SEV Biblia, Chapter 6:18
por toda oracin y ruego orando en todo tiempo en el espíritu, y velando en ello con toda instancia y splica por todos los santos,
Clarke's Bible Commentary - Ephesians 6:18
Verse 18. Praying always] The apostle does not put praying among the armour; had he done so he would have referred it, as he has done all the rest, to some of the Grecian armour; but as he does not do this, therefore we conclude that his account of the armour is ended, and that now, having equipped his spiritual soldier, he shows him the necessity of praying, that he may successfully resist those principalities, powers, the rulers of the darkness of this world, and the spiritual wickednesses in heavenly places, with whom he has to contend. The panoply, or whole armour of God, consists in, 1. the girdle; 2. the breast-plate; 3. the greaves; 4. the shield; 5. the helmet; and 6. the sword. He who had these was completely armed.
And as it was the custom of the Grecian armies, before they engaged, to offer prayers to the gods for their success, the apostle shows that these spiritual warriors must depend on the Captain of their salvation, and pray with all prayer, i.e. incessantly, being always in the spirit of prayer, so that they should be ever ready for public, private, mental, or ejaculatory prayer, always depending on HIM who can alone save, and who alone can destroy.
When the apostle exhorts Christians to pray with all prayer, we may at once see that he neither means spiritual nor formal prayer, in exclusion of the other. Praying, proseucomenoi, refers to the state of the spirit as well as to the act.
With all prayer] Refers to the different kinds of prayer that is performed in public, in the family, in the closet, in business, on the way, in the heart without a voice, and with the voice from the heart. All those are necessary to the genuine Christian; and he whose heart is right with God will be frequent in the whole. "Some there are," says a very pious and learned writer, who use only mental prayer or ejaculations, and think they are in a state of grace, and use a way of worship far superior to any other; but such only fancy themselves to be above what is really above them; it requiring far more grace to be enabled to pour out a fervent and continued prayer, than to offer up mental aspirations." Rev. J. Wesley.
And supplication] There is a difference between proseuch, prayer, and dehsiv, supplication. Some think the former means prayer for the attainment of good; the latter, prayer for averting evil. Supplication however seems to mean prayer continued in, strong and incessant pleadings, till the evil is averted, or the good communicated. There are two things that must be attended to in prayer. 1. That it be en panti kairw, in every time, season, or opportunity; 2. That it should be en pneumati, in or through the Spirit - that the heart should be engaged in it, and that its infirmities should be helped by the Holy Ghost, Watching thereunto] Being always on your guard lest your enemies should surprise you. Watch, not only against evil, but also for opportunities to do good, and for opportunities to receive good. Without watchfulness, prayer and all the spiritual armour will be ineffectual.
With all perseverance] Being always intent on your object, and never losing sight of your danger, or of your interest. The word implies stretching out the neck, and looking about, in order to discern an enemy at a distance.
For all saints] For all Christians; for this was the character by which they were generally distinguished.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 10-18 - Spiritual strength and courage are needed for our spiritual warfare an suffering. Those who would prove themselves to have true grace, mus aim at all grace; and put on the whole armour of God, which he prepare and bestows. The Christian armour is made to be worn; and there is n putting off our armour till we have done our warfare, and finished ou course. The combat is not against human enemies, nor against our ow corrupt nature only; we have to do with an enemy who has a thousan ways of beguiling unstable souls. The devils assault us in the thing that belong to our souls, and labour to deface the heavenly image in our hearts. We must resolve by God's grace, not to yield to Satan Resist him, and he will flee. If we give way, he will get ground. If we distrust either our cause, or our Leader, or our armour, we give his advantage. The different parts of the armour of heavy-armed soldiers who had to sustain the fiercest assaults of the enemy, are her described. There is none for the back; nothing to defend those who tur back in the Christian warfare. Truth, or sincerity, is the girdle. Thi girds on all the other pieces of our armour, and is first mentioned There can be no religion without sincerity. The righteousness of Christ, imputed to us, is a breastplate against the arrows of Divin wrath. The righteousness of Christ implanted in us, fortifies the hear against the attacks of Satan. Resolution must be as greaves, or armou to our legs; and to stand their ground or to march forward in rugge paths, the feet must be shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace. Motives to obedience, amidst trials, must be drawn from a clea knowledge of the gospel. Faith is all in all in an hour of temptation Faith, as relying on unseen objects, receiving Christ and the benefit of redemption, and so deriving grace from him, is like a shield, defence every way. The devil is the wicked one. Violent temptations, by which the soul is set on fire of hell, are darts Satan shoots at us Also, hard thoughts of God, and as to ourselves. Faith applying the word of God and the grace of Christ, quenches the darts of temptation Salvation must be our helmet. A good hope of salvation, a Scriptura expectation of victory, will purify the soul, and keep it from being defiled by Satan. To the Christian armed for defense in battle, the apostle recommends only one weapon of attack; but it is enough, the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. It subdues and mortifie evil desires and blasphemous thoughts as they rise within; and answer unbelief and error as they assault from without. A single text, wel understood, and rightly applied, at once destroys a temptation or a objection, and subdues the most formidable adversary. Prayer mus fasten all the other parts of our Christian armour. There are othe duties of religion, and of our stations in the world, but we must kee up times of prayer. Though set and solemn prayer may not be seasonabl when other duties are to be done, yet short pious prayers darted out always are so. We must use holy thoughts in our ordinary course. A vai heart will be vain in prayer. We must pray with all kinds of prayer public, private, and secret; social and solitary; solemn and sudden with all the parts of prayer; confession of sin, petition for mercy and thanksgiving for favours received. And we must do it by the grac of God the Holy Spirit, in dependence on, and according to, his teaching. We must preserve in particular requests, notwithstandin discouragements. We must pray, not for ourselves only, but for all saints. Our enemies are mighty, and we are without strength, but ou Redeemer is almighty, and in the power of his mighty we may overcome Wherefore we must stir up ourselves. Have not we, when God has called often neglected to answer? Let us think upon these things, and continu our prayers with patience. (Eph 6:19-24)
Greek Textus Receptus
δια 1223 πασης 3956 προσευχης 4335 και 2532 δεησεως 1162 προσευχομενοι 4336 5740 εν 1722 παντι 3956 καιρω 2540 εν 1722 πνευματι 4151 και 2532 εις 1519 αυτο 846 τουτο 5124 αγρυπνουντες 69 5723 εν 1722 παση 3956 προσκαρτερησει 4343 και 2532 δεησει 1162 περι 4012 παντων 3956 των 3588 αγιων 40
Vincent's NT Word Studies
18. Always (en panti kairw). Incorrect. It means on every occasion. Rev., at all seasons. Compare Luke xxi. 36.
With all prayer and supplication (dia pashv proseuchv kai dehsewv). Prayer is general, supplication special. Dia with is literally through; that is, through the medium of. All, lit., every. Prayer is of various kinds, formal, silent, vocal, secret, public, petitionary, ejaculatory - shot upward like a dart (jaculum) on a sudden emergency. Compare Psalm v. 1, 2.
Watching thereunto (eiv auto agrupnountev). Compare Colossians iv. 2. For watching, see on Mark xiii. 33, 35. Thereunto, unto prayer, for occasions of prayer, and to maintain the spirit of prayer. One must watch before prayer, in prayer, after prayer.
Perseverance (proskarterhsei). Only here. The kindred verb proskarterew to continue, occurs often. See on Acts i. 14.
Robertson's NT Word Studies
6:18 {At all seasons} (en panti kairwi). "On every occasion." Prayer is needed in this fight. The panoply of God is necessary, but so is prayer.
"Satan trembles when he sees The weakest saint upon his knees."
