Ephesians 6:10-18
The Whole Armour of God
“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armour of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.
Therefore put on the full armour of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.
Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.”
The Power of Prayer.
Brethren, we are in a battle. We do not have time to waste.
Clocks are ticking loudly now, and we must armour up, post-haste.
First, we must be strong in Jesus and the power of His might.
Foolish is the one who thinks their strength could ever win this fight.
Not against the flesh, we wrestle, though the flesh can bring us woe.
Brethren, we engage in warfare with a fiercer, darker foe.
One who seeks to bring destruction, for he knows his end will come.
How do we defeat the darkness? Seek the light of Christ, the Son!
Do not let the devil bully nor beguile your heart and mind.
Whether it be force or fraud, he seeks to ruin all mankind.
God forbid his lies take root in those who wear the Kingdom crown.
Brethren, stand upon the truth and tear those wicked strongholds down!
Armour up, and call on God! The Lord will surely meet you there.
Put your armour straight to work, and battle through the power of prayer!
Christian, may we never be the soldier who is doomed to fall,
All because we failed to use the weapon that connects them all!
Bring requests before God’s throne, on all occasions, every day.
Whisper, shout, stand or kneel. The vital thing is we must pray!
Utilise the strength it brings; rely on God and not on self.
Prayerless soldiers meet defeat, so leave all pride upon the shelf!
Prayer is what unites our armour, cutting through both time and space.
Prayer is what the devil fears and sends him fleeing in disgrace!
Prayer reveals the truth to sinners; prayer attacks and wages war.
Prayer is not our last resort, so start with prayer, then pray some more!
Christian, be alert and sober; battle on behalf of others.
Serve our sisters faithfully; pray for them and all our brothers.
Boldly making known the Gospel, look to Christ and don’t give up.
Conquer in the name of Jesus! Warriors, let’s armour up!
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”
James 5:16
“The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.”
Jeremiah 29:12-13
“Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.”
Psalm 143:18
“The Lord is near to all who call upon Him, To all who call upon Him in truth.”
1 Corinthians 15:57
“But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Points for Reflection and Insight
All throughout the verses of Ephesians 6:10-18, the Apostle Paul has been highlighting the daily spiritual combat the Christian is engaged in by creating the image of a soldier in armour and describing the spiritual battle in physical terms. As I mentioned at the beginning of this series, Paul begins by making it clear that before we even put on the armour of God, we need to be strong in Jesus and rely on His strength to be successful within the battleground of spiritual warfare.
We hear this point being made through verse 10, which declares, “Be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power.” (Italics mine.) Now, towards the end of this section, Paul lets us know that this truth also applies after we have put on and taken up this armour. Verse 18 tells us, “And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests.” Paul reveals how to make sure the well-equipped soldier is strong in the Lord with the instruction that we are to pray.
I’ve heard it said that we could consider prayer to be the unofficial weapon and last piece of armour found on Paul’s list here in Ephesians 6. Prayer is the component that unites and empowers all the individual elements of our armour with the strength of God, so this focus on the importance of prayer really comes as no surprise. It’s what connects us to our Creator and reminds us of our need and reliance upon Him. This brings us full circle and back to the very first point Paul made in this passage as he begins by drawing our attention to our need for God and then ends in the same way.
The picture we have by verse 18 is that a warrior can be clad in all the best armour the world has to offer, but if they are passive and weak, they’re still not going to be successful or effective in the fight. The soldier must be active and strong. Not strong in self-reliance, not strong in pride, but active in prayer and therefore strong in the Lord.
The instruction at both the beginning and the end of this section is that we need to be close to God, walking with Him, and actively seeking the Lord through all of our situations. This is what will enable us and give us the best chance of victory in the warfare we face as Christians. More battles are won through the power of prayer than by any other means; therefore, prayer should not be our last resort when nothing else has worked; prayer should be our first port of call and the very thing we turn to before anything else.
When we consider the effectiveness of prayer, this explains why it can be so hard to pray! Have you ever noticed how many distractions come into your mind when you decide to take some time to commune with the Lord? I’ve found that when I go to pray, all of a sudden my phone beeps, the doorbell rings, or I abruptly remember an email that I’ve not yet replied to or a chore that still awaits my attention. My phone could have been sitting quietly all morning, then as soon as I go to spend time with Jesus, it’s lighting up like Piccadilly Circus with notifications and alerts! If I don’t deliberately put all else aside and choose to prioritise prayer, I find I only get ten seconds in and then I’m off doing something completely different.
This is no mere coincidence. This is spiritual warfare! Evidently, the enemy knows how powerful and effective the prayers of the righteous person are, as Scripture tells us, and he’s more than aware of the devastating impact the prayers of the saints will have on his wicked schemes. The devil knows only too well that the Christian’s prayer spells defeat for him, so he will do whatever he can to disarm the warrior of Christ in battle. He will try to keep us from inviting the power of Heaven into our situations through any means, distracting and discouraging us in every conceivable way he can.
This highlights how vital it is for us to, firstly, be aware of the tactics of the enemy, lest we be ignorant of his devices; secondly, we need to counter his efforts. When the distractions come in, if it’s possible and it’s not a life-threatening scenario, ignore them! See the fight that’s going and put your phone on “Do not disturb”. Recognise that the devil doesn’t want you to pray, and so decide for yourself how much more you will therefore do it!
Looking at the text again, Paul’s words “And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests” also give the idea of fervency through every kind of prayer. We’re encouraged to devote ourselves not just to the eloquent, “well-timed” prayers but all kinds of prayers and at all times! Short prayers that are sent heavenward like an arrow in the midst of a difficult situation; long prayers of solitude that expand throughout the quiet hours of the night; prayers committed to God through a home group; groaning prayers as an aching heart can’t seem to find a way to express coherent words. Prayers as you stand, walk, kneel or lie in bed. The clear message Paul has for the Christian soldier is, regardless of time, space or position, just pray! Make the demonic forces flee in fear as you ignite the full armour of God with the incomparable power and strength of the Almighty.
Questions for personal reflection.
Do I consider prayer to be an important and powerful weapon at my disposal? How much time do I commit to prayer each day? When I think about prayer inviting the power of Heaven into a situation, does this encourage me to bring things before God’s Throne? Have I previously witnessed the power of prayer working in my own life and in the lives of those around me?
Paul’s final words in these verses are, “With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.” This is a call to battle spiritually not just for ourselves but also on behalf of others. The Christian soldier isn’t to be concerned only with their own safety but also with the safety of other people. We’re to fight through prayer to protect and serve our fellow man, namely, but not solely, the Body of Christ.
So let’s join together as soldiers in the army of Jesus and put on the full armour of God! May we choose to prioritise time communing with Him because it’s through prayer that we tear down the strongholds of the enemy. It’s not limited by time or space and can be used at any moment to impact any part of the world. Prayer pulls down the strongholds in the unbeliever’s life so that those who have been taken captive by Satan can have their eyes opened to see the truth. The non-believer can be freed from the lies of the enemy as each prayer acts like a powerful blow against the devil’s hold over their lives.
Prayer also shifts the focus of the believer away from the cares of this temporal world and onto the glories of eternity. It transforms the mindset of the one who comes to the throne of God full of worries and sorrows and replaces their fears with hope and reassurance. Prayer intercedes for our brethren across the globe and fights alongside them, regardless of the physical miles of land and sea.
The weapons of our warfare are truly mighty through God as they ground us in truth, remind us of our righteousness through the work of the Cross, embolden us to live for the Gospel of Jesus Christ, shield us through faith, protect our thought life, and enable us to conquer ground with the truth of God’s Word in a world blinded by lies. So what are we waiting for? Let’s be prayerful warriors who are strong in the Lord and in His mighty power as we armour up today!
