In Ephesians 6, the Apostle Paul urges the church to put on the whole armour of God. What a wonderful picture of the church, strong in the Lord, wrestling against the cosmic powers of darkness, and withstanding all that the devil can throw at her. In terms of the world, the Christians in Ephesus were weak, vulnerable and powerless. But what an encouragement for them to know that they were in fact battle-ready, full equipped with the latest technology (as it were). Who wouldn’t want to go into battle wielding the sword of God’s word (Heb 4:12)?
How encouraging also for us today, when the church is frequently ridiculed from without and dishonoured from within, to know that Christ’s church remains fully equipped for the task ahead. But with the equipment comes a command: “praying at all times in the Spirit (v18).”
What does it mean for Christians to pray in the Spirit? It means to align our prayers with those in heaven, where Christ intercedes on our behalf before the throne of grace (Heb 7:25, Rom 8:34). It is Christ who, when he ascended on high, poured out his Spirit to equip the church for works of service (Eph 4:12). It is Christ who sends the Holy Spirit to convict the world of sin, righteousness, and judgement (Jn 16:8-11). Consequently, as we allow the Spirit to pray in us and through us, we become participants in bringing about Christ’s kingly reign through the proclamation of the gospel and the building up of God’s people.
Paul even gives us an example of such prayer when he asks the Ephesians to intercede for him, that he might have the right words to boldly declare the mystery of the Gospel (Eph 4:12, see also Rom 15:30, Phil 1:19, Col 4:3, 2 Thess 3:1). Colossians 4 gives another example, this time of Epaphras, wrestling in prayer for the church to stand firm and to be fully mature (verse 12). In these cases, to be praying in the Spirit is to be praying for the clear and courageous proclamation of the Gospel and for the church to reach her full maturity in Christ. These examples, of course, are but part of a wider prayer agenda set for the church in 1 Timothy 2:1–7.
Is the church in New Zealand praying in the Spirit in this way? The church might set all kinds of goals and priorities for the future – these are good and have their place. But what really matters is whether we are praying in the Spirit and aligning our prayers with those of heaven. For when we do so, no weapon forged against us will prevail (Matt 16:18, Is 54:11).
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