In The War Room, an elderly woman named Miss Clara befriends Elizabeth Jordan and teaches her how to pray so she can do battle for her husband and her family. Tony, Elizabeth’s husband, is a top salesman in a pharmaceuticals company. But, of course, their marriage is on the rocks.

In this rather predictable movie, we can see what’s going to happen within the first few minutes. And, of course, it does.  The War Room is predictable in that prayer, love, and scripture succeed in solving problems and healing relationships. Now, I’m not complaining. I’m extremely happy that Christians are making movies with good messages.  Praise God.

The overall quality of this movie is better than the ones that preceded it. The acting is improving as is the directing. It is definitely worth seeing. However, I have a problem with something.

In the movie, when doing spiritual battle, essentially two women pray to Satan. Now, it’s not as bad as it sounds. They’re not serving him. They are rebuking him. But that’s the problem. They actually start talking to the devil in their prayers. Where is that in Scripture? Is there anything in the Bible that advocates a Christian talking to, or praying to the devil?  Nope.  We are to pray to God for deliverance and ask the Lord to rebuke the enemy.

The only time direct address is given to the devil is when he is actually present.

• Zechariah 3:2, “Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the LORD, and Satan standing at his right hand to accuse him. 2 The LORD said to Satan, ‘The LORD rebuke you, Satan! Indeed, the LORD who has chosen Jerusalem rebuke you! Is this not a brand plucked from the fire?'”
• Matthew 4:3-4, “And the tempter came and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.” 4 But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘MAN SHALL NOT LIVE ON BREAD ALONE, BUT ON EVERY WORD THAT PROCEEDS OUT OF THE MOUTH OF GOD.’”
• Jude 9, “But Michael the archangel, when he disputed with the devil and argued about the body of Moses, did not dare pronounce against him a railing judgment, but said, “The Lord rebuke you!””

In Zechariah, in a vision, the rebuke is from the Lord, not in the authority of the individual. In Matthew, Jesus addresses Satan because there is a personal encounter between the two.  Jesus uses Scripture to rebuke him. In Jude, even Michael the Archangel says “the Lord rebuke you.”  But, nowhere in Scripture is there any place where a Christian is praying to God and then switches to addressing the devil in that same prayer.

In the War Room two women fail to ask the Lord Jesus to rebuke the enemy. Instead, they do it themselves. They actually talk to the devil in their prayer and “in Jesus name” rebuke him. The sentiment is good, but the biblical justification is not.  I think this is a real failure in this movie.

Other than that, it’s worth seeing