Pentecostal Conceptions of Evil Forces: An Exposition on Warfare Prayer and Imprecation in Modern Nigeria
Jemimah Ogechi Ekechi 
Issue: Vol.11 No. 7 2025 Issue Article 3 pp.367 – 379
DOI : https://doi.org/10.38159/erats.20251173 | Published online 29th July, 2025.
© 2025 The Author(s). This is an open access article under the CCBY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
In Nigerian Pentecostalism, life is viewed as a battleground, with individuals confronting not only perceived witchcraft but also the consequences of ancestral transgressions, evil forces and their human agents. Consequently, spiritual warriors often envision spirit beings that can be shaped into any type of enemy, imagining defeating them through ‘warfare and imprecatory prayers.’ This paper argues that the persistence and profusion of accusations of family members, close relatives and associates for witchcraft and diabolic activities has not only created enmity among family members but also tended to cause chaos and distrust in the society at large. Using a qualitative approach, data was collected from members of three prominent Pentecostal movements in Lagos through in-depth interviews, informal conversations and participant observation. The findings show that imprecation and warfare prayers provide a framework for expressing sociocultural experiences, values, beliefs and resistance, thereby effectively communicating psychological relief. By linking spiritual practices with their sociocultural and economic realities and consequences, this study shows that Pentecostalism functions not only as a religious practice but also as a sociocultural mechanism for coping with existential anxieties and adversities. The study recommends a theological reorientation toward teachings that emphasize focus on the risen Jesus, the power of the Holy Spirit, repentance, salvation, and social responsibility. The study contributes to scholarship in African religious studies, anthropology, and psychology by illuminating how religious expressions, particularly in urban African settings, serve as both reflections of and responses to broader societal tensions and underscores the urgent need for more ethically grounded and socially aware theological discourses.
Keywords: Imprecatory Prayers, Malevolent Forces, Nigeria, Pentecostalism, Warfare Prayers
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Jemimah Ogechi Ekechi is a Senior Lecturer at the Institute of Humanities, Pan-Atlantic University in Lagos, Nigeria. Her primary research interests focus on sociolinguistics, cultural studies, and the interface of language and religion, with a special emphasis on various empirical phenomena and contexts. She also does scholarly research in gender studies and social semiotics, which contributes to the larger conversation about language, identity, and societal structures.
Ekechi, Jemimah Ogechi. “Pentecostal Conceptions of Evil Forces: An Exposition on Warfare Prayer and Imprecation in Modern Nigeria.” E-Journal of Religious and Theological Studies 11, no. 7 (2025): 367–79. https://doi.org/10.38159/erats.20251173.
© 2025 The Author(s). Published and Maintained by Noyam Journals. This is an open access article under the CCBY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
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