GEARING UP FOR WAR - The Ultimate Weapon
October 24, 2022
Ephesians 6:10-18
Introduction:
Frank Peretti wrote two books called, “This Present Darkness” and “Piercing the Darkness.” In these two fiction books he gives us a glimpse of the spiritual warfare that takes place in the heavenly realms. He pulls back the curtain and presents a picture of real battles taking place between the forces of evil and the protective forces of God.
I understand this is a book of fiction, but my favorite part of what Mr. Peretti describes during the most intense battles is called “Prayer Cover.”
He describes it in this way…“When the people of God pray…it provides cover and strength for the angelic forces of God to fight with power.”
Its the exact reason the Apostle Paul talks about God’s full armor, and a very real spiritual war taking place in the heavenly realms…He wants to give us a glimpse at this invisible world…I just really wonder if we believed this was true, how urgent would our prayer lives become.
James tells us “The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.” (James 5:16)
Powerful…when I think or powerful I think of dynamite, the Hulk, or a Dodge Hemi…and when I think or effective I think about my chainsaw with a brand new chain…it cuts like butter. I think effective means…it works like it’s supposed to.
Powerful prayer…Effective prayer…would those be the terms that describe your communication with God?
I remember talking with a preacher buddy of mine and he said, “I want a prayer life that makes me known in heaven and feared in Hell.”
I reminded him that Satan’s not in Hell yet…and he said, “Shut up! You know what I mean.”
Let’s do a quick recap of what we’ve been talking about over the last 8 weeks concerning Gearing Up for War…
Paul tells us…be strong in the Lord and His mighty power…He’s given us a description of the spiritual forces we are at war with and then he says, “Put on the full armor of God so you can stand your ground when the day of evil comes. Buckle on the belt of truth, fasten on the breastplate of righteousness, lace on the shoes that make you ready to share the gospel of peace, pick up the shield of faith, put on the Helmet of salvation, and unsheathe the sword of the Spirit…the Word of God.
Every piece of this gear is designed by God and given to us so we can stand up to, and extinguish Satan’s schemes. But, God’s Word clearly tells us prayer provides “the protective cover.” Prayer provides the wisdom and guidance, prayer reveals God’s battle plan as we submit to His Word, prayer is vital no matter the occasion…It’s not an afterthought or a ritual…Praying in the Spirit is like breathing…it’s essential.
“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 the Lord’s people.” (v. 18)
We cannot begin to be strong in the Lord and His mighty power, or stand firm in our faith, or resist Satan’s schemes unless we are people of prayers…In fact prayer is the conduit by which we communicate with our commander.
Peter Marshall (my dad’s favorite minister) who was chaplain of the US Senate said, “Forgive us for thinking that prayer is a waste of time and help us to see that without prayer our work is a waste of time.”
I. LIVING IN THE SPIRIT IS THE ONLY WAY TO BE CONNECTED TO GOD
George Barna said that 78% of people who confess to being Christians pray during 2 distinct times:
The first:
1. Before Meals
If this is as far as your communication goes spiritually…just pray for all the groceries in the back of your car after shopping at Kroger… “Bam! You done.”
I believe thanking God for everything is important in our prayers…including our daily bread, but if it’s just a ritual that we do instead of something that flows naturally in connection with our relationship with God…it’s probably more out of duty than out of real gratitude.
Praying in the Spirit is about a child’s relationship with their father…
SHOW PIC OF OAKLYNN
[Oaklynn, my granddaughter, is only 10 months old but she communicates with her Daddy, Mommy, Nana, and PaPaw…Her first word was “Da-da.” She reaches for those she wants…It’s not something she’s been taught…it’s something she’s come to know through a relationship. She lets us know when she’s hungry…but she also lets us know when she needs to be changed, when she’s hurt, when she wants to snuggle and when she’s mad. She needs us…she needs her Mommy and Daddy and brother…and there is no hesitancy to communicate it.]
When the Apostle Paul tells us to “pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17)…He’s not telling us to spend every waking second with our head bowed and eyes closed. He’s telling us “Live in the Spirit. Live in constant relationship with your Daddy.”
Don’t just ask him to bless your chicken dinner…Walk with Him like Enoch…We become God’s children through a new birth in the Holy Spirit…Nicodemus had a hard time understanding this in John Chapter 3…and so do many others.
JOHN 3:3-5
There is a rebirth in the Spirit for those who become children of God…as surely as a 90 mile an hour wind will move trees, you cannot see that wind, but you certainly see the consequences of that wind.
It’s impossible to teach someone to pray in the Spirit…but it is possible to follow the Spirit…but it is possible to follow the Spirit’s conviction and lead them to a Father who will give them new life…and in that new life we think about God and relate to Him as Oaklynn does to Jimmy and Karissa.
The 2nd circumstance that 78% of Christians say they pray in is
2. During difficult circumstances
“God get me out of this.” “God help me.” “God make things better.”
Let me ask you a really honest question. Do you have people in your life that only talk to you when they need something or want to complain about something? How do you feel about those folks? Do you consider it a healthy relationship?
No? Me either…we know they only want us in their lives when they fall into a hole too big for them to climb out of on their own.
It’s the very reason Paul says the ultimate weapon of prayer in the Spirit happens “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.
ALL and ALWAYS involve a relationship through the Holy Spirit with God that goes a lot deeper than “only when I need you.”
Let me share with you…I’m not saying there aren’t intense, painful and difficult times that deeply affect our soul and require the Spirit to pray for us…because there are occasions of great joy, occasions of great thanksgiving, and occasions of extreme testing…Times of requesting and times to praise. It’s during the times of extreme testing that Paul writes to the Romans and says:
ROMANS 8:22-28
This section of scripture is a promise for God’s children…all creation groans to be made new again…we ourselves who have the first fruits of the spirit (the gift of fruit at the beginning of the harvest) groan for the redemption of our bodies…we have the Spirit now…the harvest comes when Jesus returns. In the same way we groan for this inheritance…the Holy Spirit groans for us in the moments we don’t know how to pray…when we feel so burdened there are no words…He speaks to the Father for us. And we know God is working…and we trust Him because of our union through His Spirit…we know He is working for our good, because He’s our Dad.
I’m afraid those who only pray at the dinner table, or when they’re in trouble know about God…They’ve learned we should pray, but there isn’t much of a relationship between meals and troubles…
Praying is not so much something that can be taught…because it’s not about learning how…it’s about loving who.
The banquet hall was filled. To speak for the occasion, a renowned orator had been brought in. After a wonderful meal, he mesmerized the crowd with his voice as he recited poetry and famous selections of speeches.
Near the end of the program, he asked if anyone had a favorite selection that they would like for him to recite. From the back of the room, an old man stood up and kindly asked if he would mind reciting the 23rd Psalm. The speaker said that he would be glad to do it if, when he was finished, the old man would recite it as well. The old gentleman nodded his head and sat back down.
In a beautifully trained voice that resonated throughout the great room, the speaker began, “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures…” When he was finished, there was thunderous applause and a standing ovation.
He then looked at the old man and said, “All right sir, it is your turn now.” In a trembling voice that was cracked by time, the old man began to recite, “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want…” It is said that when he was finished, there was no applause, but neither was there a dry eye in the building.
After the event, someone asked the famous speaker what he thought produced the different responses in the crowd. The speaker pause, thought for a moment and said, “I know the 23rd Psalm, but that man knows the shepherd. That makes all the difference.”
