The phrase “battle of the altars” speaks of a deep spiritual reality—an unseen conflict between divine and ungodly influences over a person, destiny, family, territory, community, or nation.
In Scripture, altars represent places of covenant, sacrifice, authority, and spiritual transactions. Every altar, whether godly or ungodly, speaks. Every altar has the power and capacity to exercise dominion and influence over a person, destiny, family, territory, community, or nation. It has the ability to shape lives and destinies—either positively or negatively.
It takes an altar with a higher authority to overturn what another altar has established.
WHAT IS AN ALTAR?
An altar is a spiritual platform where exchanges occur between the physical and the spiritual realms. It is where covenants are established, sacrifices are offered, and destinies are influenced—either positively or negatively.
An altar is a spiritual platform or place of encounter where a person connects with God or with demonic forces through sacrifice, prayer, covenant, and worship.
Take note: altars are real. They are places of power and authority where the fates of individuals, families, communities, territories, and nations can be determined.
BIBLICAL EXAMPLES OF ALTARS
Godly Altars
- Noah built an altar after the flood. Genesis 8:20, “Then Noah built an altar to the LORD, and took of every clean animal and of every clean bird, and offered burnt offerings on the altar.”
- Abraham built altars wherever he encountered God. Genesis 12:7–8, “Then the LORD appeared to Abram and said, ‘To your descendants I will give this land.’ And there he built an altar to the LORD, who had appeared to him. And he moved from there to the mountain east of Bethel, and he pitched his tent with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east; there he built an altar to the LORD and called on the name of the LORD.”
- Elijah repaired the broken altar of the Lord. 1 Kings 18:30, “Then Elijah said to all the people, ‘Come near to me.’ So all the people came near to him. And he repaired the altar of the LORD that was broken down.”
Ungodly Altars
Ungodly altars also exist—altars raise to idols, ancestral spirits, demonic powers, or evil covenants.
- Baal’s altar – Destroyed by Gideon (Judges 6:25). Represents family or ancestral idolatry. Judges 6:25, “Now it came to pass the same night that the LORD said to him, ‘Take your father’s young bull, the second bull of seven years old, and tear down the altar of Baal that your father has, and cut down the wooden image that is beside it.’”
- Prophets of Baal’s altar – Confronted by Elijah (1 Kings 18). Represents false religion without true power.
- Golden calf altar – Built by Aaron (Exodus 32). Represents impatience and turning away from God. Exodus 32:4–5, “And he received the gold from their hand, and he fashioned it with an engraving tool, and made a molded calf. Then they said, ‘This is your god, O Israel, that brought you out of the land of Egypt!’ So when Aaron saw it, he built an altar before it. And Aaron made a proclamation and said, ‘Tomorrow is a feast to the LORD.’”
- Jeroboam’s altar – Created by Jeroboam (1 Kings 12). Represents a man-made system of false worship.
- Molech’s altar – Involving child sacrifice (Leviticus 18:21). Represents bloodshed and abomination. Leviticus 18:21, “And you shall not let any of your descendants pass through the fire to Molech, nor shall you profane the name of your God: I am the LORD.”
- Ahab and Jezebel’s altars – Promoted nationwide idolatry (1 Kings 16). Shows how leadership can spread evil worship.
- Altar to the unknown god – Addressed by Apostle Paul (Acts 17). Represents ignorance in worship. Acts 17:23, “For as I was passing through and considering the objects of your worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Therefore, the One whom you worship without knowing, Him I proclaim to you.”
WHAT IS THE BATTLE OF THE ALTARS?
The battle of the altars is the conflict between the altar of God (light) and evil altars (darkness). This battle determines outcomes in life—success or stagnation, freedom or bondage, blessing or limitation. We must not treat altars lightly. The altar that has control over your life determines what happens within and around you.
TYPES OF ALTARS
1. Godly Altars
- Built on righteousness, faith, and obedience
- Speak blessing, protection, and favor
- Connect you to God’s covenant Genesis 12:7, “Then the LORD appeared to Abram and said, ‘To your descendants I will give this land.’ And there he built an altar to the LORD, who had appeared to him.”
2. Evil Altars
- Founded on sin, idolatry, bloodshed, or occult practices
- Enforce negative patterns (poverty, sickness, delay, failure)
- May be ancestral or personally established
SIGNS OF EVIL ALTARS IN OPERATION
- Repeated negative cycles (failure, disappointment, delay)
- Unexplainable battles despite efforts
- Family patterns of affliction
- Near-success syndrome
- Spiritual heaviness or oppression
- Persistent sinful patterns
These may indicate that something is speaking from an altar.
THE POWER OF ALTARS
Altars speak through sacrifice.
Hebrews 12:24, “To Jesus the Mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling that speaks better things than that of Abel.”
- The blood of Abel cried out for justice
- The blood of Jesus speaks mercy, redemption, and victory
Whichever altar has the stronger voice often determines the outcome.
You must be in Christ before you can resist any altar that is not of God. A new altar was established through the blood of Jesus Christ shed on the Cross of Calvary. In Him, your victory is guaranteed and established forever. Outside Him, one may be subject to the influences of darkness that operate in the world.
GIDEON AND THE ALTAR
Judges 6:25–26, “Now it came to pass the same night that the LORD said to him, ‘Take your father’s young bull, the second bull of seven years old, and tear down the altar of Baal that your father has, and cut down the wooden image that is beside it; and build an altar to the LORD your God on top of this rock in the proper arrangement, and take the second bull and offer a burnt sacrifice with the wood of the image which you shall cut down.’”
Before Gideon could deliver Israel, he had to confront the altar speaking against his destiny.
HOW TO WIN THE BATTLE OF THE ALTARS
- Destroy Evil Altars. You must renounce and break every evil foundation. Judges 6:25, “…tear down the altar of Baal…” Prayer: “Every evil altar speaking against my life, be destroyed in the name of Jesus!”
- Engage the Blood of Jesus. The blood of Jesus silences every contrary voice. Colossians 2:14–15, “Having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it.” Prayer: “Blood of Jesus, speak better things into my life!”
- Raise a Godly Altar. Build your personal altar through: Prayer, Worship, Holiness and The Word of God Romans 12:1, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.”
- Live a Life of Sacrifice. Your life itself becomes an altar through absolute and prompt obedience to God’s instructions, while sin weakens your altar.
- Speak Prophetic Declarations. Altars respond to words backed by authority. Job 22:28, “You will also declare a thing, and it will be established for you; so light will shine on your ways.”
- Maintain Covenant with God. Consistency is the key. A neglected altar can weaken spiritual authority.
Life is governed by altars. Whether you know it or not, something is speaking for you or against you. The question is: Which altar is speaking over your life? If you align with God and build a strong altar through Christ, no evil altar can prevail against you. May every evil altar be silenced, and may your life become a living altar of fire unto God, in Jesus’ name.
PRAYER
- By the covenant of the blood of Jesus Christ, the power of His resurrection, and His everlasting covenant, let heaven be provoked to action on my behalf today, and let all my supplications receive divine answers, in the name of Jesus Christ.
- Father, expose every evil altar speaking against my life and destiny, in the name of Jesus Christ.
- Every unseen altar waging war against my life and destiny, be consumed now by the fire of the Holy Spirit, in the name of Jesus Christ. Hebrews 12:29, “For our God is a consuming fire.”
- Every unseen altar fueling recurring evil patterns in my bloodline, I decree and declare: your end has come today. Be consumed now by the fire of the Holy Spirit, in the name of Jesus Christ.
- I decree and declare: every altar of untimely death, failure at the edge of breakthrough, ill-luck, misfortune, demotion, poverty, lack, barrenness, lack of help, wilderness experience, early widowhood, divorce, and every evil occurrence set against me and my lineage—be consumed now by the fire of the Holy Spirit, in the name of Jesus Christ.
- Every ancestral or inherited altar affecting my life and destiny, be destroyed by the fire of the Holy Spirit, in the name of Jesus Christ. Galatians 3:13–14, “Christhath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree: That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.”
- Hebrews 12:24, “To Jesus the Mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling that speaks better things than that of Abel.” Blood of Jesus, silence every voice of demonic altar speaking against me and my lineage, in the name of Jesus Christ.
- Colossians 2:14, “Having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.” Whatever represents evil ordinances written against my bloodline by any altar, be wiped out permanently by the blood of Jesus Christ, in the name of Jesus Christ.
- O Lord, raise a fresh altar of fire in my life. Psalm 104:4, “Who maketh his angels spirits; his ministers a flaming fire:”
- I receive power to walk in victory over every spiritual battle. 1 Corinthians 15:57
“But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
- I decree and declare, by the authority in Christ Jesus, no evil altar shall be raised against my lineage again, in the name of Jesus Christ. Affliction shall not rise again in the name of Jesus Christ. Nahum 1:9, “What do you conspire against the LORD? He will make an utter end of it. Affliction will not rise up a second time.”
- 1 John 5:14–15, “Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.” Thank You, Lord, for answered prayers, in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.