Spiritual Warfare — Derek Prince

This is tape number 1326 in the Inspirational Tape Library. Reverend Derrick Prince speaks on the subject, Spiritual Warfare.

Spiritual Warfare and the Battle for Every Christian

I have to say this afternoon is based on my own personal experience and the lessons that I've learned, and many of them I've learned. May God help me not to have to learn them again. I don't mind learning things once, but I don't believe it's God's will that we should keep on having to learn the same lessons.

I like to go on and learn a new lesson. Something that probably concerns, in a definite and personal way, at least 90 of the people here, whether they are ministers or whether they are new converts, whether they are missionaries or whether they are church members, I doubt whether more than 10 of the congregation here this afternoon will be able to feel themselves excluded from the message that I'm going to speak to bring in chapter 10 to 5, 2 Corinthians 10, verse 3 to 5.

For though we do not war after the flesh, but mighty through God through the pulling down of strongholds, casting down imagination, and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.

Scripture tells us that all we who are Christians are engaged in a warfare. There is no Christian who is accepted. Some people imagine that only preachers or only missionaries or only evangelists are engaged in spiritual warfare, but that is not true at all.

Every Christian is told as a soldier for a spiritual warfare, if you don't want to make war, the devil does and he will not lead you. You have got to be prepared for being overcome. The Bible says be not overcome with evil, with good, but between those two ends you are overcome.

There is no neutrality, there is no harmony. One of the main realms in which this, one of the centers of that conflict at the moment is the African continent of great nations and peoples that are opposing and contending against us.

But that is the realm of our enemies in the thoughts, and we have got to use suitable weapons. The Apostle Paul says our weapons are not carnal, but thank God they are mighty through God through the pulling down of the devil's strongholds, and the devil's strongholds are in the thoughts and imaginations of men.

And he says that we, we don't, that we have got to take are the imaginations, he says, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ. What I understand, to the obedience of Christ, to the will of God.

God’s Knowledge of the Inner Life

Sickness, as God thinks until then, reigns and rules supreme in our thoughts. Newfoundland is a small portion of the water. It may look quite small. This is above the surface. See what is above the surface, we only see 1H and so on.

Many different names, but they all mean the one thing, which are below. In my Christian experience, as a minister, having been a missionary, having been a preacher for some time, the prudence of God with two statements.

One was the testimony of a very high-ranking American scientist, who was engaged in developing a device to measure the power of thought. He was an unbeliever, a godless man. He had his devices on two different kinds of people, a believer and an unbeliever.

He was startled by the immense difference in the positive and negative power of the thought. He used his instrument 50, 50, 55 times more powerfully, that I was in charge of a broad, extremely powerful, and whether I willed it or not, I was continually sending out messages that were heading about the right message.

And then I read in a book, I'm not happy about some of the things that heaven has been listening to. Components of thought during the last 24 hours has been heard. 139, 139. Read there, the first 12 verses with this realization, that there was nothing in him, in his thoughts, in his inmost consciousness, that was in any way hidden from God.

Let's read these wonderful verses. My God sitting and mine uprising, I thought of all my ways, but lo, O Lord, thou knowest it only behind, and too wonderful for me, O from thy spirit, be from thy presence.

My bed in hell, behold thou art there. If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there shall thy hand and thy right hand shall hold me. If I say surely the darkness shall cover me, even the night shall be light about me.

Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee, but the night shineth of the day. The darkness and the light are both a light to thee. When we face up to that fact, we have to say as David said, such knowledge is too wonderful for me.

And if we read on in the psalm, we'll find that David was led by the spirit of God to say certain things on the basis of this fact that God knew every thought, every desire, every intention. And then he was led to pray.

21 and 22. He says to the Lord, Do not I hate them, O Lord, that hate thee, with those that rise up against thee? I hate them with perfect hatred. I count them mine enemies. Now, with perfect hate, count them mine enemies.

Is it right for a Christian to say that? You say no, I say yes. We Christians are not good enough haters when it comes to hating the right thing. Paul says we do not wrestle against flesh and blood to love our personal enemies.

But these are the enemies of the Lord, flesh and blood. And when David had said that, listen to what he said next. Here is the solution. Following immediately on, verse 23 and 24. Search me, O God, and know my heart.

Recognizing the Enemy Within

If there be any wicked way in you of the Lord's enemies, not in his persecutors, but in himself. Your enemies need me. There was a certain general, I forget which side he was on, besieging a certain town, planning.

And another general came to him and said, What is your strategy and what is your plan to take this town? He said, Well, I have four columns advancing on the town. One from the north, one from the south, one from the east, and one from the west.

It's my fifth column that I'm expecting to take the town. So the second general said, And where is the fifth column besides the town? And that is the devil's strategy. From without. He defeats the Christians.

Not in vain did David say. After he had said, Lord, I'm going to hate your enemies. That's what David meant. And I believe that every Christian has to come to the same place where they say, Lord, is there a fifth column?

Is there something of the devil that he controls inside my city that maybe will cause my downfall and destruction unless God that I used to have. Maybe I'll tell you a little tomorrow. Do you know sometimes when a person, a missionary, a minister, is going to step out and do something new for God.

I think the devil sets an absolute artillery barrage. Focus and train on that person's mind. And I can remember days when I just need to say, Lord, all I can do is hold on and hold on. Because there was an absolute rain of spiritual shells.

The Spirit of Heaviness and the Garment of Praise

I've decided to occupy for God. Absolutely real realms. The mind and the thoughts. Now I'm going to tell you each one of them. The first one you'll find in Isaiah 61 and verse 3. Seen forces that we wrestle with.

It's a familiar chapter. It begins, the spirit of the Lord is upon me and so on. And in verse 3. Not other than that morn in Zion. Beauty for ashes. The oil of joy for mourning. The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness.

That they might be called trees of righteousness. The planting of the Lord. That he might be glorified. The name of the first enemy is a real spirit. It's a personal agent of the devil. And I can tell you my friends, I know him well.

For years and years he troubled me. He trips me up. He turned me back. And I didn't know what I was fighting. Not as uncertainty. Not as one that beats the air. But I was beating the air. I wasn't landing my blows on my adversary.

Because I didn't know who it was. Then I will testify. I took a time of prayer and fasting. But this is absolutely essential. But I don't believe it ever does any harm. Came to see the weight. Possibly caused me to fail even physically.

I saw my enemy. I was 80 of the way to victory. I had suffering. Because this demon had rested on my father. And for days it had bowed. I say that our hope was like a little hell. Because the enemy God is put in.

And I saw the same demon. After salvation. Although I was soundly saved. And baptized in the Holy Spirit. And called to preach. Came right off my footstep. Same verse that shows the enemy. That is God's wounded and shrouded.

And covered in with his garment of praise. Suitable by that particular foe. In place of the spirit of heaviness. The garment of praise. There are some lovely garments. He had clothed me with the garments of salvation.

He had covered me with the robe of righteousness. As a Christian you need the garment of salvation. Life answering to your testimony. And you need the garment of praise. And when you have those three on.

The devil of depression has access to you. Let me tell you a truth. There are two Russian duets. Who had been wonderfully saved in Russia. Come to Palestine. Met us there and forgot. Meeting us in our home.

An appendix hospital woman. Happened to come along. Bringing with her. Her husband. Who had recently come out of prison. Who was demon possessed. And she knew that he was demon possessed. And she came with her husband.

And said will you pray for him. And so we started to pray. My wife and I. And these two Russian Jewish women. Russian Jewish's. They didn't care about the neighbors. They didn't care about anything else.

They got going. And they were making no end of annoyance. I can't stand this. There's too much noise. It's the devil. Praising Jesus. And he can't bear to listen to that. And I said no. You've got two alternatives.

I said if you go now. The devil will go with you. Say he did. And true enough. The demon left. In your company you praise Jesus. Night and day you praise him. Because the devil cannot bear to listen to that.

And I'll tell you one particular thing to say. I always do it. I say it whether I'm feeling like it or not. It is a sacrifice. And sometimes we bring a sacrifice. Even though it costs us something. Jesus Christ is exalted.

In charity and power. And that he has been given a name. That is above every name. That is named both in this world. And in that which is to come. And the devil cannot bear to listen to that. That Jesus Christ has been exalted.

Far above everything that is evil and satanic. You go on saying that. You go on in your heart. Praising the Lord. And quoting the scripture. The garment of praise will enshroud you. And the devil will not be able to get his fingers on you.

That enemy number one. The Spirit of Heaven. I ask you to put up your hands. Those of you that have ever encountered the Spirit of Heaven. Let there be a lot of hands up. Here this afternoon. If you were honest with me and with God.

But I'm not asking you to do it. Then there's another spirit that's spoken of in the New Testament. Second Timothy chapter 1 and 8. Second Timothy 1, 7 and 8. God has given us the spirit of fear. But of power and of love.

Therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord. Says that God has not given us the spirit of fear. If there is a spirit of fear in your heart.

Or in your mind or in your life.

Be very sure that God has not given it to you. So it must have come from the other source. It's from the enemy. Now wait a minute. There is a kind of fear. That is very good and very necessary. The Bible says the fear of the Lord is enduring forever.

A Christian who got into awful trouble. Because he said there's no more fear in Christianity. Get rid of even the fear of the Lord. And he was a legend here of God. It was upon Jesus. Even the fear of the Lord.

The fear of the Lord. As I have learned from the devil. Take away your peace. It does you good. They're absolutely different. It says the fear of man. Paul says to Timothy. That's the spirit of fear. So don't be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord.

The fear that the devil brings. Makes a Christian girl ashamed of testifying. Stop the soul from making boasts in the Lord. You know David said. My soul shall make boasts in the Lord. I will be very confident.

The Bible says God shall be confident. The Bible says pass not away your confidence. Which has great recompense of reward. But the spirit of fear will take away that strong confidence. That bold testimony.

It will bind us. This was illustrated for me so vividly. Because the people there. The Marigold people. Of whom Joshua is one. This is the way they do it. They catch one quail. And put it in a little wicker basket.

Or net. And they come and they settle around the foot of the pole. The Africans are clever enough to discern little sort of runways. They're scarcely visible unless you know what to look for. From the tail of a cow.

And they tie them into a noose. These little runways in the ground. And so along come the quails. Fellowship with it. Down in the ground. And it isn't long before they've run their heads into the snare.

The snare tightens around their necks. And if you are afraid to testify. Afraid to be seen praying in your dormitory. If you read your Bible when nobody else is looking. I said you know what happened to you?

You've been snared by the fear of man. It's tightened around your neck. It's binding your testimony. That's the spirit of fear. But it does not come from God. Nevertheless. The testimony of the church of Jesus Christ.

And our activity for God. Is greatly hindered. And there's one other thing. Which really perhaps is a combination of these two. Let me emphasize this incident is imaginary. But it is related. I heard someone say once that the devil.

Doubt as the Devil’s Wedge

Decided to hold an auction. You know what I mean by an auction? I think you probably say auction. Well anyhow. You know what I mean. Auctioning off. Going out of business. I think he was going to buy a new set.

Hammer there was a saw. There was a chisel. And so on and so forth. They all went. There was one run of fear getting wider. And people didn't know what it was. And eventually somebody said. Well. What's that there?

Well as a matter of fact the devil said. That's the instrument with which I do the greatest harm. It's my favorite instrument. So the person said. Well what's it called? The devil said it's. I believe there's a truth in that.

And it's wedging. Just begins in a small way. You begin to doubt God in a little way. You're troubled and worried about little things. But as you open up for the wedge. In it goes deeper and deeper and deeper.

Until. Your mind. Don't let's spend too long on our enemies. He's a fellow. He'd like to occupy the entire. Course of my message. But we'll displace him now. We'll dethrone him. We'll turn to what God can do.

Spiritual Armor and the Helmet of Hope

Provided us. Enables us to be victorious. As the armor. For 139. Psalm 140. Contains a wonderful testimony. And he says. Oh God the Lord. The strength of my salvation. With his protective armor. So that you are not.

In the days of Paul. 14 to 17. And therefore. Having your loins. Get about with. With the preparation of the gospel. Of taking the shield of faith. Wherewith he shall be able to quench. All the fiery darts of the wicked.

Salvation. The word of God. Now there is the complete. There's a girl. There's a story. Designed to protect the head. That's what it means. Oh and I searched. And I looked for the armor. There is in the Bible.

Because of their motor car. And for the Joseph. Speaking against each other. Prosperity of God's people. The Bible says. The prosperity of fools. Shall be intended to be a blessing. By the devil. To become a means.

To your destruction. In the things of times. The things of eternity. Are going to fade away. And become very very dim. And you're going to lose your hope. And instead of thanking. And praising God. With every blessing.

Seen in that beautiful deep creature. And all these other things. George Muller said. There are only two possible reasons. For not being an optimist. One is if you've never been saved. And your sins are not forgiven.

And you're on the way to hell. And the other is. If you have been saved. And you're backsliding. And you're turning away from the Lord. But he said. If you're not in either of those conditions. There is no possible reason.

Whatever. For being anything but an optimist. And that is perfect logic. You can't get round it. Every Christian. Should wear the helmet of hope. Every Christian. Should be an optimist. Now let me take.

A very simple. Familiar example. Some of you are familiar with it already. But suppose I poured water into this glass. I don't happen to have any. Otherwise I could do it. Till it came up to where my fingers are.

Imagine the glass. No water there. But water from there. Down to there. Now in walk two people. And look at the glass. The pessimist and the optimist. Many of you know this. But I tell it. Because it's so true.

The pessimist says. Well the glass is half empty. And the optimist says. The glass is half full. They're both absolutely correct. There's nothing in it. Except a point of view. But you know a point of view.

Can decide your destiny. Can decide your experience. And I thank God. I give him all the glory. That he has delivered me. From the spirit of depression.

And you've converted me. From being a pessimist.

Into being an optimist. And that is a wonderful work of grace. And I stand and give that testimony. In front of my wife. And she knew me when I wasn't converted that way. And if it wasn't true. I couldn't say it in front of her.

He has done it for me. And I give him humbly. All the glory. And he can do it for you. Let's look at one other scripture on hope. And then we're coming to the practical application. I think this is one of the most beautiful scriptures in the whole Bible.

Hebrews chapter 6. Verse 17 to 20. Hebrews 6, 17 to 20. It is so under the airs of promise. The immutability of his counsel. Confirmed it by an oath. That by two immutable things. In which it was impossible for God to lie.

We might have a strong consolation. Who has fled for refuge. To lay hold upon the hope. Set before us. Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul. Into that within the veil. Whither the forerunner is for us entered.

Even Jesus. Made an high priest forever. After the order of Melchizedek. Speaking about this. By the stripes of Jesus. We are healed. We claim that statement on our behalf. With Jesus Lord. We put our right in thy hands.

Just now Lord. Thou art a great physician. Take complete control of that case Lord. And we will be careful to give thee the glory. In Jesus name. Amen. We pray to you Lord. In a few moments now. Not nearly is it a city of refuge.

Into which we can. The altar. Upon which we can lay hold. And the altar was a place. If he could get to the altar. And lay hold upon his form. Once again he was safe. His adversary. His avenger. Couldn't pull him away.

And so hope. On this hope. No matter how wild. May be the fierceness. And wrath of our adversary. We are. Do you believe that? Do you really believe that? Time for you to begin to witness. And testify.

Time that I stop speaking. And you begin to do some. Personal confessing of your faith. Finally. And I think this is the sweetest picture of all. Hope is called. An anchor of the soul. Which enters into that.

Within the veil. Now isn't that a lovely picture. Let I know see a sailor. I'm not a nautical man. But what do we need an anchor for? We need an anchor for a ship. Why? Because the ship. Is unstable. It's always moving.

It's tossed to and fro. Every wind and every current. Can move the water about. And the ship that's on the water. Is at the mercy of the wind and the current. That busses it and carry it to and fro. But you ever ship an anchor.

And it can hold fast. Even in the wind and the current. That busses it. But what does the anchor do? Normally speaking. I realize there may be exceptions. But normally speaking. You don't cast an anchor in water.

You pass that anchor chain. Out through the water. And into another element. A rock. And you can't lay hold on the water. There's nothing to lay hold on. But when you get out of the element of water. And into the rock.

Your anchor grips and holds. On that other element. And now hope is an anchor. That enters in. Into that within the veil. The eternal presence of God. And we've got to pass the chains. Of the anchor of our souls.

Right out of time. And into eternity. And we've got to be anchored there. In the very presence of God. The world in which we live. Is like that sea in which the ship sails. This is not merely. Bible teaching.

The Greek philosophers whom I used to study. They all came to the same conclusion. There is nothing stable. There is nothing enduring. There is nothing that is absolutely solid. And will abide. It's all subject to motion.

Subject to change. You can't put your trust and confidence. In any part of it. That's the whole visible natural world. In which we live. Our homes. Our money. Our banks. Our weapons of war. They're all like that unstable water.

If you put your trust in them. You'll be like a ship. Without an anchor. Or an anchor that is only dangling in the water. You've got to reach right out of time. Reach right into eternity. And cast your anchor.

In the rock of ages. Hallelujah. And then you're unmovable. Oh the storms will come. The currents will blow. And strike against the ship. But you will be unmovable. Because you've got the anchor of hope.

Hallelujah. Now we come to the application. I've preached about. Your enemy. I've preached about your armor. And now I'm going to tell you. If anything I've said has concerned you. If you've recognized yourself and your need.

Victory Begins With God’s Will

In any part of what I've been preaching. I'm going to try to tell you now. Shortly and simply. And practically. How to obtain. Deliverance. I'm going to give you just certain. First of all you must acknowledge.

And believe. That it is God's will. For you to have victory. The Bible says. Thanks be unto God. Who gives us the victory. Through our Lord Jesus Christ. Nay, in all these things. We are more than conquerors.

Through Him that loves us. Thanks be unto God. Which always causes us to triumph. In triumph. There is not a note of deceit. Anywhere in the scripture. It is not God's will for you to be defeated. It is still for you to be victorious.

Jesus said. If the sun shall make you free. You shall be free indeed. But remember that he said also. You shall know the truth. And the truth shall make you free. Christ shall make you free. When you know the truth.

But the truth is the means. By which he makes you free. If you do not know the truth. Though you may be a Christian. You will not enter into the freedom. Which is your right. Secondly. You have got to exercise your will.

Exercising the Will to Receive Deliverance

Jesus came to a man. Who had been sick 38 years. Lying by the pool of Bethesda. Claiming that he wanted healing. The first thing that Jesus said to him was. Will thou be made whole. Wasn't it a strange question.

He might have said. Well what do you think I am here for. Why do I get carried to this pool every day. And why do I lie here if it isn't. Because I want to get into the pool and get healed. But you know there are many people.

That go through the outward motions. And processes of seeking healing. But there is something deficient in their will. And they don't get it. And no evangelist. And no person. And not even God. Can deliver you.

If you haven't set your will. To be delivered. And when we come into the realm of the force. And the temptations and the problems. And the fears that assail us there. Sometimes your will has been battered.

And broken down. And it's just like a little flickering flame. But whatever you have of will. Must be united with the will of God. For your deliverance. And no one else can do that for you. I tell you I've prayed.

And I've shouted over people. I've put every ounce of will. And energy and faith. I thought I had into prayer. And there's been no result. And meditating on it afterwards. I thought the person himself.

Didn't cooperate. He merely trusted in somebody else. To do it for him. You cannot do that. Even Jesus couldn't do it. Before he brought healing to that man. He elicited. The cooperation. Of that man's will.

Will thou be made whole. And you have got the will. To be free. You've got the will. To be victorious. You've got to do a very simple thing. Joel 2 .32 says. Truth however. Shall call. On the name of the Lord.

Delivered. The apostle Peter quoted that. And he said. Whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord. Shall be saved. Saved is the glorious all inclusive word. That includes. Spiritual deliverance. Mental deliverance.

And physical deliverance. They're all included in salvation. But sometimes it's good for us. To look at the original in gold. And tie it down. To deliverance. If you are bound. If you are oppressed. If you have an accusing tormenting demon.

Right in your life. If you will call on the name of the Lord. Jesus Christ. You will be delivered. Side by side with that. I want to read Matthew 18. Because this is what we're going to do. In a minute.

I cannot do it all. You can do your part. And then God will do his. Hallelujah. Matthew 18. 18 to 20. Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth. Shall be bound in heaven. Whatsoever ye shall loose on earth. Shall be loosed in heaven.

Again I say unto you. That if two of you shall agree on earth. Of touching anything that they shall ask. It shall be done for them. My Father which is in heaven. Where two or three. Are gathered together in my name.

There am I in the midst of them. This afternoon we are more than two or three. And we are gathered together in the name of Jesus. And he is in our midst. And Jesus speaking to us. As a company of believers.

Gathered together in his name says. Whatsoever you will loose on heaven. On earth shall be loosed in heaven. Whatsoever you shall bind on earth. Shall be bound in heaven. If you are mentally bound. This afternoon.

And you want to be loosed. We are going to unite. In praying together for you. That you may be loosed. And if there is a tormenting demon. That keeps coming into your life. We are going to bind that demon.

Hallelujah. Not only can we loose you. But we can bind the demon that troubles you. But you've got to believe. And exercise faith together with us. Now two more sects. James 4. 7. Submit yourselves therefore unto God.

And resist the devil. Notice that. Submit to God. Resist the devil. That there are Christians. That are exactly reversing that process. They are resisting God. And submitting to the devil. It's true. God speaks to them.

And asks them to do something. Offer something. Go somewhere. Testify to somewhere. They resist him. The devil comes into their lives. And says you are a failure. You are defeated. You are no good. They make him welcome.

They prefer what God told us to do. But I want to tell you. If you want to resist the devil. You've got to submit to God first. Because as long as you are resisting God. You can't resist the devil. The only one that will give you strength to resist the devil.

Is God when you submit to him. Submit to God this afternoon. Put your life. Your will. Your plans. Your future. Your personality. Utterly at the disposal of God. And then you will be surprised. How you will be able to resist the devil.

But remember that is your responsibility. After we have prayed. If any kind of trouble or fear. Seeks to come upon you again. You have got the responsibility. Not the preacher and not anybody else. But you have got the responsibility.

To resist the devil. And say devil. Don't trust this on God's property. I belong to God. Spirit, soul, mind and body. You have no right over me. And you can say if you will. I plead the blood. I place the blood upon the lintel.

And the doorpost of my mind. You troubling demons. That torment me waking or sleeping. Stay outside the blood. From today onwards. And they will have to obey. Hallelujah. Jesus said that when the demon has gone out of a person.

He walks through dry places. Seeking rest and finding none. He comes back to the house that he left. And Jesus says he finds it empty. Sweat and garnish. And he moved in again. With seven other demons worse than himself.

Now it's good to have your house. That is garnishing. In place of the wrong.