Job 42 makes it clear that Leviathan, the spirit of separation, will not run from man-made weapons. We must use God’s weapons if we want to defeat it (see 2 Cor. 10:4). Here are a few strategies to remember the next time you sense a divisive undercurrent beneath the surface of your relationships:
Use spiritual discernment. Discernment is critical because Leviathan operates under the surface for as long as it can. Listen to the urgings of the Holy Spirit. Pay attention when your “gut” tells you something is wrong.
Overcome evil with good. Our natural temptation is to fight fire with fire, returning evil for evil. But Romans 12:9-21 outlines a different set of rules. When met with anger or pride, we must respond with love and blessing. Fighting anger with more anger generates strongholds. Humility de-escalates the warfare and overcomes evil with good.
Pray. Isaiah 26:20-27:1 links the day of Leviathan’s defeat with God’s call to “enter your chambers, and shut your doors behind you; hide yourself” (NKJV). When we go into our prayer chamber, God will fight for us. When Job prayed for his friends, he won the battle.
Engage in corporate warfare. Praying in groups is a powerful weapon against Leviathan. There is power in numbers when God is in our midst (see Deut. 32:30). When you’re dealing with a spirit as strong, as ancient and as subtle as Leviathan, don’t tackle it alone. Get others to join you in the fight.
David Cannistraci is the senior pastor of GateWay City Church in San Jose, California. He travels internationally as a speaker and has written Apostles and the Emerging Apostolic Movement and God’s Vision for Your Church (both from Regal). For more information, go to davidcannistraci.org.
