Derek Prince - How to Fight Spiritual Forces
Excerpt from "Casting Down Strongholds"
Let’s come to some of the weapons that we can use and we’ll have to close. First of all, prayer. Let me give you just a few Scriptures about each, Matthew 18... verses 18 and following. Jesus is speaking: “Assuredly I say to you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” That’s a tremendous statement. The Greek actually says whatever you bind on earth will be having been bound in heaven. So the moment you bind it on earth it’s bound in heaven. See? We have the power to intervene in the heavenly realm. If we meet the conditions on earth, we can bind something on earth which is bound in heaven. Or, whatever we loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.
If a group of persons, a family, a community, even a nation, are bound by certain spiritual forces, if we meet the conditions on earth, we can loose them and what we loose on earth, shall be having been loosed in heaven. In other words, Jesus says: You bind it on earth and when you look around it’s bound in heaven. See, in a way we’re not waiting for God, God is waiting for us. An attitude of passivity is hardly ever pleasing to God. But Jesus attaches some conditions. “Again I say to you, that if two of you agree on earth, concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven.” So, the word agree in Greek is symphonize or harmonize. So attached to the promise of binding and loosing is the condition of being able to harmonize. If two people harmonize in prayer and ask for anything, they’ll get it. But it’s not easy to harmonize.
I believe the reason for that promise is because the only way we can harmonize, is by the Holy Spirit. And if we harmonize by the Holy Spirit we’ll harmonize on what God wants. But it’s a tremendous challenge, especially to Christian couples. If a husband and wife can harmonize, they get whatever they pray for. But it’s not easy to harmonize. How many of you would agree to that? It’s pretty easy to be almost in harmony, but musically almost in harmony is excruciating. And you’ll find that the devil will fight your harmonizing every way he can because he’s afraid of it. And then we’ll say thanksgiving. That’s another tremendous weapon. Let me point out to you something very interesting about the ministry of Jesus.
In John 6 when Jesus fed the 5,000, verse 11, it says: Jesus took the loaves, and when he had given thanks, he distributed them to the disciples, and the disciples to those sitting down. Jesus did not pray. All He did was give thanks. And giving thanks over five loaves and two fishes made them sufficient to feed 5,000 people. And a little further on in John 6:23, it says: Other boats came from Tiberius near the place where they ate bread after the Lord had given thanks. What released the miracle? Giving thanks. And then praise. Psalm 8:2, God says: Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings he has appointed praise, that he may silence the enemy and the avenger.
Who is the enemy and the avenger? Satan, that’s right. Why does he need to be silenced, what is he doing? All the time? He’s accusing us before the throne of God. Why doesn’t God silence him? Because God says: I’ve given you the weapons to silence him. In Acts 16 Paul and Silas were in prison, the maximum security jail, bound hand and foot. And at midnight they prayed and praised, and God sent an earthquake that released the whole prison contingent, and opened every door. What released that earthquake? Praise, that’s right. And then proclamation. This is the one that Ruth and I are majoring on these days. You see, Moses was called by God to go and deliver Israel out of Egypt. He said, “God, I don’t have anything.” God said what’s that in your hand? He said, “That’s just my shepherd’s staff.” God said throw it down on the ground and it became a snake.
Moses ran from his own staff. He didn’t realize the power he had in his hand. God said to him all you need to deliver Israel is that one staff. Go back and use it. And if you read the story, with that one staff Moses wrested the rule of Egypt out of the hand of Pharaoh, and took it over on behalf of God and brought about the release of Israel. You say I don’t have anything. God says: What have you got in your hand? A Bible. That’s all you need. Just take that staff and stretch it out. How do you stretch out the staff? By making proclamation of what the Bible says about you. Ruth and I, I would say, never a day passes without our making proclamation.