The Power of Praying Always: Guard Your Heart and Defeat the Enemy’s Lies

Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles [schemes] of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand (Ephesians 6:10-13).

When the enemy attacks us, the attack happens against our soul.

And the only way we can be aware of it is with the whole armor of God, which includes the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God.

Praying Always

Ephesians 6:18 goes on to say, “Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints.”

Note that this says, “praying always.” It’s amazing how important prayer becomes in emergencies. However, continuous prayer and fellowship with God should be a lifestyle. It is communion that flows out naturally from the relationship.

Praying in the Spirit should be a priority, especially in times of pressure or stress.

But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life (Jude 20-21).

Jude tells us that we are to keep ourselves in the love of God! I once heard Todd White say, “The only reason you want to be liked is because you don’t know you’re already loved.” That is so powerful!

Many people teach that it is your spirit that needs to be build up, but that is not true! Your spirit is full of the Spirit of God and complete and then sealed, so why would it need to be built up? What needs to be built up is your soul. Your spirit is perfect and complete in Christ!

When you draw from the Spirit of God who is living in your spirit, by praying in the language of the Spirit, then all that spiritual life begins to fill up your soul and build up what needed some help! You are drawing that life from your spirit! Thank God for the Holy Spirit living in us. We have no idea how blessed we really are!

Make No Agreements with the Enemy

When your heart is being tested, you will have to make a choice at some point whether you really believe this or not. We only truly believe what we are putting into action in our lives.

For though we walk in the flesh [or in other words, in a physical body] we do not war according to the flesh [the natural]. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ (2 Corinthians 10:3-5).

The apostle Paul gives us some tremendous revelation on this process that happens in our soul. He says that even though we live in a physical body, and our spirit is a new creation, nevertheless, there is a war going on. He states that we are in for the fight of our lives, but it is not a fight against people. It’s not even a fight against ourselves. It is a fight against the lies of the enemy.

Make no mistake, we must learn how to fight from a position of Spirit and Truth, which is a position of humility and wisdom! This is only possible by living our life in Christ.

God gave us amazing weapons with which to fight! These weapons are supernatural, not natural.

This is true spiritual warfare as opposed to some of the other crazy stuff where people are thinking they will have more power by getting on an airplane so they can get above the principalities and the prince of the power of the air. Some of you may remember when this teaching went around during the 1980s! This is not the warfare the Bible speaks of!

The true warfare is against us as believers, and the place of attack is the soul. That is why we must guard our heart. The spirit and soul are designed by God to work together in agreement, not in opposition!

When we have thoughts that are contrary to the will of God, they often repeat themselves over and over. As they keep repeating, they get stronger, and they become patterns or ways of thinking that develop into what the Bible calls “reasonings.”

When reasonings or arguments start to merge, which they will over time, they begin to literally form a high place or a stronghold, which is something that exalts itself above the knowledge of God. When these reasonings become strongholds, they are the most difficult thought patterns to change. They must be cast down or replaced so that the mind can then be renewed.

A leader I served with said, “The thought coming is not a sin or even a problem; it’s like a bird flying over you; just don’t let it build a nest on your head.”

Don’t be condemned because a thought comes to you! Just take it captive and bring it to the obedience of Christ. He obeyed on your behalf so you could have His victory working in your life. That includes your thought life!

Ephesians 4:23-24 says, “and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and…put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.”

This Greek word for spirit (spirit of your mind) literally means “attitude.” Renewed means “to be made new or to have a fresh way of thinking” or we could say to have a “new attitude.” When strongholds are present, they have to be cast down so you can have a new attitude; so you can be renewed in the spirit of your mind.

When your soul is under pressure like this, what is in your heart is going to come out.

Make sure that you not only guard your heart, but that you don’t agree with your adversary over the contrary thought or over the lie. When doubt or disbelief tries to come into your heart and find a place of agreement, do not agree with it! Instead agree with the Word of God. The truth you know will set you free. That lie needs to be replaced with the truth. Don’t just ignore it or give it the “Whatever!” and think it will go away.

We often come into agreement with the enemy by what we think and imagine, and by what we speak out of our mouths. Remember that out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks!

Do What You Know

When you don’t know what to do, do what you do know! Don’t let what you don’t know stop you from what you do know!

When nothing seems to be happening, wait… take heed…watch and pray…rest and trust, but don’t do something contrary to the Word of God. Instead bring your soul under control by the Word of God and with the help of the Spirit of God within your spirit. Remember, Spirit and Truth always agree!

In temptation and testing, your soul will start learning that you are not going to just fill it with lies, drawing you away with your own lusts to be enticed! By exercising yourself unto godliness, your soul is learning that this is now your pattern. Your new lifestyle brings your soul under control by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Even knowledge by itself will bring you out on the wrong side and try to get you to be puffed up! If your mind is not renewed in a particular area, you will reason and figure out something, but it will not be the will of God. Forget about all your clever ways of making something happen. Your soul knows that faith without works is dead, but don’t let it lead on its own, or you will end up in a place you don’t want to be. It will be a dead end!

Is it the knowledge of good or is it the knowledge of God’s Word being revealed to you by the Spirit of God? Wait for the direction of the Lord. Take the time to hear!

James 1:2-4 says, “My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience but let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect [mature] and complete, lacking nothing.” This is what maturing as a believer looks like.

Remember the personal story I shared at the beginning of this book? I was in an extremely painful situation, and I just wanted to quit. Life felt unfair—like a heavy weight had been placed on my shoulders that I just couldn’t bear to carry.

When I let the hurt fester in my heart instead of casting my care on the Lord, I became so discouraged that I stopped spending time in the Word, in prayer, and fellowshipping with God. I was so tired and felt so empty. It felt like life had lost its purpose and all I could see was the problem.

Finally, I decided to do what I knew to do. I opened my Bible. God met me in that messy place and healed my broken heart. He was just waiting for me to surrender my heart and allow Him to heal what was broken.

Jesus says in Luke 4:18 that He came to heal the brokenhearted. I am so glad He did!