In the contemporary Christian landscape, there exists a significant number of ministries devoted to prayer and spiritual warfare. These initiatives, while undoubtedly well-intentioned, often focus on specific aspects of spiritual practice. As someone who once served as a Regional Director for the National Day of Prayer Task Force in two regions of Florida, I am deeply familiar with the organized prayer movement. I believe in the power and necessity of corporate prayer and in uniting believers around a central purpose of intercession. However, the life of a believer encompasses much more than these practices alone.
A friend recently shared a deeply personal journey of grappling with the true nature and purpose of prayer. This individual had observed prayer being wielded in a manner that seemed flippant or even abusive by others within their spiritual circle. This dissonance led them to question the essence of prayer itself—what it truly is, what it is intended to accomplish, and how it integrates into our walk with God. I will return to this story shortly, as it encapsulates a profound lesson for us all.
Much of contemporary teaching also centers on engaging with territorial spiritual entities, principalities, strongholds, and similar constructs. Significant time and energy are devoted to prayers aimed at opposing these forces. While Scripture affirms their existence, such efforts—though seemingly noble—often miss a critical point. As the Apostle Paul exhorts us to “pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17), we must ensure that our understanding of such mandates aligns with the original intent and linguistic nuances of the biblical text. One of the gravest mistakes we can make in interpreting Scripture is to impose our 21st-century vernacular and cultural assumptions upon it. This misstep has led to entire movements and ministries being built upon isolated verses, often with chaotic results when the underlying foundations prove inadequate, such as what we have seen over the last 18 months. Such fallout underscores the importance of ensuring that the central focus of any spiritual endeavor aligns with the priorities outlined by our Master.
During another recent conversation with a friend, I posed a challenging question: “Can you articulate the Gospel in a single sentence?” Though he answered, the exercise seemed to unsettle him, revealing the complexities surrounding the Gospel and its practical implications. At its core, spiritual warfare is not what many Charismatic leaders have portrayed it to be. Instead, as we shall see through the teachings of Jesus, it is something far more profound and grounded. I invite you, the reader, to pause and consider: can you summarize the Gospel in a single sentence? Let us explore this further.
Let’s see how Rav Shaul/ Paul responds in his epistle to the Romans; which provides a foundational perspective on this matter. In Romans 1:8-16, he writes:
“First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, because your faith is being proclaimed throughout the world. For God, whom I serve in my spirit in the preaching of the gospel of His Son, is my witness as to how unceasingly I make mention of you, always in my prayers requesting if perhaps now, at last by the will of God, I will succeed in coming to you. For I long to see you so that I may impart some spiritual gift to you, that you may be established; that is, that I may be encouraged together with you while among you, each of us by the other’s faith, both yours and mine. I do not want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters, that often I have planned to come to you (and have been prevented so far) so that I may obtain some fruit among you also just as among the rest of the Gentiles. I am under obligation both to Greeks and to the uncultured, both to the wise and to the foolish. So, for my part, I am eager to preach the gospel to you also who are in Rome. For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written: “But the righteous one will live by faith.”
Paul begins with gratitude, thanking God for the faith of the Roman believers, which was renowned throughout the world. He then expresses his desire to impart a “spiritual gift” to them, clarifying that this gift is the Gospel itself. His eagerness to preach the Gospel underscores its transformative power, which he encapsulates in a single sentence: “It is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.” The term “salvation” here denotes complete and total wholeness—both for the individual and society at large.
This cohesive message aligns with Paul’s instruction to the Thessalonians: “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18). While prayer is emphasized, so too are rejoicing and gratitude—integral components of God’s will for believers. The Greek phrase translated as “pray without ceasing” carries the connotation of continual supplication for God’s will and purpose. This transcends just prayer, encompassing our actions, our works, and especially our proclamation of the Gospel.
The emphasis on prolonged declarations against spiritual entities often lacks scriptural grounding. In answering my friend’s response in stating the Gospel in one sentence, we talked about how Paul makes this assertion in Romans 1:16—”For I am not ashamed of the Gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes”—points to the Gospel as the true source of transformative power. This message of repentance and the Kingdom of God is the cornerstone of spiritual warfare. Without the Gospel at the center, human doctrines and formulaic prayer strategies become powerless, unable to effect lasting change.
Another principle Paul states is why ENMI is Israel-centered. When Paul writes, “to the Jew first and also to the Greek,” he articulates not a chronological sequence but a paradigm. The Jewish people are not excluded or rejected in God’s plan; rather, they hold a unique position of election through which the Messiah was revealed to the world. They were granted access to the plan of God’s Kingdom. This understanding calls us to approach the Jewish community with love and the Gospel message, rather than perpetuating historical biases initiated by Roman church fathers holding the Jews responsible for killing Jesus – when in fact, it was the Romans who put the nails in Him, the crown on His head, and the spear in His side. The church also does not hold the real church fathers as principal (Acts 15 council of Apostles) and instead refer to the early Roman church Fathers for their origination.
Returning to my friend’s journey of prayer, they ultimately found solace in the words of C.S. Lewis: “I pray because I can’t help myself. I pray because I’m helpless. I pray because the need flows out of me all the time, waking and sleeping. It doesn’t change God. It changes me.” This perspective reframes prayer as a transformative practice that aligns us with God’s will rather than a tool for exerting control over spiritual realities. Jesus Himself modeled this understanding in His Great Commission, recorded in Matthew 28:
“But the eleven disciples proceeded to Galilee, to the mountain which Jesus had designated to them. And when they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some were doubtful. And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to follow all that I commanded you; and behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
So how is this relevant? Jesus starts with “All authority has been given to me…” This indicates Kingdom rule, power, and purpose to do exactly as He wants in the world. Then He tells them what those things are…MAKE DISCIPLES, BAPTIZE THEM, TEACH THEM… and finishes with, “I am with you always” Is prayer a part of this – ABSOLUTELY – it is in the teaching we understand its purpose and place…and I think CS Lewis’ statement about prayer is true – it changes us to become more like Him – not to be our own king in a kingdom construct we create. So, after declaring His authority Jesus does not declare and decree ag
ainst spiritual entities…he does not have massive prayer services, he does not prophecy templates and movements for mass responses. He issues simple directives as to what will change the world.
Lastly, I want to examine why this is important and why we cannot rely on our prayer directly to change the spiritual entities in high places. If someone develops cancer in their body – there is a cause…environmental, diet, genetic, etc. Those things were allowed in the body to cause a growth of that which can kill the body. Folks, sin is cancer to the Body of Christ and the world. The way you eliminate cancer is to starve the cancer cells until they die or undergo treatment that kills them. Each person in this world invites or prevents a spiritual entity and its strength in society. The more iniquity exists – the more corruption that is allowed – the greater the strength of spiritual wickedness that lives in a city, region, town, or nation is allowed. The more righteousness through the Gospel that comes into a territory – the spiritual cancer of what overrides a society is diminished in its scope and power to exist. You can’t shout that away because where it exists, it was permitted and allowed to live and grow by the souls which opened the doorways.
The more we affect our spheres of life (family, friends, strangers, work, school, etc.) with the Gospel – we engage in spiritual warfare to change the level and strength of principalities where we live. I don’t have the time to give copious examples – but in Latin America – where I have been so much, cities have been transformed by governmental leaders, police departments, and business leaders coming to faith and repentance to Yeshua. Their agriculture blossomed, their families reconciled, corruption in government ceased, and crime diminished – ALL BECAUSE OF THE GOSPEL. We need a paradigm shift in the Charismatic and Pentecostal movement to this basic and foundational truth of what spiritual warfare truly is.
I’ll end with this. Dr. Michael Heiser whom I greatly admire – his work and teaching – is with the Lord, but has a teaching in which he expounds on how baptism IS Spiritual warfare – and that aspect is a part of the Gospel – you can see it at https://drmsh.com/baptism-spiritual-warfare. It truly exemplifies the idea that our basic principles of faith are the aspects of how we engage spiritual darkness – and the gifts and miracles overflow from our faithfulness to what Jesus left us with – so let’s focus in 2025 on these foundations and not the extraneous – because the others will flow as we preach the Gospel, make disciples, baptize new Believers, and Teach the truth of Scripture – but the absorbing of God’s Word as the power to change lives,
Happy 2025! May your harvest be full this year.
