“The Weapons of Spiritual Warfare Pt I: Fervent Prayer”
Doing warfare in a world we cannot see…
Most of you have a cel phone…
How does a cellular phone know there was a call coming in? It receives a message from the presence of radio waves, which are transmitted through the air invisibly. Although radio waves are unseen, they are still a powerful force in our society today.
Wherever you go, no matter what time of day or night, your body is constantly bombarded with hundreds and thousands of radio waves, and those radio waves are translated into meaningful communication by the devices, which are designed to be receptive to those signals.
Now, the same way those radio waves exist: powerful but totally invisible, so the spiritual realm exists.
The spiritual realm is invisible, but omnipotent… It affects everything that happens in the physical realm. Everything that happens in the natural is a direct result of what is happening in the spiritual, because what is natural came from that which is spiritual. God, who is a spiritual being, created everything, which is natural…
Every day, all day long, spiritual beings such as angels, demons, seraphs and cherubim are busy all around us, and everything they do has a direct impact on the natural world that you and I live in on a daily basis. Whatever happens in the natural is in direct relation to what is happening in the spiritual. In essence, natural occurrences are the domino effect, or the byproduct of what is going on in the spiritual world around us.
For instance: when God spoke creation into existence, His words originated in the spiritual and manifested in the physical as a natural creation.
Heb 11:3, “By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.”
The problem is that we humans are so immersed: so wrapped up in what we can see with our eyes and touch with our hands, hear with our ears and taste with our mouths, that we often forget the spiritual world at work around us and as a result, we typically look to the things we can touch and see, hear and taste: the things we have “control” over, to solve our problems with, instead of going to the source: God, our spiritual Father.
This is another one of those situations where the Kingdom of God operates exactly the opposite way we think it should… The truth of the matter is this: if we want to change things in the natural, we have to start with the spiritual. If we want to see a difference in the things of our natural lives, we have to start by making a difference in the things of our spiritual lives. Don’t be surprised when things fail to change if you’re neglecting your prayer life, and don’t be surprised when all of the sudden things start to happen because you started to get serious about prayer… If you’re longing to see a breakthrough in your life, or your husband’s life, or your children’s lives, in your finances, in your physical body, in whatever is natural, then you must start by making a difference in the spiritual first. Go to the source: the root of the problem.
How do we make a difference in a place we can’t even see?
2 Cor 4:18, “So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.”
We can make a huge difference in a place we can’t even see or touch by fixing our eyes on what is unseen: realizing that God, who is Lord of everything that is spiritual, is powerful enough to tear down the strongholds powerful enough to break down the barriers in the spiritual realm that are causing the droughts and the problems that you’re experiencing in the natural realm.
We make a difference in our lives and in the lives of those around us by focusing on the spiritual first: by making changes to our spiritual lifestyle. We focus our efforts on demolishing the spiritual strongholds first, then we will begin to see changes in natural circumstances of our lives, because what happens in the natural is directly and powerfully consequential to what happens in the natural.
And even though we are incapable of seeing the spiritual realm with our natural eyes, never the less, God has given us an arsenal of weapons that we can use to overcome to attack, to demolish: dash to pieces spiritual strongholds… These are called the weapons of spiritual warfare.
Now, I’m not talking about machine guns and hand grenades. Those are not the weapons that men and women of God are called to use in spiritual warfare. Contrary to popular Islam belief, we do not fight spiritual battles with natural weapons. Jihad is not an acceptable form of spiritual warfare in the eyes of God. Maybe it is in the eyes of Allah, but not in the eyes of Elohim, Yeshua, Yahweh, for:
2 Corinthians 10:4, “The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power [not natural power, but divine power] to demolish strongholds.”
I’m talking about weapons, which have stood the test of time: the weapons that the ancient men and women of God were renowned for using: The weapons of spiritual warfare.
During the weeks to come, we’re going to take a look at some of these ancient spiritual weapons, and learn together about how we can truly master the use of them to demolish the strongholds, which begin in the spiritual world that we can’t see and manifest themselves in the natural world, which we live in every day. But friends, like any good thing, it ultimately requires a lot of hard work and commitment on your part. You have to commit to spiritual battle. How bad do you want a change in your life?
If indeed we are fighting a spiritual battle, then who is our spiritual enemy? Satan.
The Bible tells us, Eph 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.”
There is an unseen enemy, against whom we battle every single day of our lives, and an unseen army of angels, which follow him, whose sole purpose is to steal, kill and destroy. They don’t want your money, they don’t want your job or your house… They couldn’t care less about your material possessions. What they’re after is your soul: your spirit. Their primary objective is to see you die before you decide to choose Jesus Christ as your savior. And once you do decide to get serious about your relationship with the Lord, your spiritual enemy will work as hard as he can to kill, steal and destroy everything God is doing to build you back up. Satan wants to rob you of the joy of serving God so you will backslide and fall away from Him.
Friends, there is a real, intense, powerful and heated battle occurring around each of us every day, and that battle makes all the difference in how you live, whether you realize it or not. You can ignore the spiritual world all you want, but you will either live or die by the spiritual battle over your soul.
In the mean time, your children, your spouse, all your friends and everyone you know are directly affected by it.
If you want to make a positive impact on your life and theirs, if you want your children to grow up in the love and admonition of the Lord, if you want your spouse to grow into a stronger man or woman of God, if you want your neighbors to come to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ, then it’s time to open your spiritual eyes, get into the game and arm yourselves for the spiritual battle.
If you want to leave the lives of your family and friends to chance… If you’re ok with letting them become the casualties of spiritual complacency in your life, then keep on living according to the flesh… When you’re tempted to pray, ignore the opportunity. Fill the desires of your flesh, but let me warn you… If you live a natural life, you’ll die a natural death.
If you want to live a supernatural life, if you want to lay hold of the Kingdom of Heaven, then it’s time to set aside your human nature and its lazy tendencies…
Matt 11:12, “From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been forcefully advancing, and forceful men lay hold of it.”
? Who lays hold of the Kingdom of Heaven? Lazy Christians? No… Forceful men!
Begin to walk according to the spirit. Pick up the weapons of spiritual warfare, for it was Jesus who said, “He who is not with me is against me, and he who does not gather with me scatters.” Matt 12:30
If you’re spiritually lazy, not fighting for God, then you are, in essence, fighting against Him.
In other words when it comes to spiritual warfare LEAD FOLLOW or GET OUT OF THE WAY!
If you want to see a real difference in the way you, you friends and your family live, then you begin the battle on your hands and knees in prayer…
SPIRITUAL WARFARE WEAPON #1: FERVENT PRAYER.
Eph 6:18, “And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.”
Much attention has been paid to the prayer of Jabez. It might be called "the model prayer of the ’Me’ generation". Without question, this is the most selfish prayer recorded anywhere in the Bible. The materialistic society in which we live today selfishly prays for wealth, success, recognition and power without any thought given to the need of others.
Pray in the spirit… According to the spirit and not according to the flesh.
"Now Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, ’Oh, that Thou wouldst bless me indeed, and enlarge my border, and that Thy hand might be with me, and that Thou wouldst keep me from harm, that it may not pain me!’ And God granted him what he requested." I Chronicles 4:10.
Admittedly, we must admit, for some today, the Christian philosophy is “bigger is better” and “more is better than less” and the extent of God’s blessings on one’s life can best be measured by one’s wealth, status and esteem. I submit that this concept is not the biblical measurement as we “forsake all, take up our cross and follow Him.”
That Jabez “was more honorable than his brothers” tells us little about him except that he was esteemed more highly than his brothers. Since we are told nothing about the character of his brothers we have no standard by which to measure Jabez.
Balak, king of Moab, when seeking Balaam to curse Israel, sent “princes more numerous and more honorable to meet with Balaam. What we are told here is, as with Jabez, that in comparison with others, these princes were esteemed more highly than the princes previously sent to bribe Balaam.
One may ask: “Why did God grant such a selfish request?” The answer might be found in the fact that a person can be tested by abundance as well as by scarcity. Following this great material blessing we hear no more about Jabez. We are left to conjecture as to how he used his newly granted wealth, power and influence. Now let’s look at his prayer.
THE PRAYER OF JABEZ
, ’Oh, that Thou wouldst bless me indeed, and enlarge my border, and that Thy hand might be with me, and that Thou wouldst keep me from harm, that it may not pain me!’ And God granted him what he requested."
I Chronicles 4:10.
His prayer was…
Intensely selfish: "Oh, that Thou wouldst bless me indeed."
Jabez does not ask God to bless anyone else…not his family, not his nation, not the afflicted, nor trodden down and destitute.
Materialistic: "and enlarge my border [territory]."
He asked to have greater wealth, power and recognition.
Egotistical: "that Thy hand might be with me".
He did not pray that God would enable him to bless others; nor to defend Israel against her enemies or assist in the spiritual needs of his people.
For his own personal safety: "that Thou wouldst keep me from harm". No concern for anyone else is even remotely hinted.
That he would be spared pain in life: "that it [harm] may not pain me".
No indication here of any regard for pain that others might feel.
NOW CONTRAST "THE MODEL PRAYER" WHICH JESUS TAUGHT.
"Our Father who art in heaven, Hallowed by Thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen." Luke 11:2-4.
In your prayer life…as you seek the Lord’s guidance and direction…which prayer will be the model you will choose? When you pray in the spirit, the desires of the flesh, which consume those “what’s in it for me” prayers, will begin to fall to the wayside in importance, and the longings of the Holy Spirit of God will begin to fill you, and consume you. You’ll experience a dynamic relationship with God like never before, and there’s no end to the flow… You’ll never tap out the Glory of God in your prayer life.
Praying in the spirit is praying with true love for others:
It’s not all about what you want. It’s about what others need.
You already have salvation! Pray for others!
Remember the story of Jesus from Mark chapter 3, where he goes into the synagogue and finds the man with a shriveled hand.
The Pharisees were so busy looking for a way to accuse Jesus that they missed the whole point.
Jesus was angry with them because no one cared about the needs of the man with the shriveled hand. No one had compassion enough to serve their brother.
How similar to the Pharisees are we, who fail in our compassions because we’re too wrapped up in our own little worries… “Woe is me.” We’re too wrapped up in what we want and how we can obtain it.
To seriously, fervently pray for each other, and even those who abuse us?
How many of us just pray fervently when we’re desperate, for ourselves?
How many say, “Well, I guess all we can do now is pray…”
If that’s your attitude toward prayer, then don’t bother God till you’ve developed a true, heartfelt passion for a relationship with the living God… Enough to expose that long forgotten love for your fellow man… Enough for you to be moved to pray fervently for someone besides yourself… The kind that requires passion, true emotion and heartfelt love for someone else.
Pray FERVENTLY for each OTHER.
Rom 12:10-11, “Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord.”
Praying in the spirit is about praying with joy over your brother’s successes and not just your own.
It’s about praying with peace, praying with kindness, praying with goodness…
Praying with faithfulness:
DON’T WAIT TILL YOU’RE DESPERATE TO PUT UP A PRAYER.
Two men were walking through a field one day when they spotted an enraged bull. Instantly they darted toward the nearest fence. The storming bull followed in hot pursuit, and it was soon apparent they wouldn’t make it. Terrified, the one shouted to the other, "Put up a prayer, John. We’re in for it!" John answered, "I can’t. I’ve never made a public prayer in my life." "But you must!" implored his companion. "The bull is catching up to us." "All right," panted John, "I’ll say the only prayer I know, the one my father used to repeat at the table: ’O Lord, for what we are about to receive, make us truly thankful.’"
How do you think their encounter with the bull went after that prayer?
Don’t just pray when you’re desperate.
Praying in the spirit is about with gentleness and with self-control, on all occasions, with all kinds of prayers and requests. As you begin to practice the long lost art of fervent prayer: praying with all your heart, then you will begin to experience a whole new outpouring of God’s Holy Spirit in your life… A whole new dynamic in your spiritual being. You’ll see your natural life with a whole new perspective: through the eyes of faith. Then you will move the heart and hands of God as a result.
Demolished spiritual strongholds… Floodgates opened, changed circumstances and transformed situations: jaw-dropping victories will occur, in the Name of Jesus Christ – if you’ll pray…
And pray fervently. “Well, I believe you pastor, but I’m just too tired… Just don’t have enough time.”
Be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints. Why? Because God’s saints are involved in spiritual warfare, and they need your help… Guard them in the spiritual battle. Who’s got YOUR back?
Take a look at what the Bible says about the fervent prayer of an ordinary man or woman of God…
James 5:16-20, “Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.
Elijah was a man just like us. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops. My brothers, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring him back, remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of his way will save him from death and cover over a multitude of sins.”
SALVATION OF A WANDERING SOUL.
You can turn a man from the error of his way through fervent, powerful and effective prayer!
If you have that power available to you, then what in the world could possibly keep you from falling on your knees in fervent prayer for your neighbors, your children and your family?
Is it pride, bitterness, anger? What is it that stands between you and the tearing down of spiritual strongholds? Laziness? Lord forbid it be selfishness… Lord forbid we forget to pray for each other because it’s not important enough to us, or because we forgot…
If it’s important enough my friends, if you truly hold compassion and love in your heart for your friends, then you will not forget… If your salvation is important to you, then you had better be praying for others. Pray and pray fervently.
Don’t be like the hypocrites, like the Pharisees and Saducees, who stand on the street corners, praying to be recognized as some spiritual saint, coming to church on Sundays to pray, telling friends and family you’ll hold them up in prayer, you’ll fight the spiritual battle with them, your intercede and pray on their behalf, then when they look to see who’s got their back, you’re gone. You know, one day, everyone will find out whether you prayed or not…
Don’t forget the spiritual battle that takes place around you every day. Get on your knees in prayer. It’s not that hard and it pays such high dividends. It just takes a little self-control. Be fervent in your prayers and petitions to God. Make a difference in the lives of the people around you. Begin to make a change in the spiritual things, and I promise you, you will begin to see changes in the natural.
"Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee the crown of life." Revelation 2:10.
God has a crown of life for each overcomer, each persevering saint.
But what are we overcoming? What are we persevering against?
“…against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”
Don’t think God doesn’t know the pretenders from the real soldiers… He’s got your number. Are you engaged in spiritual warfare? It’s time… Time to get engaged again.
