Prayer As Our Weapon

I have lived too much life, walked with too many people, and heard too many stories to not believe in spiritual warfare.  We have a real enemy whose mission is to steal, kill, and destroy.  He is a deceiver and liar- in fact he is the father of lies.  He is against you and against what is good.  He hates truth and light but loves darkness. 

He prowls around looking for an opportunity to devour faithful believers and to stop God’s good plan in their lives.  He and his army come against all that is of God and that advances the kingdom. 

He is real and he is active.

I don’t say these things to frighten you.  I also don’t say them from a place of anxiety, defeat, or discouragement.

I know that many of you are up against some very hard things right now.  I’ve come up against some very hard things as well.  It seems that quite a few of us are experiencing an increase in hard situations and difficult circumstances.  And while I don’t want to give the enemy too much credit, I do want us to be aware so that we’re using the right weapons and fighting the right battles.

Many of us are familiar with this passage of scripture about the armor of God.  In fact, we’ve shared about it recently.  There are a few things I want to emphasize right now though as I hear of attack after attack after attack.

Ephesians 6:10-18 NLT says this:  “A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places. Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm. Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness. For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared. In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil. Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere.”

Here's what I want us to notice:

1.  We’ve got to put on ALL the armor in order to stand firm against this crafty enemy. 

2.  We have to make sure we know who the real enemy is at all times.  (Spoiler alert… it isn’t one another!)

3.  Truth, righteousness, peace that comes from knowing Jesus’ powerful good news, firm faith, the promise of salvation, the power of the Holy Spirit in us, and wisdom from God’s living Word are our armor and our weapons.

4.  Constant prayerful communication with God is THE THING that makes this all work because it keeps us connected to God, alert and on guard, and it strengthens the whole community of faith.

Sweet friends, the battle is real and it is raging right now.  Maybe you’ve seen it or maybe you’re even experiencing it right now.

Armor up because we are in a war.  And it isn’t just against you.  This war is against the Kingdom of God and all its’ warriors.

God has provided you with the weapons you need to effectively resist the enemy’s attacks, but sweet sister, here’s what I want us to really understand…

WE DON’T FIGHT ALONE.  Father, Son, and Spirit are on our side and in their goodness they have given us an army of brothers and sister to fight with us and for us.

That’s where prayer comes in. 

If we want our battle plan to be effective we have to be constantly communicating with God about the battle strategy.  We also have to be persistently lifting up those who fight alongside of us because the battle is fierce and we are weakest when we get a little battle weary. 

Rally the troops. 

Take Kingdom ground.

Push back the enemy.

Armor up and then hit your knees for your brothers and sisters.  Some of them are starting to get a little worn out and they need the powerful and effective prayers of their sisters to strengthen and encourage them. 

Fight the good fight.

Lift one another up. 

We’re on the winning side.

Prayer

Father God, we know that we’re in a spiritual battle.  Thank you that you provide us with the weapons we need and that you fight with us and for us.  Thank you for your wisdom and your goodness in providing the family of God and the community of believers to be a support and a help to one another.  Lord, help us to fight the enemy together.  Help us to rally the troops and strengthen our fellow brothers and sisters.  Amen.

Scripture Meditation

Ephesians 6:18 NLT

““Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere.”

 Journal Reflection

Where have you seen evidence of the spiritual battle raging around you?  How have you armored up?  How might you rally the troops and gain kingdom ground by praying from others?

Practice

Every day this week, read Ephesians 6:10-18.  Engage your holy imagination and envision yourself putting on the armor of God, piece by piece.  After you’ve armored up in your imagination, spend time praying for those you know who might be battle weary.

If you’re the one who is battle weary, consider who might be a safe and trusted brother or sister in Christ that you could ask to lift you in prayer.