“Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.” – Ephesians 6:10 (NKJV)

Every believer is engaged in a spiritual battle. The Christian life is not a promise that we will never face opposition, temptation, trials, or difficulties. Instead, Scripture teaches us how to stand firm in Christ. Paul describes the believer’s spiritual armour in Ephesians 6:10–18. Interestingly, after describing the different pieces of armour, Paul immediately emphasizes prayer:

“Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit…” — Ephesians 6:18 (NKJV)

This shows us that prayer is not merely another activity in spiritual warfare; it keeps the believer connected to the One who provides the armour and gives the strength to stand.

We are in a spiritual battle.

Ephesians 6:12 (NKJV)

“For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.”

The believer must understand that not every battle should be approached as a human battle. Sometimes what we need is not merely an argument, a complaint, or human effort. We need prayer. Prayer helps us respond to spiritual challenges from the right perspective.

Prayer connects us to God’s strength.

Ephesians 6:10 (NKJV)

“Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.”

Notice the Scripture does not say, “Be strong in yourself.” It says: “Be strong in the Lord.” Our strength comes from God. Prayer is one of the ways we continually draw our strength from Him. When you pray, you are saying:“Lord, I cannot depend on myself. I need Your strength.”

Paul identifies several pieces of the spiritual armour.

A. The Belt of Truth – Ephesians 6:14 – Truth protects us from deception. A believer must know God’s Word and allow it to guide his or her thinking.

B. The Breastplate of Righteousness – Ephesians 6:14 – Righteousness protects the heart. We should pursue a life that honours God rather than deliberately living in sin.

C. The Shoes of the Gospel of Peace – Ephesians 6:15 – The gospel gives us stability and prepares us to represent Christ wherever we go.

D. The Shield of Faith – Ephesians 6:16 – Faith helps us stand when circumstances challenge what we believe.

E. The Helmet of Salvation – Ephesians 6:17 – The helmet protects the head, reminding us to guard our minds and remain grounded in the salvation we have through Christ.

F. The Sword of the Spirit – Ephesians 6:17 – Paul identifies this as the Word of God. Jesus demonstrated the importance of God’s Word when He responded to temptation by saying: “It is written…” — Matthew 4:4, 7, 10

Prayer activates the armour. After describing the armour, Paul says:

Ephesians 6:18 (NKJV)

“Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints.”

This is significant. Paul does not tell believers to put on the armour and then stop. He says: Pray. Keep praying. Stay watchful. Persevere. Pray for others. Prayer keeps us spiritually alert and dependent upon God.

Prayer helps us stand against temptation. Jesus told His disciples:

Matthew 26:41 (NKJV)

“Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

Prayer prepares us before temptation arrives. A believer who develops a consistent prayer life becomes more spiritually conscious and better equipped to recognize situations that can lead away from God’s will.

Prayer is one of the believer’s greatest spiritual privileges and weapons. God has given us His truth, righteousness, peace, faith, salvation, and Word. But He also calls us to remain connected to Him through prayer.

The believer who prays is not saying: “I am strong enough to fight every battle.” The believer who prays is saying: “My strength is in the Lord.”

Action Point: Pray always. You have the spiritual armour to stand in the day of battle.

Confession: My strength is in the Lord. I am able to pray with persistence and consistency.

Related Scripture: Ephesians 6:10-18

Bible Reading: Exodus 37