Word of Encouragement (5/17/2021)

Today, we will reflect on Paul’s exhortation to pray at the end of Ephesians: “...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, and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak” (Eph. 6:18-20).

These words come on the heels of Paul’s exhortation to put on the full armor of God and the list of the particulars of the armor. The list ends with “the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God” (v. 17). Paul follows this with a direction of what to do once we put on the armor of God—“praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication.”

Obviously, the exhortation to put on the full armor of God implies that there is a spiritual battle between believers and the devil and his cohorts (6:11-12). Paul’s call to pray, too, should be understood in the context of the spiritual battle. That is why Paul stresses that we should “keep alert with all perseverance (v. 18). John Piper expresses well how important it is for us to be mindful of our spiritual battle when we pray:

“Life is war. That’s not all it is. But it is always that. Our weakness in prayer is owing largely to our neglect of this truth. Prayer is primarily a wartime walkie-talkie for the mission of the church as it advances against the powers of darkness and unbelief. It is not surprising that prayer malfunctions when we try to make it a domestic intercom to call upstairs for more comforts in the den. God has given us prayer as a wartime walkie-talkie so that we can call headquarters for everything we need as the kingdom of Christ advances in the world.”

This explains well Paul’s reason for combining the exhortation to put on the full armor of God and to pray “at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication.” We need to pray “at all times” because our spiritual battle is on at all times. “Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour” (1 Pet. 5:8). We not only have to deal with the devil (Satan) but also his minions (demons). We don’t know how many of them are out there, waging war against us. But no matter how many there are, they are not omnipresent as God is since they are mere finite creatures, though much more powerful than we. We don’t have to think they are always with us, tempting us at every moment. But we still need to pray “at all times” because they are spiritual beings and they don’t grow weary and tired as we do. They are constantly at work to destroy us. We don’t know when they will attack us. Just like the sharks that can smell blood from miles away, maybe they can “smell” it when we are spiritually weak and vulnerable and they swarm all around us, looking for the right opportunity to strike us.

And we need to pray at times “in the Spirit.” How encouraging it is that we can pray in the Spirit because God has given us the Holy Spirit and He dwells in us and works in us to accomplish God’s purpose in and through us! When we pray in the name of Christ, we are praying in the Spirit, who is the Spirit of Christ. Even though our enemies are vicious and merciless and much more powerful than we, we should not despair because the Spirit of Christ, who is victorious over sin and Satan, is with us and in us. And though we grow weary easily, “the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words” (Rom. 8:26).

Brothers and sisters, how are you doing in prayer these days? Paul’s words show us the inescapable reality of the spiritual battle we are in and how urgent it is for us to pray. Would you heed his warning and exhortation to pray at all times in the Spirit? Ask the Lord to give us that much-needed sense of urgency to pray and to pray with a sense of urgency. Let us view prayer not as a domestic intercom (which we use only occasionally) but as a wartime walkie-talkie so that we don’t get caught off guard against the enemy attack! But let us not panic in fear because we can pray in the Spirit!