For a scripture reading, please turn with me to Ephesians 6. Tonight we finish our series of the full armor of God. We've considered each of the individual pieces, but there's one thing left that is indispensable for putting on the armor of God, and that is prayer. as we consider verse 18 as the text for the sermon tonight. Reading together verses 10-20 of Ephesians 6. And again, verse 18 being the text. Hear now the Word of God. Finally, be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. 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. 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. Stand firm, then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God, and pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints. Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, the words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should. Text once again, verse 18, And pray in the Spirit on all occasions, with all kinds of prayers and requests, with this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying. for all the saints. Dear people of God, as we have taken the time to study this portion of the Word of God with regard to the armor of God, I trust that it has become clear that this present life is lived in dangerous territory. Satan and his hosts are working hard. They're on mandatory overtime, if you will, trying to destroy this world, trying to destroy the kingdom of God and especially those for whom Jesus died to save. We know that Satan has been dealt that death blow. I like the illustration of Dr. Estelle in adult Sunday school a week or two ago about Satan as that chicken with his head cut off. He's been dealt that death blow, but he continues to flop around until the life is completely gone, flopping around, making a bloody mess of everything. Beloved, the conflict is so desperate that only divine power can withstand the enemy. You and I can't do it on our own. And that's why Paul, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, began this section with the words, finally, be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power. Be strong in the Lord. Put on the full armor of God. Why? So that you can stand firm. He calls us to stand firm. Put on the full armor of God so that you may be able to do it. Beloved, how does God bestow His strength upon those born again? And how does the Christian put on the full armor of God? Well, He bestows it by His Spirit for the sake of Jesus Christ. And God's people put on that full armor by faith through communion and fellowship with Him. Communion and fellowship largely characterized through prayer. We sing, stand up, stand up for Jesus. Stand in His strength alone. The arm of flesh will fail you. Ye dare not trust your own. Put on the Gospel armor. Each piece put on with prayer. You see, beloved, this armor that we've been talking about cannot be used except in fellowship and in communion with God. If you think that you can put it on all by yourself, and then relax and stop watching, then you're kidding yourself. You are already defeated. You can't put it on, let alone use it, without Him. And each of the individual pieces that we've talked about will do you no good unless at all times we are in a living relationship with Him receiving strength and power from the captain of the Lord's army. Now, true prayer demonstrates dependence upon God. And through prayer, we can know the strength of the Lord. And as Paul says, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. People of God, we are called here in this passage to be strong in the Lord, to put on His armor, and then one more thing, to pray. This text makes it clear that Paul is talking about a prayer life, a life of prayer. And therefore, I preach to you this Word of God, standing firm, empowered by comprehensive prayer. As you can see from the back side of the order of worship, there's four points to consider tonight. First of all, the sphere and source of prayer. Secondly, the scheme of prayer. Third, the situation for prayer. And then finally, the scope of prayer. The text again says, And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. Now, unless some should make the mistake of thinking that prayer is our work of righteousness, something that we must perform all by ourselves, then let us listen again to what Paul says. He says, pray in the Spirit. He's talking about the Spirit of God. He's talking about the third person of the Blessed Trinity. And the Holy Spirit is the sphere and source of true prayer. The Holy Spirit of God is the secret of true prayer. the very essence of a life of prayer is that it be done in the Spirit. First of all, the Holy Spirit then is the sphere of prayer and that only those who are in the Spirit, in the realm of the Spirit, are able to pray. We're not talking about some charismatic utterance that no one can understand. But only those in whom the Spirit of God has replaced their heart of stone with the heart of flesh, as Ezekiel says, those who have been regenerated, Boys and girls, you remember what that means, I trust. Born again to a living hope. Those in whom the Holy Spirit dwells as a temple. Those who no longer live according to the flesh by the grace of God. But as Paul says in Romans 8, those who are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. Only these are able to offer true prayer to God. Boys and girls, very simply, That means that only one who truly believes on the Lord Jesus Christ, because the Holy Spirit has made that one able to believe, only they are able to truly pray. Beloved, prayer is a spiritual activity which is the believer's response to being spiritually fed by the Word of God. I trust you are familiar with the dialogic nature of worship, a dialogue between God and His people. God speaks to His people through His Word. We respond in prayer. Prayer is that necessary part of the sweet communion with the Lord of life. And one who is outside of the Kingdom of God does not and cannot pray. He knows nothing for which to pray. He has nothing for which to be thankful. He doesn't even know where to turn, but instead, like the atheist we considered in that article this morning, he looks to himself to take care of his needs. Paul says in Ephesians 2, verse 18, for through Him, that is Christ, through Him we both have our access in one Spirit to the Father. When Christ died on the cross, we know that the veil of that temple was torn in two from top to bottom signifying that He had opened the way giving access for His brothers and sisters to the Father. And beloved, the Holy Spirit of God is the one who lifts us through prayer into that holy of holies to the Father. But the Spirit of God is not only the sphere of prayer, He is also the source of true prayer. He doesn't just live in us, using us as a temple and live in us idly doing nothing. True prayer is offered under the Spirit's influence. It must be rolled with His strength. It relies and it depends upon His intercession. It must be done in harmony with His will as it is revealed in the Word of God, which He inspired. We live in a world of suffering, of trials and of temptations, where we are continually under attack by the schemes of the devil. And that's why God provides His armor for you and me. But as Paul says in Romans 8, The sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with a glory which shall be revealed in us. Yet we know all too well that this life of flesh is difficult, even as Paul also describes in Romans 8 when he says, For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now. Not only that, but we also who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, Even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body. And then Paul goes on in the same chapter, Likewise, the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses, for we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. Now he who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is because he makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God. The vital point or element of prayer is that it is to be done in the Spirit. If it's not, it's not true prayer. The Holy Spirit directs prayer. He creates that prayer within us. He empowers us to offer it and to pray it. The Spirit works in us to set up the scaffolding or the framework of prayer by giving us the petitions and ordering our minds. Yet through His governing power, He builds the prayer. And of course, that means, on the one hand, that vain repetition is not true praying. The Pharisees, you know, thought that they were heard for their many words, and therefore, they judged and they evaluated prayer by its length and by its impressiveness. And beloved, we must also be careful with prayers of habit or memory that are simply outward expressions of an empty heart. Parents, there's nothing wrong. In fact, it's good to teach our young children those familiar bedtime and mealtime prayers, but as soon as they begin to understand it, it is our job as parents to teach them how to pray from the heart. Praying in the Spirit is the opposite of relying on forms and rituals like the rosary. But now we too, we have form prayers, don't we? We used a few of them this morning in communion. And therefore, we have to be careful as God's people not to let these form prayers simply be nothing else but form prayers. But as we pray them, we are to meditate upon the beauty of the words of those prayers that we ourselves may adopt, that we may use to pray to the Father. Worship is not bound by the type of building we sit in or mere externalism, but worship is bound by the Spirit. And in the power of the Holy Spirit, our spirit must be bowed before God's throne of grace. Congregation, the Holy Spirit of God, is the one who cleanses our unworthy prayers and lifts them to the throne of God. He alone is the one who can transform our broken thoughts and tattered words, and praise be to God for that, and transform them into a beautiful offering of praise to God. I'm sure that we have all listened, maybe at some time or another, to people who maybe couldn't speak very well, at least not publicly. They stuttered and stammered. Yet their prayers were like sweet-smelling incense being lifted up on high. Why is that? Because by the grace of God, they prayed in the Spirit. And the same Spirit of God, then, who is the sphere and source of prayer, is also the one who gives prayer its comprehensive nature. He governs, then, the scheme, the situation, and the scope of prayer. In the second place, the Christian soldier is to embrace a comprehensive scheme of prayer. The text says again, And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints. What is that comprehensive scheme of prayer? It is to be done with all kinds of prayers and requests. And Paul says, always keep on praying. Another translation says, with all prayer, petition, and perseverance. Now first of all, I believe Paul is talking about prayer in general. Communion with the captain of the heavenly army, fellowship with God, must include not only cries for help in times of distress and crisis and pain, but it must also include adoration of the king, praising him for his mighty acts and for who he is, thanking him for what he has done in and through Jesus Christ. Prayer must include confession of sin, asking for forgiveness, and a profession of faith. Prayer is to be worshipped to God. Now once again, as I think about that article that I brought to your attention this morning and the fact that indeed our country has been called upon to pray once again over the past month. Why? Because we're in a desperate time. We're faced with crisis. And that's okay. But what about all of these other things that our country has not done for so long? What about adoration to the King? Praising Him for His mighty acts and for who He is. Thanksgiving to Him for what He has done in and through Jesus Christ. What about confession of sin? Asking for forgiveness and profession of faith. What about worship to God? Paul is also talking here about all forms of prayer. Public prayer, private prayer, secret, domestic, oral, unexpressed prayer in church. Also common praying together as we read about in the book of Acts. Acts 2 verse 42 says that they were continually devoting themselves to the apostles' teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. We know there are many different kinds and forms and circumstances of prayer that if in the Spirit, if done in the Spirit, are indeed true prayer. Some prayer is filled with purpose where the believer knows exactly what he wants to pray for in the Spirit. Other prayer is prayed as a groan or cry of the heart with which the Spirit intercedes on our behalf before God, as we read from Romans 8. But along with prayer in general, Paul also includes specific or particular prayer. He speaks of requests, that is, petitions, supplications. We could say special requests and desires. Of course, we know that God knows exactly what we need long before we even bother to take the time to ask Him. Yet, we are commanded to ask specifically for what we need. We are to pray specifically, which is a way of confessing our total and complete dependence upon Him. Paul says in Philippians 4, verse 6, Be anxious for nothing, but in everything, by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. And beloved, the text says that this is to be done with alertness and with all perseverance. As Paul says, always keep on praying. Persevere. Colossians 4 verse 2 says, Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it, with thanksgiving. We are called to be alert and persevere. That means don't become slack in praying. Don't back off at any time. Always wait in the presence of God, speaking to God, making known your difficulties and problems as well as your joys to Him, taking your requests and your petitions to Him. You see, the devil and his hosts do not retreat easily. Boys and girls, the devil does not back off of the believer easily. And without perseverance in the Spirit, you can only lose heart and faint. Those who are not alert are listless. And they're indifferent. Indifferent to many things, for example, as to what is going on in their own lives, as to what's going on in their homes, in the streets of their city, in their state, in their country, in their church, in their denomination, and in the world. They cannot pray. Because only when you know the promises of God which He speaks to you from His Word can you then in the Spirit persevere and claim those promises as His child and partake of that deep and satisfying communion with God. Young people, indeed, God's Word is filled with His promises for you and I to claim. God's people are to claim His promises through prayer. But the scheme of prayer also goes hand-in-hand with the situation for prayer. In the Spirit, Christian soldiers are called to pray on all occasions. At all times, that is. Of course, Paul is not talking here about praying every minute of every hour of every day. He's not talking about withdrawing from the world like a monk and living in seclusion and doing nothing but praying. But he is talking about praying always, that is, in every season. not summer, winter, fall, that kind of thing, but at all times. Not just in times of crisis or conflict. Not just on special occasions. But beloved, prayer must be a habit in the sense that it is something that we cannot do without. That our day just isn't right if we haven't begun it with the Lord. We are to take all things to God in prayer. You see, Paul calls for determination here in prayer in that I believe that if I do not pray, I cannot stand as I am commanded to. And therefore, beloved, pray when you're on your knees. Pray when you're taking a walk. Pray when you're driving in your car. Of course, obviously with your eyes open. But you get the point, I trust. Don't be slack. Instead, pray without ceasing. You see, Thanksgiving Day and the annual prayer day service This is not just to be one time per year. Proverbs 3, verse 6 says, In all your ways, acknowledge Him. We ought to enjoy more conversation with God in a day than with anyone else. And of course, our perfect example of prayer is our Lord Jesus Christ. Not only did He teach, as Luke 18, verse 1 says, that men ought always to pray and not lose heart, but His life reflected His teaching. We read often in the Gospel accounts that our Savior turned aside to pray. He would spend hours in prayer, even entire nights on His knees in prayer. And Jesus Christ also demonstrated for us then the scope of prayer. Paul says prayer and petition is to be made for all the saints. In John 17, we read that Jesus prayed earnestly for His disciples. And then in verse 20 of that chapter, He says, I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word. Beloved, do you know what that means? That means that even 2,000 years ago, Jesus prayed for those who believe today. He prayed then for His church today. He prayed back then, boys and girls, for you and me as believers who live today in the year 2001. Indeed, beloved, we are called to pray for ourselves in this spiritual conflict. We need God's help. We are to ask Him for it. And the more time that we spend in the presence of God, the stronger we shall be by His grace, and the more effective and the more efficient we will be in our service for Him. But, the scope of true prayer does not begin and end with me. Because we share this conflict with all of God's children. As priests, all believers are called to intercede on behalf of each other. All the saints from the beginning to the end of time have been, are, and will be engaged in the same spiritual battle, but also all are partakers of that common salvation that Jude speaks of. Satan's aim is against every one of God's people, and he constantly shoots his flaming arrows at not just me, not just you, not just at this church, not just at the Christian churches in Escondido or San Diego, or in the U.S., but at all of God's people. We know that some of God's people face persecution for their faith. In fact, in some parts of the world, believers are put to death by having their heads cut off just for reading the Bible. Others, and I fear this may hit a little too close to home, face apathy. A lack of concern for Christ's church and for their brothers and sisters in Christ. And we all know, beloved, that this tends to happen with affluence, which every one of us enjoys. Not always, but the more we have, the more independent we become, and the more we think that we can do it on our own, we don't need anyone, including God. But the point is, all Christians face the common foe. As well, that is why public worship is so important, that together we might be strengthened by the one and same gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. Of course, Satan wants us to think that we are alone in this conflict. He wants to overwhelm us in this way that we have nowhere to turn because no one is in the same situation as I am. But Paul says in 1 Corinthians 10.13, No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man. And we must remember as we are told in 2 Chronicles 20.15, beloved, that the battle is not yours. It's God's. And it is a privilege for us to be allowed to take part in the battle of the Lord, the battle of God, the great crusade of the Eternal One against the devil and all of his forces and powers. All saints are members of one body, and the failure of one hurts the whole army and affects the entire campaign. If one falls and fails, the whole body suffers. If the church, if this church, has ever had to excommunicate someone, how painful that is for everyone. But you see, the devil and his forces rejoice when one Christian falls. We've all seen in our lifetime how the newspaper and the television and the tabloids love to report stories of fallen religious leaders. But on the same page, they have no problem talking about this movie star and that movie star who have been living together for so many years and have this number of children and so forth and so on. Beloved, the Christian soldier is called to pray that every other Christian soldier may stand firm in their position so that Satan cannot make dents in the battle line. Beloved, put on the gospel armor. Each piece put on with prayer. And by the grace of God, exercise that armor with constant prayer. What part does prayer play in your life? Whether you are an infant in the faith or whether you are mature in the faith, what part does prayer play in your life? Is it essential for you? Is it something that you absolutely cannot do without? You see, beloved, without it, you cannot stand firm. You can only faint. You see, our ultimate position as Christians is tested by the character of our prayer life. We need knowledge and understanding of the truth of God and the Gospel of Jesus Christ, don't we? But you see, prayer is no less important. The two go hand in hand. The end to which all knowledge and teaching in Scripture is meant to bring us is to know God, to enjoy fellowship with God, to realize our utter dependence upon Him and the power of His might. And that is mine, beloved, by grace through faith. And the fellowship of faith is enjoyed through prayer. And the more I understand the truth of God and His salvation through Jesus Christ, including the reconciliation that I enjoy with God, then the more I will understand the value and the necessity of prayer. And the more that I will devote my time to prayer and that I will delight in it. Beloved, how can I not pray when I have an advocate seated at the right hand of the Father on my behalf? How can I not pray? Comprehensive prayer is the duty for the Christian soldier, but it is also a delight. It is the ultimate expression of the Christian life. Prayer is the hallmark of the Christian. The armor of the Lord, as we said a number of sermons ago, has been tried. and tested and proven victorious by Jesus Christ. He is the armor for His people, and He clothes and protects those who enjoy communion and fellowship with Him through comprehensive prayer. If you don't pray, then you're not protected. Because the armor of the Lord and prayer go hand in hand. Prayer is the Christian's vital breath. One who is not breathing is not alive. One who does not pray is not a true believer. Apart from fellowship with Christ, with God, Jesus Christ will say, as we've heard many times, Depart from me, for I never knew you. But what comfort, huh? What comfort for those who enjoy that sweet communion with the Lord, because they will stand firm in the strength of the Lord. Beloved, is your life a life of prayer? By the grace of God, may you stand firm on your knees with your head and your heart bowed in sweet communion with the captain of that victorious heavenly army. Amen. Shall we pray? Father, indeed, we know that often our prayers leave so much to be desired. Often we don't know what to pray for. We are disorganized. We are lost. Yet we praise You, O Lord, for the power of Your Spirit, Your Spirit who lives within the hearts of Your people, who intercedes for us, who gives meaning to our prayers. who makes them a sweet perfume, incense, rising to your throne of grace. Father, may we truly understand the place that prayer is to have, that it must have, in the believer's life. May we not be content without it. May we not, indeed, O Lord, leave home without it. We pray that you would always cause us to stand firm by keeping us on our knees in prayer. Father, hear our prayer for Jesus' sake and in His name, Amen.