Warfare on people’s behalf happens in the supernatural realm against our enemies when the flag bearer prays while waving the flags. Today’s enemies are disease, poverty, and broken families just to name a few.
Pray When The Enemy Comes
In general, the Bible makes it plain in the New Testament that all people are to pray. Ephesians 6:18 (KJV) says: “Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints.”
Specifically, for the one who raises the flags (the flag bearer), you are to declare and say “the enemy is taken”. Raise a flag and speak. Claim your enemy is beaten. For example, the Babylonians were the Israelites’ enemies. Bel was the deity or god of the Babylonians and Merodach was one of their kings. Jeremiah 50:2–3 (KJV) says:
2 Declare ye among the nations and publish [make noise, declare], and set up [lift up or raise] a standard; publish, and conceal not: say, Babylon is taken, Bel is put to shame, Merodach is dismayed; her images are put to shame, her idols are dismayed. 3 For out of the north there cometh up a nation against her, which shall make her land desolate, and none shall dwell therein: they are fled, they are gone, both man and beast. [Phrases in italics are from the Hebrew and Chaldee Dictionary items 8085 and 5375, respectively.]
Flag bearers, raise a banner and then make a battle cry. From the example in Isaiah 13:1–5 (The Message), open your mouth. The standard was risen first, and then the battle cry was given. Isaiah 13:1–5 (The Message) says:
1 The Message on Babylon. Isaiah son of Amoz saw it: 2–3 “Run up a flag on an open hill. Yell loud. Get their attention. Wave them into formation. Direct them to the nerve center of power. I’ve taken charge of my special forces, called up my crack troops. They’re bursting with pride and passion to carry out my angry judgment.” 4–5Th under rolls off the mountains like a mob huge and noisy—Thunder of kingdoms in an uproar, nations assembling for war. God-of-the-Angel-Armies is calling his army into battle formation. They come from far-off countries, they pour in across the horizon. It’s God on the move with the weapons of his wrath, ready to destroy the whole country.
Flag bearers have faith. Depend on God when he says in Mark 11:22–24 (KJV):
22 And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God. 23 For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith. 24 Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.
Will God find faith in you? Will God find faith in your church or home because of you? Will God find you using your faith as you pray for others while you use the flags on behalf of others? Luke 18:8 says, “when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?”
God will hear you when you call out to Him in prayer while you wave your flags. You will have certain victory. You can count on it. Psalm 20:4–9 (KJV) says:
4 Grant thee according to thine own heart, and fulfill all thy counsel. 5 We will rejoice in thy salvation, and in the name of our God we will set up our banners [raise a flag]: the LORD fulfill all thy petitions. 6 Now know I that the LORD saveth his anointed; he will hear him from his holy heaven with the saving strength of his right hand. 7 Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the name of the LORD our God. 8 They are brought down and fallen: but we are risen, and stand upright. 9 Save, LORD: let the king hear us when we call. (Raise a flag comes from the Hebrew and Chaldee Dictionary number 1713.)
This is what I have come to understand: The Lord, the commander of the Lord’s army, the Lord of Hosts, the Lord of Battles, Jehovah-Tsebaoth, puts on his armor and raises a flag against the enemy. We flag bearers are intercessors who pray for others, as told in Ephesians 6:18. “Men ought always to pray” (Luke 18:1). We flag bearers are some of the intercessors of the land now, whereas in Isaiah 59:16–19 (KJV), “there was no intercessor”:
16 And he saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no intercessor: therefore his arm brought salvation unto him; and his righteousness, it sustained him. 17 For he put on righteousness as a breastplate, and an helmet of salvation upon his head; and he put on the garments of vengeance for clothing, and was clad with zeal as a cloak. 18 According to their deeds, accordingly he will repay, fury to his adversaries, recompense to his enemies; to the islands he will repay recompense. 19 So shall they fear the name of the LORD from the west, and his glory from the rising of the sun. When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the LORD shall lift up a standard against him.
When we pray sincerely in faith with our armor on while raising our flags that have been consecrated to the Lord, we are identifying with Him. We do what He does (that is, put on armor and raise a flag). We are signaling to Him that we are with Him and ready to move out. We move out in prayer. He moves out to do battle in the spirit realm.
Remember, vengeance is His, not ours. When we pray for help, the Lord of Hosts or commander of the Lord’s army steps in and fights our battles to win victories in our lives and in the lives of those we pray for.
When you raise your flags, use music. Isaiah 30:30–32 (NIV) says:
30 The LORD will cause men to hear his majestic voice and will make them see his arm coming down with raging anger and consuming fire, with cloudburst, thunderstorm and hail. 31 The voice of the LORD will shatter Assyria; with his scepter he will strike them down. 32 Every stroke the LORD lays on them with his punishing rod will be to the music of tambourines and harps, as he fights them in battle with the blows of his arm.
Open your mouth. Praise God. Praise Him again. And praise Him. In prayer, tell God that according to His Word, He is a provider, healer, deliverer, etc. Ask Him in Jesus’ name to come and provide, heal, deliver, etc. In faith, declare your enemy is defeated in Jesus’ name. We can ask God to tell us what to pray for.
How Biblical Uses of Banners Translate into Today’s Use of Flags in the Body of Christ
So far in your reading, from the chapter entitled The Flag Bearer, we have seen flags that have been consecrated. From the chapter entitled Love, the flag bearer examines or assesses him- or herself. From the chapter entitled The Flag Bearer, we have the flag bearer making him or herself clean before picking up the flags, by confessing his or her sin and asking God for forgiveness. We see that flag colors can be associated with different attributes of God. We also see that flag bearers are engaged in spiritual warfare through prayer. So how do we put this to practical use today?