Luke 22:40
In his letter to the Ephesians, the apostle Paul uses the armor of a Roman soldier as a metaphor for the believer’s spiritual armor: belt, helmet, breastplate, sword, shoes, and shield. But Paul includes something in the Christians preparation for spiritual battle that he did not draw from the Roman military: prayer. That prayer language mirrors what Jesus said to His disciples in the garden of Gethsemane on the night of His arrest and trial. Jesus had just warned Peter about the coming temptation to deny Him and the disciples about the opposition they would face. As the hour of His trial grew near, Jesus admonished His disciples—twice—to pray lest they succumb to the temptations to deny Him and flee from persecution. Waiting until the battle is underway is waiting too late to fight. Fighting begins on our knees as we call upon God for victory over temptation.
