ARTICLES
How To Storm The Gates Of Hell! - Part 4by Jeanniene Lee
Two powerful weapons in STORMING THE GATES OF HELL are to engage in INTENSE, EARNEST, STEADFAST PRAYER, and to BOLDLY CONFESS THE WORD OF GOD OUT OF YOUR MOUTH, as we've discussed in previous issues.

Intense, earnest, steadfast prayer is prayer that REFUSES to back down or give up until total victory is fully manifested. Prayer that visibly says, through your actions of an immovable stand on your God-granted territory, that I will not be intimidated by the devil, his demonic hosts, people or circumstances. A stand that boldly declares that you will not stop storming the devil's camp until he lets go of what is rightfully yours. That is yours, because it has been purchased by the blood and the very life of Jesus Christ.

Colossians 4:2 (Amplified)
2 Be EARNEST and UNWEARIED and STEADFAST in your prayer [life], being [both] alert and INTENT in [YOUR PRAYER] with thanksgiving.

Further, this prayer must be coupled with boldly declaring the WORD OF GOD out of your mouth! This entails praying the WORD OF GOD concerning your particular situation or the circumstance you are faced with. For example, if it's healing that you are standing firm for; then, pray healing scriptures -Psalm 107:20, Psalm 103:1-5, Isaiah 53:5, I Peter 2:24, etc. No matter what the situation is, there are scriptures that cover it, and promise you total victory. Pray the WORD OF GOD and boldly confess the WORD OF GOD!

So STORM THE GATES OF HELL by engaging in INTENSE, EARNEST, STEADFAST PRAYER with the WORD OF GOD in your mouth as a two-edged sword . . . the sword of the Spirit which is the WORD OF GOD (Hebrews 4:12, Ephesians 6:17).

Coupled with engaging in intense, earnest steadfast prayer, that is the Word of God; you must offer THANKSGIVING in the midst of spiritual warfare, as you are STORMING THE GATES OF HELL.

As noted in Colossians 4:2, we are to offer thanksgiving in the heat of engaging in earnest, unwearied, steadfast prayer.

Colossians 4:2 (Amplified)
2 Be earnest and unwearied and steadfast in your prayer [life]... with THANKSGIVING.

Thanksgiving, beloved, is a powerful weapon of war Thanksgiving is worship in action in the form of visible praise to God! Worship is the focus of your heart toward God and your heart's reverence for God. Praise is the outward expression of the focus of your heart.

Thanksgiving is released praise to God! When praise is released to God in the midst of war, it brings God on the scene. When praise is released, God is in the midst with you, whether you are in the midst of a battle or whatever situation; for, He inhabits praise. "But thou art holy, O thou that INHABITEST THE PRAISES of Israel" (Psalm 22:3).

Now when Almighty God comes on the scene, in the midst of war, He literally stops, paralyzes, and stills the enemy dead in his tracks! Praise brings God's strength on the scene to our defense. When God is present, NO ENEMY can stand up against Him in battle. They are no match for Almighty God! None at all!

Psalm 8:2
2 OUT OF THE MOUTH OF babes and sucklings hast thou ordained strength because of thine enemies, that thou mightest STILL [silence and stop] THE ENEMY AND THE AVENGER.

Notice that the first part of that verse states that "out of the mouths of... ," implying that the strength that is ordained to bring the enemies works to a halt comes out of our mouths and it comes out in the form of PRAISE! Yes, beloved it's praise!

Matthew 21:16 (Amplified)
16 ... Out of the mouths of babes and unweaned infants You have made (provided) perfect PRAISE.

This is exactly the weapon that Jehoshaphat and all of Judah used to defeat the great company of armies that had gathered together against them (Read II Chronicles 20:1-25).  When praise is released to God, in the midst of war, it brings God on the scene. God inhabits praise!

(Genesis 21:33). I AM the Lord your God - Eloheenu (Psalm 99:5, 8-9). I AM the Mighty God - EI-Gibbor (Isaiah 9:6-7). When Jehoshaphat first received word that a great multitude was coming against him and all of Judah (II Chronicles 20:1-2), he immediately turned his face to seek God (II Chronicles 20:3).

However, notice that the first thing Jehoshaphat began to do BEFORE he cried unto God for help was to offer worship and praise. He began to worship God. He began to acknowledge God's power and who God was (II Chronicles 20:5-6). He began to worship and praise God for past victories (II Chronicles 20:7).

Psalm 91:14 declares that God will bring victory to those who have set their love upon Him. In other words those who worship Him; for, worship is the focus of your heart. Further, God promises us in Psalm 91:14 that He will deliver those who know HIS NAME! Those who KNOW GOD AND HIS NAME, understand the NAME of God and have a personal knowledge of His mercy, love, and kindness. These people are the ones who trust and rely upon Him fully, knowing He would never forsake them.

Psalm 91:14
14 Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath KNOWN MY NAME.

Remember when God told Moses that He was I AM? Do you really know what He was saying to Moses and in essence to us? "And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you" (Exodus 3:14).

I AM signifies that He is whatever we need Him to be. It doesn't matter what it is that we need Him to be, He is that for us; for, He is I AM. I AM That I AM - Yahweh (Exodus 3:14). I AM the Almighty God - El Shaddai (Genesis 17:1, 28:3-4). I AM the Everlasting God - El Olam. I AM the Lord of hosts - Jehovah-sabaoth (I Samuel 1:3). I AM your provider - Jehovah-jireh (Genesis 22:13, 14). I AM your healer - Jehovah-rapha (Exodus 15:26). I AM your banner - Jehovah-nissi (Exodus 17:8-15). I AM your peace-Jehovah-shalom (Judges 6:24). I AM your shepherd - Jehovah-ra-ah (Psalm 23). I AM your righteousness - Jehovah-tsidkenu (Jeremiah 23:6). I AM ever present with you - Jehovah-shammah (Ezekiel 48:35).

Now, let's go back to II Chronicles 20. Jehoshaphat, in the midst of an invasion began to praise God for WHO HE WAS.

II Chronicles 20:6-7
6 And [Jehoshaphat] said, O Lord God of our fathers, art not thou God in heaven? and rulest not thou over all the kingdoms of the heathen? and in thine hand is there not power and might, so that none is able to withstand thee?
7 Art not thou our God, who didst drive out the inhabitants of this land before thy people Israel, and gavest it to the seed of Abraham thy friend for ever?

Jehoshaphat declared that God was the Almighty God, the Lord of hosts and that He was Israel's deliverer, provider, banner and shepherd! He acknowledged that the "name" of God was present in their midst - ". . . we stand before this house, and in thy presence, (for thy NAME is in this house,)..." (II Chronicles 20:9).

As promised in Psalm 91:14, God brought deliverance to Jehoshaphat and all of Judah because they had set their love upon Him and had known His name.

When Jehoshaphat and all of Judah went out to battle, they went out with praise. They went praising the Lord! They STORMED THE GATES OF HELL with praise! Praise brought them total victory!

Their hearts were set on worshipping God; so, in the midst of the battle they praised God and praise brought God on the scene and His presence stilled the enemy! Glory to God!

II Chronicles 20:20-22
20 And they rose early in the morning and went forth....
21 And when he [Jehoshaphat] had consulted with the people, he appointed singers unto the Lord, and that should PRAISE the beauty of holiness, AS THEY WENT OUT BEFORE THE ARMY, and to say, PRAISE THE LORD; for his mercy endureth for ever.
22 And when they began to SING AND TO PRAISE, the Lord set ambushments against [all their enemies] . . . and they were smitten.

Jehoshaphat and all of Judah did not have to engage in physical battle with their enemy, as God had told them, because God fought the battle for them.

II Chronicles 20:17
17 Ye shall not need to fight in this battle: set yourselves, stand ye still, and see the salvation of the Lord with you, O Judah and Jerusalem: fear not, nor be dismayed; tomorrow go out against them: for the Lord will be with you.

Notice, however, that they had a vital part to play in actually winning the battle. In that same verse, 17, where God told them that they would not have to fight in the battle, He also told them to "go out against them." Now, if you don't grasp the fullness of what is being said here, you will think that the verse is contradictory, when it is not.

God was giving them specific instructions, spiritually, of how to win the battle they were up against. He told them how to engage in spiritual warfare with spiritual weapons. True enough, they DID NOT have to engage in physical battle; but, THEY DID HAVE TO ENGAGE IN SPIRITUAL BATTLE!

Remember, Ephesians 6:12-13 declares that "...we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto thee the whole armour of God...." God's armour IS ALWAYS SPIRITual; for, God is a Spirit (John 4:24).

First, He exhorted them NOT TO FEAR (II Chronicles 20:15). Fear is a spirit (II Timothy 1:7). Fear is the direct opposite of faith and you CAN NOT fear if you plan to win the battle against your enemy! Faith moves God and fear moves the devil! Without faith it is impossible to please God, literally impossible (Hebrews 11:6).

Secondly, He told them to GO OUT AGAINST THEIR ENEMY (II Chronicles 20:16-17). You can not run from your enemy you must run toward him! All the men of Israel, except David, ran from Goliath their enemy. "And all the men of Israel, when they saw the man [Goliath, their enemy], FLED FROM HIM, and were sore afraid" (I Samuel 17:24). David, however, RAN TOWARD HIS ENEMY, Goliath (I Samuel 17:48) and prevailed over him and slew him (I Samuel 17:50).

I Samuel 17:48, 50
48 And it came to pass, when the Philistine [Goliath] arose, and came and drew nigh to meet David, that David HASTENED, AND RAN TOWARD THE ARMY TO MEET THE PHILISTINE.
50 So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and with a stone, and smote the Philistine, and slew him; but there was no sword in the hand of David.

If you run from your enemy, he will always have you running. God charged Jehoshaphat and all of Israel to "go out against their enemy." He commanded them to RUN TOWARD their enemy in the battle NOT from them!

Further, through the mouth of His prophets and servants, God then gave them specific instructions of what to do when they went out against their enemy (II Chronicles 20:20-21).

When the people obeyed exactly what God had said to them, through the mouth of His servants, they released the spiritual weapon of praise which brought God Himself on the scene. When God came on the scene, their enemies were defeated and totally wiped out and none escaped (II Chronicles 20:22-24).

When their enemies were defeated, Jehoshaphat and all of the people went in and gathered the spoil of their enemy and in it were abundance and riches. All that is in the enemies' hand, that he is trying to keep from you, will be left for you to gather as it was for all of the people of God, verse 25, because of praise released in the midst of the battle.

STORM THE GATES OF HELL with words of praise and thanksgiving to God in your mouth! Praise is powerful! Praise glorifies God! Praise brings God to your defense; for, He dwells in the midst of praise!

Psalm 8:2
2 OUT OF THE MOUTH OF babes and sucklings hast thou ordained strength [PRAISE brings strength] because of thine enemies, that thou mightest STILL [silence and stop] THE ENEMY AND THE AVENGER.

Psalm 50:23
23 Whoso offereth PRAISE glorifieth me [God]:...

Psalm 22:3
3 But thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest [dwell in the place where] the PRAISES of Israel [are offered].

Psalm 147:1
1 PRAISE ye the Lord: for it is good to sing PRAISES unto our God; for it is pleasant; and PRAISE is comely.

Remember I mentioned earlier that praise is the outward expression of the focus of the heart? When your heart is trusting God, you will offer praise and thanksgiving to Him no matter what situation you are faced with! In the midst of spiritual warfare, you will release one of your most powerful weapons -PRAISE! So, STORM THE GATES OF HELL and bombard the enemies' camp with PRAISE, PRAISE, PRAISE!