A tale is told about a small town that had historically been "dry," but then a local businessman decided to build a tavern. A group of Christians from a local church were concerned and planned an all-night prayer meeting to ask God to intervene. It just so happened that shortly thereafter lightning struck the bar and it burned to the ground. The owner of the bar sued the church, claiming that the prayers of the congregation were responsible, but the church hired a lawyer to argue in court that they were not responsible. The presiding judge, after his initial review of the case, stated that "no matter how this case comes out, one thing is clear. The tavern owner believes in prayer and the Christians do not."
J.K. Johnston, Why Christians Sin, Discovery House, 1992, p. 129.
Last week I spoke to you about the POWER OF PRAYER TO RELEASE THE POWER OF THE GOSPEL. Today I would like to speak about the POWER OF PRAYER IN SPIRITUAL WARFARE.
In this passage Paul uses the metaphor of warfare to describe the work of ministry. Just as those who go to war do so with an array of weapons, so too the Christian is at war and must be equipped. But this war is not visible. It is spiritual. The weapons of the warfare are spiritual as well.
Notice with me two points:
I. OUR WAR WITH THE SPIRIT REALM
A. The reality of the confict (3)
1. Paul admits that although he walks in a flesh and blood world, the warfare he engages in is not “according to the flesh”
2. Paul was far less concerned about the armies of Rome than he was the army of the Devil.
3. He understood that the real opposition that comes against the gospel or the church is directly related to the spirit realm.
B. The weapons of the conflict (4a)
1. Could include those listed in Eph 6: helmet of salvation, breastplate of righteousness, feet shod with the preparation of the gospel, belt of truth, shield of faith, sword of the Spirit (the Word of God)
2. Are “divinely powerful”, that is, “powerful with or in God”, “mighty before God”, “powerful from God’s point of view”, “having great power with God”
3. “For the destruction of fortresses”
a. The weapons God prescribes are designed for total victory.
b. “destruction” = “pulling down”, “casting down”, i.e. total dismantling and destruction
C. The target of the conflict (4b)
1. “Fortress” is any fortified structure used to establish a:
a. friendly presence in an enemy land. (church in world)
b. enemy presence in a friendly land (world in church)
2. In this instance it represents the established presence of strongholds within the kingdom of God that work against the presence of the gospel.
3. Some present fortresses that need to be destroyed:
a. Ethical Tolerance
1) that says “nothing is wrong”
2) but practices intolerance toward the things of God
Note: Josh McDowell says the problem with the new definition of tolerance is that it does not mean “accept me”, but rather “accept and embrace me”. But there is no reciprocity.
3) Ethical tolerance must be exchanged for “speaking the truth in love” Eph 4:15
“Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; Who substitute darkness for light and light for darkness; who substitute bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes, and clever in their own sight!” Isaiah 5:20-21
John 8:31-32 Jesus then said to the Jews who had believed in him, "If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free."
John 14:6 Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but by me.
b. Religious Pluralism
1) that says “everyone is right”
2) begun as a philosophical approach to the growing diversity in America (William James) that celebrates the fact of diversity as necessary for strength.
3) Religiously, it stems from a position of tolerance that says no particular religion has any right to say it is “right”.
Note: “The new pluralism demands that you must not say that anyone else’s belief is inferior or, worse yet, flatly mistaken. To say someone is wrong is to be intolerant, to be close-minded and provincial, to be extreme and is impossible to reason with.” Gregory Koukl
http://www.str.org/free/commentaries/apologetics/comparisons/pluralis.htm
4) The problem is that we adhere to a religion that is monotheistic, and a God who is jealous!
Isaiah 40:25 To whom then will you compare me, that I should be like him? says the Holy One.
Isaiah 43:10-11 Before me no god was formed, nor shall there be any after me. I, I am the LORD, and besides me there is no savior.
Exodus 34:14 (for you shall worship no other god, for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God)
Deuteronomy 6:4 "Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD;
Note: IF ‘EVERYONE IS RIGHT’ AND ‘NOTHING IS WRONG’, THEN WHY BOTHER WITH RELIGION?
Note: That’s why Barna states that among those 20 and under 15% believe in absolute truth, 35% deny absolute truth, and 55% have no opinion!
D. The elements of the conflict
1. ‘Speculations” – imaginations, reasonings, arguments; ANY ATTITUDE OR PRETENSE WHICH HINDERS THE FREEDOM TO KNOW AND UNDERSTAND GOD.
Note: Christians are too judgmental; too hypocritical
Christianity isn’t relevant or important to my needs;
for children and old people; not to be trusted
Who’s to say that the Bible is right (or truth)?
I don’t have to go to church to worship God.
Romans 1:20-23 Ever since the creation of the world his invisible nature, namely, his eternal power and deity, has been clearly perceived in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse; for although they knew God they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking and their senseless minds were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools
2. “Lofty thing” – pretension, high thing, Guard tower; ANY OBSTACLE THAT HINDERS OUR APPROACH TO GOD.
Note: Prayer in school; speaking the name of Jesus; Evangelism efforts; (personal) job, recreation, peer group, indifference
3. “Every Thought” – ANY CONCLUSION USED AS A BASIS FOR RESISTING GOD; like enemies that infiltrate and must be taken captive; every evil designed to frustrate the divine plan, even after salvation
II. OUR WEAPON OF PRAYER
Prayer is our weapon against every fortress that has been erected against the kingdom of God.
A. INTERCESSORY PRAYING
1. The Greek word is used of one who escorted another into the presence of the king.
2. As Jesus prayed for Peter:
Luke 22:31-32 "Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have you, that he might sift you like wheat, but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail; and when you have turned again, strengthen your brethren."
B. PROMISE PRAYING
1. Claiming the specific promises of God:
2. As Nehemiah prayed for Jerusalem:
“Remember the word which you did command your servant Moses saying,….if you return to Me and My commandments and do them, though those of you who have been scattered were in the most remote part of the heavens, I will gather tem from there and will bring them to the place where I have chosen to cause my name to dwell.” Nehemiah 1:8-9
3. Or other promises:
2 Chron 7:14; Matthew 16:18 “upon this rock…”; Matt 18:19 “If two of you agree…”
C. WARFARE PRAYING
1. As Asa prayed against the army of Ethiopia:
2 Chronicles 14:11 "O LORD, there is none like thee to help, between the mighty and the weak. Help us, O LORD our God, for we rely on thee, and in thy name we have come against this multitude. O LORD, thou art our God; let not man prevail against thee.”
2. As Jehosaphat prayed against the armies gathered against him:
2 Chronicles 20:6 "O LORD, God of our fathers, art thou not God in heaven? Dost thou not rule over all the kingdoms of the nations? In thy hand are power and might, so that none is able to withstand thee.”
3. As Hezekiah prayed against Assyria:
2 Kings 19:15 "O LORD the God of Israel, who art enthroned above the cherubim, thou art the God, thou alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth; thou hast made heaven and earth. . . So now, O LORD our God, save us, I beseech thee, from his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that thou, O LORD, art God alone."
Conclusion:
During the time of the Second Great Awakening in America, Charles Finney was the foremost among the great evangelists. Many people know him. However few know the name, Daniel Nash.
Nash was a lackluster pastor in upper New York State who, at the age of 48, dedicated his life to prayer. Long before Finney would arrive in a town Nash would be there in an empty cellar or boarding house room praying for the power of God to enter the city. Finney relates:
“When I got to town to start a revival a lady contacted me who ran a boarding house. She said, ‘Brother Finney, do you know a Father Nash? He and two other men have been at my boardinghouse for the last three days, but they haven’t eaten a bite of food. I opened the door and peeped in at them because I could hear them groaning, and I saw them down on their faces. They have been this way for three days, lying prostrate on the floor and groaning. I thought something awful must have happened to them. I was afraid to go in and I didn’t know what to do. Would you please come see about them?’”
“No, it isn’t necessary,” I replied. “They just have a spirit of travail in prayer.”
Within four months of Nash’s death, Finney left evangelism for the pastorate. The great prayer warrior of his crusades was gone.
Is you want to see the grave of Daniel Nash you have to drive to upper New York, almost to the Canadian border. There, in a neglected cemetery along a dirt road, you will find a tombstone that says it all:
DANIEL NASH
Laborer with Finney
MIGHTY IN PRAYER
(From “Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire”, p. 174-6)
