The Prayer Journey Onward: Warfare
Written by Brayden Brookshier
Philippians 4:6–7 (NLT) 6 Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. 7 Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.
Our prayer lives will always have movement inward, upward, and outward. But there is one more movement: Onward!
As we move onward, we must recognize how every day carries within it blessings and battles. And nothing, yes, nothing is as powerful as prayer in guarding ourselves daily in God’s available power through prayer. In fact, that is the result Paul describes in Philippians 4:6–7. When we “pray about everything,” we “will experience God’s peace,” and this peace “will guard your hearts in minds as you live in Christ Jesus.” The Greek verb for “guard” here is phroureō, which is often used to describe the way soldiers guard cities or people. God’s peace will be like a soldier over our hearts and minds. Yet again, this biblical promise and divine providence are readily available but must be accessed through prayer.
This module will discuss the prayer tool of warfare prayers. Then, the last two modules will wrap it all together by helping you create a daily prayer plan.
Prayer Tool: Warfare Prayers
Read Psalm 91 & Ephesians 6:10–18
Paul’s famous charge: “put on the full armor of God” (Ephesians 6:11) confronts our prayerlessness. There is urgency in his words. Paul uses the verb "put on" (Greek: enduō) as a clear imperative, calling believers to actively clothe themselves with the armor God provides. This metaphor suggests a repeated, conscious decision—much like clothing oneself for the day—rather than an assumed or passive possession. Like the clothes in your closet, the armor is available, but it does not automatically apply itself. According to this passage, prayer is the means we gear up for the spiritual warfare of daily life. In other words, prayerlessness prevents us from walking in the armor of God. The fact that it is God’s armor and not your own emphasizes the gracious gift of this armor. Your self-sufficiency cannot protect you from the Enemy! Furthermore, because it is God’s armor, it outflanks the opposition and oppressive efforts of the Enemy. That’s good news! Therefore, beginning every day with prayers of spiritual protection and warfare is more important than any part of your morning routine.
There is no way to overemphasize the importance of starting your day with a prayer of worship and warfare. Seriously, even if it is only 30 seconds! Don’t neglect this prayer practice. Engage this like your soul depends on it!
Think of it like locking the doors to your house. Here, you will seal your heart–holy to the Lord–and hemmed in by His protection! This doesn’t negate the need to pray throughout the day, but it surely does give you a level of preparation and protection that is invaluable.
→ Caveat: If you want to dig more into this, consider researching St. Patrick’s “Breastplate” prayer and how influential this style of praying was to him.
Here are three basic steps to consider when praying warfare prayers (which can be applied to how you pray for others, but we will make these in the form of praying for yourself).
Step One: Renounce the Enemy
This first step requires you to recognize that you have a cosmic Enemy! Too often, believers in the West have a “Satan-less” gospel, meaning, they have the other elements: a Savior, a problem with sin, etc., but there seems to be no recognition of how demonic forces are legitimately at play in the world. We need to know there is an Enemy and not underestimate him. Dark, demonic forces know how to be covert. Yes, the Enemy will utilize explicit sin, but it can be even more subtle. Addictions, shame, insecurities, fears, and anxiety are all within the standard purview that the Enemy operates. We should not settle for these things ruling our lives. However, more often than not, we were born into a battle with generational battles. Our lives have context. Many of us have generational sins or even curses that are plaguing us. Don’t dismiss this! Denying the existence or influence of such dark powers doesn’t denigrate an ounce of their power. We must investigate our stories. Identify the kind of dark spirit that might be at work in your life or family. It is difficult to defeat what you cannot define. Name it. Call it out! Renounce it. “Spirit of Lust, I denounce your authority over my life!” “Spirit of anger and rage, your bind on my family line is broken!” You are breaking ties or agreements, no matter how sinister or subtle.
Renouncing the Enemy is a great way to gain the upper hand in the battle by drawing a line in the sand to say, “You do not have authority over me. I do not belong to you. I defy you. I will not submit to your wicked ways.”
Step 2: Pray from a place of definitive victory in Christ.
It is vital to know what chapter of the story we are in. The “war” has already been won! We are simply waiting for King Jesus to return to finish the task of final and full implementation of His victory and perfect, pervasive, and permanent effects of His judgment (upon His enemies) and renewal of His people and His creation. In the meantime, we have been delegated with the authority of Christ to invoke and enforce the kingdom of God over spiritual opponents. When you pray warfare prayers, pray from that place of uncontested victory (more on this below). Be aware, the words you say will need to be backed by an integrity of heart. These are not magical incantations. This takes us back to the importance of prayers of confession and renewal. A right and restored spirit with God makes us ready to pray these prayers with true and effective authority.
Try this: Find a Bible verse or passage that encourages you in warfare praying. It could be one we already mentioned in this module, or one you find on your own. Lean into that passage as you declare the victory of Christ over the spiritual battles you face!
Step 3: Pray until the spiritual tension subsides or until you can release it to the Savior.
Pray until the spiritual tension subsides or until you can release it to the Savior.
Warfare prayers, when prayed with boldness and authority, are quite inspiring! But like the name itself, “war” can be tiring and laborsome. Expect that the prayers you pray will have immediate results when it comes to spiritual warfare, but there are some cases where the foul spirit you are praying against is more formiddible than a brief prayer. You might enter a season of warfare praying about specific matters. This might even pair with some of the inner healing we discussed back in the “inward journey of prayer.”
Here are a few sample prayers to get you thinking (take them as they are or, even better, write your own!).
- Here is a short one inspired by 1 Thessalonians 5:23–24. “God of peace, consecrate me apart wholly for Yourself today. Make my spirit, soul, and body blameless by Your power as I look to the coming of Jesus. Keep me whole and holy in every way. You are faithful and will do it! So I give myself to you anew this day.”
- This one uses Philippians 4:6 as a springboard toward the victory of Christ. “Lord Jesus Christ, guard my heart and my mind; my affections and my thoughts; my behaviors and my motives–as I go on through my day. Show me the way to go. Guide me. Keep me from the influence of the Enemy. I declare the fact of the matter that the Enemy’s authority over my life is broken! Now, let me live in the liberty you provided for me on the cross. You desire integrity, and I desire to follow you sincerely.”
- This one is inspired by the style of St. Patrick’s way of praying. “Father, I take my stand today in the authority of Jesus Christ. I put on the armor You’ve given me—truth, righteousness, peace, faith, salvation, and the word of God. I renounce every scheme of the enemy against me and my family. I claim the blood of Jesus over my life, my heart, my mind, and my home. I belong to You, and I live under Your covering today.”
- This one takes a narrative approach, looking at the way God led His people in the past and calling upon Him to lead you in a similar way: “God, as you lead the people in the wilderness in the form of a pillar of fire, I ask you to set a wall of fire around me and burn away every enemy scheme, every spirit sent against me or my family. Let Your presence go before me as a blazing flame, destroying every stronghold and lie, and surrounding me with Your light and truth. May Your flame strike vengeance against the cosmic enemies that come against me. And may Your flame fill me with a burning passion and devotion for You and Your glory alone!”
- This one emphasizes the way the cross protects us from condemnation and accusation from the Enemy. “Jesus, I give myself completely to You today. I anchor my life in Your love and Your victory. I receive all that You have for me—Your life, Your covering, and Your strength. In Your mighty name, I renounce every spirit of fear, accusation, and darkness. I break all agreements with any lie of the Enemy and take back all ground given to the enemy. The Devil’s accusations are rendered void by the cross. Lord Jesus, I bring the full work of Your cross, resurrection, and ascension over my life today. I apply Your blood and Your victory to my heart, mind, body, and spirit. Fill me now with Your Holy Spirit. Surround me with Your angels. Establish Your Kingdom in me and through me today. I praise You as my Savior and King—Your victory is my hope and shield. Amen.”
You’ll notice how the examples above include rich biblical language, imagery, and metaphors–some phrases being closely linked to specific Scriptures. You might think: “I don’t talk like that.” And that’s okay! But it might be a good challenge to incorporate more biblical vocabulary, imagery, and metaphors in your prayers. They are, after all, inspired by the words God gave us to pray back to Him! There is power in internalizing Scripture until it becomes your vocabulary.
These sorts of prayers can be prayed anytime, but are highly encouraged to be at least utilized as your day begins! However, let us caution you that the Enemy is very conniving and schemes to catch us all off guard. Temptation never asks: “Are you ready?” No. Sin lurks opportunistically. Therefore, when temptation arises, begin praying warfare prayers! Don’t stop until the temptation subsides. If you pray with authority and faith, it will eventually leave you. “Submit yourselves, then, to God.Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you” (James 4:7–8a, NIV). In other words, the Enemy won’t endure a person who perseveres in seeking strength from God in the hour of temptation.
We spent much time emphasizing warfare praying because the journey onward is full of dark valleys, darker Enemies, and deviant schemes designed to spoil all the purpose God intends for your life. Do not let this cause you to fear moving forward; let it be a call to move forward with warfare prayers being a ready tool for you to have in your prayer arsenal.
Here is the locker room speech you might need to hear right now…
Christ-follower, the journey is not going to be easy. There is an Enemy who has a mission statement to “steal, kill, and destroy” (as John 10:10 tells us). Your Enemy has more experience than you and can strong arm you if you face him in the flesh. But you are not called to hide and keep your light hidden so that you are not a target. The Lord your God has given you armor (Ephesians 6). Enter the battle! Hear the Lord saying: “I gave you battle armor for a reason. Did you think you were wearing armor for a costume?”This armor is not for display or pretend. There is a cosmic battle. And opting out is not an option. The good news (gospel) is that Christ the King has secured the victory through His life, death, resurrection, and ascension. He will return. In the meantime, we are called to implement the victory of Christ wherever we go! Reclaim places of darkness back to the kingdom of light! We put on the armor because there is a fight. It’s God’s armor because it is God’s victory we fight from. Guard your hearts. Find your fight. Walk in the authority of Christ.Take heart: “because the Spirit who lives in you is greater than the spirit who lives in the world” (1 John 4:4, NLT). The Holy Spirit gives you the ace in the deck advantage over any dark “spirit” you face. Have courage. Pray. Obey. Keep moving onward!
Here is a bonus prayer you can pray every morning. Use it as is or let it inspire you to write your own:
Jesus, my victorious King, at the dawning of this new day, I come to you now—heart, mind, body, and soul—to be restored in your love, renewed by your Spirit, and anchored in your truth. Thank you for defeating every power of darkness, for you have conquered sin, shame, and death itself with your resurrection. Today, I remember who I am: chosen, forgiven, and alive in the victory you have secured.
I yield every part of my life to your good rule. Saturate my imagination, my thoughts, my desires with your presence. I renounce every scheme, lie, and accusation of the enemy. By your authority, I take my stand clothed in the full armor you have given: fastening the belt of truth around my waist; resting in the breastplate of your righteousness; grounding my steps in the gospel of peace; lifting the shield of faith to extinguish the flaming arrows that come against me; resting my mind in the helmet of salvation; and taking up the sword of your Spirit, the living Word, as my sure defense and strong offense.
Holy Spirit, fill me afresh. Guard my heart from the subtlety of compromise and awaken me to your whispers. Send your angels to guard my home, my family, my calling, and to break every stronghold the enemy would raise. May I live as one deeply loved, joyfully obedient, and fiercely courageous, rooted in your grace.
This day, I do not fight for victory—I stand in the victory of Christ. I declare your kingdom and your purpose over this day. Let your resurrection power flow in me and through me. Jesus, be my strength, my shield, my guide. To you belongs all honor, all authority, and all praise. Amen.
Discuss
- How does the concept of God “guarding” our hearts and minds encourage you, personally?
- How experienced do you feel in spiritual warfare praying?
- Which of the example spiritual warfare prayers (above) resonated the most? Why?
- If you haven’t already, take a moment to write a brief but sincere warfare prayer that you would genuinely use in your daily life. What did you learn about yourself or the way you pray by doing that practice?