The Sword of the Spirit IV: Praying Always...

“For we wrestle not against flesh and blood,…wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all to stand… Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;” EPHESIANS 6:12-18

ZACK: There’s such a misconception that many people have of the Christian life, Shiran! You know, the moment we confess Jesus Christ as our Lord and saviour, we have also declared outright our war upon the enemy, Satan. In effect, Satan places out a personal vendetta against you too. In spite of all the good things that God’s Word says are ours when we come to Him, we are still very much in conflict for as long as we tread this earth as believers on His Name.

Oft times we seem to lead our lives as Christians in denial of the character of the conflict and its demands on us! We seem to be ignorant of the enemies that we must encounter if we are to serve God faithfully, succeed in getting to heaven, and receive the crown of life! And in this ignorance, we are blinded to realize that the world, the flesh, and the devil will oppose our onward march. That trio shall defeat any Christian utterly, unless they give themselves to constant and unceasing prayer.

SHIRAN: The world does have many misconceptions about Christianity – but the saddening fact is that many Christians, as you have pointed out, have misconceptions about themselves. They think that once they give their lives to Christ, it’s all over; they can relax as they await eternity. Another sad thing is, as new Christians, or Christians who have just learnt about spiritual warfare, soldiers are alert and aware of God’s Presence, but then after a while, many become lax and complacent and think that nothing can attack them. The Christians who have been born again longer seem to allow pride to come in and make them feel like they are invincible. After a while, that pride usually leads to a decline in prayer life and the soldier begins to think he can depend on himself. The result of that, well, Solomon said Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall. (Prov 16:18)

ZACK: I’m sure you know Shiran that the life of a Christian is one of warfare, an intense conflict, a lifelong contest. It is a battle fought against invisible foes that are ever alert and seeking to entrap, deceive, and ruin the souls of men.

SHIRAN: I do know that. Anyone who gives his or her life to Christ immediately becomes a dart-board for the devil’s fiery darts. The devil is defeated, and he knows it, and he will never defeat God, so he tries to harm the ones God loves.

ZACK: The Bible calls us to life, not a picnic or holiday event. It is no pastime or pleasure excursion.

SHIRAN: You’re right – not a cruise ship, but a battleship. It’s a war. Prayer requires discipline. It is work. It requires that one set time aside. And in this day and age, with the way time is idolized, people feel too lazy to take up this command, yet Jesus said, Luke 11:2, When ye pray, not “If ye pray.” Our call as soldiers is not easy, but it is rewarding. It is special. God’s commandments are not grievous, 1 John 5:3.

ZACK: This call entails effort, wrestling, and struggling. It demands putting out the full energy of the spirit in order to frustrate the foe and to come out, at last, more than a conqueror. It is no primrose path, no rose-scented flirting. From start to finish, it is war, war and war. The Christian warrior is compelled from the hour he first draws his sword (II Tim. 2:3) to, Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.

“Praying always” covers all seasons and all manner of praying - praying with our natural understanding and also praying in the spirit.

Supplication in the Spirit: I Cor.14:14 - For if I pray in an unknown tongue, my spirit prayeth, but my understanding is unfruitful. I Cor. 14:2 - For he that speaketh in an unknown tongue speaketh not unto men, but unto God: for no man understandeth him; howbeit in the spirit he speaketh mysteries. That there means while you pray in tongues, your spirit is in direct contact with God, who is a Spirit, and you are talking to Him in a direct supernatural language. Also see Romans 8:26.

Now I know Shiran that there are folk that might be reading this and know not what it is to pray in the spirit or speak in tongues. This does not make them any less of a warrior and is certainly not an excuse for them to not even pray at all. We are told to be patient. See James 5:7 - Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain. And in Hosea 6:3 - Then shall we know, if we follow on to know the Lord: his going forth is prepared as the morning; and he shall come unto us as the rain, as the latter rain and the former rain unto the earth. The latter rain and former rain are the Holy Spirit. The “former rain” fell at Pentecost and we have been enjoying the “latter rain” ever since.

Watching with all perseverance: While we read God’s Word Shiran, we should keep in mind that every minute detail is as important as every major detail! Whenever I read that extension in the verse atop this post that says about watching with all perseverance, I’m reminded of the time in the early church when Peter miraculously escaped from Herod’s prison. (Acts 12.) As the Christians prayed (verse 12), they forgot to have someone on the lookout for the answer to their prayer! And as the answer to their prayer (Peter) kept on knocking at their door, only but one person (Rhoda, the servant girl) came out to find out who and even when she did, she was so excited she forgot to receive him inside!

Supplication for all the saints: This could never be so clearer. In our last post Shiran, you remember I shared with you about the old-farmer-John-type prayers that many of us seem to pray whenever we get on our knees. After I got to confess Christ in December 2003, I too prayed the ‘farmer John’ prayers! That was and is selfish. After this realisation, we cannot afford to stay this way. As much as we can, let’s pray for all the saints; we shall pray in the natural and also in the spirit.

SHIRAN: Zack, there is no better way to put all that you have said. We must pray for all saints. We must pray always. We must pray in the Spirit. The disciples said, “Lord, teach us to pray.” A pastor said that it seems that to this day, that is the subconscious cry of the saints – teach us to pray – yet Christ sent the Comforter, who teaches us all things, prayer included.

ZACK: Shiran, our entire life as Christian soldiers –its being, intention, implication, and action are all dependent on its being a life of prayer. If even Jesus Christ prayed while he walked this earth, who are we not to? Or who are we to be so lazy and slack not to? Without prayer no matter what else we might have; our lives will be feeble and ineffective. Without prayer, we are an easy prey for all our spiritual enemies.