Psalm 144:1, “Blessed be the Lord, my Rock and my keen and firm Strength, Who teaches my hands to war and my fingers to fight” (AMPC)
The main tactic of the enemy is deception.
“Deception” is defined as, “the act of causing someone to accept as true or valid what is false or invalid; to trick; to cheat; to defraud; to be dishonest.” And that’s exactly who the enemy is, a deceiver, liar, and the father of lies.
John 8:44,
“You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it.
The Word of God exposes the tactics of the enemy,
John 10:10, “The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life and that they may have it more abundantly.
God is light, and His Word is light! The light exposes the enemy and tears away the darkness.
1 John 1:5, This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all.
Psalm 119:105, “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” (AMPC);
John 8:12, Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.”
Multitudes of people are deceived by the enemy. The deception started from the very beginning,
Genesis 3:1-7, 1 Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said to the woman, “Has God indeed said, ‘You shall not eat of every tree of the garden’?” 2 And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden; 3 but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die.’ ” 4 Then the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. 5 For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” 6 So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave it to her husband with her, and he ate it. 7 Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked, and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves coverings.
2 Corinthians 11:3, But I fear, lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.
Beguile” is defined as “to lead by deception; to hoodwink.” And “hoodwink” is defined as, “to deceive by false appearance; bamboozle; con; fool; mislead; dupe; to trick.”
There are hosts of lying and deceiving spirits that work under the authority of Satan.
These spirits include
delusion,
deception,
lying,
seducing,
blinding,
errors,
and guile.
Our praying can strip the power of these deceiving spirits and cause the eyes of the people to be opened.
David prayed against the enemy conspiracies of the wicked.
The Psalms are filled with references to the plans of his enemies to overthrow him. His prayers were the key to destroying these plans and bringing him deliverance. David prayed for his enemies to be scattered, confused, exposed, and destroyed.
David’s struggles were with natural enemies. Behind these natural enemies were spiritual ones that were opposed to the Davidic kingdom. Jesus was to come from this line and sit upon this throne.
Luke 1:31-33, 31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name JESUS. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Highest, and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His Father David. 33 And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom, there will be no end.”
David was fighting something beyond the natural. Through the Holy Spirit, he was contending with the powers of darkness that were set against the arrival of the Kingdom of God.
These powers were also manifested through Herod, who attempted to kill the coming Messiah.
Matthew 2:1-18, 1 Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, 2 saying, “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him.” 3 When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. 4 And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. 5 So they said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it is written by the prophet:
6 ‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
Are not the least among the rulers of Judah;
For out of you shall come a Ruler
Who will shepherd My people Israel.’
7 Then Herod, when he had secretly called the wise men, determined from them what time the star appeared. 8 And he sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the young Child, and when you have found Him, bring back word to me, that I may come and worship Him also.” 9 When they heard the king, they departed; and behold, the star which they had seen in the East went before them, till it came and stood over where the young Child was. 10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy. 11 And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
12 Then, being divinely warned in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed for their own country another way.
13 Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, “Arise, take the young Child and His mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I bring you word; for Herod will seek the young Child to destroy Him.”
14 When he arose, he took the young Child and His mother by night and departed for Egypt, 15 and was there until the death of Herod, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying, “Out of Egypt I called My Son.”
16 Then Herod, when he saw that he was deceived by the wise men, was exceedingly angry; and he sent forth and put to death all the male children who were in Bethlehem and in all its districts, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had determined from the wise men. 17 Then was fulfilled what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet, saying:
18 “A voice was heard in Ramah,
Lamentation, weeping, and great mourning,
Rachel weeping for her children,
Refusing to be comforted,
Because they are no more.”
Herod was driven by spirits of fear and murder. He was used by Satan to attempt to abort the coming kingdom. However, the Holy Spirit had already been loosed through the prayers of David, and David’s throne was secure.
Jesus is the Son of David. Mark 10:47, “And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout, saying, Jesus, Son of David, have pity and mercy on me [now]!” (AMPC)
He sits on the throne of David.
Isaiah 9:6-7, “For to us a Child is born, to us a Son is given; and the government shall be upon His shoulder, and His name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father [of Eternity], Prince of Peace. Of the increase of His government and of peace, there shall be no end, upon the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from the [latter] time forth, even forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.” (AMPC)
David’s prophetic prayers were weapons against the enemy’s attempt to stop the promised seed. Genesis 3:15, “And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her Offspring; He will bruise and tread your head underfoot, and you will lie in wait and bruise His heel.” (AMPC);
Galatians 3:16-29, “Now the promises (covenants, agreements) were decreed and made to Abraham and his Seed (his Offspring, his Heir). He [God] does not say, And to seeds (descendants, heirs), as if referring to many persons, but, And to your Seed (your Descendant, your Heir), obviously referring to one individual, Who is [none other than] Christ (the Messiah).
This is my argument: The Law, which began 430 years after the covenant [concerning the coming Messiah], does not and cannot annul the covenant previously established (ratified) by God, so as to abolish the promise and make it void. For if the inheritance [of the promise depends on observing] the Law [as these false teachers would like you to believe], it no longer [depends] on the promise; however, God gave it to Abraham [as a free gift solely] by virtue of His promise.
What then was the purpose of the Law? It was added [later on, after the promise, to disclose and expose to men their guilt] because of transgressions and [to make men more conscious of the sinfulness] of sin; and it was intended to be in effect until the Seed (the Descendant, the Heir) should come, too and concerning Whom the promise had been made. And it [the Law] was arranged and ordained and appointed through the instrumentality of angels [and was given] by the hand (in the person) of a go-between [Moses, an intermediary person between God and man].
Now a go-between (intermediary) has to do with and implies more than one party [there can be no mediator with just one person]. Yet God is [only] one Person [and He was the sole party in giving that promise to Abraham. But the Law was a contract between two, God and Israel; its validity was dependent on both]. Is the Law then contrary and opposed to the promises of God?
Of course not! For if a Law had been given which could confer [spiritual] life, then righteousness and right standing with God would certainly have come by Law. But the Scriptures [picture all mankind as sinners] shut up and imprisoned by sin, so that [the inheritance, blessing] which was promised through faith in Jesus Christ (the Messiah) might be given (released, delivered, and committed) to [all] those who believe [who adhere to and trust in and rely on Him]. Now before the faith came, we were perpetually guarded under the Law, kept in custody in preparation for the faith that was destined to be revealed (unveiled, disclosed), So that the Law served [to us Jews] as our trainer [our guardian, our guide to Christ, to lead us] until Christ [came], that we might be justified (declared righteous, put in right standing with God) by and through faith. But now that the faith has come, we are no longer under a trainer (the guardian of our childhood).
For in Christ Jesus, you are all sons of God through faith. For as many [of you] as were baptized into Christ [into a spiritual union and communion with Christ, the Anointed One, the Messiah] have put on (clothed yourselves with) Christ. There is [now no distinction] neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is not male and female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
And if you belong to Christ [are in Him Who is Abraham’s Seed], then you are Abraham’s offspring and [spiritual] heirs according to promise.” (AMPC)
David’s victories in prayer opened the way for his throne to continue. The throne of wickedness was unable to overcome the throne of righteousness.
Psalm 89:14, “Righteousness and justice are the foundation of Your throne; mercy and loving-kindness and truth go before Your face.” (AMPC)
God taught David. He became the warrior king. His victories caused his kingdom to be established.
2 Samuel 5:12, “And David perceived that the Lord had established him king over Israel and that He had exalted his kingdom for His people Israel’s sake.” (AMPC)
His victory over the house of Saul came after a long war
2 Samuel 3:1, “There was a long war between the house of Saul and the house of David. But David grew stronger and stronger, and the house of Saul grew weaker and weaker.” (AMPC)
Don’t become discouraged in prayer. Continue to pray.
1 Thessalonians 5:17, “Be unceasing in prayer [praying perseveringly];” (AMPC);
Philippians 4:6-7, “Do not fret or have any anxiety about anything, but in every circumstance and in everything, by prayer and petition (definite requests), with thanksgiving, continue to make your wants known to God. And God’s peace [shall be yours, that tranquil state of a soul assured of its salvation through Christ, and so fearing nothing from God and being content with its earthly lot of whatever sort that is, that peace] which transcends all understanding shall garrison and mount guard over your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.” (AMPC)
You will become stronger, and the enemy will become weaker.
David pursued his enemies:
Psalm 18:37-40, “I pursued my enemies and overtook them; neither did I turn again till they were consumed. I smote them so that they were not able to rise; they fell wounded under my feet. For You have girded me with strength for the battle; You have subdued under me and caused to bow down those who rose up against me. You have also made my enemies turn their backs to me, that I might cut off those who hate me.” (AMPC)
The Message Bible reads like this:
Psalm 18:31-42, “Is there any god like God? Are we not at bedrock? Is not this the God who armed me, then aimed me in the right direction? Now I run like a deer; I’m the king of the mountain. He shows me how to fight; I can bend a bronze bow! You protect me with salvation armor; you hold me up with a firm hand, caress me with your gentle ways. You cleared the ground under me so my footing was firm. When I chased my enemies I caught them; I didn’t let go till they were dead men. I nailed them; they were down for good; then I walked all over them. You armed me well for this fight, you smashed the upstarts. You made my enemies turn tail, and I wiped out the haters. They cried “Uncle” but Uncle didn’t come; They yelled for God and got no for an answer. I ground them to dust; they gusted in the wind. I threw them out, like garbage in the gutter.” (MSG)
He did not return until they were destroyed. We must see our spiritual enemies completely destroyed. We must pursue the enemy. to “pursue” means “to follow in order to overtake or capture.” It means “to chase with hostile intent.” We cannot be passive when it comes to warfare.
Ephesians 6:11-18, “Put on God’s whole armor [the armor of a heavy-armed soldier which God supplies], that you may be able successfully to stand up against [all] the strategies and the deceits of the devil. For we are not wrestling with flesh and blood [contending only with physical opponents], but against the despotisms, against the powers, against [the master spirits who are] the world rulers of this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly (supernatural) sphere. Therefore put on God’s complete armor, that you may be able to resist and stand your ground on the evil day [of danger], and, having done all [the crisis demands], to stand [firmly in your place]. Stand therefore [hold your ground], having tightened the belt of truth around your loins and having put on the breastplate of integrity and of moral rectitude and right standing with God, And having shod your feet in preparation [to face the enemy with the firm-footed stability, the promptness, and the readiness produced by the good news] of the Gospel of peace. Lift up over all the [covering] shield of saving faith, upon which you can quench all the flaming missiles of the wicked [one]. And take the helmet of salvation and the sword that the Spirit wields, which is the Word of God. Pray at all times (on every occasion, in every season) in the Spirit, with all [manner of] prayer and entreaty. To that end keep alert and watch with strong purpose and perseverance, interceding in behalf of all the saints (God’s consecrated people).” (AMPC)
David’s victories prepared the way for Solomon. Solomon enjoyed peace and prosperity.
1 Chronicle 22:1-16, “Then David said, Here shall be the house of the Lord God, and here the altar of the burnt offering for Israel. David commanded to gather together the strangers who were in the land of Israel, and he set stonecutters to hew out stones to build the house of God. David prepared iron in abundance for nails for the doors of the gates and for the couplings, and bronze in abundance without weighing, Also cedar trees without number, for the Sidonians and they of Tyre brought much cedar timber to David. David said, Solomon, my son is young and inexperienced, and the house that is to be built for the Lord must be exceedingly magnificent, of fame and glory throughout all lands. I will therefore make preparation for it. So David prepared abundantly before his death. Then he called for Solomon his son and charged him to build a house for the Lord, the God of Israel. David said to Solomon, My son, it was in my heart to build a house to the Name and [for the symbol of] the Presence of the Lord my God. But the word of the Lord came to me, saying, You have shed much blood and have waged great wars; you shall not build a house to My Name, because you have shed much blood on the earth in My sight. Behold, a son shall be born to you who shall be a man of peace. I will give him rest from all his enemies round about; for his name shall be Solomon [peaceable], and I will give peace and quiet to Israel in his days. He shall build a house for My Name and [the symbol of My] Presence. He shall be My son, and I will be his father, and I will establish his royal throne over Israel forever. Now, my son, the Lord be with and prosper you in building the house of the Lord your God, as He has spoken concerning you. Only may the Lord give you wisdom and understanding as you are put in charge of Israel, that you may keep the law of the Lord your God. Then you will prosper if you are careful to keep and fulfill the statutes and ordinances with which the Lord charged Moses concerning Israel. Be strong and of good courage. Dread not and fear not; be not dismayed. In my affliction and trouble, I have provided for the house of the Lord 100,000 talents of gold, 1,000,000 talents of silver, and bronze and iron without weighing. I have also provided timber and stone; you must add to them. You have workmen in abundance: hewers, workers of stone and timber, and all kinds of craftsmen without number, skillful in doing every kind of work With gold, silver, bronze, and iron. So arise and be doing, and the Lord be with you!” (AMPC)
Solomon’s name means “peace.” “Peace” is the Hebrew word “shalom.” “Shalom” means “peace,” Your victories over the enemy will release ‘shalom.’ You will experience greater levels of peace.
Source: John Eckhardt, “Prayers That Rout Demons”
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