Ephesians 6:18 (TPT)
“…Pray passionately in the Spirit, as you constantly intercede with every form of prayer at all times. Pray the blessings of God upon all his believers.”
The first thing we will quickly notice is that unlike all of the other verses on the Armor this is the only one that does not specifically reveal what the weapon is. So unless we take a closer look at the Roman soldier we might think that there are only six weapons, however this is short of God’s number of seven (completion). Now as we look at who the Holy Spirit inspired Paul to compare the spiritual weapons to in the natural world we can see the Roman soldier also carried a lance or spear! I believe this is a wonderful representation of prayer!
When we hurl the lance of prayer this powerful weapon is thrust forward into the spirit realm against the evil works of the enemy. By forcibly hurling this weapon into the face of the enemy, we exercise the power God has given us to stop major obstacles from developing in our personal life. This is why prayer is absolutely crucial in our walk with Jesus!
The lances used by the Roman army varied greatly in size, shape, and length. Over the course of many centuries, these various lances had been modified substantially, so the Roman soldier had all kinds of lances at his disposal. The old Greek lances were normally made of ash wood and were about six to seven feet long with a solid iron lance head at the end. Like the lance itself, the iron head of the lance varied tremendously in form. Often it resembled a leaf, a bulrush, a sharp barb, or simply a jagged point like the lance-heads used on spears today.
Some lances were small; others were extremely long. The smaller, shorter lances were used for gouging and thrusting at an enemy up close, whereas the longer lances were used for hurling at an enemy from a distance. Most Roman soldiers carried both lances, short and long. With the shorter lance, they were able to thrust through the bodies of enemy soldiers at close range. With the longer lance, they would strike their adversary with a deadly blow from afar! After successfully hitting an enemy with this longer lance, the Roman soldier would draw his sword and run to finish off the opponent, cutting off his head while he lay wounded on the ground! We even see this in scripture, in the story of David and Goliath, “Therefore David ran and stood over the Philistine, took his sword and drew it out of its sheath and killed him, and cut off his head with it. And when the Philistines saw that their champion was dead, they fled.” (1 Samuel 17:51)!
What's interesting is that just like there are varying lengths of lances in the Roman soldiers' weaponry, so there are various types of prayer in our spiritual weapons. If you really look at a few of the types of prayer below and think how they would compare to one of the lengths of the laces briefly discussed above. Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal this to you!
- Prayer of consecration
- Prayer of petition
- Prayer of authority
- Prayer of thanksgiving
- Prayer of supplication
- Prayer of intercession
The Word of God is full of examples of all of the above types of prayer. Will you seek and pray to uncover them?
Friend please understand that in today's time the spiritual warfare label has taken off with some very unique spins. Sadly shifting people’s focus from the truth and onto things that appeal more to the flesh. Scripture shows us two groups of people that we still see today, in Acts chapter 17 we read about the Bereans and the Athenians.
“That very night the believers sent Paul and Silas to Berea. When they arrived there, they went to the Jewish synagogue. And the people of Berea were more open-minded than those in Thessalonica, and they listened eagerly to Paul’s message. They searched the Scriptures day after day to see if Paul and Silas were teaching the truth.” (Acts 17:10-11)
“While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, he was deeply troubled by all the idols he saw everywhere in the city. He went to the synagogue to reason with the Jews and the God-fearing Gentiles, and he spoke daily in the public square to all who happened to be there. He also had a debate with some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers. When he told them about Jesus and his resurrection, they said, “What’s this babbler trying to say with these strange ideas he’s picked up?” Others said, “He seems to be preaching about some foreign gods”. Then they took him to the high council of the city. “Come and tell us about this new teaching,” they said. “You are saying some rather strange things, and we want to know what it’s all about.” (It should be explained that all the Athenians as well as the foreigners in Athens seemed to spend all their time discussing the latest ideas.)” (Acts 17:16-21)
Real spiritual warfare has to do with taking authority over your mind and your flesh, as well as taking authority over the works of darkness first and foremost in your personal life. Many are sent out and told to take on darkness in the lives of others, yet they have not subdued it in their own lives, and this is dangerous!
If you are actively pursuing to live a holy, consecrated, and devoted life to the Lord Jesus, the majority of spiritual warfare in your life has already been settled. To deal with the other attacks that the enemy brings against you, you must learn to apply the Word of God on a daily basis to the circumstances you face. In order to apply the truth found in the Word, you must first dedicate your life to the scripture. Read and Feed upon it!!!
No matter what challenge you encounter, your ultimate victory depends on whether or not you use the spiritual weapons Jesus has provided for you. Friend, if you want to live as more than a conqueror in this life, then look to Paul's words in Ephesians 6:13, and let them define the way you face every situation: "Because of this, you must wear all the armor that God provides so you’re protected as you confront the slanderer, for you are destined for all things and will rise victorious.”
I pray these teachings on the Armor of God, bless you and provoke you to a life saturated in the Word of God! May Jesus bless you, protect you, and be glorified to and through you!!!