In the war upon the powers of darkness, prayer can be persistently and specifically directed against the works of the devil, as the believer moves about in his ordinary avocations, and sees their doings. It can be brief and ejaculatory, but it is effectual. It need only be "Lord, destroy that work of the devil!" or "May God open the eyes of that man to the deceptions of Satan around him!"
There is also prayer for others, directed specifically against evil spirits in them; but this first needs knowledge to discern the symptoms of their presence, and ability to distinguish between the man himself and the evil spirit or spirits. Any uncertainty here will weaken the force of prayer. If the prayer-warrior has a doubt about the source of certain characteristics in another, which cause the man to act as if he were two persons, one contradictory to the other, and one manifestly not his true character, he can pray that any evil spirit present may be exposed, so that the man himself will recognize it, or that the prayer-warrior may be sure of the source of certain things, that he may direct prayer upon the right cause.
One special mark of an evil spirit's presence in, or with, or operating upon, or through another, in every degree of possession, however slight, is antagonism to all truth in connection with the powers of darkness, especially that about evil spirits; the antagonism being unreasonable and unreasoning. For a man who is untouched by them, can calmly open his mind to knowledge about them, as easily as about the things of God. There is also resistance in such believers, in mind or spirit, to other aspects of truth; whether it be Scriptural truth as applied to themselves personally; or truth concerning facts in their spiritual experience, or about themselves or their actions, which the lying spirits do not wish them to know. Just as a special mark of the Presence of the Holy Spirit operating upon, or through another is an OPENNESS TO TRUTH; a desire and even a keen hunger for truth, irrespective of consequences, or feelings of pain. Believers of all degrees of spiritual life place themselves on the side of the God of Truth when they specifically declare, "I open myself to all truth," and by so doing they enable the Spirit of Truth to do His work.
It is important that the prayer-warrior should discriminate the working of evil spirits in possession of others, as IN, but not OF the person; so as not to be diverted from direct dealing with the enemy by blaming the one in whom they have obtained a footing for their manifestations.
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