Defend Yourself Spiritually

Components of Defensive Prayer

This is Offensive and Defensive Prayer – Part 3

The word “defense” sounds negative, but when you say someone is a defender, then that gives you a better picture. If someone is a defender of our nation’s safety, we consider him or her a hero. They defended us against an enemy or threat to our way of life. But what about that person who defends us against spiritual threats that are far more serious than those natural threats? Do you consider this person who defends your family spiritually a hero? Well you should and would if we had a better understanding of what it means to fight spiritually.

In sports, when our team is up by only a point and our defense is on the field, a defensive stand means the game. In this case, we want a solid and talented defense in place to save the game. Using these ideas, let it help us think of prayer in a different light. What prayers can you offer that will aid in you being successful and winning in life? Let’s take a look at three components to defensive prayer intended to take your prayer to the next level and make you a defender of sorts.

Armed for Defensive Prayer
As we’ve previously mentioned, the Bible suggests that we put on what Christians call the full armor of God. Most of the armor mentioned is defensive in nature. You have the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, shield of faith, the helmet of salvation, and so on. ^[1] Regardless of the parts and pieces, the point is to arm yourself. Did you know that you can use prayer as your best defensive weapon? When you’re under attack, or facing opposition, or threats, then you must ensure that you have on your armor and use your defensive weapon of prayer to defend yourself. Without the appropriate defensive gear you might be vulnerable in sensitive areas.

Allow me to give you an example. You’ve heard it said, “don’t give the devil a foothold.” ^[2] That means don’t leave yourself exposed to the point in which the devil can take advantage of you and score. Be alert, be ready, and most importantly have on the right gear that doesn’t allow a simple threat to gain the advantage. That’s defensive-prayer. If you know that you lack the discipline to guard against what you’re watching or listening to, then you need some armor in place so that you’re protected in the area where you’re weak. We pray to God for what we need to keep the threats we know out of the way so that we are not bogged down and defeated by the small foxes ^[3], so to speak. This is next level prayer.

My Defensive Position in Prayer
One must take a defensive position. Not only must we learn how to play from a defensive position, but also from defensive positioning. When Nehemiah assembled the people to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem, some of the people worked while the others stood guard. That’s defensive positioning. They had their tools for work in one hand and their weapons in the other. Jesus said to Satan, “you are a hindrance to me.” Then He put the devil in check. He went on the defensive to keep the devil from hindering His progress. ^[4] Where are you losing progress because you failed to pray a defensive prayer? Did you know that a defensive player will put herself or himself in the way of their opponent to prevent the opponent from advancing? In the same way, we must be praying prayers that prevent the advancements of anything that’s keeping us from what God wants for us. This is defensive-prayer.

The Act of Praying Defensively
I’ve noticed that the normal tendencies of a person performing spiritual warfare turns their prayer to the devil. Allow me to offer a better practice. Turn your prayer to God who can fight the devil far better than you and I can. I found a prayer in the Bible that says this. Listen to these words. “Confuse them, Lord, and frustrate their plans, for I see violence and conflict in the city.” ^[5] A normal, average spiritual warfare prayer would say something like this. I bind you devil, keep your hands off my city. You know the drill, it’s normal. Rather, ask God to help with what needs to happen. In this prayer, the next level pray-er asked God to confuse and frustrate the plans of his enemy. Defensive prayer. When we pray a defensive prayer, it is God that we’re asking as we do in any other prayer. For it is God’s help, whether offensively or defensively, that we need. The Bible says if God is for us who can be against us. ^[6] Let God take our defensive stand. This is next level prayer.

Defensive prayer is prayer prayed to defend us against our opponent. It keeps our opponent from advancing. It keeps the opposition from reaching the goal that will ultimately set us back. When we have a defensive strategy then we’re guarding our life, our home, our church, our business, our job, our loved ones, etc., we defend them from whatever might be coming against them. This is defensive prayer; this is next level prayer.

Question: when was the last time you made a defensive plea to God?

[1] ‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭6:14-17‬ ‭CSB‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬, Bible.com, accessed February 27, 2023, https://bible.com/bible/1713/eph.6.14-17.CSB
[2] ‭‭Ephesians 4:27 NIV‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬, Bible.com, accessed February 27, 2023, https://www.bible.com/bible/111/EPH.4.27.NIV
[3] ‭‭Song of Solomon 2:15 NKJV, Bible.com, accessed February 27, 2023, https://www.bible.com/bible/114/SNG.2.15.NKJV
[4] ‭‭Matthew 16:21-23 CSB, Bible.com, accessed February 27, 2023, https://www.bible.com/bible/1713/MAT.16.21-23.CSB
[5] ‭‭Psalms 55:1 NLT, Bible.com, accessed February 27, 2023, https://www.bible.com/bible/116/PSA.55.1,9.NLT
[6] ‭‭Romans 8:31 NLT, Bible.com, accessed February 27, 2023, https://www.bible.com/bible/116/ROM.8.31.NLT

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