PRAYER IN THE MIDST OF SPIRITUAL CONFLICT

Praying in the midst of spiritual conflict with Satan, hell and sin.

We see it all around us and in us, it is the presence of evil.  It is the thing that condemns men to hell, for in following after evil they reject God's grace and mercy.  And for the Christian it is the one thing our Lord never allowed nor permitted in His Own self while here on this earth or reigning in heaven.  Christ died to undo evil and deliver men from it.  Therefore, Christians that have embraced Christ and all His ways hate evil and desire to see it undone.

Now in ourselves as the church and as individuals, we have no power to undo evil.  'Why could we not cast the demon out?'  was the question that the disciples asked Jesus when they was confronted by a demon possessed child and could not remove the demon from the boy.  Perhaps they was trying in their own flesh and stength, but they had cast out demons before.  But Jesus said, 'this kind can come forth but nothing but prayer and fasting'. 

This was direct and specific instructions by Christ to His discplies in engaging in this conflict, this war against evil. 

Purpose:  the purpose of all things is for God to be glorified and His kingdom to come and be done on earth as it is in heaven

Satan is set to undo all that brings glory to God.  He hates God and all things that glorify Him, including us and the church as a whole.  He sets himself against it, not to limit it or defame it, but to destroy and annihlate it.  Who stands against our enemy and this onslaught for all that is holy, and good and right?  We are called to serve our Lord's purposes and be glorified.  But if there is none that takes up this warfare, then Satan wins and our Lord is not glorified, but we 'give an occassion against Him'.  'Choose you this day Whom/whom you will serve?'  Therein lies your purpose for living, loving and serving. 

Where is the conflict at?

There are numerous locations where this battle takes place.  WE see instances of this in Scripture, as well as all around us.  Let us examine a few:
Conflict in heaven, before the throne of God:
1.  in the story of Job, Satan must appear before God, this is not the first time, but we learn a continual thing.  He who is under Him must appear and give an account to Him.  'Where have you been?'  And here before the throne of God, not once, but twice, the very witness and soul of Job is the prize of this battle.  Satan sought to destroy him, God sought to deliver and be glorified in all of it.  And the end result?  'In all this, Job sinned not. . .in all this, the Lord gives and the Lord takes away blessed be the Name of the Lord.'  HE was glorified!

2.  Again before the throne of God, we read that there Satan is 'accusing the brethren' against Joshua the high priest.  There he stood bringing railing accusations against the Lord's anointed.  Once again, God silences our accuser and robes us in His righteouseness.  What can Satan say against the perfect righteousness of our Lord and Savior?  God is glorified in His Own right hand of salvation. 

3.  Two other passages in Scripture tells us of Satan's activity against us before the throne of God.  I Timothy 4:13, 'the accuser of the brethren'.  and also in Revelation 12:10, 'the accuser of our brethren'.  Accusing not for correction, or for edification or for reproof, but to destroy our witness and walk for the Lord. 

Conflict in earth:
1.  The garden of Eden, Satan entered to destroy creation of God.  There he engaged in battle for Eve's and mankinds existence. 

2.  a lying spirit in the prophets for the destruction of King Ahab.  Satan is the father of lies, and we know this to be him, who would seduce lies out of the prophets to destroy Ahab in the battle. 

3.  Satan entered to tempt Christ during the forty days of fasting in the wilderness with 3 temptations.  God was glorified as Christ overcame all temptations. 

4.  It is not mentioned of Satan's direct presence in the garden of Gethsemanne, but there was much wrestling there of flesh and spirit.  Conclusion, 'nevertheless not My will be done, but Thy will be done.' 

5.  'Our enemy, the devil, as a roaring lion, walking about seeking whom he may devour'.   This is also demonstrated in the account of Job.  'Where have you been?" the Lord asked Satan.  He replied, 'walking to and fro throughout the earth'. 

Conflict in the mind, heart and soul of men:
1.  'And Satan entered into him. . .'

2.  Judas, the son of perdition, the son of the damned was sealed by Satan's devices and means to betray Christ.  Thus, sealing the death of Christ and the destruciton of the soul of Judas for all eternity. 

3.  My name is Legion, for we are many.  We see numerous accounts of demonic entering of demons into mankind.  their work is simple, it is to destroy the life and lives being impacted of the one that they possess.  They seek to fight against God's kingdom and His good works.  They speak lies, to undo truth; they cast forth darkness to shroud the Light of the world.


How has Satan worked?

We see Satan, as all things, consistent in many of his actions to destroy and undo God's good works.  Lies, whether half-truths or whole deceptions is a main-stay of his to lead men away from truth and right. 

How is Satan working now?

It has been within the last 100 years of the United States history that we hav seen such a huge rise in Satanic power and dominance over the lives, thoughts and ways of our nation.  This is also demonstrated in churches and religion.  For decades there has been the patient, contemplating attacks of Satan to undo a nation to destruction.  Again, Satan's devices is for one purpose, to destroy.  In destroying this nation, there is lost a great resource for Israel, for world-wide missions, including people, money, technology and advancement.  He sees us as one of his greatest needs of dominance to stop the kingdom's business for God's glory. 

Let us examine some of these things that are under attack presently:

1.  Probably one of the greatest battles right now, or at least at one of the fronts of this war is the war on marriage.  God ordained 'a man to leave his father and mother and cling to his wife.'  To destroy the ordained, sacred marriage edict by God, Satan seeks to corrupt and defile it by permitting and allowing for same sex marriage as well as 'co-habit' homes.  The Supreme Court is set to rule on this and it may become the law of the land, simply a another decisive victory in his pursuit. 

Also, in Virigina they are set to pass a law that would remove from the law books, punishment to those that live together outside of marriage.  Three states still have laws that condemn living together, which is the sin of fornication.  We have also seen the govenrment bless two income homes, apart from married couples with one income.  All these are tatics of Satan to erode away the sacred head of marriage.

2.  Drugs - probably one of the fastest rising death chambers for our nation;  I'm sure there are other more accurate stats out there but here is what I have got: 
11,000 drug overdoses in 1999 (24 yrs. old and younger) this does not reflect older adults;
20,000 in 2004;
24,000 in 2006;
28,000 in 2007;
36,459 in 2008;
and they say that it is doubling in most recent years, putting us near 100,000 deaths per year;
Satan seeks to destroy, and he is.  Do you realize how vast this impact is on families and those left behind to deal with this assualt of sin?

And thinking that intelligent men would see this epidemic and respond, they refuse to see.  No doubt, God has withheld their wisdom, and sight, 'having eyes to see and cannot see'.  Now we are left with them encouragin the drug culture by legalizing drugs in several states most recently.  This will only see to destroy our nation faster and reach deeper in the younger generation. 

3.  As they pass laws to leglaize homosexuality and drug useage, we see a greater influence of evil on society in legalizing and permitting the practice of it.  A blessing, so to say, by tthe governement, for our own eradication.  This is the plight of Satan's pawns in government in legislatures, judicial and executive positions of president, govenors, and such that throw up the doors to evil and say, 'Partake'. 

4.  Age restrictions were held in check for numerous years against such practices of alcohol, drugs, porn, tobacco, gambling and other evil ways.  But restrictions cannot be rightly enforced, maintained.  So we will see age restrictions lowered and restraints removed.  Our children have already begun to have their 'age of innocence and naive' removed.  We now have 3 -5 year old chidlren seeing death, drugs and sin at its worst of hell.  And again, Satan's tatics are to undo a nationa nd destroy it from within and without.  This is from within, our own self-destruction.  Children see it earlier and earlier and they are more prone to fall prey to it and in it.  Thus capturing the hope and future of our nation and the church.  This is a great battle for our children right now, and a few more years and this battle front will all but be claimed by hell.

5.  Generations eroding away - Satan is being able to remove entire generatiosn from our existence.  Abortion has claimed 55 million babies over 40 years of evil.  This is an entire generation, 1/6 of our population. 

6.  Jails are filled with repeated and generational offenders.  No remedy for them as they are filled to capacity and have to early release many.  These demon filled people return to their sin after their release.  'As the dog returns to its vomit, so they return to their sin and shame'.  And usually it continues to include more and more souls and deeper and deeper repercusssions upon the landside. 

7.  Spiritual disciplines removed - here is another battle front that Satan is claiming faster and faster.  Where is the prophets?  Where is the anointed ones?  Satan has built a soceity that erodes time and engery toward the things of God.  Now this is not about lost souls, already claimed by Satan for hell.  This is about the children of God, and their personal accountability with God.  Less time and knoweldge fo the Word of God, less time in prayer, less lives in holiness and this allows for the power of God to be quenched and restrained by our own willfulness indisobedience and neglect.  Asleep in that which would sustain and deliver us.  Much time in entertainment, self-indulgence and sports that restricts from having energy or time with intimacy with Him.  This is a sin of neglect.  And one that has costs us dearly in fighting the battles of our Lord.  Satan has caused us to settle down, become content and at ease while a world perishes.  Where much is given, much is required!

8.  Time, thought captured by Satan - it is discerned that Satan does not have the power to read our thoughts;  but he does have the power to tempt in our thoughts;  And we are left with a battle of our minds and wills.  In this conflict, we either give time to holiness or time to self and sin.  The results of this is reflected in many fo these other battles we have already gone through.  Much for God, much for holiness and in power;  much for self, much in sin and in weakness.  Satan plays the game of distratcions, limitations, and restraitns for he knows that the soul that is moved to do more for God is a huge opportunity for Christ's victory and defeat for him.  So he sets about to stop this before it happens.  We are not very prone to understand these things and quicly fall short.

9.  Geographical locations - there are certain places on a world map that indicate the advancements of hell; 
--the 10/40 window; a huge population of billions of souls in jeopardy of hell fire forever;  it is a highly contested area in this battle;  Satan has dominated the governments and earthly institutions to minimize the advancement of the Word of God and the servants of the Lord.  He has done this through persecution, the government regimes (Islamic revolutions, anti-west governemtns, etc.) deep seated evil in false religions and cultures for centuries;
--Europe and North Amercia - has the sin of 'thou art increased in goods and have need of nothing', no, not even God;  we have left our first love and forsaken that which was the good way;  great revivals, great men of God throughout the last several hundred years all erased in our lifetime because of this neglect and allowance for Satan to have his will and way;
--Africa - from the time of DAvid Livingstone, right on through present day need, this contient is still in the crux of a major battle for dominance of hell or heaven; literally divided between the Northern Africa given place to Islam and its dominance vs. the souther tier with influences of Christinaity;  civil wars, overthrows, demonic assualts are all its make up;  its very future hangs in the balances in these next few years


What is the command upon the church in engaging in this conflict?

As much as it is wrestling against Satan and his evil plans and devices.  'Tearing down stronholds' of him who is set against us.  We are to pray for the advancement of God's kingdom through God's means. 
--'The harvest is white, but the laborers are few; pray ye therefore, for laborers to be raised up.'  Pray for the advancment of holy, empowered, obedient men and women of God to go forth. 
--'this kind can come forth but nothing, but by prayer and fasting';  pray and fast often for the victory and power in the Spirit;
--Christ restrained Satan on all 3 temptaions by quoting Scripture; know the Word of God to undo the works of Satan;
--'Take time to be holy' make sure you spend more time with God than with man;
--Be engaged; all hands are needed;  It is not the time for quitting.  Anyone can quit.  But Christ has said and pronounced blessings on 'him that overcometh'.  Be an overcomer for your Lord.
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