Prayers Of The Spirit: Divine Protection from Wicked Men and Evil
Study The Word
2 Thessalonians 3:1-3 (KJV)
Finally, brethren, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may have free course, and be glorified, even as it is with you: 2 And that we may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men: for all men have not faith. 3 But the Lord is faithful, who shall stablish you, and keep you from evil.”
This prayer point of the Spirit, gives us one of the most crucial prayers we need for our lives especially in these last days—that fist part of it the Apostle Paul says “pray for us,” and then afterward he reveals the prayer point of the Spirit and says “..that the word of the Lord may have free course, and be glorified.” This is a prayer of the Spirit. God’s eternal will both in our lives and in the lives of others around us is for His Word to have free course and be glorified in every facet of our lives and existence!
τρέχω trechó free course – run freely, move rapidly, spread rapidly, spread hastily
That word free course is trechó which means to move rapidly, run freely without any hinderance, and spread hastily. This is with the speed of the Spirit of God. Everything that God will do in your life is and will always be through and by His Word. So if there’s something that God wants to do in you, through you, or for you, and it takes long for His Word to get to you, or to your notice through hinderance or delay of one sort or the other; that which God wants to fulfill will inevitably be delayed. But that is only until that Word of God gets to you by free course and is glorified. So this prayer of the Spirit is to eliminate hinderances and delays for God’s plans and purposes for your life, and for the lives of people around you. “May the Word of the Lord have free course in every area of your life, in the name of Jesus Christ!”
And then the next part of this prayer request of the Spirit is the prayer for deliverance and protection from unreasonable and wicked men. It also enlightens us to the reality that we live in a very evil and wicked world. However, the Lord prepared for us ahead of time and has given us this authority over wickedness and evil, so that we can live in divine protection and safety, and successfully navigating these perilous times. And glory to God “…the Lord is faithful, who shall stablish you, and keep you from from evil,” in the name of Jesus Christ!
As you study this you will remember the words of Jesus in His famous teaching on how to pray when He said “Your will be done in earth as it is in heaven…deliver us from evil” (Matthew 6:10;13)
It is important for you to notice when studying the context how that Paul doesn’t hesitate to make such a request for himself. It is a request inspired of the Spirit of God. And what it reveals to us regarding the prayers of the Spirit is that if that prayer request of the Spirit was good enough for the Apostle Paul, it is absolutely essential for us, the body of Christ, to pray this same prayer over our lives and for the lives of the people around us!
Now, let’s look at this carefully. Paul says pray “that we may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men.”
ἄτοπος atopos unreasonable – improper, out of place, harmful, hurtful, perverse, wicked in behaviour
The word “unreasonable” here is the Greek word: atopos which means improper, harmful, hurtful, wicked and out of place. This describes people who operate outside of what is proper and right. They are hurtful people. These are selfish people that have evil intentions toward others.
πονηρός ponēros wicked – evil, bad, malicious, grievous, harmful, one who causes pain and brings labor and toil
And then Paul adds “wicked men”—the Greek word here is: ponēros which means wicked, evil, harmful and malicious. These are people through whom the enemy operates to bring grief, pain, and destruction in peoples lives. And we live in a world where we see or encounter all these things almost everyday. So this prayer of the Spirit is critical for the times we are living in. But here’s where it gets good for us—the Word of God doesn’t leave us without defense and immediately the scripture says, “But the Lord is faithful, who shall stablish you, and keep you from evil!” Yes, there are wicked people in this world. Yes, not all men have faith. Not all men have Christ. Not all men have the love of God in them. “But the Lord is faithful, who shall stablish you, and keep you from evil!”
στηρίζω stērizō establish – to make stable, place firmly, set fast, strengthen, make steadfast, fix
Think about this: God Himself says He is going to make you stable! He’s going to place you firmly! While wicked and unreasonable men and evil are trying to destabilize your life, or your family and people around you, or your destiny—God is faithful to establish you, to make you steadfast, to set you in a firm position and you will not be touched!
And then He goes on further to say He will “keep you from evil.” Oh I love that word “keep”! The word “keep” here is phulassō which means to guard, watch, protect and preserve from harm.
φυλάσσω phulassō keep – to guard, watch, protect, preserve from harm, defend, maintain
This is protective keeping! This is God standing as a watchful guardian over your life as you pray and enforce this prayer of the Spirit over your life and lives of people around you! He will actively guard, protect and defend you against evil. As you appropriate this will of God in prayer you rest assured that He is faithful and He is watchfully looking over you in protection against the evil one! Every single day you are protected! Glory to God!
How amazing is that? Now remember what we said earlier regard this prayer of the Spirit that, if it was appropriate for the Apostle Paul, this great man of God, to ask for prayer for deliverance from wicked and unreasonable men, how much more should you and I make this a consistent prayer point over our lives?
Some of you have been dealing with people who have evil intentions toward you—people in your workplace, people in your family, people who for no just reason have set themselves against your progress and your destiny. The Word of God says pray! Pray for deliverance from them and from evil! And as you do so, know that the Lord is faithful! Hallelujah!
“I declare over your life today: any wicked one, any unreasonable person, any evil plan that the enemy has orchestrated against your life, against your family, against your destiny—I render them helpless against your life! Any evil that the wicked one had planned against your life, I declare it cancelled in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth! May the Lord, like a rushing mighty current, deliver you from that evil, deliver you unto Himself from that evil day, from that evil plan, against your life, in the name of Jesus Christ!”
Pray The Word
Heavenly Father, I thank You that You are faithful! I thank You that You have promised to establish me and keep me from evil. I pray today, asking that You would deliver me from evil, and from unreasonable and wicked men—from those who have evil intentions and those through whom the enemy operates. I trust in Your faithful keeping power to guard my life, my family, and my destiny from all evil, in the mighty name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
Speak The Word
The Lord is faithful, and He establishes me and keeps me from all evil. I am guarded, I am protected, I am defended by the watchful eye of my Heavenly Father every single day. No weapon formed against me shall prosper, and every evil plan against my life is cancelled and rendered powerless, in the name of Jesus!
15 Days Of Prayers Of The Holy Spirit Day 11: Deliverance & Protection From Wicked Men & Evil