The Armor of God

As it was said earlier, we are in a war.  Our tools of war are ordained by God and given to us for our protection.  They are all we need to fight the spiritual battle that we are in.

Ephesians 6:10-18, “Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. 11 Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12 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 13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand 14 Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; 15 And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16 Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. 17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: 18 Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;"

It is truly a foolish man who goes to war without a weapon.  What man is there who will stand in the middle of the battlefield with a bow and arrow, expecting to win, when tanks are pointing their cannons at him?  Quite the contrary!  A man wants all the protection he can get.  He will carry as much ammo as he can.  He'll have a rifle, AND a pistol, AND, just in case, he'll carry a knife also.  Why???  Because he doesn't want to die!  It's common sense.  Why are we so wise in the flesh and so dumb in the spirit?

It is true that we are in a very different war.  We aren't fighting men; we're fighting spiritual strongholds and God has given us incredibly powerful weapons and protective armor that nothing can penetrate.  In 2 Corinthians 10:3,4 says, "For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)."  The CEV version of the Bible says it all, "We live in this world, but we don't act like its people or fight our battles with the weapons of this world.  Instead, we use God's power that can destroy fortresses."

Generally, most people teach that the armor of God has five items of protection and only the sword of the Spirit as a weapon.  That isn't what I see in Ephesians.  I see two weapons.  I see the sword and I see prayer.  Before we can use either, though, we must understand our protective armor.  We can spit out Scripture verses all day long, but without the belt, breastplate, shoes, shield and helmet, what comes out are mere words.  God will honor His word, but we will never fully realize the benefits.

Let's examine some of this armor.  Let's learn what God has given us to protect us from the enemy.  Let's learn how to use these incredibly powerful weapons.  Spiritual lives depend on it!  Our lives and all who are touched by our lives.  We are in the Army of God, Almighty!  Let's become effective warriors.

The Belt (Truth)

Ephesians 6:14, “Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth,”

When we talk to people about truth, we find one of the most confused topics that we can find.  People will tell you that what is truth to one person may not be truth to another.  They will say that everything has become relative.  They say we shouldn't tell anyone they are wrong because we are being arrogant.  Over and over again, I hear, "Well, that might be good for you, but that is not the way I believe."  or "That's not what I was raised to believe."

Stop and think about it.  If you walk up to a skunk you will probably smell a little different afterwards.  It doesn't matter if you believed with all your heart that it was a real pretty black cat with a white stripe on its back.  Even if you knew that it was a skunk and believed with all your heart that he liked you and wouldn't spray you.  It just doesn't matter what you think is truth.  Truth is, you are going to smell likw a skunk and people WILL avoid you.

People, on drugs, have believed they could fly and jumped off balconies.  What they believed didn't help them at all.  What they believed didn't change the sudden stop at the end of the fall.  What they believed didn't make the pavement any softer.  The truth was simple.  1) They couldn't fly.  2) They proved it.  3) The end result was tragic, usually resulting in their death.

There is only one measure of Truth that I trust.  I even tell others not to take my word for it.  The measure of truth is the Bible.  Psalms 119:160 says, "Thy Word is Truth."  Jesus, Himself says in John 4:24, "God is Spirit and those who worship Him must worship in Spirit and in truth."  Later, in John 8:32 Jesus says that the Truth shall make us free.  Even later, He says that He, Jesus, IS the TRUTH.

When I was first searching for God, I was looking for truth.  It didn't matter to me if it stepped on my toes.  It didn't matter if it sounded reasonable.  It didn't matter if it matched up to what I believed.  I wanted truth, period.  There was a lot of things that I didn't want to hear.  There were also a lot of things I didn't understand.  IT DIDN'T MATTER.  I wanted TRUTH.  The more I searched, the more I found that God really is true to his Word.  God really did mean what He said in the Scripture.  My ears have been trained to stop listening when I hear words like, "what that verse really means is . . ."

If someone tells me that a verse of Scripture means something different than what it obviously says, they better start, referring to the original language.  Then, they better be ready to GO to the original language.  If the translators didn't translate something correctly, I want to know.  But, be sure we will be looking at Greek and Hebrew dictionaries.  The bottom line, though, is I have never found the Word of God to lie.  Even when we go back to the original Greek or the original Hebrew, my faith ends up being built up.

Quoting John 8:31,32, "Jesus therefore was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, 'If you abide in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free.'"

Learn all you can about the Bible.  It is the Word of God and it is Truth.  When you read it, though, search out TRUTH.  Don't try to put together a network of Scripture that will support your pet doctrines.  Just search for truth.

That truth will hold you together like a girdle.  It will support your other armor like a belt.  It is hard to deceive a man or woman who knows the truth.  Think about it!  If you know an automobile is worth $1,000, It will be incredibly hard for a fast talking salesman to sell it to you for $7,000.  Why?  Because you know the truth about the car's worth.  In the same manner, it will be incredibly hard for Satan (or one of his workers) to sell you a false doctrine, if you know the truth and abide in God's Word. 

When someone tells me something I haven't heard before, I check it out in the Word of God.  If it has basis, I'll check it out.  If it is true, I'll accept it.  In the book of Acts, the Bereans were called more noble than the Thessalonicans.  Why, because they were examining the Scriptures daily to see if what they were being told was true.  Let's follow the example that was set in Berea.

What we believe makes very little difference, unless it is true.  If we stand in Truth, it becomes the belt that holds our armor together.


The Breastplate of Righteousness

Ephesians 6:14 " . . .  and having on the breastplate of righteousness;"

But, doesn't the Scripture say that our righteousness is as dirty rags?  Yes it does!  Isaiah 64:6 " . . . and all of our righteous deeds are like a filthy garment. . . "  Doesn't the Scripture also say that there is NONE righteous, no not one? Yes it does, in Romans 3:10!  Shouldn't we just give up then?  I don't think so!  Personally, I think we ought to find out what "righteousness" is.

We have a lot of people missing the mark.  They decide they need to get their life in order and start cleaning up a lot of the really bad things they do, but make compromises on the things that just aren't that bad.  The mark we miss is the fact that all it takes is a little "white" lie and we have enough sin in us to make us miss heaven by a mile.  Why?  Because, where righteousness is concerned, if we fail on one point we have not broken a small part of the Law; we are guilty of breaking the Law as a whole. This is brought out in James 2:10,11  There are millions of souls who actually think that if they are not such a bad person and don't do anything "really" bad, they will make it to heaven.  There are even people who religiously serve and, by all man's standards, are examples to human kind.   Still, they miss the mark and are tragically close to missing heaven.  No matter how you color it, almost good enough spells h-e-l-l.

Why even try, if there is no way that we can make it?  First, we don't stand on our righteousness.  Second, that is what the Gospel of Peace (our next item of armor) is all about.  The righteousness that we stand in is found in none other than Jesus Christ.

Over 20 years ago, I was asked to teach on Matthew 5:6 "Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled."  At that time, I thought righteousness was justice.  In fact, the Living Bible says, ". . . who hunger and thirst for justice . . . "  As I studied, preparing to teach, I prayed for God's wisdom and the words to convey His Truth.  As a teacher, I realized that I was accountable for what I taught.  I needed to hear what God wanted me to preach.  God opened my eyes on this basic truth and ministered to me and to my fellow teachers who thought the same thing I did.  "Righteousness" really means "righteousness"  If you're saying, "Duh!!!", that's pretty close to what I said.  The Amplified Bible translates the word "righteousness" in parenthesis as "uprightness and right standing with God."  Needless to say, I look at it now and wonder why I didn't see it before.

This explained the blessings that I walked in.  That hunger and thirst for truth brought forth fruit as I drew closer and closer to God.  As we put "right standing with God" on the top of our priority list, God's blessings flow and we begin walking in a living relationship with a living God.  When pleasing God becomes more important than pleasing ourselves, we are on the right road.  The CEV renders this verse, "God blesses those people who want to obey him more than to eat or drink.  They will be given what they want!"

There is a decision to be made in this matter, though.  We don't always feel like putting God first.  Joshua 24:5 says, "And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD."  Daniel's friends were given a last chance to worship a false god before being thrown, alive, into a furnace.  Their response in Daniel 3:17,18 was, "If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king. 18 But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up."

Jesus paid the price and we are made the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus.  2 Corinthians 5:21 "For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him."  Still the decision must be made to follow Jesus with all our hearts.  The decision must be made to love God more than our own lives.  The biggest reward is a breastplate that protects our very heart.


The Shoes

Ephesians 6:15  "And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;"

Why didn't Paul just say, "and your feet shod with the Gospel of Peace"???  Why did he say the "preparation"?  The CEV translates Eph 6:15 as follows, "Your desire to tell the good news about peace should be like shoes on your feet."  This helps us start to understand that as we prepare to share the gospel of peace, something develops in our own hearts.  When our desire is strong to tell about this Gospel, we start looking at what it really is.  We start seeing the extent of what Jesus did for us as He died on the cross.  When we accept Jesus' sacrifice, we are given new life.  We become a new creature.  Old things have passed away and all things have become new.  It is ample reason to rejoice.

2 Corinthians 5:17-21  ^"Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. 18 And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; 19 To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. 20 Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God. 21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him."

This is incredibly good news.  Our past is gone!  Our present is new!  Our future is incredibly bright, knowing that we have been reconciled to the God of the entire universe by Jesus Christ.  What is even more spectacular, is that God has given US the ministry of reconciliation.  How do we deal with this?  I can see all the excuses.  I can't speak . . . . I don't know what to say . . .  they don't want to hear it . . . What if they reject it?  But, wait!!!  What if they don't reject it?  What if they do hear what God speaks through you?  Personally, I know of a General, whose life was changed because an E4 had the guts to walk into his office, under the unction of God, and simply tell him, "God sent me to tell you that He loves you and has a plan for your life!"  Wasn't she scared?  She was shaking when she went into the office.  All of heaven rejoiced when that general received the message!  Was it worth it?  She thought so!

The Word of God tells us to be ready to share the hope that is in us.  1 Peter 3:15 says, "But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:"  Peter presumes that people will see Christ in you and will dare to ask, like the crowd in Acts chapter 2, verse 12, "what meaneth this?"  Yes, some were mocking in verse 13, but look closely at verse 12.  They all were amazed or as the CEV puts it, "Everyone was excited and confused.  Some of them even kept asking each other, `What does all this mean'"  Peter answered and about 3,000 people were saved.

We really don't see the full impact of the word "preparation", though, until we read the Amplified version's rendition of Ephesians 6:15 "And having shod your feet in preparation [to face the enemy with the firm-footed stability, the promptness and the readiness produced by the good news] of the Gospel of peace."

That Gospel of peace, that reconciliation with God, that hope that is in us is like the best pair of shoes you ever thought about getting.  It not only supports your stand, but plants you so that you are firm footed, stable and not easily moved.  Matter of fact, he who understands this Gospel and has a living relationship with the living God is so firmly rooted that it is virtually impossible to move him from the love of God in Christ Jesus.


The Shield

Ephesians 6:16 Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.

We have covered faith, somewhat, in Basic Doctrines, but there is so much more to be said.  We know that, according to Hebrews 11:6 that it is impossible to please God without faith.  In fact, that one verse tells us quite a bit about faith.   Hebrews 11:6 reads, "But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him."  It tells us that we can please God only with faith.  It tells us that we must believe that God is before we can come to Him.  It tells us that if we diligently seek God, He will reward us.  In Jeremiah 29:13, the Lord says that we will find Him when we seek Him with all our heart.

How can we search for God unless we believe that He is?  How can we expect God's blessings unless we know that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him.  But just having faith in God?  A shield, able to quench the fiery darts of the wicked?

Gen 15:1 "After these things the word of the LORD came unto Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward."  Abram believed God and was the father of faith.  We become his children and we believe God and receive Jesus.  As we walk, daily, with Jesus, our faith is built and strengthened.  Abram chose to follow Jehovah.

When David came against Goliath, he came in the Name of the Lord.  Goliath came sword in hand and with another man carrying his shield.  David came with a sling shot and his faith in the living God.  David became a man after God's own heart because he chose to put his trust in Jehovah.  Later, in Psalms 5:11,12, he would write, "But let all those that put their trust in thee rejoice: let them ever shout for joy, because thou defendest them: let them also that love thy name be joyful in thee.

Yes Satan will throw fiery darts at us.  He will use circumstances, threats, our flesh, our desires, or minds, or whatever else he can find to use.  None will work if we stand with Jesus.  As we put our faith in God; as we search His Word for our answers; as we stand firm, in Christ Jesus, the Lord, Himself, will surround us with His favor, as with a shield.  Much of the garbage, we won't even see.  What we do see, will fall, extinguished as we affirm that there is no god except Jehovah and place our faith in the Living God.

We choose to cry out as King David did in Psalms 28:7, "The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in him, and I am helped: therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; and with my song will I praise him."


The Helmet of Salvation

Ephesians 6:17 "And take the helmet of salvation, . . . "

Salvation is often misunderstood.  We are led to think that salvation is what we get when we receive Jesus and that is it.  It is true that when we receive Jesus we are saved.  Others lead us to work out our salvation with fear and trembling.  This is true also.  Beware of the extremes!!!

If we reject the “working out our salvation” thing and hang everything on our conversion experience, we will miss the boat.  Jesus didn’t call us into a one shot deal.  If we get totally zeroed in on “working out our salvation”, we can get so busy trying to do everything right that we miss the joy of being in the presence of God.

When we examine “salvation” in the original language, we find that it means much more than we think.  The Greek word translated as salvation means “safety, soundness.”   Salvation is an ongoing thing.  Jesus saves our souls when we come to Him.  We have that assurance that while we were sinners, Jesus died for us, the Just for the unjust.  As we accept that, we find the truth of what Jesus said, “No one can come to the Father except by Me.”  We receive Him and He receives us.  It is an awesome thought to be accepted by the Living God and there is no way that it would be possible except for Jesus paying the price for our sin.  There is more, though.

Philippians 2:12, 13 says, “So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.” (NASB)  Paul says in Galatians 4:19 that he was again in labor until Christ be formed in them.  It is an awesome thing to be in the presence of God Almighty, but that is exactly where we need to be.  We need to allow Christ to be formed in us, putting our own desires and wants to be put aside.  It is an on-going thing.

Paul talks about the time of our salvation being nearer than we thought.  Rom 13:11 And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. (KJV)  I believe he was talking about the second coming of Jesus.  To the Thessalonians, he pointed out that they were to obtain salvation.  1Th 5:9,10 For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him.

Our salvation is three fold.  We have been saved by the Blood of Jesus, as we accepted His Sacrifice and received His forgiveness.  We are being saved as we work out our salvation and become more and more like Jesus.  We will be saved when Jesus comes again.  Salvation is an on going, daily experience.

Paul references the helmet again in 1 Thessalonians.  1Th 5:8 ”But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation.”  We put this helmet on by refusing to allow our minds to be corrupted with fleshly desires, pride, doctrinal disputes or any anything that would distract us from the living God.  We put this helmet on by following Paul’s advice in Philippians 4:6,7 “Be anxious for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.  And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, shall guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (NASB)


The Sword (Word of God)

Ephesians 6:17 ". . . and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God."

The sword of the Spirit is the word of God.  The sword, properly used, is an incredibly powerful weapon.  It is important, though, to understand what is meant by the “word.”

In the New Testament, “word” is translated from two Greek words, Logos and Rhema.  Logos, most theologians agree, refers to the written Word of God (Scripture, or the Bible.)  As the written revelation of God to us, it is invaluable to know the Scripture.  Innumerable battles have been won by simply knowing the Bible.  The knowledge of what the Bible says on a subject is the greatest key to overcoming whatever battle you are fighting.  As the Psalmist said so eloquently, “Thy Word have I hid in my heart, that I might not sin against Thee.”  Ps 119:11

We can’t say enough about knowing the Word of God.  So many problems, beginning in the book of Genesis, have begun by mis-quoting God’s word.  So many times, I see someone struggling with something that is defeating them.  They even quote God’s Word.  We often find that they are not quoting the Scripture correctly, not dividing it correctly (taking verses out of context) or applying verses to situations that they never referred to.  Often we quote a verse that doesn’t apply at all, when if we would just look, we would find another section of Scripture applies perfectly.  When we are speaking of God’s Word, we are talking about promises sealed in the Blood of Jesus.  God’s Word IS His bond.  There is no one more trustworthy than God.  Think about it!  How can we expect God to stand by His promise to heal our bodies, if we stand on the verse that says He gives us a sound mind?  Why not stand on the Scripture that says, “By His stripes we are healed?”  We can stand on these Scriptures and receive abundantly from our Father.

However, this is not the word used in Ephesians 6:17.  In this passage, Rhema is used.  Rhema is the spoken Word of God.  The definition of the word, according to Strong’s Concordance is “that which is or has been spoken by the living voice.”  This has powerful implications and we have much to learn from it.

When God speaks to us, it doesn’t matter how well a supposed teacher reasons and explains a verse.  We can’t be deceived.  When God speaks Scriptures to us, they come alive.  They are no longer words, spoken to somebody else, that we have read.  They are living words spoken to us that somebody happened to write down.  We need desperately, in these days to have the Word of God spoken to and in our spirit.

Over and over, we see in the book of Acts, “This is what was spoken of  “, “while I was in the spirit, the spirit of the Lord spoke to me”, “while I was in prayer, the spirit of the Lord said.”  In the Book of John, Jesus said, “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; and I give eternal life to them, and they shall never perish; and no one shall snatch them out of My hand.” John 10:27,28  When we know the Shepherds voice, we don’t find ourselves thinking, “Oh, I hope I’m good enough to make it.”  Instead we find ourselves thinking, “Glory be to God, what’s next, Jesus?”  Our whole walk with God becomes a living thing.

Don’t misunderstand.  The Scripture is extremely powerful on it’s own.  When God speaks to our spirits, the word comes alive.  When God speaks the word to our spirit, it becomes a living sword.  It becomes the sword of the Spirit, which is the word (Rhema) of God.  The enemy, Satan, can’t stand against it.  He can try, but as CS Lewis said so well, “A man with an experience is never at the mercy of a man with a theory.”  Let God make the Word come alive in your spirit.  Ask Him, even now, to speak to you.  Learn to hear the voice of the spirit and you will not only have a sword, but you will have an extremely sharp sword.  You will have a living sword.   The sword of the Spirit, which is Word of God, is devastating to Satan.


PRAYER!

Ephesians 6:18-20 "With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints, and pray on my behalf, that to me in the opening of my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in proclaiming it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.” (NASB)

The key to this whole passage is in verse 18, “pray at all times in the Spirit”  Prayer is the cement that bonds our armor.  There are no kinks in the armor of a praying believer.  As we pray, the Spirit, Himself, intercedes for us, even when we don’t know what to pray.  As is written in Romans 8:26, 27, “And in the same way the Spirit helps our weakness, for we don’t know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words; and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.”

Think about it!  As we pray in the Spirit, we pray in Truth.  The Holy Spirit will not lie, for God is truth.  Didn’t Jesus say that the Spirit would lead us in all truth in John 16:13?  Glory be to God, prayer establishes our belt!

There isn’t anyone perfect enough to come into the presence of God, almighty, but as we pray in the Spirit, that is exactly what we do.  If we are going to pray in the Spirit, we have to come under the covering of the Blood of Jesus.  God looks at us through the righteousness of the glorious Son of the living God.  2 Corinthians 5:21 says that because of Jesus we can become the righteousness of God, in Him.  Glory be to God, as we pray in the Spirit, our breastplate is established.

Do we fully realize the blessings of Gospel of Peace?  We do when we pray in the Spirit!  Jesus made it possible for us to come to God in the first place.  We can’t come to God, in the first place, had it not been for the Blood of Jesus!  When we pray in the Spirit, we can’t help but lift up the Name of Jesus.  He is the King of kings and the Lord of lords!  Scripture says He is all and in all.  The Spirit brings our minds to Christ.  Why did Christ come?  To bring peace.  What was His whole purpose in dying for us?  To bring peace!  Why did Jesus suffer, die and raise from the dead?  To bring peace between a Holy God and a needy people!  Good Lord, when we pray in the Spirit, the Spirit of God puts our shoes on for us!!!  Our feet ARE shod with the Gospel of Peace!

When we pray in the Spirit, He builds our faith.  The more we pray, the more we KNOW that God IS and He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him!  The more we pray in the Spirit, the more we praise the Living God.  God inhabits our praise.  How can we not have faith in Him when we pray in the Spirit?  It is as we walk with God that the Almighty becomes our Shepherd.  The more we walk with Him, the more we know that we know that we can trust Him, even with our lives.  Praying in the Spirit actually erects that Shield of faith.  How can any fiery darts of the enemy penetrate the love of God?

As we read earlier in Romans 8:27, 28, the Spirit intercedes for us as we pray.  Talk about a Helmet of Salvation!  We pray in the Spirit and we become sound.  He reaches into our hearts, our bodies, our very spirits, drawing us near to the God of Abraham.  He brings and accomplishes soundness in our whole being.  Salvation, soundness, wholeness becomes an ongoing experience as we pray in the Spirit.  We pray in the Spirit and we establish our helmet of Salvation.

The Sword of the Spirit comes alive as we pray in the Spirit.  The Spirit of God, bringing the words and wisdom of God, opens the Word to us.  As we pray in the Spirit, the Bible, the written (logos) Word of God becomes the Rhema Word of God.  Praying in the Spirit not only establishes our Sword, but it also sharpens it.

Is it any wonder that Paul says to pray at all times in Ephesians 6:18?  Is it any wonder that Paul says in 1Thessalonians 5:16 to Rejoice evermore! And in verse 17,  Pray without ceasing! And in verse 18, to give thanks in all things, because this is God’s will and then follows it all up in verse 19 saying, “Quench not the Spirit”?

Christianity was never intended by God to be a once a week experience.  He intended it to be a relationship.  You can pray without ceasing!  You can pray at all times!  You can walk in prayer, when prayer is talking and walking with a Friend like Jesus.