“Is there not a warfare to man upon the earth?” (Job 7:1, ASV).

“There is no discharge in that war” (Ecclesiastes 8:8).

One aspect of prayer that we must not neglect is warfare. Prayer is a conflict to decide who will control the earth. The rightful ruler of this earth is Jesus Christ, the King’s Son, but there is a pretender prince named Satan who seeks to usurp the kingdom of God by lies and violence. At the Cross, Satan was totally defeated in the greatest conflict of eternity. Now, however, he is reluctant to accept this defeat. He is a stiff fighter. He will not give up except what he must and when he must. He refuses to acknowledge his defeat until we insist upon it. Prayer is insisting on the utter victory of Jesus Christ in His resistless name.

Remember the conflict in Mark 9:14-29 when a man brought his demon-possessed son to Jesus to be delivered? The disciples had tried to help the boy but could not. When they asked “Why?”, Jesus answered, “This kind can come forth by nothing, but by prayer and fasting” (verse 29). He was saying that spiritual authority comes through prayer and fasting! God has ordained that the victory be secured in prayer!

Satan fears nothing but prayer. He knows that even one hour of close communion with God can often undo plans he has been working on for years! For this reason, he will fight you to keep you from prayer. The press of duty, the force of habit, the distraction of business will all be used to keep you from prayer. One of Satan’s most effective methods has been to start so many organizations that church members become busy and have no time for communion with God. He will send distraction, substitute good for best and even sidetrack us in good deeds. He doesn’t care, just as long as we don’t pray, for it is prayer that forces Satan to flee.

Legions of evil are pressing in upon the church. As the coming of our Lord Jesus draws near there is great intensifying of the conflict in the invisible world. We have been called to put on the whole armor of God. It is by prayer that we do so. The secret of the church’s success is in pressing into battle (Matthew 11:12). “The gates (counsels) of hell shall not prevail against it (the church)” (Matthew 16:18). We must go on the offensive instead of merely being defensive. Let’s kick Satan out of the church and take the spoils of our precious Lamb-Lord!

No one on earth is more powerful than the weakest saint who is absolutely trusting in the name of Jesus and the power of His blood. Oh, Lord, “deliver (rescue) us from the evil one” (Luke 11:4). Find out the area of conflict in your life, then focus on that area in prayer (Ephesians 6:12).