18). Heaven moved because a man knelt on earth. There was nothing extraordinary about Elijah other than he knew the One that controlled the weather. This wasn’t about Elijah’s greatness. It was about God’s power, accessed through the fervent prayer of a humble man.
“Prayer is not preparation for the battle; prayer is the battle.” – Oswald Chambers
“You can do more than pray after you have prayed; but you cannot do more than pray until you have prayed.” – S.D. Gordon
While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” 3 Then after fasting and praying they laid their hands on them and sent them off. (Acts 13:2–3)
Prayer is not merely communication—it’s collaboration with God’s Spirit to enforce Kingdom authority on earth. Think of it like this: A soldier doesn’t call in an airstrike because he’s strong—he calls because he’s connected to a greater power. Prayer is not passive. It’s not wishful thinking. And it’s certainly not a last resort. Prayer is collaboration with the Holy Spirit to enforce the authority of God’s Kingdom in enemy territory.
Think about it:When a soldier calls in an airstrike, he’s not relying on his own firepower—he’s coordinating with a far greater force. That’s what happens when you pray. Heaven’s armory comes online, and the enemy’s strongholds start shaking.
Are you treating prayer like a polite conversation over tea? Or like a weapon forged for war?
When was the last time you prayed with such intensity and faith that you expected mountains to move?
3. Fasting: Starving the Flesh to Strengthen the Spirit
6 “Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the straps of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke? 7 Is it not to share your bread with the hungry and bring the homeless poor into your house; when you see the naked, to cover him, and not to hide yourself from your own flesh? 8 Then shall your light break forth like the dawn, and your healing shall spring up speedily; your righteousness shall go before you; the glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard. (Isaiah 58:6–8)
Let’s be honest—if there’s one discipline that makes us squirm, it’s fasting. Oh, how we Americans love to fast. (Wink, wink.) We’re great at intermittent fasting—as long as it’s for weight loss, not warfare. And yes, I’m preaching to the choir here. But biblical fasting isn’t about impressing God with our willpower or manipulating Him to do what we want. It’s about humbling ourselves before Him—silencing the voice of the flesh so we can hear the voice of the Spirit.
“The man who conquers his stomach will have no trouble conquering his sin.” – Early Church saying
“Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the straps of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke? (Isaiah 58:6)
Fasting is God’s chosen tool to:
• Loose chains of sin and bondage.
• Break spiritual strongholds.
• Position our hearts for breakthrough.
Fasting doesn’t twist God’s arm—it aligns our hearts with His. It’s not about leveraging spiritual hunger to manipulate Heaven; it’s about emptying ourselves so we can be filled with Him. When we fast, we’re tuning out the noise of the flesh and the distractions of the world to hear the still, small voice of the Spirit. It’s like retuning an old radio—you turn the dial just enough to silence the static and finally lock in on the frequency. Suddenly, clarity breaks through the chaos. In the same way, fasting quiets the appetites that so often drown out God’s voice, and it reorders our loves. It reminds us that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that proceeds from the mouth of God (Matthew 4:4). And here’s the irony: when we deny our body what it craves, our spirit begins to crave what it was made for—more of Him.
16 “And when you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. 17 But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, 18 that your fasting may not be seen by others but by your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. (Matthew 6:16–18)
When was the last time you told your body, “No, you don’t get what you want today. My spirit is in charge.”?
When was the last time you denied your flesh to gain clarity in your spirit?
If we can’t say no to a cheeseburger, how will we say no to the enemy when he comes knocking? Fasting teaches us the discipline of denial—not because food is bad, but because our appetites can easily become our master. When we practice saying “no” to what our body craves, we strengthen our spiritual reflex to say “no” to sin when temptation strikes. It’s in the small, hidden choices—pushing away the plate, humbling ourselves in secret—that God forges the steel of resistance in our souls. Every time we deny the flesh, we’re training for the moment the enemy shows up with his counterfeits and compromises. And here’s the hard truth: if we can’t conquer the refrigerator, we’re probably not ready to conquer the roaring lion.
When Haman plotted genocide against the Jews, Queen Esther called for a three-day fast: “Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my young women will also fast as you do. Then I will go to the king…” (Esther 4:16). The fast wasn’t about twisting God’s arm—it was about total surrender to His plan. On the third day, Esther went before the king and God turned the tide. The entire Jewish nation was spared because of a fast.
When Evan Roberts felt burdened for revival in Wales, he didn’t start with big meetings or clever strategies. He and a small group of believers began to fast and pray for weeks, pleading with God to pour out His Spirit. Their fasting wasn’t manipulative—it was desperation, a way of saying, “Lord, we are hungry for You more than for food.” The result? Over 100,000 people came to Christ in just a few months. Taverns closed, crime rates plummeted, and hardened coal miners were weeping in prayer meetings. Why? Because a few ordinary people humbled themselves before God through prayer and fasting, and the heavens opened.
“If God could use fasting to spark revival in Wales, deliver a nation in Persia, and empower a fiery preacher like Wesley, imagine what He might do in your family… in your church… in your own heart. Fasting isn’t a relic of the past. It’s a weapon for the present.”
But don’t miss this: fasting isn’t about earning God’s approval or proving your worth. It’s about training your heart to treasure Him above all else and align your heart with God’s by putting the flesh in the passenger’s seat. Even if you’ve failed a thousand times, His grace meets you right where you are—and it’s His Spirit who empowers you to say “no” to the flesh and “yes” to Him. Fasting isn’t for the spiritually elite; it’s for ordinary people like you and me who are hungry for God to do what only He can do. Every small step of surrender—every meal skipped to seek Him, every craving redirected into prayer—is an invitation for His strength to fill your weakness. And the beauty is this: as you say no to lesser things, you’ll discover a deeper yes to the One your soul was made for.
4. Prayer and Fasting in the Armor of God
praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, (Ephesians 6:18)
Spiritual warfare isn’t won by accident. It requires deliberate, intentional engagement. You don’t drift into victory—you step into it with your armor on and your knees to the ground.
So let’s get practical. If this feels overwhelming, start small but start intentionally: Skip one meal this week and dedicate that time to pray Psalm 91 over your home, your family, and your life. Instead of feeding your stomach, feed your spirit on God’s promises.
Then take it deeper. Intercede for others: Who do you know right now that’s under enemy fire? Whose marriage is crumbling? Whose faith is hanging by a thread? Stand in the gap for them. Be the one who says, “Not today, Satan. You won’t have them on my watch.”
And let’s not stop there. What if we, as a church, rose up in unity to fast and pray? What breakthroughs might God unleash if His people humbled themselves before Him for one day? For one purpose? To cry out for healing, for deliverance, for the chains of addiction, apathy, and spiritual blindness to be shattered—not just in our homes but in our nation?
Then he said to me, “Fear not, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand and humbled yourself before your God, your words have been heard, and I have come because of your words. 13 The prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty-one days, but Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I was left there with the kings of Persia 14 and came to make you understand what is to happen to your people in the latter days. For the vision is for days yet to come.” (Daniel 10:12–14)
This isn’t about starving your body—it’s about starving the enemy’s influence over your life. When God’s people fast and pray, the gates of hell begin to tremble. Church, don’t let this just be another sermon you nod at and forget. This is an invitation to step onto the battlefield. Heaven is waiting for warriors who will kneel so they can stand. Will you be one?
Closing
Church, this is not the hour for casual faith or half-hearted devotion. This is the hour to fast, pray, and fight. The battle is raging in the unseen, and the enemy isn’t pulling punches. But neither is Heaven.
Hell may roar, but the Lion of Judah roars louder. The darkness may press in, but the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness cannot overcome it. (John 1:5) Heaven is not recruiting spectators—it’s enlisting warriors. Warriors who will kneel so they can stand. Warriors who will lift their hands in prayer before lifting their swords in battle. Warriors who know that the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to demolish strongholds (2 Corinthians 10:4).
And when the enemy comes knocking, you tell him: “I don’t fight for victory—I fight from victory. The cross crushed your power, and the empty tomb sealed your defeat. You can’t have my mind. You can’t have my home. You can’t have my church. I belong to Jesus Christ, and I fight under His banner.”
This is not only the conclusion of this sermon, but also this series on Spiritual Warfare. I hope these messages have informed you and encouraged you. You know your enemy and you also know your Lord God Almighty. You are the victor and He’s given you the tools to stand firm. But knowledge without action is not worth very much. God and live victoriously.
