A Woman’s Spiritual Arsenal

3. Agreement: Our Bonding

In addition to understanding the significance of the name and blood of Jesus, it is important that intercessors agree with the Holy Spirit on that which He has called them to accomplish through spiritual warfare. “Agreement” means “to harmonize, to live in concord, without contention.” We are all called to be consistent in our prayers with the Word and with the Spirit. And to be consistent, we must keep our hearts free from division so we remain unified with other believers.

Agreement, or unity, can be both an offensive and a defensive weapon. When a wolf wants to kill a lamb, he waits until it strays from the flock. The lamb is then unable to defend itself because it is alone.

In the company of others, the lamb is protected. We find safety by bonding in agreement with other believers and staying close to the Shepherd.

Agreement begins with a God-focus and a heart that is close to Him. When your heart is knit to the Lord, He then will knit you together with others to accomplish more than you could ever accomplish alone. This is the “threefold cord” that Solomon wrote about in Ecclesiastes 4:12.

Prayer alliances with others of like spirit can increase your warfare effectiveness. Jesus said: “If two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them” (Matt. 18:19-20).

Learning to pray in agreement is also learning to pray in God’s will. As your mind is transformed, you will discover the perfect will of God and be in agreement with Him through His Word (see Rom. 12:2).

Scripture warns about what could happen if you are in agreement over something ungodly. When Ananias and his wife Sapphira agreed to tell a lie, their plot cost them their lives (see Acts 5:1-11).

You may ask, “What if I make a mistake?” Rest assured: If your heart is right and your motives are pure, God’s grace will abound. Agree with what the Word tells you or the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Invite the Holy Spirit to be present before you even start to pray, and pray in one accord with Him.

4. Binding and Loosing: Our Keys

Once you have come into agreement with the Holy Spirit, you will need to use your power of attorney in Christ Jesus to stop the plans of hell and release the purposes of heaven. Jesus has given His followers two effective weapons for doing this: binding and loosing. They are “kingdom keys” used to put a lock on Satan’s power and unlock the power of God: “And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven” (Matt. 16:19).

James M. Freeman, in his book Manners and Customs of the Bible, explains the common usage in Jewish schools for the words “bind” and “loose.” To “bind” is to “forbid,” and to “loose” is to “allow.” In the Aramaic language, which Jesus used, it was a customary expression to denote the use of the highest authority.

And as one Bible translator points out, the verb form in Matthew 16:19 is the perfect passive participle, meaning that things bound or loosed are in a state of having already been forbidden (or permitted). Whatever is bound or loosed by the believer is done on the basis that it has already been done in heaven.

Matthew 12:29 gives us further insight: “Or how can one enter a strong man’s house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man? And then he will plunder his house.” The context of this passage finds Jesus casting out demons. The Greek word for “bind” in the verse means “to fasten or tie—as with chains—as an animal tied to keep from leaving.”

Every individual believer has the right and authority to call down or resist the devil and bind the “strong man.” You as an individual will be singled out and challenged by the spirits of darkness. Or you will be called into war against the powers over your home, church, city or beyond.

In order to bind the strong man, you must first know who the strong man is—whether a demonic principality, a power, a “ruler of darkness” or a “spiritual host of wickedness” in heavenly places (see Eph. 6:12). This is discerned through prayer and often fasting (see Matt. 17:21).

To what then does loosing refer? To setting the captive free! The Greek word for “loose” is defined as “to loose anything tied or fastened; to loose one bound; to set free; to discharge from prison. To free from bondage or disease (one held by Satan) by restoration to health.” Jesus used the term in this context when He healed the woman who had been sick for 18 years: “Woman, you are loosed from your infirmity” (Luke 13:12).

To bind is to secure the enemy with pressure so he cannot move. To loose is to gain liberty using the Word of God. Binding refers to the enemy, while loosing refers to the victory.

There is no formula for binding and loosing. It must be done by revelation of His Spirit. But binding and loosing demonic spirits or spiritual powers is definitely something you do not want to do without knowledge of what you are doing. When calling down strongholds, you may want to assist another in prayer and agreement as you learn—but never work alone.

You must also know your spiritual jurisdiction. The hierarchy of darkness understands authority and the chain of command of God’s people. Moving without the proper authority is very dangerous to you and can create havoc within the church in which you are ministering.

Remember, we are enlisted in God’s army. This is war! But 2 Corinthians 10:3-4 is clear: “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds.” The war is God’s. The weapons are God’s. And so is the victory.

Adapted from Becoming a Prayer Warrior by Elizabeth Alves, copyright 1998. Published by Renew. Used by permission.