3 Layers of Battle

The stone alter battle:
"He went away again the second time, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if this cup may not pass away from me, except I drink it, thy will be done" (Matt. 26.42).
This includes giving up things that control your life, a battle over wills: the sins of the body (not to say Jesus sinned though). This battle relates to the body of world-consciousness.

The brass or brazen altar battle:
"Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed [is] willing, but the flesh [is] weak" (v.41).
This is the self of the soul of the flesh that wars against the Spirit. This battle relates to the soul of self-consciousness and the body too, for the flesh is called the sin of the body and the self of the soul. And this battle takes place in the outer-court outside the Holy Place.

The golden altar of incense battle:
"Then he came to the disciples and said to them, "Are you still sleeping and taking your rest? Behold, the hour is at hand, and the Son of man is betrayed into the hands of sinners" (v.45).
This is our prayers and praying to God. Jesus prayed yet a 3rd time while the disciples could not stay awake. This battle relations to the impact on just our prayers: mind, will and emotion in the Holy Place.

The Ark of the Covenant peace:
Our spirit is our God-consciousness represented by the Holy of Holies in the Holy Place. The law in the ark judges by our conscience approving or condemning our words and actions. The mercy seat is whereupon we commune with God in our spirit. And the law is conveyed to our inner man through the intuition in that silent still small voice where the High Priest enters once a year into the Holy of Holies, but now the veil is rent. God's Holy Spirit comes down from heaven and passes through the cheribum then enters the window of our conscience into our intution where Spirit makes contact with spirit for fellowship with God. The battle is carried on here and is our strength so that we walk by spirit first and foremost as our guiding principle.