War in the Heavenlies Part 2
BENNY
HINN
As a review, getting
ready for spiritual warfare requires the application of spiritual principles
revealed in the Word of God:
- Identify the enemy (Ephesians 6:12)
- Strengthen yourself in the Lord
(Ephesians 6:10)
- Clothe yourself with the armor
of God (Ephesians 6:11)
The armor protects
your mind, heart, and walk, influences your faith, brings balance to your
Christian life, and keeps you walking with the Spirit and in the Spirit.
From experience dating
back to his youth, King David understood how important it was to move from
preparation to victory on the battlefield:
It is God that girdeth me with strength, and maketh my way
perfect. He maketh my feet like hinds feet… He teacheth my hands to war, so
that a bow of steel is broken by mine arms. Thou hast given me the shield of
thy salvation… I have pursued mine enemies, and overtaken them… I have wounded
them that they were not able to rise: they are fallen under my feet. For thou hast
girded me with strength unto the battle. (Psalm 18:32-39)
According to
Scripture, this struggle is not against “flesh and blood, but
against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of
this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places” (Ephesians 6:12)
Today, as both David
and Paul proclaimed, spiritual warfare is a reality for the believer, and the
stakes involved in the conflict are eternal!
Advanced Training
The secret to moving
beyond preparation is understanding that one of the best ways to win on the
spiritual battlefield is for a believer to spend time on his knees.
The apostle Paul,
after explaining how to prepare for the battle, moved into the need for prayer.
He knew that prayer is the
power that completes the armor and makes it effective against the enemy.
Emphasizing the
importance of prayer, he said, “Praying always with all prayer
and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance
and supplication for all saints” (Eph. 6:18).
The armor is incomplete without prayer. We must have an
effective prayer life, for it makes our armor effective in defeating the enemy
and bringing victory in the realm of the Spirit.
How?
Seven Revelations of
Prayer
You can defeat the
enemy on the battlefield of prayer as these revelations become a vital part of
your prayer life:
Prayer Revelation #1: Confession
Prayer begins with
confession, acknowledging all that God is. Some mistakenly confuse confession
with repentance. The confession of sin takes place before prayer, for it’s
impossible to pray until your heart has been cleansed from sin.
When prayer is
mentioned in the Bible, it deals with the confession of who God is. “Thou art
the Lord God” (2 Kings 19:15; Acts
4:24) “You
alone are the Lord God” (Neh. 9:6) Confess God’s Word, God’s acts, God’s glory,
the revelation of God, and who He is.
Prayer Revelation #2: Supplication
Supplication is vital
to your prayer life. It means expressing your need, desire, or petition to God
in prayer. “As ye have spoken in mine ears, so will I do” (Numbers 14:28).
Paul said, “In every thing by prayer and supplication with
thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God” (Philippians 4:6).
We are told, “Ye
have not because ye ask not” (James 4:2) and “Ask, and ye shall
receive” (John 16:24).
Prayer Revelation #3: Worship
Adoration or worship
is a form of prayer. Your prayer becomes complete as you worship, adore, and
exalt the Lord, expressing your love for Him from the depths of your soul. “I will
praise thee…marvelous are Thy works” (Psalm 139:14).
As with the prophet
Isaiah, we must say, “O Lord, Thou art my God; I will exalt Thee, I will praise
Thy Name” (Isaiah 25:1).
Prayer Revelation #4: Fellowship
Fellowship is what
Paul meant when he said, “Pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17). Praying without ceasing represents uninterrupted communion or
intimacy with God.
Regardless of where
your steps take you each day, your prayer continues as you fellowship and
commune with Him. As you fellowship with Him in prayer “without ceasing,” you
make prayer part of your life. Take prayer with you wherever you go!
Prayer Revelation #5: Intercession
Intercession is the
work of the Holy Spirit and not something that can be learned. It is a gift
from the Holy Spirit and involves forgetting about yourself as you prayerfully
focus on the needs of others.
In intercession you
and I are only the vehicles, and God the Holy Spirit is the Intercessor: “The
Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings that cannot be uttered”
(Romans 8:26)
Prayer Revelation #6: Thanksgiving
We should continually
express our thanks to God in prayer for what He has done in our lives. “Continue
in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving;” (Colossians 4:2). Based upon the promises contained in God’s
Word, we demonstrate our faith and trust in God when we thank Him for things
that are yet to come. “It is God that avengeth me…He delivereth me from mine
enemies…Therefore will I give thanks unto thee, O Lord” (Psalm 18:47-49)
Prayer Revelation
#7: Praise
Praise is activated in
your life through thanksgiving and is born from a thankful heart. “Enter
into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise: be thankful
unto Him, and bless His Name” (Psalm
100:4).
We are extolled: “Oh
that men would praise the Lord for His goodness, and for His wonderful works to
the children of men!” (Psalm 107:31).
Paul’s reference to “praying
always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit” suggests that these seven revelations of
prayer ought to function under the control of the Holy Ghost. True prayer takes
place in the realm of the Spirit, for spiritual victories are not won in the
flesh but by the Spirit.
The forces of darkness
have declared war against the kingdom of God. “For we wrestle not
against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against
the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high
places” (Ephesians 6:12).
Regarding spiritual
warfare, I have often cautioned, “Never rush onto the battlefield naked!” By
that I mean you cannot trust in your own strength or abilities, for the flesh
is powerless and without authority against the enemy: “Through
God we shall do valiantly: for he it is that shall tread down our enemies” (Psalm 60:12)
Battlefield Forces
The conflict in which
we are engaged is not of this world. This battle is in the realm of the Spirit.
It is a war in the heavenlies!
Spiritual battles are
won on the battlefield of prayer. Angels are dispatched by the power of the
Holy Spirit when you pray. The angelic host of heaven stands ready to respond,
and when you pray, the forces of the enemy will be destroyed.
Notice how many
different angelic forces are prepared to take action:
Angelic Force #1: Seraphims — connected to God’s glory
In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord
sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and His train (skirt) filled the
temple. Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with two he
covered his face, and with two he covered feet, and with two he flew. And one
cried unto another and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts: the whole
earth is full of His glory (Isaiah 6:1-3)
God’s glory deals with
His attributes and who He is. In response to His inexhaustible revelation of
Himself, the seraphims continually cry “Holy, holy, holy,
is the Lord of hosts: the whole earth is full of His glory” to one another. Because God’s attributes are
endless, each revelation prompts another response by an innumerable number of
seraphims as they acknowledge His holiness.
Angelic Force #2: Cherubims — connected to worship and heaven; protectors of the throne
of God
We are told about “the
cherubims of glory” (Hebrews 9:5).
The presence and glory
of God is so holy that the cherubims protect it, for it is the dwelling place
of God.
Cherubims are in the
holy presence of God continually, affecting their very appearance “…and
they sparkled like the colour of burnished brass” (Ezekiel 1:7). They are involved in the work of the Spirit in
Heaven and what is happening in glory. These magnificent beings were
worshipping God, and protecting the throne of Heaven.
Angelic Force #3: Living Creatures — angels of revelation,
revealing who God is to the heavens through exaltation and worship
These angels of
revelation are described in detail:
“And, behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on
the throne. And before the throne there was a sea of glass like unto
crystal: and in the midst of the throne, and round about the throne, were four
beasts full of eyes before and behind. The first beast was like a lion,
and the second beast like a calf, and the third beast had a face as a man, and
the fourth beast was like a flying eagle. And four beasts had each of them, the
Word of God says, they had six wings about him; and they were full of eyes
within: and they rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God
Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come. And when those beasts give glory
and honour and thanks to Him that sat on the throne, Who liveth for ever and
ever” (Revelation 4:2, 6-7).
While the seraphims
acknowledge the holiness of God to one another, in worship and adoration, these
angels are found before the throne crying, “Holy, holy, holy,
Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come” to God Himself.
Angelic Force #4: Archangels — messengers or
ministers, involved in the affairs of men
The archangel
announced Christ’s birth: “Behold, I bring you good tidings of
great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the
city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord” (Luke 2:10-11).
They will also
foretell His Second Coming: “For the Lord Himself shall descend
from heaven with a shout, with the Voice of the archangel, and with the trump
of God” (1 Thessalonians
4:16).
They are involved in
spiritual warfare and protection: “But the prince of the
kingdom of Persia withstood me one and twenty days; but, lo, Michael, one of
the chief princes, came to help me” (Daniel 10:13).
They stand in God’s
presence: “And the angel answering said unto him, I am Gabriel, that
stand in the presence of God; and am sent to speak unto thee” (Luke 1:19).
Angelic Force #5: Angels — dispatched through prayer
There are 300
references to angels in the Bible, suggesting the importance God places on this
subject. Here are a few examples:
- Angels are wise.
They are also aware of the events on earth: “…according to
the wisdom of an angel of God, to know all things that are in the earth” (2 Samuel 14:20)
- Angels are powerful: “And after these things I saw another angel come down from heaven,
having great power” (Revelation 18:1).
- Angels are obedient: “Bless the Lord, ye His angels that excel in strength, that do His
commandments, hearkening unto the Voice of His Word. Bless ye the Lord,
all ye His hosts, ye ministers of His that do His pleasure” (Psalm 103:20-21)
- Angels strengthen us in times
of trial. An angel strengthened Jesus on the Mount of Olives before His
betrayal: “And there appeared an angel unto Him from
heaven, strengthening Him” (Luke 22:43)
- Angels protect the saints: “The angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear Him, and
delivereth them” (Psalm 34:7)
- Angels bring clarity and
understanding to the will of God: “There was a
certain man in Caesarea called Cornelius, a centurion of the band called
the Italian band. A devout man and one that feared God…which gave much
alms…and prayed to God always. He saw in a vision…an angel of God coming
to him and saying unto him, Cornelius. And he looked on him and he was
afraid, and said, What is it Lord? And he said unto him, Thy prayers and
thine alms are come up for a memorial before God. And now send men to
Joppa, and call for one Simon, whose surname is Peter: He lodgeth with one
Simon a tanner, whose house is by the seaside: he shall tell thee what
thou oughtest to do” (Acts 10:1-6)
- Angels are
without number, innumerable: “I beheld till
the thrones were cast down, and the Ancient of days did sit, whose garment
was white as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool: his throne
was like the fiery flame, and his wheels as burning fire. A fiery stream
issued and came forth from before him: thousand thousands ministered unto
him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him: the judgment
was set, and the books were opened” (Daniel
7:9-10).
Remember, as a
believer, you need never face the enemy in your own strength. On your knees you
can tear down the strongholds of the enemy, for the devil trembles when a
believer prays. You can bring defeat to the forces of hell through prayer. As
you pray, angels will be dispatched, and the enemy will be defeated.
Take your position on
the battlefield of prayer starting today and sound the battle cry, for the
hosts of heaven stand ready for battle as a mighty army. Be persistent and
don’t give up, for the battle is already won, and victory is on the way!