Supernatural Warfare - Prayer and Perseverance

  

Our text for today is once again from Ephesians chapter six. We’ve looked these past several weeks at individual elements of supernatural armor, but we’ve been looking at them in isolation. Nevertheless, each piece of the armor is a crucial part of the entire unit of the armor. And so, prayer should be viewed as being equally important to the Christian armor as the belt, the breastplate, the shield, the sword, and so forth.

 

I mean, St Paul urges prayer for All the saints – as well as for himself. Why? Because in this deadly battle we ALL need each other’s prayers. He asked their prayers in this battle for boldness to speak the gospel message to others.

 

Here is today’s text: ¹⁰ Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. 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. Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. Stand firm therefore, having girded your loins with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints, ¹⁹ and pray on my behalf, that utterance may be given to me in the opening of my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel, ²⁰ for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in proclaiming it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.” (Eph 6:11-20)

The focus of my message today centers on both prayer AND perseverance in our walk with Christ. Such are the two crucial pleas from God the Holy Spirit through His apostle to us.

 

First, let’s look at prayer – specifically the battle of prayer. For most of my Christian life, I spent about as much time in prayer is it takes to say those few verses of the Lord’s prayer. Yet, I knew intuitively there was more to prayer than my experience to that point.

 

I found this quote from the Catechism of the Catholic Church. Whatever your denominational label, these words will ring true for anyone who has ever tried to pray effectively:

Prayer . . . always presupposes effort . . . [Prayer] is a battle . . . against ourselves and against the wiles of the tempter who does all he can to turn man away from prayer, away from union with God. . . . . The "spiritual battle" of the Christian's new life is inseparable from the battle of prayer.”

 

It will come as no surprise to most of us here that prayer is a battle. And that it requires effort. Sometimes it takes a lot of effort. But for much of my Christian life I was unaware of the various tools available to the Christian, that ensure victory in the battle.

 

Several years ago I wrote a book of prayer strategies. Twelve of them, actually. I’ve given many of you a copy, and I have free copies today for anyone here who would like their own copy. Part of my message today is taken from that book of prayer strategies, and while we don’t have time to examine all of them today, we will look at a few one by one:

 

First, Confession.  Scripture links prayer and confession so often that even with a cursory reading of the Old and New Testaments, it’s impossible to miss the connection. For example: He who conceals his sins prospers not, but he who confesses and forsakes them obtains mercy (Proverbs 28:13).

As long as I kept silent [about my sin], my bones wasted away; I groaned all the day . . . Then I declared my sin to you; my guilt I did not hide. I said, "I confess my faults to the Lord," and you took away the guilt of my sin (Psalm 32:3-5).

 

I called to the Lord with my mouth; praise was upon my tongue. [But] had I cherished evil in my heart, the Lord would not have heard (Psalm 66:17-18).

All of our prayers and our strategies for prayer are utterly useless if we are aware of our sin – even what we might call small sins – if we delay repentance. Thus, the examination of conscience, along with confession, forms the basis of this prayer strategy.

 

What do I mean by the examination of conscience? Simply this: At the end of each day, ask Him to reveal to you things you did wrong that day (or in the very recent past) – the unnecessarily harsh words spoken to others, lusts you entertained in your thoughts, or resentments, an unforgiving spirit, and so forth. And when He unveils those sins to your mind, immediately repent, ask His forgiveness, and His divine help to not do it again.

 

Without honest confession and repentance, our prayers are in danger of falling on His deaf ears. Which, by the way, is why I so often pray: “Lord, I am not as willing to change my lifestyle as I ought to be. But, Lord, whatever You have to do to purge me, to redirect me, to make me holy, Lord, I am willing to be made willing for you to do that.

 

Number Two: Forgiveness. Confession of our sins and our forgiveness of others are not merely ‘strategies’ for effectual prayer. They are prerequisites for effectual prayer. They are as inseparable as faith and works. You may remember what James tells us, “faith without works is dead.” (James 2:17). And without confession and a willingness to forgive others, I don’t believe our prayers – despite our ‘strategies’ – get higher than the ceiling.

 

Perhaps the clearest example of this principle of forgiveness is found in the Lord’s prayer in which Jesus warns, “If you forgive others their transgressions, your heavenly Father will forgive you. But if you do not forgive others, neither will your Father forgive your transgressions (Matthew 6:14-15).

 

Do we really think we can live close to Christ if we are unwilling to live as Christ? Do we really think we can hope for His forgiveness if we remain unwilling to forgive others – even those who don’t ask for forgiveness?

Of all the prayer strategies we could ever practice, if confession and forgiveness are not at their core, we might as well stop jabbering at God. Forgiveness is a choice. And by exercising the right choice, we permit the Holy Spirit to supernaturally turn injury into compassion and hurt into honest intercession.

 

Strategy number three - The Prayer List

 

During the last fifty years I’ve always used ‘to-do’ lists for just about everything. Everything, that is, except prayer. I don’t know why it took so long for me to figure out I needed a list to help me remember to pray for people or particular needs. But not long after I began the list, it had grown to the point of being unwieldy. I needed to make it more manageable. And I thought of a calendar.

I divided my list into nine columns. I labeled the first, “Daily” and the succeeding seven Monday, Tuesday, and so forth. In the Daily column I write the names of people I commit myself to pray for every day. Sometimes I put specific people into more than one weekday column, so I remember to pray for them more often during the week.

 

Strategy number four: Acrostics

 

          One acrostic I have used is what I call the C-R-O-S-S.

          On the C, I meditate on the Crucifix on the wall in front of me and I let my imagination wander to what Christ’s Crucifixion might have been like for Him. What did the cross accomplish for me? How did my sins cause His agony and death? My thoughts often take me to Gethsemane, the courtyard where He was whipped, the road to Golgotha, the soldiers hammering the spikes into His flesh. Sometimes I can even hear Him cry out in pain.
          On the R, I meditate on the Resurrection. What might it have been like for the women to arrive at the tomb, only to find it empty? How does that empty tomb validate God’s promise of redemption, salvation, forgiveness and the offer of eternal life? What promise does His resurrection hold for me when I die? What might it be like when I am resurrected on that last day, and I stand before Him who died and rose again for . . . for me?
          On the O, I meditate on the “Our Father” (the Lord’s Prayer).  Instead of simply reciting the prayer, I pause at each verse, sometimes each word. For example, what does “Our Father” really mean in context with the whole Church? Who are my Christian brothers and sisters? Sometimes my thoughts take me across the world to places such as Sudan, Saudi Arabia and Iran where Christians are, at that very moment, persecuted, tortured, imprisoned for no other reason than their faith in Christ.

 

My prayer continues to “Hallowed be thy name.” Have I forgotten the holiness of God? Do I misuse His name by how I act toward others? Do I live in such as way as to give unbelievers reason to sneer at His name?

And so I move through the rest of the prayer in similar fashion. As you might imagine, meditating word by word and sentence by sentence through this prayer can take quite some time.

          On the first S, I begin my supplication for others . . . family, friends, neighbors, coworkers, politicians, students in my classes – whomever the Holy Spirit brings to mind and who might not yet be on my prayer list.
          On the second S, which stands for Sacrifice, I offer myself as a living sacrifice to God. I ask Him to take my memory, my freedom, will, understanding, health, wealth, talents -- everything I have and cherish -- and to use them for His Kingdom.
           

Well, I could talk about the other strategies I use from time to time, but to do so would run out the clock and I want to get to the final piece of our spiritual armor – which is PERSEVERANCE.

 

Essentially, the Bible defines ‘perseverance’ as staying on the right road despite temptations to leave it. And from one end of the book to the other we find that principle played out either by commandment or by example. That’s because the God's word talks about real life. Your life. My life. It speaks to the sober reality that we’ll always and routinely face divergent paths, ones that at first look more pleasant, more leisurely, more profitable. But it is the broad way that leads through the wide gate and into destruction.

 

In this ongoing, moment by moment supernatural warfare, you and I are always at risk of being seduced onto the wrong path. It doesn’t matter how long we’ve been walking with Christ. We will always be at risk of being seduced onto that wrong path.

 

Just consider this: Satan was able to seduce 1/3 of the once-holy angels who lived in the presence of God Himself – he was able to seduce them into rebellion and ultimately into hell. Don’t think for a moment Satan cannot move US onto the wrong path if we do not remain alert, vigilant, AND dressed in the supernatural armor of God.

 

There is a reason the Holy Spirit through Paul and all of the rest of the writers of scripture urges us to stand firm. It’s because God wants us to stand firm – and He gives us ALL the tools necessary to stand firm against sin, temptation, yes, even stand firm against Satan himself.

Why does God repeat that commandment so often? Because He knows our frame. He knows how we are created. He knows that we are dust and often sorely tempted to flee in the face of danger, perceived or real.

 

Listen to what the Lord Jesus said to Peter a short while before the crucifixion: “Simon, Simon, behold, Satan has desired to sift you like wheat; ³² but I have prayed for you, that your faith may not fail; and you, when once you have turned again, strengthen your brothers.” (Luke 22:31-32)

 

If that sounds similar to the conversation in those first two chapters of the book of Job, it should. You might remember the story. In essence, Satan challenged God to remove Job’s divine protection. “If You do,” Satan said, “Job will curse you to your face.”

 
Christian – here is good news. In this deadly battle your Father in heaven never leaves you. He surrounds you with His angels. Jesus Himself is PRAYING for you that you not fail.

 

And YOU WILL NOT FAIL, if you do not want to fail. You have God's absolute and immutable promise to that end. Listen, to what He tells us through the psalmist: “A person’s steps are established by the LORD, and he takes pleasure in his way. Though he falls, he will not be overwhelmed, because the LORD supports him with his hand.” (Psalm 37:23-24, CSB)

And then there is this promise: “Every test [temptation] that you [experience] is the kind that normally comes to people. But God keeps his promise, and he will not allow you to be tested beyond your power to remain firm; at the time you are put to the test, he will give you the strength to endure it, and so provide you with a way out.” (1 Corinthians 10:13, GNT)

We have to turn back again to what Paul wrote in this section: “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might.” (verse 10)  Notice he tells us to be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. If we think we can stand firm in ourselves, in our own strength, our own resources against sin, temptation, or the devil – we are inevitably destined for failure.

What was it that Martin Luther wrote: “Did we in our own strength confide, our striving would be losing, were not the right Man on our side, the Man of God‘s own choosing. Do you ask who that might be? Christ Jesus, it is He. The Lord of hosts is His Name, from age to age the same. And He – He – He alone must and will win the battle.’

 

It is God alone who provides the supernatural armor with which we stand firm and take the offensive against sin, temptation, and yes, even the devil himself. As the prophet tell us, for example in Psalm 144: “Blessed be the Lord, my rock, who trains my hands for war, and my fingers for battle; ² My lovingkindness and my fortress, my stronghold and my deliverer, my shield and He in whom I take refuge.” (Psalm 144:1-2)

 

And Psalm 18:29 “For by You I can run upon a troop; and by my God I can leap over a wall.”

Christian: Stand firm. And I must again encourage you from the Scriptures: If at any, any, any trial, if you WANT to stand firm, then YOU WILL stand firm. And even if you should temporarily fail, again, as we have already seen, the Lord Jesus, the One who loves you so much that He died in your place, He Himself is praying for you, and the Father Himself is gripping your right hand so that you are not overwhelmed.

 

Spiritual armor. Loins girded with truth. Breastplate of His imputed righteousness. Shield of faith. Helmet of salvation. Wearing shoes with which we bring the gospel to others. The sword of the spirit. Prayer. Perseverance.

 

This is your supernatural armor. Don’t leave home without it.