Matters of Faith: The Method of Warfare


“Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
14 Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16 above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. 17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; 18 praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints…”

Ephesians 6:10-18 (v. 18) NKJV

Prayer is more than a weapon and more than a protective device. Prayer is the way God uses the armor He provides and instructs us to wear when we are in a battle in order to stand against the onslaught of the enemy. We wear armor so that we are properly attired when we go into battle. As long as we move forward, the armor protects us from slander and lies, all unrighteousness, slings and arrows, and any and all wickedness in high places. The Lord promises to cover our back; “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life” (Psalm 23:6 NKJV). ‬‬‬‬

During these very challenging times, when it seems each day is filled with one tragedy after another, we are charged to prepare ourselves for the battlefield. The thing about this battle is that the enemy is not visible to the eye, audible to the ear, detectable by the nose, perceptible by touch, or discernable to the tongue. This enemy is not physical, so it cannot be defeated with a sword, or a spear, or a gun. This enemy is exactly what Paul described in his letter to the Ephesians — spiritual wickedness in high places!

Preparation must be made for spiritual warfare; “against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.” All of the time spent studying the Word of God, in Bible study, in Sunday School, listening to the preached word and witnessing miracle after miracle and seeing wonders that never cease, has uniquely prepared us for such a time as this. Paul tells the Ephesians that they must put into practice all that they have learned. The souls of the saints are at stake. He tells them that it’s time to engage in warfare! They were instructed to pray! Prayer is not a weapon of war. It is not a part of the armor. Prayer is why we were equipped with the armor and the method we use to engage the battle. The Word of God is the primary weapon in that war! “Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere” (NLT). We cannot defeat this enemy using conventional warfare. It cannot be defeated by science alone. It can’t be defeated using the guidelines given to us by our secular leadership alone. It must be attacked and defeated at its core; we must go fight “against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.”

I am calling on all believers to put on the whole armor of God. Stay safe and healthy by following the instructions given to us by our mutual colleagues in this battle, then engage in the battle of spiritual warfare with prayer. Super charge your prayers with meditation and fasting, even if all you do is pray in the morning before you break your fast (breakfast). We are in the battle for our lives and the lives of everyone around us. Our enemy is not physical, its spiritual. We can win both the battle and the war because we’re fighting the right fight. The method of our warfare is prayer!

Be Blessed!

Rev. J. Loren Russell is President/CEO of The JLR Company for Church Financial Strategy & Consulting; an associate minister at both Goodwill and The Greater Universal Baptist Churches in the Bronx; creator/host of “Matters of Faith – The Radio Show” on Soul 1 Radio, Monday’s 8:00 – 10:00 PM (626-226-1448) and author of Matters of Faith: The Book, an eBook available at Smashwords.com.

Print Friendly, PDF & Email