Worship as a Weapon

Have you ever felt so overcome in a situation where you froze up? Maybe you could not even get words out of your mouth to utter a prayer, or cry out?  Your trouble could have felt so deep that even God seemed distant from it?

SUDDENLY, a worship song pops into your thoughts and you begin praising and singing out truths that your memory and soul remind you of.

You start out humming, grow to silently speaking the words, and your faith rises in remembrance of the power of God. Before you realize it, your heart’s attention has shifted and the King of Glory steps into the room as you sing praise. He sits with you, listens to your brokenness, and wipes away your tears.

Being in relationship with Creator God changes everything. The more that we seek to know Him, the more we recognize the attacks of the enemy and the presence of evil. I remain truly blown away that God reveals His power to us and invites us into His strength. His love permeates our cores, which in turn demands a rightful response of gratitude.

The Bible clearly talks about the forces of evil that exist on earth (Ephesians 6:11-12) and recognizes the “wrestling” that takes place “against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.” Like me, I imagine that when planning out your day, you do not think about the spiritual “wrestling” you might face in the day. And when it does happen, it feels like an ambush. Truth check – as believers, God does not leave us in the dark about the attacks of the enemy. In fact, we are warned that “the thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy (John 10:10a).” Furthermore, in James 1, we know as followers of Christ, we will face “trials of various kinds.” The closer we draw towards Jesus, the more evil will attempt to entangle us.

What is your human/flesh response to attacks by the enemy?

What is your spiritual response?

Do you have two different answers to those questions?

When I respond to an attack with my flesh it looks a lot like anxiety, frustration, doubt, or cowering in a corner (funny how acting in your own strength makes you the weakest person in the room). Responding in a spiritual way is wildly different. I lean into my identity as a child of God that is known, loved, and equipped with Holy Spirit to “stand against the schemes of the devil (Ephesians 6:11).” The power of the Most High God is no joke. Whisper the Name of Jesus and the enemy has to go.

“Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” – James 4:7

As a young girl, I discovered the power of Jesus’ Name, because for years I had horrible, evil nightmares that would keep me from sleeping. My mom would end up joining me in my room praying together: “satan I bind you to the cross in Jesus’ Name. you have no power here, amen.”

Joining Friendship’s Flood worship team as a middle schooler grew my trust that He is, who He says He is. Powerful. At that age, worship songs were fun to sing as my understanding of God blossomed. They grew into an intense awareness for the presence of God and seeking Him in all things. That meant in joy – I praise Him. In stress – I choose praise, not cowering. In fear – I praise His mighty Name. In doubt – I praise Him,  because He is faithful. The more I learned about Abba’s character, the more words I had to praise Him with and the more I could praise Him in situationally. I discovered that an outpouring of gratitude and praise to God changes atmospheres of fear to faith, and He becomes so close. Even more importantly, a transformed heart posture of praise is pivotal in watching demons turn and flee.

God is ready to rescue. He is with us and committed to His people.

“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” –
Psalm 46:1

We need only to call on His mighty Name.