I just finished reading Roland Bainton’s biography on Martin Luther (Here I Stand: A Life of Martin Luther). Wonderful book on an incredible person. We have much to thank Luther for.

One of those things is his great since of humor. Let me show you what I mean. In dealing with the devil Luther gave this humorous (but commendable) advice:

When I go to bed, the Devil is always waiting for me. When he begins to plague me, I give him the answer: “Devil, I must sleep. That’s God’s command, ‘Work by day. Sleep by night.’ So go away.” If that doesn’t work and he brings out a catalog of sins, I say, “Yes, old fellow, I know all about it. And I know some more you have overlooked. Here are a few extra. Put them down.” If he still won’t quit and presses me hard and accuses me as a sinner, I scorn him and say, “St. Satan, pray for me. Of course you have never done anything wrong in your life. You alone are holy. Go to God and get grace for yourself. If you want to get me all straightened out, I say, ‘Physician, heal thyself.’”

I love Luther’s perfectly sarcastic statements, “St. Satan” and “Physician, heal thyself”. If there is anyone who doesn’t have the right to accuse another of sin it is Satan is Luther’s point. I had never thought about it that way and found Luther’s insight rather encouraging. This doesn’t stop Satan from being the accuser of the brethren (Rev 12:10), but it does remind me that my accuser is a fellow sinner (with no hope of reconciliation or forgiveness!). It also reminds me that my true Accuser (my right Judge) has paid the price for my sin so that I do not have to suffer its eternal consequences (Romans 6:23)!!

By the way, you can download this great book for free at this link.

In preparation for our last study in Ephesians (6:18-24) I was drawn once again to the topic of prayer (from Paul’s words in vv 18-20). As I have studied I have come up with the following summary of prayer. It is not exhaustive by any means but there is enough here to convict and challenge our hearts and minds!

Summary of prayer:

1. It is to be done with fervency (Jam 5:17 [as Elijah did], Luke 22:44 [as Jesus did], sobriety (1 Peter 4:7), devotion (Acts 1:14), constancy/consistency (Rom 12:12), steadfastness (Col 4:2) and sincerity (1 Pet 3:7).
2. It is to be the breath of the believer’s life; 1 Thess 5:17; 2 Thess 1:11; Acts 12:5
3. There can be set times; Acts 3:1; 10:9, 30
4. It can be night and day; 1 Tim 5:5
5. And yet, it is to be at all times; 1 Thess 5:17; Eph 1:16; Phil 4:6-7
6. We can stand and pray (Mark 11:25) or kneel down (Luke 22:41; Acts 9:40; 20:36; 21:5; cf. Matt 26:39; Luke 22:46).
7. It can be accompanied by fasting” (Mtt 17:21; Acts 13:3; 14:23).
8. It is given for others:
9. Our enemies; Luke 6:28; Matt 5:44
10. Fellow believers; 2 Thess 1:11; Col 1:3, 9; 4:3, 12; 1 Thess 5:25; 2 Thess 3:1; Heb 13:18; Rom 15:30; Jam 5:14
11. For all people; 1 Tim 2:1
12. Government authorities; 1 Tim 2:1
13. Prayer can be for:
14. God to fulfill his will in our lives; Rom 1:10; Phlm 4:22
15. Evangelistic effectiveness; Eph 6:18-20; Col 4:3; 2 Thess 3:1
16. Anything; Mark 11:24; Mtt 21:22
17. Christian growth; Eph 1:15ff & 3:15ff; Phil 1:9; 2 Thess 1:11
18. To not fall into temptation; Lk 22:40; Mtt 24:20; 26:41; Mk 14:38
19. Spiritual and physical healing; Acts 5:16
20. It is always through the Spirit and with His help; Eph 6:18; Jude 20; Rom 8:26.
21. It involves worship, supplication, intercession, specific individual prayers, and steadfastness.
22. Prayer and singing go together; Acts 16:25
23. It is part of what happens in the worship service when believers gather; Acts 2:42
24. It is what pastoral leadership is to devote themselves to; Acts 6:4

Based upon Paul’s call in Ephesians 6:11 to ’stand firm against the schemes of the devil, this past Sunday we looked at ten schemes Satan uses tempt us. To refresh our memories I’ve listed them below. Take some time to prayerfully walk through each one to see where you may be weak and then ask the Lord to give you His power to resist them (6:10) and to stand firm (6:13)!

• He snatches the gospel from unbelievers before they can grasp its meaning and submit to it (Mt 13:19); thus blinding their minds to “the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ” (2 Cor 4:4).
• He disguises himself as an angel of light (2 Cor 11:14) and introduces other ‘gospels’ (2 Cor 11:3) and false doctrines (1 Tim 4:1) in order to lead believers away from their devotion to Christ and to further harden the unbelievers disbelief.He places counterfeit Christians (tares) in the church alongside the genuine people of God (Mt 13:24–30).

• He strives to outwit believers by taking advantage of unforgiving attitudes and discord in the church (2 Cor 2:11).
• He brings sexual temptation to those who lack self-control (1 Cor 7:5).
• He uses anger as a means of creating hatred and bitterness in a persons’ life (Eph 4:27).
• He uses personal ambition to destroy us (Acts 5:3).
• He uses the world to distract us (1 Jhn 2:15-17).
• He uses tribulation (1 Thess 3:1-5) and persecution (Rev 2:10) to weaken our faith.
• He roams among God’s people seeking to destroy those who have become vulnerable through not watching and praying for protection from temptation (Mt 26:41; cf. 6:13; 1 Pet 5:8).