The Armor of God: How to Put God's Armor on

This is the sixth and final segment in my sermon entitled, "The Armor of God", delivered to Marion Park on 8/15/09. Before reading on make sure you've read Ephesians 6:10-20.

III. How to Put God's Armor on

Well, this leaves only one question to be answered, that Paul goes on to make clear for us. And that question is, how do we put this armor on? If it is really God's armor, how does this get applied to us in our daily lives? How do we put on Jesus' armor, with all its various pieces? Look with me at Paul's answer to this in verses 18-20.

(Eph 18-20) "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, and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak."

The chief way that we are to invest ourselves with God's armor, to put it on, to strap on all the various pieces, is to pray it on. Pray on the armor of God. This is mystical, spiritual armor that we have been talking about, and the only way to put it on is by something as mystical as prayer. There's no five-step method for putting on God's armor. It doesn't work that way. You must pray on God's armor. So Paul gives us four instructions about how to pray on God's armor: 1. Pray in the Spirit Always, 2. Keep Alert with all perseverance, 3. Make Supplication for All the Saints, 4. Pray for the Advance of the Gospel.

1. Pray in the Spirit Always

Paul tells us to pray at ALL times in the Spirit, with ALL prayer and supplication, in order to emphasize the fact that there is no time when prayer is not essential. All days, all hours, all moments are evil, and therefore we should always be praying in the power of the Holy Spirit. We need always to be relying on his strength and not our own, because it is only in HIS might and on the basis of HIS victory that we will be able to withstand the onslaught. Pray in the Spirit always.

2. Keep Alert with all perseverance

Think of the disciples, who could not watch with Christ and pray one hour, but fell asleep. Aren't you grateful that Jesus stayed awake, even when his disciples did not, so that we might be able to follow his example rather than theirs. If they couldn't stay awake, how can we? Unless the Lord by His Spirit gives us supernatural resources of alertness. May we be found on our knees and not on our backs when the hour of testing comes. Do not let the evil day find you in spiritual slumber, but awake and watchful. Keep alert with all perseverance

3. Make Supplication for All the Saints

Jesus knows the liberating joy of praying for others right in the midst of our own evil day. Remember how moments before his own betrayal he said to Peter, "Satan has asked to sift you like wheat, but I have prayed for you, that your faith may not fail." There is a steadying in our faith that comes when we pray for others. It leads us out of being consumed with ourselves, and at the same time it applies to ourselves the very things that we are able to pray with so much more surety for others. Make supplication for all the saints.

4. Pray for the Advance of the Gospel

When we pray for the advance of the gospel, we get a vision for the bigger picture. It is hard for a soldier to man his post with watchfulness when he does not see the big picture of the war he is fighting in. We should often remind ourselves of the great advances of the gospel all around the world, and we should pray for the furtherance of God's purposes for the whole universe, in addition to their furtherance in our own heart. Pray for the advance of the gospel.

I'd like to close with a quote from Kent Hughes, the former Senior Pastor of College Church. He explains the importance of prayer for the spiritual battle we're in in this way at the beginning of the chapter on Prayer from his classic book, Disciplines of a Godly Man. Speaking of this passage from Ephesians he writes:

"The Scriptural setting for the classic text on petitionary prayer could scarcely be more dramatic -- it is a soldier preparing for battle. His heart pounds ka-thump, ka-thump under his metal breastplate. As he steadies himself, he hitches up his armor belt and scuffs at the earth like a football player with his studded boots, testing his traction. He repeatedly draws his great shield across his body in anticipation of the fiery barrages to come. Reflexively he reaches up and repositions his helmet. He gingerly tests the edge of his sword and slips it back into his scabbard.

"The enemy approaches. Swords pulled from their scabbards ring in chilling symphony. The warriors stand motionless, breathing in dreadful spasms.

"And then the believing soldier does the most astounding thing. He falls to his knees in deep, profound, petitionary prayer."

Kent Hughes is right. In a battle, not against flesh and blood, but against spiritual forces of evil, nothing makes more sense in the evil day than to pray. Let's do just that now.