Ephesians 6:18 18praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and petition, and to that end, keeping alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints,
The final piece of armor to fight agains the forces of evil is prayer. Prayer was essential for Paul. He often mentions praying for people in his letters. The participle praying (proseuchomenoi) has an imperatival sense of command but is still grammatically dependent upon the idea of taking up the armor from verse 17. Prayer is the action that should be done when all the other armor is taken up. We must ask God to use the various pieces of armor to aid us in our battle. We “take up” the armor “while praying.”
There are various ways to pray. People pray when they are desperate and are simply crying out to God in their pain or uncertainty. Paul is writing about a deeper form of prayer that is in the Spirit. In this way of prayer, a person aligns his or her will with God and finds inner assurance of God’s presence. This does not require a form of prayer language (“speaking in tongues”), which Paul disparages in 1 Corinthians 14, but where our spirits connect with God’s Spirit through faith and an inner sense that comes through the consecrated life. The Holy Spirit binds together the people of God who pray and seek God with all their hearts.
Paul uses two words for prayer. Prayer (proseuchēs) is the most typical word for prayer and is the same word as the participle. Petition (deēseōs) has more of a sense of urgency and need, with God as the one to whom a person prays. The two words used together add emphasis and breadth to prayer. The second word is repeated in the last part of the verse (deēsei), adding addition importance to the need for prayer in our battle against evil.
We pray not only for ourselves but for all the saints, referring to other believers. The unity of the church as the body of Christ should be seen also in how we care for one another in prayer. Prayer can bond a church together in unity. Spiritual strength results when there are people lifting us up in prayer, especially when we are facing trials and temptations that are beyond our personal strength to handle. Pray taps into divine resources. Paul urges the Ephesians to stay alert and vigilant in their battle against evil. This will take perseverance because we do not know what will come next or always see the end of the battle. Perseverance helps strengthen our faith. We lock arms together as we go to the Lord seeking his guidance, strength, and help in our fight against evil. We must always remember that we are on the winning side and that the war has already been won through Jesus’ death and resurrection.
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