Rescue the Captives: Fight for the One You Love

Welcome back to Listen Up! God Speaks—a Christian spiritual warfare podcast to help you live life victoriously. I’m your host, Charlotte, and you’re listening to our continuing series called, Victory Through the Battle: Spiritual Warfare Lessons from the Bible.

Each week, we explore a moment from Scripture where spiritual warfare was active—and we dig deep to uncover what that means for us today. Because the truth is, the enemy still uses the same strategies. But God has given us the wisdom, the weapons, and the victory through Jesus Christ.

Let’s dive into today’s episode, titled “Rescue the Captives: Fight for the One You Love”…

Have you ever had to step in and fight for someone else?

Maybe not with your fists—but with your prayers, your intercession, your time, your love?

Spiritual warfare isn’t always about protecting yourself.
Sometimes it’s about going into enemy territory to rescue someone else.

And that’s exactly what we see in today’s story.

Let me give you some background…

In Genesis 13, Abram and his nephew Lot parted ways.
Lot chose the fertile land near Sodom and Gomorrah—land that looked good to the eyes but was dangerous to the soul.

By Genesis 14, a coalition of kings invades the region. Sodom is overtaken. Lot is captured and taken away as a prisoner of war.

“When Abram heard that his kinsman had been taken captive, he led forth his trained men… and pursued as far as Dan.” —Genesis 14:14

He didn’t hesitate.
He didn’t weigh the risk.
He didn’t say, “Well, Lot made his choice. That’s on him.”

He got up.
He armed his men.
And he went into battle.

This is spiritual warfare: intervening to rescue the captive.

Let’s pause here and bring this into our world of today…

How many people do we know who’ve been taken captive?

They may not be physically chained—but they’re spiritually bound.

And they need someone who won’t just talk about it—but will go after them in prayer.

Here’s a truth I want you to hold onto today:

Covenant love doesn’t abandon. It fights.

Abram loved Lot. And even though Lot had chosen the wrong place and the wrong crowd, Abram went after him anyway.

That’s what Jesus did for you.
And that’s what you’re called to do for others.

Let’s look at a spiritual warfare insight from the Hebrew language...

In Genesis 14:14, it says Abram “armed his trained men.”

The Hebrew word for “trained” is chanik (חֲנִיךְ) [khaw-NEEK], which means dedicated, disciplined, or practiced for war.

In other words, Abram had already prepared for warfare before the battle ever started.

He had men in his house trained and ready.

That’s a spiritual principle right there:
You must be equipped before the crisis.

Don’t wait until the enemy shows up to learn how to fight. Get prepared ahead of time.
Spend time in the Word. Know your authority. Walk in obedience.
Train now—so when it’s time to fight, you’re not scrambling… you’re ready. 

But if you feel you’ve not been trained yet and are facing a battle, God’s got you; He will help you in this season and guide you as you are equipped with His Spiritual armor and strengthened by His power.

Let me give you two modern examples of what this looks like...

• The Interceding Parent:
  
  A mom senses something is shifting in her daughter’s attitude. The joy is gone. She’s withdrawn.
  Instead of reacting in the flesh, the mom goes into prayer. She starts fasting. She declares God’s Word over her daughter’s life—every day.
  And after weeks of spiritual battle, her daughter opens up… and breakthrough begins.
  
  
  

• The Faithful Friend:
  
  A man sees his best friend drifting into spiritual darkness. He’s silent at first… but then he begins praying, sending scripture, inviting him to talk. He stands in the gap and refuses to give up.
  Months later, his friend breaks down and says, “I knew someone was praying for me. I could feel it.”
  
  
  

That’s what fighting for others looks like.

Let’s zoom in on another moment in the Bible...

After Abram wins the battle and rescues Lot, he meets Melchizedek [mel-KIZZ-a-deck], the king of Salem—a mysterious figure described as both priest and king.

Melchizedek blesses Abram and speaks these words:

“Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth;
and blessed be God Most High, who has delivered your enemies into your hand!” —Genesis 14:19–20

Victory wasn’t from Abram’s skill.
It was from God’s hand.

And that’s the same truth we need to cling to:

We don’t fight in our strength—we fight with God’s help.

Let’s talk practical strategies...

Here are three ways to fight spiritually for someone who’s been taken captive:

1. Intercede with Authority