Prayer Warrior: The Power Of Praying Your Way To Victory - Session 3 - Recognize Who Your True Enemy Is

The Church of Divine Guidance Sunday Morning Adult Bible Study Group is going through

Prayer Warrior The Power Of Praying Your Way To Victory by Stormie Omartian.  For a copy of the book, click or touch this LINK or the image, of the book at the end of the notes.

No one can sit on the sidelines today when it comes to spiritual matters. A war is going on between good and evil, and every believer is involved. For every Christian who wants a meaningful prayer life that is more than just asking for blessings.  Bestselling author Stormie Omartian shows how to pray with strength and purpose―prayers resulting in great victory, not only personally but also in advancing God's kingdom and glory.

These are my notes for the study. The audio of the study is at the end of the notes.

Last week’s study was knowing your Commander.  The greatest difference in our Commander, God, and commanders of the military is that you get to know Him personally.  In fact He knew you before you knew Him.  Our Commander even died for us.  While a military Commander will sometimes die for his troops it is unusual, and when a Commander is willing to die for his troops they will do anything for Him.  That’s the way we should be with our Commander.

Now that we know our Commander we need to identify our enemy.

You have to first of all clearly identify who you are fighting and why.

We must know the way he operates so we can identify any attempt he makes to influence our life or the lives of others.

For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.  

Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
Ephesians 6:12‭-‬13 NKJV

He is a created being— an angel.  His name is Lucifer which means “son of the morning.”  He is also called Satan and the Devil.  

“How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How you are cut down to the ground, You who weakened the nations!
Isaiah 14:12 NKJV

He was the top angel and is described as being beautiful   He became full of pride because of his beauty and position.  He became jealous of God and His glory and rebelled and got kicked out.  

For you have said in your heart: ‘I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will also sit on the mount of the congregation On the farthest sides of the north; I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Most High.’ Yet you shall be brought down to Sheol, To the lowest depths of the Pit.
Isaiah 14:13‭-‬15 NKJV

He is not alone.

Now a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a garland of twelve stars. Then being with child, she cried out in labor and in pain to give birth. And another sign appeared in heaven: behold, a great, fiery red dragon having seven heads and ten horns, and seven diadems on his heads. His tail drew a third of the stars of heaven and threw them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was ready to give birth, to devour her Child as soon as it was born. So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.
Revelation 12:1‭-‬4‭, ‬9 NKJV

He is a master of disguise.

And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light.
II Corinthians 11:14 NKJV

He is a liar

You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it.
John 8:44 NKJV

He is a thief.

The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.
John 10:10 NKJV

The tempter.

“When the tempter came to Him, he said, ‘If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread’” (Matthew 4:3).
    

The avenger.

“Out of the mouth of babes and nursing infants you have ordained strength, because of Your enemies, that You may silence the enemy and the avenger” (Psalm 8:2).
     
The accuser.

“I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, ‘Now salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power used them before our God day and night, has been cast down’” (Revelation 12:10).
     
The evil one.

“Do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever” (Matthew 6:13).
     
The adversary.

“Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour” (1 Peter 5:8).
     
The ruler of this world.

“I will no longer talk much with you, for the ruler of this world is coming, and he has nothing in Me” (John 14:30).
     
The prince of the power of the air.

“You He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience” (Ephesians 2:1-2).

The Truth About Who the Enemy Is

Good soldiers know that if they don’t recognize who their enemy is, they are destined to lose the war. That is also true for those of us who do battle in God’s army. Even though Jesus put the enemy under His feet and won the victory for us, we still must move into that victory. There are still battles to be fought in prayer.

It’s like they are using gorilla warfare.  Guerrilla warfare is a form of irregular warfare in which a small group of combatants such as paramilitary personnel, armed civilians, or irregulars use military tactics including ambushes, sabotage, raids, petty warfare, hit-and-run tactics, and mobility to fight a larger and less-mobile traditional military. - Wikipedia

If you aren’t aware of the tactics of your enemy you are vulnerable.   

The reason to know all this is to be able to put the blame for certain things that happen exactly where it belongs. We must never blame God for what the enemy does.

The enemy is the one who steals and kills, not God. The enemy is our adversary, accuser,
tempter, and father of lies, not God. The enemy wants to destroy the life God has for us. We must recognize these things if we want to successfully stand against God’s enemy and ours.

The Truth About the Enemy’s Lies

The enemy and his evil spirits cannot possess a believer, but they can try to oppress us with lies about who Jesus is, who God is, and who we are in Christ. The enemy can attempt to confuse us or draw us into anger, anxiety, bitterness, despair, and fear.
 

One of his tactics is lying.  

He is always trying to lure us into believing or feeling opposite of what God wants us to believe or feel. The enemy accomplishes that by getting us to accept his lies as truth.

Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said to the woman, “Has God indeed said, ‘You shall not eat of every tree of the garden’?” And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden; but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die.’ ” Then the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate. Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves coverings.
Genesis 3:1‭-‬7 NKJV

Another is deception

He wants us to deny that he exists or that he can’t cause us harm.  I often say, as do others, that we give Satan too much credit.  I’ m going to stop saying that especially to immature Christians.  Satan is a strong opponent and we have to realize that.  

God’s enemy will always be our enemy. No amount of denying he exists will change that.  Those who stick their head in the sand regarding the enemy and spiritual warfare are bound to get kicked in the most obvious part of their anatomy still exposed.

We have to depend on the Word and the  Holy Spirit to guide us to the truth.

But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.  Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.  You have heard Me say to you, ‘I am going away and coming back to you.’ If you loved Me, you would rejoice because I said,  ‘I am going to the Father,’ for My Father is greater than I.
John 14:26‭-‬28 NKJV

“I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now.  However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come.  He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you.  All things that the Father has are Mine. Therefore I said that He will take of Mine and declare it to you.
John 16:12‭-‬15 NKJV

The enemy will always come to try to entice you to doubt God. He will tempt you to be dissatisfied with what God has given you.  Like he did with Eve.

Let this be a lesson. Don’t accept input from anyone who opposes the Word of God,  no matter who they are.

I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him who called you in the grace of Christ, to a different gospel, which is not another; but there are some who trouble you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ. But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again, if anyone preaches any other gospel to you than what you have received, let him be accursed.
Galatians 1:6‭-‬9 NKJV
     

The struggle between Eve and the enemy is the first spiritual battle recorded in the Word.  The problem was that she didn’t realize the snake was her enemy. She thought he was a friend.  She believed him over God.

Every step of disobedience to God’s ways puts you in collusion with the enemy. You don’t even have to commit some heinous crime. All gossip, envy, unkindness, rudeness, cruelty, or impure thoughts puts us in a working relationship with the enemy while grieving the Holy Spirit in us.

Therefore, putting away lying, “ Let each one of  you speak truth with his neighbor,” for we are members of one another. “Be angry, and do not sin”: do not let the sun go down on your wrath, nor give place to the devil. Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him labor, working with his hands what is good, that he may have something to give him who has need. Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.
Ephesians 4:25‭-‬32 NKJV
     
Our war is always with the enemy of our souls, and we must win it. And we will win it by staying close to God and His Word and seeking to be led by His Holy Spirit In all things. Each battle is ours to lose by resisting God and His ways. We are joint heirs with Christ and will inherit all His victories, but we still have to live His way in order to receive that full inheritance.

Therefore, brethren, we are debtors—not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.” The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.
Romans 8:12‭-‬17 NKJV

Therefore, brethren, we are debtors—not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.” The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.
Romans 8:12‭-‬17 NKJV
     
But you can be deceived if you are not careful or aware of your enemy’s  tactics Pray that you will never fall into deception.

But I fear, lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. For if he who comes preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or if you receive a different spirit which you have not received, or a different gospel which you have not accepted—you may well put up with it!
II Corinthians 11:3‭-‬4 NKJV

RUN, DON’T WALK, away from any voice that tells you it is okay to disobey God’s commandments and His personal instructions to you.

The Enemy Wants to Destroy Your Family, a major battleground.

Often our greatest battles involve keeping family relationships strong. The struggles between siblings, parents, children, husband and wife, or any other family relationship is age old.

The second battle recorded in the Bible—after the enemy’s attack on Adam and Eve—also occurred within a family.

Cain and Abel

Isaac and Ishmael

Esau and Jacob

Leah and Rachel

Joseph and his brothers

Aaron, Miriam and Moses

Then Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses because of the Ethiopian woman whom he had married; for he had married an Ethiopian woman. So they said, “Has the Lord indeed spoken only through Moses? Has He not spoken through us also?” And the Lord  heard it.  (Now the man Moses was very humble, more than all men who were on the face of the earth.) Suddenly the Lord said to Moses, Aaron, and Miriam, “Come out, you three, to the tabernacle of meeting!” So the three came out. Then the Lord came down in the pillar of cloud and stood in the door of the tabernacle, and called Aaron and Miriam. And they both went forward. Then He said, “Hear now My words: If there is a prophet among you, I , the Lord , make Myself known to him in a vision; I speak to him in a dream. Not so with My servant Moses; He is faithful in all My house. I speak with him face to face, Even plainly, and not in dark sayings; And he sees the form of the Lord . Why then were you not afraid To speak against My servant Moses?” So the anger of the Lord was aroused against them, and He departed. And when the cloud departed from above the tabernacle, suddenly Miriam became  leprous, as white  as snow. Then Aaron turned toward Miriam, and there she was, a leper. So Aaron said to Moses, “Oh, my Lord! Please do not lay this sin on us, in which we have done foolishly and in which we have sinned. Please do not let her be as one dead, whose flesh is half consumed when he comes out of his mother’s womb!” So Moses cried out to the Lord , saying, “Please heal her, O God, I pray!”
Numbers 12:1‭-‬13 NKJV

David’s children. His son Amnon raped his sister Tamar and her brother Absalom, Amnon's half brother had him killed. 2 Samuel chapter 13.  Then later Absolom rebelled against his father David.  2 Samuel Chapter 15.

The answer is in the Word of God I mean way back at the time of the first family issue.  

If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door. And its desire is for you, but you should rule over it.”
Genesis 4:7 NKJV

Jealousy  is at the bottom of many family problems.  

For example, jealousy has always been satanic at its source. Lucifer was jealous of God, and it was his downfall. We will never become all we were created to be if we allow jealousy to reside in us. If you are jealous of someone, reject the enemy's influence, confess that before God, and ask for a change of heart. If someone is jealous of you, pray that God will break that stronghold and open blind eyes to the truth of God’s powerful love that brings healing, restoration, and countless blessings.

The Enemy Wants Sin to Reign in Our Lives

As Jesus was about to be arrested and sentenced to die, He said to His disciples,
         

“And now I have told you before it comes, that when it does come to pass, you may believe.  I will no longer talk much with you, for the ruler of this world is coming, and he has nothing in Me.
John 14:29‭-‬30 NKJV

Satan had nothing in Jesus because Jesus was sinless.   That proves that the enemy can have something in us if we give him a place in our mind, emotions, attitude, or will.  He cannot possess us because the Spirit of God is in us and He possesses us, but the enemy can cause us to lose our footing and fall off the path God has for us. He can delay the blessings God waits to give us until we come to our senses and return fully to Him.  What Jesus accomplished on the cross defeated the enemy. And the enemy cannot stop us from lifting up Jesus in our heart.

We want to be able to say as Jesus did that “the ruler of this world has nothing in me.” The enemy can only have an inroad into our life if we give him an opening.

Therefore, putting away lying, “ Let each one of  you speak truth with his neighbor,” for we are members of one another. “Be angry, and do not sin”: do not let the sun go down on your wrath, nor give place to the devil. Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him labor, working with his hands what is good, that he may have something to give him who has need. Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.
Ephesians 4:25‭-‬32 NKJV

Concentrate on the Goodness of God, Not the Work of the Enemy

Don’t attempt to understand all of the evil things the enemy does outside of what the Bible tells you. You don’t need to.

For your obedience has become known to all. Therefore I am glad on your behalf; but I want you to be wise in what is good, and simple concerning evil. And the God of peace will crush Satan under your feet shortly. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen.
Romans 16:19‭-‬20 NKJV

You have to know who your enemy is and what is his intent, but you don’t need to dwell on his evil deeds except as the Holy Spirit makes you aware of something for which He wants you to pray.

God gives us a free will, and we are judged by what we choose to do in response to what God says. God has mandated that we pray. Fervently! Without Ceasing!

Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain; and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months. And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit.
James 5:16‭-‬18 NKJV

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
I Thessalonians 5:16‭-‬18 NKJV

The Enemy May Be Strong, but Only God Is All-Powerful

The enemy’s power is limited, but God’s power is without limit. The enemy is not all-powerful.
Only God is. The only way the enemy has power is because people give it to him.  Jesus destroyed the devil’s power, but he is still here. And will be here until the time appointed by God for his destruction.

“The  Spirit of the Lord  is  upon Me, Because He has anointed Me To preach the gospel to  the  poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to  the  captives And recovery of sight to  the  blind, To  set at liberty those who are oppressed;
Luke 4:18 NKJV

The enemy wants to destroy your mind, health, marriage, relationships, children, finances,
hope, and the inheritance you have in Christ.

Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.
I Peter 5:8 NKJV

You must prepare for his attempts attack by being vigilant as a prayer warrior.

Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.
I Corinthians 15:58 NKJV

We are instructed to take God’s kingdom by force because that is the only way to take it from an enemy who is opposing us every step of the way.

And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force.  For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John.  And if you are willing to receive it, he is Elijah who is to come.  He who has ears to hear, let him hear!
Matthew 11:12‭-‬15 NKJV

The enemy is not everywhere. He can only be where there is an opening for him. The enemy does not know everything, and he does not know what you think. He only knows what you say.
          

The enemy comes to tempt us away from God’s best for our lives. But God protects us when we turn to Him.

People Who Reject God’s Truth Will Be Given Over to a Spirit of Deception

This means the enemy will be able to seriously and continually deceive anyone who rejects the truth.

Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron, forbidding to marry, and  commanding to abstain from foods which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth. For every creature of God is good, and nothing is to be refused if it is received with thanksgiving; for it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer.
I Timothy 4:1‭-‬5 NKJV

The coming of the lawless  one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.
II Thessalonians 2:9‭-‬12 NKJV

You must know who your enemy is. You cannot be a prayer warrior if you don’t believe there is, or ever will be, a battle. If you don’t think you have an enemy, you have been blinded to his existence exactly according to his plan. You have the power to choose the light orthe darkness. Those who choose the wrong path will never know God.

Yes, people can give place to an evil spirit in their lives and be deceived enough by it to do its bidding, and so evil things happen.

The enemy of our soul will try to oppress us. He will afflict us with situations or conditions designed to discourage us, wear us down, steal from us, and destroy us.  When that happens the Lord will handle it.  

But the Lord is faithful, who will establish you and guard you from the evil one. And we have confidence in the Lord concerning you, both that you do and will do the things we command you. Now may the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God and into the patience of Christ.
II Thessalonians 3:3‭-‬5 NKJV

So shall they fear The name of the Lord from the west, And His glory from the rising of the sun; When the enemy comes in like a flood, The Spirit of the Lord will lift up a standard against him.
Isaiah 59:19 NKJV

Everything God rules is good and pure. Everything the enemy rules is corrupt. When you see people hating one another, lying to one another, mistreating one another, or enslaving each other, you can know for certain the enemy is in charge. When you see people starving, homeless, or mistreated with no one to help, you know the enemy is in charge. When you see helpless people slaughtered, destroyed by disease, persecuted  riddled with war, you know the enemy is in charge. This all happens when people reject God's truth and allow the enemy’s lies to rule.

Our prayers can change that.

Adam and Eve had dominion over the earth, but they lost that privilege when they were duped by the enemy into disobeying God. But because of Jesus, God has once again given us dominion on earth.

The heaven, even the heavens, are the Lord's; But the earth He has given to the children of men.
Psalms 115:16 NKJV

We are in charge, not the enemy. So we must step up and be in charge. And that happens when prayer warriors pray.

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