The Power Behind the Armor of God

REFLECTION 
We are at war. From the moment Lucifer chose to rebel, warfare is the defining feature of our fallen world. Satan went to war against the truth, Cain went to war against Abel and mankind continues to wage war against God and itself to this very day.

Have you ever considered that you are at war as a soldier in service to our commanding officer Jesus Christ? Paul states in 2 Timothy 2:3-4- Join with me in suffering, like a good soldier of Christ Jesus. 4 No one serving as a soldier gets entangled in civilian affairs, but rather tries to please his commanding officer.

As Christians we are at war but in a very different way from the war we can see.
Ephesians 6:12 says we are at war “against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”

Our warfare is spiritual warfare.

To prepare you for battle in this realm, God describes in Ephesians 6:10-17 the armor required for fighting the very real spiritual battles raging all around you.

But I want to draw your attention to the power behind the armor of God which you can find in Ephesians 6:18 -  And 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 all the Lord’s people.

Prayer. It is what these 21 days are all about. Prayer is you talking to God about everything.
Again in Ephesians 6:18, we are instructed to pray all kinds of prayers and requests and to always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people. Prayer is what energizes you to effectively use the armor of God in spiritual combat. Without prayer, you are dressed for battle but powerless to move forward.

Prayer involves an overriding sense of trust. Trust in the God who is limitless in power to make all things new. It is a trust that God hears and is willing to move to help you.

James 5:16 tells us plainly - The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.

Dressed in the armor of God and with prayer constantly in your mind, heart and mouth, you will be an effective soldier in God’s service. Go forth in victory, good and faithful servant.

SCRIPTURE 
10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12For 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. 13Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 18And 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 all the Lord’s people.
– Ephesians 6:10-18

PRAYER
Lord, lead is in battle in faithful service to you and to each other. Help us to see and know that our enemy is not our flesh and blood brother or sister but the prince of the power of the air, the deceiver Satan.
 Teach us to show love, kindness, mercy and forgiveness even against our enemies and in the heat of battle, lead us away from the temptation for vengeance.
 It is by your power and for your glory that all will be done. May it ever be so in our hearts. In Jesus name we pray. Amen.



3 Comments


Big Dawg - November 7th, 2024 at 7:53am

“Without prayer, you are dressed for battle but powerless to move forward.“ (Carlos Gomez)

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nThank you Carlos for this powerful reminder that we are at war and our enemy is relentless. But greater is He Who is within us than any power that the enemy possesses.

Fermin - November 7th, 2024 at 10:14pm

Amen! Go forth in the victory! I need to remember that though the victory is already given to us, we will always be at war until he calls us home and prayer is not an option.

Dakayla Rasper - November 8th, 2024 at 8:40am

So good, thank you for such a great reminder that without prayer, we can do nothing!