What Is the Link Between Praying in the Spirit and the Armor of God?

Prayer armor, or praying on all occasions in the Spirit is Paul’s next admonition to the church after he talks about the armor of God. He uses the term praying all ways or at all times. During the turn of the 20th century, there was a great outpouring of the Spirit of God that began in Los Angeles at a place called Azusa. The Azusa Street revival of 1906 led to the spread of the Pentecostal faith, including speaking in tongues and the Baptism in the Holy Spirit, throughout the US and the across the world. The movement further inspired missionaries and helped to break down racial separations.¹ The power of God fell mighty for several years at Azusa but not only there, that same move took place simultaneously in other parts of the world, places like India and Sri Lanka. Here is just one story. “Miss Minnie Abrams tells of a meeting held by one of the Mukti bands in Anrangabad in 1906. It was in the Church Missionary Society schoolroom. A little girl of nine was wonderfully anointed with prayer. Before going back to the Church Missionary Society boarding school in Bombay, from which she had come for a vacation, she asked her father if anyone might receive the Holy Spirit. He told her that God would give the Holy Spirit to all who asked Him. On returning to the school she succeeded in getting four girls to join her in prayer, daily, for the Holy Spirit. Upon one of these, a girl of sixteen, the Holy Spirit was poured out with the speaking in tongues. She asked daily to retire to a room for prayer. She would become oblivious to her surroundings and time, wholly occupied in communion with God, praying always aloud. When it was discovered that she was speaking in a language not understood, Canon Haywood was brought in. He decided this might be the speaking in tongues he had heard about, and took measures to find out what she was saying. In the cosmopolitan city of Bombay where many languages were spoken, he found one who could understand much of what she said. She was pleading with God for Libya, in North Africa. She did not always speak the same language.{2. Stanley Howard Frodsham, With Signs Following: The Story of the Pentecostal Revival in the Twentieth Century, Revised Edition. (Springfield, MO: Gospel Publishing House, 1946), 109–110.] The Spirit of God fell on this young girl and she continued to pray is the record we have. Stories like this where the power of God falls and lives are changed is what we are talking about today as we ask the question – What Is the Link Between Praying in the Spirit and the Armor of God? That’s our focus on this week’s Light on Life.

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How To Put On And Step Out With The Whole Armor Of God

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Study these individual pieces of armor and maintain the spiritual attitudes that they represent.

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Testimony is vital to a believer’s life. We overcome by it (Rev. 12:11). Each week’s podcast also contains a question designed to encourage testimony.
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Question: How has your prayer life changed since you have practiced God’s Word and put on the whole armor of God? Share your story in the comments section below.

Episode Resources:

We are currently teaching in the book of Ephesians. You can click on the links below to listen to some of these podcasts.

About Emery

Emery committed his life to the Lord Jesus Christ over 45 years ago and has served as both a full-time pastor and an itinerant minister. He and his wife Sharon of 40 years emphasize personal growth and development through the Word of God. The ministry of the Holy Spirit is the focus and the hallmark of their mission. Read more about them here.

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Podcast Notes

Prayer Armor: In the Spirit

Ephesians 6:18–20 (ESV): 18 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, 19 and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak.

Here we are we are now down to verse eighteen of Ephesians six.
We have already covered the Loin Belt of Truth, the Breastplate of Righteousness, the Gospel Shoes of Peace, the Shield of Faith, and the Sword of the Spirit.
Notice as we have gone through each individual piece that there is no piece of armor for the back.
The Jesus follower is supposed to stand not run.
He should never expose his back.

Luke 9:57–62 (ESV) — 57 As they were going along the road, someone said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.” 58 And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.” 59 To another he said, “Follow me.” But he said, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.” 60 And Jesus said to him, “Leave the dead to bury their own dead. But as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God.” 61 Yet another said, “I will follow you, Lord, but let me first say farewell to those at my home.” 62 Jesus said to him, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.”

We are not looking back — we are not thinking back — and we certainly are not acting back.
No, we are looking forward, and pressing toward the mark of the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus
There has to be something about these pieces of armor that we have been discussing that helps us with our prayer lives.
We know that because as soon as Paul finishes speaking about the armor of God, the next place he goes is this subject of prayer.
In fact, Paul goes ‘all in’ on this subject.
Notice how many times the word ‘all’ is used in this passage we read.
Let’s read it again and listen for the emphasis.

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,

Did you hear it?: All times, all prayer, all supplication, and all perseverance.
Let the totality of this sink in as it relates to the armor of God.
There’s a total link between the armor of God and prayer.
Let’s talk about the area of prayer as it links to the armor.
Prayer is its own subject for sure.
There are different kinds of prayer.
Rules come into play for these different kinds of prayer.
We can talk about the prayer of faith and how it is a little different than the prayer of thanksgiving or the prayer of intercession.
We can easily talk about all kinds of aspects in this regard.
Prayer is a multi-faceted diamond of a subject.
But, the context of this passage, up to this point, has been the armor of God.
The armor of God leads us into this part about prayer.
It’s like the armor of God is a river that leads us to the ocean called prayer.
It’s that link that we should try and understand and not just look at prayer as a subject.
We put on the whole armor of God because all these pieces are linked together.
You put on all the armor, not just the pieces you think you need or the ones you happen to like.
Ask a Roman soldier what it would be like to go to war with all the pieces of armor but you know that breastplate is just too heavy – I don’t want to wear it so I think I just lay that aside.
What type of potential problems, what kind of dangers, do you think this soldier is opening himself up to with this mindset?
We put on the whole armor so that we can stand.
We’ve seen that over and over again.
So, the flow of this scripture says we are completely dressed — we are fully standing and we are praying.
What do you think here?
Does prayer make the armor work or does the armor make prayer work?
I believe it’s the latter.
There is something about the Helmet of Salvation that impacts the prayer life.
Something about the Breastplate of Righteousness impacts our praying.
What about the shield of faith?
Do you think faith might have a little bit to do with you talking to God?
Each of these pieces of armor assists you in your prayer journey.
Let’s take a look at some of these connections.

The Armor of God: Prayer and the Breastplate of Righteousness

In a previous podcast, we put the Breastplate of Righteousness under a microscope.
We saw that righteousness has two parts: the state of righteousness which is our standing with God.
The second part is doing the right thing because it’s the right thing to do.
Both of these have a tremendous impact on the prayer life.
Here is the first part in scripture.

2 Corinthians 5:21 (ESV) — For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

Simply put: Jesus became what you were so that you might become what He is.
And what is He? — sinless.
So, when you pray, when you approach God, you do so from a sinless standpoint because you have been declared righteous.

John 9:12–15, 24–25, 29–33 (ESV) — 13 They brought to the Pharisees the man who had formerly been blind. 14 Now it was a Sabbath day when Jesus made the mud and opened his eyes. 15 So the Pharisees again asked him how he had received his sight. And he said to them, “He put mud on my eyes, and I washed, and I see.” … 24 So for the second time they called the man who had been blind and said to him, “Give glory to God. We know that this man is a sinner.” 25 He answered, “Whether he is a sinner I do not know. One thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see…” 29 We know that God has spoken to Moses, but as for this man, we do not know where he comes from.” 30 The man answered, “Why, this is an amazing thing! You do not know where he comes from, and yet he opened my eyes. 31 We know that God does not listen to sinners, but if anyone is a worshiper of God and does his will, God listens to him.

Now, this man is partly right and partly wrong.
You have to be in a relationship with God to be consistently heard.
God does hear a sinner’s cry.
If He didn’t, no one would ever be born again.
You’ve heard the testimonies of people who have cried out to God at some point, and prayed this prayer, “I don’t know if you are real, but if you are out there save me out of this situation.’
So, in one sense God does hear sinners and in another, He does not.
But, this doesn’t matter where you are concerned because guess what?
You are not a sinner.
You are the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus.
Then there is the other side of righteousness that affects the prayer life.
Righteousness is also doing right — doing the right thing because it’s the right thing to do.
What happens when you don’t do right?
Your heart bothers you — your spirit is grieved.
Conviction comes.
It’s hard to have a sense that God will answer your prayer when your spirit is throbbing with conviction.

Ephesians 4:30 (ESV) — 30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.

The noise of this kind of grief is deafening to the spirit man.
The consternation affects the prayer life.
People inadvertently do the one thing they should never do in this situation: they run from God.
Well, when you run from God, you’re not praying for your President.
When you run from God as Jonah did, you’re not interceding for your pastor.
Your focus is all on yourself.
Paul said here in the passage we are studying today that we should pray.

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, 19 and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel,

The phrase, ‘at all times’ means on every occasion.
You see Paul is asking for prayer on this occasion.
He is asking that words be given to him.
The Greek for ‘that words be given to me’ is logos.
So, Paul is praying for utterance — he is also asking for boldness to deliver the utterance.
The word boldness means free speech.
Putting this all together, Paul is asking that the Word be given and that he can deliver that Word in a free manner independent of the scorns of men.
This is a great prayer to pray for anyone in ministry.
Pray for the right word and pray for the ability to share it unhindered.
Pray this for your pastor, pray this for your Sunday School teacher — my, my pray this for me.
Now, Paul assumes that when he asks this of the Ephesians that they have their armor on — that they have their Breastplate of Righteousness firmly in place.
So, they can pray this prayer.
What if they didn’t?
What does that look like when you miss it and sin?
Here’s what it looks like — never run from Jesus when you sin — always run to Him.
As soon as you miss it, repent.

1 John 1:9 (ESV) — 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

When you sin, there’s a problem between you and Him.
It’s kind of like parents and children.
If you messed up, and you know your parents are a little miffed with you, is it easy to go ask them for favors?
Isn’t it easier to ask for good things when everything gets cleared up?
You know sometimes children try to help the process — they try to do a few extra things around the house trying to buy Mom and Dad’s favor.
Aren’t you glad that you don’t have to do God that way?
So here you are, you’ve repented, and asked God to forgive you?
You’ve repented, you know repentance means you’ve changed course — so now what?
You’ve confessed your sins but that sense of conviction lingers.
Well, here is where the Shield of Faith comes in.
Do you believe the record of First John 1:9?
We have already read the record: if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us and cleanse us.
Do you receive that report?
When conviction lingers, do you know that you are forgiven and that God is in a position as a just God to cleanse you as white as snow?
If you turn two chapters over in First John to chapter three, you will find what we are talking about here.

1 John 3:20–22 (ESV) — 20 for whenever our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and he knows everything. 21 Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence before God; 22 and whatever we ask we receive from him, because we keep his commandments and do what pleases him.

The Greek word here for condemn is the one we want to look at and, with that thought, here is the Definition of the Day.
The word condemn means to convict.
So, we can read this as ‘whenever our heart convicts us, God is greater than that.
How is God greater than your heart?
He is greater in this area of forgiveness.
God is superior in this area of cleansing.
Now the rest of this is what I have been talking about — how sin or a lack of a sense of righteousness affects the prayer life.

Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence before God; 22 and whatever we ask we receive from him, because we keep his commandments and do what pleases him.

So, what you read here is the definitive connection between conviction and the prayer life.
That leads us to the next piece of armor that affects the prayer life.

The Armor of God: Prayer and the Shield of Faith

The just shall live by faith, that’s a Bible fact — a fact that’s reiterated four different times in scripture

Habakkuk 2:4 (KJV) — 4 Behold, his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him: But the just shall live by his faith.

Romans 1:17 (KJV) — 17 For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.

Galatians 3:11. (KJV) — 11 But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith.

Hebrews 10:38 (KJV) — 38 Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him.

What you live by, you exist by.
Faith impacts every area of your life.
It is part and parcel of all the pieces of armor.
Faith is believing and acting like what God said is true.
Do you believe and act like what God said about salvation is true? – that’s the Helmet of Salvation.
What about believing and acting like what God said about truth? – that’s the Loin Belt of Truth.
Do you believe and act like what God said about the sword of the Spirit is true? – that’s the Sword of the Spirit.
You can ask the same question about the Gospel Shoes of Peace.
Here is a connecting verse for you that links faith and prayer together.

James 1:5–8 (ESV) — 5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. 6 But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. 7 For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; 8 he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.

In this passage in James, we have the case study of a person who needs wisdom and how he goes about trying to acquire it.
This man prays — he talks to God.
But, there is a problem with his approach.
He doesn’t ask in faith — he is wavering, he is doubting, he is all over the place.
The Greek word ‘waver’ gives us a clue to the ineffectiveness of this man’s course of action.
The word ‘waver’ means to doubt; to stand between two opinions unable to decide which opinion to hold.
A wavering man is an uncertain man, an indecisive man.
He is flopping like a carp on dry ground when it comes to believing God or as the scripture puts it – he is driven and tossed around like waves.
The Greek word for ‘waves’ references the surging kind of waves — you could say intense rough water.
We are talking waves so severe as to cause peril to life.
This exact word ‘waves’ is used in Luke 8:24 where these are called raging waves.

Luke 8:22–25 (ESV) — One day he got into a boat with his disciples, and he said to them, “Let us go across to the other side of the lake.” So they set out, 23 and as they sailed he fell asleep. And a windstorm came down on the lake, and they were filling with water and were in danger. 24 And they went and woke him, saying, “Master, Master, we are perishing!” And he awoke and rebuked the wind and the raging waves, and they ceased, and there was a calm. 25 He said to them, “Where is your faith?” And they were afraid, and they marveled, saying to one another, “Who then is this, that he commands even winds and water, and they obey him?”

Jesus rebuked the wind and the raging waves both together.
His rebuke was highly effective.
The winds ceased and there was a great calm.
Jesus then leaned over to His disciples and asked them, ‘Where is your faith.’
Implying that they could do the same thing as He had done.
The difference in this story is that Jesus was asleep as these events unfolded.
He woke up from sleep rebuking not praying.
Both involve faith.
So, faith works by praying, and faith works by saying.
That’s just a side note here.
Getting back to the main line, this person who is asking for wisdom that James references is impacted by not only the waves but also the high winds.
He is like a wave of the sea driven by the wind as the scripture states.
He is blown up here and there and tossed about.
The wind moves him.
Are you moved by the winds of doubt?
Now we have another that comes into play which describes this whole ocean or lake-going weather affair, the word double-minded.
This word describes who is tossed about, driven by the winds of the moment after he has asked God for something in prayer.
The word ‘double-minded’ literally translates as a person of ‘two souls’ or of two minds.
Double-minded means fickle, doubting, or hesitating.
This word is used only by James in the New Testament.
There is a verse in the Old Testament that point to this same double-minded, two-souled person.
It’s located in the Psalms.

Psalm 12:2 (ESV) — Everyone utters lies to his neighbor; with flattering lips and a double heart they speak.

The result of being double-minded is the next word we want to look at, the word unstable.
You’ve asked God for something but really didn’t believe that you would receive it.
You flopped all around – driven around, tossed around – you are up, you are down — you are all over the place.
The bottom line is that you are unstable as the Scripture puts it.
The word ‘unstable’ means restless.
Restless is opposed to being settled — being sure — being certain — being confident.
So, I think you should be able to see how these individual pieces of armor link to the prayer life.
We looked at two of these pieces today.
You can do a study yourself and see how the other pieces of armor link as well.
Did you get anything out of this podcast?

Father God, thank you for the privilege of being able to come to the Throne of God in prayer. I thank you for this sir and I appreciate the Awesome Holy Spirit of God actually who comes alongside of us to help us to pray. Thank your the armor that helps us to stand certain and sure in Jesus Name, Amen.

You guys have a great God week, and we will see you next time for another edition of Light on Life.

#001: Does the Holy Spirit Speak Today? [Podcast]

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References:

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What Is the Link Between Praying in the Spirit and the Armor of God?

Podcast: Light on Life Season Ten Episode Sixteen

by Emery Horvath

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Join the Conversation

Episode Resources:

We are currently teaching in the book of Ephesians. You can click on the links below to listen to some of these podcasts.

About Emery

Subscribe to the Podcast

Share the Love

Podcast Notes

Prayer Armor: In the Spirit

The Armor of God: Prayer and the Breastplate of Righteousness

The Armor of God: Prayer and the Shield of Faith

Listen to the Audio

Click to Listen | Right Click to Download |Subscribe in PlayerFM

Read the Notes

Accept the Challenge

Join the Conversation

Episode Resources:

We are currently teaching in the book of Ephesians. You can click on the links below to listen to some of these podcasts.

About Emery

Subscribe to the Podcast

Share the Love

Podcast Notes

Prayer Armor: In the Spirit

The Armor of God: Prayer and the Breastplate of Righteousness

The Armor of God: Prayer and the Shield of Faith

Related posts: