Colossians 4:12, 13a Epaphras, who is one of you, a bondservant of Christ, greets you, always laboring fervently for you in prayers, that you may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God.
13For I bear him witness that he has a great zeal for you,
Epaphras– lovely
who is one of you- who came out from you, who is of you, who is one of yours
a bondservant of Christ-
1. One who gives himself up to another’s will
2. Those whose service is used by Christ in extending and advancing his cause among men
3. Devoted to another to the disregard of one’s own interests
4. A servant, attendant
always – at all times, ever
laboring fervently (agonizomai) for you in prayers-
1. To enter a contest: contend in the gymnastic games
2. To contend with adversaries, fight
3. Metaphorically: to contend, struggle, with difficulties and dangers
4. To endeavor with strenuous zeal, strive: to obtain something
What are the things we labor through when we pray?
1. Perhaps unbelief, struggling with what seems the enormity of a certain situation
2. Distractions of the flesh: fatigue, sleepiness, wandering mind, noise, hunger, thirst
3. Spiritual opposition: prayer is a spiritual exercise which is opposed by Satan, delayed answer
a. Daniel 10:12-14 12Then he said to me, “Do not fear, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand, and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard; and I have come because of your words. 13But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty-one days; and behold, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I had been left alone there with the kings of Persia. 14Now I have come to make you understand what will happen to your people in the latter days, for the vision refers to many days yet to come.”
b. Ephesians 6:12– 12For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. 13Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. 14Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. 17And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; 18praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints—19and for me, that utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel,20for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.
that you may stand-
1. To cause a person or a thing to keep his or its place
2. Continue safe and sound, stand unharmed, to stand ready or prepared
3. One who does not hesitate, does not waiver
perfect- Complete, full grown, mature, fully assured, full maturity of the Christian life
Compare with Colossian 2:4: He prayed that they would not be deceived
and complete- To make full, to cause to abound, to supply liberally, to bring to pass, to cause God’s will to be obeyed as it should.
in all the will of God- What God wishes to be done by us.