Should Christians pray against principalities over cities?
Question 08076
The idea that Christians should pray directly against demonic principalities ruling over cities and nations has become a prominent feature of certain charismatic traditions, particularly through the influence of C. Peter Wagner and the strategic-level spiritual warfare movement. It sounds spiritually bold and urgently necessary. The question is whether Scripture actually instructs believers to do this, and whether the practice is as spiritually effective and biblically grounded as its advocates claim.
C. Peter Wagner and Strategic-Level Spiritual Warfare
C. Peter Wagner (1930-2016) was a former Fuller Seminary professor who became one of the most influential figures in the New Apostolic Reformation (NAR). Wagner developed the concept of strategic-level spiritual warfare (SLSW), which taught that demonic beings of high rank exercise authority over cities, regions, and nations, and that Christians must engage these powers directly in prayer in order to break their hold and prepare the ground for evangelism. His books, including Warfare Prayer (1992) and Confronting the Powers (1996), argued that traditional evangelism and prayer were insufficient in themselves. What was needed, according to Wagner, was a new level of direct engagement with the principalities Paul describes in Ephesians 6:12.
Wagner’s framework was not merely theoretical. It shaped mission strategy across significant portions of the global church. Prayer teams were organised to “take authority” over cities. Spiritual warfare conferences featured leaders claiming to identify specific demonic entities by name. Events like the “Celebrate Ephesus” prayer initiative in 1999 aimed to break the spiritual power of the ancient goddess Artemis over the city. The methodology was treated as a recovered apostolic practice that the church had neglected for centuries.
What Does Scripture Actually Teach?
Ephesians 6:12 does acknowledge that believers contend against “the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.” Paul is clear that the opposition is real and that it has structure. What follows in Ephesians 6:13-18 is the believer’s response: put on the full armour of God, stand firm, take up the shield of faith, and pray “at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication.” The prayer described here is prayer to God, not prayer directed at demonic powers. There is no instruction to identify principalities by name, to address them directly, or to command them to release their hold over a geographical area.
The book of Jude provides an instructive contrast. When Michael the archangel disputed with the devil about the body of Moses, “he did not presume to pronounce a blasphemous judgement, but said, ‘The Lord rebuke you'” (Jude 9). If the archangel himself deferred to God’s authority rather than directly rebuking Satan, the assumption that ordinary believers should be more confrontational than Michael requires a level of confidence that Scripture does not warrant.
Daniel 10 is frequently cited in support of SLSW, and it does describe angelic conflict involving territorial powers. Daniel’s role in that conflict, however, was prayer directed to God, not confrontation with the prince of Persia. The angelic warfare was conducted by God’s messengers in response to God’s purposes. Daniel was faithful in prayer. God handled the rest. That distinction is significant and should not be flattened.
The Problems with Wagner’s Framework
Wagner’s approach raises several serious concerns. It treats prayer as a weapon aimed at demons rather than communication directed to God. This subtly reshapes the entire purpose and character of prayer in a direction that is foreign to the New Testament. Prayer in the Epistles is consistently directed to the Father, through the Son, in the Spirit. It is petition, intercession, thanksgiving, and worship. It is not a spiritual technology deployed against invisible hierarchies.
The framework also creates a theology in which the advance of the gospel is made dependent on the success of human spiritual warfare efforts. If the territorial spirits are not defeated, the gospel cannot advance. This effectively places the outcome of God’s purposes in human hands and makes the sufficiency of the gospel contingent on additional spiritual activity that Scripture does not prescribe. Paul’s confidence in Romans 1:16 is that the gospel is the power of God for salvation. He did not add a caveat that this power required territorial spirits to be defeated before it could operate.
Wagner’s broader theological framework, the New Apostolic Reformation, also claimed the restoration of modern apostles and prophets with authority comparable to the original Twelve. The SLSW methodology was embedded within this larger system, which raises questions about the doctrinal foundations on which it rests. The NAR’s claims about restored apostolic authority, dominion theology, and the ongoing gift of authoritative prophecy all represent significant departures from historic evangelical conviction and from what Scripture teaches about the unique and unrepeatable role of the apostles.
So, now what?
Christians should pray fervently for their cities, their nations, and the spread of the gospel into every dark corner of the world. That prayer should be directed to the Father, in Jesus’ name, relying on the Spirit’s power. It should be bold, persistent, and confident in the God who answers. What it should not be is prayer aimed at demonic entities, claiming authority over spiritual hierarchies, or treating the defeat of invisible principalities as a precondition for evangelistic effectiveness. The gospel does not need the way cleared for it. It is the power of God, and it is sufficient. The believer’s task is to pray to the Father and to proclaim the Son. God will take care of the principalities.
“The Lord rebuke you.” Jude 9 (ESV)