…and PRAY!!

Today's Three-minute Bible Study
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Title: …and PRAY!!
Keywords: "pray"
Welcome to eXXit, the web site designed to help you stand strong in the face of sexual temptation.

Never — neither here in Ephesians 6 nor anywhere else — does the Bible tell Christians to attack the devil. The devil attacks us — and we are not to attack back. We are to simply stand firm. AND, we can be confident that we have the capacity to stand firm or we would not be commanded to do so!

Our standing firm, though, will only be successful as we use the armor Paul lists. That armor is described in verses quoted below. Today's study concludes our look at the armor Paul recommends we use in the fight to stand strong in the day of sexual temptation.

Passage: Ephesians 6:10-20*

10. Finally, be strong in the Lord, and in the strength of His might.

11. Put on the full armor of God, that you may be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil.

12. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.

13. Therefore, take up the full armor of God, that you may be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm.

14. Stand firm therefore, having girded your loins with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness,

15. and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace;

16. in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming missiles of the evil one.

17. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

18. 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,

19. and pray on my behalf, that utterance may be given to me in the opening of my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel,

20. for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in proclaiming it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.

Questions

After the metaphors of verses 14-17, Paul speaks plainly about a final strategy to employ in the spiritual struggle in verses 18-20.

1. Count the superlatives in verses 18-20? Do you think Paul is trying to make a point?

 

2. What exactly is he urging us to pray in these verses?

 

Practical help

The last thought about spiritual warfare Paul mentions in Ephesians 6 demonstrates conclusively the spiritual nature of our warfare. If we want to be able to stand firm, prayer is an indispensable component.

These verses paint the picture of a life consumed by the idea that prayer, intimate communion with God, is not an option, but an absolute necessity.

Paul believed in the efficacy of prayer, and that is why he asked that people pray for him. AND, if it was important that people pray for Paul for spiritual victory, we can assume that we each need people around us, too, who will be praying for us.

Here is the one component of spiritual warfare that is community-based: we need to pray for one another!

We might even say that to the extent we are praying for each other — for boldness, for strength to stand firm and to resist — to that extent we will have victory over the schemes of the devil in the "evil day."

Want to stand firm against the temptation to give in to sexual misbehavior? Ask some buddies to pray for you!

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*"Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, © Copyright The Lockman Foundation 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995. Used by permission."