February 16, 2011

I believe that Satan attacks and influences us in our daily lives. I do not believe, however, that there is a demon under every rock or behind every tree. As a matter fact what I believe is very well summarized in the 1974 Lausanne covenant, which was written by a worldwide group of Christians who got together to promote global evangelism. About spiritual warfare they wrote;

We believe that we are engaged in constant spiritual warfare with the principalities and powers of evil who are seeking to overthrow the church and to frustrate its task in world evangelization. We know our need to equip ourselves with God’s armor and to fight this battle with the spiritual weapons of truth and prayer.

So I believe that Satan tries to frustrate our attempts at bringing the good news of salvation to the world. Now if you don’t believe that just try and do something for the church.

Before I became a pastor I was a football coach and it was amazing how much easier it was to obtain accomplishment in sports. It was amazing how eager the boosters were to come alongside me and help me in preparing a team capable of winning victories. Everybody in the community would get behind me. There is something special about coaching a football team in a southern town to victory. It is amazing how a community rallies around its team, and coaches.

But in the church it’s different. Everybody doesn’t want to rally around the cause of winning the world to Christ. There are those in the community who won’t help you accomplish this goal. People will help you grow grass, or paint your teams logo on the field and never complain; but they won’t help you with the task of winning the world for Christ. Why is that? Is it because the people in town are all demon possessed? No!

It’s because Satan in his work puts a veil over mankind’s eyes and causes us to be blinded to the true need of salvation which we all have individually and that the world has collectively. Satan works in our lives, he works in our world and most often we are of oblivious to his actions. The fact that Satan works and that we need protection from his work  is taught to us by Jesus himself. Jesus taught us a model prayer, which we call the Lord’s prayer. We find it in Matthew 6.

“And when you pray do not keep on babbling like pagans for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. This then is how you should pray; Our Father in heaven hallowed be your name, your kingdom come your will be done on Earth as it is in heaven give us today our daily bread, forgive us our debts as we also have forgiven our debtors and lead us not into temptation but deliver us from the evil one. For if you forgive men when they sin against you your heavenly Father will also forgive you but if you do not forgive men their sins your Father will not forgive your sins.

Notice that phrase “and lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil one.”

Jesus’ model prayer which he teaches us is a warfare prayer! He is teaching us to pray and ask God to keep us from being tempted, and He is also teaching us to pray for spiritual protection from the evil one. Who is evil one? Satan himself. Lest we not learn the lesson there look at His high priestly prayer in John’s Gospel. John chapter 17 .

“Holy Father protect them by the power of your name the name you gave me so that they may be one as we are one while I was with them I protected them and kept them safe by that name you gave me.”

What is that name? The powerful name of the Lord. I spent a great deal of time studying his name (perhaps other articles will follow about God’s various names). His personal name is Yahweh. Two other more common names for God used in the OT are Adoni, and El Shadai. There is power in His name.

As Christians we believe that God the Father, God the Son, and God the Spirit are one. God’s name has power!  God has given Jesus His power, and Jesus stands before God the Father making intercession as we pray on our behalf. God’s  power is in Jesus, (because He is God) and this is why when you pray you should always end your prayer in Jesus’ name. There’s power in His name. There is no power in prayer in and off itself. If you are just praying as mere psychological self talk then there is no power in such a prayer. If you want to have power in prayer, pray in the name of Jesus! (If your invited to go somewhere and pray please stand up and pray in Jesus name, or don’t pray at all! Don’t be politically correct!)

So once more in John 17 we learn from Jesus “my prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one” to pray spiritual warfare prayers! And some people (usually men) mistakenly think prayer is for wimps.  Don’t just stand there, PRAY SOMETHING!!!