THE ARMOR OF GOD and PRAYER
Ephesians 6:10-19 “Finally (going forward) my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of His might. Put on the WHOLE armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the WHOLE armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, AND HAVING DONE ALL, to stand.
Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench the fiery darts of the wicked one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God; praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints and for me, that utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak. “
{STAND (def)- 1) stand in front and oppose (moving forward, 2) engage in one on one combat spiritually, 3) stand after an active battle, 4) stand in preparation for the next battle}.
The armor needs to be put on, it is not automatically applied in the spiritual realm. We are just as vulnerable in the spirit as a natural man going to war without his armor, equipment, and weapons.
1) GIRD your waist with TRUTH
2) PUT ON breastplate of RIGHTEOUSNESS
3) SHOD your feet with the GOSPEL OF PEACE
4) ABOVE ALL TAKING the SHIELD OF FAITH
5) TAKE the HELMET OF SALVATION
6) TAKE the SWORD OF THE SPIRIT
While the scripture tells us to stand, in the whole armor of God, it also tells us to take the sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God and pray always with all prayer.
Knowing the Word is knowing Jesus. Walking in the Word is walking with Jesus. Speaking the Word is speaking as Jesus speaks (as the Father speaks).
Clearly we cannot win the battle with one piece or a few pieces of the armor. Victory is in the whole armor of God, and with prayer!
Neither can we be victorious with armor that is untried and ill fitting.
I Samuel 17:38-39 “So Saul clothed David with his armor, and he put a bronze helmet on his head; he also clothed him with a coat of mail. David fastened his sword to his armor and tried to walk, for he had not tested them. So David took them off.”
Rev. Janet Kreis shared a testimony of a vision that she had heard. A woman saw people, sick, weak, and discouraged, crawling on the floor. Each of these people wore a sign, naming a specific disease. On the floor, surrounding the person, were the pieces of the armor of God. Without the armor, these people were powerless.
RAISE UP A STANDARD
When the enemy comes in, like a flood, the Lord will raise up a standard against him.
Oldest translation “… like a flood, the Lord will raise up a standard…” Whether the enemy comes in as a trickle or a flood, God’s standard is always raised against the enemy taking ground. If we are to gain victory, we must do so with God’s standard raised and war under His protection.
Standard is the banner or flag that identified the nation. It also proclaimed occupation, possession, and ownership. It preceded an army into battle. As long as the banner was elevated, the soldiers continued to fight. When one army would rush into battle and encountered the opposing army, they could identify who they were fighting, withdraw, and plan strategy to win the battle.