Defense from Demons: This Prayer Protects You from Every Devil
I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one (John 17:15).
In some ways, we have misrepresented the true focus of salvation.
We ask people, “If you died today, would you go to Heaven or hell?” It’s interesting, though, that Jesus never made the focus of salvation about going to Heaven. As we discussed in chapter three, the purpose of salvation wasn’t to change your destination, but to change your position. The purpose of salvation wasn’t primarily to take you somewhere, but to get Someone in you!
Jesus didn’t come to take you to Heaven; Jesus came to unite you with God! Now certainly, there is a very real Heaven and a very real hell, and salvation does provide a one-way ticket to Heaven. However, going to Heaven was not the focus of salvation; it is one of the byproducts.
One of the byproducts of salvation is that when you take your last breath, you get to go to Heaven. If the entire focus of salvation was on you going to Heaven, then the moment you said, “Jesus, I receive You as my Lord and Savior,” then you would have immediately gone out of here!
There is a reason that you do not immediately go to Heaven; it is because not only does God need you to do some growing up in the things of God, but He also needs you to represent Him on the earth as a true son or daughter of God. Jesus needs you to make Him known to a world that does not know Him. Jesus needs you in the world.
Friend, this is where the Church missed it many years ago; we thought holiness was about being separated physically from the world—but that was totally wrong! Jesus needs us in the world so He can manifest His light for the world. How can we help a world that we exclude ourselves from? You can be in the world and yet not of it; you can be in the world and yet not be influenced by it. But how can you influence a world you have isolated yourself from? Jesus did not isolate Himself from the sinner; Jesus walked among them, ate with them, and fellowshipped with them because He believed what was in Him was far greater than what was in them.
While Jesus was praying in the upper room, He said, “Father, I do not pray that You take them out of the world but that You keep them from the evil one.” Notice Jesus was not trying to get us out of the earth immediately upon salvation. Why? Because we have a job to do! Jesus was about to die and be in hell for three days; He wasn’t going to be around to help guard and protect the disciples from the attacks of satan during that time. As a result, Jesus was praying beforehand and putting His request in the hands of God: “Protect, keep, and guard the ones You gave Me from the attacks of satan.”
However, despite Jesus wanting us to stay here for a while, Jesus did recognize there was an enemy in this world, and that enemy is satan. Jesus said, “I pray that You keep them from the evil one.” The word keep in the Greek means to “attend to carefully, to take care of or to guard.”
It is interesting that in some religious circles, people actually deny the existence of hell and satan—even though Jesus acknowledged hell and satan as being very real. During Jesus’ time on the earth, He had many satanic attacks come against Him. Not only was Jesus tempted by satan for forty days in the wilderness, but satan also stirred up the religious people to try and kill Jesus numerous times.
In addition to the attacks on Jesus, there were also schemes and attacks against the disciples. As Jesus and the disciples partook of the Passover meal in the upper room, satan came against Judas and used him to carry out the plan against Jesus.
At that time Satan himself entered into Judas the locksmith, who was one of the twelve apostles. He secretly went to the religious hierarchy and the captains of the temple guards to discuss with them how he could betray Jesus and turn him over to their hands (Luke 22:3–4 TPT).
Notice this was not one of satan’s minions; satan took on this task himself to make sure the job got done. There was a reason satan was able to use Judas; it was because Judas’ heart was impure. God cannot keep those who do not want to be kept. Judas had continued to have an unmaintained thought life and eventually gave into the temptations and deceptions of satan. Not too long after satan used Judas as his pawn, we find out that satan was also trying to find a way to use Peter as well.
While Jesus and the disciples were eating the Passover meal, Jesus warned Peter about satan:
Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren (Luke 22:31–32).
Just as with the story of Job in the Old Testament, we find that satan was petitioning God for the downfall of certain disciples of Jesus. Unfortunately, Job had no one to pray for him. Peter and Judas had Jesus in their corner to pray for them, but even Jesus had limits to His prayer because of free will and justice. There was a separating factor between Judas and Peter. They were both disciples of Jesus and had been with Jesus over three years; the difference was their hearts.
Peter’s heart was right before Jesus. Yes, Peter said and did some ignorant things, but his heart and motivation were always pure toward Jesus. Because his heart was right, it put Jesus in a position to be able to pray for Peter and get results. On the other hand, Judas’ heart was not right, and it put him in a position to be used by satan. As the treasurer, Judas had access to the ministry money and would steal money whenever he wanted to (see John 12:6). This continued, and unchecked sin led to open doors for satan into Judas’ life until, eventually, Judas betrayed Jesus and then Judas committed suicide. This simply goes to show that satan is always looking for inroads into your life. He will find the weak spot in your life, and if you do not strengthen that area, satan will continue to widen it and gain more control over your life to use you as his pawn; then, when satan is done with you, he will simply dispose of you.
Friend, there is an enemy in this world that is looking to destroy you. The good news is, because of our union with Christ, we already have the victory over satan; it is now our responsibility to enforce that victory. When Jesus paid the price for our justification, God raised Him up, and then Jesus stripped satan of his authority over us. However, just because satan has been defeated, it hasn’t stopped him from looking for those he can devour. As 1 Peter 5:8 instructs us, “Be well balanced and always alert, because your enemy, the devil, roams around incessantly, like a roaring lion looking for its prey to devour” (TPT).
Notice satan roams incessantly, looking for someone to devour. During one of my trips to Kenya, I spent time interviewing some former witch doctors, one of whom is now a pastor. In talking about satan’s operations in the world, the former witch doctor said, “Satan works around the clock to try and keep the will of God from working. He knows who are the Christians but also knows what their weaknesses are.” He went on to say, “As a witch doctor, when I saw a Christian who knew who they were, I would feel their power hitting all over my body, and I would have to leave.”
Satan cannot devour anyone he wants; he can only devour the one who refuses to maintain their thought life or does not know who they are as a true son or daughter of God. This is why we are told to stay alert. Every temptation that comes your way is simply satan looking for an inroad into your life. The devil’s purpose is to continually make you less conscious of God to the point that the devil can destroy you. Our responsibility is to be alert, and when satan shows up with his lies, temptations, and deceptions, we resist him.
I am so thankful we not only have authority over satan, but we have Jesus looking out for us! Jesus took on the responsibility of prayer for His disciples back then, and He is still taking on the responsibility of prayer today! Jesus, as our High Priest, is our Intercessor!
Who then is left to condemn us? Certainly not Jesus, the Anointed One! For he gave his life for us, and even more than that he has conquered death and is now risen, exalted, and enthroned by God at his right hand. So how could He possibly condemn us since he is continually praying for our triumph? (Romans 8:34 TPT)
Just as Jesus was praying for the disciples’ protection and triumph, Jesus is doing the same for you and me! Glory to God! Friend, there will be tests and trials that come our way. The more we progress in our understanding of our union with Christ, the more we will be a threat to satan’s defeated kingdom on this earth. As a result of our continued growth, there will be giants, mountains, and storms—but I have good news! Even though there will be giants to slay, mountains to move, and storms to still, Jesus has already prayed for your triumph! Jesus is praying for your protection! Jesus is praying for your strength! Jesus is praying, my friend! As long as we come into agreement with His prayers by believing them with our hearts, confessing them with our mouths, and walking out what the Holy Spirit is leading us to do, we will always triumph, and satan will not be able to stop it!
Prayer
Jesus, thank You for the victory You have provided for me. I thank You that You have conquered the world and its systems. You see the future and what is ahead of me. Thank You for praying for my safety, protection, and deliverance. Holy Spirit, I ask You to help me increase my sensitivity to Your voice so that I hear more clearly as to what to say and do. Jesus, reveal to me Your prayers for me so that I could come more closely in alignment with them. While I am here on the earth, I will fulfill all You have called me to do. No matter what trial that comes my way, I will enter it in faith, with joy and peace in my soul, knowing You have already prayed out my victory!
