The Bible tells us to stay alert against Satan’s schemes. The apostle Peter told us to actively resist our enemy – not ignore him. The apostle James also said the same thing; to submit everything to God and to resist the enemy so he will flee. How do we use God’s Word against our enemy and spiritual attacks?
(See Chinese versions: 简体中文 > 用神的话祷告抵挡属灵攻击 | 繁體中文 > 用神的話禱告抵擋屬靈攻擊)
1 Peter 5:8-9 ESV Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world.
James 4:7 ESV Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
Push back against spiritual attacks
Some Christians feel uncomfortable talking about spiritual attacks and take a “see no evil, hear no evil” approach. Unfortunately, choosing to deny the reality of spiritual attacks is a form of willful disobedience against God’s Word. Ignorance is not bliss, it only brings harm to the family of God. Such harm can and must be avoided.
As believers, we are meant to stand up against our enemy and not allow him to kill, steal, and destroy.
John 10:10 ESV The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.
The Bible states that everything, including heavenly or demonic beings, must bow “at the name of Jesus” and that His name gives us the authority to “push down our foes.”
Ephesians 2:9-10 NLT Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor and gave him the name above all other names, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
Psalm 44:5,8 ESV Through you we push down our foes; through your name we tread down those who rise up against us. In God we have boasted continually, and we will give thanks to your name forever.
Also, see Recognising and resisting spiritual attacks.
Sample prayers against spiritual attacks
If we sense we are under spiritual attack, we can declare God’s truths over ourselves as a shield. Here are some sample prayers along these lines.
1. Self-directed accusations of inadequacy
“In the name of Jesus, I reject the lie that I am inadequate and (name any other self-accusations) from the father of lies. I command any unclean spirits that are accusing me to be silenced immediately. I command you to leave in the name of Jesus Christ, and submit yourselves to Jesus. Holy Spirit, please come and show me how I need to renew my mind about myself and make it obedient to Christ.
2 Corinthians 10:5 ESV We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ,
I declare 2 Corinthians 12:10 for myself. “For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” I also declare Philippians 4:13, which reminds me that “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” In Jesus’ name, I pray, Amen.”
2. Sudden fleshly emotions
“In the name of Jesus, I rebuke the spirit of (bitterness / despair / shame / anger / jealousy / pride etc.) and command you to leave me at once. I command you to submit to Jesus and not to return.
Heavenly Father, I repent of (any sin that created a plausible excuse for the enemy to launch an attack). I’m sorry.
Ephesians 4:26-27 ESV Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and give no opportunity to the devil.
I choose to align my spirit and emotions with Galatians 5:22-23, which says the Fruit of the Holy Spirit is “… love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control…” Holy Spirit, please come and fill me. I welcome your sanctifying work in me. I ask all this in the name of Jesus. Amen.”
3. Struggles with lust
“Heavenly Father, I am sorry for any sexual sin committed by my family that has opened the door to the enemy for this attack. I repent of indulging in pornography, indecent thoughts, sexual fantasies or romance fiction. In the name of Jesus, I cut off all soul ties with past sexual partners with whom I had premarital sex, and choose to come clean before my Almighty and Holy God as a new creation. For areas I cannot overcome through prayer alone, I will begin prayer counselling with trusted lay pastors. I do all this so that these areas of fleshly weakness will not become footholds for the enemy to stop God’s work.
In the name of Jesus, I rebuke the spirit of (lust / sexual perversion / fornication / masturbation etc.) and command you to leave me at once. I forbid you to enter my conscious and subconscious (through dreams), and command you to submit to Jesus and not to return.
I declare the truth in 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 that Jesus has bought my body at a high price and therefore I choose to honour Him with my body. I will not submit and become a slave to the lust of the flesh. As 1 John 2:16 states, “For all that is in the world – the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life – is not from the Father but is from the world.”
Holy Spirit, please come and cleanse my spirit. Make me a clean vessel for God’s work, I want to be a restored temple for you, dear Holy Spirit.
1 Corinthians 6:19 ESV Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own,
1 Thessalonians 4:3 ESV For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality;
Thank you that You say in 1 John 1:9 that, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” In Jesus’ name, I thank You, amen.”
4. Sudden feelings of isolation
“In the name of Jesus, I reject the lie that I am (alone / abandoned / not appreciated / not supported etc.) from the father of lies. I command any unclean spirits that are attacking my mind to leave immediately in the name of Jesus Christ, and submit yourselves to Jesus. Holy Spirit, please come and fill my mind.
John 8:44 ESV You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies.
I declare Romans 8:38-39 over myself, “For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
As it says in Psalm 54:4, I declare for myself that, “Surely God is my help; the Lord is the one who sustains me.”
Holy Spirit, please reveal to me any pride or self-reliance that has created footholds for these lies. I readily repent and ask for Your forgiveness. I pray all this in Jesus’ name, amen.”