We need protection from three formidable foes that threaten effective intercession, namely the self-life, worldliness, and the devil's attacks.

Every intercessor is warned in God's Word, of the great loss that comes from sowing to the self-life, and that of being consumed with self-will.

Galatians 6:8 "For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption ..."

The law of harvest is emphatically stated:

Galatians 6:7 "... for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap."

Sowing to selfish desires, opens the heart and mind to deception, so that in blindness, there is a passionate asking for the very things that bring destruction. The tragic consequence of selfish motivation in prayer, is the eventual realization that "God is not mocked" (Galatians 6:7 KJV), and that destruction is the natural fruit of selfishness. Extreme examples of sowing to selfish desires, and becoming self-centered, and then reaping the consequent destruction, readily come to mind.

A woman who had been widowed for three or four months, had two teenage children, a 17 year-old daughter, and a 15 year-old son. As a family they were faithfully serving the Lord. This lady became active in intercession. While at work in a shop, she became attracted to a worldly, divorced man, who was taking great interest in her. In weeks, she was infatuated. She informed her friends that in intercession the Lord had revealed to her that she should marry this man, as the Lord would use her to win his soul to Christ. She would listen to no-one, not even her pastor's counsel, and within three months married him.

Her self-deception made a mockery of her testimony. Her daughter left home, backslid and became an unmarried mother, and her son ran away and would have nothing to do with her. The destruction was pitiful, having signed over her possessions to her new husband, she lost everything. He sold everything over her head, then left her for another woman. Today, she is repentant and trying to put her life back together with the help of the body of Christ. She blames no-one but her self-deception and sinful desires, which brought her to the state in which she found herself.

Our protection from ever having to eat the bitter fruit of having sown to our sinful desires, is found in sowing to the Holy Spirit. In all our asking, our aim must be to please the Spirit. We will not only be protected from self-life, but our reward will be great. We shall reap the quality of "life everlasting", both now and evermore (Galatians 6:8 KJV). Pleasing the Spirit by praying in the Spirit, and desiring what the Spirit wants, brings into our lives (and into the lives of those for whom we pray) all that our loving heavenly Father wills and plans for us.

Worldliness jams up communication with God; like an enemy who gets onto a broadcasting wave and smothers it with ear-piercing sounds, so that messages are effectively jammed. Protection from the bombardment of the world that affects our thought life, and therefore our prayer life, is found in obeying the Holy Spirit inspired instruction in 1 John:

1 John 2:15 "Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him."

Love for the Father is the antidote to worldliness. When we are occupied with loving Him, and His vision for us, and are taken up with His thoughts, communication flows freely. Only in this way will we be able to plead for others from God's point of view.

The devil will do anything to keep us from victorious prayer. That is why we are ordered to:

Ephesians 6:10,11,18 "... be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints ..."

There are four levels of obedience which, followed by every intercessor, will make them triumphant under attack.

	"Be strong in the Lord, and in the power of His might" (Ephesians 6:10 KJV).
	Be specifically informed, "against spiritual wickedness" (Galatians 6:12 KJV).
	Be suitably clothed. "Put on the whole armour of God" (Ephesians 6:11 KJV).
	Be supernatural intercessors. " Praying ... in the Spirit" (Ephesians 6:18 KJV).

To understand our protection from the devil's attacks, let us examine each of these instructions closely.

To be "in the Lord" is to be in the position of strength. The term "in the Lord" is used in the Epistle to indicate relationship to Christ, in whom is the source of that strength which we need. What is "His mighty power"? The answer is found in Ephesians where Paul prayed for the saints, that:

Ephesians 3:16 "He would grant you ... to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man ... "

Men can put up an outward show of strength of character, and fail to have real strength in the inner man. Wonders of control, confidence and courage are wrought in the human spirit by the Holy Spirit. Holy Spirit power is the enablement that gives us victory over the devil.

Living in fellowship with the Holy Spirit makes us mighty in prayer. Living our whole life in the Spirit is the secret of maintaining uninterrupted spiritual vigour. Being strong in the Lord's mighty power in intercession, vanquishes the enemy.

Intercession is described as a "struggle". It is entering into conflict with real enemies, described not as weak men, but as powers of a far more formidable order, behind the men that are used.

Ephesians 6:12 "... but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places."

Here, evil spirits are seen to be organized into a military-like structure.

	First, "rulers", called in the KJV "principalities", because they are Satan's highest ranking officers.
	Second, "authorities", in the KJV "powers". These are officials of lower standing, deriving their power from their chief rulers. They exercise the will of those who give them their authority.
	Third, "spiritual forces of evil", identify the myriads of demonic hordes under Satan. The operating of "principalities" upon the wills of earthly leaders is demonstrated in Daniel.

Daniel 10:12,13,14 "Then he said to me, "Do not fear, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand, and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard; and I have come because of your words. But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty-one days; and behold, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I had been left alone there with the kings of Persia. Now I have come to make you understand what will happen to your people in the latter days, for the vision refers to many days yet to come.""

This important passage of scripture gives information about the powers and battles in the heavenlies, that affect leaders, nations and peoples. The identity of the one the angel, called the "prince of the Persian kingdom", clearly emerges from the following information: he had a powerful relationship to the "Persian kingdom". He was called "prince", and was obviously more powerful than an earthly one. He was able to contend with and resist this high angel of God, who needed the assistance of the archangel Michael, before he could be released to continue on his journey to Daniel.

In resisting the messenger of God, this "prince" showed himself to be opposed to God's will. He was therefore an emissary of Satan, one of the numerous fallen angels. His relationship to Persia was a continuing one, for Daniel's visitor must return to "fight" with him again (Daniel 10:20 ). Because Satan's representative would repeatedly try to regain his place of influence with Persian rulers, the heavenly messenger to Daniel was needed to go forth and resist these attempts. Throughout the Persian era, this angel would continue contending for influence with these kings, until their period of world supremacy and power over the Jews was ended. Then this great angel would go forth to a new area of warfare, involving influence with Grecian kings.

This insight, given to us in Daniel, into the operation of "principalities" upon the will of earthly leaders, accounts for the double standards and double dealings among the governments in world affairs right now in our day. Intercession for those who govern is essential, that the plots and decisions of Satan's emissaries may be thwarted. By mighty prayer in the Holy Spirit, we may bring down strong beings of resistance to the kingdom of God and His Christ.

The power of the Church, in this corrupt world dominated by Satan's wicked "principalities", is the mighty name of Jesus, victor over all "principalities and powers". Intercessors play an amazingly significant role as the "salt of the earth" (Matthew 5:13 ).

The believer is to be loyal in supporting law and order to enable the spreading of the gospel. Furthermore, the believer must be living in submission to the authorities. This is spelt out to all the people of God in Romans 13. There is no better way of supporting God-ordained authority, and aiding law and order, than by resisting the spirit of the "god of this age", by Holy Spirit intercession. The intercessor must not in any way be dismayed when identifying Satanic forces. They are not revealed that we may be overcome, but are exposed that we might overcome all their opposition, and disintegrate their plans. Remember what John wrote:

1 John 4:4 "You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world."

The intercessor, as a channel of Holy Spirit prayer, is a devastating, terrifying force to the "principalities and powers". We are to be specifically informed about our enemy, but not fearful. We are well able to overcome. We are to intercede from our position of mighty power (Ephesians 6:10 ). The Lord is the great storehouse of all power. The Lord Jesus stated emphatically:

Matthew 28:18 "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth."

Authority over "principalities and powers" and over the earth, belongs to Jesus, and every person small or great must bow the knee to Him. Our intercession through Him and in His name, means being in a commanding position. When we see Jesus in intercession in John 17:24-26, He is not merely being a suppliant. We hear Him expressing Himself as one who commands. He is Lord, therefore He states: "Father, I will ..." (John 17:24 KJV ). His is authoritative intercession. It is in fellowship with our great High Priest, who is Lord at the right hand of the Majesty on high, that we are able to make intercession (Hebrews 7:25 ).

In Christ we intercede from a position of mighty power and protection.

Ephesians 6:12 "against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places."