Victory Through Submission - Fight The Battle God's Way

Knowing Your Authority: Spiritual Warfare Is Real

A Facebook post today stirred my spirit and prompted me to think deeply about spiritual warfare, particularly how many of us face battles without fully understanding our authority in Christ. It can feel overwhelming when you are unfamiliar with the Word of God or still learning how to fight the enemy of darkness. But God never meant for us to fight powerless, and has given us authority over the enemy.

The post shared a heartbreaking story. A young woman, newly saved and living for the Lord, came from a background steeped in witchcraft. Tragically, her mother still practices voodoo and has been using a doll to attack her, causing severe illness, even cancer, spiritually. This young woman is now battling both physical sickness and spiritual bondage. While the woman who shared the post understood the nature of spiritual warfare, she sought wisdom on how to help this young believer recognize her authority in Christ and overcome fear so that she could walk in faith.

Knowing Our Authority In Christ

We must know who we are in Christ to fight the enemy's attacks. As believers, we are given power and authority through Jesus to overcome all the works of the enemy (Luke 10:19). However, without faith, it's impossible to please God (Hebrews 11:6), and without that faith, we can't fully receive the deliverance and freedom that Jesus died to give us.

Reading this post brought back memories for me as well. My family, particularly on my mother's side, was involved in witchcraft. As kids, we were exposed to things we didn't understand. My grandmother, who lived in England, made a living reading tarot cards and telling people's futures. She had a real gift, but it wasn't from God. She saw into the spiritual realm, but it wasn't angels she saw; it was demonic. When you're not grounded in God's truth, it's easy to mistake darkness for light.

This is why we must be rooted in the Word. We cannot afford to be ignorant of Satan's devices (2 Corinthians 2:11). If you're going through something today, such as an attack, oppression, or spiritual heaviness, remember this key truth: "Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you." James 4:7

Submission must come first. Without complete submission, resistance is ineffective.

One pastor shared a powerful testimony. While traveling for ministry, he stayed in a hotel and was spiritually attacked during the night. He rebuked the spirits, but they wouldn't leave. In frustration, he asked the Lord why, and God revealed that he had not first submitted to Him. The authority didn't work without submission. The Greek word for "submit" (ὑποτάσσω, hupotassō) means to "arrange under," to yield or surrender under God's command. It's not optional, it's the foundation of spiritual victory. And this isn't just a theory; it's something I've experienced firsthand. 

Just yesterday, I found myself praying and laying hands on my head. Out of nowhere, the Holy Spirit took over, and I began to pray powerful, specific prayers against darkness, commanding every vain imagination that exalts itself against the knowledge of God to be cast down in Jesus' name. When I finished, I sat back in awe. I knew it wasn't me—it was the Holy Spirit praying through me with authority and boldness. The Word of God tells us in 2 Corinthians 10:5: "Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ." This is what spiritual warfare often looks like—taking our thoughts captive, casting down fear, lies, and false strongholds that try to rise above God's truth. That's precisely what the Holy Spirit helped me do in that moment of prayer.

Seven Areas of Submission

Friend, we must shut every door that gives the enemy access. Any compromise, sin, fear, bitterness, or disobedience leaves a crack open. And the devil will use it to harm your family, your marriage, your health, and your peace. Today is the day to shut those doors completely. When you are in Christ, you have authority, but that authority only functions when it's aligned with complete surrender to God. Here are seven areas I submit to each morning as part of my prayer and spiritual armor (Ephesians 6:10–18). Pastor Josh Herring received this revelation from the Lord and preached on it. It's a game-changer:

1. I submit to the Name of Jesus. (Philippians 2:10)
2. I submit to the Blood of Jesus. (Revelation 12:11)
3. I submit to the Word of God. (Hebrews 4:12)
4. I submit to the Holy Spirit. (John 14:26)
5. I submit to God's perfect—not permissive—will. (Romans 12:2)
6. I submit to the angels. (Psalm 91:11)
7. I submit to my pastor, [insert name], whom God has placed in spiritual authority over me. (Hebrews 13:17)

You may not take my advice, but I promise it works when it's rooted in total surrender. We are a three-part being: spirit, soul, and body (1 Thessalonians 5:23), and every part of us must come under submission to Jesus Christ. As for the young woman whose own mother is spiritually attacking her, she has the authority in Jesus' name to break those curses, to shut every demonic door, and to walk in freedom. But she must believe it. And as Jesus taught, "this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting" (Matthew 17:21). Sometimes we must fast with our prayers for deliverance of a thing. Deliverance requires purpose and complete submission to God.

Pray With Me

Please join me in praying for this young lady. I don't know her name, but God does. Let's ask the Lord to render powerless every evil act sent against her. Let's declare that the voodoo doll has no power in Jesus' name, and that the blood of Jesus breaks the mother's witchcraft. We stand in agreement today that this battle belongs to the Lord. And if you're reading this and facing your own battle, know this: You are not alone. You are not powerless. Jesus has already won the victory. Walk in it.

Submit to God, resist the devil, and He will flee. James 4:7

Be blessed today in Jesus' name and remember: Jesus loves you and is for you.