Ephesians 6:10-18a - The Enablement of Prayer

Today we return to our sermon series in Luke, Jesus: The Savior of the World. As we reenter the narrative in chapter 11, we find Jesus teaching on prayer. Before hearing Jesus on prayer in Luke 11, we’re turning to the foundation of prayer in Ephesians 6, where Paul shows us that true prayer happens only through the Spirit as we put on Christ in the midst of spiritual battle.

Now, before we read our text, it helps to remember that Paul’s letter to the Ephesians begins with a rich theological foundation. The early chapters exalt the triune God for His redemptive work: the Father’s choosing, the Son’s redeeming, and the Spirit’s sealing. Paul then prays that we would grasp the power and love of Christ. Flowing from this, he calls the church to walk in unity, holiness, and wisdom, being filled with the Spirit in all their relationships.

Now in chapter 6, Paul brings this to a climax by framing the Christian life as spiritual warfare. We cannot stand on our own, we need God’s armor and the Spirit’s power in prayer. In this passage, prayer is not an isolated discipline, but the very means by which believers, together, stand firm, wield the Word of God, and resist the devil’s schemes.

This was especially urgent for the Ephesians. Their city was saturated with idolatry, magic, and demonic practices (Acts 19). People blended Roman gods, occult rituals, and emperor worship. In such a dark spiritual climate, Paul’s call to Spirit-empowered prayer was not optional, it was essential.

This wasn’t optional for the Ephesians, and it’s not optional for us. Though we may not see temples to Artemis or public exorcists, very real idols remain: the worship of materialism, nature, autonomy, even Satan. These same spiritual forces of evil are still active, seeking to destroy our families, churches, and cities. But God has not left us defenseless. There is strength. There is armor. There is a way to stand firm and even advance.

And it all comes down to this: through Spirit-enabled prayer, we are clothed with the armor of Christ, our conquering King. Listen now as we read Ephesians 6:10–18a.

Ephesians 6:10–18 ESV

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication.

This text shows us that… 

True prayer is Spirit-enabled dependence in spiritual battle

Verses 11–12 make clear that we are not on a Carnival cruise but in the midst of a deadly spiritual war. The Christian life is a battlefield, not a vacation. We are on the deck of a battleship engaged in cosmic combat against the most evil and powerful forces in existence. These rulers, authorities, and cosmic powers are strategically attacking with everything they have, through world systems, media, ideologies, false religions, and cultural pressure points. Their aim is to deceive, divide, and destroy the people of God.

This war cannot be fought with physical strength or clever tactics. That’s why Paul begins in verse 10 with a call to be “strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might.” Our own strength is nowhere in view, only God’s. In Him alone is the might powerful enough to resist the schemes of the devil, protect His people, and take kingdom ground.

But how do we access that strength? Verses 13–17 tell us: we put on the whole armor of God. But this armor isn’t just a list of virtues, it’s a person. We are not merely clothing ourselves with good spiritual disciples; we are putting on Christ Himself. The belt of truth? Jesus is the Truth. The breastplate of righteousness? His righteousness covers us. The sword of the Spirit? That’s the Word of Christ. The armor of God is Christ, and to put it on is to be clothed in Him.

And how do we do that? Verse 18 tells us: we pray at all times in the Spirit. Prayer is how we engage the battle. It is the Spirit who empowers our prayers, who connects us to the resources of heaven, and who deepens our union with Christ. Prayer is not merely asking for things; it is participating in the battle by depending on the strength of God.

So this passage shows us that true prayer is Spirit-enabled dependence in the midst of spiritual warfare. It is how we stand firm, how we wield the Word, how we resist the devil. It’s not just one piece of the armor, it’s how all of it is put on and used.

Trying to pray without the Spirit is like trying to speak without breath, you might move your mouth, but there’s no life in it. Just as breath gives power to words, the Spirit gives power to prayer. And it is through Spirit-enabled prayer that we are clothed with Christ.

This armor, this power, this constant communion with the Triune God through prayer, it’s all ours in Christ. But there’s a problem. Even though the Spirit is willing, the flesh is weak. Even though Christ has given us access, we often live like we’re still on our own.

Let’s be honest: in this battle…

We often rely on the flesh: praying from duty, fear, or as a last resort

Ever since the fall, we have resisted dependence on God. Verse 10 calls us to be strong in the Lord, but we often try to be strong in ourselves. Imagine being on a naval warship during battle, but instead of calling for air support, you're sprinting around the deck, crafting ammo from scrap metal. That’s what many of us do spiritually. We rely on our strength, our strategies, our wisdom. We want to be in control. We want to be god.

The spiritual forces of evil, as verses 11–12 describe, have exploited this. They’ve schemed us into prayerlessness and spiritual laziness. Some are deceived into thinking there’s no real spiritual battle. Others try to fight in their own strength. Still others numb themselves with entertainment and distraction, ignoring the war entirely. And for many, prayer seems too hard, too uncertain, or just too fruitless to bother.

Verse 13 calls us to stand and resist, but instead, many coast. We've believed the lie that comfort is king, that prayer is optional, that Jesus is an accessory to wear, not our armor. The devil’s tactics have worked: people binge on media, chase performance, or drown in self-doubt, but fail to pick up the armor of Christ.

Verses 14–17 list the weapons we’ve been given, but we often live without them. Instead of the belt of truth, we believe lies about God and ourselves. Instead of Christ’s righteousness, we try to earn our worth. Instead of the gospel of peace, we live anxious and divided. Instead of faith, we walk in fear. Instead of the helmet of salvation, our minds are filled with worldly voices. And the sword of the Spirit, God’s Word, is often left sheathed, unopened.

And so, as verse 18 warns, we do not pray. We don’t pray at all times. We don’t pray in the Spirit. We don’t pray with all kinds of supplication. Barna once reported that only 5% of Christians pray together regularly. That statistic isn’t just sad, it’s revealing. Many don’t pray because they don’t know how. Others pray with no confidence in God’s power. Still others don’t believe prayer makes a difference.

At the root of it all is self-reliance and unbelief. We idolize ease, doubt God's presence, and functionally reject the reality of spiritual warfare. We either ignore the enemy or think we can beat him on our own. All our self-reliance, prayerlessness, and spiritual laziness leaves us exposed. And when we stand in our own strength, we fall. That’s the bad news.

But here’s the good news: we are not left to ourselves. Jesus Christ has already fought and won. The armor is not a metaphor. It’s a person. The good news is that…

Jesus’ prayer for the cup of wrath to pass was denied so we could become God’s children who pray

When we consider the devil’s schemes and the spiritual forces of evil waging war against us, lying, stealing, and destroying, we must admit: we are not strong enough. We need more than strategies or willpower. We need a victorious Commander who has already overcome the enemy. Because these enemies are spiritual, not physical, we need armor that is not of this world.

Jesus is that armor. He is not a metaphor or a model. He is our refuge, our strength, our protection. Fully God and fully man, Jesus has defeated these spiritual powers through His perfect life, His atoning death, His triumphant resurrection, and His glorious ascension.

In His earthly ministry, empowered by the Spirit, Jesus stood against the schemes of the devil. He defeated the enemy’s strategy of death by willingly embracing death Himself. He wrestled with spiritual forces of wickedness, cast out demons, and conquered them not by the sword, but by the cross. He stood before Pilate and the religious leaders, rulers of this age, and allowed Himself to be falsely condemned so that He might conquer sin and death on our behalf.

On the cross, Jesus silenced the lies of the Accuser by becoming the Truth. He absorbed the arrows of guilt and shame in His own flesh. He crushed the head of the serpent even as His heel was pierced. And He did all of this so we could be clothed in Him.

Let me explain how:

• The Belt of Truth (v. 14a): Jesus is the Truth who holds all things together, including the armor we wear. He was stripped so we could be clothed.
• The Breastplate of Righteousness (v. 14b): Jesus became sin so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God. He covers our hearts with His obedience.
• The Shoes of the Gospel of Peace (v. 15): Jesus is our peace. His feet brought good news, and then were nailed to a cross so ours could carry His message.
• The Shield of Faith (v. 16): Jesus is the Faithful One who entrusted Himself to the Father, and now shields us from the arrows of the enemy through our trust in Him.
• The Helmet of Salvation (v. 17a): Jesus, whose name means “Yahweh saves,” guards our minds and secures our identity by His finished work and ongoing presence.
• The Sword of the Spirit, the Word of God (v. 17b): Jesus is the eternal Word who speaks life, truth, and victory into our hearts.
• Spirit-Empowered Prayer (v. 18): Jesus, our great High Priest, gives us access to the throne of grace and sends us the Holy Spirit so that we can pray at all times, in every season, with Spirit-empowered confidence.

This armor Paul describes is not new, it is the very armor of the Messiah. Isaiah saw it long before. In Isaiah 11, the coming King wears righteousness as His breastplate and faithfulness as His belt. In Isaiah 59, the Lord Himself puts on righteousness like a breastplate and a helmet of salvation as He rises to save His people with justice and zeal. When no one else could intercede, the Redeemer came clothed for battle. Paul draws on this vision and shows us that Jesus is the divine warrior foretold by Isaiah. He wore this armor in His earthly ministry and victorious death, and now gives it to us. To “put on the armor of God” is to put on Christ. He is our belt of truth, our breastplate of righteousness, our gospel of peace, our shield of faith, our helmet of salvation, our sword of the Spirit. And through His Spirit, our prayers become participation in His victory. Christ wore the armor for us, won the battle for us, and now clothes us in Himself. Because of His finished work, we don’t just fight like Him, we fight in Him.

On the cross, Jesus took our sin and defeated death so we could live in His life-giving power. Through His resurrection, He gives us the Spirit, enabling us to stand in the battle, not with earthly weapons, but with Christ Himself as our armor.

Do you see what this means? Christ wore our sin so we could wear His strength. He was pierced so we could pray.

This is not merely an image, it’s your new identity.

Clothed in Christ, we pray as Spirit-led, confident children for strength in the spiritual battle

If you are in Christ, you are not only clothed in His righteousness but have also received His Spirit, the very breath of God, who empowers your prayer and equips you for battle. The Spirit opens your eyes to spiritual reality, shows you your need, and gives you the strength to abide in Christ.

We stand in this war not in fear, but with confidence because we stand in Jesus. His armor is our protection. His Word is our sword. His Spirit is our strength. The Spirit enables us to live in constant prayer, not as a duty but as the breath of life, because in prayer, we get more of Jesus.

So how do we abide in Christ and walk in this armor?

• We fasten on the belt of Truth by fixing our minds on Christ and reframing our entire world and life view by His Word.
• We wear the breastplate of righteousness by walking in Christ’s holiness positionally and practically, knowing intimacy with God grows where sin no longer blinds.
• We lace up the gospel of peace by living at peace with one another and proclaiming the peace we have in Christ.
• We raise the shield of faith by trusting the promises of God that are yes and amen in Christ, even when the fiery arrows fly.
• We wear the helmet of salvation by daily renewing our minds with the gospel, and become fluent in it and with it both with ourselves and others.
• We wield the sword of the Spirit by immersing ourselves in the Word of God, the revelation of Jesus Christ: alone, with our families, and with the church.
• We live in constant prayer by asking the Father, through the Son, for the Spirit, to fill us, empower us, and conform us to Christ and give us more of Christ.

You see, this is not theory. This is war. And in Christ, we have access to the radio, calling in the power of the King to rout the enemy and advance His kingdom.

As the Spirit empowers you to pray at all times, you may find yourself praying for the very ability to pray. Instead of trying to be a praying temple in your own strength, you might just see that the strength to pray is in the Lord and the strength of His might, not your grit. And this prayer, the Father delights in, and because Christ is our High Priest always living to make intercession for us, the Father and the Son will send the Spirit and fill your lungs with the breath of prayer.

And your prayers will begin to take on another form altogether. Instead of praying for relief from hard things, you might just find yourself praying to know the fellowship of Christ’s suffering so you can experience the power of His resurrection and know Him better…deeper.

And as the Spirit reveals the reality of the spiritual battle we are in, your prayers might just take on a greater sense of urgency. Instead of simply praying over your morning meal, you might find yourself truly praying to be lead away from temptation, praying against temptation into your common and habitual sins, and praying that God would deliver you from the attacks of the evil one. In other words, the Spirit will enable you to pray the spirit and heart of the Lord’s prayer in your life….He will enable your prayers

Maybe today you realize you've been fighting alone. You've been wearing broken armor or no armor at all. You’ve tried to manage, to push through, but you’re tired. You don’t have to stay there. Lay down your pride. Admit your weakness. And trust in Jesus, the Risen King, your Strong Deliverer. He has conquered death. He clothes His people in His righteousness. And by His Spirit, He empowers us to pray as sons and daughters of the King.

By His Spirit, you can be clothed in Christ today. You can live in His protection. You can fight in His strength. You can pray, not as a ritual, but as a warrior in communion with your King.
You are no longer alone. You are no longer weak. In Christ, clothed and empowered, you are equipped to stand firm and take ground, all for the glory of the Father.