The Secret Weapon of Praise

“Let the high praises of God be in their mouth,
And a two-edged sword in their hand…” Psalm 149:6

Going through life and in our Christian walk, there are times when we may feel like we’ve done everything we know to do. We’ve endeavoured to take the right steps or apply the right Biblical principles, yet we still find ourselves struggling with opposition and storms in our life that we don’t have an answer for.

Wouldn’t it be great if we could turn the tables on our spiritual enemies and gain access to some secret strategies or weapons that they have no answer for?

I think one of the reasons I enjoy a good spy movie and find them intriguing and fun, is because the good guys (or at least the people we cheer for in the story) are usually provided with a few secret weapons to use in dangerous situations – and inevitably they get a chance to use them!

In the James Bond universe, “Q” would always equip and provide 007 with everyday items that secretly were powerful weapons such as an exploding pen or a wristwatch with built in laser cutters – and Bond’s briefcase always had hidden compartments full of surprises.

The classic Bond Aston Martin supercar would be equipped with hidden machine guns, oil slick dispensers, bullet proof shields, rotating license plates and could use projectors and mirrors to even make itself invisible.

In the same way, God has weapons for you and I that the devil has no answer for.

The Power of Praising God

While many Christians are aware of the spiritual weapons we have in the Name of Jesus, or the Blood of Jesus or when we speak God’s Word, I think we’re often unaware or we forget about the power we step into when we lift up our voice to praise God.

The Bible records many examples for us where praising God brought His presence and glory into a situation. Attacking armies would be thrown into confusion, cities were taken and battles would be won as God’s people sang and shouted praises to Him.

As Joshua and the Israelites entered the promised land in Joshua 6:16-20, they marched silently around the walls of Jericho for six days under God’s orders, then lifted a shout of praise on the seventh:

“The seventh time around, when the priests sounded the trumpet blast, Joshua commanded the army, “Shout! For the Lord has given you the city! ¹⁷ The city and all that is in it are to be devoted to the Lord…”

²⁰ When the trumpets sounded, the army shouted, and at the sound of the trumpet, when the men gave a loud shout, the wall collapsed; so everyone charged straight in, and they took the city.”

In 2 Chronicles 20, when King Jehosophat in Judah got news that a vast army of Moabites and Ammonites were coming to wage war against him, he assembled his people together, including all the wives and children, in front of the temple in Jerusalem and prayed, asking God to judge the situation and intervene:

“See how they are repaying us by coming to drive us out of the possession you gave us as an inheritance. ¹² Our God, will you not judge them? For we have no power to face this vast army that is attacking us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you.”

Something happens when we take our eyes off our situation and put our eyes on God. We begin to see His glory and His power. Watch how Jehosophat and his people respond as they begin to experience His presence:

“Jehoshaphat bowed down with his face to the ground, and all the people of Judah and Jerusalem fell down in worship before the Lord. ¹⁹ Then some Levites… stood up and praised the Lord, the God of Israel, with a very loud voice.”

It’s in this moment, in God’s presence that the people are very aware that the battle is already won before it even starts. The people are already experiencing peace!

From here God gives Jehoshaphat a secret weapon that might have looked foolish to an outsider:

“²¹ After consulting the people, Jehoshaphat appointed men to sing to the Lord and to praise him for the splendor of his holiness as they went out at the head of the army, saying:

“Give thanks to the Lord, for his love endures forever.”

Could you imagine the initial reaction of the Ammonite and Moabite armies when they saw this? They must have been confused. What kind of army puts singers and praisers out on the front lines of battle?  

Whatever their reaction was, it didn’t last long:
²² As they began to sing and praise, the Lord set ambushes against the men of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir who were invading Judah, and they were defeated.” 

As God’s people lifted their voice to praise Him, He manifested His presence among them and ambushed the invading armies. They became so confused that they began to attack and destroy each other – and no one escaped. It was such a stunning defeat for the Ammonite and Moabite forces that it took Israel three days to collect the plunder.

The end result was that God brought peace to the land:
^“29 The fear of God came on all the surrounding kingdoms when they heard how the Lord had fought against the enemies of Israel. ³⁰ And the kingdom of Jehoshaphat was at peace, for his God had given him rest on every side.”

Something powerful happens in the unseen world when we praise God.
Psalm 22:3 says that God inhabits and is enthroned in the praises of His people.
He comes to live and abide with us as we praise Him. As God manifests his glory and His presence, darkness is pushed back, storms are quieted, and demonic forces flee in terror.

Praise is a weapon the devil has no answer for. He can not stay in an atmosphere of God’s presence.
There are other great examples in the Bible where we see praise as a secret weapon:

• Paul and Silas chained up in prison began to sing praises to God – loud enough that everyone could hear them. Suddenly, God’s manifested presence caused an earthquake, opened the prison doors and broke the chains of everyone in the prison, leading to the salvation of the jailer and his family. (Acts 16:25-26)
• David playing harp for King Saul caused the evil spirit tormenting him to leave whenever he played. (1 Samuel 16:14-23)
• God’s Glory filling the temple. As the Levites, priests and singers began to praise God in unity, a thick cloud of God’s glory filled the temple so that the priests couldn’t stand up under the weight of it. (2 Chronicles 5:11-14)

So the next time you face a wall, a storm, a prison, or a battle you don’t know how to fight, lift up your voice out loud and praise the Lord – and keep praising Him!

When we choose to praise Him, especially in the middle of uncertainty, we invite His presence into our circumstances in a way the enemy cannot resist or withstand.

And like the hidden gadgets Q gave to James Bond, praise may sometimes seem like just an everyday item, like something simple we do during a church service, but it carries extraordinary power.

So remember that one of your greatest weapons is already in your hands—and in your mouth. As you praise Him today, you are stepping into victory with a weapon the enemy has no answer for.

Today’s bonus: Enjoy Psalm 149 and get ready to praise and shout!