March 2, 2011

While it is true that many who study spiritual warfare spend too much time discussing Satan and too little time focusing on God, I do not believe that will be the case for us during this study. I will strive to find balance and teach you the truth about spiritual warfare.

Remember that we have learned that the model prayer is the prayer he taught us to pray “when you pray he says pray like this. . .” The high priestly prayer, recorded in John is the prayer which Jesus prayed for us. This is  Jesus’ last will and testament. In his high priestly prayer found in John 17 Jesus prayed:

6 “I have manifested Your name to the men whom You gave Me out of the world; they were Yours and You gave them to Me, and they have kept Your word. . . .  9 “I ask on their behalf; I do not ask on behalf of the world, but of those whom You have given Me; for they are Yours; . . . 11 . . . 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. 12 While I was with them, I protected them and kept them safe by that name you gave me. . . E not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one . . .20 ‘‘My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message,  21 that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me.

Look also at verse 9 “I pray for them I am not praying for the world but for those you have given me for they are yours.”  In verse 11 “Holy father protect them by the power of your name the name you gave me” this is why it is important for anyone who wishes to engage in spiritual warfare to familiarize themselves with the Hebrew names of God.  Jesus says that the power is in the name.

In Exodus Moses said to God suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them the Lord God of your fathers has sent me to you and they ask me what is His name then what shall I tell them? God said to Moses “I am who I am” this is what you are to say, I am (Yahweh) sent me to you.

Then notice Jesus says “so that they may be one as we are one.”  This is an interesting pattern for unity in the church. It is not the United Nations pattern. The pattern for unity in the church is not your family. The pattern the unity of the church is not how you loved your grandma. The pattern for unity in the church is how God the Father relates to God the Son. There is perfect oneness. We say God the Father, God the Son, and God the Spirit are one. So the pattern for unity in the church is oneness in unity of thought and purpose.

In this High priestly prayer we discover that Jesus understood who was His enemy. Who is your enemy? If you are a Democrat you may think that the Republicans are your enemy and vice versa.  Ephesians teaches us that “our struggle is not against flesh and blood but against the rulers against the authorities against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” Remember that instead of delving into exactly how each of these descriptions which Paul gives in Ephesians relates one to the other, I’m going instead bundling them together and writing about the spiritual forces of evil.

There are spiritual forces of evil that are at work to defeat you and to prevent you or certainly to curtail you from living a victorious Christian life. If you don’t think that is so then you are blind. This is why you can get someone to talk about the Atlanta Braves but not Christ.

We also learn in this high priestly prayer that Jesus uses the power of God’s name. Jesus prays Father protect them by the power of your name.  Here Jesus is putting God’s name upon us. He is blessing us with this name of God. As you and I pray warfare prayers we should use God’s name.

Next, in His high priestly prayer Jesus prays for the purpose of obtaining unity in the church. Jesus does this over and over and over in this prayer. (20) “I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message that all of them may be one Father just as you are in me and I am in you.”Here is another great example of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit  in verse 23 “may they be brought to complete unity to let the whole world  know that you sent me and have loved them even as you love me so.” He is praying for us to be of one mind and one accord.

Look again at verse 11.

“I will remain in the world no longer but they are still in the world and I am coming to you Holy Father keep them (or protect these believers).

In verses 13-14:

“I am coming to you now but I say these things while I am still in the world so that they may have the full measure of my joy within them I have given them your word and the world has hated them for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world.”

Do you understand the significance of this verse? We’re not supposed to be into the evil things in the world any more Jesus would be. The standard is not “Now my dad drank, I learned it from him and I have trouble with it so that’s why I drink.” The standard is if Jesus were with me here in the flesh could I take him with me. If the answer is no, then don’t go!

For the businessman the standard for your business contracts is if Jesus were to investigate all the particulars of this deal and He were my partner could I get him to sign this contract. If the answer is no then you should not sign it either.

Sustaining unity and love for each other is the mark which the world sees.

“A new command I give you love one another as I have loved you so you love one another, by this will all men know that you are my disciples.” John 13:34-35

The love we have for our brothers and sisters in Christ is the testimony to the rest of the world that we are genuine in our beliefs about Jesus. As 1 John says “you cannot love God and hate your brother.” Though many people try it is impossible according to Scripture.

Unity of thought and purpose gives the church power and synergistic effect. I need your help. As you read about spiritual warfare help your church to be godly, notice I didn’t say grow large, numbers are up to God.

If in my home there is not unity, if in my church there is not unity, and I have not prayed spiritual warfare prayers over myself, my home and my church, then when I go to speak to someone else about faith in Christ I will have little  power and will notice that they demonstrate little interest.