And say to Archippus, “See that you fulfill the ministry that you have received in the Lord.” (Colossians 4:17)
While most think of football as a game of brute force, it is actually a thinking man’s game. Even the simplest play designed to pick up a few yards may depend on sophisticated blocking schemes. If even one lineman misses an assignment the play fails. Football depends on all eleven players executing their position correctly on every play for the team to succeed.
At the end of the Colossian letter, Paul notes many of the players on the team: Tychicus, Onesimus, Aristarchus, Mark, Justus, Epaphras, Luke, Demas, and Nymphas. Behind each of these was a story. Some, like Mark, had let the team down in the past (Acts 15:36-41). Others, like Demas, would let the team down in the future (2 Timothy 4:10). But each of these had unique abilities from God, and each was necessary for success.
The final admonition is to Archippus that he would fulfill his ministry. We aren’t told what this was, but whatever it was it was necessary to their success. Paul simply says to him, “We need you to do your part.”
Getting God onto the Field
Paul spends more time speaking of Epaphras than anyone else. He is apparently the one who started the work in Colosse (perhaps in Laodicea and Hierapolis as well) and he has given Paul the report of their “love in the Spirit” (Colossians 1:7-8).
Part of Epaphras’ ministry was prayer:
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. Colossians 4:12
Epaphras was a true “Prayer Warrior.” His prayers were not occasional and inconsistent, but were constant (“always” praying for them). His prayers were not mechanical and without purpose, but were intense (“laboring fervently” for them).
It causes one to wonder, when you consider our prayers, whether we see things as Epaphras did. Sure, we pray but it is often more out of habit than out of need. We have our “opening” prayer and our “closing” prayer but it means little else. God is brought into the stadium, and may even be given the best seat, but He isn’t invited onto the field of play. We have our work and our plans and our initiatives, but we fail to see the necessity of earnestly petitioning God to get involved in what we’re doing.
“I guess all we can do now is pray.” That’s what we say when something is hopeless, and what we mean by “hopeless” is that there is nothing else we can do. We’ve exhausted all of our resources and done everything we can possibly do, and so we turn (in deep despair) to God.
Epaphras didn’t view God as the One we turn to only when all of our best efforts have failed. He didn’t see himself as the Lone Ranger, but prayed fervently believing that “we are God’s fellow workers” (1 Corinthians 3:9). Prayer was not an afterthought, but rather he remained constant in prayer believing “that men always ought to pray and not lose heart” (Luke 18:1). Prayer was no mere ritual, but as the battle became more intense, he lifted up his hands to God (as Moses did, Ex 17:8-13) trusting that “the LORD does not save with sword and spear; for the battle is the LORD’s” (1 Samuel 17:47).
That’s how Epaphras viewed prayer.
Prayer Warriors: You are Needed
But now let’s go back to Archippus. What was he being called to do? What was the ministry he had received in the Lord? What were his special gifts from God? Was he a powerful preacher like Apollos? Was he an exhorter like Barnabas? Was he a great leader like James? Did he own a business like Lydia and have resources?
Or could his gift have been prayer like Epaphras?
If you’re thinking Paul wouldn’t have wasted his ink on something so insignificant, think again. In Paul’s famous discourse on the armor of God, the climactic conclusion exhorts,
praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints Ephesians 6:18
We read stories in our Bibles of when God’s people would go out to battle without Him. They, in their pride, thought they could get along just fine without Him. “How ridiculous,” we say, “those foolish Israelites never learned.”
Yet we are no different. We fight valiantly with blood, sweat, and tears, but we keep losing! Do we not know why? It may be that all we need is more “Prayer Warriors” like Epaphras to invite God into the fray.
Every player on the team counts. No player here is dispensable, least of all those who pray.
Can we count on you?