INTERCESSION: The Beginning of All Spiritual Warfare
👉 Do You Know The Beginning of Spiritual Warfare?
Read Time 7 Minutes
Hey, Equippers! Mike Brewer here.
Intercession: The Beginning of All Spiritual Warfare
As we dive into this edition of The Equipper, we’re focusing on the critical role of intercession in spiritual warfare. Intercession isn’t just a part of the battle; it’s the very foundation. Whether you’re interceding for your family, city, or region, it begins with understanding what God is saying and aligning yourself with His will.
What Is God Saying?
Before we engage in intercession, we must first seek to understand what God is saying about our lives, families, cities, and regions. It’s not just about praying fervently; it’s about discerning His voice and responding to it.
When God called me at 22 years old, it wasn’t just a call to ministry; it was a call to intercession. I remember being swept into travail in the spirit, immediately feeling the weight of nations upon my shoulders. My first 40-day fast ended with me in another nation, preaching the Gospel—a direct result of what God birthed within me during that time of deep intercession.
In August 2009, my wife and I moved to Haiti to plant churches in a land steeped in voodoo and witchcraft. The spiritual opposition was fierce, but God had already revealed His will to us. Our job was to take the land for Him and with Him. This mission was rooted in intercession, in hearing His voice, and in moving forward despite the resistance we encountered.
Scriptural Insight: Acts 16:16-18 (NIV)
"Once when we were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a female slave who had a spirit by which she predicted the future. She earned a great deal of money for her owners by fortune-telling. She followed Paul and the rest of us, shouting, 'These men are servants of the Most High God, who are telling you the way to be saved.' She kept this up for many days. Finally Paul became so annoyed that he turned around and said to the spirit, 'In the name of Jesus Christ I command you to come out of her!' At that moment the spirit left her."
In this passage, Paul found himself positioned between two words: the word of heaven and the word of Python, a spirit speaking on behalf of the demonic forces of the earth. There’s a powerful lesson here about intercession. As you move towards obedience and intercession, you will encounter opposition. The enemy will try to predict your future through a demonic narrative, attempting to trap you in the current narrative of your family, city, or region.
The Shift in Perception: A New Understanding of Prayer
Intercession is not a technique or a methodology. It’s not about following steps one, two, and three. True intercession is about coming to a Person—Jesus Christ—and being saturated with the communion of His glorious presence. As James Goll wisely noted, “Prayer is not a matter of steps; it is about relationship.”
Intercession involves two critical aspects:
The Position of Intercession: Where you stand spiritually and how you align with God’s will.
The Action of Intercession: What you do in response to your position, including the prayers you offer and the spiritual battles you engage in.
Intercession is not defined by how long or loud you can pray. It’s not about spiritual gifts or even speaking in tongues. Intercession is fundamentally about relationship—your relationship with God and your relationship with the people for whom you are interceding.
Your Life: Positioned Between What Is and What Is to Be
Living a life of intercession places you in a position of great pressure and tension. It’s a place where you must both behold Him (Jesus) and behold them (the people you’re interceding for). It’s a place where you stand in the gap, interceding for the present while calling forth the future that God has planned.
A Mandate of Intercession for Maryville, TN
On July 20, 2019, God gave us a mandate: to intercede for the full eradication of witchcraft and occult powers in Maryville, TN. This was not a casual prayer request; it was a divine assignment that required humility, persistence, and a deep understanding of the spiritual strongholds in our region.
We had to humble ourselves and seek God’s direction. This wasn’t just about praying harder or longer; it was about learning what specific forms of witchcraft and occult powers were at work in our region. It was about aligning our intercession with God’s strategy.
The Word Brings Realignment
2 Chronicles 7:14 (NIV) offers a powerful promise: “…if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”
This scripture guided us as we sought to realign ourselves with God’s will for Maryville.
Similarly, Leviticus 18:24-25 (NIV) warns against defiling the land: “Do not defile yourselves in any of these ways, because this is how the nations that I am going to drive out before you became defiled. Even the land was defiled; so I punished it for its sin, and the land vomited out its inhabitants.”
The land itself can become defiled through the actions of its inhabitants, but through intercession, we can seek God’s forgiveness and healing.
Jeremiah 2:7-8 (NIV) also speaks to this: “I brought you into a fertile land to eat its fruit and rich produce. But you came and defiled my land and made my inheritance detestable. The priests did not ask, ‘Where is the Lord?’ Those who deal with the law did not know me; the leaders rebelled against me. The prophets prophesied by Baal, following worthless idols.”
Points of Intercession: Land Defilement
As we delve deeper into the areas of land defilement, it's essential to recognize the specific points where spiritual breaches can occur. These breaches open the door for demonic activity and hinder the full manifestation of God’s blessings. Here are the key points of defilement that intercessors must address through prayer and repentance:
Covenant Breaking
Covenant breaking is one of the most severe forms of defilement. Covenants are sacred agreements that, when broken, bring a curse upon the land and its people. Throughout history, one of the most significant breaches of covenant has been the breaking of treaties and agreements between the United States government and Native American tribes.
These treaties were meant to establish peace and define territorial boundaries. However, time and again, these agreements were broken, leading to the displacement, suffering, and even death of countless Native Americans. This injustice has left a deep spiritual wound on the land, one that continues to cry out for reconciliation and healing.
As intercessors, we are called to stand in the gap and repent on behalf of our nation for these broken covenants. We must seek God’s forgiveness and ask for His mercy to heal the land from the consequences of these actions. The healing process involves not only prayer but also acts of restitution and reconciliation where possible. The spiritual weight of broken covenants is immense, but through intercession, we can invite God’s restorative power to bring healing to the land.
Idolatry or Blood Sacrifice
Idolatry is another grave sin that defiles the land. In the context of our modern society, idolatry may not always involve bowing down to physical idols, but it can take many forms, including the embrace of practices that originate from false religions. One such practice that has become widespread is yoga.
While many people in the West view yoga as merely a form of exercise or relaxation, it is deeply rooted in Hinduism and is intrinsically connected to the worship of Hindu gods. The various poses in yoga are often dedicated to these deities, and the practice as a whole is designed to open the practitioner to spiritual experiences aligned with Hindu beliefs.
By engaging in yoga without understanding its spiritual implications, individuals inadvertently open themselves up to spiritual influences that are not of God. This widespread acceptance of yoga in our culture contributes to the defilement of the land as it introduces and normalizes practices linked to idolatry. As intercessors, it is crucial to pray for the discernment of the Church and the broader society, that they may recognize the spiritual dangers of idolatry in all its forms and turn back to worshiping the one true God.
In addition to modern-day idolatry, the land can also be defiled through the shedding of innocent blood in acts such as human sacrifice, which, though less common today, still occurs in certain parts of the world. Even the history of bloodshed in the form of war, murder, and abortion contributes to the land’s defilement. These acts call for deep intercession and repentance to cleanse the land from the spiritual consequences of such grievous sins.
Illegal Bloodshed
Illegal bloodshed, whether through murder, abortion, or other forms of unjust killing, leaves a profound spiritual stain on the land. The Bible makes it clear that the shedding of innocent blood is an abomination to God. Genesis 4:10 tells us that the blood of Abel cried out to God from the ground after Cain murdered him. Similarly, the blood of every innocent person who has been unjustly killed cries out for justice.
In our society, illegal bloodshed is rampant. From the streets plagued by gang violence to the lives lost to abortion, the cumulative effect of this bloodshed is a spiritual pollution that cries out for divine intervention. The land itself becomes defiled, unable to produce the fullness of God’s blessings because of the curse brought on by this bloodshed.
Intercessors must stand in the gap for those who have been killed unjustly, asking God for forgiveness on behalf of the nation. We must plead for the blood of Jesus to cover these sins and purify the land. Additionally, we must pray for a change in the hearts of people and the transformation of systems that perpetuate violence and death.
Sexual Immorality
Sexual immorality is another significant factor that defiles the land. The Bible repeatedly warns against sexual sin, including adultery, fornication, and perversion, because these acts not only corrupt individuals but also bring defilement to the land they inhabit. Leviticus 18 outlines various forms of sexual immorality and explains that such actions defile the land, causing it to "vomit out" its inhabitants.
In today’s culture, sexual immorality is often celebrated and normalized, leading to widespread defilement. From the breakdown of marriages due to infidelity to the pervasive influence of pornography and sexual exploitation, these sins have a devastating impact on both people and the land. The spiritual consequences of sexual immorality extend far beyond the individuals involved; they affect entire communities and regions.
As intercessors, it is vital to pray for a revival of purity and holiness in our society. We must repent on behalf of our culture for its acceptance and promotion of sexual sin, asking God to cleanse the land and restore righteousness. It is also important to pray for those trapped in cycles of sexual immorality, that they would experience the transforming power of God’s grace and be set free.
By addressing these four critical points of intercession—covenant breaking, idolatry, illegal bloodshed, and sexual immorality—we can begin to cleanse the land and invite God’s blessings to flow freely. Each of these areas requires focused and fervent prayer, along with a commitment to live out the principles of God’s Word in our daily lives. As we stand in the gap, may we see the power of intercession bring healing, restoration, and revival to our land.