Author Dave Murrow observes what anthropology has confirmed: "Warfare is still imprinted on the male psyche. Men love to watch war movies and read war novels. They play war games on computers. Polls show men always support military action more than women" (Why Men Hate Going to Church). Science just confirms the truth we are given in Genesis 2:15—that Adam is designed to shape and protect the garden. Since Adam and Eve’s sin brought Satan, sin, and destruction into the garden, all our efforts to shape our lives and culture in righteousness are opposed by this triumvirate. We must fight, in the power of Christ, for every inch of ground. Today we examine a powerful WEAPON for this fight: prayer. But viewing prayer as a weapon for fighting is probably NOT what most men think of prayer as being for. They see prayer as praise to God, confession to God, thankfulness to God, requesting God’s help for those grieving or having surgery. But rarely do we see prayer used the way Paul tells us in Eph 6”18 it is to be used: as an act of war. And when men understand this dimension of prayer, prayer moves from being a guilt-producing obligation to becoming a life-changing thrill! Could that happen in your prayer life? Yes, and that is our goal in this episode.
Behind the world and the flesh is an even deadlier enemy, one we rarely speak of and are much less ready to resist, the kingdom of darkness, which is to blame for most of the casualties around us and assaults against us. Paul said it this way, We do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Paul reveals two vital implications of this reality 1) we must put on our spiritual armor—the belt of truth, etc. but secondly 2) we must PRAY. Eph 6 continues, 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 (vs 18). Paul uses one of the words for prayer four times. Why is prayer such a vital part of combatting the spiritual forces of evil?
Our Prayer Power Is Only Grasped by Understanding Redemptive History
A. Because humans are made to bear God’s image, God created humans to rule over a world using their mental capacity and creativity to develop the potential of the earth and all those living on it—causing everything to flourish. God left things “undeveloped” so man could exhibit God’s image in developing earth’s potential. The law of God was written on Adam and Eve’s hearts, to guide them to shape the world righteously in a way that pleased God. For them that moral law was summed up, “You may not eat of the fruit that is in the midst of the garden.”
B. When Adam and Eve ignored their conscience and rebelled against the High King by eating the fruit, Adam’s race lost the moral ability to shape the earth in a way that was consistent with God’s righteousness. SATAN, and SIN (along with sin’s consequence DEATH) began to rule Adam and Eve’s kingdom.
C. Adam and Eve’s descendants inherited that corrupt nature. Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned (Rom 5:12). There is nothing that any human can do to free the human race from sin’s enslavement of human nature.
D. God himself would have to come, invade human nature, and become a second Adam. So, God The Son, came into the world as Jesus the Messiah to “redeem” the new humanity and new earth from the destruction, power, and presence of sin.
And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him (Col 2:13-15).
E. At the cross, Jesus, the second Adam overthrew the usurpers of Adam’s kingdom--Satan, sin, and death, restoring the throne of Adam’s kingdom to the new head of Adam’s race, namely King Jesus to spread the kingdom of God over earth from his position at the right hand of the Father. George Ladd explains,
The Kingdom of God is the redemptive reign of God dynamically active to establish his rule among men, and this Kingdom, which will appear as an apocalyptic act at the end of the age, has already come into human history in the person and mission of Jesus to overcome evil, to deliver men from its power, and to bring them into the blessings of God’s reign. The Kingdom of God involves two great moments: fulfillment within history, and consummation at the end of history. (The Presence of the Future).
F. We live between these two moments in history; Jesus has already ultimately defeated Satan, sin, and death, and yet they have not yet been destroyed. During this present age, Jesus wants us to spread his righteous rule over earth (Matt 6:33) THROUGH HIS POWER. The fact that this can only be done through his power was stressed by Jesus in the words that preceded his great commission: All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me, therefore—go and make disciples of the nations. Only IN CHRIST is there power to overcome the kingdom of darkness. Ladd continues,
The kingdom in this age is not merely the abstract concept of God’s universal rule to which men must submit; it is rather a dynamic power at work among men…. Before the apocalyptic coming of God’s Kingdom and the final manifestation of his rule to bring in the new age, God has manifested his rule, his Kingdom to bring men in advance of the eschatological era the blessings of his redemptive reign.
G. Jesus’ defeat of Satan, sin and death at the cross, his resurrection, and then ascension bring about the outpouring of the Holy Spirit in a fuller way. On the day of Pentecost, Peter tells the crowds they are witnessing the fulfillment of Joel’s prophecy, And in the last days it shall be, God declares that I will pour out my Spirit (Acts 2:17). The primary work of the Holy Spirit reinforces the truth that Christ is establishing his kingdom of righteousness RIGHT NOW. Paul describes the role of the Holy Spirit in our lives:
Walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh…. Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, division, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control (Gal 5:16-23).
Linking These Facts of Salvation History to PRAYER
Just as God left the earth undeveloped because he wants Adam to exercise dominion over the earth to develop its potential, much of Christ’s redemptive power for the new creation is waiting for us to access. Because he made us to be his image bearers, he wants US to engage the weapons of spiritual warfare to advance the kingdom of righteousness over earth. Just as God did not create the world with iphones already invented, God’s new creation does NOT begin with Christ-followers and their world already perfected. During our current period of church history, he has given us spiritual resources to spread the rule of Christ over every sphere of life on planet earth. God does NOT need us to do anything for Christ’s kingdom to advance. But he has chosen to grant Christ-followers, a role in advancing the kingdom of righteousness. Prayer is the primary weapon for advancing Christ's kingdom of righteousness in this world during this age. Why? Here are three reasons:
1. Because only Jesus has exhibited the power required to defeated Satan, sin, and death. Paul prays fervently that the Christ-followers in Ephesus would grasp the greatness of this spiritual power. Paul asks God to give them the eyes to see:
What is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all (1:19-23).
The resurrection of Christ brings the future power of God—that will one day heal and renew the entire world—into our lives now, accessed by prayer in his name.
2.) God, Himself, identifies PRAYER as the way Christ kingdom advances. Just as a military invasion begins with cruise missiles and bombing runs, our efforts to advance the kingdom on earth must begin with prayer, the only weapon capable of dislodging the enemy from its strongholds. Prayer is such a potent offensive weapon for advancing the kingdom of Christ over earth, that in Psalm 2 we hear God The Father identify prayer as the way Christ’s kingdom spreads. The Father promises the Anointed One, “ASK of me, and I will make the nations your heritage, and the ends of the earth your possession.” As Christ-followers join Christ in ASKING that his kingdom would advance, The Father promises to act.
3) The third reason why prayer is the primary weapon for advancing Christ’s kingdom in the world is that Jesus specifically taught that the Father will give the Holy Spirit’s help to those who ASK for it. Luke 9:11, Jesus says, What father among you, if his son asks for a fish, will instead of a fish give him a serpent; or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him! In context Jesus is not talking about a one-time filling of the Holy Spirit but continuing to ask God to work through the Holy Spirit. Indeed, we may even ask for the Holy Spirit’s help for others, not just ourselves. Paul tells the Ephesians that he prays to the Father “That he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being” (3:16).
All of this background is to say that you and I have a vital role in the defeat of evil in our world. In many cases, God will not act to defeat evil if you and I do not pray. There are many things God can do but doesn’t do if we don’t ask. That is especially true in combating evil. Perhaps the power of Christ to defeat sin could be compared to an antibiotic against the bacteria of moral evil that has spread to every aspect of human life. Prayer in Christ’s name for that person or battle does cause God’s Spirit to inject antibiotics into that bacteria. God promises, “The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.” (Ja 5:16). But we may not see the result of the injection for two reasons: 1) we can’t see inside people and 2) the disease of sin is so strong that multiple injections are needed. We may not see the result of our prayers, but they bring others one step closer to defeating evil.
Lessons from Ephesians 6:18
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,
1. Note that the context of this admonition to pray is battling the spiritual forces of evil. It is prayer for some aspect of the kingdom of righteousness to prevail over the kingdom of evil.
2. The Greek word for “supplication” is DEOMAI which means: “ask fervently for help.” The root comes from the word, “desire.” So, it means asking intensely for something you really want.
3. Every member of the Body of Christ is to be engaged in prayer warfare for other Christians. The expectation of Paul is that the intense spiritual battle he has just described must be won by making supplication for ALL the Saints.
4. Paul stresses perseverance in prayer. He must have known by experience how hard it is to keep going in prayer support for other’s spiritual battles. He would also be familiar with Jesus’ emphasis on persevering in prayer, as in Luke 11.
And he said to them, “Which of you who has a friend will go to him at midnight and say to him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves, for a friend of mine has arrived on a journey, and I have nothing to set before him’; and he will answer from within, ‘Do not bother me; the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed. I cannot get up and give you anything’? I tell you, though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, yet because of his impudence he will rise and give him whatever he needs. And I tell you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. (vs 11:5-9).
I have wrestled with this text and fervent prayers of mine that have gone unanswered for a long time. To get at what I think this parable means, I need to go back to my high school days. Back then, we used the term cheap girl, for a girl who would easily give sex to a guy who wanted it, instead of requiring a life-long commitment to love her in marriage. She was lacking dignity. She was a people pleaser. God is not a cheap God. He does not let us USE him. He does NOT spring into action the moment we make a request, saying to us, “Your wish is my command.” He has way too much dignity to jump into action because one of his kids, once in a while, thinks to make a request that he has forgotten about the next day. Yes, God will respond to this request; that is his promise. But he is not our personal genie. He is the ultimate heavy weight, full of glory. The neighbor within the house is not such a people pleaser that he will wake up his whole household, including his kids, some of whom probably will not get back to sleep, keeping him and his wife awake half the night, just because a friend asks for some bread. God does not answer prayers because he is a people pleaser. “He has too much dignity,” says Jesus, “for you to EVER think he is a puppet on strings.”
But when the man within the house realizes, “my neighbor asking for bread is never going to stop knocking. He is so impudent, that he refuses to take ‘no’ for an answer,” he will give what is requested to his neighbor. The precious treasures we request of God—a son or daughter returning to Christ, a relative coming to salvation, victory over an enslaving sin—don’t happen because on a whim we asked God to work. They only happen for those who in a humble sense, refuse to take “no” for an answer. They keep asking and asking and asking. The ground conquered by Christ’s kingdom of righteousness is not cheap nor easily obtained; it belongs only to those who persevere in prayer.
What To Pray For
Prayer releases spiritual power when its focus is spiritual battles and the work of the Holy Spirit producing Christ-like attitudes. We see this in Paul’s prayers.
Phil 1:9-11: And it is my prayer that your LOVE may abound more and more, with KNOWLEDGE and all DISCERNMENT, so that you may APPROVE WHAT IS EXCELLENT, and so be PURE and BLAMELESS for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of RIGHTEOUSNESS that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.
Col 1:9-11. We have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the KNOWLEDGE OF HIS WILL in all spiritual WISDOM and UNDERSTANDING, so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully PLEASING TO HIM: BEARING FRUIT IN EVERY GOOD WORK and INCREASING IN THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD; being STRENGTHENED with all power, according to his glorious might.
Gal 5:22. The fruit of the Spirit IS LOVE, JOY, PEACE, PATIENCE, KINDNESS, GOODNESS, FAITHFULNESS, GENTLENESS, SELF-CONTROL.
Eph 3:17-19. I pray that you, firmly fixed in love yourselves, MAY BE ABLE TO GRASP (with all Christians) HOW WIDE AND DEEP AND LONG AND HIGH IS THE LOVE OF CHRIST—and to KNOW FOR YOURSELVES that love so far beyond our comprehension. May you be FILLED THOUGH ALL YOUR BEING WITH GOD HIMSELF!
You might want to write down the names of your loved ones and others you know God has called you to pray for and choose from the verses above a request that seems most suited to his or her needs.
Men, our mission is to FIGHT THROUGH PRAYER for the kingdom of righteousness to prevail in our own heart attitudes, in the hearts of our wives, children and grandchildren, church, neighborhood and nation. During this stage of church history, prevailing prayer is God’s ordained means of extending his kingdom, for defeating Satan and his empire of darkness, and bringing to earth a taste of the way things will someday be. If we do not fight this battle, the kingdom of darkness will prevail in the hearts and lives of those we love. No one else can take our place in this fight!
For Further Prayerful Thought:
1. Why do think Christians don’t see prayer more as a weapon?
2. What is wrong with saying that after the resurrection, Jesus left this world to go back to heaven and be with God?
3. What does Jesus want Christians to during this stage of salvation history, between his ascension to God’s right hand and his final return?
4. Why is it important, that Jesus prefaced his command to make disciples of all nations with, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me, Therefore…”?
