Most Christians when reading Ephesians 6:14-17, see the six pieces of armor

mentioned there. However, there are actually seven. The seventh piece of armor

being extremely powerful and effective is the Lance of Prayer.

Ephesians 6:18

praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this

end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints—

Rick Renner’s book “Dressed to Kill”, explained the Lance of Prayer as the seventh

piece of armor. All historians know that Roman soldiers carried a lance as well as

all the other pieces shown in Ephesians 6. If we are going to put on the “whole”

armor of God, we must include the Lance as well.

He states. “When you wield ‘the Lance of Prayer’ and supplication”, this powerful

prayer tool is thrust forward into the spirit realm against the malevolent works of

the adversary. By forcibly hurling this divine instrument into the face of the

enemy, you exercise the power God has given you to stop major obstacles from

developing in your personal life.” It not only affects your personal life, but all that

you put voice to in prayer for your community, your nation and the world.

It all explains so much for me. I have known for quite some time that I was called

to pray. And some of you know that you are called to pray as an “instrument” for

God’s work as well. I knew that what I prayed changed homes, communities,

nations, but this explained for me what I was doing in the spirit. It is a weapon for

the kingdom and against an unseen enemy that we can be highly effective

against.

In the natural, a lance is a long weapon for thrusting and can also be considered a

spear in war.

When you thrust forth the Lance of Prayer and supplication, this powerful prayer

weapon is thrust into the spirit realm against the works of darkness, penetrating

the darkness with the light of Christ, The Word, and the power. There is no

wonder that Satan tries to stop our prayers with distractions and the busyness of

life. He becomes successful in stopping the power of God through us.

In Ephesians 6:18, it says praying always…

On every occasion, each and every opportunity, every time you get a chance, in

every season. It all sounds extremely serious! Probably because it is.

Prayer is a part of our armor. We must take it seriously. Paul said, “Put on the

whole armor…”. If we are not praying, then a part of our lives is exposed and

open for the enemy to get in.

As our prayers are prayed with confidence and boldness, and with love and

intimacy with the Father, God takes our prayers and shoots them out toward the

enemy’s camp, which spears the heart and plans of the enemy. The angels that

hearken to the voice of God’s Word, takes our prayers and fights with them in the

face of the demonic forces and wins battles we eventually see in the natural, but

we fight in the spirit realm. (Psalm 103:20; Dan 10:10-21) Please take time to

read these passages

Your prayers are fighting more than you know. They are changing communities

and homes and individual lives as you thrust the lance of prayer into the spirit

realm. Never take lightly your sacrifice and submission to prayer. Obedience is

the key. Stop and pray when prompted.

You are fighting the good fight of faith and laying hold of the promises of God.

All of heaven smiles and stands ready as you pray and penetrate the forces of

darkness. Many lives thank you for your submission to be a soldier in the army of

the Lord. If they don’t thank you now, they will thank you later.

Next Week: Psalm 91 – Safety in Abiding in the Presence of God”

Everyone loves the Sword. It is the most obvious weapon of war. It is extremely

impressive and effective. However, let’s remember, these spiritual weapons are

not designed for you to run around looking for every devil behind every door.

Trust me, if your light is shining, they will know exactly where you live.

Therefore, these weapons are designed to help equip you so that when battles do

come, you will be prepared to stand against your enemies and take authority over

them with no fear; but achieving total success.

The Loin Belt which represents the written Word of God, the Logos, it is the

stabilizer in our lives. It strengthens and gives us a firm foundation. The Sword of

the Spirit represents the spoken Word of God or the Rhema word. The words from

the Spirit of God to us that guide and bring wisdom and direction each day.

As you speak the written (logos) Word of God, by the inspiration of the Spirit, you

are wielding the Word of God with power and precision. Striking the enemy with

fatal blows that will always bring victory!

John 14:26 (Amplified)

26 But the Comforter (Counselor, Helper, Intercessor, Advocate, Strengthener,

Standby), the Holy Spirit, Whom the Father will send in My name [in My place, to

represent Me and act on My behalf], He will teach you all things. And He will

cause you to recall (will remind you of, bring to your remembrance) everything I

have told you.

Always listen intently to the voice of the Spirit. God didn’t leave us alone to fight

alone. We have amazing weapons at our disposal at all times. Actually, more than

what you see in Ephesians 6.

We have the Name of Jesus, the Blood of Jesus, the power of praying in the Spirit.

They are all powerful and effective.

These specifically spoken, vividly given, unmistakable, undeniable, words from

God have changed the history of mankind.

Examples of men and women that have heard that still small voice and obeyed.

Abraham

Genesis 12:1-4a (NKJV)

Now the Lord had said to Abram:

“Get out of your country,

From your family

And from your father’s house,

To a land that I will show you.

2 I will make you a great nation;

I will bless you

And make your name great;

And you shall be a blessing.

3 I will bless those who bless you,

And I will curse him who curses you;

And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”

4 So Abram departed (as the Lord had spoken to him.)…

It started the course of faith!

Mary

Luke 1:35,38 (NKJV)

35 And the angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you,

and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One

who is to be born will be called the Son of God.

38 Then Mary said, “Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according

to your word.” And the angel departed from her.

It changed our covenant and future!

Her response to the spoken Word, brought our Savior into the world.

That “still small voice” can be the most powerful moment of your life. Listen,

weigh it according to the written Word of God and respond accordingly!

It could be a response that could change the course of history!

Next Week: The Lance of Prayer – “It moves all of heaven and earth”

The Armor of God is not taught in many churches as I believe that it should be. It

is taught in children’s services or in a bible study every now and then. There

needs to be an understanding in the Body of Christ that we are soldiers fighting

every day for our lives to obtain peace, health, prosperity, and eternal life. I want

to know that my name is written in the Lamb’s Book of Life. I want to know how to

fight an enemy that I cannot see. I want to know that I have the weapons and the

“know-how” that I need to win the battles. The war has already been won, but

there are battles we must fight until we go “home”. God has given to us

everything that we need to fight and win the battles in our lives, now let’s learn

how to use them!

The Helmet

The Helmet was a beautiful piece of armor. This hand-crafted piece of armor

looked almost like a piece of art. Engravings and designs were hands sculptured

on each helmet. Each one told a different story. Helmets were very heavy and

made with strong metal and sometimes thickened leather. There were plumes of

horsehairs or feathers that stood very high on the helmet. The helmet was not

meant to be hidden. One could see you coming from a long way off.

Our salvation is the most elaborate and specifically designed gift that God has

given to each of us. Each one of us can tell the story of our salvation experience

and how God specifically created us for His kingdom and for His purpose. Your

salvation was never meant to be hidden but rather to stand out strong and bold

for all to see.

You must know who you are and who you have become. Your salvation has

bought you more than a trip to heaven. It has sealed you into the family of God

and made you greater, stronger, wiser, richer, and more loving than you

may realize. It should become our quest to know not only who God is, but who we

are in this world.

You are the healed!

1 Peter 2:24 (Amplified)

24 He personally carried our sins in His body on the cross [willingly offering

Himself on it, as on an altar of sacrifice], so that we might die to sin [becoming

immune from the penalty and power of sin] and live for righteousness; for by His

wounds you [who believe] have been healed.

You are the redeemed!

Ephesians 1:7 (Amplified)

7 In Him we have redemption [that is, our deliverance and salvation] through His

blood, [which paid the penalty for our sin and resulted in] the forgiveness and

complete pardon of our sin, in accordance with the riches of His grace…

You walk in authority!

Luke 10:19 (Amplified)

19 “Listen carefully: I have given you authority [that you now possess] to tread on

serpents and scorpions, and [the ability to exercise authority] over all the power

of the enemy (Satan); and nothing will [in any way] harm you.”

I have chosen to tell you through the Word of God, because The Word of God

always tells the story better. It teaches us who we are.

Your helmet (Your Salvation) garrisons about your mind and brings you peace and

security. It slowly transforms you into the image of Christ. Walk out your destiny

knowing who you are. Knowing you are the redeemed, the healed, and the one in

authority. Become a life-long learner of Kingdom understanding and intimately

knowing your Father God. You are now a new creature, created in Christ Jesus.

You may ask, “Why must the salvation process be so slow?” Anything worth

learning takes time and effort. When all is said and done, you will come out as

beautiful as pure gold.

Love your salvation journey, you only get to do it once!

Next Week: The Armor of God – The Sword of the Spirit – “That Still Small Voice”

Ephesians 6:16 (NKJV)

“… above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all

the fiery darts of the wicked one.”

“Above all” is a huge statement! Faith is the substance of what we are hoping for.

It is the title deed. Faith is the one thing that pleases God. Faith is what the

believer lives by. Seems extremely important!

Faith is in your mouth, your attitude, your body language, and in your everyday

conversation. When life seems to come up short, consider your WORDS. Even

more than that, consider your attitude. Your face, your body language, which

eventually “springs” from your mouth tells more of the story than your words.

Now that is something to ponder for a moment. (My husband loves when I use

that word.) Think about it!

When I am hurting physically, I tell my body, “YOU ARE HEALED!!” It may not

respond immediately, but I go ahead and act like it did, by faith. However, let’s

have a complete understanding, if you have a broken foot or arm, please go to

the hospital and get it set, so it can heal. God has already put in our bodies

healing properties that know exactly what to do when they are in pain or broken.

Doctors with their “God-given” knowledge, because it is God-given, help us to get

where God intends for us to be. However, it does not negate our responsibility to

live by faith.

Let’s look at our Shield.

I want you to keep in mind that your shield is attached to the Loin Belt (The

Written Word) when not in use. Your faith is attached to the Word of God. Faith

and the Word of God are inseparable. Without the Word of God, your faith will

wane and get weak. Faith must also be used in order to grow.

The scripture goes on to say,

“…with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one.”

Historically, when the soldiers fought in war, they saturated their shields in water

before they went to battle. Why? Because, in this era, the arrows were soaked with

flammable oils and would catch fire when they struck their target. So, when the

fiery arrow would hit the shield saturated in water, it would extinguish the fiery

arrow.

As a believer, we must constantly saturate ourselves with the water of the Word of

God to quench all the fiery darts of the enemy. Constantly staying prepared and

advancing with our shield up and ready.

Our hands of praise, represents our constant faith and acknowledges that we

have God in our life, situations and circumstances. Our praise can adjust our

words, our attitudes, and especially our body language. Our hands held high to a

God that we cannot see, but to a God that we know exists, is Faith! To wave the

banner of our God-given flags (hands) of praise, telling Satan, “I will not accept

what you bring before me, but I will praise my God in the middle of life’s

challenges and “gun fire” all around me, and declare to all, His promises are true.

I believe the Word of God and not what I see at this very moment.”

What you see is temporary, but what God has said is NOW and FOREVER!( 2

Corinthians 4:18)

Remember we live in this world and it “swirls” all around us each day, infecting

our lives with its doom and gloom and sickness and sadness. Therefore, God said

in Proverbs 4:20, “My son, give attention to my words; Incline your ear to my

sayings.21 Do not let them depart from your eyes; Keep them in the midst of your

heart;22 For they are life to those who find them, and health to all their flesh.

Also, Joshua 1:8, “This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you

shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that

is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will

have good success.

Surround yourself with the Word of Faith, keep it strong and active in your heart

and thoughts and especially in your mouth. The Word that we put in us today,

prepares us for the faith we will need tomorrow. So, raise your hands and shout in

victory, “My God Reigns Forever!”

Next Week: The Armor of God – The Helmet of Salvation

“I know that I know, I’m saved”

The more I walk my journey in Christ, the more I realize how important my fight

becomes. Realizing that my firm stand with my armor on is vitally important.

Letting all the forces of darkness and the angelic light know who and what I stand

for. That there is no quit or backing up in me. That is how we must stand each

day. Fully clothed in our armor, which was made for our victory.

The Shoes of the Gospel of Peace demands that you move. The gospel must be

preached and told for all to hear and know the good news and the peace that

Jesus, our Christ, has brought to us.

So, let me tell you a little of what those shoes do.

Ephesians 6:15 (Expanded Bible)

“On your feet wear the ·Good News [Gospel] of peace ·to help you stand strong

[for firm footing; or to be fully prepared].”

If your shoes are not tied and firmly fitted, you could slip and fall and not only

hurt yourself, but others. The Gospel was meant to be taken to the world. So, we

must be prepared for the “storms” and the “rugged mountains” that we must

climb and the “vicious animals” we will surely encounter. Your shoes were

designed for battle and to win the lost!

As a defensive weapon

Joshua 1:8 (NKJV)

8 This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate

in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in

it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good

success.

The shoes are a protective weapon. It protects us from worry and anxiety and

everything else that comes to steal our peace. It is the supernatural power of God

in the gospels that protects our heart and bodies from the enemy. It shields our

minds and our emotions from the wounds and fears that could impair our life of

faith in God. The gospel that compels us and moves us is our true protection that

we firmly apply each day.

As an offensive weapon.

Romans 16:20 (NKJV)

“…And the God of peace will crush Satan under your feet shortly.

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen.”

Physically, the shoes for armor, were far from shoes of peace. They were made to

bring peace, but they were shoes of war. They were totally made to destroy the

enemy.

They were made with metal, brass and fine leather. On the bottom of these shoes

were dangerous spikes that were one to two inches long. One swift kick and the

enemy was crushed.

That is what we must do to the enemy in our lives. Keep him firmly under our

feet. Spike him right into the floor! We can’t do that standing still and standing in

fear. “We do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against powers and

principalities…” (Ephesians 6:12) Recognize your enemy and know that you have

fully won the battle and stand there knowing you are totally victorious.

Jesus is the head of the church, which is His body. If we are connected to the

Head and we are the Body, Satan is under our feet. Satan can never rise above

Jesus and we are connected to the “Head”, so he cannot rise above us, unless we

allow him.

We must keep the gospel fully active and moving in our lives and keep the enemy

right where we want him, crushed and under our feet and totally defeated.

Isaiah 52:7

“How beautiful upon

the mountains

Are the feet of him who brings good news,

Who proclaims peace,

Who brings glad tidings of good things,

Who proclaims salvation,

Who says to Zion,

“Your God reigns!”

…And says to Satan, “And He will reign FOREVER!”

Next Week: The Shield of Faith – “With My Hands Raised High”