The Armorনমুনা

The Armor

by

Bryan Craig

Day Five- Pray and Be Alert

After putting on the full armor of God and taking up the Sword, Paul tells us to “pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests.” Ephesians 6:18 He tells us to pray for ourselves and for all the saints. This step in preparation for our battles cannot be missed! This act of humble submission is the way we take the hand of the Holy Spirit and partner with Him in the battle. 

I can tell you that I can spend an hour immersed in Scripture and journaling my heart in It. However, if that time is not joined with a time in Prayer, God’s power in my life is short-circuited. In Prayer, we get out of our flesh and into the spirit, where the devil cannot touch us. Our armor is sealed in Him. I love the scene in Revelation 5:8, where it describes “bowls of full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.” God hears our prayers, and they are a fragrant offering to the Lord.

Disciples, we must be alert to the battle we are waging. We do have an enemy- be sure of that. It has been said that the enemy’s first tactic is to convince us that he doesn’t exist. I believe he wants us to blame every evil in our life as coming from our own sinful nature. Scripture warns us about the devil. 1 Peter 5:8 tells us, “Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” And “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy.” John 10:10 

Paul also talks about the enemy in the verses preceding his admonition about the armor of God:

“Be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” Ephesians 6:10-12

As Executive Director for Influencers, I have seen the enemy desperately trying to thwart our efforts in many ways. Now, more than ever, I understand the importance of what we are doing and how we must be preparing spiritually every day. We can win this battle, but only by His strength. Suit up, guys!