Thursday, September 18, 2025

            A.W. Tozer once said that battles are won or lost before they are ever fought.  He did not mean to imply that accounting for strategy, resources, weapons or imagination was necessary to fight and win spiritual battles.  Rather, his contention was the importance of prayer in fighting and winning spiritual battles.  Matthew’s gospel shows us an important moment in the Garden of Gethsemane before Jesus’ arrest, trial and crucifixion.  He had invited Peter, James and John to accompany Him as He prayed about the events to come. As you may recall, these three disciples fell asleep.  Three different times, Jesus found them sleeping.  The Lord had invited them to pray and keep watch with Him.  But instead, they slept.
            This sleeping when they could have been praying might have been the reason that Peter denied Jesus and James was nowhere to be found at the cross.  Jesus summed up the situation by asking, “Couldn’t you men keep watch with me for one hour?” (Matthew 26:40b).  Jesus’ praying to the Father gave Him the courage to drink the cup that had been assigned to Him, to face His betrayer and to give His life at the cross for the sins of the world.  Battles are won or lost before they are ever fought.  Through prayer, Jesus set His face toward the cross. 
            Even today, it can be easy to give into temptation because we have not prayed about that battle and asked for God’s power to resist sin and evil.  It can be easy to lose self-control and lash out in anger because we have not tempered that behavior by praying for God’s help and His power to respond differently.  When we are facing some trials and challenges, it makes good sense to pray.  But often, we do not have advance warning or knowledge of such things.  So, we want to be prayed up in advance so we can resist the enemy and his snares and obstacles.  It is no coincidence that Paul mentioned prayer and named it as important in Ephesians 6 when he wrote about the full armor of God and spiritual warfare.  He wrote, “And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people” (Ephesians 6:18). 
            Pray about the battles that you know and recognize.  But likewise, pray for God to grant you discernment, vision and wisdom to see where the enemy might be preparing to launch an attack.  When you put on the armor of God every day (helmet, breastplate, belt, shoes, shield and sword), encase the armor of God in prayer.  Commit your day to prayer. Release battles and trials to God through prayer.  Practice anticipatory prayer as you look for ways God leads you to serve or speak or as you face the enemy’s relentless attacks and fury.  One thing the enemy does not ever want you to know is that he was soundly and eternally defeated at the cross by Jesus Christ.  When you pray, you can remind the devil of his defeat.  Battles are won or lost before they are ever fought.  You have the great blessing of prayer—use it!  Have a great Thursday!