Ephesians: The Holy War - Preach The Word

THE HOLY WAR: THE ARMOUR OF GODPastor David LeggeThe Holy War - Chapter 5"Constant Prayer"Copyright 2001by Pastor David LeggeAll Rights ReservedEphesians 6:18a1. PRAYER – A Way Of Life2. PRAYER – A Constant Communion3. PRAYERLESSNESS – A Cause Of DefeatWe're turning to Ephesians and chapter 6. If you're warm, I'm feeling quite warm - I think thetemperature has gone up slightly in last 24 hours, so if you're warm just take your jacket off, ormake yourself comfortable in some way so that you can concentrate. We don't want anybodyfalling asleep in the meeting! Get comfortable so that we can hear the word of God. This is our fifth study inthe armour of God that we've been going through in Ephesians chapter 6. It is our thirty-second study in thebook of Ephesians itself, and we're beginning, as it were, another little series around verse 18 of chapter 6.We've been looking at the many items of the armour of God that we find here, that God gives us as Hischildren to fight the battle of faith.We're going to read the verses to begin with, from verse 10, the whole of thearmour of God. Verse 10 of chapter 6: "Finally, my brethren, be strong in theLord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armour of God, that yemay be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not againstflesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulersof the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able towithstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore,having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate ofrighteousness; And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel ofpeace; Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able toquench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation,and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God'. Here is our verse, andwe'll be spending perhaps three or four weeks on this verse: "Praying alwayswith all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with allperseverance and supplication for all saints".Now I want simply this evening, just to deal with those first few words in verse 18: 'Praying always'. I'veentitled this study: 'Constant Prayer' - praying always. Now, we're dealing tonight with the seventh piece ofarmour within the armour of God - and you might have thought last week as we looked at the sixth piece, thesword of the Spirit, that we were finished looking at the armour of God. But that, I believe, is not the case -for in this passage prayer is given as the energy that enables the Christian soldier to wear the armour of God,and effectively to wield those weapons that he has been given, specifically the sword of the Spirit, the wordof God. Therefore as we come to verse 18 in the context of all these verses, we see that prayer is thenecessity of every soldier in the battle of the Lord Jesus Christ. It's necessary for a soldier to be in constantcommunication with his great Captain and Commander, the Lord Jesus Christ.41