I’m Not a Spirit-Filled Hitman, Mercenary or Mobster

Reading my incoming email is almost like watching a fantastical-thriller-mystery-adventure-tearjerker film in 3D. Beyond the desperate prayer requests sad enough to break your heart and the fraught cries for prophetic words and wise advice, some messages are especially memorable for odd reasons.

I remember a young man from a faraway city who wanted to attend one of our conferences at Awakening House of Prayer and stay an extra five days so we could cast out all his demons, pray over his friends’ clothing and otherwise battle the myriad of devils plaguing his life. I remember the creepy marriage proposals and the bad poetry that comes along with them. I remember the urgent plea for five warriors to commit to 15 minutes of prayer for 45 days against the spirit of Absalom’s vicious attacks.

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Thankfully, I know better than to cast out demons from unbelieving strangers who happen upon the prayer room (though the recognition as an effective deliverance minister honors me). I know better than to entertain the love letters and form soul ties with lonely men on the internet. And I know better than to fight someone else’s battles—even for and especially for a price.

Who Paid Jehu?

Don’t get me wrong. I’m all for battling territorial spirits when the Holy Spirit is leading me. God always leads us into triumph in Christ Jesus (2 Cor. 2:14). I’m all for casting out devils when they manifest and ministering deliverance to our members at the AHOP. But taking on someone else’s warfare is not wise and can be dangerous.

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I remember the time a woman wanted to hire me to fight a generational battle with “Jezebel siblings.” She explained that the accountants, lawyers, financial brokers, realtors, judges and politicians involved are all Freemasons. As the only Christian in her family, I can only imagine the overwhelming and seemingly insurmountable opposition she faced over her parents’ estate. That’s why I write books like Jezebel’s Puppets.

This woman—we’ll call her Jane—had been battling these crafty devils for about a decade, and it was all coming to a head in the moment she contacted my office with an anxious plea for support, direction, prophetic insight and any other help we could offer. She wanted to fly down that very day and stay through Sunday so we could fight her battle, specifically prayer walking around the building.

Next came the offer of payment, along with a clear qualifier that she didn’t have much money left after battling Jezebel and the Free Masons for eight years. Jane’s P.S. mentioned a prayer request for payment of interest on all the money the devil stole. I really feel for the woman of God and, at some earlier days in my walk with God, may have banded together with her and stormed the gates of hell. But that’s not wisdom.

Shall I Go Up?

Although we war from a place of victory, rushing into spiritual warfare outside of God’s timing can lead to defeat. Although we are taught to remain on the offensive, presuming to enter a battle God has not called us to fight can be a dangerous mistake. And although we’re in a spiritual war, the battle really is the Lord’s.

David built quite a reputation for warfare—and it appears I have too. But David asked the Lord time and time again, “Shall I go up?” before running to the battle line. “Shall I go up?” Every spiritual warrior needs to ask this question before engaging the enemy. In other words, we need to be led by the Holy Spirit into battle if we want God to lead us into triumph. If we lose a battle, it could very well be that the Holy Spirit didn’t lead us into the spiritual skirmish in the first place.

David displayed humility in his query, and I have learned to do the same. Ahab, Jezebel’s husband and a mighty warrior who posted many victories, was certainly full of pride. God’s prophet Micaiah clearly told him what no other false prophet on his payroll dared: that he would lose if he went to battle in Ramoth Gilead (1 Kings 22:17-23). Instead of heeding the voice of God’s prophet, proud Ahab arrested the man of God and ran to the battle line anyway. He was killed in battle.

Before you run to the battle line, ask the Holy Spirit, “Shall I go up?” Then obey what He tells you. It could be He’s assigned someone else to “go up” and defeat the enemy. It could be that God is taking the battle into His own hands. Or it could be that you aren’t yet skilled enough in battle to take on the enemy that’s rising up. The reason doesn’t matter. What matters is being in the will of God, even in our spiritual warfare.

Oh, and don’t take money to fight people’s battles. Were not spiritual henchmen or gangsters.{eoa}