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?.
Begin by reading
Go into the Word
Not a summary of these passages: the passages themselves. Read them, then come back to the study below.
The study
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. ’And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.
But the Lord is faithful, who will establish you, and guard you from the evil one.But the Lord is faithful, who shall stablish you, and keep you from evil.
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.We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not; but he that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and that wicked one toucheth him not.
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.Submit yourselves therefore to God. 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.Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.
Watch and pray, that you don’t enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”Watch and pray, that ye enter not 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.Put on the whole armour of God, that ye 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.Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.
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:Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;
for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but mighty before God to the throwing down of strongholds,(For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)
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!”And the seventy returned again with joy, saying, Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through thy name.
He said to them, “I saw Satan having fallen like lightning from heaven.And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall 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.Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you.
having stripped the principalities and the powers, he made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in it.And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew 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.Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that 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.”These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; 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.Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.
No, in all these things, we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.
Watch and pray, that you don’t enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”Watch and pray, that ye enter not 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.Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.
As you read, you may wonder…
Scripture raises the next question
Studying the Word naturally opens more of it. Follow what you just read: it leads somewhere.
Explore further
How do I fight sin in my life?→Our Walk with Him trail“Thus consider yourselves also to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Therefore don’t let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts. Neither present your members to sin as instruments of unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God, as alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. For sin will not have dominion over you. For you are not under law, but under grace.Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God. For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.”We haven't written this one yet. Take it to your church or small group: the Word answers it wherever it is asked. If we study it here later, all the better.
Hold onto these
Verses to meditate on
Bring us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. For yours is the Kingdom, the power, and the glory forever. Amen. ’And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. 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:Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;
Be subject therefore to God. But resist the devil, and he will flee from you.Submit yourselves therefore to God. 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.Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that 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.Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you.
Worth visiting