The Sword Of The Spirit And Prayer - Armor of God

“And [take] the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak.” (Ephesians 6:17-20, ESV)

The movie Young Woman and the Sea recounts the inspiring tale of Trudy Ederle, the first woman to swim the English Channel. The movie highlights the grit and determination of Ederle and demonstrates her extraordinary ability to persevere and overcome incredible obstacles. She was an amazing athlete! But no matter how amazing Ederle was, and no matter how much determination she had, without help she couldn’t do it. She needed others. Individuals, like her sister, her coach, her parents, and experienced ocean swimmers, played key roles. But the most powerful moment of the movie wasn’t the help of an individual, it was from a group, most of whom she didn’t know.

The harshest leg of the swim was the last five miles, and she had to do it without the support boat and crew. Alone in the dark, exhausted, and not sure which direction to swim, she began to lose hope and give up. And just then (it’s Hollywood), crowds gathered on the shore and began to light bonfires. Ederle sees the light in the darkness and gains the strength and hope she needs to reach the shore.

Paul concludes the armor of God passage with an emphasis on prayer because he knows, like Ederle, we’ll all feel like we’re drowning at some point. We’ll lack strength and we won’t know where to go. The world is dark at times, and when it is, one of Satan’s primary strategies is to make us feel like we’re alone. When that sort of darkness settles in, prayer is light on the shoreline. Through prayer, we light fires to strengthen our brothers and sisters with hope and direction.

That’s why Paul calls us to be “praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication… making supplication for all the saints” (6:18). These aren’t one-off prayers. This is a posture of prayerfulness.

It’s being always attentive to the Spirit who indwells us and it’s constantly interceding on behalf of our brothers and sisters. We all need prayer, and we all need to be praying for others. Even the apostle Paul needed prayer; look at how he ends the passage, “and [pray] also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel” (6:19). As experienced and bold as Paul was in proclaiming the gospel, he needed prayer. He was looking for guidance and he was confident the prayers of others would strengthen him.

Before finishing with prayer, though, Paul mentions the last piece of armor, the “sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God” (6:17). It’s not a coincidence that the Word and prayer are linked. The Spirit is active in both, helping us to understand and apply the Scriptures and helping us to pray. When Jesus faced spiritual warfare in the wilderness (Luke 4), both the Word and the Spirit strengthen him to resist the devil. The passage begins by noting that Jesus was “full of the Holy Spirit” (Luke 4:1) and goes on to show us how Jesus used the Word to answer Satan’s attacks. There is a key truth here: the Spirit regularly works through the Word. Therefore, the more we know the Word, the more the Spirit will use the Word to strengthen us, help us stand firm, and resist the devil’s attacks.

It’s a bit like how a song worked for Ederle in her swimming. She was able to swim with consistency over long distances because she sang herself a song whose rhythm kept her pace consistent and her mind off the pain. When we internalize God’s Word and get to know it so well that it’s a part of who we are, the Spirit uses it to help us stay the course, moving forward at God’s pace. And when we wonder whether we can keep going, the prayers of our brothers and sisters will provide the light we need for direction and hope in God’s future.

May this be our prayer today:
“And [take] the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication.” (Eph. 6:17-18)

Lord, I pray that you help us, through the power of your Spirit, to know and make use of the Scriptures as a means of defense against every form of spiritual attack. Through your Spirit empower us to pray and proclaim the truths of your word, that we may walk in a manner worthy of our calling and stand firm when we’re tempted to give up. Use us, Lord, through our prayers, to help and encourage one another, as we seek to be proclaimers of peace, examples of love, and givers of grace. In Jesus’ name we pray, amen.