Praise Is A Weapon In The Battle

“Let God arise, let his enemies be scattered…” — Psalm 68:1 (NIV)

Worship as Warfare

Altars do not merely attract glory. They also confront darkness.

Over the last five years, I have experienced spiritual warfare at a level I had never previously known. This current historical moment feels fiercely contested in the spirit. The enemy is bellowing like Goliath across the valley, seeking to intimidate, exhaust and silence the Church before she fully steps into the new territories God is opening before her.

And honestly, there were moments where the pressure felt overwhelming.

In 2022, during one of the most turbulent seasons our family has ever walked through, a trusted prophetic friend called me and said something I will never forget:

“It feels like the land is trying to vomit you out, but God doesn’t want that.”

That phrase captured exactly what it felt like.

We were attempting to move into new areas of influence, authority and Kingdom assignment, and suddenly it seemed as though hell itself had risen in resistance. There were verbal and literal physical attacks. Relational misunderstandings. Betrayal. Opposition to church plans. Rejection from some we loved deeply. It was a turbulent and disorientating season where our family even found ourselves temporarily homeless – sofa surfing from place to place!

It felt as though enemy powers were violently resisting the establishing of the altar.

There Is No “I” in This Fight

So Vicky and I doubled down. We started to worship God in new ways. More private worship. Online encounter times where others joined us. Eventually a 24/7 worship stream flowed online. And as we did, God was fighting on our behalf!

You see, just before this most difficult season of our lives, I had a strange dream:

In it, I was preparing to fight Mike Tyson in a boxing ring! For some reason I was typing up a media report about the upcoming match, but I grew frustrated because my computer keyboard was missing the letter “i”, so I couldn’t type the word fight.

Then I heard a voice say, “It’s OK — there’s no ‘i’ in this fight.” I laughed in the dream, thinking, but of course there is! But the voice persisted, “No — there is no ‘i’ in this fight.”

When I woke, I knew it was a word from God. He was saying that I was not in this battle — He was. My part was to stand still, praise and trust. And sure enough, God moved miraculously. The situation that had caused such stress turned around. All I had to do was rest, praise and watch Him move.

That season changed us. It deepened my understanding of spiritual warfare. It transformed my prayer life. It radically reshaped my understanding of worship.

Because I learned more deeply that praise is not merely emotional expression toward God.

Praise is a weapon.

Praise Shifts the Atmosphere

You see, right in the midst of that terrible time, a long period of delay came to an end for our church family. Our church had been stuck in a property problem for 10 years (The problem being that we didn’t have one, and had tried to build or buy 7 times – failing every time!) — But in that very dark season, while we chose to fill our hearts, home and the airwaves with praise, even through our tears, God moved powerfully!

We met someone miraculously. Doors opened. Divine provision took over. Delay ended. Promotion followed. And today our church owns the most amazing four-acre property — not just a church building, but an adventure park where the presence moves powerfully among food, friendship, fun and fire pits!

It is such an unusual miracle that even the BBC have been this very weekend to film among us. Thousands stream through the park each year — the Kingdom comes, lives are changed, adventures are found and God’s mission grows.

You see, when the enemy seeks to suffocate the atmosphere of our lives with fear, heaviness, confusion, intimidation or despair, worship becomes an act of warfare that lifts the soul above the battlefield and enthrones God once again upon the altar.

An extract from The ALTAR by Jarrod Cooper. Order Your Copy Below 👇

Believe & Confess Meditation & Declaration

I will praise God in every season, knowing that worship is a weapon against fear, heaviness and spiritual opposition (Psalm 68:1). The Lord Himself fights for me as I stand in faith, trust and surrender before Him (Exodus 14:14). I will not allow intimidation, discouragement or warfare to silence my praise or weaken my altar (2 Chronicles 20:21-22). God will turn seasons of delay, opposition and pressure into testimonies of breakthrough and divine provision (Romans 8:28). My worship will lift my eyes above the battlefield and enthrone Jesus once again at the centre of my life (Psalm 22:3). The Holy Spirit will strengthen me to remain joyful, faith-filled and spiritually resilient even in difficult seasons (Nehemiah 8:10). As I worship, heaven’s atmosphere will invade my heart, my home and my church with fresh peace, power and victory (Acts 16:25-26).

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THE ALTAR

Creating lives & cultures ready to host the glory of God.

Something is stirring.

Across the world, hunger for God’s presence is rising—and many are asking: how do we truly host His glory?

In The Altar, Jarrod Cooper calls us back to the place where heaven meets earth—the altar. A place of encounter, devotion, and transformation.

This book will help you:
• Deepen your personal encounter with God
• Build a lifestyle of worship
• Hear His voice clearly
• Create cultures that carry His presence

This isn’t just a book—it’s a call.
When the altar is restored, the fire falls again.

 Order Your Copy Here