Ｇ
Receive "the sword of the Spirit, which Spirit is the word of God" (Eph. 6:17b):
１
Among the six items of God's armor, the sword of the Spirit is the only one for attacking the outward enemy and the inward adversary; with the sword we cut the outward enemy and the subjective, inward adversary to pieces.
２
Christ as the Spirit and the word furnishes us with a sword as an offensive weapon to defeat and slay the negative elements in our being; as we pray-read the Word, eventually the self, the worst foe of all, will be put to death.
３
When the logos (the constant word in the Bible) becomes the rhema (the present, instant, living, and personal speaking of the Spirit) to us, this rhema is the sword that cuts the adversary to pieces:
ａ
The more we take in the word with its killing power, the more our pride and all the negative elements within us are put to death; by pray-reading, the inward adversary is slain.
ｂ
In Ephesians 5 the word is for nourishment that leads to the beautifying of the bride (vv. 26-27), but in Ephesians 6 the word is for killing that enables the church to engage in spiritual warfare (vv. 17-18).
Ｈ
"By means of all prayer and petition, praying at every time in spirit and watching unto this in all perseverance and petition concerning all the saints" (v. 18):
１
Prayer may be considered the seventh item of the armor of God because it is the means by which we apply the other items.
２
Prayer is the unique way to apply Christ as the armor of God; it is prayer that makes the armor available to us in a practical way.
３
We need to persevere in prayer because prayer involves a battle, a fight; two parties, God and Satan, are hostile to each other; the third party consists of God's chosen and redeemed people (Col. 4:2; Eph. 6:18; Matt. 26:41; cf. Eph. 5:14; Rom. 13:11-14).
４
In order to fight on God's side against Satan, we need to persevere in prayer; this perseverance is needed because the course of the whole world is away from God (1 John 5:19; cf. John 14:30; 16:33).
５
Before we try to persevere in prayer, we should first make a vow to the Lord concerning our prayer life; we need to say to Him, "Lord, I am desperate about this; I offer myself to You so that I may have a prayer life; Lord, keep me in the spirit of prayer; if I forget this or neglect this, I know that You will not forget it; remind me again and again about prayer."
６
Persevering in prayer has many benefits:
ａ
Prayer is the only way that we can set our mind on the things above (Col. 3:2; Heb. 7:25; 8:2; cf. Acts 6:4).
ｂ
Prayer is the way to enter into the Holy of Holies and come forward to the throne of grace so that we may receive mercy and find grace to meet our timely need (Heb. 4:16); when we pray, approaching the throne of grace, grace will become a river flowing in us and supplying us (Hymns, #770).
ｃ
The more we pray, the more we experience being one with the Lord, enjoy His presence, and have fellowship with Him; what a marvelous reward!
Morning Nourishment
Eph. 6:17-18 ...Receive...the sword of the Spirit, which Spirit is the word of God, by means of all prayer and petition, praying at every time in spirit and watching unto this in all perseverance and petition concerning all the saints.Col. 4:2 Persevere in prayer, watching in it with thanksgiving.
Christ as the Spirit and the word furnishes us with a sword as an offensive weapon to defeat and slay the enemy. (Eph. 6:17, footnote 3)
In spiritual warfare we must deal not only with the objective enemy, but even the more with the subjective adversary. Satan is not only the enemy outside us; he is also the adversary inside us....The attacks of the enemy from without are not as serious as those of the adversary from within. To deal with this inward adversary we need to experience the killing power of the word. Yes, the enemy is outside us, but his elements are within our very being....The most difficult foe is the self,...our worst enemy. Many times we are tempted, not by an objective enemy, but by the self, our own inner being. (Life-study of Ephesians, pp. 819-820)
Today's Reading
Because the self is the greatest enemy, we need to experience the killing power of God's word. As we pray-read, we are nourished on the one hand, but certain elements are killed on the other hand....[For example], doubts, hatred, jealousy, pride, or selfishness...can be killed through pray-reading the word....The more we take in the word with its killing power, the more our pride and all the negative elements within us are put to death. By pray-reading, the inward adversary is slain. After a time of pray-reading the word, we may discover that the adversary who was attacking us has disappeared....The battlefield for the spiritual warfare...is within us; in particular it is in our mind.In Ephesians 5 the word is for nourishment that leads to the beautifying of the bride. But in Ephesians 6 the word is for killing that enables the church as the corporate warrior to engage in spiritual warfare.
When the logos, the constant word in the Bible, becomes the instant rhema, this rhema will be the Spirit. This rhema, which becomes the Spirit, is the sword that cuts the enemy to pieces [Eph. 6:17]. (Life-study of Ephesians, pp. 820-821, 548)
The whole armor of God is composed of six items. Prayer may be considered the seventh. It is the unique, crucial, and vital means by which we apply the other items, making the armor available to us in a practical way. (Eph. 6:18, footnote 1)
According to Paul's word in Colossians 4:2,...we need to persevere in prayer because prayer involves a battle, a fight. Two parties, God and Satan, are hostile to each other.
Although the battle raging in the universe is between God and Satan, another party is involved. This third party consists of God's chosen and redeemed people, the ones who will actually decide the outcome of the battle.
In order to fight on God's side against Satan, we need to persevere in prayer. This perseverance is needed because the course of the whole world is away from God. To pray is to go against the current, the trend, in the fallen universe.
We need to say to Him, "Lord, I am desperate about this. I offer myself to You so that I may have a prayer life. Lord, keep me in the spirit of prayer. If I forget this or neglect this, I know that You will not forget it. Remind me again and again about prayer." This kind of prayer may be regarded as a vow made to the Lord.
Persevering in prayer has many benefits. By prayer we set our mind on the things above.
When we pray, we enter into the Holy of Holies and approach the throne of grace [Heb. 4:16]....The more we pray, the more we experience being one with the Lord, and the more we enjoy His presence and have fellowship with Him. What a marvelous reward! (Life-study of Colossians, pp. 577-578, 580-582)
Further Reading: Life-study of Ephesians, msgs. 66, 97; Life-study of Colossians, msg. 65