Ephesians 6: 12-13
Jesus experienced various types of spiritual warfare throughout His time on Earth. Throughout His 40 days in the desert, He was put to test by the devil (Luke 4:1–13). People who did not like what He was saying provoked Him, accused Him unjustly and verbally attacked him. Furthermore, it’s critical to remember that because Jesus was a man fully human, He experienced all the temptations that any other man would encounter. But He was victorious in all of His spiritual conflicts. His terrifying conviction and crucifixion, which appeared to be a crushing defeat, were ultimately His greatest triumph.
Jesus retreated from circumstances that we can view as instances of spiritual conflict frequently in the Gospels. One instance is when Jesus learned that Herod had executed His cousin, John the Baptist. It is never stated that He turned away from His foe. Instead, He retreated from a specific location. Praying in a coffee shop or while out and about in public is acceptable. But it’s crucial to spend frequent time alone with God, ideally without interruptions.
Jesus yearned to spend time with His heavenly Father and give God His undivided attention. Given that Jesus is God and He had to leave the crowd and His friends to spend time alone with God, how much more are His disciples required to do the same? By spending time alone with God, we are reminded that He is prepared and eager to attend to our needs while mending our wounds and restoring our strength.
Recognize that you are a participant in this war. Whether we like it or not, we are all involved in the spiritual warfare between good and evil. The war will still impact you if you choose not to participate, and you will be much more susceptible to evil than you would be if you chose to participate as God has called you to. Be proactive rather than passive. As you engage in spiritual warfare, remember that God’s might is greater than any evil against you. Your prayers can guard against bad things happening to people and open the door for good things to enter their lives.
Pay attention to the Holy Spirit’s promptings for instruction on how to pray most effectively; then pray to promote God’s kingdom on Earth and halt the growth of evil. Recognize your leader and take the Lord’s side. Jesus Christ is your spiritual commander, and he commands two armies: the army of prayer warriors on Earth and the army of pure angels in Heaven. Jesus saved you, gave you an eternal inheritance of blessings, and resides as the Holy Spirit in your soul. He also picked you. In the spiritual battle, Jesus wants you to take His side and remember that the power He provides you is stronger than evil.
The best model of a prayer warrior is your commander, Jesus; by studying and knowing his life on Earth, you can learn and be sure of how to serve God fearlessly. Know who your real opponent is. Satan, the most powerful fallen angel who revolted against God, is your enemy. Your enemy, accuser, tempter, and deceiver is Satan. He manipulates you by attempting to get you to reject God’s truth and believe his lies. Whenever you purposefully defy God and choose to sin, you leave doors open for your enemy to attack you. Resisting sinful impulses and praying against the devil’s schemes to harm you and others is crucial.
Be confident in your authority when praying. You now have the right to pray in Jesus’ name and the assurance that He will grant your requests in accordance with God’s purposes and at the appropriate moment. Be certain you can use prayer to bring God’s power into any circumstance.
To be continued….