My favorite part of the Sunday morning service is the praise and worship. On many occasions, I have struggled to get to church due to heaviness of spirit, sickness, or discouragement.
But every time the service started and we praised and worshiped God, I always sensed His presence, and these burdens were lifted off me.
Praise to God is one of the most powerful spiritual weapons we have. Many Christians relegate praise to something they mainly do during Sunday morning worship.
But praise is intended to be so much more than that. The Bible shows that sincere, heartfelt praise can shift atmospheres, break strongholds, and win battles.
In this post, you’ll discover how you can use the power of praise as an effective weapon in spiritual warfare, just as Paul, Silas, Jehoshaphat, David, and many others did in biblical times.
Praise Manifests God’s Promises
Praising God before you see a promise manifest is an act of faith that causes His promises to come to pass.
Psalm 22:3 (KJV) tells us:
“But thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel.”
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As you sing praises to God, it gets His attention. He comes on the scene, ready to move on your behalf.
The Bible says in Hebrews 11:1 (NKJV):
“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”
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When you praise God for a victory or breakthrough that you haven’t seen yet, you are releasing your faith and this pleases God.
Your praise is evidence of your confidence that God will fulfill His promises even when you can’t yet see the answer.
The enemy wants to destroy your confidence in God. He constantly whispers lies that God won’t really come through, or you don’t deserve it, or it’s taking too long.
He wants you to give up right before the promise is fulfilled.
But praise in the midst of waiting on the promise will keep you focused on the truth. And it shows the devil—and all of Heaven—that your faith is unshakeable.
Praise Confuses the Enemy
Praise confuses Satan and positions you to receive the promise. Don’t give up right before your victory comes!
The devil wants your praise for himself. He tried to get Jesus to worship him by offering Him all the kingdoms of the world.
6 And the devil said to Him, “All this authority I will give You, and their glory; for this has been delivered to me, and I give it to whomever I wish. 7 Therefore, if You will worship before me, all will be Yours.”
Luke 4:7 (NKJV)
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He’s always looking to steal the praise that rightfully belongs only to God.
So when you praise God, especially while going through a battle, it irritates the enemy. He hates it when you praise God in the very area where he’s attacking you.
Your praise in those moments is like rubbing the devil’s nose in his defeat.
He has thrown everything he has against you to destroy your health, finances, and family. Yet you still praise the Healer, Provider, and Restorer!
Psalm 8:2 (NIV) says:
“Through the praise of children and infants you have established a stronghold against your enemies, to silence the foe and the avenger.”
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God silences the foe and the avenger through your praise.
The devil only has access to your life through lies, deception, and accusations. Your praise drowns out his voice and renders his attacks useless.
Don’t stop praising! Fill your mouth with praise and shut the enemy up when he rises against you.
Praise Is A Weapon and Combats Enemy Attacks
Ephesians 6 tells us our battles are against demonic principalities and powers. The devil wages war by attacking your mind.
He tries to corrupt your thought life with negativity, doubt, fear, anxiety, and more. He knows if he can control your thoughts, he can control your life.
That’s why praise is such a powerful counterattack!
Philippians 4:8 instructs us:
“Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.”
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As you make praise and worship music a regular part of your life it will push out the enemy’s toxic thoughts. You can’t be anxious AND praise God at the same time!
Even when you don’t feel like praising at the moment, do it by faith as an act of spiritual warfare.
Praise will lift your eyes above the storm clouds of doubt into the unshakeable presence of God.
The next time anxiety, fear, or depression attempts to wrap around your mind – combat it with powerful praise!
Praise Defeats Problems
Have you ever tried to pray to God while being upset about a problem? It’s difficult. Your problems just seem bigger, and God seems distant.
The enemy leverages problems to get your eyes off God and onto the issue. He wants to overwhelm you.
He uses problems to plant seeds of doubt about whether God loves you or knows what’s best for you.
But praise will shift your focus from the problem to the Problem Solver!
In Psalm 34:1 (NLT) King David wrote:
“I will praise the Lord at all times. I will constantly speak his praises.”
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This scripture encourages us to praise God “at all times.” Not just when you feel like it.
When you choose to praise God in the middle of hardship, it releases His power over the problem you’re facing.
You may have experienced victory after singing worship songs during an anxious moment. That’s evidence of the ministry of praise’s power!
Praise causes situations to change because it draws God’s presence and intervention. He inhabits the praises of His people. Your problem will shrink in light of His greatness as you praise Him.
Don’t let hard times rob you of praise. Lift a song to God even when you’re weary. Let your hallelujah be louder than the enemy’s discouragement. Your breakthrough will come!
Make Praise a Daily Habit To Overcome Forces of Evil
For praise to become an effective weapon in spiritual warfare, you have to do it consistently. Not just when you go to church or feel inspired.
Make praise something you practice daily. You can worship God in the car on the way to work, while doing your chores, or walking around your neighborhood.
Set aside a dedicated time for singing, dancing, and listening to worship music in your home. Speak scriptures of praise out loud as you get ready for work in the morning.
Psalm 145:2 (NLT) declares:
“I will praise you every day; yes, I will praise you forever.”
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This kind of daily, continual praise will keep your faith sharp and your joy full. It will build your strength and lift your eyes to the faithfulness of God.
Even if you don’t feel a “spiritual high” from the praise, keep at it. You are confusing the enemy and inviting God’s presence.
Do this daily to strengthen your “praise muscles” for the next battle.
Don’t be discouraged by a lack of feeling. Feelings fade; God and His praise endure forever. Fix your eyes on Him through regular worship.
Praise in The Bible Invited God’s Intervention
In 2 Chronicles 20, an army was advancing to attack King Jehoshaphat and the people of Judah. The King led the Israelites in praise as they cried out to God for help.
After consulting the people, the king appointed singers to walk ahead of the army, singing to the Lord and praising him for his holy splendor. This is what they sang:
“Give thanks to the Lord;
his faithful love endures forever!”2 Chronicles 20:21 (NLT)
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God responded by releasing confusion into the enemy camp, causing them to turn against each other.
By the time Jehoshaphat and his army arrived on the scene, the invading forces had destroyed themselves! Not a single sword had to be lifted.
2 Chronicles 20:22 (NLT) records that:
“At the very moment they began to sing and give praise, the Lord caused the armies of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir to start fighting among themselves.”
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Your praise invites heavenly assistance! God commands angels into action as you praise Him. The enemy is pushed back. Chains are broken. Doors swing open.
In Acts 16 Paul and Silas, were chained in prison for preaching the gospel.
“25 Around midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening. 26 Suddenly, there was a massive earthquake, and the prison was shaken to its foundations. All the doors immediately flew open, and the chains of every prisoner fell off!”
Acts 16:25-26 (NLT)
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Though they were locked up in the darkest innermost cell, when they prayed and sang hymns to God an earthquake shook the prison. Their chains fell off and the prison doors swung open.
This allowed them to lead the jailer and his whole family to salvation in Christ!
Don’t underestimate what your praise can do. As you worship God daily, expect supernatural intervention against the plans of the enemy.
Your praise invites Heaven to step in with power!
Praise Activates God’s Work in You
Most Christians understand that Jesus finished the work of salvation at the cross. But many forget that He also finished the work to heal us, prosper us, and give us abundant life.
Your praise will remind you that these promises have already been secured by Christ, even if you haven’t seen the full manifestation yet. It will enable you to receive the blessings He purchased on the cross.
Psalm 103:2-3 (NIV) instructs us to:
“2 Praise the Lord, my soul, and forget not all his benefits— 3 who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases.”
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As you praise God as your Healer, even before experiencing the healing, you release your faith to receive what Jesus accomplished for you.
The same is true for His finished work of provision, protection, freedom, and more. Your praise draws on the “benefits package” Christ bought at Calvary.
Let your praise activate every blessing Jesus purchased! Don’t just ask God to heal you – praise Him as your faithful Healer until you see your healing manifest.
Release the finished work of the cross into your life through praise!
Conclusion
Praise is one of the believer’s most potent weapons against the forces of darkness. But you have to do more than just sing songs at church for it to be effective.
Implement these keys to turn praise into an arsenal that stops the enemy in his tracks:
- Practice daily praise: Make it part of your lifestyle, not just on Sundays.
- Praise God before the victory: This praise manifests His promises.
- Praise during problems: Release God’s power against issues by praising Him in the middle of it.
- Praise in specific areas of attack: Silence the enemy’s lies (e.g. praise God as Healer, Provider, etc.)
- Remember Christ’s finished work: As you praise God have in mind what Jesus accomplished by hanging on the cross.
The enemy knows better than anyone how devastating praise is to his plans. So he will try to discourage and distract you away from worship. Recognize his schemes and praise God anyway.
Fix your eyes on Jesus. Fill your mouth with praise. Lift your voice in worship. And unlock breakthroughs in your life today!
Frequently Asked Questions About Spiritual Warfare
Q. Why is praise so important in spiritual warfare?
A. Praise focuses your mind on God’s holiness and greatness instead of the enemy’s lies and intimidations.
It lifts your gaze from the storm to the power of God. It also ushers in God’s presence and angels to help fight your battles.
Q. How does praise silence the enemy?
A. The devil wants your praise and worship for himself. He hates it when you praise God instead, especially when you’re going through a spiritual attack.
Praise demonstrates your confidence in God’s faithfulness over the enemy’s schemes. This irritates the devil and stops his voice from influencing you.
Q. What are some practical ways to use praise in spiritual warfare?
- Listen to and sing along with praise music when anxious thoughts strike.
- Speak scriptures of praise out loud.
- Thank God for His goodness and promises when facing doubt or fear.
- Dance and lift your hands while listening to worship songs.
- Replace worry with worship when waiting for a prayer to be answered.
Q. How does praise manifest God’s promises?
A. Praise demonstrates your faith that God will do what He said, even when you can’t yet see the manifestation.
It shows that you have confidence in Him. This anchors your faith and positions you to receive the promise once it comes to pass.
Q. Can I really praise my way to victory when facing serious problems?
A. Yes! God Himself inhabits the praises of His people. He commands angels to assist you when you begin to praise Him even in the darkest storm.
Your problems will shrink in perspective when you lift your eyes to His greatness and power through heartfelt praise.
Let’s put this weapon to use starting today. You have so much to praise Him for! Open your mouth and let the high praises of God erupt as you wage spiritual warfare. Expect breakthroughs!
