Pray Without Ceasing

Ephesians 6:18: “Praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints..”

After the Apostle Paul tells us that we can stand against Satan, and that God has given us Spiritual Armor to use in our fight against Satan, we are told to pray at all times and to keep alert. In my mind, prayer is the trump card we have in our spiritual arsenal against Satan. Maybe Paul didn’t have a military analogy in mind regarding prayer, but I think there is a modern day one: the air strike. The modern air strike is probably the most potent weapon of modern warfare. As I am writing this, our country has Special Forces troops in the nations of Libya and Afghanistan, who are acting as forward air controllers, spotting targets of the enemy, and calling in air strikes to destroy the targets. Prayer is our ultimate spiritual airstrike, to call upon the power of God to intervene for us in ways we cannot imagine. The difference between a real airstrike and prayer is that an airstrike can only hit one target at a time. God is infinite and our prayers are far reaching without boundaries.

Spiritual Armor Part 2

Ephesians 6: 14-17: “Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God…”

God equips believers to stand against Satan and his schemes. We already looked at the Belt of Truth, the Body Armor of Righteousness, and the Shoes of the Gospel of Peace. The remaining pieces of our armor are:

The Shield of Faith. Roman shields were designed to protect the entire side of Roman Legionary while he wielded a sword in the right hand. The shield was large and square, and designed so that when other Legionaries were fighting in a tight formation, the shields could interlock and form an impenetrable barrier, protecting the whole group. The Shield of Faith protects the believer in the same way as the Legionary. Our faith in Christ helps us defend against the enemy’s attacks. Dropping the shield exposes one to attack. Don’t drop the shield (as I have done, getting wounded in the process).  Also, when we are standing with other believers together in a community of faith, we are much like the Legionaries in the photo below, who have locked their shields together in an all around defensive formation called a Testudo.

Helmet of Salvation. The helmet protects the head from a fatal blow. Our assurance of salvation in Christ protects us from the attacks of the enemy, who may try to go right for the head. With the assurance of salvation, we have the ability to face into death itself.

Sword of the Spirit, the Word of God. Roman Legionaries wouldn’t just stand in place behind their shield and armor. When the enemy got close enough to strike, the Legionary was always waiting to strike a fatal blow of his own, with his short, swift sword. The believer’s sword and offensive weapon is God’s Word, the Scriptures. We use it to strike against Satan and his lies and attacks, just as Jesus used scripture against Satan in the wilderness.  As my pastor says, don't be a "Sword Collector;" use and understand the Word of God.

Spiritual Armor Part 1

Ephesians 6: 13-15 “Therefore take up the whole armor of God,  that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace.”

Paul describes the different pieces of the armor that believers are to put on. While writing this letter, Paul was in a Roman prison and was well acquainted with the Roman Legionary Soldier, who were the best trained fighters of the time. Paul may have had the armor of a Legionary in mind when he was describing the spiritual armor believers should wear.

Below is a picture of a Roman Legionary, just to give a visual to what Paul was familiar with:

The pieces of the armor believers should wear are:

The Belt of Truth. A belt is what holds everything together. Truth corresponds with doctrine, Biblical doctrine found in the Word of God. We can resist the devil when we guard truth in our hearts and do not capitulate to this age where truth is relative. If we compromise on the truth, everything falls apart.

Body Armor (or Breastplate) of Righteousness. Roman body armor could be chainmail clothing, segmented pieces of overlapping steel or thick leather, or a breastplate made in a single large piece of metal which formed itself around the chest. This kind of body armor was designed to protect the heart, lungs, and chest from a fatal wound. Satan attacks our hearts, our emotions, and trust. Righteousness is God’s holiness, imputed to believers through Jesus’ death on the cross. Understanding our position in Christ as believers, standing for righteousness and resisting sin prevents a fatal wound.

Shoes of the Peace of the Gospel. Shoes allowed one to move faster and minimize the chance of wounding the feet in rough ground. Believers should put on their spiritual “shoes,” and be prepared to go where they are needed to share the Gospel of Peace. Sharing the Gospel not only fulfills the Lord's command in the Great Commission, but strengthens us spiritually as we are reminded of the Gospel that saves us.

Standing Firm

My pastor has been preaching in Ephesians the last few months. Last week and this week, he is preaching on Ephesians 6:10-19, where Paul tells believers that we are in a war, a spiritual war against Satan and his minions. I will be posting some thoughts on these verses, which are some of my favorite. There is a military theme in these verses which is applicable to our struggle against Satan.

Ephesians 6:11-14a states: “Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. Stand therefore……”

The emphasis here is standing firm, which the Apostle Paul repeats several times. This requires facing the enemy and standing firm without wavering against their attack. In warfare, if the soldier turns away or flees in the face of the enemy, the flanks are exposed and the enemy can strike where the soldier is not protected. Standing firm in the face of the attack obliges the enemy to attack the soldier at their strongest point. In ancient warfare (of which the Apostle Paul was familiar), two armies that were locked in combat suffered relatively few casualties until one side wavered and no longer stood firm. Their opponent would then have the initiative and begin to inflict huge casualties, which resulted in the lopsided victories that are reported in ancient battles.

Like a soldier, standing firm is what we are to do against Satan and his schemes. Below is a great film clip that shows vastly outnumbered soldiers standing firm against their determined enemies, taken from one of my favorite war movies: Zulu.