Over the next few weeks, we will finish our look at spiritual warfare. We come now to the all-important subject of prayer.
Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints. Ephesians 6:18
The Christian soldier now stands fully dressed for battle: belt of truth, breastplate of righteousness, boots of peace, shield of faith, helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit—the Word of God. However, he is still not ready to fight. He lacks two essential components of victory—skill and strength. Although a soldier may be equipped with the best weapons, if he lacks skill and strength, victory is uncertain at best. What physical fitness and mental preparedness are to those fighting in the natural realm, prayer is to the Christian soldier. Prayer is the final piece of the Christian soldier’s armor. Prayer is the guarantee that the Christian soldier is fit for the fight.
Prayer is Vital
The Scriptures are filled with exhortations to prayer: “Continue steadfastly in prayer” (see Romans 12:12); “continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving” (Colossians 4:2); “pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17).
Prayer is vital. It is essential to victory in our spiritual battle. Yet, it is often forgotten. The neglect of prayer is one of the main reasons for the weakness of many Christians as well as the modern church as a whole. Most Christians and churches do everything but pray! We have obviously failed to understand the importance of prayer.
No Living Without Praying
John Bunyan, who was mentioned earlier in this series, spent thirteen years in prison for preaching the gospel. He said, “You can do more than prayer after you’ve prayed, but you cannot do more than pray until you have prayed.” C. H. Spurgeon said, “My heart has no deeper conviction than this, that prayer is the most efficient spiritual agency in the universe next to the Holy Spirit. … I could as soon think of living without eating or breathing, as living without praying.” May God impart to us the same conviction that these men had concerning prayer.
We will be looking in the next few weeks at Ephesians 6:18, which teaches us five things about prayer in connection with spiritual warfare.