This is a topic I’ve been meaning to address for quite a while. Many people wonder what spiritual warfare is all about and what authority we have as Christians in the spiritual realm. Well, this is not an intro to spiritual warfare, it’s more for those who are familiar but have some questions.
1. What is our authority?
We do not have authority over the heavenlies. In the book of Daniel, Michael, and archangel did not even have authority over the prince of persia. So, why should we shake our fists at the heavens or down toward hell at satan? Honestly, if you ask me, it’s not worth your time. I do not think we should care about what he does, but the people we are allegedly fighting for. Our heart needs to be for people. We do not need to be angry at Satan and yell at him all day (and by the way, the devil isn’t deaf… you don’t need to yell). Our authority in the spiritual realm is what we would call “horizontal”- it is in regards to people, not principalities or strongholds over a nation. We can pray for freedom for the individuals in front of us, but we cannot make a spirit who is affecting an area leave.
2. What is a principality?
A principality has been given authority over an area to spread a specific lie or temptation. Every area you enter will have a principality at work. We cannot tell this to leave, but we can pray the opposite for them (see below). In Romania, the principalities and strongholds in the area we were in included confusion, anger, comparison and lust. When you enter a place that has these particular strongholds you may find yourself more prone to temptation in those areas for no particular reason. Think about the strongholds or principalities that may be at work where you live.
3. What should we pray?
Instead of yelling at the enemy, we must understand the power of blessing. For some reason we believe that praying against something is more effective than praying a blessing that is the opposite of the curse. Instead of wasting our breath giving the enemy the glory for the work he is doing, why don’t we spend our time blessing people? This turns our eyes to Christ and gives Him the glory. It also recognizes that God is more powerful than Satan and we choose to believe that and opperate under that truth. Therefore, if someone is suffering from confusion, pray for discernment and peace. If someone is living in bondage to lust pray for self control and an increased desire for Jesus.
In all of this, remeber these two keys: (1) Who is getting the glory? If anyone but Jesus Christ is getting all the attention and glory, it is NOT appropriate for His Kingdom. (2) We are called to love people and fight for people. It is not up to us to mess with the heirarchy of the spiritual realm. There really is no point. God is the One who grants authority and takes it away. We must be careful about messing with what God has allowed to take place according to His perfect purpose which we cannot understand. Our care should be for people, our focus on an individual and his or her freedom.
