Combat Prayer

Although prayer is not one last piece of the "armor of God" it does play a vital role in connection with the effectual use of that armor. The grammatical connection between verse 18 and verse 17 indicates that the prayer Paul speaks of in verse 18 is to be engaged in as the helmet and sword are taken up when attack is imminent. This connection suggests that prayer plays an essential role in spiritual combat. Neither pray by itself or use of the spiritual armor alone is enough to protect the believer against demonic assault; only utilizing prayer plus the spiritual armor throughout the attack preserves the Christian and leads them in defeat of their enemeies.