| WARFARE PRAYER: PROSECUTING SATAN IN COURT Eddie & Alice Smith I AM REVEALED B. Childress Jan 22 2012 A praying saint performs far more havoc among the unseen forces of darkness than we have the slightest notion of. Oswald Chambers For eons a cosmic battle has raged between God and His former angel Lucifer (Satan). It is a battle for worshipers. One doesn't decide whether or not to do spiritual warfare. We were all born on a spiritual battlefield. The war rages around us incessantly, and we were born POWs (prisoners of war)! Charles Finney was familiar with this war. A friend of Charles Finney tells about a man who came to Mr. Finney and said, "I don't believe in the existence of a devil." "Don't you?" said Finney. "Well, you resist him for a while, and you will believe in him." It is by being born again that we are rescued, recruited, and released to fight our former oppressor. Paul taught the Ephesian Christians: "As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient" (Ephesians 2:1-2). The fighting we are to do is to be done in a court of law. (See Job 1:6-8; Revelation 12:10.) It is in this courtroom that we, as spiritual prosecuting attorneys under the leadership of our lead attorney, Jesus Christ, are to level our charges against the ancient outlaw Satan. This is spiritual warfare. The American church has begun to realize that the devil and his demons are a real threat. But we must equip ourselves with the proper understanding, techniques, and strategies to face him in court. We have discussed our role as defense attorneys. In this chapter we will discuss our role as prosecuting attorneys. In Jurisprudence, a prosecutor is an attorney who represents the government by presenting evidence to convict one who is charged with a crime. However, the prosecutor can only present evidence that the court allows. Without using the law, precedent of the court, or proving otherwise, the judge will have no other choice but to rule against the prosecutor when he violates protocol. In a court of law, there are procedures and protocol that we must follow. There are strict methods of handling evidence so that it is not contaminated or misrepresented. In our spiritual application, we represent the government of God. As prosecutors, we identify where Satan has broken God's laws and prosecute him and his strongmen based on our covenant relationship with the Lord Jesus. As in any legal case where the prosecutor is held to strict codes, we can do no less. We should not represent or mishandle the opportunities God has given us to prosecute an ancient depraved deity. His crimes are very real - and we must be prepared and ready to prosecute him in court. How many times have we seen someone engage in spiritual warfare with little or no biblical basis for his or her case? For example, about a year ago we received a call from a distraught and confused pastor. Several of his church members, along with others from various denominations, formed a city prayer group. They decided on a way to destroy the principalities over their city. They invited the territorial spirits to enter a designated person in their group (with her full approval). Thinking they were in full control of the situation, they assumed they had cast the principalities that had entered the woman out of the city. Friends, God is not within a million miles of this kind of foolishness! The group eventually dissolved, but the precious woman who, as a medium, "received" the spirits is still in bondage. Today she suffers from a martyr complex, convinced that having served Christ in this way is saving her city from evil. This is simply not biblical, and the city isn't any more righteous than before this action. If you have been involved with this kind of activity, repent to the Lord right now. Then aloud, and with your eyes open, renounce and break all contracts, covenants, or alliances you made with the powers of darkness in the process. What about the times when evidence was disallowed in court because it was not presented at the right time or in the correct manner? Seven churches in a beautiful U.S. city sponsored us to teach a city-wide spiritual warfare conference. As our hosts drove us from the airport to the hotel, they began to list the territorial spirits they had dislodged and defeated in the past few years. They named pornography, among a handful of others. But as we drove through the streets, we couldn't help but notice the "gentlemen's clubs" (strip joints), dirty bookshops, massage parlors, and more. It was clear to us that they hadn't even stirred up much dust in the heavenlies concerning pornography. God desires to see His kingdom come in every city. That is why Jesus told us to pray for it. Rather than spending hours railing against the demonic, it would be wiser for us to repent. The church can't pull down demonic strongholds with one hand that she holds up with the other. The church in America reflects almost every sin in American society. We must first repent, reconcile with God and each other, and pray prayers of replacement, asking God to replace pride with humility, pornography with purity, anger with love, or lies with truth. We believe that a time will come when a purified, unified church is assigned the task to assault the gates of hell. But timing is everything in these ambassadorial assignments. (See II Corinthians 5:20). We were in Ecuador several years ago. Intercession and spiritual warfare were in their infancy in the country at the time. During the conference, a pastor came to us for counsel. He wanted to know what he had done wrong. There was a beautiful, young woman in her twenties and had been a Christian for only three months. She had come out of the occult and joined his church. The pastor described her as "on fire for the Lord." In fact, every week the church joined together at the altar to pray and fight the forces of darkness over their city. This woman was leading the assault. However, one Wednesday evening something went wrong. As the zealous young woman stood up to rebuke and renounce Satan over her city, suddenly without warning, she dropped dead to the floor. The ambulance was called immediately, but it was too late. An autopsy was performed, but the doctors declared her death as a mystery. The pastor cried as he finished his sad story. What did go wrong? We will never know. But there are at least four possibilities. First, it's possible that this babe in Christ should not have been employed in this activity. In our military we don't send untrained recruits or the wounded to the front lines. In I John 2:13-14 John writes to three types of people: father, young men, and dear children. He says, "I write to you, fathers, because you have known him who is from the beginning. I write to you, young men, because you have overcome the evil one. I write to you, dear children, because you have known the Father. I write to you, fathers, because you have known him who is from the beginning. I write to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God lives in you, and you have overcome the evil one" (emphasis added). According to John's descriptions, there are:
So, as a new believer, the young woman may have had no spiritual authority to engage in this level of warfare because she lacked the required spiritual maturity. In too many cases, intercessors have almost lost their integrity with church leadership due to lack of wisdom on their part. We, the leaders of the prayer movement, must exercise wisdom in the following: 1. What specific warfare assignments has Christ assigned to us? 2. Whom has Christ called and prepared to engage in this warfare assignment? 3. How will we prepare, and how long will it take to prepare for the assignment? 4. When is the assignment to be carried out? 5. What will be the real, measurable evidence that we have succeeded in the effort? Until you have solid answers to these five questions, then it is not yet time for you to take action. God will hold leaders accountable for urging unqualified people into spiritual warfare. (See Hebrews 13:17.) Second, sanctification and separation from sin often take time. Her spiritual authority may have been compromised by personal sin or occult alliances she had yet to renounce. Paul admonished each of us in Romans 12:1: "Therefore, I urge you, brother, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God - this is your spiritual act of worship." Before any of us enter into spiritual warfare, we should be living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God. Third, the young woman likely had very little biblical knowledge. In other words, she might have been fighting without armor and, sadly, even without a weapon (See Ephesians 6:13-17.) Finally, she might have slandered celestial beings without assignment. Jude 8-10 reminds us, "These dreamers pollute their own bodies, reject authority and slander celestial beings. But even the archangel Michael, when he was disputing with the devil about the body of Moses, did not dare to bring a slanderous accusation against him, but said, 'The Lord rebuke you!'" As an untrained new believer, she may have been trying to prosecute Satan in heaven's court without the permission or directives of the lead attorney (Jesus). It is unfortunate but possible that she died as a result of her misled but determined actions to fight prematurely against the enemy. Only God knows for sure. Because we have not allowed the Lord to deal with these issues of our own heart, Judge Jehovah overrules us due to tainted evidence. "WE ARE THE CALLED" One of our favorite TV commercials is the Marine Corps recruiting commercial. As the music swells, the swords between the marine and the unseen force are clashing, and the announcer boldly states, "We are the few. We are the proud. We are the marines!" Well, they may be the few and the proud, but we are the called! "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose" (Romans 8:28, KJV). Like the marines, we have an enemy to confront and a sword to wield. Ours is the sword of the Spirit (Ephesians 6:17). Jesus called us His friends: "I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit - fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name" (John 15:15-16). Even better news is that we "are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood" (I Peter 2:5). "You are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God" (verse 9). With our credentials as kings and priests of God - Jesus' friends, the called of God, complete in Christ, forgiven and righteous - we are equipped with the Spirit's sword and qualified to prosecute the powers of darkness. But these qualifications have come as a result of Jesus Christ's fulfilling the Law on our behalf. Jesus said, "Do not think I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them" (Matthew 5:17). THE GROUNDWORK LAID Before we could be released from death's grip and made alive before God, our sin had to be blotted out. Paul explained how Jesus' death eradicated our sin record, which resulted in disarming the devil and his angels: "Having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross. And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross" (Colossians 2:14-15). It is easy to understand how the devil had gained ground against us - we had fallen under Satan's dominion. Satan was pleading the law against us in the court of heaven, and he and the law were winning. Satan, just like any prosecuting attorney, has been presenting his charges and evidence against us as the defendants. With his endless accusations of men, he justly appealed to the righteousness of God as revealed by the law. We found ourselves condemned and confined to death row, where we are awaiting our final execution! However, Jesus Christ fulfilled the law's demands by living a perfect life and dying in accordance with the Father's plan. He has delivered us from Satan's power. When Jesus was executed in our place, He once and for all settled our sin account. John wrote, "My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense - Jesus Christ, the Righteous One" (I John 2:1). When Jesus pleads our case in heaven, He neither pleads our innocence nor our guilt; He pleads His blood. It is on the basis of His paying our penalty that the Governor (Jehovah) can justly issue our pardon and demand our release. The demands of justice have been satisfied, and Satan can no longer approach the Father demanding payment. That would constitute double jeopardy - the demand for a second payment for the same crime - which is illegal! The enemy's weapons have been stripped from his hands. Jesus has disarmed the devil of the right to condemn us. Hallelujah! Paul recognized that Jesus had removed the handwriting of ordinances against us and that Satan could no longer legally accuse us before God. No charge against us will be entertained in court. Scripture says, "What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us?...Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died - more than that, who was raised to life - is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us" (Romans 8:31, 33-34). Notice the questions Paul submits: "Who can be against us?...Who is he that condemns?" The definitive answer from heaven is no one! Although the devil's aim is to condemn us, God has justified us. All of our accounts are "paid in full." When it comes to heaven's courtroom, Satan's accusations of us now fall on deaf ears. Since God refuses to hear them, why are you listening? Regis Philbin, the former host of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? always asked the nervous player, "Is that your final answer?" Well, God has answered from heaven, "THIS IS MY FINAL ANSWER!" The devil may contend with you, claiming that God will no longer help you. He is a liar when he suggests your sins prevent you from the right to prosecute him. Your authority against the principalities, powers, and rulers of darkness is established as you stand on the biblical ground of what God has done for you and are following God's direct orders. So why doesn't God just "zap" the devil and be done with it all? God will not do this for the same reason that He did not destroy Lucifer when he led angels and men into rebellion against God. When the Lord throws the devil into the lake of fire because of His justice, sadly, He must also throw in people who are still aligned with Satan in sin. As a good and just God would, He has announced the promise of redemption through Jesus, His Son. He is still executing His plan of mercy for humanity as well as the final fiery judgment of Satan. TWO VITAL POINTS When we talk of spiritual warfare, some jump to the conclusion that we talk of speaking to Satan. Yet, we overlook two vital points.
Immature intercessors often fall victim to their own good intentions and sometimes to their own pride. Arrogantly they march into enemy territory according to their own agenda. Some prayer warriors don't have a clue concerning the enemy's strength or the extent of his entrenchment. Unfamiliar with the rules of warfare engagement, they only guess about the strategy that the lead attorney, Jesus Christ, has formed. They have not been ordered to strike enemy headquarters. With Rambo-like techniques, these "lone rangers" lose their health, their families, and for some, even their lives. It's one thing to lose these things out of obedience to the Commanding General. It's another thing to lose them all for naught. Wicked spirits love power encounters, especially when our pride is involved. Don't fall for it! When our children were small, we did not teach them, "If a bully picks on you, just haul off and hit him as hard as you can!" No, we didn't! We said, "If a bully picks on you, come get me!" Our best definition and safest method of spiritual warfare is to "tattle." Tell God on the devil and his crowd! Ask for the Judge's intervention on your behalf or on behalf of the person or cause for which you are pleading. "What about resisting Satan?" you ask. James wrote, "Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you" (James 4:7-8). Resisting means to submit to His warfare strategy. It means to submit to the lead attorney's agenda. We don't taunt, mock, or threaten Satan on our own. The devil knows that we are no match for him. However, when we draw near to God, God draws near to us. And Satan is no match for God! FILE CHARGES AGAINST SATAN Not every petition includes warfare proclamations. Only when you feel the Holy Spirit's prompting are you to directly address the enemy. Clearly outline where your adversary (Satan) has violated the law. You are about to enter into spiritual warfare prayer. Satan has ceased in his role as prosecutor. You are now the prosecutor, and he has become the defendant. You are to prosecute him for his crimes against God and humanity. Write out the charges you wish to file against him. In spiritual warfare prayer we:
A restraining order is an order of the court that prevents one party from contacting or approaching another. Jesus prayed for the Judge to issue a restraining order against Satan on behalf of His disciples and us when He prayed, "My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one" (John 17:15). In His model prayer, which we call the Lord's Prayer, Jesus taught us to ask the Judge for a restraining order against Satan for ourselves. He said that we should pray, "And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one" (Matthew 6: 13). OUR ROLES AS PROSECUTORS We have two roles when we stand as a prosecutor against the defendant Satan. Prayer In prayer we tell God the crimes the devil has committed and the laws he has broken, and we present our proof (the evidence). We prepare and present our case to the Judge so He can act upon it. As prosecutors, using Scripture (the law) is essential to our prayer strategy. Without the Word as its foundation, every prayer hangs by a thread. Even prayer can be a worthless religious exercise. The Word of God empowers our prayer. It is the warhead on the missiles of prayer. Scripture grants us access in heaven and is the language of the court. If we don't know how to approach the Lord with His Word, prayer will continue to be a hit-and-run experience. To correctly position ourselves to present our case to the Judge, we should collect the relevant information. A good prayer warrior is a good Word warrior. "This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us" (I John 5:14). Begin organizing and writing out your scriptures and prayer points and determine, with the Holy Spirit's leadership, how you plan to appeal to the Judge. For example:
Slanderous words are being spoken, and gossip is spreading like wildfire. But we have not been left defenseless. Heavenly Judge, according to Your Word, "It is time for you to act, O LORD; your law is being broken" (Psalm 119:126). The powers of darkness are confusing this family, his church members, and his neighbors. The evidence is that "the wicked man hunts down the weak, who are caught in the schemes he (the devil) devises. He boasts of the cravings of his heart; he blesses the greedy and reviles the LORD" ( Psalm 10:2- 3).
against [us]" (Psalm 35:1). Because You are just, true, and faithful, this is what I am asking You to do to the enemy: "For the sins of their mouths, for the words of their lips, let them be caught in their pride. For the curses and lies they utter, consume them in wrath, consume them till they are no more. Then it will be known to the ends of the earth that God rules over Jacob" (Psalm 59:12-13). As heaven's prosecutor, I am asking You to:
Always keep in mind that we are not praying against people. We are to pray for people. We are wrestling in prayer against "spiritual wickedness in high places" (Ephesians 6:12, KJV). Proclamation The second role we have is when we directly address evil spirits. Not all soldiers have the same responsibilities. There are different assignments in the army of God. But every assignment is important. It is important that you discover your calling and assignment in prayer and do not emulate others. Emulation is a work of the flesh (Galatians 5:20, KJV). There may be times when the Lord will direct you to address the enemy directly. We use the same principles, but we will not engage in this type of warfare apart from the direct permission of our lead attorney, Jesus Christ. Regardless of the style, two things are clear. This is a real war. And the stakes are high. We are fighting for the souls of men, women, boys, and girls. This battle is fought without guns or bullets. We fight it from our knees in intercessory prayer. The following story describes this well.
fight on our knees as well as in the trenches. The men of the infantry might advance on their stomachs, the tank crews in the tanks, and the air force in planes, the navy in boats, but the church must advance on her knees." courtroom. Jonathan Edwards was quoted as saying, "The best protection one can have from the devil and his schemes is a humble heart." It's true. Most of Satan's fiery darts will miss their mark if we stay on our knees. It is while on our knees that we engage in direct proclamation against the forces of darkness. Our proclamation may be as follows:
God says, "The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil's work" (I John 3:8). "You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father's desire. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies" (John 8:44). As a prosecutor on behalf of the court of heaven, I command you to loose my nephew (or whomever you name). In Jesus' name you are defeated, overcome by the blood of the Lamb. I break all contracts, covenants, alliances, iniquity of the forefathers, generational curses, and unholy soul ties between you and my nephew. I remind you that Jesus said to me, "I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you" (Luke 10:19). By the evidence presented in court, I expose your deception, lies, fear, and bondage. I send you out now in Jesus' name. vocabulary, read Eddie Smith's booklet, Making Sense of Spiritual Warfare from www.prayerbookstore.com. Finally, we continue to plead our cases against darkness as long as Jesus, our lead attorney, directs us. And we look for signs of the Judge's decision in each matter. There will always be physical manifestations of God's answer. We suggest that you begin to keep a scrapbook with newspaper clippings and other evidences that God has heard and answered your courtroom pleadings! Record your breakthroughs so you and others are encouraged and challenged. The spectacle of a nation praying is more awe-inspiring than the explosion of an atomic bomb. The force of prayer is greater than any possible combination of man-controlled powers because prayer is man's greatest means of tapping the infinite resources of God. J. Edgar Hoover Source: SPIRITUAL ADVOCATES, by Eddie & Alice Smith, Copyright 2008, Charisma House. |
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