| The Armour of God |
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Living the Christian life can be a bit of a battle at times! Temptations come thick and fast. The Apostle Paul, writing to 7: The Cloak of Prayer ‘…And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayer and requests…’ verse 18 Our Roman soldier is ready for battle at last! Preparing himself had taken time, care and patience. Past experience taught him the importance of being properly equipped – it was a matter of life or death, as our troops in Afghanistan are discovering. Each piece of armour was essential, and each played its part in ensuring that he would be victorious in the battle. Now the apostle writes about prayer, suggesting that it should surround the Christian soldier like a cape or cloak – wrapping it around him and each piece of his amour. Paul gives clear instructions about how, when, where and what kinds of prayer we may offer, 18. Let’s look at his guidelines – How are we to pray? ‘…in the Spirit’. This means praying under the Spirit’s influence, following his guidance, and praying in response to his prompting. When are we to pray? ‘…on all occasions’. It is always appropriate to pray! We can pray about everything, in all situations and in all circumstances. Paul describes the soldier taking up the ‘Sword of the Spirit… the word of God’ before he puts on his cloak of prayer. Some Christians presume that, just because they have prayed about something, they are at liberty to go ahead and do it! Since the same Spirit speaks through God’s word and guides our prayer, what the Bible says and what we ask in prayer should never be in conflict! What kinds of prayer are we to pray? ‘Pray… with all kinds of prayers and requests’. There are different types of prayer we may use in our struggle with the evil one – one kind of prayer may be more helpful than another in certain situations. Notice how the apostle uses the word ‘all’ in regard to the occasions when we can pray, the kind of prayer we can offer, and the requests we make to God. The scope for every Christian’s praying is wonderfully comprehensive! Most Christians find prayer a daily battle. It involves personal discipline, dedicated time, and strong faith. Encouragement to pray is among our greatest needs. Linking up to pray with other Christians is one of the most helpful things we can do. So, now, ‘Put on the whole armour of God so that you can stand against the devil’s evil schemes… stand your ground… stand firm’, and win the victory! Michael Toogood |
friends in Ephesus, had some practical advice for the early church. | < Prev | Next > |
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