On Prayer & Spiritual Warfare

From the 'Unceasing Prayer' Series

For the last few years I’ve lived in a home wedged between a surf beach and a large estuary.

Because the town we live in is largely a summer holiday destination, we have no neighbours, and often those that are driving down the thin strip of road between the two shores on either side of us aren’t locals either.

So, when my young children are outside playing around I’m often holding all those thoughts in my mind, aware of their particular dangers. Subconsciously, I’m keeping an ear out for cars, sudden quiet, crying or the sound of the beach gate hitting the post as it swings open.

It’s not that it’s all I think about, just that as I’m doing whatever I’m doing, I’m being vigilant about it.

According to early church writers, this is also how we are to understand spiritual warfare. The other side of nepsis.

Nepsis, is the ancient language given to watchfulness and attentiveness to God. We’ve already explored how living in constant attentiveness to God, and living with our minds down in our hearts leads to ceaseless prayer. But nepsis is also about watching for intrusive thoughts too, and in the worldview of the early church it was through thoughts that we most often faced our greatest battles with the demonic.

We’ve all had that experience where out of the blue some horrid image, memory or thought jumps into our mind and takes away our focus, peace or energy. For some, these can arrive like headwinds out of the blue. Wave after wave of debilitating statements or accusations.

Other times it can come in the form of a happy distraction and not an obviously bad thing at all. Maybe it’s a good memory, something you’ve remembered you have to do or a clever idea suddenly jumps into your head all while you’re reading scripture or sitting to pray.

In the understanding of the early church many of these random intrusive accusations and distractions are the hooks of the demonic, seeking through any means possible to distract us from the task of adoring and beholding God. They’re not evil thoughts, but they don’t need to be.

Wreaking havoc on our God-consciousness is the devil’s MO. Using good thoughts to do it in the right moments is a subversive way to achieve that goal.

Anything the accuser can do to lead us into shame, or to temp us into self-obsession, lust, ambition or even just the suffering of a wandering mind, he’ll do.

And just as we may keep an ear out for kids playing near the road, so the early church and it’s great pray-ers encourage us to keep an inner ear out for these arriving thoughts.

St Theophan The Recluse see’s a sort of gate in our heart, inviting us to be aware of who attempts to pass through it;

“After every thought has been banished from the soul by the memory of God’s presence, stand at the door of the heart and watch carefully everything that enters or goes out from there.”

And St Paul The Apostle said it this way, a little more actively, in 2 Corinthians 10:5;

“We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ”

To grow toward a life of deepening divine communion, we need to train our minds to be watchman on the walls of our minds.

So, how do we do that?

Well, it’s not easy. I can tell you that from experience! And I’m no master. But here’s what I’ve learned through reading those far more experienced and proficient in watchfulness than I.

1. Take Notice of What You’re Thinking

   It sounds obvious, but you’ll be surprised at how often you’re barraged with random and unwelcome thoughts throughout the day just by paying attention. As you go about your day, be aware that thoughts come, and notice what the main ones are and when they arrive.
   

2. Embark On A Thought Stocktake

   If there are a handful that crop up most regularly for you, choose a word or sentence that summarises it and write it down. Sometimes seeing it on paper helps us to see how not us it really is. If particular thoughts come at particular times (like when you go to pray, read scripture, meet a particular person or do a particular activity) note that down too.
   

3. Notice What Actions Those Thoughts Cause You To Take
   Often demonic attack on the mind is an attempt to draw us into unhealth by two means. The first is to cause us to sin possibly through eating and drinking, to numb senses of shame or guilt by other means, to become irritable and angry toward others, to become suddenly overly concerned with self or to want to buy or obtain things. The second is to simply distract us by reminding us of something we need to do, to fill our minds with daydreams that can be had some other time, or to draw us too much into the future or past. By noticing the behaviour pattern of the thought you can learn the kind of demonic voice attacking you and be more wise to the enemies tactics.
   

4. Deliver The Thought
   As in, name it and tell it to leave you. Now that you know what thoughts are coming, and where they’re trying to lead you, simply say no to the thought when it arrives by turning your attention back to God and denying its power. You could memorise and quote an applicable scripture to recite to yourself when it arrives or simply say Jesus name in its place. Christ’s name is our most powerful weapon in all spiritual warfare. It in itself it enough.

As long as we live in this age we will wrestle with powers and principalities so threatened by our love and adoration for God they’ll do anything to spite it. Through watchfulness we fight the good fight of love, keeping the gate of our minds closed to the enemy and distraction, that our souls may learn to freely enjoy the unbreakable gaze of God all our days.