A Critical Piece of Armor

You might have heard the passage in Ephesians 6 called the “Armor of God”, where Paul warns us to put on protection against spiritual warfare. He then goes into great detail explaining the various pieces. Not only is he passionate, telling us twice to “put it on”; he also adds several other actions. It becomes clear that he’s telling us to make a choice and be deliberate- intentional about our faith.

It’s a passage that I’ve always interpreted to be one referring to the importance of reading scripture. -Knowing the mind of Christ and having His Word pressed upon our heart. But something else has been getting my attention lately when I read it. Let's look at it together.

10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the [shoes of the] gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

Perhaps the armor or even the most significant part of it isn't even in that passage. What if it's in what comes next?

The very next verse after this leads right into prayer. He says ^“And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests.” Then he also adds that we should pray for others and then pray for him.

Prayer might not seem like a piece of protection or something that we should do so deliberately for ourselves but we’re encouraged to do so here. Kind of like the safety messages that we hear before flying in a plane. “In the event of a disaster, put your own oxygen mask on first. Then help your neighbor with theirs.” An oxygen mask doesn’t sound like such a big deal either if your life is not being threatened and if you can hold your breath. …but if you run out of time it becomes a different story and a critical piece.

So by considering it as a part of your armor, I ask you- Do you ‘cover yourself in prayer’ as you start the day, every day? If not, I challenge you to do so. 

Better yet, what if the armor that Paul is so intricately describing is the model that we are supposed to use when we do it?

That would be pretty handy, right? Especially since many of us don’t know where to start when it comes to prayer. I’m going to include some examples for each element that you can use when you pray. Feel free to skip it if you’ve gotten past this point. If you need the suggestions, take them. Tweak them. Make them yours.

Dear Lord,

[Start with praise. If you're not sure how to do that, think of how you would describe him. Then simply tell him about it. Then you can lead into thanks. You can thank him for areas that you are most thankful for in life or by coming up with new areas that you may not have yet mentioned.]

Belt of Truth – The Psalmist says that the sum of your word is truth, and every one of your righteous rules endures forever. Help me know You and Your Word. Let it be the belt that I hang all of my best tools on. Help me reach for it, be familiar with it, learn to not leave home without it. I want to know it and its power and use it all throughout my day. Considering the tasks that I have ahead of me today, help me find the scripture that I will need for every piece.

[If there is any scripture that’s been on your heart lately, pray for guidance if you need help understanding it. If you already understand it, speak it over yourself and repeat it back to him. If you don't have a verse that 'gets your attention', ask God to give you one.]

Breastplate of righteousness – Protect my heart so that I live, not according to how I feel or by what comes against me but instead according to your purposes for me. What an honor to be a part of your army. Help me represent you and your kingdom well. Make me ‘set apart’ and give me a passion and compassion for all that is yours. Help me shine brightly and live boldly, fearlessly, and clearly with your love and for your cause. Because you’re holy help me be holy.

[If there is an area of sin, temptation, doubt or something that would contradict something you’d expect from God’s army, in yourself, speak about that here. Be specific and ask for help and to remove it.]

Shoes of the Gospel – Where ever I go today Lord, help me see every step as a mission. Help me spend my time on the right things as I organize and live out my day. Reveal to me who is on my path that needs a friend, a prayer or a word. Give me the words, ability, and discernment to meet the needs you want me to meet. Protect me from obstacles and people that may try to bring me harm. Whether to the right or to the left, let me hear you beside me saying this is the way go in it.

[Include any things that you know are coming your way, be it projects, trips, decisions or people. If there is anything else on today’s schedule that you want to talk about, do it. Ask him to strengthen your unique skills.]

Shield of faith – 1 John tells us that those who believe in you are the ones that overcome the world. Grow my faith Lord. Help me trust that You and Your Word is enough. Even when I think something is bigger, give me the courage of David, to just trust that whatever you have given me is all that I need.

[Talk about your areas of doubt and disbelief. Then ask for guidance and strength.]

Helmet of salvation – Lord you know my thoughts before I even think them. You know where I get frustrated, where I doubt, judge, condemn… and where I am tempted. You died for my freedom and I ask that you pour out your grace and free me again. Seal over all of those weak places in my mind. Pour Your spirit in from the top and let it trickle all the way through. Let nothing travel to my lips or my heart unless it’s from you.

[Mention your own personal areas of weakness and faults. Not to condemn yourself but in offering it to God. Ask him to touch those specific areas and bring any others to light that you need to consider].

Sword of spirit – Your word is stronger than any double edge sword, help me remember to pull it from my belt and use its power to separate my thoughts from yours; flesh from spirit and evil from good. Let your spirit sharpen me and others that I may come in contact with today. Bring other spirit-filled people into my life that will also sharpen me. Help me recognize the way that you move in me and in my life. –And when you say 'swing', give me the confidence to do it right then but with a grace, discernment and humility that could only be you!

[If you know you need to sharpen an area of your faith or relationship with the Lord, add to it here.]

Then pray for others in your life and be sure to include your teachers or anyone that influences you.

In Jesus Name,

me

Because I love testimony, I just want you to know that there was a time that I didn’t know how to pray. There was also a time when I wasn’t sure if I really believed in God or what He says. Challenging myself to learn how to pray wasn’t just an interesting activity, it was a catalyst for everything else. I challenge you to challenge yourself in this area and don’t give up!

I’ve only recently started deliberately and specifically praying over myself every day. While I know that I have so much to learn about prayer, it has made a tremendous impact on me and my day. So, I really hope you join me.

Take up the power of prayer and put it on! It’s not only life protecting, it’s life changing!

What elements of prayer life (or resources for prayer) have been life-changing for you? Please share below. 




P.S. If you'd like to go deeper in the area of prayer, the book "Lord, Teach Me To Pray In 28 Days" was a huge help!  (I don't remember the significance of 28 days but she has another version too. The store was out of that one, so I bought this. haha.)

Photo credit: I found the image at the top of this post on many sites but could not find the original source. If you do, please let me know so that I can give proper credit.