Unity in the Spirit, 4:1-6.
Paul has described the purpose of God in Christ and the church (Ephesians 1). He prayed that all might know and understand God’s plan. He showed how men without hope found hope in Christ (Ephesians 2). He described God’s plan in the church. He told how God’s power works in those who are Christians (Ephesians 3).
[1] Because of what Paul said in Ephesians 1-3, he here (in Ephesians 4-6) explained the kind of life Christians should live. To walk worthy is to love God, to obey all His teachings, and to accept His salvation.
[2] Important words and attitudes of life are:
Humble. Sinners find it difficult to be humble. To them it means weakness. Christ is our great example of humility (Philippians 2:5-8). This is a quality of being a servant (Matthew 20:25-28).
Gentle. This means being meek like an animal which has been trained and obeys its master. We should treat others in a kind and gentle way (2 Timothy 2:25; Titus 3:2).
Patient. When others treat us badly, we do not strike back. We accept bad treatment just as Christ did (1 Peter 2:21-24). We should always show this attitude (1 Corinthians 13:4; Galatians 5:22; Colossians 3:12).
[3-6] The rest of this letter explains how we can live this good life in Christ. Unity is one of the most important characteristics for God’s people (Psalm 133:1). There should be unity in the church. Here we learn how to be united in Christ and His church. The church members may be from many different tribes and nations. We may be rich or poor. But we are all one in Christ (Ephesians 2:14). The Spirit gives us this reality of “unity” when we become Christians. Now we must maintain the unity that He gives us. We do this when we act in humble, gentle, and patient ways with one another, especially as we love one another. We actively pursue peace (Hebrews 12:14). We also maintain God’s unity by what we believe:
One body. The church is often described as a body (1 Corinthians 12:12-27; Ephesians 1:23). We can understand that all the parts of the physical body work together. It should be the same in the church. Christ came to build His church (Matthew 16:18). He never intended for there to be denominations as we have today (1 Corinthians 1:10-13). He did not come bringing conflicting teachings. He brought the one faith. We must all agree (1 Corinthians 1:10). We must follow the one gospel (Galatians 1:6-9). All followers must seek to be members of that one body.
One Spirit. This is the Holy Spirit who has brought us together (Ephesians 2:18). The Spirit has revealed the will of God (John 16:13). If we speak, let it be what God says (1 Peter 4:11).
One hope. The Gospel gives us hope. This is looking forward to the reward God has promised (Colossians 1:5, 23, 27; 1 Peter 1:3; Titus 1:2). Without Christ we have no hope (Ephesians 2:12).
One Lord. A basic truth is that we cannot have two masters (Matthew 6:24). We must confess Jesus as Lord (Acts 2:36; 4:12; Romans 10:8-13). When Jesus is Lord of our lives, we will always follow Him. This means we will not be following the teachings of men. It means Jesus is above all (Ephesians 1:21). If we seek to contact spirits or ancestors, then we are acting as if Christ is not our Lord.
One faith. This refers to all the things we believe. These teachings have been revealed to us by the Spirit. There is one true gospel (Galatians 1:6-9). There is a pattern of true teachings (2 Timothy 1:13). See also Titus 1:4; Jude 3.
One immersion. This is the immersion (baptism) spoken of throughout the New Testament. Jesus gave us His example (Matthew 3:13-17). Baptism was a part of the universal command given on the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2:36-39, 47). It is the common experience of all Christians (Romans 6:1-4; Galatians 3:27; Colossians 2:11). It is the new birth (John 3:1-8). In many tribes, some ritual is observed to make children true members of the tribe. For Christians immersion is ordained by God to make the believer a true member of the tribe of God, the church. Baptism is the culminating act of faith at which point Jesus’ blood washes my sins away (Acts 2:38). After my sins are washed away, the Holy Spirit indwells me because the sin that was separating me from God has been removed. Now I can be in proper relationship with God as He created me to be.
One God. From the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20) until the present, God has made it clear that He is the Supreme and only God. He has never approved of people worshipping other gods or spirits (Matthew 4:10; 1 Corinthians 8:5-6).
Building Up the Body of Christ, 4:7-16.
[7-10] God has been very good to us. Paul explained God’s gifts in the church. The gifts are mentioned also in Romans 12:3-8 and 1 Corinthians 12. In times of war, a victorious army brought back many gifts from the battle field (Genesis 14; Numbers 31). In a similar way, Christ won a victory over Satan (Matthew 12:25-28; Romans 16: 20; Ephesians 1:20-23; Colossians 2:15). The Psalm quoted here says the Lord defeated His enemies. Then He brought gifts which are here explained. These are spiritual gifts. They are for the church. These gifts help the church.
When Christ “went up” this means He went to heaven where God is (Acts 1:9-11; Ephesians 1:20; 2:6). This was a high honor for His victory (Philippians 2:9-11). “Lower parts” probably means the earth which is so low in comparison to heaven. To “fill the universe” means He is now in power over all (Colossians 1:16; 2:15). His church is to be everywhere, and He is King!
[11-13] Here are the special gifts Christ gave for the church:
Apostles. These were appointed by God for important work. We know of the twelve called by Christ (Luke 6:13-16; Acts 1-2). The qualifications are noted in Acts 1:15-26. There are also false apostles (2 Corinthians 11:13). This role was temporary for the establishment of the church and for the completing of the Bible. The Apostle John was the last apostle. After he died, there are no more.
Prophets (Ephesians 2:20; 3:5). A good example of their work of teaching is in Acts 15:32. Agabus (Acts 11:28) was a prophet. Others are mentioned in Acts 13:l. Prophets were men who received special messages from God. This was necessary because the New Testament was not written at that time. Now we have the complete revelation of God. There is no need for prophets now. A man who claims God is revealing new teachings to him is a false prophet (Matthew 7:15-20; 2 Corinthians 11:13-15). Again, this role was a temporary, miraculous role that is no more.
Evangelists. These were special men who travelled to many villages teaching the Word (Acts 21:8; 8:5; 2 Timothy 4:5). These men explained the Good News, or the Gospel, to those who had not heard it.
Shepherds and teachers. These words are linked together, which probably means they refer to the same gift. The work is seen in Acts 20:28; 1 Peter 2:25; 5:2; 1 Timothy 3:1-2. Their work of teaching was in the village where they lived. They were to protect and care for the Christians.
The purpose of all of these gifts was to lead the church to become mature. Fathers and mothers are to teach their children so that they become good adults (Ephesians 6-1-4; Titus 2:3-5). In the same way spiritual leaders are to teach Christians so that they become mature spiritually (Ephesians 2:19-22; Hebrews 5:12-14). If we do not become mature, we will be like a leaf blown by the wind. Some people are like that. They drift from one church to another. Or they drift into sin then try to come out of it. Soon they are practicing sin again.
Ephesians 4:14-32
14 Then we will not be little children anymore. The waves will not throw us back and forth. We won’t be blown away by the winds of false teaching which clever men invent to trick people into following error. 15 When we speak the truth with love, we will grow up into Christ in every way. He is the head. 16 He is the source. The whole body is joined and held together with each joint that helps it. It grows with love and builds itself up. Each part does its job. 17 I am telling the truth in the Lord Jesus: Live no longer as the people of the world live. Their thinking is worthless. 18 Their minds have become dark. The life of God is foreign to them. They don’t know about it, because their hearts are stubborn. 19 When they lost all feeling of shame, they gave themselves over to sensuality, so that they could try every kind of unclean sex, wanting more and more of such things. 20 However, this is not the way you learned about Christ. 21 You heard about him. Then you were taught in him. (The truth is in Jesus.) 22 You were taught to put away your old way of living. It will destroy you. Those evil desires can fool you. 23 You were taught to develop a new way of thinking. 24 You were taught to be clothed with a new personality like that of God. It was created with true righteousness and holiness. 25 Therefore, put away lying. Let each one speak the truth to the other person. We are all parts of each other. 26 You are allowed to become angry, but don’t sin. And don’t let any day end without getting rid of your angry feelings. 27 Don’t give the Devil a chance. 28 The person who steals must not steal anymore. Instead, he must work hard, using his own hands to do good, so that he may have something to share with someone who needs it. 29 Don’t let any rotten word come out of your mouth. Instead, say something good to build up what is missing. Then it will be a blessing to those who hear it. 30 Don’t make God’s Holy Spirit sad. You were sealed with the Spirit for the Day of freedom. 31 May all bitterness, anger, grudges, yelling, and cursing – every kind of evil – be taken away from you. 32 Have tender feelings and be kind to one another. Forgive one another just as God, in Christ, forgave you.
[14-16] All Christians are part of the great body of Christ, the church. We all have work to do. Two key ideas are to speak truth and to speak it with love. Truth is very important. God warned against false teachers (Matthew 7:15; 2 Corinthians 11:13; 1 John 4:1-4). The attitude of love is also very important. There are many important teachings about love. (Matthew 22:36-40; John 3:16; 14:15; 1 Corinthians 13; 1 John 2:7-11) When all members of the church follow truth and love one another, they will be a mature church. It will be like a full-grown man or woman who is in good health. Healthy adults can work hard. They have good families. They help their neighbors. They are good leaders in the community. People respect them. This is what God wants for all Christians in a spiritual way. We will strive for this when we are in Christ (Ephesians 1).
A New Way of Thinking, 4:17-32.
[17-24] If we are to be mature in Christ we cannot live like pagans. See warnings about living like pagans in Romans 1:18-32; Galatians 5:19-21; Revelation 21:8. Evil minds are dark. Sinners seek darkness to do evil things like stealing, murder, and sorcery. Darkness is the realm of evil spirits and evil men (John 3:19-21; Ephesians 5:11; 6:12). We all know men and women who are slaves to sin. Only the power of the gospel of Christ can bring them to the light ( Matthew 4:16-17; Romans 1:16). Unclean sex is sexual relations outside of a godly marriage relationship that is between a man and a woman. Unclean sex includes homosexuality, fornication, and beastiality.
When people hear about Christ, they can leave their sins (1 Thessalonians 1:9-10). We put away the old way of living. We must put on the good qualities of life (Colossians 3:8, 10, 12, 14). We put on Christ (Galatians 3:27).
“A new way of thinking” refers to good things (Philippians 4:8-9). We become more like God when we practice good things. Bad things cause us to be like Satan (John 8:44). Christ gave us an example (1 Corinthians 11:1; 1 Peter 2:21). When we do good, we are growing to be righteous and holy (1 Peter 1:14-16).
[25-29] Here Paul wrote of specific sins which must be stopped.
Lying is deceiving. A wise man once said, “If the eye sees a snake will it lie to the foot?” No! All the parts of our body work together. All Christians are parts of the body of Christ, the church, and must work together.
Anger is an emotion. It usually causes one to say or do bad things. Sometimes anger is not bad. (For example, Mark 3:5; John 2:13-17.) If some bad thing makes us angry, we must still control our anger. It is like controlling an animal which tries to run away. If we become angry, Satan can attack us. The Devil can take control of an angry man. Therefore, we must get rid of anger quickly.
Stealing is taking something that belongs to another person without their permission. God planned for man to work and earn what he needs. A thief does not want to work. He wants to take what belongs to another. Good men work so they will have enough to share with others who are in need.
Evil speaking (rotten words). James wrote how bad things can come from our mouths (James 3). This is like a tree which has rotten fruit. The Christian should always say good things (Proverbs 15:23; 25:11).
[30-32] We make the Holy Spirit sad when we do evil things as mentioned above. We must keep the unity of the Spirit (Ephesians 4:3-5). We are sealed by the Spirit (Ephesians 1:13). This means the Spirit in our lives is God’s sign that we are His people. We know we have the Spirit by the fruit we bear (Galatians 5:22-25). The “Day of freedom” is probably the time of eternal salvation. The Spirit in our hearts will not accept bad things. If we continue to make sinful decisions, we can break the relationship that we have with the Spirit of God. The Spirit will produce good in our lives. We will also produce good by helping one another (Matthew 25:34-36). Since God has forgiven us, we must be ready to forgive others.
Ephesians 5:1-7
5 1Try to copy God, as precious children do. 2 Live a life of love, just as Christ loved us. He gave himself for us. He was an offering and a sacrifice that smells sweet to God. 3 No type of impurity, sexual sin, or greed should be mentioned among you. That isn’t proper for holy people. 4 You should not use obscene or foolish words. Dirty jokes are out of line. Instead, you should be thankful. 5 You can be sure of this one thing: No sexual sinner, no immoral or greedy person (He is the same as one who worships a false god.) will have a share in the kingdom of Christ and God.6 Don’t let anyone fool you with empty words. This is why God’s punishment is coming against people who won’t obey. 7 So, don’t take part in these things with them.
Life in the World, 5:1-20.
[1-2] Children want to be big like their parents. They try to do things their parents do. In the same way we should try to be like God. God is holy and we should be holy (1 Peter 1:14-16). God loves us so we should love God and love one another (Matthew 22:36-38; John 3:16). Christ’s love is shown in His sacrifice of His own body for us (Isaiah 53; Romans 5:6-11). In the past many have offered animals for sacrifice. That was not satisfactory to God. It was necessary for Christ to sacrifice Himself (Hebrews 9:11-15; 10:1-10). God’s acceptance of a sacrifice is referred to as “smelling sweet” which means He was pleased (Genesis 8:21; Exodus 29:18, 25, 41; Leviticus 1:9). See especially 2 Corinthians 2:14-16.
[3-7] Look at all the bad things men do. We are not like God when we act in this way. Evil actions are not at all accepted by God. All this comes from Satan. He will be punished, and everyone who follows him will be punished (Romans 1:18-32; Revelation 20:10; 21:8). Our words should reflect truth, righteousness, and a commitment to godly living.
Ephesians 5:8-20
8 In the past you were in darkness, but now, you are in light, in the Lord Jesus. Live like children of light, 9 because the light produces all kinds of goodness, righteousness, and truth. 10 Test everything to see if it would please the Lord. 11 Don’t share in those deeds of darkness. They are not productive. Instead, prove that they are wrong. 12 The things which happen in secret are too shameful to talk about. 13 Everything that the light exposes will become clear. 14 Light makes everything clear. This song says: “Get up, you sleeper! Rise from death! and, Christ will shine on you”. 15 Therefore, be very careful how you live. Don’t live like foolish people; live like wise people. 16 Take advantage of every opportunity, because these are evil times. 17 This is why you should not he fools. Instead, try to understand what the Lord wants. 18 Don’t get drunk with wine; this leads to wildness. No, be filled with the Spirit. 19 Use psalms, songs of praise, and spiritual songs to talk to one another. Strum your heart and sing to the Lord. 20 Always thank God the Father for everything with the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
[8-14] Being in darkness is being in sin (John 3:19-21; Ephesians 2:2). “In the light” is having sins forgiven and living in Christ (1 John 1:7). The light produces good. People see the good we do and glorify God (Matthew 5:14-16). “Test” means to think before doing something. If we think and see something is wrong, we can avoid it. Before doing something ask yourself if this would please God. You can prove some things are wrong by seeing the results or fruit (Matthew 7:15-20). Darkness can hide the snake in the path, but if we shine a light, we can see it. Living in darkness can lead us into doing all kinds of sin. But if we expose it by the light of God’s Word, we can see all the bad things sin brings into our lives.
[15-20] We must be careful how we live for the Devil is always wanting to devour us (1 Peter 5:8). We must use our time wisely. There is much evil in the world, and Satan can tempt us to use our time doing bad things. Do we know people who spend their time in drunkenness, stealing, and other evil things? Use your time to serve God. Always be studying God’s Word so you can know what He wants you to do. Then spend your time in doing good things.
Drunkenness is a bad thing (Proverbs 23:21; Romans 13:13; 1 Corinthians 6:10). Many drink and believe it makes them happy. Truly, there is no happiness in drunkenness. It leads to sickness. It leads to abusing one’s family and neighbors. It leads to all kinds of evil. But one can truly feel good by being filled with the Spirit. A true Christian is a happy person. His family and neighbors respect him. He respects himself for he knows that he is not doing bad things. This happiness leads us to sing many praises to God. This is one of the ways God teaches us to worship Him. There are no examples in the New Testament of drums, guitars, and other instruments being used in Christian worship. Examples of Christians singing are found in Acts 16:25; 1 Corinthians 14:26; Colossians 3:16; James 5:13. We are taught to “strum our hearts” because this is a form of spiritual communication between us and God.
Ephesians 5:21-26
21 Put yourselves under each other to show respect for Christ. 22 Wives, you must put yourselves under your own husbands’ authority as you do for the Lord. 23 A husband is to be the leader of his wife like Christ is the Leader of the people called out by God. He is the Savior of the body. 24 Wives should put themselves under their husbands’ authority in everything, as Christ’s people put themselves under his authority. 25 Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved those called out by God. He gave his life for them. 26 He used a washing of water through the message to make God’s people holy.
Husbands and Wives, 5:21-33.
Here we have important teachings about how a husband and wife should treat one another. Among the ancient Greeks and Romans very few married people were faithful to their mates. Adultery was very common. God has always wanted husbands and wives to be faithful to one another. Among the Jews adultery was not very common, but some husbands did not show much respect for their wives.
The teaching of Christ meant to change these bad things which were happening in marriage. Marriage was holy (Matthew 19:1-12; Hebrews 13:4). We can learn important things about how husbands and wives should behave here.
[21-24] Husbands and wives are both under the authority of Christ. They must live in such a way as to show respect to Christ. They should be kind to one another. In all relationships we must have someone who is in authority. In the church, Christ has all authority (Matthew 28:18; Ephesians 1:22-23). In government the king, president, chief, or some other is the head. In the family God made the man the head. The wife is to willingly follow the lead of her husband (l Corinthians 11:3; Colossians 3:18; Titus 2:5; 1 Peter 3:1). This does not mean the husband can treat her badly. It just means the husband is responsible for the family. He should support the family. He should treat his wife and children with respect. The wife’s respecting his authority helps him to be the kind of husband he should be before God.
Ephesians 5:27-33
27 He wanted to give to himself a glorious group of people called out by God – a community that does not have stain or wrinkle or any such thing. Instead, he wanted them to be holy and spotless. 28 Husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. The man who loves his wife loves himself. 29 No man ever hated his own flesh. No, he feeds it and takes care of it. Christ does the same thing for his community. 30 We are members of Christ’s body. 31 The Scripture says: “This is why a man will leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife. The husband and wife will become one flesh” Genesis 2:24. 32 This is a great secret. (I am talking about the relationship between Christ and the people whom God has called out.) 33 Each one of you must love his wife, just as he loves himself. And each wife must show respect for her husband.
[25-29] The husband should show great love for his wife. This means he will treat her kindly. He will not abuse her. The measure of his love is explained. It should be like Christ’s love for the church. Christ has done many good things for the church. A husband must do the same for his wife. In marriage, a bride may spend much time preparing for the wedding. She makes herself clean. She dresses in beautiful clothes. Spiritually the church is the bride of Christ. His bride, the church, must be clean. Marriage is a new relationship. Becoming a Christian is also a new relationship. Jesus called it a new birth (John 3:3-5). This new relationship is seen in Acts 2:36-47; Romans 6:1-4; Colossians 2:12. Thus, those who believe in Christ and are born again are made clean. Christians keep themselves holy and spotless by living pure lives.
How should a husband love his wife? He should love her like he does himself. Every person wants to be treated in a nice way. Husbands should always treat their wives in a nice way. Be kind to the wife. Respect her. Show your love to her by always being true to her. Christ is our example. He always did good things for the church, and that is our example of how men should treat their wives.
[30-33] A husband and wife are one in the same way Christians are one with Christ. Because men did not understand this, Paul called it a “secret'”. Now we understand because he has explained it. Just as a husband and wife are close together, so Christ and His church are close. He died for the church. He is our High Priest. He will always help us (Hebrews 4:14-16). Having a good relationship as husband and wife will help us understand Christ and the church. Knowing about Christ and His church will help us have a good marriage.
Ephesians 6:1-18
6 1Children, in the Lord, obey your parents, because this is right. 2 The first command with a promise is this: “You must show respect for your father and mother. 3 Then you will be fine. You will live a long time on the earth” Exodus 20:12. 4 Fathers, don’t push your children to the point of rage. Instead, take care of them, using the Lord’s warning and discipline. 5 Slaves, obey your human masters with fear and trembling – but sincerely, just as you would obey Christ. 6 Don’t be a servant only while your master is looking, like slaves who only want to please men. Instead, from your soul, do what God wants – as slaves of Christ. 7 Serve cheerfully, as if it were for the Lord Jesus and not for men. 8 Each one of you knows that, if a slave or free man does something good, the Lord Jesus will give him a reward for doing that. 9 Masters, treat your slaves the same way. Don’t try to scare them. You know that the Lord Jesus is in heaven. He is their Lord and your Lord. God treats everyone the same. 10 Last of all, be clothed with the Lord Jesus and the power of his strength. 11 Put on all of God’s armor. Then you will be able to stand against the evil tricks of the Devil. 12 Our fight is not against men. No, it is against rulers, against authorities, against world powers of this darkness, and against evil spiritual beings in the heavenly world. 13 This is why you must take up all of God’s armor. Then, when the time for battle comes, you will be able to resist. And, after you have fought your best, you will stand. 14 So stand firm, using truth as a belt around your waist. Put on the chest-plate of righteousness. 15 With shoes on your feet, be ready to tell the Good News about peace. 16 And, along with everything else, take up faith for a shield. With this, you will be able to put out all the burning arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation. And, use the sword of the Spirit. (This is the message of God.) 18 Pray with the Spirit at all times. Use all kinds of prayers and requests. Be on guard! Always pray for all the holy people.
Parents and Children, 6:1-4.
[l-4] It is always true that children should obey their parents. This quotation from the Old Testament means that our ancestors expected such respect. Respectful children live longer and have better lives. They are protected by their parents. More importantly, they are protected by God (Matthew 18:10). Fathers are to teach their children proper behavior. They are to correct them when they are wrong. But fathers should treat their children in kind and gentle ways. As Christ was gentle and kind, so must we be to one another.
Servants and Masters, 6:5-9.
[5-9] Christianity began when slavery was prominent in various cultures. Christianity led to the end of slavery. The Spirit of Christ led Christians to behave towards one another in godly ways whether one was a master or a slave. Slaves were told to obey and work as unto the Lord. They should obey the master just as every person must obey Christ. A good employee works hard for his boss. A slave was told to work hard for his master. We all should work hard for our Master, Christ. We will be rewarded for our faithful work. Masters were taught to treat their slaves kindly. Masters were told to obey the Lord. A boss should be fair and kind just as he wants the Lord to be kind and merciful to him. In fact, Paul taught Christian masters to treat their Christian slaves like family. By so doing, eventually, Christianity made slavery untenable and unthinkable among Christian peoples.
Spiritual Battles, 6:10-20.
In the first chapter we learned of the great blessings in Christ. It is like putting on our clothes. We should feel that close to Christ. We are secure in Christ like we are in our house on a rainy night. We also have spiritual power as Christians. That power can help us defeat Satan and all evil. That battle is what is explained here.
God’s armor protects us in spiritual battles. We must have this protection to defeat Satan. Here are some of the things we can know about Satan:
He is the ruler of a kingdom (Ephesians 2:2).
He is the prince of the world (John 14:30).
He is the ruler of demons (Mark 3:22-30).
He is like an angel of light though a liar (2 Corinthians 11:13-14).
He is like a lion (1 Peter 5:8).
He is responsible for all the works of the flesh (Galatians 5:19-21).
The many works of Satan are described:
He tempts (Matthew 4:3; 1 Thessalonians 3:5).
He lies (John 8:44).
He deceives (2 Corinthians 11:13-14; Revelation 12:9).
He traps men just like a hunter traps an animal (1 Timothy 3:7; 2 Timothy 2:26).
He gives false teaching (2 Corinthians 11:13-15).
He blinds men’s minds (2 Corinthians 4:4).
He caused Adam and Eve to sin (Genesis 3).
He afflicted Job (Job 1-2).
He tempted Ananias to lie (Acts 5).
He tempted Judas to betray Christ (Luke 22:3).
To defeat this great enemy of mankind, we must be prepared. Paul tells us just how to do that. Our fight is with Satan and his evil forces (see Ephesians 1:21; 3:10; Colossians 1:16; 2 Corinthians 10:3-6). The words rulers, authorities, powers, and evil spiritual beings refer to the spirit world where Satan rules. Our battle is with that world. There were great battles between Christ and Satan in the first century. At the beginning of Christ’s public teaching Satan tempted Him (Matthew 4). There are many references to demon possession. (For example, see Luke 10:17-18; 11:24-26; 4:31-35; Mark 5:1-19; 1:21-28; Matthew 10:1.) Unclean spirits were cast out (Acts 5:16; 8:7; 16:16-18). There were many evil spirits or demons (Matthew 12:24), but there were also many angels (Matthew 26:53; Hebrews 1:14). These manifestations were intense during the time of Christ and his apostles in order to demonstrate Christ’s authority. When Christ rose from the dead, he limited these evil spiritual beings (Ephesians 4:8). Towards the end of the New Testament period (the 1st century), we no longer see demon possession being a problem for the church.
However, as we are still in spiritual warfare, we must remember that Christ has defeated Satan and the evil powers (Colossians 2:15). We have a greater power than the world has (1 John 4:4). We must be a part of the army of Christ. If we are members of the Lord’s army, we will be victorious. Therefore, we must be true followers. We must abide in His teachings (John 8:31-32; 2 John 9). There is no spirit more powerful than God the Holy Spirit. If He is abiding in us, we are completely safe. We must maintain our confidence in this fact.
A Christian must never turn to charms and amulets used by sorcerers or diviners. To turn to these things is to leave the army of the Lord. If one turns to these things, he is admitting he trusts in the power of witchcraft. He is saying he trusts in these traditional things more than the power of Christ. Rejecting Christ’s power gives Satan a chance to trap the weak Christian. Christians must be confident in the power of Christ. Remember, Christ has defeated Satan (Colossians 2:15). Christ is King in heaven, and He has greater power than any other (Ephesians 1:20-21; 1 Peter 3:22; 1 John 3:8). Satan still has power, but we can defeat all of his power if we remember to put on the whole armour of God.
[10-13] How do we stand against the Devil? Our strength is in the Lord! Trust in Him and we need not fear any evil. We are faced with a hard battle. The forces of evil are powerful. But with Christ we will win (Romans 8:31-39). This is a battle for the whole church. Every Christian is to put on the armour of God. All fighting together will give complete victory.
[14-18] Here are important truths concerning the armour of God:
Truth is very important. God hates lies and deception. Jesus is truth (John 14:6). The truth sets us free (John 8:31-32). Study to know the truth as given to us in God’s word, the Bible.
A chest-plate of righteousness. In physical battle a chest-plate covered the chest to protect the heart. Notice that in spiritual battles, the protection is not for the body. It is for the inner man, his spirit. This protection forms man’s character. A good character is a strong defense.
Shoes represent the need to go forward in the battle. We go with the Good News which is the message of salvation. It brings peace to the hearts of those who are fearful. Many live in fear of evil spirits every day. Christ has defeated those spirits. That is good news indeed.
Our faith is a shield. Satan cannot enter our hearts if our faith is strong. Faith is believing the Lord, trusting Him, and putting ourselves in His care, like a child is in the care of its father. Our faith causes us to obey Jesus even in tough times. The burning arrows of Satan cannot touch us if we are in Christ.
The helmet of salvation is the hope we have of salvation (1 Thessalonians 5:8). The helmet gives protection for the head. When people lose hope, they choose to sin.
The sword of the Spirit is the Word of God. It is the only offensive weapon in the armour. With the Word of God, we can challenge even the greatest enemy. Evil people fear the Word of God.
The final part of our armour is prayer. Prayer is a great blessing given to Christians. We are taught in many places to pray (Matthew 5:44; 6:5-15 Romans 8:26; 1 Thessalonians 5:17; James 5:13-16). Prayer is when we acknowledge that we depend on God’s power to win every battle.
Ephesians 6:19-24
19 Pray for me, too! Then, when I open my mouth to speak, the message will be given to me. With boldness I will make clear the secret of the Good News. 20 I am a representative in chains for this gospel. Pray that I will speak boldly about it, as I should. 21 Tychicus, my dear brother and faithful servant in the Lord Jesus, will tell you all about things here. Then you will know what is happening to me and what I am doing. 22 That is why I sent him to you. Then you will learn about how we are. He will encourage your hearts. 23 Peace to the brothers there. Love with faith from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 24 May gracious love be with all those people who love our Lord Jesus Christ with a love that never dies.
[19-20] Even the great apostle Paul knew the need of prayer. When we speak, we should pray that God will guide us. We have His message in the Bible. We must study it but also seek God’s guidance, humbly. Paul was in prison when he wrote this book. He needed the prayers of others to help him in this time of trouble.
Closing Messages, 6:21-24.
[21-24] Tychicus was a friend of Paul (Acts 20:4). He was the one who carried the letter to the Colossians (Colossians 4:7). He probably also carried this letter to the Ephesians. He told them of Paul’s condition in prison.
Peace and love are important qualities of the Christian life. Paul always wished for his readers to have these qualities. Peace and love are possible only when we are in Christ.