Life is war. Prayer is a wartime walkie-talkie. Author John Piper says that Jesus gives every Christian a transmitter coded to the frequency of the general's headquarters. As we battle the enemy, our Leader is as close as our transmitter. He will provide instructions and send in air cover when we need it and call for it. Help is only a prayer away.

But, says Piper, "We have taken a wartime walkie-talkie and tried to turn it into a civilian intercom to call the servants for another cushion in the den." We pray for God to make us comfortable, when we should ask his help to fight temptation, spread the gospel, and defeat the armies of evil. "Stand up, stand up for Jesus, stand in his strength alone; the arm of flesh will fail you, you dare not trust your own. Put on the gospel armor, each piece put on with prayer; where duty calls, or danger, be never failing there."

Our struggle is not just against bad habits or human enemies. We fight unseen, monstrous powers of evil, led by Satan himself. Only the power of God Almighty can steer us away from the tempter. Only the strength of Jesus can deliver us from the evil one and enable us to fight back and defeat Satan's forces. As we use the armor and weapons the Lord provides, let's also use our wartime walkie-talkie: "Pray in the Spirit on all occasions" (Ephesians 6:18).

PRAYER--Father, lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. By ourselves we are too weak to battle Satan, but you give us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.