By Izunna Okafor, Awka
The Archbishop of the Province of the Niger and Bishop of Awka Diocese, Most Reverend Alexander Chibuzo Ibezim, has urged members of the Diocese of Awka, Anglican Communion, to remain steadfast in prayer, faith and unity, declaring that their battle is not against flesh and blood but a spiritual struggle.
Ibezim made the declaration on Sunday while addressing worshippers at the Cathedral Church of St. Faith, Awka, during the Sunday service, shortly after the distribution of Holy Communion.
The address and prayer came amid the ongoing dispute rocking the Diocese of Awka following the directive of the Primate of the Church of Nigeria, Most Reverend Henry Ndukuba, asking Ibezim to proceed on six months’ compulsory leave and appointing the Bishop of Aguata Diocese, Right Reverend Samuel Ezeofor, to oversee Awka Diocese and coordinate the Province of the Niger during the period.
Speaking after he was given the microphone to address the congregation, Ibezim explained that he had come to the cathedral to pray briefly with the worshippers at a time he described as a trial time, urging them to deepen their relationship with God.
Citing Ephesians Chapter 6, verses 10 to 19, which address spiritual strength and the armour of God, he explained that the struggle before them was not one to be fought with physical weapons or violence.
“Please, at this time of trial, at this moment, let us recognize that we are not fighting against flesh and blood. It is a spiritual warfare,” he advised.
“It is the battle against principalities. Battle, not of flesh and blood, but against principalities. Principalities are spiritual agents, powers, rulers of the darkness of this world, spiritual weaknesses in high places. So our battle is not the battle of flesh and blood,” he added.
Continuing, he said “Bible is enjoining us that we should not fight physically. This is not a time to fight with gun or fight with cutlass; but it is a fight that is spiritual.”
According to Ibezim, the appropriate response was to strengthen their faith, improve their prayer lives and draw closer to Almighty God, whom he said could reveal mighty things beyond human understanding.
He also called on members of the Cathedral to remain united, pray together and sustain their fellowship, describing the altar of the cathedral as a point of contact for prayers across the churches in the diocese and the Province of the Niger.
Citing Apostle Paul as an example and noting that even the biblical apostle sought prayers for utterance, grace and power; he emphasized the need for Christians to continue to pray for one another, irrespective of the challenges they faced.
Leading the congregation in a declaration of faith, Ibezim asked the worshippers to affirm that they were strong in the Lord and in the power of His might, while also declaring their readiness to put on the whole armour of God to stand against the schemes of the devil.
He subsequently prayed for the congregation, asking God to protect them from their enemies, frustrate every plan against them, strengthen their spiritual lives and prevent anything intended to divide their families or the church from succeeding.
He also prayed for healing and restoration for the worshippers, saying that having received the body and blood of Jesus Christ during Holy Communion, they should experience divine healing, forgiveness and the restoration of the joy of salvation.
Ibezim further prayed that October and November would be months of testimonies for the congregation and that members would end the year with reasons to celebrate God’s goodness.
Using the cathedral altar as a point of contact for prayers across the diocese, he asked God to intervene wherever the enemy was allegedly working against the church, declaring that the altar represented deliverance, healing and total restoration.
He concluded by praying for peace in the hearts and families of the worshippers, their prayer lives and wherever they might go, urging them to continue to trust in God amid the challenges confronting them.
The remarks and prayers are coming on Ibezim’s first Sunday worship at the St. Faith Cathedral days after the directive from the Primate of the Church of Nigeria, Most Reverend Henry Ndukuba, asking him to proceed on six months’ compulsory leave.
This reporter, Izunna Okafor, who visited the Cathedral on Sunday, also gathered that the Deputy Governor of the State, Dr. Onyekachukwu Ibezim, among other dignitaries, were also present at the church, amid heavy presence of security operatives, comprising armed policemen and the Udo Ga-Achị operatives.
It would be recalled that the Awka Diocesan Board rejected the Primate’s directive which was contained in a letter dated Tuesday, October 13, 2026, and which slammed a 6-month compulsory leave on Ibezim as well as barred from officiating church programs, as a result of an ongoing investigation in the diocese.
The decision of the Awka Diocesan Board, which also rejected the appointment of Bishop Ezeofor of the Aguata Diocese as the Supervising Bishop of Awka Diocese, was contained in a communiqué issued after an emergency meeting of the Board on October 16, where it reaffirmed its loyalty to Ibezim and also directed all organs of the diocese to remain loyal to him and reject directives from Ezeofor.
The Board , in the communiqué, also warned that it could withdraw from the Church of Nigeria and rejoin the Church of England if what it described as interference in the affairs of the diocese persisted.
