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.
…praying always and
supplication
in the Spirit, being
watchful to this end
with all perseverance
and supplication
for all the saints––
Ephesians 6:13,18
Before a
discussion on Romans chapter, twelve, a review and exhortation of the constancy
by which a Christian lives in this world whereby anyone who attempts to live a
Christian life admits that there is a warfare attacking the Christian faith.
Paul states: “Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the
power of His might” (Ephesians 6:10). The warfare that confronts a
Christian manifests itself in the physical world, and yet, this warfare is not
physical, it is spiritual. Therefore, there is a need to: “take up the whole
armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having
done all, to stand.” We are to be in prayer in all perseverance and
supplication. What does it mean to be in supplication? Supplication is to pray
in all humbleness so that our acts, our exercise of life would be one whereby
the Holy Spirit guides and leads. We pray not only for ourselves, for we pray
also for the saints. A Christian has a duty and responsibility, that is to put
on the; “whole armor of God” this is possible if we: “praying always
and supplication in the Spirit,” while we pray in the Spirit that is to
pray that the Holy Spirit leads and guides us, we are to be: “watchful to
this end with all perseverance and supplication.” To be “watchful”
does not carry the meaning that we are to be lax in our prayers, no, we are to
wrestle against anything that will prevent our getting to God and for our
prayers for the other saints. How often does a Christian say: “I have to
wrestle with God?” This is not Scriptural! God never tells us in His word told
to wrestle with Him, for if we wrestle with God then as Jacob found out that to
wrestle with God is to leave a person crippled. Why do we wrestle with God? So
often, it is because what we are praying about is due to something that we do
not want and we pray to compel God to act in a way that we desire. This desire
is of us and not of God in many cases, so we wrestle with Him. God compels us
in His word to pray and our prayers are to be before God and if we pray before
God we then become more than conquerors through Him. To wrestle with God in
pray admits that that the Kingdom of God has the highest priority in our lives.
Praying before God admits that we are complete in Him. If a person is not
complete in God how then can a person expect God to answer his prayers? He
cannot! Prayer is only effective if we are complete and to be complete we take
on the whole armor of God. How can a person know, whether or not they are
praying before God? First, distinguish between God’s order and His permissive
will. God’s order is not mutable, it is immutable, and His permissive will is
that which we wrestle with before Him. When confronted by that which God has
allowed, His permissive will in action, how do we react. Many Christians quote
Paul, and often do this without quoting the whole verse: “And we know that
all things work together for good…” and there they stop. The verse does not
stop at this point: “And we know that all things work together for good to
those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose”
(Romans 8:28). A side note: the Greek grammar for the “called,” is dative
and the Greek word “οΰσιν” is a participle in the present tense, therefore the “called”
are not be this grammar someone who may decide to be a Christian in the future,
no, it is that a point in time they were called, and that calling has present
results. Therefore, the “called” are called by God and those called know they
are “called,” because in them is something they cannot produce without God: a
love for God. Only those who love God can expect that: “all things work
together for good.” Jesus makes this very clear, that we are to pray for
the saints: “I pray for them. I do not pray for the world but for those whom
You have given Me, for they are Yours” (John 17:9). We do not know who are
the called so that we go about looking for the called, rather we pray that
those who are the “called,” will activate their faith and put on the whole
armor of God and fight the wiles of the devil with the help of the Holy Spirit.
This wresting before God, the warfare that Christians are engaged an only be
successfully won in our lives if we do as Paul under the power and inspiration
of the Holy Spirit directs:
“I
beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your
bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God which is your reasonable
service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the
renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and
perfect will of God” (Romans 12:1–2). We are not to live some “wishy–washy”
life, for we are to put up the good fight and this fight cannot be won if we do
not put on the whole armor of God. We have no expectation that we are present our
bodies as a living sacrifice to God if we do not do what He has instructed us
to do. Putting on the whole armor of God means that we are no longer conformed
to this world. All this is possible, not by our strength, rather by the
strength and power of God. We do not fight alone.
And now my head shall be lifted up
Above all
my enemies all
Around me; therefore I will offer
Sacrifices of
joy in His
Tabernacle; I will sing, yes, I will
Sing praises
to the LORD.
Psalm 27:6
Pray Before God Today
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