Supply Lines for Spiritual Battle

Prayer: Battlefield Communications

Ephesians 6:18-20

Until we know that life is war, we cannot know what prayer is for.

That statement from John Piper is probably one of the simplest and most helpful statements on prayer I’ve ever encountered. In his book Let the Nations Be Glad, Piper expands on this idea.

Prayer is primarily a wartime walkie-talkie for the mission of the church as it advances against the powers of darkness and unbelief. It is not surprising that prayer malfunctions when we try to make it a domestic intercom to call upstairs for more comforts in the den. God has given us prayer as a wartime walkie-talkie so that we can call headquarters for everything we need as the kingdom of Christ advances in the world. Prayer gives us the significance of frontline forces and gives God the glory of a limitless Provider.

In Ephesians 6:18-20, Paul places prayer in the context of the battlefield. This is not a picture of prayer set in the serenity of a quiet garden where believers take leisurely walks of peaceful reflection. Instead, we need to see prayer more like a soldier calling in air strikes while shells explode, bullets fly, the smell of gunpowder is in the air, and men are fighting for their lives.

It is no mistake that the discussion of spiritual warfare culminates with a call to prayer. Set in this context, it is clear that prayer is not to be seen as a convenience of comfort but a necessity for survival. Prayer is a form of battlefield communication.

The importance of such communication systems may be seen in how such systems are priority targets in warfare. In the first and second Iraq wars, some of the first targets for airstrikes were communication systems. If the enemy can be cut off and isolated, he is more easily defeated. This is also true in spiritual terms. That is why prayer is essential for the spiritual soldier.

In verse 18, we are given a serious call to battlefield prayer. We are told what to pray, when to pray, how to pray, and for whom to pray. Then, in verse 19, we are given a specific example of how to pray in connection with the advance of the gospel.

Now, let’s look closely at how prayer functions in the battlefield.

I. A Serious Call to Battlefield Prayer

A. Prayer connected to spiritual warfare.

            1. The grammar of the passage indicates that the action of

                prayer is something which is to happen simultaneous with

                the appropriation of the spiritual armor. The two key action

                words in v. 18 are “pray” and “be on the alert.” Both of them

                are present participles which indicate they are happening

                with the action of the main thought in v. 14 which is

                standing firm in battle.

            2. Thus, prayer is not seen as a separate piece of armor but an

                ongoing activity which undergirds and supports the soldier

                as he stands firm in battle. The idea is that as you stand you

                are praying.

B. Key elements in battlefield prayer.

            1. What is this prayer? Two words for prayer are used.

                        a. proseuchomai = general term for prayer, means to

                            speak to God, to pray.

                        b. deesis = specific request based on an urgent need.

                        c. So, battlefield prayer is asking God to provide for

                            specific needs made urgent by the intensity of battle.

            2. When are we to pray? The text tells us we are to pray at all

                 times.

                        a. The word for times here in v. 18 is the same word we

                            encountered in 5:16 – kairos. As opposed to chronos

                            which is clock time, kairos refers to occasions or

                            opportunities.

                        b. The idea is that we are to pray regularly and

                            constantly. It is not that every tick of the clock we are

                            in a posture of formal prayer. Rather, it is that our

                            lifestyle is characterized by regular prayer which is

                            never abandoned. In all situations, in every twist and

                            turn of the battle, we are praying.

3. How are we to pray? Three descriptive statements help us

    see how to pray.

            a. In the Spirit = directed by and in the power of the

                Spirit. This is not a reference to tongues or any kind

                of unusual spiritual utterance. It is normal prayer that

                is offered in the name of Jesus and in the power of  

                the Holy Spirit.

            b. Alertness = literally to be awake, on the watch. The

                concepts of watchfulness and prayer were connected

                by Jesus in his words to his disciples. We are to pray

                with an awareness and alertness of the enemy and

                our own susceptibility to his schemes.

            c. with all perseverance = We are not to give up in our

                prayer. We are to be persistent and endure in prayer.

                Soldiers are not to give up or fall asleep at their post.

4. For whom are we to pray? For all the saints. We pray for

    all our fellow soldiers in battle. It is certainly not wrong to

    pray for oneself. However, the bulk of our praying should

    be for others. There are others who are in the heat of the

    battle who are under siege with trials and whose needs are

    great. We are to pray on their behalf.