churches, marriages and relationships, health, etc. Sometimes, destinies of the victims are taken to their Covens (where they meet) and tied. Or the victim is killed out rightly. God knew how terrible these wicked agents of Satan are, consequently, He commanded Israel not to allow them (witches) to stay alive. We will comment more on this in a later chapter.
Now, our interest here is that for you to battle and win these agents of darkness that mostly operate in the midnight, you must also be awake at the same time to pray. You must wake up to render their evil arrows, enchantments, curses and incantations against you ineffective. And not just that, you can also at the same time cause serious and perpetual havoc to them. All these can only be possible through powerful and sustained midnight prayers.
Not just the witches, we are also aware that the most dangerous satanic sacrifices and ordinances are usually done in the middle of the night. If God opens our eyes to see what goes on in our society or even around us in the night, we will be shocked. So many people you see looking innocent, honourable and decent in the day get involve in some satanic and devilish activities in the night. This does not stop them from coming to church, belonging to other religious groups, donating money to the religious bodies and charity organisations. Some of these people are actually what I would like to call ‘Moving Satanic Altars'. How can the Christian or the church battle against all these? It's only by engaging in very dynamic, prolonged prayers; especially in the middle of the night.
Now, the bible does not keep us ignorant of the activities that go on in the night hours. Job said,
"Do not long for the cover of night; for that is when people will be destroyed [people are cut off in their place]"
The Psalmist calls it "the terrors of the night" (Psalms 91:5). Then Jesus said that night is the time when the enemy comes to sow tares (Matthew 13:25). You may not believe it, most of the problems we're going through today, were first shot into our life by demonic forces while we were sleeping. And do you know that almost everything about this life is decided in the spirit realm before they manifest in the physical? This explains why some of us will always see things (blessings or problems) in our dreams or visions before we receive them physically. Does it happen to you? The same is with satanic arrows. They are first shot in the spirit realm before they manifest physically.
Please, we'll go into the examples of great men and women (including Jesus) in the bible; who won their midnight battles and consequently controlled the day.
I was encouraged the more to put this work together by the responses I received after publishing this message in parts in my newspaper columns with the Guardian Newspapers of Nigeria and the others. I got responses as far as Canada, United States, Europe, and of course, Nigeria. A renowned Canadian writer who read the article on the internet was so thrilled that she sent me a feedback commending the message, and also confessing that it is at this same time of the night that she receives attacks from satanic agents. She said she agreed with all I said in the write-up.
Yes, spiritual principles are universal. The mode and methods of operation could vary from place to place, but the principles are basically the same. It is still that old Satan and his mischievous dark host. We know that the battle is between the kingdom of God and that of Satan. The battlefield is man. The struggle is about who will control the activities and destiny of man.
Whereas God wants to control man for good, the devil and his agents detest man. They hate and envy him; because they know what God has in stock for him. They know the place of man in God's programme. They are aware of the wonderful and blissful destiny that God is preparing for man, so they battle day and night to see how that plan could be derailed. Remember, they (Satan and rulers of darkness) are fallen angels. They have been with God before they were thrown down to the earth because of their disobedience. So, what we are highlighting here is that midnight is the main arena for this great battle of the kingdoms. Jesus puts it this way,
"The thief's purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give life in all its fullness."
And you know that the thief will always want to come in the night, when he will not be seen or challenged. So also is our enemy – Satan. Now, let's get into the main business. And that is to look at the examples of great men and women in the bible who fought and won the greatest battles of their life in the midnight. Let's start with our great master and perfect example Jesus Christ.
Jesus
He fought and won all His battles while on earth. When He was about to start His earthly ministry, He went into the wilderness to fast for forty days and forty nights. When His critics confronted Him, He used the word of God and word of the prophets. To convert the unbelievers, He did miracles, signs and wonders. Then, to displace the demons, He rebuked and cast them out. But when He eventually came to the point of His ultimate sacrifice for mankind, He again went into midnight battles. And that is what I call the 'Battle of Gethsemane'.
The Battle of Gethsemane
The battle to save man was fought and won by Jesus in the midnight at the olive grove called Gethsemane. At that point, the reality and weight of what He came to achieve came heavily upon Him. And He had a choice to make – whether to continue with the project or to back out. But He chose to stay awake and slug it out with Satan, sin and self. It was a night that ushered Him into the last 12 hours of His life. It was indeed very crucial to the whole salvation idea. I believe the main battle to save man was actually fought and won here at the ‘Gethsemane front'. What later happened at the cross was just the consummation of the process. Let's go through the account in Matthew 26:34-46
“Peter', Jesus replied, 'the truth is this very night, before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times'. No! Peter insisted, 'Not even if I have to die with you! I will never deny you!' And all the other disciples vowed the same. Then Jesus brought them to an olive grove called Gethsemane, and he said, 'Sit here while I go on ahead to pray.' He took Peter and Zebedee's two sons, James and John, and he began to be filled with anguish and deep distress. He told them 'my soul is crushed with grief to the point of death. Stay here and watch with me.'
"He went on a little farther and fell face down on the ground, 'my father! If it is possible, let this cup of suffering be taken away from me. Yet I want your will, not mine.' Then he returned to the disciples and found them asleep. He said to Peter, 'couldn't you stay awake and watch with me even one hour? Keep alert and pray. Otherwise temptation will overpower you. For though the spirit is willing enough, the body is weak!' Again he left them and prayed, 'my father! If this cup cannot be taken away until I drink it, your will be done.' He returned to them again and found them sleeping, for they just couldn't keep their eyes open. So he went back to pray a third time, saying the same things again. Then he came to the disciples and said, 'Still sleeping? Still resting? Look, the time has come. I, the son of man, am betrayed into the hands of sinners. Up, let's be going. See, my betrayer is here!"
I had to run the whole story so that you can understand what I am saying. It was a night when Jesus took His closest followers to an olive grove to do the midnight battle. It was indeed a tough one. He had to decide whether to continue the salvation plan or drop it. What He was to go through between Gethsemane and the Easter Sunday came stirring in His face. He was going to pass through a horrifying experience – the Jews antagonism, the disciples' betrayal, denial and abandonment. He was going to take in the 39 strokes of cane, the crown of thorns, the spear piercing his side, mockery, the sharp nails and ultimately, the grave.
