When I face an irritating circumstance, interpersonal disagreement, or major setback, I often focus on the problem instead of the power behind it. Did you know that we’re in a spiritual battle? We’re at war! Paul identified these opponents as principalities, powers, rulers, and spiritual wickedness in Ephesians 6:10-18.
In this third blog about prayer, I will again borrow insights and quotes from Ronald Dunn’s great book, Don’t Just Stand There, Pray Something: The Incredible Power of Intercessory Prayer.
Principalities refer to rank and rule. Powers correlate with authority. World rulers of this darkness is control over a world revolting against God. Spiritual wickedness in high places depicted combat into the heavenly sphere.
We must meet the devil on his own ground. We don’t fight the spiritual battle with weapons of the flesh but with mighty weapons of God (2 Corinthians 10:3-4). Even this week, I saw God resolve hostility between two people I love by fervent prayer on their behalf.
When Peter rebuked the Lord for talking about going to Jerusalem to die, Christ went beyond the problem to the power behind it and said, “Get behind me, Satan!” (Matthew 16:23). Jesus knew His conflict was not with Peter, but with spiritual powers of darkness.
Even with major problems like abortion, racism, and poverty, it’s not enough to protest, we must also pray. Ephesians 6:14 says to “stand” before verse 18 says, “Praying always with all prayer and supplication.”
Prayer is warfare. It’s the battlefield where spiritual war is waged. We see this portrayed in Exodus 17:8-13. Moses told Joshua to fight Amalek. When Moses held up the rod on the top of the mountain, Joshua prevailed. When he lowered the rod, Amalek prevailed. When Moses tired, Aaron and Hur held up Moses’ hands causing Joshua to prevail. The victory in the valley was won by intercession on the mountain. The battle for lost souls is won by prayer and intercession.
We are never more like Christ than when we are praying for others. Paul closed his passage in Ephesians 6:10-17 with a plea for intercessory prayer (“with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints”).
Christ illustrated intercession in a parable (Luke 11:5-8) after teaching His disciples the “model prayer” (Luke 11:2-4). The parable is a triangle of prayer with one person going to another person to get bread for a third person. The situation called for daring and boldness since it was midnight. It was “because of his persistence he will rise and give him as many as he needs” (Luke 11:8).
Jesus emphasized this persistence again in the parable of the widow and the unjust judge (Luke 18:1-8). The judge said to himself: “Though I do not fear God nor regard man, yet because this widow troubles me I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me (verses 4-5). It’s the widow’s “continual coming” that persuaded him. Jesus is looking for people with a sense of urgency like the watchmen on the walls:
- I’ve posted watchmen on your walls, Jerusalem. Day and night they keep at it, praying, calling out, reminding God to remember. They are to give him no peace until he does what he said, until he makes Jerusalem famous as the City of Praise (Isaiah 62:6-7 The Message).
Will you be a watchman on the wall? Please pray daily for additional prayer people and laborers in your state and country (Luke 10:2).
