In writing my book The Battle For Rest I spent a long time studying Ephesians 6 and the armor of God. As I pondered each piece of armor the Holy Spirit impressed upon me the urgent need for the bride of Christ to understand exactly where she finds herself in this world… in the Army of God. Sadly, far too many of the bride do not understand that every day they are standing on the front line and are engaged in battle with the enemy, and they are getting overwhelmed because they did not put on the armor. But that is a subject for another time. I want to focus on “how we are to go into battle.”
I must admit that in writing the book my focus was primarily on verses 14-17 and each piece of the armor and all the implications they have for our walk here on earth. But this morning as I was reading through those verses once again the Holy Spirit stopped me on verse 18.
Eph 6:18 praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watching to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints
I have always taken the word “watching” at face value to mean “looking out” for something, anticipating something. But when I looked up its meaning in the Greek I saw something completely different… agurupneo literally means “lying sleepless.” And my mind immediately thought about all those times that I have awakened in the middle of the night and laid in bed “sleepless,” consumed with the worries, cares and fears of this life. But this verse changed my thinking… spiritual warfare is serious business.
Paul tells us that we are to “lie sleepless,” watching and praying, which are the two keys to how we are to enter into battle. Watching “sights” the enemy as he comes to attack and praying “fights” the enemy. We have to acknowledge that the enemy is “real,” we cannot ignore that we are engaged in a all out war with “real” battles every minute of the day and night. Satan wants to destroy our testimonies, hinder the work of God in our life and harm those who we love… and we take the battle all too lightly. We would be far better served in those sleepless hours by engaging in prayer for our country, the world, our churches, our family and friends and our own spiritual life, because Satan never gives up. He is tireless, persistent, resourceful and above all he is desperate to put off his coming end; doing as much damage in this world as he can in the interim. We, on the other hand, give up too soon.
I was challenged with this verse to consider my response to those sleepless nights. Rather than viewing them as interruptions to my sleep I need to consider them in the same way John Phillips does… When God sends sleepless nights, let us pray. Let us seize insomnia as a gift from God so that “with all perseverance and supplication for all saints” we can turn the quiet night hours into golden moments of communion with God.
Next time you get awakened in the middle of the night, don’t focus on the first thing that enters your mind… ask God why He woke you up and what’s on His mind.