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Glory · The Unseen Realm
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.
https://glorystudy.com/questions/praying-against-the-enemy · Scripture quoted from the World English Bible
Matthew 6:9-13
As you read: Toward the close of the prayer Jesus taught, the daily cry: lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.
9Pray like this: ‘Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy.
10Let your Kingdom come. Let your will be done, as in heaven, so on earth.
11Give us today our daily bread.
12Forgive us our debts, as we also forgive our debtors.
13Bring us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. For yours is the Kingdom, the power, and the glory forever. Amen. ’
Ephesians 6:10-20
As you read: After the armor, the engine: praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, watchful and persevering.
10Finally, be strong in the Lord, and in the strength of his might.
11Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
12For our wrestling is not against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against the powers, against the world’s rulers of the darkness of this age, and against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.
13Therefore put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and, having done all, to stand.
14Stand therefore, having the utility belt of truth buckled around your waist, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness,
15and having fitted your feet with the preparation of the Good News of peace;
16above all, taking up the shield of faith, with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the evil one.
17And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God;
18with 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:
19on my behalf, that utterance may be given to me in opening my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the Good News,
20for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.
Luke 10:17-20
As you read: The seventy find demons subject to them in Jesus' name, and Jesus declares He saw Satan fall: the victory behind the authority.
17The seventy returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in your name!”
18He said to them, “I saw Satan having fallen like lightning from heaven.
19Behold, 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.
20Nevertheless, don’t rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”
James 4:6-10
As you read: The order that matters: submit to God, resist the devil and he will flee, draw near to God and He will draw near to you.
6But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”
7Be subject therefore to God. But resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
8Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.
9Lament, mourn, and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to gloom.
10Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he will exalt you.
2 Thessalonians 3:1-5
As you read: Paul's prayer trust: the Lord is faithful, who will establish you and guard you from the evil one.
1Finally, brothers, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may spread rapidly and be glorified, even as also with you;
2and that we may be delivered from unreasonable and evil men; for not all have faith.
3But the Lord is faithful, who will establish you, and guard you from the evil one.
4We have confidence in the Lord concerning you, that you both do and will do the things we command.
5May the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God, and into the patience of Christ.
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. ’”Matthew 6:13
“But the Lord is faithful, who will establish you, and guard you from the evil one.”2 Thessalonians 3:3
“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.”1 John 5:18
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.”James 4:7
“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.”1 Peter 5:8-9
“Watch and pray, that you don’t enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.””Matthew 26:41
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.”Ephesians 6:11
“above all, taking up the shield of faith, with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the evil one.”Ephesians 6:16
“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:”Ephesians 6:18
“for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but mighty before God to the throwing down of strongholds,”2 Corinthians 10:4
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!””Luke 10:17
“He said to them, “I saw Satan having fallen like lightning from heaven.”Luke 10:18
“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.”Luke 10:19
“having stripped the principalities and the powers, he made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in it.”Colossians 2:15
“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.”1 John 4:4
“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.””John 16:33
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.”1 Peter 5:7
“No, in all these things, we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.”Romans 8:37
“Watch and pray, that you don’t enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.””Matthew 26:41
“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.”1 John 4:4