“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God”.

Ephesians 6:10-17

Father, I pray that in this day, in the growing darkness, You will teach Your people how to fight the battle for which You have equipped us.

I pray that we will not war with our own strength and power, but in Yours. Help us lay down our fights with flesh and blood, and take our stand against our true enemy. Give us eyes to see the difference.

I pray that in this hour, Your Church will stand her ground, fully covered in the armor of her God, shielded by faith, wielding the sword of Your Spirit well.

I pray that every stronghold the enemy has established in Your body will come down, in the Name of Jesus. Every lie that has crept in, may it be overcome and cast out by those willing to bring down the sword of Your Word against it. Every evil being called good and every good being called evil, torn down in Your Name.

I pray for a renewed thirst for Your Word, God. I pray we will look first and always to the scriptures for what is true. I pray that every other source of “truth” that we turn to will fade to the background, and our plumb line will once again be the very words You have spoken.

I pray for our homes, our marriages, Lord, that Your truth will come against every lie sown by the enemy. I pray that we will turn away from our battles with one another and come together against the works of darkness in our families. I pray that every effort at disunity and enmity within the marriages of Your people will be thwarted in Your Name. I pray that we will again fight for and not against one another.

I pray that in every place occupied by Your people, resistance to the devil will rise up. I pray that we will awaken from our slumber, submit to You and see the enemy flee. (James 4:7)

Train us Lord, to demolish the strongholds established by the evil one, to take our thought lives captive to obedience to Jesus. May we cast out every thought that does not express truth. I pray that we will not conform to the world’s thinking, but will have our minds renewed by Your Word. (2 Corinthians 10:3-5; Romans 12:2)

Lord, the enemy is prowling. Seeking to devour. He is a liar and the father of lies, coming to kill, steal and destroy Your people. But You have come! You came to destroy his works, and to give us abundant life. So I pray that we will rise up, sober, alert, and fully dressed for the battle, with swords ready to cut through every lie, every stronghold. And I pray we will rise up praying, calling forth the will of our God on earth as it is in heaven. (John 10:10; 1 Peter 5:8; Matthew 6:10)

For every seed of hate being sown by darkness, I pray the children of the light will uproot through love. In every place where division and discord are ruling, may Your people bring the spirit of unity and peace. Wherever there is death and decay, pour us out there as the salt of the earth. Send us with the light of Christ within us to light up the darkness. Teach us to love and care for those who have been oppressed and overlooked.

And in every storm, in every hard place we walk, may our praises be heard ringing out. I pray that Your people will raise their voices in praise and worship, exalting the name of Jesus through every valley, every wilderness place, and in every prison cell they are found.

This is how we fight our battles.

In the Name of Jesus. Amen.