In this first article of 2022, I can think of nothing more important to talk about than prayer. And because we are living in such perilous times (we always are), it seems important that we talk specifically about warfare prayer. There is a time for everything, even war. See Ecclesiastes 3:8.

Actually, Christians know we are living in a continual season of war. It’s not a war against flesh and blood. No, it is a spiritual war. We have an enemy who prowls around looking for people to devour and destroy. See I Peter 5:8. Paul encouraged us to put on the full armor of God so that we can stand against the attacks of the enemy, the powers of this dark world, and against the forces of evil in high places. See Ephesians 6. Spiritual warfare is real. We need to be aware, prepared to defend ourselves, and constantly on the attack. Why? Because we already know that the gates of hell cannot stand against the attack of the Church. See Matthew 16:8.

This whole discussion sounds rather ominous. Well, that’s because it is.

I don’t often talk about spiritual warfare because it goes against my instincts to give the devil any attention whatsoever. I live by this extraordinary truth: the one Who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. See 1 John 4:4. I would much rather focus my attention on the marvelous grace of Jesus, the powerful infilling presence of the Holy Spirit, the awesome message of reconciliation found in God’s Word, and the incredible fellowship found in His Church and His mission than to spend one second talking about a defeated and condemned miserable liar like Satan. That’s just how I feel about it.

But on occasion, we do need to be reminded that we have an enemy who is determined to devour and destroy. If we lose our focus, we will fall into his many traps. We must remain diligently aware of his schemes and intentions — and we must remain on the attack.

Before I go any further, I want to be very clear on one unchanging and unshakeable truth: God is sovereign. Period. There has never been a question mark over that truth. There are no boundaries on the Kingdom of God. He rules overall. Always has, always will. See Romans 14:11. The devil is nothing more than a miserable entity, who, under God’s sovereignty, has been given a season to test us — to sift us like wheat. See Luke 22:31 and Job 1-2. The devil is already condemned, and the date and time of his final annihilation in the lake of fire has already been set by Almighty God.

This isn’t a war over sovereignty; it is a war over you and your holy potential.

What I am sharing with you is hard to hear. I understand. So, let me encourage you. God has set limits on the devil. God will not allow the enemy to test you beyond what you can bear. See I Corinthians 10:13. God will always provide you with a way to escape so that you can endure whatever attack the enemy throws at you. This is God’s promise to you! Be at peace and take heart!
Warfare

There are two components to any battle, offense, and defense. The same is true in spiritual warfare. And since the best defense is a good offense, let’s start by talking about what it means for the Church to be on the attack.
Vision

Since Jesus has already assured us that the gates of hell cannot prevail against the Church, then we should be very intentional in taking the battle to the enemy. We should not be standing around wringing our hands in fear over what the devil is going to do next. Such tormented fear has no place in the soul of the Spirit-filled and courageous Christian. Instead, we should be making plans to attack enemy strongholds and to bring God’s glorious light into the darkness.

We call those plans vision. True vision can see strongholds crumbling, chains broken, and prisoners set free. A Christian with a vision is a force to be reckoned with — and a church with a vision is unstoppable!

Friend, what is your vision? How have you determined to use the resources God has placed in your care to attack the strongholds of the enemy? Do you have an intentional plan? If not, then it’s time to make a plan. If you’re focusing solely on how to defend yourself from attack, then you’re missing the most important part of the battle plan. It’s time to go on offense.

Does your Church have a vision? How is your Church attacking the strongholds of the enemy in your mission field? Do you have a visionary plan? Are you fully implementing that plan? If not, they are probably focusing too much on defense and survival — and that’s not good. Get your Church on the attack, and you will find passion return to your local Body of Christ.
Division

The enemy’s greatest weapon against us is division — and it is working well. He’s got us arguing about everything and anything. We’re so busy trying to prove we’re right and everyone else is wrong — well, it’s just plain ridiculous. Instead of working together, we’re constantly competing with each other to prove which Church is the best. It must bring great pain to the heart of God and to Jesus, the Head of the Church.

In John 17, Jesus prayed passionately that His followers would be one. If you haven’t read that chapter in a while, then I strongly encourage you to do so. Our division gives the devil an easy win.

This is why we must enter into warfare prayer. There is much more to be said, but I’m out of room. May 2022 be a year of great spiritual victory. My dear friends, with faith, with God, we can!