Category: Crisis

COMPARING ISLAM WITH CHRISTIANITY – Part 1

A comparison of the two largest faith communities in the world today

Introduction

       I will never forget watching on TV the dreadful terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, that left nearly 3,000 people dead in New York City, Washington D.C., and Shanksville, PA. That night at an outdoor gathering of believers for prayer, it was eerie to look up at the sky and not see any airplanes. I thought to myself, will there be more attacks tonight or this week?

       The televised images of death and destruction took an emotional toll on many Americans, including this writer. Shock, sadness, fear, and anger were common emotional responses in the initial days following the attacks.     

       Just days after 9/11, then-President George W. Bush was concerned about possible repercussions against Muslims in the U.S., so he gave a speech to the Islamic Center in Washington, D. C., in which he declared: “Islam is peace.”[1] Similar words are echoed by many American Muslim scholars today who insist that Islam is a loving and peaceful religion.

       “On September 20, 2001, President… Bush announced that the United States had declared war on ‘a radical network of terrorists and every government that supports them.’ The U.S. government initiated a Global War on Terror, sending troops to Afghanistan in October 2001 and later to Iraq. 

      “The 9/11 attacks prompted calls for new strategies to keep the nation safe. The USA PATRIOT Act, passed in October 2001, expanded the government’s intelligence-gathering tools and its ability to detain and deport immigrants suspected of terrorism. Many people continue to debate whether the methods used after 9/11 effectively protect national security without compromising civil liberties. [2]

       The 9/11 attacks also continue to impact individuals’ health. “Immediately after the collapse of the Twin Towers, layers of thick gray dust and ash coated the site and surrounding areas. Days after the attack, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency declared the air in lower Manhattan safe, but the dust—made of destroyed building materials, industrial chemicals, and electronics mingled with jet fuel residue—was later determined to be hazardous.

       “More than 400,000 survivors, first responders, rescue and recovery workers, cleaning crews, lower Manhattan residents, and others are estimated to have been exposed to these toxins on 9/11 or during the nine-month rescue and recovery operations at Ground Zero. Tens of thousands nationwide are now suffering from chronic illnesses, including respiratory diseases, mental health issues, and more than 100 different types of cancer. More than 2,000 of those exposed have died.” [3] [emphasis added]

       In January 2002, just months after the attacks, 83% of Americans said “defending the country from future terrorist attacks” was a top priority for the President and Congress, the highest for any issue. [4] But in a 2010 analysis by Pew Research Center, it was found that the share of Americans who were very concerned about another terrorist attack ranged from about 15% to roughly 25% since 2002. [5]

       After 9/11, our “federal government moved quickly to develop a security framework to protect our country from large-scale attacks directed from abroad, while enhancing federal, state, and local capabilities to prepare for, respond to, and recover from threats and disasters at home. A key element of this framework included the creation of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in March 2003, bringing together 22 separate agencies and offices into a single, Cabinet-level department.” [6]

       Nearly 10 years after 9/11, plans were being made to have an Islamic cultural center (Park51 or Cordoba House), 2 ½ blocks from the location where the World Trade Center towers were destroyed by Islamist pilots. Plans leading up to the building of Park51 were confronted with resistance. On August 11, 2010, CNN released a poll showing 68% of Americans opposed the plan to build a mosque so close to where the World Trade Center used to stand, while 29% supported the plan. [7] Former Speaker of the United States House of Representatives Newt Gingrich said, “The name ‘Cordoba House’ is a deliberately insulting term that refers to Cordoba, Spain – the capital of Muslim conquerors who symbolized their victory over the Christian Spaniards by transforming a church there into the world’s third-largest mosque complex.” [8] [emphasis added] 

       Then-President Barack Obama stated: “As a citizen, and as President, I believe that Muslims have the same right to practice their religion as everyone else in this country. That includes the right to build a place of worship and a community center on private property in lower Manhattan… This is America, and our commitment to religious freedom must be unshakable.” [9] A year later, Park51’s doors were opened on September 21, 2011. [10]

       No matter how much our federal government tried to protect our country from terrorism since 9/11, it failed to address the truth about Islam. Unfortunately, Christian churches are not discovering and teaching the truth about Islam either. More about that later.

       I believe 9/11 was meant to be a wakeup call for America. Yes, there was an increase in Americans turning to religion and faith soon after that horrendous attack, but that was short-lived. We have failed to increase our knowledge about Islam which has left us more vulnerable to the real threat that Islam has become, “not only to Christianity but to freedom of religion in general, and to our very way of life.”  [11] 

       As the prophet Hosea said, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.”(Hosea 4:6). My prayer is that God will restore and strengthen His people as they grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ (2 Pet. 3:18), which includes knowing the truth about Islam. 

The Rise of Islam in America   

       Islam and Christianity are the two largest faith communities in the world. Reports indicate that there are over 2.4 billion people who identify themselves as Christians worldwide (29% of the 8.24 billion total world population), [12] which includes Catholics (50%), Protestants (37%), Orthodox (12%), and “other” (1%). [13]

       It is estimated that there are over 2.05 billion people around the world who identify themselves as Muslims, which represents over 25% of the world’s total population of 8.2 billion people. [14] The two largest denominations within Islam are Sunni Muslims (87-90%) and Shia Muslims (10-13%). [15] These two denominations arose over the political dispute as to whom should be the first successor (Caliph) to Mohammed, the founding prophet of Islam. The Sunni Muslims argued that Mohammed’s successor should be elected, but the Shia Muslims insisted that he must come from Mohammed’s bloodline. [16]

       Shia Muslims believe that God has given in addition to the prophet Mohammed, an infallible guide in religious matters called an Imam from the direct bloodline of Mohammed. They argue that “the twelfth of the line of Imams did not die, as his enemies assert, but like the Qur’anic Jesus, he was taken by God from human sight, and is in occultation [concealed]. He will return to earth as the Mahdi, the awaited messianic figure who … will bring the triumph of religion and herald the last judgment.” [17] [brackets and emphasis added]

       Many sources say that Islam is now the fastest growing religion in the world. For example, from 2010 to 2020, the number of Muslims increased by 347 million to 2.0 billion people, whereas Christians grew by 122 million to 2.3 billion. [18] Amazingly, Muslims added more people during the decade (347 million) than all non-Muslim religions combined (248 million). [19] The rate of Muslim growth was the highest in North America, where Muslims numbered 5.9 million in 2020 (up 52%). [20]

       When you compare the birth rates of Muslim families in America to non-Muslim American families, you will notice that Islamic families are growing at a faster rate, with the exception of Mormon families (2.8). Muslim women average 2.76 children whereas the average birth rate of Protestant (2.11) and Catholic (2.10) women in America is lower. [21] The reason I bring attention to this is because history shows that when Islam becomes the majority population in a country or region, it will seek to bring the rest of the population of that country under Sharia Law or Islamic Law either by force or political advancement. 

        For example, twenty-four years after the worst Islamic terrorist attack took place on U.S. soil, there are currently 275 mosques in New York City alone, including the one near Ground Zero. [22] These mosques are teaching from the book (the Qur’an) which spawned the beliefs and hatred that led to this heinous terrorist attack on the city in 2001. Estimates of the number of Muslims in New York City range from 750,000 to over 1 million. [23]

       New York City has allowed “mosques (masjids) to broadcast the Muslim call to prayer [Adhan] on Fridays between 12:30 p.m. and 1:30 p.m. without obtaining a permit and despite sound restrictions in city neighborhoods… [This] also allows the call to prayer to be broadcast in the evenings during Ramadan, the month-long period of fasting and prayer for the Muslim community.” [24] [brackets added] 

       Minneapolis, MN, was the first major city in America to broadcast the Muslim call to prayer five times per day, [25] starting at 3:30 a.m. and as late as 11 p.m. [26] Other cities that include the public  broadcast of the Muslim call to prayer five times per day include Dearborn, MI; Hamtramck, MI (the first majority Muslim city in the U.S. [27]); and Astoria, New York. [28]

       Think about this. We have pastors and priests, and even students in America that cannot pray acknowledging the God of the Bible at public school graduations or before football games using the P.A. system, but now we have Muslims who can use the P.A. system for their call to prayer across cities. [29]    

       What does this Muslim call to prayer say? This call to prayer is known as the Adhan which is Arabic for “to listen.” The call to prayer is in Arabic. Here is the English translation of the Arabic call to prayer: 

Allahu Akbar! Allahu Akbar! (Allah is bigger [30] [than your God]! Allah is bigger [than your God]!) Allahu Akbar! Allahu Akbar! (Allah is bigger [than your God]! Allah is bigger [than your God]!)

Ashhadu an la ilaha illa Allah. (I bear witness that there is no god [worthy of worship] except Allah.) Ashhadu an la ilaha illa Allah. (I bear witness that there is no god [worthy of worship] except Allah.)

Ashadu anna Muhammadan Rasool Allah. (I bear witness that Muhammad is the messenger of Allah.) Ashadu anna Muhammadan Rasool Allah. (I bear witness that Muhammad is the messenger of Allah.)

Hayya ‘ala-s-Salah. Hayya ‘ala-s-Salah. (Hurry to the prayer. Hurry to the prayer.)
Hayya ‘ala-l-Falah. Hayya ‘ala-l-Falah. (Hurry to success. Hurry to success.) 

Allahu Akbar! Allahu Akbar! (Allah is bigger [than your God]! Allah is bigger [than your God]!)
La ilaha illa Allah. (There is no god [worthy of worship] except Allah.) [brackets added [31] ]

       This Islamic call to prayer is intended to show “power and control over a country.” The Adhan declares the supremacy of the god of Islam known as Allah and is considered a “warlike declaration.” [32]   

       Usama Dakdok, an Egyptian born Christian who speaks fluent Arabic and has translated the Qur’an into English, states that the Arabic word ‘Akbar’ means ‘bigger’ not ‘great’. The phrase ‘Allahu Akbar’ cannot be taken from the life of the Muslim because it’s in every prayer. The shouting of this phrase was used by the founding prophet of Islam, Mohammed, and early Muslim jihadis to seize villages and cities. The use of ‘Allahu Akbar,’ meant that Allah is bigger than any other god or entity and it is used to strike terror in the hearts of individuals. [33]

       Many terrorist attacks against non-Muslims include “Allahu akbar!” [“Allah is bigger or greater!”] being shouted by the attackers as a means of justifying or motivating their violent actions. Examples include a man on April 18, 2017, went on a shooting spree in Fresno, CA, murdering four men and during his arrest shouting, “Allahu akbar!” [34] A Canadian citizen stabbed a police officer in the back and neck while shouting “Allahu Adbar!” at an international airport in Flint, MI, in June 2017. [35] On October 31, 2017, a man rented a truck and drove it down a bike path in Lower Manhattan, New York, killing eight people and injuring a dozen others as he shouted, “Allahu Adbar!” [36] An orthodox Jewish man walking to his synagogue was shot in the back in Chicago, IL, by a man shouting “Allahu akbar!” on October 24, 2024. [37]

       On August 27, 2025, a mass shooting took place at a Minneapolis Catholic School Mass, killing two schoolchildren and injuring at least 21 others. [38] The mass shooter left a series of videos online, including one video which consisted of several gun magazines (possibly used in the shooting) with written messages on them, including, “Donald Trump must die,”  “6 million wasn’t enough” (a holocaust reference), “Israel must fall” (Naziism)and“Masha’allah,” an Arabic term meaning “what Allah has willed.” Anni Cyrus, born and raised in Iran, believes this mass shooter was a display of the Red-Green Axis [39] in action. She said that the mass shooter was not a convert or practicing Muslim but was a soldier of the Red-Green Axis. Why did this 23-year-old transgender man attack a Catholic School? Some think because he was a transgender and hated Donald Trump. But Cyrus believes he also attacked Catholics because Islam considers them to be infidels (i.e., non-Muslims). [40]

       On June 24, 2025, the people of New York City chose in their primary elections an Islamic mayoral candidate to represent the Democratic party whose name is Zohran Kwame Mamdani. [41] [Editor’s Note: Mamdani won the mayoral election in November 2025 [42]] What you probably will not hear from mainstream media is that Mamdani is a Shia Muslim which is the same as the official state religion of Iran. He is a member of the most militant Muslim sect who believe their twelfth Imam, their Muslim Messiah, will come back during a time of great chaos here on earth to usher in judgment. The Shia Muslims’ mission is to hasten the return of this twelfth Imam, by creating maximum chaos through wars, revolutions, and terrorism. The Iranian regime is not politically motivated, but religiously motivated to cause trouble wherever they go. They seek to destroy Jews and Christians. [43]

       Mamdani’s parents are anti-Israel activists. His mother, Mira Nair, is a filmmaker. His father, Mahmood Mamdani is a professor at Columbia University and participated in pro-Hamas rallies there recently. Mahmood works closely with people from the Liberation Road Socialists and the pro-Chinese Maoists, which started Black Lives Matter. Their son, Zohran, is a member of the Democratic Socialists of America. These affiliations are leaders of the defund police and George Floyd movements. [44] If Mamdani is elected mayor of New York City, how will his leadership impact the morale of the New York City police department and the well-fare of its non-Muslim residents?

       Like his parents, Zohran Mamdani, is an anti-Israel activist. He said he would have Israel’s prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu arrested if he ever comes to New York City. [45] This  mayoral hopeful also said he won’t condemn the globalizing of the Intifada [46] – an Arabic word meaning “uprising” and is used in reference to intense Palestinian protests against Israel, mainly in the form of violent terrorism. [47] He also said that Israel has no right to exist as a state. [48] Such statements are consistent with the hatred Islam has toward Israel.

       New York City is not the only place where Islam is infiltrating. It is spreading across America. As of 2024, over 2,700 mosques exist in the United States of America. [49] A mosque is the place of worship and instruction for Muslims. 

       Bill Warner states that Christian universities are playing an important part in the Islamification of America. [50] Instead of teaching the truth about Islam, Christian universities are focusing on being nice to Muslims and avoiding conversations that would be uncomfortable for them. For example, Vanderbilt University’s Muslim Student Association (MSA) invited an FBI counter-terrorism expert to speak to the university. The student president of the MSA introduced himself saying that Islam had in essence won the state of Tennessee (which some used to call the “buckle” of the Bible belt), because evangelical and fundamental churches have accepted that Islam is a valid and true religion. He went on to say that all Muslims in Tennessee need to do now is to immigrate and have children, that the situation and future there were affirmed. 

       A former FBI agent who was a friend of Warner’s and accompanied him to this meeting, asked the FBI counter-terrorist expert if she had ever read the Qur’an. She replied, “No, but I have had some verses of the Qur’an explained to me.” Warner’s friend then asked, “Are you familiar with the Hadith [a written record of Mohammed’s words and actions]?” “No,” she replied. “Have you read the Sirah [biography or life journey of Mohammed]?” he asked. “No,” she answered. She said she knew a little about Sharia Law. “Basically,” Warner says, “what we have here is our ‘expert’ was profoundly ignorant.” [brackets added]

       Warner then said, “Three days after 9/11, church phones began to ring and the message said, ‘Hello, I am Ahmed, and we would like to come to your church and give a talk on Islam – the peaceful religion.’” Think about that. Just three days after what we would call a massive public relations disaster, churches were the target of a new push to Islamify America. And amazingly, churches took them up on the deal. And so began the Bridge Building / Interfaith gathering movement. Stop for a moment and process this with me. Following up just three days after the worst terrorist attack on U.S. soil shows how brilliant Islam’s strategy is to reach a consensus. How many other religions did this? My guess is very few if any. 

       Warner and his wife attended the first interfaith gathering in Nashville, TN, which consisted of one Rabbi, one Christian minister, and one Muslim who was an Imam. After each one presented their own point of view, Warner’s wife asked the Christian minister, “Have you ever read the Qur’an?” “Well, no, but I intend to,” he replied. Then the Rabbi was asked, “Have you ever read the Qur’an?” “No, I have not,” he said. Then the Imam was asked, “Have you read the Old Testament, the Hebrew Bible?” The Imam replied, “Oh, yes. I’ve had several courses in it.” Then the Imam was asked, “Have you read the New Testament?” He said, “Yes, I have. I’ve had several courses in it as well.” How is this going to play out? Two representatives that were professionally ignorant, and one who knows everything.

       Warner said that the Christian minister and the Rabbi were there to smile and be nice. They were not going to resist anything that the Imam told them. The first thing the Imam told them was that Jesus was in the Qur’an. The truth is there is a character named Isā in the Qur’an, but not Jesus. The Jesus of the Bible is not the same as Isā in the Qur’an. The Qur’an says that Isā was created from dust like Adam (Qur’an 3:59), he was not God or the Son of God (Qur’an 5:17, 72-73, 116; 9:30-31; 17:111; 19:34-35), nor did he die on the cross and rise from the dead (Qur’an 4:157-159). But the problem is the Christian minister did not know enough about Islam to push back on this. 

      The first Palm Sunday after 9/11, the pastor of a very large church in Nashville, TN, stood up and told the congregation that he had a new best friend, who was a local Imam. The concern is that on a Palm Sunday, he was thrilled to have this Imam as a new best friend, but during his sermon he never mentioned Jesus. Warner concludes that what he sees in Nashville, TN, is that the strongest supporters of Islam are the churches. 

       Why is this so important? Warner states that the American Muslim Advisory Council (AMAC) in Nashville, TN, was put in charge of training the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) and the highway patrol on the subject of terrorism. Warner listened to a recording of this entire event and said that the Muslim trainer basically preached the dawahwhich is the Islamic practice of inviting people to embrace the faith of Islam. It involves communicating the message of the Qur’an and the teachings of their Prophet Mohammed, promoting Islamic beliefs, and demonstrating exemplary behavior and good conduct. 

       Suppose you were a member of the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation and after that meeting, you go to your church and tell them you just learned that Muslims and Christians worship the same God. “Is that true?” you ask. And the church leaders reply, “Oh, yes, it is very true.” So, what is being done here is churches are believing the falseness that Islamists are presenting as truth. Why are churches doing this? Because they are ignorant about the truth of Islam. They have not read the Qur’an nor the Hadith. Their lack of knowledge is making them vulnerable to deception.

       Another example is a Presbyterian pastor in Nashville, TN, who was invited to visit the country of Turkey by the equivalent of the Turkey Muslim Brotherhood who also paid for his trip. When he returned to the U.S., he wrote an article in the Nashville newspaper which expressed his elation about Islam. He basically said if this is what Islam is, then we must embrace it. Bring on all the Islam that you want. However, it took a Hindu (not a Christian) to write an opposing opinion to this minister’s article in the newspaper, which informed the readers that this pastor was walking in the graveyard of Christianity, and he did not know it. This Hindu writer informed this pastor that everything appears to be fine in Turkey, because Turkey’s history shows that all is fine now because the Christians had been eliminated by Islam. 

       Why did a Hindu have to push back on the Christian minister’s conclusion? Because Christian leaders and churches are not being taught the truth about Islam in Christian seminaries or universities. Instead, they are being taught a falseness that says Islam is a loving and peaceful religion.

       Let’s go to Plano, Texas, where the East Plano Islamic Center (EPIC) has a “402-acre master plan near Josephine, Texas, known as EPIC City. Marketed as a peaceful, self-sustained Muslim community, its design is far more ambitious: a mosque, school system, senior housing, a college, commercial centers — even law offices that align with Islamic legal doctrine. Over a thousand homes, all structured under the banner of a singular religious identity. The project’s ideological architect, Yasir Qadhi — a name familiar to many of us who have long warned about his agenda — is openly calling it ‘EPIC 1.0’ and ‘2.0’ with the goal of making this model replicable across North America.” [51] [emphasis added]

       “Yasir Qadhi, is no moderate. He’s not even quietly radical. He is openly hostile to democracy, pluralism, and Western civilization as we know it. Qadhi has stated, verbatim, that: ‘No Supreme Court, no system of government, no democracy where they vote… What gives you the right to prohibit something or allow something?’ (Yasir Qadhi, public lecture—archived and transcribed by MEMRI and various Islamic watchdogs)

       “This is not a fringe interpretation. Qadhi is telling you plainly: democracy is illegitimate. In his own words: ‘To believe that it is permissible to follow a system of laws other than the Sharia negates one’s testimony of Islam.’ (Yasir Qadhi, [IlmSummit 2008], widely cited in scholarly critiques of political Islam)

       “According to Qadhi’s ideology, any Muslim who believes in constitutional law, religious tolerance, or separation of church and state has rejected Islam and is to be considered an apostate. And what happens to apostates under Sharia? Qadhi doesn’t shy away: ‘Yes, under the Islamic law, apostasy is a crime punishable by death. That is the consensus of the scholars.’ (Yasir Qadhi, Islamic Awareness Conference, 2009)

       “This is not religion. This is totalitarian theocracy. Qadhi’s record includes:

·       Referring to Christians as “filthy polytheists” whose lives “hold no value” in jihad. (Islamic seminar, 2006)

·       Justifying the killing of homosexuals and apostates under Islamic law. (Islamic Center of Tennessee, recorded lectures)

·       Fundraising for Aafia Siddiqui, the al-Qaeda-linked terrorist convicted of attempting to kill U.S. soldiers. (2008 fundraising dinner, documented by IPT)

·       Denying the Holocaust, only to later “clarify” under pressure. (2001 online post, now deleted, archived by critics)

·       Praising the Taliban and calling for a jihad-aligned worldview to be nurtured among American Muslims.” [52] 

       “During a recent segment on Brannon Howse Live, we examined footage of Islamic schools in Texas that teach skewed geopolitical narratives, including maps that effectively erase Israel, labeling the entire region ‘Palestine.’ Boys and girls separated. Hijabs mandatory. And the teachings go far beyond religion — they push a worldview that prioritizes Islamic law, Sharia, over American principles.

       “While they build, they also infiltrate — demanding curriculum changes in public schools, fighting for Islamic holidays in school calendars, and even leveraging county and city officials, including the mayor of Plano, to normalize this takeover as ‘interfaith collaboration.’ But this isn’t about faith. It’s about power.

       “Let’s be brutally honest: Islamists are using our freedoms to gain control and silence resistance. Free speech? They weaponize it to promote intolerance under the banner of tolerance. Freedom of religion? They invoke it to demand special privileges — while marginalizing every other belief system that doesn’t align. And anyone who speaks up? Labeled ‘Islamophobic,’ smeared, threatened, even hunted.

       “… Now the movement is turning bold. Bolder than ever. With over 260 Sharia-aligned Muslims already elected to office in this country — and projections showing that number will climb toward 300 by 2026 — we’re facing something far more dangerous than just ‘cultural differences.’ This is political Islam. Organized. Funded. Protected by lawfare. And it will not stop at Texas.”  [53] [emphasis added]

Conclusion

       Since 9/11, Islam has slowly but surely infiltrated [not immigrated into] American society.This article is just scratching the surface of Islam’s influence in America. Like never before, Christians must be equipped to address the truth about Islam. Lord willing, in the coming months, we will compare Islamic beliefs and practices with Christian beliefs and practices: [54]

The Qur’an or the Bible? (Two different Scriptures)

Tawhid or the Trinity? (Two different Gods)

Mohammed or Jesus Christ? (Two different Founders)

Sharia or the Gospel? (Two different Solutions)

Jihad or the Crusades? (Two different holy wars)

Witnessing to Muslims

      The burden of my heart is to equip Christians to better communicate the love of Jesus Christ for all people, especially Muslims, through the gospel or good news of Jesus’ death and resurrection (John 3:16; Rom. 5:8; I John 4:9-10). And also, I am deeply burdened to inform Muslims of the Christian perspective so they may come to the point of receiving Jesus’ life freely through faith alone in Him alone (John 3:14-16; 4:10-14; 10:10a; Rom. 6:23b), and then begin to experience His life abundantly through discipleship (John 8:30-32; 10:10b; 13:34-35; 15:1-8; et al.).

FOOTNOTES:

[1] Retrieved on September 5, 2025, from Hannah Hartig and Carroll Doherty’s September 2, 2021, article entitled, “Two Decades Later, the Enduring Legacy of 9/11,” at www.pewresearch.org. 

[2] Retrieved on September 5, 2025, from “Repercussions of 9/11” at www.911memorial.org.

[3] Ibid.

[4] Retrieved on September 5, 2025, from Hannah Hartig and Carroll Doherty’s September 2, 2021, article entitled, “Two Decades Later, the Enduring Legacy of 9/11,” at www.pewresearch.org.

[5] Ibid. 

[6] Retrieved on September 5, 2025, from “Implementing 9/11 Commission Recommendations,” at www.dhs.gov.

[7] Retrieved on September 6, 2025, from Britannica’s article entitled, “WTC Muslim Center,” which cites CNN Opinion Research Poll, Opinion Research Corporation, Aug. 11, 2010, at www.britannica.com.

[8] Ibid., cites Newt Gingrich, “Statement on Proposed Mosque/Islamic Community Center near Ground Zero,” www.newt.org, July 21, 2010.

[9] Ibid., cites Barack Obama, “Remarks by the President at Iftar Dinner,” www.whitehouse.gov, Aug. 13, 2010.

[10] Retrieved on August 31, 2025, from September 21, 2011, Associated Press article entitled, “Park51 Islamic Center Near Ground Zero Opens Its Doors,” atwww.nbcnewyork.com.

[11] Norman L. Geisler and Abdul Saleeb, Answering Islam: The Crescent in Light of the Cross Second Ed. (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 1993, 2002), pg. 7.

[12] Retrieved on September 6, 202 from www.worldometers.info.

[13] Retrieved on September 6, 2025, from Gina Zurlo’s article, “World Christianity: It’s annual statistical table time!” at www.omsc.ptsem.edu; Haruto Nakamura’s July 1, 2024, article, entitled, “Global Christian Population: How Many Christians Are in the World?” at www.hotbot.com; Pam Wasserman’s January 12, 2024, article entitled, “World Population by Religion: A Global Tapestry of Faith,” at www.populationeducation.org.

[14] Retrieved on September 6, 2025, from “Global Muslim Population,” at www.timesprayer.com.  

[15] Retrieved on September 6, 2025, from “Muslims,” at www.en.wikipedia.org; “The World Factbook: Religions,” at www.cia.org.

[16] Geisler and Saleeb, Answering Islam: The Crescent in Light of the Cross Second Ed., pg. 295. 

[17] Ibid., pg. 296 cites John Alden Williams, Islam (New York: George Braziller, 1962), pp. 224-225. Geisler and Saleeb also state, “For two recent sympathetic works on Shi’ite Islam, written by Shi’ite scholars, see…” Moojan Momen, An Introduction to Shi’ite Islam: The History and Doctrines of Twelver Shi’ism (New Haven: Yale University Press, 1985) and Abdulaziz Sachedina, Islamic Messianism: The Idea of Mahdi in Twelver Shi’ism (Albany, NY.: NY.” State University of New York Press, 1981). 

[18] Retrieved on August 30, 2025, from Conrad Hackett’s Jun 10, 2025, article entitled, “Islam was the world’s fastest-growing religion from 2010 to 2020,” from www.pewresearch.org.

[19] Ibid. 

[20] Retrieved on September 6, 2025, from the June 9, 2025, report by Conrad Hackett, Marcin Stonawski, Yunping Tong, Stephanie Dramer, Anne Shi, and Dalia Fahmy, entitled, “3. Muslim population change,” at www.pewresearch.org.

[21] Retrieved on August 31, 2025, from Ryan Burge’s October 4, 2021, article entitled, “The Future Of American Religion: Birth Rates Show Who’s Having More Kids,” at www.religionunplugged.com.

[22] Retrieved from Clement Lisi’s August 23, 2023, article entitled, “New York Mosques Can Broadcast Call To Prayer Without A Permit,” at www.religionunplugged.com.

[23] Retrieved on September 6, 2025, from Ira Stoll’s September 1, 2025, article, “New York City May Now Have More Muslims Than Jews,” at www.theeditors.com; Retrieved on September 6, 2025, from “Islam in New York City, “ at www.en.wikipedia.org.

[24] Retrieved on September 8, 2025, from Celina Tebor’s CNN August 29, 2023, article entitled, “New York City mosques can now broadcast Muslim call to prayer on Friday afternoons without permit,” at www.cnn.com.

[25] These five daily prayers are obligatory for all Muslims and are one of the Five Pillars of Islam. 

[26] Retrieved on September 8, 2025, from Amy Mek’s April 13, 2023, update entitled, “Minneapolis Becomes First U.S. City to Blast Islamic Call to Prayer Five Times a Day, Starting at 3:30 am (Update),” at www.rairfoundation.com.

[27] Retrieved on September 8, 2025, from Zhaoyin Feng’s November 15, 2021, article entitled, “The US city run by Muslim Americans,” at www.bbc.com.

[28] Retrieved on September 8, 2025, from Kalpana Jain’s June 21, 2023, article entitled, “Islam’s call to prayer is ringing out in more US cities – affirming a long and growing presence of Muslims in America,” at www.theconversation.com.

[29] Retrieved on September 8, 2025, from Brannon Howse’s, June 1, 2023, program entitled, “Students Cannot Pray Over P.A. System Before Football Games But Muslims Can Use P.A. System For Islamic Call to Prayer,” at www.worldviewtube.com.

[30] Retrieved on September 8, 2025, from November 3, 2017, Crosstalk at www.worldviewtube.com.

[31] Brackets added by Fair Foundation USA, see Mek’s April 13, 2023, update entitled, “Minneapolis Becomes First U.S. City to Blast Islamic Call to Prayer Five Times a Day, Starting at 3:30 am (Update),” at www.rairfoundation.com.

[32] Ibid.

[33] Retrieved on September 8, 2025, from November 3, 2017, Crosstalk at www.worldviewtube.com. 

[34] Retrieved on September 8, 2025, from AP news article on April 18, 2017, entitled, “Deadly spree shooting in central California racially motivated, police say,” at www.cbc.ca. The police say it was not terrorism, but a racially motivated shooting even though the shooter shouted, “Allahu akbar!” during his arrest. 

[35] Retrieved on September 8, 2025, from BBC news article entitled, “Michigan airport knife attacker shouted ‘Allahu akbar,’ says FBI,” at www.bbc.com.

[36] Retrieved on September 8, 2025, from Robert Spencer’s November 2, 2017, article entitled, “NY Deputy Police Commissioner: ‘This isn’t about Islam, this isn’t about the mosque he attends,’” at www.worldviewtube.comand from May 17, 2023, article entitled, “Judge Imposes Eight Consecutive Life Sentences Plus 260 Years in Prison for ISIS-Inspired 2017 Murder of Eight Victims and Attempted Murder of 18 Others in NYC Truck Attack,” at www.justice.gov.

[37] Retrieved on September 8, 2025, from NBC news article on November 1, 2024 entitled, “Hate crime and terrorism charges filed after Jewish man shot in ‘targeted’ attack,” at www.nbcnews.com.

[38] Retrieved on September 8, 2025, from an AP September 7, 2025, article entitled, “Hundreds mourn 8-year old, who was killed in a mass shooting at a Minneapolis Church,” at www.abcnews.go.com.

[39] Red-Green Axis refers to an alliance between Communist, Marxists, Socialists, Liberals (Red) and Islam (Green). Their goal is to bring America down – see Aynaz Anni Cyrus’ February 19, 2019, program entitled, “Former Muslim on Red-Green Axis Behind Interfaith Dialogue,” at www.worldviewtube.com.

[40] Retrieved on September 8, 2025, from Brannon Howse’s August 29, 2025, program with Anni Cyrus entitled, “Unveiling the Red-Green Axis: From Minneapolis to Venezuela, Exposing Global Threats and Cultural Shifts,” at www.worldviewtube.com.

[41] Ryan King and Carl Campanile’s June 29, 2025, article entitled, “Zohran Mamdani doubles down on plan to target ‘whiter neighborhoods’ with higher taxes — and says billionaires shouldn’t exist,” at www.nypost.com; Joseph Ax’s June 29, 2025, article entitled, “New York mayoral candidate Mamdani defends campaign despite Democratic unease,” at www.reuters.com.

[42] See updated November 5, 2025 article by Rachel Treisman and Brian Mann entitled, “Mamdani wins New York City mayoral race, in a historic victory for progressives,” at www.npr.org or at this LINK.

[43]  Retrieved on September 6, 2025, from the June 25, 2025, Brannon Howse Live interview with Islamic expert Trevor Loudon entitled, “Unmasking Zohran Mamdani: Marxist, Islamist, and the New York Mayoral Race,” at www.worldviewtube.com.

[44] Ibid. 

[45] News Roundup & Comment | July 11, 2025, on Crosstalk at www.worldviewtube.com.

[46] Ibid. 

[47] Retrieved on September 6, 2025, from the June 25, 2025, article entitled, “What Does ‘Globalize the Intifada’ Mean and How Can it Lead to Targeting Jews with Violence?” at ajc.org. 

[48] Jill Colvin’s June 29, 2025, article entitled, “How Democrats in America’s most Jewish city embraced a critic of Israel for New York mayor,” at www.apnews.com.

[49] Retrieved on August 30, 2025, from March 12, 2024, article entitled, “Mosques: A fixture of America’s cultural landscape,” at www.archive-share.america.gov.

[50] The following ten paragraphs are adapted from Brannon Howse’s August 6, 2019, interview with Bill Warner entitled, “Christian Universities Aiding in the Islamization of America,” at www.worldviewtube.com.

[51] Retrieved on September 10, 2025, from Aynaz Anni Cyrus’ May 1, 2025, article entitled, “Texas, We Have a Problem: Sharia is coming to town,” at www.thefrontpagemag.com.

[52] Retrieved on September 10, 2025, from Aynaz Anni Cyrus’ May 2, 2025, article entitled, “EPIC City – Caliphate Blueprint USA: Welcome to a community in Texas – where the Constitution is not welcome,” at www.thefrontpagemag.com.

[53] Retrieved on September 10, 2025, from Aynaz Anni Cyrus’ May 1, 2025, article entitled, “Texas, We Have a Problem: Sharia is coming to town,” at www.thefrontpagemag.com.

[54] These categories of comparison are adapted from Nabeel Qureshi, No God but One: Allah or Jesus? A Former Muslim Investigates the Evidence for Islam and Christianity (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2016 Kindle Edition).

Spiritual Warfare – Part 10

Introduction

       In Frank Peretti’s book, Piercing the Darkness, [1] he emphasizes with his literary style the importance of prayer in our Christian lives. Peretti graphically depicts prayer as a powerful tool that impacts the outcome of spiritual battles between God’s holy angels who minister to God’s people and carry out the plan of God, and the fallen angels who want to do the will and plan of Satan. As Christians pray, God’s angels are strengthened and demons are hindered,resulting in victory over the rulers of the kingdom of darkness. Conversely, when there is a lack of prayer among God’s people, demonic forces expand their influence and achieve victory over the angels of God. 

       This brings to mind the Old Testament picture of prayer in Exodus 17:8-16 when Moses was leading the children of Israel through the wilderness, and they were camped at Rephidim. After the Lord solved a water crisis by having Moses strike a rock so that water came out of it for the thirsty Israelites to drink (Exod. 17:1-7), another crisis arose involving the Amalekites. 

       The people of Amalek came out to attack Israel (Exod. 17:8). Moses instructed Joshua to choose some men for battle (Exod. 17:9a). While Joshua led the troops, Moses stood on the top of a hill with his shepherd’s staff (“rod”) overlooking the battlefield with Aaron and Hur next to him (Exod. 17:10). When Moses held up his hand high holding his staff, Israel prevailed against the Amalekites. But whenever Moses let down his tired hands for a rest, Amalek prevailed (Exod. 17:11). What happened on the battlefield was inseparably connected to what Moses did up on the hill. Moses was making spiritual intercession while Israel’s soldiers were fighting. To prevail against enemy attack, Moses had to make contact with heaven (through prayer) and Joshua and his men had to take responsibility for their actions by fighting against the Amalekites. [2]

       Eventually Moses’ hands and arms became tired, so they gave him a stone to sit on while Aaron and Hur stood on either side of Moses and supported his hands (Exod. 17:12). By doing this, they helped Moses keep God’s staff held high all day long, and Joshua and his men defeated Amalek (Exod. 17:13). 

       What a wonderful picture this is of intercessory prayer. Just as Joshua couldn’t defeat the Amalekites by himself, nor could Moses engage in spiritual warfare by himself. Israel was victorious because of intercessory prayer. God told Moses to write this victory down so he and the people of Israel (and us) would not forget that the Lord is the One Who can defeat their enemies and give them victory (Exod. 17:14-16). 

       This is what we have been learning in this series on spiritual warfare. We have focused on the victory that God has provided for Christians over the powers of darkness (Eph. 1:7-14, 19-23; 2:4-7; et al.). This is victory that we are to appropriate and use in our daily battle with the Devil and his kingdom of darkness. 

       Our union with Christ gives us the strength we need in this spiritual battle. [3] Repeatedly in the book of Ephesians, the apostle Paul refers to our union with Jesus by using the phrases “in Him” (Eph. 1:4, 7, 10-11, 13), “in whom” (Eph. 1:13; 2:21-22; 3:12, 15; 4:16), or “in Christ” (1:3, 10, 20; 2:6-7, 10, 13; 3:6, 11; 4:32). The apostle Paul writes, “be strong in the Lord…” (Eph. 6:10a).  Jesus has already won the battle over the kingdom of darkness. We are to daily appropriate this victory in our Christian lives. 

       The Person, power, and ministry of the Holy Spirit also gives us the enablement we need in spiritual warfare (Eph. 1:13-14; 2:18, 22; 3:5, 16; 4:3-4, 23-32; 5:8-9, 18-19; 6:17-18). Paul writes, “be strong… in the power of His might” (Eph. 6:10b). Christians cannot experience the victory Jesus has already won for us apart from yielding to the control of the Holy Spirit (Eph. 5:18). 

The Whole Armor of God

       For the past year, we have looked at “the whole armor of God” (Eph. 6:10-17). God wants every Christian to wear “the whole armor of God” so we may stand against the “wiles” or trickery of the Devil (Eph. 6:11). The first three pieces of armor we have with us all of the time [4] (“having girded… put on… shod…” – Eph. 6:14-15). [5]This is the state we are always in. But the last three pieces of armor we are called to take and use as needed [6](“taking … take…” Eph. 6:16-17), [7] especially “in the evil day” (Eph. 6:13b) when all hell breaks loose and seeks to steal, kill, and destroy us (John 10:10a).

       Paul describes the armor that Roman infantrymen wore in the order they would put it on. The soldier first puts on his belt which represents the Christian’s belt of truth (Eph. 6:14a). Since Satan is the father of lies (John 8:44), this first piece of armor is essential to protecting us from Satan’s deceptions and lies. We learned that truth is God’s viewpoint on a subject. It is the absolute standard by which reality is measured in its original form. [8]Truth points us in the direction that God wants to lead us.

       After putting on his belt, the soldier then puts on his breastplate which protects his vital organs in his chest region. “The breastplate” (Eph. 6:14b) we are to put on is “righteousness” (dikaiosunē) which refers to the quality of “being right.” [9]God’s truth is the informational base that tells us the right thing to do. The truth points our heart in the direction of God’s righteousness. The breastplate of righteousness is our response to God’s truth or viewpoint on a matter.

       When God’s truth and righteousness are operative in our lives, it will lead to the next piece of armor which is feet shod with the gospel of peace (Eph. 6:15). We are often faced with a myriad of choices and decisions in life, but how do we know we have made the right choices or decisions? How do we know we are moving in the right direction? How do we know we have the right perspective on a matter? God’s peace will confirm it. The Lord will give us a deep-seated calm to move forward (“feet” suggest movement) with a decision even though hell may be breaking loose in our lives. 

       As we experience God’s peace as a result of His truth and righteousness being operative in our lives, we can then see our faith in God renewed and strengthened. This leads to the fourth piece of armor which is “the shield of faith” which can protect us from “all” the flaming arrows of the evil one that he uses to cause us to doubt our Christian faith (Eph. 6:16). The shield is the object of our faith. And God is our shield (cf. Gen. 15:1b; Psa. 5:12; 18:30). As we rely on God’s presence, the substitutionary death and life of Jesus (Rom. 5:9-10; Gal. 2:20), and God’s holy angels to protect us, we can stand our ground when all hell breaks loose against us. As we worship the Lord by faith individually and corporately (as pictured by Roman soldiers interlocking their shields before and above them in warfare), our faith is renewed and strengthened so that the flaming arrows of the powers of darkness are extinguished. 

       The next piece of armor we are to take up is the “helmet of salvation” (Eph. 6:17a). This powerful piece of spiritual armor protects and directs our thoughts, so our lives are filled with hope. Satan wants us to lose hope about our past salvation from the penalty of sin (Acts 16:31; Eph. 2:8-9), our present salvation from the power of sin (Phil. 2:12; Jas. 1:21-22), and our future salvation from the presence of sin (I Thess. 1:10; 4:13-5:11; I John 3:2-3). But when we put on the helmet of salvation, our hope is renewed and we can stand in the victory God has already given us with regard to our past, present, and future. 

       The sixth and final piece of armor we are to put on or take up is “the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” (Eph. 6:17b). This is the only offensive piece of spiritual armor God has given us and it is sufficient to overcome all the powers of darkness. This piece of armor is used by the Holy “Spirit” to cut and slice up the enemy (Heb. 4:12). It refers to the spoken “word [rhēma] of God” which has the power in Itself to do what it declares (cf. Gen. 1:2b-3). It is not enough to know the Word. We must declare it to the enemy. This is what Jesus did when He defeated the Devil who tempted Christ in the wilderness (Matt. 4:1-11). 

       This is also what God instructed Joshua to do before he led the Israelites to conquer the inhabitants of the land of Canaan: “This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but youshall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.” (Josh. 1:8). The way for God’s word not “to depart from your mouth” is to “meditate in it day and night.” “To meditate on something is to roll it over and over in your mind in much the same way that a cow chews its cud. When you do, the Word of God is driven deeply into your soul so that your actions [and words] can be driven by God’s perspective rather than your feelings or cultural opinion.” [10][brackets added]

       When Jesus prepared His disciples for coming persecution (Matt. 10:16-42), He encouraged them by saying, “19 But when they deliver you up, do not worry about how or what you should speak. For it will be given to you in that hour what you should speak; 20 for it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you.” (Matt. 10:19-20). Christ predicted that His followers would be brought before governing authorities (Matt. 10:17). And when they were, they were not to fret about what to say, because the Holy Spirit would speak in and through them about King Jesus. And the same Spirit will enable us to speak Christ’s message to those who oppose Him and His kingdom. 

The “Allness” of Prayer

The apostle Paul concludes his teaching on spiritual warfare by emphasizing the “allness” of prayer (Eph. 6:10-18). [11]After addressing each piece of spiritual armor, the apostle writes, “…praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints.” (Eph. 6:18). The implication is that we put on each piece of armor through prayer. When?

       “Always.” We are to pray the armor of God when we feel like it and when we don’t; when life is smooth and when it is stormy. Pray the armor of God “always” on every occasion. If we are going to produce much fruit for the Lord, we must make prayer a top priority (John 15:7-8). 

       Notice the passion of prayer when Paul writes, “with all prayer and supplication.” There are many different kinds of prayer – praise, worship, doctrinal, resisting the enemy, supplication (bind oneself to the Lord for an answer), and intercessory prayers, etc. 

       We are to pray “in the Spirit” which refers to praying in the strength of the One Who comes alongside us to help us (cf. “Helper” [Paraklētos] in John 14:16, 25). This means we pray in harmony with the Spirit of God which is according to the will of God revealed in Scripture. The Holy Spirit is “the Spirit of truth” (John 14:17) and He never contradicts the teaching of Jesus Who is “the truth” (John 14:6) nor the truth of God’s Word (John 17:17). It also means we are under the control of the Holy Spirit Who prays according to the will of God on our behalf (Rom. 8:26-27). 

       Prayer is to be “watchful” (agrupneō). This is a military term in the context of spiritual warfare. It means “to be vigilant in awareness of threatening peril… be on the alert … be on guard.” [12] It is like a soldier on duty to protect the encampment of his fellow soldiers. He gives an advanced warning that the enemy is coming. His duty is always to be alert, never to go to sleep. He is to use his watchfulness to protect his fellow soldiers as they sleep. 

       Likewise, Christians are to use their watchfulness in prayer to protect one another. When we see the enemy attacking another brother or sister in Christ, we are to pray the armor of God over that person. There is really not much we can say to that believer when they are in the heat of battle. But we can bring him or her before the throne of grace (Heb. 4:15-16) and ask the Lord to intervene in his or her life to deliver them from the powers of darkness. 

       Paul then speaks of the perseverance of prayer when he says to pray “with all perseverance and supplication.” What does that mean? It means you don’t give up. You keep praying until God answers your prayers. 

       Remember when Daniel had been praying and fasting for three weeks and then he received an incredible vision of a glorious man (Dan. 10:1-9)? The angel of God that had been sent to Daniel when he first began praying and fasting three weeks earlier finally arrived (Dan. 10:10-12). The reason it took the angel three weeks to come to Daniel was because “the [demonic] prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood” him for three weeks – the entire time Daniel had been praying and fasting (Dan. 10:13a). This demonic prince of Persia was so powerful it took “Michael, one of the chief princes” [of the angels of God] to help this angel who had been battling the demonic “kings of Persia” (Dan. 10:13b). By virtue of his strength, the angel battling the kingdom of darkness prevailed and came to Daniel to strengthen him so he could receive the revelation that follows in chapters 11 and 12 of Daniel (cf. Dan 10:15-19). 

       What if Daniel had not persevered in prayer during those three weeks? He would not have received the incredible prophecy regarding the future. Brothers and sisters, we must not give up in praying for one another. 

       Next the apostle speaks of the panorama of prayer when he says, “for all the saints.” This phrase includes us, our spouses, our children, our grandchildren, our parents, our siblings, our Christians brothers and sisters in our local churches and around the world, our governmental leaders and world leaders across the globe. We begin to pray for fellow believers in Ukraine and Russia, in China and Iran, and wherever the Lord leads us to pray. Spiritual warfare praying has a very broad application. 

       Finally, Paul speaks of the projection of prayer when he writes, [praying] “for me, that utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel.” (Eph. 6:19). Observe that spiritual warfare prayer impacts the words (“utterance”) of a powerful “gospel” message which conveys the manifold grace of God (cf. Eph. 1:6-14; 2:4-9). He asks them to pray, “that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel.” The powers of darkness want to silence the mouth of the apostle Paul (and all believers), but he asks his readers to pray for him to speak “boldly” so he can “make known the mystery of the gospel” to those he has contact with during his first imprisonment in Rome [13] while under house arrest chained to a Roman soldier (Eph. 3:1; 4:1; 6:20; cf. Acts 28:30). [14] This request from Paul suggests he may have been afraid to share the gospel at this time. Having boldness does not mean the absence of fear. It is overcoming fear by relying on the Holy Spirit to speak through us (cf. Matt. 10:18-20). 

       We can enter into the ministry of the Holy Spirit through spiritual warfare prayer. We are to pray this way for each other and for those who preach the gospel to the unsaved. We must pray this way for our spiritual leaders in our local churches and around the world, so the gospel is proclaimed clearly and boldly around the world. 

Conclusion

        Please join me now in putting on the whole armor of God through prayer. [15]

Prayer: Heavenly Father, I put on the whole armor of God with praise and thanksgiving. You have provided all I need to stand in victory against Satan and his kingdom of darkness. 

       In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, I take the belt of truth and its stabilizing power and protection. Thank You that Satan cannot stand against the bold use of the truth. I cling to Jesus Who is the truth and is full of truth, as my strength and protection from all of Satan’s deceptions. Thank You Father God for the Holy Spirit Who is the Spirit of truth. I look to You, Holy Spirit, to lead me in accord with the truth of what Jesus taught and what the Bible teaches. I ask You, Spirit of truth, to warn me before I deceive anyone and to protect me always from believing Satan’s lies. Please show me any way in which I am being deceived. I ask that the Bible, the Word of truth, shall constantly gain a deeper place in my life. Thank You, Lord God, for making the local church a pillar and foundation for Your truth in my life. Help me relate to my church and give protection to others as well as receive it myself. 

       Thank You Father God for providing the breastplate of righteousness to guard my spiritual heart so it can pump Your life throughout my spirit, soul, and body. I praise You for declaring me to be totally righteous in Your sight apart from any good works I do when I believed in Jesus Christ. I praise You for freely crediting Jesus’ perfect righteousness to my account in heaven so Satan cannot successfully accuse me or condemn me of wrongdoing in Your courtroom. Thank You that my salvation does not rely on my good works, nor my ability to keep rules and regulations, but on Jesus alone Who died in my place on the cross and rose from the dead. I praise You for depositing deep down in my spirit all the righteousness that belongs to Jesus Christ. Help me to appropriate that righteousness by faith as I dig deep with Your Word of truth so my spirit can release Your righteousness to my soul, and my soul can release that righteousness to my body, transforming my spirit, soul and body into Jesus’ likeness. I know that Satan must retreat before the righteousness of God. 

       I joyfully put on the sandals of the gospel of peace. Jesus, I praise You because You not only brought me peace, but You are also my peace. Protect me from anything that would rob me of Your peace. Please help me to wear my sandals of peace every day so I may stand victoriously against the trickery of the Devil. I claim the peace with God that is mine through justification by faith alone in Jesus alone (Rom. 5:1). I desire the peace of God that touches my emotions and feelings through prayer (Phil. 4:6-7). Through my obedience, I seek the God of peace (Phil 4:9) Who makes even my enemies to live at peace with me. And I want to grow closer to You Jesus, because You are my peace. 

       Eagerly, I take up the shield of faith against all the blazing arrows that Satan fires at me. I know that You are my shield, O Lord. As I rely on Your presence, the substitutionary death and life of Jesus, and Your holy angels to protect me, I can stand my ground when all hell breaks loose against me. Help me to keep my shield of faith renewed and strengthened by worshipping You individually and corporately with other believers. Please grant me the grace to keep looking to Jesus no matter what I face or what I feel on my journey of faith.

       Father God, I recognize that my mind is a particular target of Satan’s deceiving ways. Thus, I cover my mind with the powerful helmet of salvation which protects and directs my thoughts, so my life is filled with hope. Thank You for the assurance that my spirit is saved from the penalty of sin forever when I put my faith in the Lord Jesus alone for His gift of salvation. By Your grace I pray for my soul to be saved from the power of sin as I yield to the Holy Spirit’s power to obey what Your Word says. And thank You Lord for the hope that my physical body will be saved from the presence of sin when Jesus gives me a new glorified resurrection body when He comes back for His church. 

       Gracious Father, thank You so much for the sword of the Spirit, the spoken word of God which has the power in Itself to do what it declares. It is with great joy that I lift the sword of Spirit and choose to abide in its truth and power. Holy Spirit, please open my eyes to see wonderful things in Your Word! Please enable me to use Your Word to defend myself from Satan, and also to wield the sword well on the battlefield when the Devil attacks me, so his lies and deceptions are exposed, and he is pushed back and defeated. 

       Thank You, precious Lord, for the privilege of prayer. Help me to keep this armor well-oiled with prayer and to cover my brothers and sisters around the world with prayer. All these requests I offer to You through the mighty name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. 

FOOTNOTES:

[1] Frank E. Peretti, Piercing the Darkness: A Novel (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books, 1989, 2003). 

[2] Tony Evans, The Tony Evans Bible Commentary, 2019 Kindle Edition, pp. 273-274. 

[3] The following two paragraphs are adapted from Mark Bubeck’s video message entitled “The Allness of prayer” in the Ephesian 6 series on the BRMinistry app.  

[4] Evans, The Tony Evans Bible Commentary, 2019 Kindle Edition, pg. 2665.

[5] The first three verbs in Greek (perizōsamenoi… endysamenoi… hypodēsamenoi… ) are aorist middle participles which means they have already been put on by the soldier or Christian.  

[6] Evans, The Tony Evans Bible Commentary, 2019 Kindle Edition, pg. 2665.

[7] The Greek verb translated “taking…” (analabontes) is an aorist active participle, meaning the Christian is taking the shield of faith as needed and the last Greek verb translated “take…” (dexasthe) is an aorist middle imperative which is used of the last two pieces of armor and means for oneself to take them up as needed.

[8] Evans, The Tony Evans Bible Commentary, 2019 Kindle Edition, pp. 1820-1821.

[9] Walter Bauer, A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament, 2000 Kindle Edition, pp. 247-248.

[10] Evans, The Tony Evans Bible Commentary, 2019 Kindle Edition, pg. 538. 

[11] Much of this section is adapted from Mark Bubeck’s video message entitled “The Allness of prayer” in the Ephesian 6 series on the BRMinistry app, unless otherwise noted.  

[12] Bauer, A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament, 2000 Kindle Edition, pg. 16. 

[13] J. B. Bond, “Ephesians,” The Grace New Testament Commentary: Revised Edition, 2019 Kindle Edition, pg. 1352.

[14] Evans, The Tony Evans Bible Commentary, 2019 Kindle Edition, pg. 2629.[15] Adapted from Mark Bubeck’s prayers entitled, “Prayer for Christian Unity” and “Prayer to Wear the Armor of God,” from Spiritual Warfare Prayers pamphlet (Chicago, IL: Moody Publishers, 1997). 

How can I ever change? Part 1

“Then Jacob was left alone; and a Man wrestled with him until the breaking of day.” Genesis 32:24

What would you most like to change about yourself? If you could change one thing what would it be? Would you like to have more confidence? Be more relaxed? Organized? Perhaps you would like to be more outgoing, more self-controlled, more flexible, less anxious, less fearful or less controlling? One of the greatest tragedies is a person who is never willing to change. Change is a necessary part of the Christian life. If you are not changing, then you are not growing. We need to change in order to remain fresh and to keep moving forward in the Christian life. 

Most of us are interested in changing because we recognize there is always room for improvement. Many of us admit we want to change and try to change, but it doesn’t happen. We try to go on a diet, but it lasts an afternoon. We join health clubs and our excitement runs strong for a few weeks. Then we fall back into the same old rut. We go to seminars or counseling, but we keep falling back into old patterns of behavior. We want to be more positive and outgoing, and complain less, but it doesn’t work. The main reason is because we work on the exterior – our outside behavior – instead of working on the interior – our heart. Any lasting change must begin on the inside. Before we can make lasting changes to our behavior, we must first experience a change in our hearts. And this is a work of God!

During the next few days, Lord willing, we are going to look at a process that God uses in changing us – in making us more like Jesus Christ. God wants to change us and if you are a growing Christian, you will want to change as well. Turn with me to Genesis 32:24-30 where we will see how to change by looking at the life of Jacob, the father of Joseph. The incident in this passage was a turning point in Jacob’s life. It illustrates how God can change us as individuals.

Jacob was somewhat of a shifty guy. At birth he grasped his twin brother Esau’s heel and was given the name “Jacob” which means “heel-holder” (Genesis 25:26). Later Jacob deceived his father, Isaac, into giving him Esau’s blessing, and Jacob’s name came to mean “supplanter” – “one who takes the place of another by trickery.” (Genesis 27:1-29). His name took on the meaning of a “cheater, schemer.”    

But a wrestling match transformed Jacob into a new person (Genesis 32:24-30), and he became “Israel,” the man whom the entire nation of Israel would be named after. In this passage we see the process God uses to change us into the kind of people He wants us to become. It communicates to all of us that we don’t have to stay in the rut where we are: God will help us to change and overcome the weaknesses in our lives, if we will just let Him.

How do we let Him? After Jacob sent all his family and possessions across the river on the edge of the Promised Land (Genesis 32:22-23), Jacob had a wrestling match with an angel (Genesis 32:24-30). What does a wrestling match with an angel (Hosea 12:4) several thousand years ago have to do with changing you and me today? There are four steps in these verses that God uses to change us into the people He wants us to become.

First, we discover that GOD USES THE PROCESS OF A CRISIS (Genesis 32:24). We read, “Then Jacob was left alone; and a Man wrestled with him until the breaking of day.” (Genesis 32:24). An unidentified man assaulted Jacob, and he had to fight for his life. The “Man” was the Angel of the Lord. The Bible tells us, “3 When he [Jacob] became a man, he even fought with God. 4 Yes, he wrestled with the Angel [of the Lord] and prevailed.” (Hosea 12:3-4 LB). Notice that God took the initiative in wrestling with Jacob, not vice versa. Why?

God was bringing Jacob to the end of himself. “The fact that the match lasted till daybreak is significant. For the darkness symbolized Jacob’s situation. Fear and uncertainty seized him. If Jacob had perceived that he was to fight God, he would never have engaged in the fight, let alone have continued all night. On the other hand the fact that the wrestling lasted till daybreak suggests a long, decisive bout.” 1

Jacob had an all-night wrestling match with an angel, and the angel was really struggling, but it was a no-win situation for both of them. By dawn Jacob was getting tired of the struggle because he saw that he could not win. It was a situation beyond his control which was something Jacob was not used to. Jacob had been able to handle his problems using his own craftiness until now. Now Jacob is facing a crisis he cannot control with his scheming.

When God wants to change us, He begins by placing us in a frustrating situation that is totally beyond our control. We cannot win, and we just keep getting more and more tired. If we are in a crisis now, it may be because God is getting ready to change us for the better. We rarely change until we get uncomfortable and dissatisfied enough to let God do something in our lives.

The Bible tells us, “Sometimes it takes a painful experience to make us change our ways.” (Proverbs 20:30 GNT). God loves us so much that He makes us uncomfortable if that is what it takes, to make us willing to change and grow. He will allow a crisis or problem in our lives to get our attention. He needs to do this because we won’t change until our fear of change is exceeded by the pain we are experiencing.

Prayer: Father God, thank You for loving us enough to allow us to face a crisis so we become willing to change and grow. We often don’t like the pain associated with it, but we realize that were it not for the pain, we would probably continue down the path of self-destruction. You understand us better than we do. You know that our fear of change must be exceeded by discomfort before we are open to change. Thank You our Lord and our God for pursuing us and giving us opportunities to grow. In the mighty name of Jesus Christ we pray. Amen. 

ENDNOTES:

1. Allen P. Ross, The Bible Knowledge Commentary Law, Editors John F. Walvoord and Roy B. Zuck, (David C Cook, 2018 Kindle Edition), pg. 147.