Complimentary Story
January 2026Ephesians 6 contains a well-known passage often referred to as the “Armor of God” or the “Necessary Equipment for Spiritual Warfare.” Either title fits well with what Paul describes in verse 12:
“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.”
Most of the attention given to this passage concerning the armor of God and the spiritual war we are in, is focused on the various pieces of the armor and their meaning and use. One extremely important element of God’s armor made available to us is found in verse 18. In my view, this piece of the armor serves as the “spiritual glue” that holds all the armor in place and maximizes its performance.
What is the spiritual glue that holds all these pieces of armor together? The glue is prayer. Verse 18 calls all believers to mount their attack upon the realms of darkness through prayer. Prayer is the foundation of our warfare. You can understand it as the pre-war planning strategy and a central part of our spiritual warfare in the heat of the battle.
The Bible gives numerous examples of the power of prayer. Prayer reminds us that we are not alone in our struggles or in the times of blessings. Here are a few things to remember in the context of prayer. First, God encourages us to commune with Him in prayer.
“Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.” – Jeremiah 33:3.
“Pray without ceasing.” – 1 Thessalonians 5:17.
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” – Philippians 4:6.
“The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.” – James 5:16.
“Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.” – Romans 12:12.
Second, prayer serves as a reminder that He cares about our situations and the emotions often attached to difficult times.
“The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them; He delivers them from all their troubles.” – Psalm 34:17.
“But He said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.” – 2 Corinthians 12:9.
“And call upon Me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify Me.” – Psalm 50:15.
“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.” – Matthew 7:7.
“So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.” – Isaiah 41:10.
Third, prayer must be a central focus of the ecclesia.
“For where two or three gather in My name, there am I with them.” – Matthew 18:20.
“They all joined together constantly in prayer, along with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with His brothers.” – Acts 1:14.
“When this had dawned on him, he went to the house of Mary the mother of John, also called Mark, where many people had gathered and were praying.” – Acts 12:12.
“Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord.” – James 5:14.
“Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.” – Colossians 4:2.
Fourth, we are instructed to pray in faith, or believing, God hears and answers our prayers.
“And without faith, it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him.” – Hebrews 11:6.
“Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.” – Mark 11:24.
“And I will do whatever you ask in My name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. You may ask Me for anything in My name, and I will do it.” – John 14:13-14.
“If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.” – James 1:5.
“And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith.” – Matthew 21:22.
Fifth, we pray for God’s healing power to fall upon people.
“And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven.” – James 5:15.
“This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah: ‘He took up our infirmities and bore our diseases.’” – Matthew 8:17.
“He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.” – Psalm 147:3.
“He said, ‘If you listen carefully to the LORD your God and do what is right in His eyes, if you pay attention to His commands and keep all His decrees, I will not bring on you any of the diseases I brought on the Egyptians, for I am the LORD, who heals you.’” – Exodus 15:26.
“But He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on Him, and by His wounds, we are healed.” – Isaiah 53:5.
Sixth, we pray for God’s leading in our life.
“Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight.” – Proverbs 3:5-6.
“Show me Your ways, LORD, teach me Your paths. Guide me in Your truth and teach me, for You are God my Savior, and my hope is in You all day long.” – Psalm 25:4-5.
“Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, ‘This is the way; walk in it.’” – Isaiah 30:21.
“But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth.” – John 16:13.
“Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.” – Psalm 119:105.
Seventh, we pray because we are grateful to God for His blessings.
“And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.” – Colossians 3:17.
“Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” – 1 Thessalonians 5:18.
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” – Philippians 4:6-7.
“Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; His love endures forever.” – Psalm 107:1.
“Always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” – Ephesians 5:20.
There are many other reasons to pray and to pray consistently. This is certainly not an exhaustive list.
I’m reminded of the walls of Jericho falling down because the Hebrew people trusted God to march and shout. That marching and shouting was in obedience to what seemed foolish to some. But through prayer and certainly praise, the walls came tumbling down. Do we believe God when He commands us to move forward into the battle? Take it all to prayer.
We are instructed that by prayer and petition – praying specifically for specific things – we must pray at all times in the Spirit. We are to pray according to the Spirit’s leading. There has been much written about praying in the Spirit, as if it signifies something unusual. There are other places in the Scripture where we are instructed to do things by the Spirit or in the Spirit. Here are a few:
• Galatians 5:16: Walk in the Spirit.
• Romans 8:13: Put to death the deeds of the body in the Spirit.
• 1 Corinthians 12:3: Confess Jesus as Lord in the Spirit.
• Philippians 3:3: Worship in the Spirit.
• 1 Corinthians 14:16: Give thanks in the Spirit.
• Galatians 6:1: Restore a wayward brother in the Spirit.
The Greek meaning of the phrase “praying in” means “by means of,” “with the help of,” or “in connection to.” Many Christians believe that praying in the Spirit means speaking in tongues or in a prayer language. This could be true, but I think that understanding is hampered by what Paul says in the same verse – pray at all times in the Spirit. I think a better interpretation of this verse might be that we are to pray always by the Spirit’s leading. That means that we should be moved or directed by the Holy Spirit concerning what we are to pray about and whom we are to pray for. This would eliminate our prayers from rote memory or form prayers where we simply pray the same things over and over again.
James 4:3 reminds us that our prayers are not answered many times because we ask with the wrong motives. Perhaps we should consider that God wants to answer our prayers especially when they are “other” focused.
I think it is helpful to keep in mind that when we pray, we are communicating with God. It is a holy exercise and requires our utmost attention and seriousness.
It may be the case in many instances that we do not pray boldly enough. God has much more for us than we have faith to pray for. Romans 8:26-27 says, “In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words; and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.”
We are to pray in this way while being alert and through perseverance. In the verse immediately preceding the Romans passage above, Paul encourages the same thing. “But if we hope for what we do not see, with perseverance we wait eagerly for it.” (Romans 8:25).
I want to make one final point concerning prayer. From this Ephesians 6 passage we read the Apostle Paul asking that the Ephesians pray for him to have boldness (verse 19) when speaking about the Gospel message. Not boldness for boldness’ sake, but boldness to convey without fear the message of everlasting life through faith in Jesus the Christ.
This is my request of you dear reader. When you pray for God’s servants, please pray that He would grant them boldness to speak His truth to everyone they meet. Not rudeness, not obnoxiousness, not in a manner of moral triumphalism, but in humble servitude to the King we love and proclaim. In this, may Jesus be exalted.
Dr. Mike Spaulding
P. O. Box 3007
Lima, OH 45807
