^“And He said to them, ‘Because of the littleness of your faith; for truly I say to you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, “Move from here to there,” and it will move; and nothing will be impossible to you. But this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting’” (Matthew 17:20-21, NASB).

“Our Lord here taught us that a life of faith requires both prayer and fasting. That is, prayer grasps the power of heaven, and fasting loosens the hold on earthly pleasure” [Andrew Murray, January 21 reading in Andrew Murray Devotional (New Kensington, PA: Whitaker House, 2006), p. 52].

The Supreme Court of the United States handed down one of its most historic and controversial ruling 39 years ago today in Roe v. Wade. This ruling forced legalized abortion on all 50 states in our country, without regard for the will of voters, a plain reading of the Constitution (see the Tenth Amendment, for example), or the revealed will of God.

While many people think we should just accept “a woman’s right to choose” as a fundamental human right according to the laws of the land, a true Christian cannot do that. Fifty million Americans have been killed in the womb since 1973; when one recognizes that life begins at conception, it becomes obvious that this is a Holocaust that far exceeds anything Adolf Hitler dreamed of. As we have done every year since 1973, hundreds of thousands of people will be in Washington, DC tomorrow for the March for Life, speaking out for those who are killed before they have a voice. I, along with a large contingent from my church, will be there.

Many Christians from diverse denominations will agree that this is the great social cause of our generation. However, many of them will seek the “easy” way of battling abortion. They will vote for a candidate who claims to be “pro-life” (without actually checking his track record to see if his actions line up with his campaign promises), in hopes that he will become the savior of the preborn. Sadly, this has been a failed effort for nearly 40 years, as supposedly “pro-life” politicians have sold out after their elections, compromised their values, and left us hoping for better luck at the next election cycle.

Scripture tells us that many of our conflicts are actually manifestations of a spiritual battle. Ephesians 6:12 tells us that we are wrestling not against flesh and blood, but against spiritual rulers, powers, world forces of darkness, and spiritual forces of wickedness. As a result, we do not rely on natural weapons of warfare, but spiritual ones, while defended by the whole armor of God (2 Cor. 10:4; Eph. 6:13).

This is especially true when we see our society turning further from its Judeo-Christian heritage to a value system that disregards God, religious faith, and traditional morality. Paul wrote his admonitions in 2 Corinthians and Ephesians to Christians living in a hostile culture. While we have not been fed to lions lately, hostility against Christianity has been skyrocketing in recent years in our society.

The simple fact about abortion is this: We cannot trust the government to overturn Roe v. Wade. While some people may think we are only one or two Supreme Court justices away from overturning that ruling, I believe we need three more pro-life justices. Elected officials have failed us before, and they will continue to do so. Even if Roe v. Wade were overturned, that would simply move the abortion battle back to the states.

Until people’s hearts and minds are changed about abortion, it will remain the law of the land. This is where spiritual warfare comes in. We need to begin with the simple weapons of spiritual warfare: prayer, Scripture, proclamation of biblical truth, etc. (For any pro-choice advocates who are reading this, abortion clinic bombings and other forms of violence are NOT forms of spiritual warfare. One cannot be pro-life if he actively seeks to kill or maim his ideological opponents.)

So, I encourage my friends and fellow laborers in the pro-life movement to saturate their efforts with prayer. I believe God is calling us back to a spiritual emphasis in the battle to defend life, and away from a politically-oriented approach. We have spent nearly 40 years wandering in a wilderness of choice and the culture of death. That time period is significant throughout Scripture, and it may apply to America as well. If we are willing to seek spiritual revival in our nation, we can see the hearts of Americans turned back toward a culture of life. Then, political change will follow spiritual and social transformation.

This is, after all, a spiritual battle. Legalized abortion reigns in this land because we have cast aside God’s values for self-centered goals. We cherish comfort, material goods, and freedom of choice. We value individualism (“be your own man”; “follow your heart”) and have rejected the call to follow Jesus. Sadly, this is true within the Church as well as among those who acknowledge that they do not believe in Christ.

So, we need to pray that people’s hearts will be turned to Christ. We need to ask God to change people’s hearts and minds about human life and dignity. We need to take a stand spiritually against the lying demons who have deceived millions into believing that life begins at birth and not at conception.

As we pray, we should be prepared to fast for spiritual renewal. As Andrew Murray noted, “fasting loosens the hold on earthly pleasure.” Perhaps we have been too committed to the gods of our society that we are unable to have any impact on the resulting abortion holocaust. We are not fully devoted to Christ and His call to advance His Kingdom, because we are too tied to the things of this life.

As we draw to God in prayer and fasting, He will give us strength to do spiritual warfare. He will give us a spirit of perseverance, so that we will not lose heart and give up. He will give us direction, so that we will know how to stand steadfast. Finally, He will turn people’s hearts and minds to Him, that they may acknowledge His will, repent of their self-centered values, and follow His Son.