The Sword of the Spirit IV: Praying Always...

“For we wrestle not against flesh and blood,…wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all to stand… Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;” EPHESIANS 6:12-18

ZACK: There’s such a misconception that many people have of the Christian life, Shiran! You know, the moment we confess Jesus Christ as our Lord and saviour, we have also declared outright our war upon the enemy, Satan. In effect, Satan places out a personal vendetta against you too. In spite of all the good things that God’s Word says are ours when we come to Him, we are still very much in conflict for as long as we tread this earth as believers on His Name.

Oft times we seem to lead our lives as Christians in denial of the character of the conflict and its demands on us! We seem to be ignorant of the enemies that we must encounter if we are to serve God faithfully, succeed in getting to heaven, and receive the crown of life! And in this ignorance, we are blinded to realize that the world, the flesh, and the devil will oppose our onward march. That trio shall defeat any Christian utterly, unless they give themselves to constant and unceasing prayer.

SHIRAN: The world does have many misconceptions about Christianity – but the saddening fact is that many Christians, as you have pointed out, have misconceptions about themselves. They think that once they give their lives to Christ, it’s all over; they can relax as they await eternity. Another sad thing is, as new Christians, or Christians who have just learnt about spiritual warfare, soldiers are alert and aware of God’s Presence, but then after a while, many become lax and complacent and think that nothing can attack them. The Christians who have been born again longer seem to allow pride to come in and make them feel like they are invincible. After a while, that pride usually leads to a decline in prayer life and the soldier begins to think he can depend on himself. The result of that, well, Solomon said Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall. (Prov 16:18)

ZACK: I’m sure you know Shiran that the life of a Christian is one of warfare, an intense conflict, a lifelong contest. It is a battle fought against invisible foes that are ever alert and seeking to entrap, deceive, and ruin the souls of men.

SHIRAN: I do know that. Anyone who gives his or her life to Christ immediately becomes a dart-board for the devil’s fiery darts. The devil is defeated, and he knows it, and he will never defeat God, so he tries to harm the ones God loves.

ZACK: The Bible calls us to life, not a picnic or holiday event. It is no pastime or pleasure excursion.

SHIRAN: You’re right – not a cruise ship, but a battleship. It’s a war. Prayer requires discipline. It is work. It requires that one set time aside. And in this day and age, with the way time is idolized, people feel too lazy to take up this command, yet Jesus said, Luke 11:2, When ye pray, not “If ye pray.” Our call as soldiers is not easy, but it is rewarding. It is special. God’s commandments are not grievous, 1 John 5:3.

ZACK: This call entails effort, wrestling, and struggling. It demands putting out the full energy of the spirit in order to frustrate the foe and to come out, at last, more than a conqueror. It is no primrose path, no rose-scented flirting. From start to finish, it is war, war and war. The Christian warrior is compelled from the hour he first draws his sword (II Tim. 2:3) to, Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.

“Praying always” covers all seasons and all manner of praying - praying with our natural understanding and also praying in the spirit.

Supplication in the Spirit: I Cor.14:14 - For if I pray in an unknown tongue, my spirit prayeth, but my understanding is unfruitful. I Cor. 14:2 - For he that speaketh in an unknown tongue speaketh not unto men, but unto God: for no man understandeth him; howbeit in the spirit he speaketh mysteries. That there means while you pray in tongues, your spirit is in direct contact with God, who is a Spirit, and you are talking to Him in a direct supernatural language. Also see Romans 8:26.

Now I know Shiran that there are folk that might be reading this and know not what it is to pray in the spirit or speak in tongues. This does not make them any less of a warrior and is certainly not an excuse for them to not even pray at all. We are told to be patient. See James 5:7 - Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain. And in Hosea 6:3 - Then shall we know, if we follow on to know the Lord: his going forth is prepared as the morning; and he shall come unto us as the rain, as the latter rain and the former rain unto the earth. The latter rain and former rain are the Holy Spirit. The “former rain” fell at Pentecost and we have been enjoying the “latter rain” ever since.

Watching with all perseverance: While we read God’s Word Shiran, we should keep in mind that every minute detail is as important as every major detail! Whenever I read that extension in the verse atop this post that says about watching with all perseverance, I’m reminded of the time in the early church when Peter miraculously escaped from Herod’s prison. (Acts 12.) As the Christians prayed (verse 12), they forgot to have someone on the lookout for the answer to their prayer! And as the answer to their prayer (Peter) kept on knocking at their door, only but one person (Rhoda, the servant girl) came out to find out who and even when she did, she was so excited she forgot to receive him inside!

Supplication for all the saints: This could never be so clearer. In our last post Shiran, you remember I shared with you about the old-farmer-John-type prayers that many of us seem to pray whenever we get on our knees. After I got to confess Christ in December 2003, I too prayed the ‘farmer John’ prayers! That was and is selfish. After this realisation, we cannot afford to stay this way. As much as we can, let’s pray for all the saints; we shall pray in the natural and also in the spirit.

SHIRAN: Zack, there is no better way to put all that you have said. We must pray for all saints. We must pray always. We must pray in the Spirit. The disciples said, “Lord, teach us to pray.” A pastor said that it seems that to this day, that is the subconscious cry of the saints – teach us to pray – yet Christ sent the Comforter, who teaches us all things, prayer included.

ZACK: Shiran, our entire life as Christian soldiers –its being, intention, implication, and action are all dependent on its being a life of prayer. If even Jesus Christ prayed while he walked this earth, who are we not to? Or who are we to be so lazy and slack not to? Without prayer no matter what else we might have; our lives will be feeble and ineffective. Without prayer, we are an easy prey for all our spiritual enemies.

Taking Unto Us the Sword of the Spirit III: Know Thine Enemy!

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. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, and… stand. (Eph. 6:12-13)

ZACK: It isn’t by chance that we chose to talk about the Christian's warfare Shiran. We are facing greater spiritual battles today than ever before. There has been a release of demonic activity on earth during the past twelve months that is unseen in world history. And we are going to see an even greater release of demonic activity during coming months. I’m sorry if that comes off as a little scary but that is the grim truth and I’m only putting it lightly that way. We must be ever prepared for the onslaught and not just wallow in our defensive comfort zones Shiran.

SHIRAN: I agree! I was talking about this with my sister last night. For me that’s a sign that it’s no coincidence. I also did mention to her, however, that this demonic activity is a reaction to the greater release of Divine blessing and power that God is pouring out to His children in this day.

ZACK: Paul in his letter to the Ephesians more than avidly describes the enemy. One of the cardinal rules of warfare Shiran, is know thine enemy. To not follow that rule is to lose the war even before fighting it. Our enemy (see scripture atop post first):

1. Spirits or demons: the Word of God says, “We wrestle not against flesh and blood.”
2. Principalities: from the Greek word arche; chief rulers of the highest rank.
3. Powers: from the Greek word exousia; authorities. These authorities preside over the chief rulers, executing their will.
4. Rulers of the darkness of this world: world rulers of darkness; natural men possessed demonic powers. This world (our cosmos) binds them to the natural and refers to governments or individuals in high authority in this world who are demon led or directed.
5. Spiritual wickedness in high places: wicked spirits in the heavens; fallen angels.

Preparation for spiritual warfare requires the application of spiritual principles revealed in God’s Word. We must never underestimate the capabilities of our adversary or the deceptiveness that he will use in his attempt to try to defeat us. Did you know Shiran that in the spiritual war in which we all are engaged (some without even knowing it), one of the most effective weapons that our enemy has aimed and is using against us is today's entertainment? Entertainment supplies the devil’s ammunition in this spiritual war. It's very tempting to dismiss it as simple amusement. But while Christians are entertaining themselves, they are often learning to conform to the immoral values of this world and as such the Christian community is spiritually entertaining itself with the rest of the world to DEATH!

SHIRAN: I did know, Zack, and it pains me to see that Christians nowadays have reached a level of such complacency and compromise that they refuse to see what is wrong as just that – wrong. God said, Ye shall be holy, for I the LORD your God am holy. (Leviticus 19:1) He did not say, “Try to be holy.” He does not command us to do things for the fun of it, or to cause us grief. One way in which we live holy lives is by refusing to be drawn into a net of sin. You are right – the Christian community is blindly entertaining itself to death and it must stop.

ZACK: God's Word clearly warns us to avoid such dangers. Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ (Colossians 2:8). This Scripture warns us that if we continue to entertain ourselves with philosophies that are against biblical values, it will undermine our faith and joy in Jesus Christ. And what is the vast majority of today's entertainment except that some man or woman's philosophy is expressed through music, movies, or TV programs?

SHIRAN: True! Philosophies also include all the things people come up with about God and life that directly oppose what the Bible says. Doctrines of demons, so Paul called them, 1 Tim 4. He warned that in these last days, men would give in to seducing spirits and have their consciences seared with iron. You are right about the music, movies, or TV being used to spread vain theories and deceive many. People say that it does not affect them but it does. "You are what you eat," so goes a well-known saying. This is true in the spirit as well. What we feed ourselves is what we become. If we study the word and remain in God, then we are victorious. To love the world and follow in doctrines of demons is to open the floodgates for much misery, and, eventually, hell.

ZACK: Shiran, Deuteronomy 6:7 tells us to teach our families about the laws of God whether we're at home or on a journey, from the time we get up to the time we go to bed. Instead of teaching His values in this manner, too often we let the enemy teach his values to our children (and to us) through the world of entertainment. And because immorality is presented in such an entertaining manner, we believe it doesn't affect us. In the long run we lose our children, ourselves in this spiritual war without even realizing it and then we ask why things go wrong?

SHIRAN: We are doing ourselves and others a disservice if we refuse to take a stand for Christ. The verse above, Eph 6:13, says stand. David said, "Blessed is the man whose delight is in the law of the LORD. He shall be like a tree, planted by the rivers of water (Psalm 1)." Jeremiah said, "Blessed is the man whose hope the LORD is; He shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her root by the river (Jer 17:7-8)." Both say that such people bear fruit. We need to return to our First Love, and stand in Him.

ZACK: I picked the following up from a text entitled ‘Overheard from the enemy’s camp’ and reading through it I thought how very apt and true! And I thought I could share here too… (side note: The text in parentheses is scripture we’ve inserted countering the enemy’s plans!)

Satan called a worldwide convention of demons. In his opening address he said, "We can't keep Christians from going to church. We can't keep them from reading their Bibles and knowing the Truth. We can't even keep them from forming an intimate relationship with their Savior. Once they gain that connection with Jesus, our power over them is broken.
"So let them go to their churches; let them have their covered dish dinners, BUT steal their time and focus, so they don't have time to develop a relationship with Jesus Christ."
"This is what I want you to do," said the devil, "Distract them from focusing on things above and get them to focus on life from our point of view" {Colossians 3:1-2: “If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth}.
"But how shall we do this?" his demons shouted. "If they are Christians, why would they want to know our thoughts and ideas?"
"Don't let them know they are our thoughts. Tell them it's just entertainment. Then we can inspire others to put our words and thoughts on video and call it a TV program, or on celluloid and call it a motion picture, or on CD and call it music, or in a little black box and call it a video game. Most importantly, entice them to play the radio or CD player whenever they drive. And convince them they need to keep their TV, VCR, CDs, and PCs going constantly. They won't even realize they are missing time with their Savior.
"This will jam their minds and break that union with Christ. We've got to keep their minds occupied with our thoughts so they won't have time for His."
"But I heard that Christians are strong and we have to leave if they tell us to go," countered some of his dominion {James 4:7 - Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee}.
"They do have immeasurable strength, but they don't realize it. That's why we have to keep their minds occupied so they won't hear His still small voice. I don't know why He speaks in a small voice, but I don't want to take any chances. Don't leave them any time to think about Him. And the best part is while we are occupying their minds with our "noise," we are destroying their strength. Do you remember how Nehemiah defeated us? He reminded the people that the 'joy of the Lord' was his strength and he wouldn't pay attention to our ideas {Nehemiah 8:10 “…For the joy of the Lord is your strength”}. That would be disaster for us! "So if we are going to make them weak, we have to undermine their joy. And the best way to do that is to feed them our philosophies {Colossians 2:8 “Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ"}. If we can get them to entertain themselves with our values, they're ours. I know we don't get 'em back on our team, but they won't be an effective member for the other team, either." It was quite an ambitious plan! The demons went eagerly to accomplish their assignment. It was easier than they thought possible.

SHIRAN: Wow!

ZACK: Shiran, how much clearer can this scripture be? Ephesians 6:12: 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.

But we thank our Lord that in Him is our strength for this battle found! We prepare for battle and deliverance, not only by identifying the enemy, but also by defining our strength. It’s important to know that strength needed to subdue and defeat the enemy of our souls is not found in the natural; it is found in the Lord. Ephesians 6:10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.

SHIRAN: I agree. King David tells us that it is God who arms us with strength (Psalm 18:32), and teaches our hands to war and our fingers to fight (Psalm 144:1). I feel a need to add that we should know our enemy, but we should not focus on him so much that it takes our focus away from Christ because only God deserves our minds and hearts. And only in Him can true strength be found.

ZACK: Ephesians 1:19, And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power. Strength in the Lord is obtained as we recognize who we are in Christ and acknowledge that He is the real source of our strength. We mustn’t attempt to fight demonic forces of hell alone, for the power to subdue and defeat the enemy does not rest in our strength; it comes from the Lord. Jesus declared in Luke 10:19, Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you.

SHIRAN: Amen. The power is given to us, but it is only in Jesus that we can accept it and use it to His glory, and defeat the enemy as we do so.

ZACK: Shiran, I know, there are a lot of folk out there who might glorify the might and power of our enemy and by so doing have had even saints of God cowering at the enemy’s mention. But whenever I hear of such talk, I cannot the contain the joy in my being of knowing that my God is even a billion-fold, mightier! And we are more than (I love the combination of those two words in that scripture!) conquerors in Christ Jesus.

SHIRAN: Hallelujah! To God be the glory, great, great things He hath done! And the blessing of being able to see and know a fraction of those great things is wonderful. More than conquerors in Christ Jesus, that is what we are. He is good!