Many consider C. Peter Wagner's books to be the battle plans on the subject of prayer and spiritual warfare. Now this acknowledged leader of the prayer and spiritual warfare movement provides biblical answers to questions regarding spiritual warfare.

Whether you're a prayer warrior or wondering if spiritual warfare is a lot of hype, this book will help you focus on God, not on the enemy, and see God's glory and plan released on Earth.

In an easy-to-follow, Q and A format, Wagner addresses critical issues like these:

• As everyday believers, what is our responsibility and role in the battle with the enemy?
• What is Satan's plan for our cities and nations? (And what can we do about it?)
• Exactly what is strategic-level warfare?
• How can we recognize a prophetic act?
• What is the biblical basis for spiritual warfare's methods?

Wagner's answers to these critical questions may reinforce your current thinking about spiritual warfare, cause you to reexamine it, or totally reverse it. Either way, Peter Wagner will make you re-think your ideas about prayer and spiritual warfare - armed with the Bible's wisdom on the topic.

Table of Contents

Introduction: Before we get to the questions

Question 1: How does strategic-level spiritual warfare differ from other types of spiritual warfare?

Question 2: Since Scripture teaches that Jesus defeated the principalities and powers on the cross (see Col. 2:14-15), is there really anything left for us to do except to claim Jesus' victory?

Question 3: Do Christians have the authority to confront higher ranking satanic principalities just as they have authority over ordinary demons in individuals?

Question 4: Our usual concept of prayer is talking with God. How then can we say that we pray against evil spirits as, for example, Francis Frangipane did in his book The House of the Lord?

Question 5: Isn't there a danger that command prayers, such as commanding a territorial spirit to leave a city, could lead us into unauthorized areas of ministry? Shouldn't we call upon almighty God to do this?

Question 6: Jude 9 says that even Michael the archangel would not bring a reviling accusation against Satan. Isn't this a biblical indication that we should steer away from strategic-level spiritual warfare?

Question 7: In Matthew 18:15-20, binding and loosing are used in the context of exercising church discipline. Why do you associate binding and loosing with spiritual warfare?

Question 8: As He did His disciples, Jesus commands us to cast demons out of people, but He gives no explicit command to cast demons out of cities or territories. Therefore, shouldn't we restrict our ministry of spiritual warfare to delivering individuals?

Question 9: How do you know that there is some kind of organized hierarchy among demons? What are the different ranks in such a hierarchy?

Question 10: Is it essential to learn the names of the principalities over a city as a part of the process of city transformation? How can such a thing be justified?

Question 11: You mention the name of your book Warfare Prayer. Since that is not a biblical term, why do you use it?

Question 12: Terminology is one thing, but there does not seem to be any direct instruction in the New Testament for engaging in strategic-level spiritual warfare. Doesn't this go beyond the established bounds of Scripture?

Question 13: Paul may not have stressed evangelism in his epistles, but in the book of Acts we see him actually doing the ministry of evangelism. Why don't we see examples of Paul doing strategic-level spiritual warfare?

Question 14: If we examine standard Christian theological works written across the centuries, we do not find sections in any of them dealing with strategic-level spiritual warfare. What do you think of this?

Question 15: How about history? Do we have examples in Church history where Christian leaders used strategic-level spiritual warfare as part of their evangelistic advance?

Question 16: Preaching the gospel has always been the divine method of evangelism. Only the gospel saves. Why should we consider adding anything like spiritual warfare to it?

Question 17: Directing so much attention to things like spiritual mapping, identifying territorial spirits and prophetic acts can result in giving too much credit to Satan and the powers of darkness. Why should we be glorifying Satan?

Question 18: Is it possible for too much publicity about spiritual warfare to actually empower demonic spirits and make them more dangerous?

Question 19: Could strategic-level spiritual warfare simply be a fad? Couldn't it turn out to be like the discredited shepherding movement, which started well but later caused harm to the Body of Christ?

Question 20: Isn't there risk in confronting high-ranking principalities as Paul and Silas did in Philippi? They ended up beaten and thrown into jail. Shouldn't Christians just take a defensive posture and stand, as it says in Ephesians 6:13? Is it possible that some of us could become needless casualties of war?

Question 21: How would you respond to the suggestion that those engaged in spiritual warfare tend to substitute technique and methodology for holiness, evangelism and Spirit guided teaching?

About the Author

Dr. C. Peter Wagner is widely recognized as a leading authority in the fields of prayer and spiritual warfare. Dr. Wagner is cofounder of the World Prayer Center and is Chancellor of the Wagner Institute in Colorado Springs. He is the author or editor of more than 50 books, including Churchquake! and Finding Your Spiritual Gifts. Dr. Wagner and his wife, Doris, live in Colorado Springs.