ALIVE WORD: Warfare prayer – prayer that defeats the enemy (Part 1)

The Richardsons

“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 6:12”.

In order for our warfare prayers to be effective we must understand who and what we are fighting against. When we pray as believers, we pray to get results. We pray in faith believing God to not just hear but also to answer our prayers.

There are many different types of prayers: petition, supplication, intercession, thanksgiving. There are times when we confess, praise and give thanks and yet the answers to our prayers are hindered. This is often due to demonic interferences in the spirit realm. This is the time that we must enter to prayers that are more strategic and defensive known as warfare prayer. In warfare prayer we stand in authority and take a stand against the attacks of the enemy. We used the Word of God, the name of Jesus, the blood of Jesus and the power of binding and losing and we pull down the strongholds of the enemy.

It is very important therefore that we know not just how to pray but we know who our enemy is and how he operates. We must be aware of the spiritual arsenal that is given to us as believers and we must know how to use it. We are in God’s army and we are in a war. In the natural, the armed force never goes to battle unless they have studied the enemy and know where the enemy is and the types of ammunition that the enemy has. This knowledge helps them to know how to combat the enemy and win the battle.

It is very important for us as believers to understand that there is a spiritual realm as well as a natural realm. We live in the natural realm, but between earth and heaven there is a spiritual realm where the forces of darkness dwell. Because the Holy Spirit is omnipresent, He operates both in the spiritual realm and in the natural realm. In Ezekiel we read the account of Lucifer being cast out of heaven.

How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How art thou cut down to the g4round, which didst weaken the nations! For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will be like the most High. Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell to the sides of the pit. Isaiah 14:12-15.

When He was cast out of heaven, one third of the angels were cast out with him. Lucifer and these fallen angels dwell in the spiritual and natural realm.

However, unlike the Holy Spirit, the devil and his demons do not have the ability to be in all places at all times. Lucifer and these fallen angels, try to hinder our prayers from reaching the throne of God, and try and hinder the answers (blessings) from coming back to us.

The battle is in the spirit realm, the realm that we cannot see with the natural eye, we can only see it with the spiritual eye. But what really are demons? Demons or devils is a supernatural spirit that possesses the nature of Satan and has the ability to give and distribute fortunes.
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 6:12  Principalities, powers, spiritual wickedness, rulers of the darkness are all demonic forces that are on assignment from the devil to hinder our prayers and to try and prevent us from reaching our destiny in Jesus Christ. These Principalities, powers, spiritual wickedness, rulers of the darkness originate in the spirit realm but operate in the natural realm through people who avail themselves to be used by the devil.

According to Dr. Cindy Trimm in her book ‘Binding the Strong Man’ the following definitions are given:
•    Principalities are first in rank. They derive their power directly from Satan.
•    Powers are demonic spirits that derive their jurisdictional and delegated authority for principalities
•    Spiritual Wickedness are spirits found in high and lofty places, which are responsible for anything that is perverted, depraved, debased, warped and corrupt.
•    Rulers of Darkness are very high ranking officers that have specialized jurisdictional authority over the twelve cosmological systems of the universe and rule in the kingdom of darkness.

If someone has offended or hurt us we should never pray against the person. It is not the person but the spirits that are operating through them to try and hinder us.  For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds.  2 Corinthians 10:4

We see in St. Mark 9:25 that when Jesus was casting out the demons out of demoniac he called the deaf and dumb spirit out and commanded it come out.  When Jesus saw that the people came running together, he rebuked the foul spirit, saying unto him, Thou dumb and deaf spirit, I charge thee, come out of him, and enter no more into him

And the spirit cried, and rent him sore, and came out of him: and he was as one dead; insomuch that many said, He is dead.  St. Mark 9:25-26.

(Continued in Friday’s devotional)

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3 Comments

  1. Watcher
    October 26, 2010

    What can I add but say Amen to Ministers Richardson and I agree with both disciple of JESUS CHRIST and lizavier for Jesus.

    Thanks again ministers Richardson for your message.

  2. Lizavier4Jesus
    October 26, 2010

    @disciple of JESUS CHRIST:

    I noticed that someone gave your post thumbs down, but do not worry about that.

    As Pastor Richardson wrote this article, which is definitely true, he mentioned the different methods of praying. I noticed that he mentioned the prayer of intercession. That is the kind of prayer that is badly needed in Dominica.

    Why is that so? Because the majority of us are ignorant of God and His ways of Love, which must be Life in us; for without Love we remain in our state of perish. We need the prayer of intercession, meaning that we need, for those of us who are blessed with knowledge God Almighty and His Love in Jesus Christ, to stand before Him by steadfast faith on behalf of the weakness and ignorance of the large number of the rest of, who claim to believe but we do not practice what we believe.

    Most of us who believe are simply church goers, spending 2-3 hours at a church house, worshiping our selves, our pastors and our priests, as we ignorantly claim to be worshipping God. In the meantime God is saying: “These people worship me with their lips but their heart is far from me.”

    That is the reason for the spiritual warefare we encounter throughout our daily existence. God is of Spirit; and so is Satan. God comes to give us Life that He might reconcile Himself to us–we knowing the Life of Spirit and Truth. But Satan comes to cause to remain in our condition of death–separate from Love–the Life that is the Light of our souls by faith in the suffering, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

    The unfortunate thing is that, as human beings, we continue to remain conformed to our fleshly state, surrendering to the attitude and conducts, processed and produced by our human mind. Spiritual warefare means that we are like the rope of the tug-of-war, God Almighty, of Spirit and Truth is the right side, wanting us to move on His side, that He might indwell us by the power of His Holy Spirit, the way He will renew our mind to put us in the mode of spiritual transformation. Spiritual transformation teaches us to live with the mind of Jesus Christ. “I can of Myself do nothing! As I hear I judge;….I do not seek my own will but the Will of the Father, who sent Me.

    Satan, of spiritual darkness and death, is on our left side also wanting us to move to his side, for he knows that the time is coming when he will be completely destroyed; for God told him: “The seed of a woman shall destroy you.” Satan wants us to be destroyed with him. Like the saying goes: “If I go down, I am taking you with me.” That is Satan’s goal; to take us down with him.

    Our choice should be the desire to fight the fight, for the glory of Almighty God by faith in His Person, Jesus Christ. But the majority of us continue to remain conformed to the existence of worldliness; controlled by process and products of our human mind, as we indulge in self-gratification.

    Unfortunately, with our state of conformation, we will go down with Satan; unless we take heed of God’s message of Life through His servants like the Richardsons, who speaks and illustrates the Letter of Love–God’s Word–the Bread of Life in the Holy Bible. His Holy Spirit is our feeder of the Bread of Life; His feeding utensils are wisdom and understanding. Our measure of faith serves as our spiritual mouth and the rest of our digestive system, along with our ears. The greater our faith, the more food we will ingest and digest.

    Yes, in order that we might live and not die; in order that we might have the energy to fight and overcome the spiritual warefare of our existence in this world, we need to ingest and digest God’s Word, the Letter and the revelation of His Holy Spirit.

    Jesus told one of the churches in the Book of Revelation: “Behold I stand at your door and knock, if anyone should open for me, I will come in to eat with him and he with me.” God’s Word, the Flesh and Blood of Jesus Christ, is the food–the Bread of Life– that stays good in us and give us Eternal Life.

  3. disciple of JESUS CHRIST
    October 25, 2010

    This is truly good spiritual food for the soul, God’s written word. I just can’t have enough of this food. Can’t wait for the next devotion on friday. Thank God for you the Richardsons. God bless you and the ministry !

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