Each day is a spiritual battle which can only be won by relying on the strength of the Lord and the armor he has provided for every Christian.
Read Ephesians 6:18-20.
You probably thought we were done with the armor of God. We already have a belt, breastplate, boots, shield, helmet, and sword. What else could we need? The truth is that no battle is ever won without the help of the Lord. That’s why Paul concludes this section with prayer. It is the Christian soldier’s greatest help each day. Paul gives three ways to pray: (1) We should be praying all the time in the Spirit. This means that we should allow the Holy Spirit to control our thoughts as we pray. He knows what we need even more than we think we do (Rom. 8:26). (2) We should be alert to pray for others. A good soldier must always be on the alert to protect himself and others. We, too, must always be watching and praying so that we and others do not give in to temptation. (3) We should be praying for preachers and missionaries. We all know people who have dedicated their lives to preaching the gospel. Even the most experienced preacher needs God’s help in presenting the truth clearly and with boldness. As Paul wrote this letter to the Ephesians, he was in prison because he had been preaching boldly. Would someone like that still need to be prayed for? Yes, even Paul needed God’s help to preach the gospel. So, pray for your friends, pastors, and missionaries with this in mind.
- What is the last piece of the Christian’s spiritual armor?
- What are the three ways we should be praying?
a. We should be ________________________________________
______________________________________________________.
b. We should be ________________________________________
______________________________________________________.
c. We should be ________________________________________
______________________________________________________. - Paul has preached the gospel of Jesus Christ to many people. Why do you think Paul still needed God’s help after all this time?
- Who will you pray for today?
