Mighty Weapons

Part 3/3

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Ephesians 6:17-20 (NLT) Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. ¹⁸ Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere. ¹⁹ And pray for me, too. Ask God to give me the right words so I can boldly explain God’s mysterious plan that the Good News is for Jews and Gentiles alike. ²⁰ I am in chains now, still preaching this message as God’s ambassador. So pray that I will keep on speaking boldly for him, as I should.

1.     The Sword of the Spirit - the word of God is any helpful word from God in the moment of need. 

¹² For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires. Hebrews 4:12

Matt 4 – Jesus temptation  

“People do not live by bread alone; rather, we live by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.” Deuteronomy 8:3

However, we are not fully armed if we lack a basic knowledge of the Bible.

2.     Pray Always

¹⁸ Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere.^[a] Eph 6:18-20 (NLT)

We are called to pray at all times…On every occasion…for all believers…

3.     The weapon God has given you

God is waiting for you to pray.  Prayer changes things.

4.     How does it work?

1 Timothy 2:1 I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them.

The Greek word “intercede” here means seeking the presence and hearing of God on behalf of others

The word intercede means to “pray on behalf of”

The word also means to “come between”

              We are a threat to the devil when we pray

5.     How do we do that?

A Prayer of Authority

In the strong name of Jesus Christ, I stand against the world, the flesh, and the devil. I resist every force that would seek to distract me from my centre in God. I reject the distorted concepts and ideas that make sin plausible and desirable. I oppose every attempt to keep me from knowing full fellowship with God.

By the power of the Holy Spirit, I speak directly to the thoughts, emotions, and desires of my heart and command you to find your satisfaction in the infinite variety of God’s love rather than the bland diet of sin. I call upon the good, the true, and the beautiful to rise up within me and the evil to subside. I asked for an increase of righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit.

By the authority of Almighty God, I tear down Satan’s strongholds in my life, in the lives of those I love, and in the society in which I live. I take into myself the weapons of truth, righteousness, peace, salvation, the word of God, and prayer. I command every evil influence to leave; you have no right here and I allow you know point of entry. I asked for an increase of faith, hope, and love so that, by the power of God, I can be a light set on a hill, causing truth and justice to flourish.

These things I pray for the sake of him who loved me and gave himself for me. Amen! (Richard J Foster, Authoritative Prayer)

An intercessor’s job is to stand between the devil and the people for whom we are praying for. This keeps Satan from doing what he wants to do. We are able to turn away his attacks, diminishes effectiveness and to keep his plans from being completed.

Spiritual warfare is not something we just talk about. We do it.

How do we do it? By breaking all the destructive vows-both conscious and unconscious-that lie over the lives of people.  Some people have curses laying over them from generations, curse of alcoholism, mental illness, physical emotional or spiritual oppression. We are able to break it, in the name of Jesus.

How do we do that? We do it by taking authority over the sicknesses of mind and body and spirit. Sickness is an enemy, and we are to fight against it.

How do we do it? We do it by coming against every “mountain” that keeps us from progressing in our relationship with God. We command fears of all kinds to leave and never return. We stand against evil thoughts and suspicions and distortions of every sort. We bind the spirit of anger and jealousy and gossip and release the spirit of forgiveness and love and faith.

How do we do it? We do it by coming against all social evil and institutional injustice. We oppose unjust laws that demean and dehumanize those for whom Christ died. We give to the poor, we feed the hungry, we shelter the homeless.

How do we do it? We do it by demon expulsion. Wherever we find evil forces at work, we firmly demand that they leave. We are in charge, not they. In the ministry of power, we take authority over whatever is opposed to our life in the kingdom of God.

All of this work can be done only in the spirit of deepest prayer and greatest humility, for we are trusting in the power of God, not our cleverness.

In the strong name of Jesus Christ, I stand against the world, the flesh, and the devil. I resist every force that would seek to distract me from my centre in God. I reject the distorted concepts and ideas that make sin plausible and desirable. I oppose every attempt to keep me from knowing full fellowship with God.

By the power of the Holy Spirit I speak directly to the thoughts, emotions, and desires of my heart and command you to find your satisfaction in the infinite variety of God’s love rather than the bland diet of sin. I call upon the good, the true, and the beautiful to rise up within me and the evil to subside. I asked for an increase of righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit.

By the authority of Almighty God, I tear down Satan’s strongholds in my life, in the lives of those I love, and in the society in which I live. I take into myself the weapons of truth, righteousness, peace, salvation, the word of God, and prayer. I command every evil influence to leave; you have no right here and I allow you know point of entry. I asked for an increase of faith, hope, and love so that, by the power of God, I can be a light set on a hill, causing truth and justice to flourish.

These things I pray for the sake of him who loved me and gave himself for me. Amen! (Richard J Foster, Authoritative Prayer)