At the start of the week I posed a question: what am I wearing this armour for? In other words, what am I actually meant to be doing once I've got it all on? What activity is so dangerous, that God would ask me to wear all this gear?
What did you think we are meant to be doing?
Witnessing? No.
Speaking? No.
Serving? No.
(Not that we are not meant to be doing these things but none of these are suggested by this passage)
The answer is: to PRAY. The answer is right there in the text, you put all the armour on in verses 13 -17 and then what?
'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'. V18
So clearly prayer is a much more dangerous activity than most of us would suspect. And certainly much more dangerous than our often sedentary approach to prayer would betray.
Samuel Chadwick famously said 'The one concern of the devil is to keep Christians from praying… He laughs at our toil, mocks at our wisdom, but trembles when we pray'.
To put on the armour of God is to prepare for the battle but prayer is the battle itself. Prayer is the purpose for which we are armed.
As you begin to pray, put on the armour of God, for you are going into battle, you are engaged in a dangerous, life-changing activity. No time spent in prayer is wasted time.
Eugene Peterson in his translation of this passage reminds us that 'we are up against far more than we can handle on our own' and of prayer he says,
'prayer is essential in this ongoing warfare. Pray hard and long. Pray for your brothers and sisters. Keep your eyes open. Keep each other's spirits up so that no one falls behind or drops out'
So let's pray….
Sheila Bridge
Read the Bible in a year: Psalm 115:1-11, Jeremiah 1:1-2:30, Philippians 1:27-2:11
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