Worship Is A Weapon
Worship is a very powerful weapon, but how?
Let's take a look at this and start with Isaiah 14:11-15 NASB
11 Your pride and the music of your harps
Have been brought down to Sheol;
Maggots are spread out as your bed beneath you
And worms are your covering.’
12 How you have fallen from heaven,
You star of the morning, son of the dawn!
You have been cut down to the earth,
You who defeated the nations!
13 But you said in your heart,
‘I will ascend to heaven;
I will raise my throne above the stars of God,
And I will sit on the mount of assembly
In the recesses of the north.
14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds;
I will make myself like the Most High.’
15 Nevertheless you will be brought down to Sheol,
To the recesses of the pit.
This passage is not only telling us about Satan falling from Heaven because of his completely consumed absolute irreverent and arrogant pride, but also shows what his created position as an angel was in Heaven. He was a worshiper, but even more than that, he was the number one worshiper in Heaven until he fell.
So now when we worship, not only are we giving pure loving adoration to our beloved creator and savior, but we are also punching the enemy back by reminding him what he lost.
Worship is not only beautiful, as we are singing a love song or just lifting up our words of adoration to our first love, but it is also powerful.
The scriptures state that God inhabits the praises of his people, which means when we are worshipping, the Almighty Creator of the Heavens and Earth, and the wonderful Savior of every man and woman, has personally stepped right into the place we happen to be while we are worshipping. That is where miracles happen, in His presence, because where His presence is, His Glory is there also.
But thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel. Psalm 22:3 KJV
Now let's look at a few scriptures that show just how powerful this weapon truly is.
In Joshua Chapter 6, he has been instructed by the LORD to march around the city of Jericho seven times and then to blow the shofar and shout loud. I know you may be asking just how is that worship? Well, when the people were instructed to shout, they were shouting a victory shout to the LORD in Faith knowing that He was giving the city of Jericho over to them.
Joshua 6: 1-7, The Message Bible
6 Jericho was shut up tight as a drum because of the People of Israel: no one going in, no one coming out.
2-5 God spoke to Joshua, “Look sharp now. I’ve already given Jericho to you, along with its king and its elite forces. Here’s what you are to do: March around the city, all your soldiers. Circle the city once. Repeat this for six days. Have seven priests carry seven ram’s horn trumpets in front of the Chest. On the seventh day march around the city seven times, the priests blowing away on the trumpets. And then, a long blast on the ram’s horn—when you hear that, all the people are to shout at the top of their lungs. The city wall will collapse at once. All the people are to enter, every man straight on in.”
6 So Joshua son of Nun called the priests and told them, “Take up the Chest of the Covenant. Seven priests are to carry seven ram’s horn trumpets leading God’s Chest.”
7 Then he told the people, “Set out! March around the city. Have the armed guard march before the Chest of God.”
Then in verses 14-20 it states.
15-17 When the seventh day came, they got up early and marched around the city this same way but seven times—yes, this day they circled the city seven times. On the seventh time around the priests blew the trumpets and Joshua signaled the people, “Shout!—God has given you the city! The city and everything in it is under a holy curse and offered up to God.
“Except for Rahab the harlot—she is to live, she and everyone in her house with her, because she hid the agents we sent.
18-19 “As for you, watch yourselves in the city under holy curse. Be careful that you don’t covet anything in it and take something that’s cursed, endangering the camp of Israel with the curse and making trouble for everyone. All silver and gold, all vessels of bronze and iron are holy to God. Put them in God’s treasury.”
20 The priests blew the trumpets.
When the people heard the blast of the trumpets, they gave a thunderclap shout. The wall fell at once. The people rushed straight into the city and took it.
Notice in the first highlighted section that the people are being told to shout because God has given them the city, so in other words, a shout of praise, of victory. Then in the second highlighted section, you will see how God was there in the midst of their shouts of praise because it was then that God brought the walls of Jericho down.
This is worship in its purest form. The children of Israel had witnessed God get them through many scenarios while they were in the desert. So they had come to know that their God is a good God and they were definitely going to lift their voice in shouts of praise to their God.
There are many more scriptures that show just how powerful a weapon worship is, but I'm only going to refer to two more, and one of them being my favorite regarding this.
The first scriptures I want to look at is in 2 Chronicles 20. Lets look at these scriptures.
2 Chronicles 20: 1-30, The Message Bible
20 1-2 Some time later the Moabites and Ammonites, accompanied by Meunites, joined forces to make war on Jehoshaphat. Jehoshaphat received this intelligence report: “A huge force is on its way from beyond the Dead Sea to fight you. There’s no time to waste—they’re already at Hazazon Tamar, the oasis of En Gedi.”
3-4 Shaken, Jehoshaphat prayed. He went to God for help and ordered a nationwide fast. The country of Judah united in seeking God’s help—they came from all the cities of Judah to pray to God.
5-9 Then Jehoshaphat took a position before the assembled people of Judah and Jerusalem at The Temple of God in front of the new courtyard and said, “O God, God of our ancestors, are you not God in heaven above and ruler of all kingdoms below? You hold all power and might in your fist—no one stands a chance against you! And didn’t you make the natives of this land leave as you brought your people Israel in, turning it over permanently to your people Israel, the descendants of Abraham your friend? They have lived here and built a holy house of worship to honor you, saying, ‘When the worst happens—whether war or flood or disease or famine—and we take our place before this Temple (we know you are personally present in this place!) and pray out our pain and trouble, we know that you will listen and give victory.’
10-12 “And now it’s happened: men from Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir have shown up. You didn’t let Israel touch them when we got here at first—we detoured around them and didn’t lay a hand on them. And now they’ve come to kick us out of the country you gave us. O dear God, won’t you take care of them? We’re helpless before this vandal horde ready to attack us. We don’t know what to do; we’re looking to you.”
13 Everyone in Judah was there—little children, wives, sons—all present and attentive to God.
14-17 Then Jahaziel was moved by the Spirit of God to speak from the midst of the congregation. (Jahaziel was the son of Zechariah, the son of Benaiah, the son of Jeiel, the son of Mattaniah the Levite of the Asaph clan.) He said, “Attention everyone—all of you from out of town, all you from Jerusalem, and you King Jehoshaphat—God’s word: Don’t be afraid; don’t pay any mind to this vandal horde. This is God’s war, not yours. Tomorrow you’ll go after them; see, they’re already on their way up the slopes of Ziz; you’ll meet them at the end of the ravine near the wilderness of Jeruel. You won’t have to lift a hand in this battle; just stand firm, Judah and Jerusalem, and watch God’s saving work for you take shape. Don’t be afraid, don’t waver. March out boldly tomorrow—God is with you.”
18-19 Then Jehoshaphat knelt down, bowing with his face to the ground. All Judah and Jerusalem did the same, worshiping God. The Levites (both Kohathites and Korahites) stood to their feet to praise God, the God of Israel; they praised at the top of their lungs!
20 They were up early in the morning, ready to march into the wilderness of Tekoa. As they were leaving, Jehoshaphat stood up and said, “Listen Judah and Jerusalem! Listen to what I have to say! Believe firmly in God, your God, and your lives will be firm! Believe in your prophets and you’ll come out on top!”
21 After talking it over with the people, Jehoshaphat appointed a choir for God; dressed in holy robes, they were to march ahead of the troops, singing,
Give thanks to God,
His love never quits.
22-23 As soon as they started shouting and praising, God set ambushes against the men of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir as they were attacking Judah, and they all ended up dead. The Ammonites and Moabites mistakenly attacked those from Mount Seir and massacred them. Then, further confused, they went at each other, and all ended up killed.
24 As Judah came up over the rise, looking into the wilderness for the horde of barbarians, they looked on a killing field of dead bodies—not a living soul among them.
25-26 When Jehoshaphat and his people came to carry off the plunder they found more loot than they could carry off—equipment, clothing, valuables. It took three days to cart it away! On the fourth day they came together at the Valley of Blessing (Beracah) and blessed God (that’s how it got the name, Valley of Blessing).
27-28 Jehoshaphat then led all the men of Judah and Jerusalem back to Jerusalem—an exuberant parade. God had given them joyful relief from their enemies! They entered Jerusalem and came to The Temple of God with all the instruments of the band playing.
29-30 When the surrounding kingdoms got word that God had fought Israel’s enemies, the fear of God descended on them. Jehoshaphat heard no more from them; as long as Jehoshaphat reigned, peace reigned.
These scriptures show more about how much our worship is a weapon against the enemies of God.
Now I just want to make this quick reminder of what I shared earlier, that before Satan fell from heaven, he was the lead worshiper, and when we worship, he and all the demons can't stand it. It's the equivalent of scraping our fingernails loudly down a big chalkboard. Worship not only irritates them but because God comes and inhabits our praise, Satan and the demons are sent fleeing from Him in fear.
Where I want to point out from the scriptures in 2 Chronicles is that Jehoshaphat not only trusted God completely for victory against the enemies but he had complete trust in God and placed his most powerful weapon out in front of the Israel army, the worshipers.
Now if we were to see the marines place the marching band out front of them in a time of war, we would think they had lost their minds. Yet, with God's Kingdom way of doing things, most of the time it doesn't look the way we think that it should.
Anyway, Jehoshaphat completely trusted God in this matter, placed the worshipers out front, and marched forward, the worshipers lifting their voices from their hearts and loudly in praise to God. The rest is history, the enemies were defeated before the Israel army even got there, and word spread how God was with them and they lived in peace during the rest of Jehoshaphat's reign.
As I said, this set of scriptures has always been my favorite example of worship being our weapon.
The last set of scriptures I want to look at is in Acts 16. Let's look at these scriptures.
Acts 16:25-34, The Passion Translation
25 Paul and Silas, undaunted, prayed in the middle of the night and sang songs of praise to God, while all the other prisoners listened to their worship.
26 Suddenly, a great earthquake shook the foundations of the prison. All at once every prison door flung open and the chains of all the prisoners came loose.
27 Startled, the jailer awoke and saw every cell door standing open. Assuming that all the prisoners had escaped, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself 28 when Paul shouted in the darkness, “Stop! Don’t hurt yourself. We’re all still here.”
29 The jailer called for a light. When he saw that they were still in their cells, he rushed in and fell trembling at their feet. 30 Then he led Paul and Silas outside and asked, “What must I do to be saved?”
31 They answered, “Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved—you and all your family.”[a] 32 Then they prophesied the word of the Lord over him and all his family. 33 Even though the hour was late, he washed their wounds. Then he and all his family were baptized. He took Paul and Silas into his home and set them at his table and fed them. 34 The jailer and all his family were filled with joy in their newfound faith in God.
Paul and Silas, even in the midst of being jailed and treated horribly, just because they would share about Jesus, they still chose to lift their voices in worship to God. Then just like with Jehoshophat, God came and inhabited their worship, and shook the very foundation of the jail opening every door and loosening every chain. The awesome power of God not only set them loose but got the jailer's attention to where he now knew the God that Paul and Silas worshiped is the true God, and because of this he and his whole household were set free spiritually that day.
So try to always remember, when we are worshiping God, we are not only lifting up love and adoration to our creator and savior, but we are also swinging a spiritual sword at the enemy sending them all running in complete fear because God does inhabit the praise of His children.
Shalom.