In the past few days, we discussed Paul's letter to the Ephesian church, specifically chapter 6, about God's people fighting a war with unseen enemies. Paul described the defensive elements of the Armor of God before mentioning the offensive weapons of the sword of the Spirit and, second, prayer. Although Paul does not mention the weapon of praise and worship in his letter to the Ephesians, it is worth considering when examining the believer's arsenal. First, let’s discuss worship as a means to draw near to the Lord for His guidance:
1Now in the church at Antioch there were prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen (who had been brought up with Herod, the tetrarch) and Saul. 2While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” 3So after they had fasted and prayed, they placed their hands on them and sent them off (Acts 13:1-3; emphasis added).
In the passage above, the church leaders in Antioch used worship to draw near to God, listening for the Holy Spirit's guidance. We see a similar example in Elisha's life when the king asks him to pray and seek God's direction for the battle Israel faced. Elisha called for a harpist, who played, and then God spoke (2 Kings 3:15). Sadly, few churches today take the time to seek guidance from the Spirit of God. Christian leaders should abandon Madison Avenue’s "big business model" marketing tactics to grow the church. God has a strategy for your city, town, or village. The Lord is all you need; He can provide the tools and insight, and He wants to lead you by His Spirit. Come together, humble yourselves, pray, and listen for His guidance. God can do more in two minutes than we can achieve with our fleshly strategies to overcome evil and grow our churches.
Worship was also used as a weapon against a demonic attack on Israel by a large army formed through an alliance of the Moabites, Ammonites, and Meunites in 2 Chronicles 20. Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah at the time, gathered all the people in Jerusalem. They all began to cry out to the Lord in fervent prayer, confessing their inability to defend their families against the attack. God spoke prophetically to them while they were fasting and praying for deliverance:
Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God’s. 16Tomorrow march down against them. They will be climbing up by the Pass of Ziz, and you will find them at the end of the gorge in the Desert of Jeruel. 17You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the Lord will give you, Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, and the Lord will be with you (2 Chronicles 20:15-17).
What was God's plan? The Lord instructed the worship team to lead the charge against the enemy. They were not to fight this battle—God would fight for them. Under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, Jehoshaphat appointed men to sing and praise God as they went out at the front of the army.
22As they began to sing and praise, the Lord set ambushes against the men of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir who were invading Judah, and they were defeated. 23The Ammonites and Moabites rose up against the men from Mount Seir to destroy and annihilate them. After they finished slaughtering the men from Seir, they helped to destroy one another. 24When the men of Judah came to the place that overlooked the desert and looked toward the vast army, they saw only dead bodies lying on the ground; no one had escaped (2 Chronicles 20:22-24; emphasis added).
At God’s direction, Spirit-inspired worship occurred, leading to the defeat of a demonic attack as God moved on behalf of His people, without them having to fight physically. They were not to rely on their own strength but to trust in God’s power. The Lord set an ambush against Israel's enemies, causing the enemy to fight each other and self-destruct. Is this a word for you today to do the same in whatever battle you are facing? As God's people, we must use His methods and His power to overcome dark spiritual forces. Keith Thomas
This meditation is a condensed version of the more in-depth study, "What Are the Believer’s Most Powerful Weapons?"