How do I pray against the enemy without fearing him?
Praying against the enemy is not a dramatic duel with an equal; it is humble, confident prayer that keeps its eyes on Christ, who has already won. Jesus taught us to ask the Father to deliver us from the evil one, and the Scriptures call us to submit to God, resist, put on the armor, and pray in the Spirit, resting in the greater One who is in us. Fear comes from forgetting the victory; faith comes from remembering who has conquered.
This question arose from studying What is spiritual warfare? and Who is Satan, and what does he do? and Are demons real and active today?.
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What the Scripture says
Jesus made it an ordinary prayer
The battle is real, but the prayer is not exotic. In the prayer He taught, Jesus put it on our lips every day: lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. And Paul grounds the whole fight in the Lord's faithfulness: 'the Lord is faithful, who will establish you, and guard you from the evil one.' John adds that the one born of God is kept, and the evil one does not touch him. We do not need a special ceremony; we need a daily, trusting cry.
Bring us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. For yours is the Kingdom, the power, and the glory forever. Amen. ’
But the Lord is faithful, who will establish you, and guard you from the evil one.
We know that whoever is born of God doesn’t sin, but he who was born of God keeps himself, and the evil one doesn’t touch him.
The posture is submission, then resistance
James gives the order: submit to God, and resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Peter adds the watchfulness: be sober and watchful, resist the devil steadfast in your faith. We do not wrestle in panic or on our own strength; we stand in Christ, and from that standing we resist. The enemy flees not from our fury but from our place in God.
Be subject therefore to God. But resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
Be sober and self-controlled. Be watchful. Your adversary, the devil, walks around like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Withstand him steadfast in your faith, knowing that your brothers who are in the world are undergoing the same sufferings.
Watch and pray, that you don’t enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”
Prayer is how the armor is worn
Paul lists the whole armor of God, and then names what moves it all: praying at all times in the Spirit with all prayer and requests, watchful and persevering. Faith holds the shield, the word is the sword, and prayer is the breath of the battle. Lay the armor on and pray it on: the two belong together.
Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
above all, taking up the shield of faith, with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the evil one.
with all prayer and requests, praying at all times in the Spirit, and being watchful to this end in all perseverance and requests for all the saints:
for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but mighty before God to the throwing down of strongholds,
The enemy is already defeated
When the seventy told Jesus that even the demons were subject to them, He answered that He saw Satan fallen like lightning, and He gave them authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, over all the power of the enemy, with nothing able to harm them. At the cross Christ stripped the principalities and powers and made a public spectacle of them. We do not fight for a victory yet to be won; we fight from Christ's already-won victory, and 'greater is he who is in you than he who is in the world.'
The seventy returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in your name!”
He said to them, “I saw Satan having fallen like lightning from heaven.
Behold, I give you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy. Nothing will in any way hurt you.
having stripped the principalities and the powers, he made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in it.
You are of God, little children, and have overcome them; because greater is he who is in you than he who is in the world.
I have told you these things, that in me you may have peace. In the world you have oppression; but cheer up! I have overcome the world.”
So we pray with calm courage
Fear and prayer cannot both rule the same heart. Cast all your worries on Him, because He cares for you; and in all these things, Paul says, we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. We watch and pray because the enemy is real, and we do not fear because the victory is Christ's. A prayer that fears Him who is in us more than him who is in the world is a prayer prayed in its right mind.
casting all your worries on him, because he cares for you.
No, in all these things, we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.
Watch and pray, that you don’t enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”
You are of God, little children, and have overcome them; because greater is he who is in you than he who is in the world.
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Bring us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. For yours is the Kingdom, the power, and the glory forever. Amen. ’
with all prayer and requests, praying at all times in the Spirit, and being watchful to this end in all perseverance and requests for all the saints:
Be subject therefore to God. But resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
You are of God, little children, and have overcome them; because greater is he who is in you than he who is in the world.
Behold, I give you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy. Nothing will in any way hurt you.
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