Prayer and the Panoply

Throughout the New Testament, God clearly relays to his children that they are to be actively engaged in a fierce conflict. However, Christians are fighting not a conventional battle, with tangible weapons and visible enemies, but a spiritual one against the devil and all his imps (Wiersbe, 1978). Unfortunately, mankind is entirely unable to conquest against these evil forces, but God has provided measures for the Christian which, if used, would render them powerful and victorious. In the sixth chapter of Ephesians, Paul discusses the way whereby the Christian can stand against the wiles of the devil; namely, the armor of God. According to Strong’s Concordance, the Greek word used here for armor is panoplia. From this root comes the English word panoply, meaning full or whole armor (Strong, n.d.). Although God has provided for his children the panoply, it is the responsibility of the soldier to take up his equipment and use it to defeat the powers that be (Summers, 1960). If the Christian warrior sincerely desires to maintain a victorious life, he must both put on the whole armor of God and pray as if his life depended upon it.
The Conflict
            It is vitally important for the Christian to realize the battle which he is to be engaged in, not with a weak, infirm human adversary but with an extremely powerful demonic army (Lenski, 1937) Warren Wiersbe noted, “The important point is that our battle is not against human beings. It is against spiritual powers” (p. 165). Instead of constantly barraging other members of the church, the Christian soldier ought to assail the bulwarks of Satan by exercising his divine prerogative of prayer. Not only does the Christian soldier need to identify his enemy, but he also needs to realize how intense the struggle will be. Paul’s use of the word wrestle suggests a hand-to-hand combat (Vaughan, 1963). Although there exists multiple positions in the church, each Christian should be a participant in this warfare, not just a spectator. (Wiersbe, 1978). Unfortunately, many who profess Christianity fail to see the importance of prayer and the strength of the devil, leading inevitably to disastrous results. Curtis Vaughan observed, “The failure to estimate properly the strength and capabilities of an enemy is a tragic mistake (p. 130). The Christian who fails to discern his enemy’s power and dominion will live a pitiful, unfruitful existence.
The Panoply
            Completely antithetical to the nature of humans, this is one battle which they cannot handle on their own power (Gutzke, 1973). Favorably for mankind, God is willing to assist and has provided all the equipment necessary for the success of the soldier. However, the Christian must put on this provision, for God will not force his will upon anyone (Summers, 1960). In Ephesians 6, Paul uses an analogy of the Roman soldier and mentions six components which compose this full body gear. First, he refers to a belt of truth. For the Roman soldier, the girdle held the other pieces together. For the Christian, it is this truth that is the integrating force, allowing them to face the enemy without fear (Wiersbe, 1978). Next, he describes a breastplate of righteousness. Without a reliable breastplate covering his vital organs, the warrior remains vulnerable to every assault from the enemy, whether spiritual or physical (Vaughan, 1963). Further, the shoes of the gospel are required. According to historians, Roman soldiers used sandal-like shoes with hobnails in the soles to give them better grip during the battle. If the Christian desires to withstand the attacks of Satan, he must use these gospel shoes (Wiersbe, 1978).  Moreover, he talks about the shield of faith. This shield of faith referred not to “the small round shield which was carried by cavalrymen but to the large oblong shield which the heavy-armed soldier carried (Vaughan, 1963). The helmet of salvation is the last defensive part of the armor and alludes to the mind. If a Christian will fill his mind with the doctrines of the Bible, he will not be easily corrupted by the heresies of competing schools of thought (Wiersbe, 1978). Finally, Paul discusses the sword of the Spirit, the only offensive weapon mentioned. The Christian soldier should wield the Word of God to offensively combat the forces of hell (Taylor, 1969). If the Christian soldier sincerely adds each of these weapons to his arsenal, he is well on his to living a victorious, Christian life.
The Prayer
            The ingredient which enables a soldier to use each piece of the armor of God effectively is prayer.  Ray Summers stated, “As the Christian soldier takes up his armor, he takes up each piece with prayer that he shall use it in the most effective way.” Without prayer, the Christian will be absolutely valetudinarian and incapable of enduring the temptations of the devil. There is no substitute for getting on one’s knees to bombard the throne of grace; the Christian soldier must be a man of prayer (Exell, n.d.). Warren Wiersbe remarked, “Prayer is the energy that enables the Christian soldier to wear the armor and wield the sword.” Not only is the prayer life necessary, but it also must be practiced everywhere and always (Bounds, 1997). Obviously, God would not instruct people to pray to the point which would render them unable to fulfill the appointed duties of life, for he has commanded the Christian soldier to provide for his family. Rather, the Christian soldier should live his life in a way that he feels the duty of communing with the Father at any time (Exell, n.d.).  He that sees his need to be always in a spirit of prayer has the power to live victorious over sin.

References
Bounds, E. M. (1997). E. M. Bounds on Prayer. New Kensington, PA: Whitaker House.
Exell, Joseph (n.d.). The Biblical Illustrator. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Book House.
Gutzke, Manford George (1973). Plain Talk on Ephesians. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Publishing House.
Lenski, R. C. H. (1937). Commentary on the New Testament. Peabody, Massachusetts:   Hendrickson Publishers.
Salmond, S. D. F. (n.d.). The Expositor’s Greek New Testament. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company.
Strong, James (n.d.). The Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible. Peabody, Massachusetts: Hendrickson Publishers.
Summers, Ray (1960). Ephesians: Pattern for Christian Living. Nashville, Tennessee: Broadman Press.
Taylor, Willard (1969). Beacon Bible Commentary. Kansas City, Missouri: Beacon Hill Press.
Vaughan, W. Curtis (1963). The Letter to the Ephesians. Nashville, Tennessee: Convention Press.
Wiersbe, Warren (1978). Be Rich. Wheaton, Illinois: Victor Books.

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