We discussed how Satan won’t just stand by and watch you pray because he knows prayer gives you the power to defeat him.
“Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you” (Luke 10:19).
In war, there is a saying: “If you want to live in peace, you must be ready for battle.” Likewise, if you seek peace and closeness with God, evil will try to challenge you and pull you away from that source of power. Eventually, you will have to fight.
“Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour” (1 Peter 5:8).
The Power of the Prayer
If you think these are just words with no significance, trust me— even the Devil understands their meaning and trembles in fear, just as the Bible says,
“You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble!”(James 2:19).
Satan knows the power of the words you pray, as he has been fighting humanity from the beginning. He remembers how many times saints, from David himself to the martyrs, have prayed these very words throughout history. The same words have been used to help those possessed by the Devil or demons, leading to their deliverance. These words hold power because God Himself watches over them as stated in Jeremiah.
“Then the Lord said to me, “You have seen well, for I am ready to perform My word”(Jeremiah 1:12).
Continue to pray, even if you don’t fully grasp the true power of these words. Trust in God, and in just a few weeks—if not days—you will notice a significant change in your heart, and the reason for this transformation will become clear to you.
When you pray to God each night, it’s like knocking on His door to say hello. You might think your brief prayers aren’t powerful enough to overcome Satan, but from Satan’s perspective, simply seeing you go to God and speak with Him is enough to make him retreat. He cannot approach you because you are under God’s protection, and God is far stronger than him.
Then comes Satan’s famous trick—he whispers that your prayers are meaningless, that God doesn’t listen to words alone but looks at the heart. He tells you to wait until your heart is clean before praying so that God will hear you.
Remember, this is all deception. Your heart won’t be pure until you pray. Satan doesn’t want you to break free, so he resorts to lies, hoping to keep you away from God. But your heavenly Father will protect and purify you—He does not ask you to be clean or perfect before coming to Him.
“Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance” (Mark 2:17).
Remember the woman caught in adultery in John 8:1-11?
Watching pornography can make you feel impure, much like the woman accused of adultery. According to the Jews, she was caught in the act when they said to Jesus, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of committing adultery. ”The crowd surrounded her, ready to stone her, citing the law of Moses. Yet, in the midst of her shame and humiliation, Jesus was the only one who defended her. Similarly, another woman in the Bible is identified as a sinner.
And behold, a woman in the city who was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at the table in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster flask of fragrant oil, and stood at His feet behind Him weeping; and she began to wash His feet with her tears, and wiped them with the hair of her head; and she kissed His feet and anointed them with the fragrant oil. Now when the Pharisee who had invited Him saw this, he spoke to himself, saying, “This Man, if He were a prophet, would know who and what manner of woman this is who is touching Him, for she is a sinner.” (Luke 7:37-39)
As He did in the previous story, Jesus defends the woman and rebukes the Pharisee. He points out that her love for Him surpasses the love of the Pharisee, even though he had invited Jesus to his house for a meal.
If the Devil tries to make you feel unworthy of standing before God or convinces you that you need to clean yourself up—whether by abstaining from porn or any other trick to prevent you from praying—don’t believe him. Jesus accepted both women and will accept us, regardless of our situation.
Another tactic, opposite to the first, is when Satan holds off his attack for a few days, making you believe you’ve escaped his grasp. Then, he tries to convince you of your own strength, making you feel you are no longer tempted. He can make this happen, but then he subtly slips in and says, “Well, now that you’re strong, you can skip one or two psalms. Just say this one, not that one.” And you believe his lies. Remember, prayer is what made you feel good in the first place. Anything Satan says to make you stop praying—even if it sounds positive—is a trick.
To raise the fight flag, we must first identify the obstacles and understand the Enemy’s potential reaction.
What Happens When We Start Praying
When you start praying, God immediately accepts you. He said, “Whoever comes to Me, I will certainly not turn away.” God is full of compassion, and when you come to Him wounded, He will help you heal. Praying reduces temptation and strengthens self-control, especially against pornography. However, be cautious, as temporary peace can come from either God or Satan.
- God knows your weaknesses and, with His grace, stops all temptation. He gives you the strength to fight it, allowing you to experience the beauty of a pure life. Sometimes, God does this for your benefit—He wants you to taste the beauty of life without pornography and enjoy true freedom, so you can desire it genuinely.
- Satan, on the other hand, may delay his battle for days, making you believe that God has answered your prayers and you are now free from temptation and lustful desires. Then, he will try to convince you that you’re strong enough and no longer need to pray because you have already defeated him. However, once you stop praying, he will trick you back into pornography.
As you receive more forgiveness from God, the Devil grows increasingly angry. But it is crucial to remember that God is in control. This is evident because He warned Satan, just as He warned all those who fought against Israel after their escape from Egypt:
“Do not touch My anointed ones, and do My prophets no harm” (Psalm 105:15).
Once you have the desire in your heart to quit watching pornography and seek purity through prayer, you become an anointed one. Satan cannot touch you. It’s as though God draws a red line that Satan cannot cross. But he still crouches at the door, just as he did with Cain.
“Sin lies at the door. And its desire is for you, but you should rule over it” (Genesis 4:7).
Satan watches for signs of weakness, like when you’re tired and skip prayer or have a weak moment where you’re tempted to look at pornography. When you feel tempted to masturbate or watch porn, you may hear several voices urging you to stay away from the line God has drawn. But when you choose to cross it, you find yourself in Satan’s domain. He is not finished; he continues to pull you further away from God. He offers pleasure and satisfaction, making sin seem easy, even increasing the pleasure more than before.
You begin to throw your precious pearls before pigs. These pearls represent the power and blessings God has given you. As a result, Satan will do exactly as the Bible warns.
“Do not give what is holy to the dogs; nor cast your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you in pieces” (Matthew 7:6).
The Bible warns that these pigs will attack you. They will reveal their true nature, and the actions that once brought pleasure will now bring guilt, shame, and destruction to marriages, relationships, job security, and possibly legal consequences.
At first, it was difficult to gather yourself and pray. But now, having been deceived once again, it feels even harder to find the strength to pray. Satan will tighten the chains, making it more difficult for you to break free.
I urge you to listen carefully: Satan is more deceitful than you think. Your body’s weakness amplifies his lies. Everything you feel—guilt, shame, unworthiness, brokenness, and weakness—is not truly you. It’s a combination of Satan’s voice and your body’s vulnerability. Jesus Himself warned us about this.
“Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak” (Matthew 26:41 ESV).
Your spirit is free and willing, no matter how you feel about yourself. Even though your body may drag you down with depression and sickness, your free spirit can lift your head. Wipe off the dust that covers you, bring yourself to God’s hand again, and trust in His love. He will accept you and forgive you.
Wake up, O sleepy one! Rise from the dead. Every night is followed by a day, and everyone sleeps only to wake up again. You can do it. The line you crossed may seem distant because your enemy has made it look that way. But in reality, once you decide to return and take active steps, you’ll find your Father has already crossed that line for you. When He saw you from a distance, He ran to you, embraced you, and accepted you. God will continue to pursue you until He wins you back, just as in the story of the prodigal son.
Remember, the prodigal son didn’t approach his father’s house or knock on the door. It was the father who ran to him. This shows that every day you are away, God is watching the road, eagerly awaiting a sign that you are returning so He can embrace you.
Dear fighter, you have a wonderful and amazing Father who knows nothing but love. He loves you even when your whole body is engaged in sin. He is pure and hates the sin that has left you feeling exposed. Don’t lose hope. What may seem difficult and unreasonable today is actually the seed for tomorrow’s victory. Push yourself just a little more.
Start with five minutes of prayer.
Winthisbattle!
