“Faith, and the Word, and prayer”
The word of God. —Ephesians 6:17
Read Ephesians 6:16-20
You could say that the three most important weapons still need to be mentioned. For, what would we do without faith, God’s Word, and prayer?
Paul says, “Above all, [take] the shield of faith” (v.16). Faith is the number one armour in the hour of temptation. This shield can be turned to all sides to ward off the fiery darts of the enemy, the temptations of the devil – violent temptations that burn in your soul set your heart aflame. Faith is the shield with which we are to ward off and snuff out these fiery darts so that they do not damage us. Through faith we are united to the Lord Jesus Christ and live out of Him; He is our strength, we trust and cling to Him and His Word. Through faith in the Saviour all the darts of the enemy are resisted and abolished.
Paul instructs us to “take the helmet of salvation.” The Lord Him-self gives the believer this helmet, which protects him from the blows of the enemy meant to crush his head. This helmet also gives assurance that the victory will be gained. Finally, Paul also mentions “the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” By this sword, enemies are stripped of their power and in some cases changed into believers. Prayer binds together all the other parts of the Christian armour. All of God’s children need this armour so that they may remain standing in the battle against the enemy.
Why does the Bible speak of attacking and defending?