PRAYER AND SPIRITUAL WARFARE

Eph 6:18

Morning Meditations 6/29/17

I know all of you realize that we are in a battle. The unseen forces of evil surround us on every side. Paul said in Ephesians chapter 6 and verse12 “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.” Paul was opposed by real people. But he says in this verse that there are unseen forces behind those people. He teaches in this verse that in the battle we need to see the real cause and power behind the people who oppose us. Many times those very people whom Satan uses can be won to Christ. It is a lot more probable that this will take place if we identify the real source of the warfare.

Prayer is one of the weapons that Paul says we are to employ in spiritual warfare. The verse we are studying says: “Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;”

The book Christian in Complete Armor by William Gurnall says, "Even a weak hand with a sincere heart can turn the key in prayer.”

The word “praying” is a present middle participle. The present tense is continuous action in the present tense. Paul says, “Pray without ceasing” in First Thessalonians 5:17. Prayer must be a continuous ongoing practice in my life. I cannot let up for a moment. Satan in working against the believer even when everything is going good in his life. If I interpret the good times as times that Satan is “off my back” I’m allowing him to set traps for me and plan ways to defeat me. The middle voice means that the subject acts and is benefited by the action. This means I must choose to pray. To pray continually is a choice. It will take time “pray without ceasing.” It will have to overcome opposition. Have you ever discovered how difficult it is to make time for prayer? Have you ever discovered how difficult it is to pray without disturbances? Wonder why you can play golf without being disturbed but you can’t pray with the same freedom? Or, sit down and watch a TV program for an hour or two and never be disturbed? But you can’t pray for thirty minutes without major interferences?

It looks like I would finally learn that I have a real enemy out there that never rests. He is continually opposing me and his goal is to wreck my Christian life. God has provided a way for my success.. It is prayer. Prayer is the highest privilege of the Christian life. It is the most potent weapon that can be formed against Satan and his demonic forces.

The word one word “always” translates three different words in the Textus Receptus from which our KJV is a translation. The first is “en” meaning “in, by, or with.” It is also translated “among or through” in our KJV. The next word is “kairos” and means “due measure; a measure of time, a larger or smaller portion of time, hence: a fixed and definite time, the time when things are brought to crisis, the decisive epoch waited for.” The next word is “pas” and means “individually each, every, any, all, the whole, everyone, all things, everything.” Now you have our English word “always” serving to define those three words. That is a big job for that little word “always.” Since the word “through” is in the definition, the word “always” means to pray through. Prayer is not just a preventive against the spiritual wickedness in high places but it is also how we get through the trial of life itself. The whole of the Christian life is a battle. And once we become believers our whole attitude changes toward the future. Our hope is no longer in this life. It is called the “Blessed hope” i.e., the Second Coming of Christ when He will come again for us. We live with that hope in mind. So prayer is something that we “pray through” the whole thing. Next the word “always” has to try to express “due measure; a measure of time, a larger or smaller portion of time, hence: a fixed and definite time, the time when things are brought to crisis, the decisive epoch waited for.” That little word “always” is getting a workout isn’t it? This may be a particular time. A wife or husband may be sick. Tests may need to be run and we fear the outcome. Satan puts all kinds of thoughts in our minds to disturb us. If he succeeds just for one day, he is successful at least for that time. It may be a financial set back. It may be a time when it seems that God has put us on the shelf. There are many things that Satan could use to upset our peace of mind and rob us of our joy. So “always” has to serve to describe that time factor. The next little word that “always” has to serve is pas. It means each and every. So, Paul is telling us that we need to pray about every thing that comes up. Each and everything!

The words “in the Spirit” mean that we are to be under His control. The Christian life is one of continuous revelation. The Holy Spirit works continuously in my life to teach me from His Word and apply it to my life. I am not to operate in the Christian life under the control of the flesh. How do I do this? Philippians chapter 2 and verses 12 and 13 gives the formula: “Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.” God has given us objective truth is the revelation of His Word. The Bible says the same thing to all of us. But the application of the Bible to our everyday lives in each individual circumstance is something each one of us will have to work out with fear and trembling.

This morning I am in a motel room in Springdale Arkansas. I have been working on this Meditation for the last two hours. When I finish and mail it to you, I have some friends that I am to meet with for a final (at least on this trip) few minutes of fellowship. Some of that time will be given to answering questions to help them deal with the demonic in another person whom they have been counselling. Then I will leave this area for Attica, Kansas to begin a mission conference with a preacher who served is the church I pastored in Bossier City, LA. He wants to lead his church to be serious about world missions. All of this is an awesome responsibility. I must pray my way through each of these situations. No one can give me a formula for the particular application of the Word to these situations. I must “Work out my own salvation with fear and trembling.” My praying must be “in the Spirit.” It is a Spiritual warfare. Satan has plans for my day and the days ahead. But I will resist him in prayer. I am working from victory. Jesus gained for me on the cross. He overcame my enemy. I know that. And so the outcome is determined ahead of time if I pray “in the Spirit.”

Well, I ran out of time and space this morning. I hope this helps someone. It has helped me to prepare it. God bless all you who read it.

In Christ

Earl White