The Confrontation.

The Bible lays out the plan for direct confrontation in spiritual warfare. Some pertinent passages are:

-Ephesians 6:10-23

-2 Corinthians 10:3-5

-James 5:13-15

-Isaiah 58:6-9

-Acts 4:23-31

-Acts 5:12-166

-Acts 8:4-8

-1 Corinthians 12:10

-Mark 9:17-29

-Matthew 10:1

-Acts 19:14-16

The secret to spiritual warfare (including direct confrontation of evil spirits) is to be close to the Lord, spiritually fit and growing.

The Ephesians passage identifies two weapons we are to use: the sword of the Spirit which is the word of God and prayer. We need to be reading, memorizing and meditating on scripture. As Psalm 119 says, we are to hide God’s word in our hearts. God’s word needs to become a part of us—word for word!

I grew up in a part of the world where most all guys hunted. Over the years a migrated to hunting with a bow. Hunting with a bow requires a lot of pre-hunting practice. I would shoot throughout the year. I got to the place where I would aim at a pencil instead of aiming at a huge target. I never “hit” the pencil—I did get to the place where I could put 9 out of 10 arrows within three inches of the pencil from any distance between ten and forty yards. To accomplish that skill required learning about the flight characteristics of the arrow and proper tuning of the bow—and lots of practice. I practiced around one hundred hours before even going hunting.

In spiritual warfare we should do no less! In requires constant study and preparation. We cannot wait until we are confronted by a demon to dust off our Bible and try to find appropriate verses.

The second weapon mentioned in Ephesians 6 is prayer. True, prayer is not specifically named as a “weapon.” It does say that everything must be under girded with prayer. I heard a speaker once refer to it as the “underwear of prayer” – it has to go on before everything else!

Fasting is another spiritual discipline which can come into play. In fasting we are voluntarily forsaking our physical body so that Christ can be stronger in us. (I know that this is a very simplistic description of fasting. There are my authors you can turn to for more info on fasting.) Throughout scripture pray and fasting are linked together to help our prayers be more focused. Some manuscripts add “fasting” to the Mark passage.

We must recognize that the battle is primarily a spiritual battle—that has ramifications in the physical world. In commenting on Ephesians 6 one author said that we need to make sure that we point our guns in the right direction. The fight is against principalities and powers—not against flesh and blood.

Warning: Read the Acts 19 passage!

With all of this a background, here is what we will do to deal with the demonic situation faced by a family here at Evergreen Presbyterian Church:

1. We are continuously encouraging our elders to be in prayer, Bible study and memorization.
2. Our elders and prayer team are contacted to begin praying and fasting. Not all of our elders will be a part of the group that will go to the residence in question. We ask the people involved to be in prayer as well.
3. A group of spiritually mature elders and pastors will be on the team that actually goes to the residence.
4. The elders and prayer team will gather at the church at the appropriate time for a time of prayer.
5. The prayer team will continue praying at the church while the elders drive to the location in the same vehicle.
6. We will take as much time as is necessary to pray through the house and the property while anointing with oil as Christ removes the evil forces from the premises.
7. We will have a prayer time with the people involved so that they can have their lives surrendered to Christ and filled with the Holy Spirit.
8. Worship will be happening throughout the entire time.
9. The elders return to Evergreen for additional prayer with our prayer team—worshipping and praising God.
10. Our folks will go to their homes.

When we set the date for going to these folk’s home I will let you know. Please be in prayer (beginning now) that Christ will be glorified throughout this process!