By Ugochukwu Ugwuanyi
The caption is simply saying that some prayer warriors stand in the way or are working at cross purposes to what Christ did on Calvary or intended as a nemesis against the enemy. You’ll see how they do this inadvertently as you read along. Before then, it is interesting to note that a prevalent Christian practice in Nigeria also holds sway in Ghana. This is about the attention that Christians give to the binding and casting of Satan.
You’re sure to feel the shift in atmosphere and frenetic dimensions intercessory sessions assume in Churches when there’s a call for back-to-sender prayers or an onslaught against dark forces. Little wonder internet personality Ezekiel Azonwu recently made waves abroad when he demonstrated the Nigerian prayer during an appearance on the Convos on the Couch podcast. It has, however, come to the fore that violent prayers aren’t just a Nigerian thing. Otherwise, the founder of International Central Gospel Church, headquartered in Accra, Ghana, Pastor Otabil Mensah wouldn’t be challenging the same practice in his country.
Delivering a sermon lately, the respected Ghanaian cleric asserted that “the Christian’s prayer does not address Satan. The Christian’s prayer is addressing Jesus Christ – the One who owns the Kingdom, the power and the glory.” While acknowledging the existence of demonic activities, he called on believers to focus more on the divine ability, which is also at work. In his words, “You should never acknowledge demonic power without at the same time acknowledging divine power,” reiterating that “don’t ever ascribe power to a demon without ascribing power to God.”
Due to the paradoxical nature of his assertion and the norm in most Churches, ensuing online comments countered Dr. Mensah. Those with contrary opinions relied on Ephesians 6:12 and James 4:7 to insist that the devil must be confronted during prayers to God. Even if that is ideal, should the supplicant do so at the expense of adoring the Almighty or praying for the saints? If only the same energy expended on the enemy is devoted to Thanksgiving, the Throne Room’s response to prayer requests will be swift and satisfying. (Philippians 4:6).
Kenya is another country where warfare prayers are common. A popular clergyman in the East African country, Pastor T. Mwangi, last week advised Christians to be circumspect in fighting the enemy. According to him, “When you get in the marketplace, don’t begin battles that are not authorised. There are many believers on fire, but not on clarity.” The lead pastor at Life Church International in Limuru referenced how the powerful Elijah adopted tactical maneuvering in the face of wicked Jezebel (1 Kings 19:2-3) because Jehu was the one meant to execute her. Mwangi therefore warned that passion without discernment can lead Christians to fight the wrong battles.
God’s definite arrangement for the villain’s comeuppance should stop the believer from splitting hairs over their enemies. We should trust God enough to contend with those who contend with us. The die-by-fire form of prayer is more of an animation of the supplicant’s anxiety and insecurity than an expression of faith. Being the implacable attention junky and meddlesome interloper that he is, satan enjoys it when he displaces the saints’ needs as the agenda of the believer’s time with God. It’s the cardinal reason praying in the Holy Ghost comes highly recommended. (Romans 8:26). He gets cut off once you switch to that frequency.
The disagreement with the truth in Mensah’s message is only a matter of semantics and poor reading of his point of view. In fact, the cited James 4:7 relates that believers are not meant to be constantly fighting or engaging with principalities and powers. This was captured categorically in the verse as “resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” We don’t need to consult the original Hebrew text to know that a functional word like resist – not pray – was deliberately used there.
Resistance, unlike prayer, has diverse meanings. In martial lingo, it can be kinetic and non-kinetic, ranging from intense offensive combat to strategic restraint or Sun Tzu’s principle of subduing the enemy without fighting. The believer need not launch any artillery when impregnable defense can be achieved by handing over the aggressor to a superior power. After noting that the dark places of the earth are full of the habitations of cruelty, the writer of Psalm 74:20 didn’t go gung-ho against them but pleaded the covenant. The saints are covenanted with Jesus!
Christians who spend all their time praying against satanic manipulations are glossing over the truth that Christ has done the fighting, triumphed over the entire dark kingdom in the most humiliating manner, and handed over the victory to those who believe in Him. Why dissipate energy on what has been done and dusted, or signed, sealed, and delivered? Colossians 2:15, “When He had disarmed the rulers and authorities [those supernatural forces of evil operating against us], He made a public example of them [exhibiting them as captives in His triumphal procession], having triumphed over them through the cross.” (AMP). That’s the Calvary crusade!
During this expedition, Jesus nailed our sins to the Cross, thereby nullifying whatever charges the accuser of the brethren levels against us. Despite their advantages, the saints don’t have to reinvent the wheel by fighting a battle Jesus already won for us or has stationed someone else to decisively deal with. Christians, according to Joel Osteen, “have been armed with strength for every battle. The forces that are for you are greater than the forces against you.”
Being a believer is not just in the name and person of Jesus Christ but also in His finished work on the Cross of Calvary. As it were, Ephesians 4:27 can be paraphrased as “give no attention or pay no heed to the devil.” It’s actually condescending for the saints to spend precious prayer time addressing the devil and his chicanery. How can we be seated with Jesus in heavenly places far above principalities and powers and still worry about the forces of darkness? Right before his thorough defeat by Jesus, Revelation 12:7-11 tells us that this same satan was bested by Angel Michael and Co.
Believers are therefore well advised to display the same disdain that Smith Wigglesworth depicted towards the devil. According to Bishop David Oyedepo, “I had an unforgettable encounter in 1979, reading the book, ‘The Apostle of Faith,’ written about Smith Wigglesworth. Smith was woken up from sleep one night by a noise in his sitting room, so he got up to see what it was. He saw a creature with a horn on its head sitting in his rocking chair. All Smith said was, ‘I didn’t know it was you the devil’, and simply turned around and went back to sleep! What’s more, he woke up the following morning hale and hearty, and went about his normal business.”
How imposingly assertive! We can then understand why the bishop asserts that there is no need for gymnastics to exorcise demons, as the devil can be cast out with a bottle of soda in hand. But to pull such a rank, the believer must be decked in the full armour of God as detailed in Ephesians 6:14-17.
VIS Ugochukwu is a sage, storyteller and branding specialist who welcomes feedback sent to [email protected]
