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.”
There is no doubt the Bible teaches us that we are in a spiritual battle against the forces of evil (Daniel 10). Ever since the fall of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, we’ve been trading blows with the enemy. Thankfully, Jesus defeated the devil on the cross, destroyed his work and gave us victory in His name (1 John 3:8). The prayer of spiritual warfare is two-fold. First, it is a type of prayer directed to God to keep our ground when Satan attacks us. Second, it is used to advance God’s Kingdom upon a world that is still, in some ways, under the power of the devil (2 Corinthians 4:4).
In the book of Psalms, we read that David prayed for God to defeat his enemies (Psalm 3:7, 18:3, 55:15 & 143:9). In those days, David was literally praying against people and asking God to defeat his enemies in war. However, Paul taught in Ephesians that, in the New Covenant, we are not fighting against “flesh and blood,” but rather “spiritual forces of evil.”
When we pray and fight against evil, we are praying for Jesus’ victory to be enacted upon the devil’s kingdom; the battle has already been won (1 John 3:8)!
Since there are two applications of the prayer of spiritual warfare, I will give you two different prayer templates. First, when praying to stand your ground in times of spiritual attacks (temptation, discouragement or evil thoughts), your prayer should be as follows; “Father, I pray in the name of Jesus that you would keep me safe from the attacks of the devil. I believe that Jesus has defeated Satan and made me more than a conqueror. So I ask that you remove all fear, temptation and doubt from my heart. Keep me safe under the shadow of your wings (Psalm 91). By the power of the Holy Spirit, I choose to stand my ground and live in total victory, Amen.”
Second, when engaging in spiritual warfare for the advancement of the Kingdom of God, you should pray as follows; “Father, I pray that you strike down the satanic spirit of violence and persecution in the nation of North Korea in Jesus’ name. I pray that the devil’s power will be broken over the leadership of that nation, so they can repent and be saved. Deliver your persecuted people and allow your children to worship you without fear or harm, Amen.”
Never forget that the devil has already been defeated, so stand your ground upon Jesus’ victory. The devil can only have power over us when we doubt who God is and what He has said. Some people fall for the lie that the devil doesn’t exist or that we are not at war, however, D.L. Moody said, “I believe Satan to exist for two reasons: first, the Bible says so; and second, I’ve done business with him.”
Wage war against the devil wherever you see his forces at work. Advance the Kingdom of God in prayer, believing that, as it is in heaven, it will be upon the earth. Take Jesus’ Great Commission in Matthew 28:18-20 as your life’s mission and make disciples of the nations. Do not accept the world for the way it is- fight in Jesus’ name!
Reflection
Do you believe in spiritual warfare?
Action
- Consider the battles you may be facing today and discern by the Holy Spirit if they are attacks of the devil. If you are being attacked by the devil, pray against them in Jesus’ name.
- Always stand in Jesus’ victory by obeying the Word of God.
- Advance the Kingdom of God in prayer wherever you see the devil and his forces at work.
