Ephesians chapter 6

Vs. 1-4… Children are the Lord’s inheritance—they belong to Him. If He blesses us with the pitter-patter of little footsteps around the house, He expects us to raise our children to be instruments of praise and thanksgiving. Notice the apostle commands children to obey their parents. In other words, it isn’t something that comes natural to a child. That little bundle of joy has an old nature, which sometimes is mean, deceptive, talks back, and throws temper tantrums. The mistake most parents make is waiting to administer disciplinary action until after their son or daughter turns fifteen. According to the Scriptures, the proper form of discipline should be the application of the rod. “Foolishness is bound in the heart of a child; but the rod of correction shall drive it far from him” (Prov. 22:15). While a child ought to be consistently disciplined, he should never be abused. Ultimately the fathers will be held accountable at the Judgment Seat of Christ in regard to whether or not their children were brought up in the things of the Lord.

There are two benefits when children honor their parents. Paul begins by stating, “that it may be well with thee.” If a child honors his parents he will have a good conscience that he has done right by them and also glorified God. The second benefit is the promise of added years of life. This does not mean that all young people who die at an early age necessarily dishonored their parents. It means they will escape many of the dangerous pitfalls of life that could shorten their lives.

Vs. 5-9…The term “servants” used here by the apostle is the Greek word doulos or bondslave. According to historians there were approximately six million slaves throughout the Roman Empire at the time of Christ. Paul left slavery where he found it. This is not to insinuate that he approved of it. Slavery was so firmly entrenched at the time that any attempt to reform it would have brought the full wrath of the pagan world against the Church. Perhaps Paul knew that Christianity would eventually eradicate it. Paul dealt with the matter of slavery according to the precepts of the gospel. Basically there were three ways to become a slave in biblical times. You could be made a slave by a conquering nation, be born into it, or by selling yourself into slavery to pay a debt. Although slavery is cruel, Paul instructed Christian slaves to obey their masters with fear and trembling. They were to do so with “singleness of heart”; Nor were they to serve with “eyeservice, as menpleasers,” which has the idea of only working when the master was present. Christian slaves were to labor as unto the Lord. The gospel message lifted the slave out of the misery of slavery and raised him to new heights. He was to place himself in a completely different mindset. Whatever he was called upon to do, he was to view it as being done for Christ. There was also an added incentive: If they did that which was right and faithfully served their masters, the Lord would reward them accordingly at that day (vs. 8).

Paul addresses the masters as well. The Christian master was to follow the same instructions. He was to treat those under his authority with love and compassion as the Lord does the Church. Furthermore, masters were admonished to forbear threatening, simply because not all those under their authority knew the Lord. If a master was cruel and abusive, it would be unlikely that a slave would have respect for what he said about the gospel. They were to remember that one day they, too, would stand before their Master, which is in heaven.

Vs. 10-11… History reveals the army with the most comprehensive plan of attack to minimize confusion is usually victorious. When the Allied Forces prepared to liberate Europe in World War II, Hitler’s forces, under the command of General Rommel, armed for the conflict. Relatively sure the attack would be along the coast of Normandy Beach, the German army wasted no time strategically placing their machine gun nests along the cliffs of the beach. Thus, fate appeared to be on Hitler’s side, simply because it would be a suicide mission to attempt a landing at Normandy. On the day of the invasion, the weather was terrible. As providence would have it, General Rommel concluded that the Allied Forces would never attack under such conditions; therefore, he left his post and returned home to celebrate his wife’s birthday. As dawn broke, the Allied Forces, under the command of General Eisenhower, came ashore and caught the German army off guard, but it did not take them long to regroup. The battle was intense and casualties were high on both sides. Once Eisenhower’s troops managed to scale the rugged cliffs, they broke through the front-lines of Hitler’s main defensive position. This caused confusion throughout the German ranks. No commanding officer dared to call for reinforcements without the approval of Hitler or Rommel, neither of whom was able to be reached. Historians agree that the Allied landing at Normandy Beach, commonly known as “D” Day, was the turning point of the Second World War.

If we compare our spiritual warfare with the above example, there are many similarities. Satan has a well-devised plan of attack to cause confusion in our ranks. His plan is twofold: First, he is tireless in his attempt to blind the minds of the unsaved that they might not receive the light of the gospel of salvation (II Cor. 4:3,4). Probably his most effective tool to accomplish this end is religion. Yes, you read that correctly—religion! Only the Judgment to come will reveal how many have been swept into a Christless eternity on the basis of this blind guide (religion) (Col. 2; Rom. 10:1-4; Gal. 2:16). Second, Satan has a special hatred for those who have come to see the preaching of Jesus Christ according to the revelation of the Mystery.

Before a country enters into a war, it must prepare its army. Upon the commencement of a spiritual conflict, we must be prepared beforehand to effectively defend the faith and wield the Sword of the Spirit to the glory of God. Paul calls us to a state of readiness, he says, “Be strong in the Lord.” Now that Israel has been set aside in unbelief and God has turned to the Gentiles, we are the objects of his wrath. The powers of darkness would like nothing better than to discourage, corrupt, defeat and silence every member of the Body of Christ. Two of his “wiles” is temptation and fear. He wants to hold you captive in some sin so you will never manifest the righteousness of Christ; He wants to keep you from the revelation of the mystery by being afraid of what it may cost you, what it may do to the children, or afraid of “is grace true”? “What if we are wrong, like we were wrong as Baptists in the church for many years?”

Vs. 12… As we enter into the battle, we must do so “in the power of His might”. This refers us back to Ephesians 1:19-20: “And what is the exceeding greatness of His power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of His mighty power, which He wrought in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead” (II Tim. 3:11,12 cf. 4:17,18).

The Scriptures tells us that God does everything decently and in order. For example, the elect angels are ranked accordingly:

• Cherubims: Defenders of God’s holiness (stationed around the throne) (Gen. 3:23,24 Rev. 4:6-8).
• Seraphims: Champions of God’s righteousness (stationed above the throne) (Isa. 6:1-8).
• Seven Spirits of God: Attendants of highest service (stationed before the throne) (Rev. 1:4 cf. Luke 1:19).
• Principalities: Supreme rulers (similar to our Cabinet Members) (Eph. 3:10).
• Powers: Delegated authority (similar to our Joint Chiefs of Staff) (Eph. 3:10).
• Mights: Battalions (similar to our Armed Forces—Army, Navy, etc.) (Eph. 1:21).
• Thrones: Seats of authority over a territory (similar to our Governors) (Col. 1:16).
• Dominions: Enforcement agencies (similar to our local authorities—Police, etc.) (Col. 1:16).
• Host: Populace (similar to our various stations in life) (Psa. 148:1,2 cf. Neh. 9:6).

In the beginning when Lucifer sinned, one-third of the angelic host rebelled with him against God (Rev. 12:3,4 cf. 12:9). As he assumed his fallen position as the archenemy of God, Satan arranged his workers of darkness in a similar pattern as the authority structure of heaven.

“How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!” (Isa. 14:12). Based on this passage and in Ezekiel and Luke, many Christians believe that God has cast Satan out of heaven to the earth where he now dwells. Actually, Isaiah 12 and other verses are prophecies regarding the devil’s future expulsion from his heavenly realm. God’s ways are not man’s ways. He sees the end from the beginning and often speaks of events yet to be fulfilled in the present tense. Paul states, God has “raised us up together, and made us sit [present tense] together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus” (Eph. 2:6). He presently sees us seated with Christ in the heavenlies. However, our current address is “planet earth.”

Shortly after God pronounced His creation very good on the sixth day, Lucifer rebelled. Once the holiness of God was violated by Satan’s transgression, he was expelled from the third heaven, experiencing the first of several demotions (Ezek. 28:16-19). By the decree of God, Satan now inhabits the first and second heavens. He will occupy this domain until Michael and his angels cast him to the earth in the middle of the coming Tribulation. (Rev. 12:7-9,12). As the Apostle John was supernaturally transported to the future day of the Lord, he actually saw this literal fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy concerning Satan’s fall from heaven. Then, three and one-half years later, John witnessed the devil being bound and cast into the bottomless pit for one thousand years (Rev. 20:1-3). The final phase of his demotion comes at the close of the millennial kingdom. Satan will be loosed from prison and go forth to turn the nations of the world against the true and living God. But his reign of terror is only momentary as he is taken and
cast into the lake of fire (Rev. 20:10).

Although Satan has access to the earth today, his primary base of operations is the heavens (first and second). From here he controls the kingdoms of this world that were initially handed over to him by Adam (Luke 4:5-8). In addition, this is the strategic location from which he launches attacks against the household of God.

Vs. 13-14… Day in and day out, Paul observed the changing of the guard and the various pieces of equipment the Roman soldiers wore. Here we have the sovereignty of God and human responsibility running side by side like two rails of a railroad track that when viewed at a distance merge together. God has not called us into the heat of battle without first providing the necessary gear to protect and defend ourselves. On the other hand, it is our responsibility to “take” or “put on” the armor He has provided for us.

There are six pieces of armor introduced here: belt, breastplate, shoes, shield, helmet, and sword. Interestingly, all six pieces are defensive in nature. Only the sword of the Spirit serves as both a defensive and an offensive weapon. Consequently, we are going to find ourselves “digging in,” as it were, a greater percentage of the time to defend the faith that has been delivered unto us. This is what the apostle means when he states: “Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth.” That means we are to maintain the ground that has been won—defend it—don’t give an inch! In addition, we must faithfully wield the sword of the Spirit, offensively, to advance the cause of Christ. This is done by giving out the Gospel, teaching the fundamentals of the faith rightly divided.

Next, the armor of God is divided into two sets of three. Paul undoubtedly observed that those who were guarding him never took off their belt, breastplate, or shoes for obvious reasons. Should an enemy launch a surprise attack, there was no time to be fumbling around with strapping on a bulky breastplate. One who was so foolish to be this unprepared would probably find himself a casualty of the conflict. The apostle introduces the next set of three with the words, “above all, taking” implying that the shield, helmet and sword could be temporarily set down and taken up as needed. These pieces of armor were never far from reach.

Vs. 14…We tend to view the armor of God here in Ephesians 6:10-18 as six distinct pieces of divine protection. Of course, there is a sense that this is true. But Paul’s phrase, “Put on the whole armor of God” strongly suggests that the armor is to be viewed as an ensemble. The term “whole” conveys the thought of completeness. God’s provision is complete. We are covered, as it were, from the crown of our head to the soles of our feet. And who better to equip us for the conflict than the Lord Himself? He has walked among us on the plain of the battlefield and was “touched with the feeling of our infirmities.”

The belt of truth gives the believer inner strength and confidence when he confronts the “father of lies”. We must be able to defend all the cardinal doctrines of the Christian faith.

Since believers are engaged in a spiritual warfare, with a very real enemy, we are instructed to put on the whole armor of God, that we “may be able to withstand in the evil day.” To avoid becoming a spiritual casualty in the heat of battle we must never be without the “breastplate of righteousness.” Just as this piece of armor protected the vital organs of the Roman soldier, in like manner it shields us against being “pierced through with many sorrows.” It is no coincidence that those who stand for the preaching of Jesus Christ according to the revelation of the Mystery are the prime targets of the fiery darts of the wicked one (Eph. 6:11-17). The breastplate is to be put on and never removed, as implied by the phrase “and having on.” Here in Ephesians, the breastplate illustrates the role of righteousness in our lives. Since there are different classifications of “righteousness” addressed in the Scriptures, it will be necessary for us to determine which righteousness the apostle has under consideration.

The breastplate has to do with our morality, that is, performing that which is right by living a life of good works. Paul charges us, “In all things showing thyself a pattern of good works: in doctrine showing uncorruptness, gravity, sincerity, sound speech, that cannot be condemned; that he that is of the contrary part may be ashamed, having no evil thing to say of you” (Titus 2:7,8).

Are your actions and manner of speech the same in private as in public? The breastplate of righteousness is a safeguard against the enemy’s attempts to discredit us and the message we proclaim. Of course, the adversary is always quick to point out our inconsistencies. But if we never remove this piece of armor, his accusations will be without foundation.

Vs. 15… In these words we have another piece of armor that is to be put on and never removed. The proper footwear gave ancient armies the ability to march long distances across rugged terrain. Interestingly, as the children of Israel prepared to leave Egypt, God instructed them to observe the Passover with their shoes on (Ex. 12:11). They were to be ready in a moment’s notice to march through enemy territory or stand still as God miraculously delivered them. Throughout the forty years that the Israelites wandered in the wilderness, these shoes never “waxed old” (Deut. 29:5). We never outgrow these shoes simply because they are always a perfect fit for our changing conditions.

The “preparation” of the gospel of peace has to do with our readiness to deal with whatever circumstances that life throws at us. So what is the significance of our feet being shod with the gospel of peace? First of all, the subject here is not evangelism. The context here in Ephesians is the believer’s warfare with the adversary. Paul has in mind the state of the believer. He pictures us in the heat of battle, fighting the good fight of the faith. Each day brings a new danger. Each day brings another conflict. Each day brings a different set of circumstances. Therefore---have your shoes on, be ready with the gospel of peace, that is, whatever you are called upon to face, let “the peace of God, which passeth understanding...keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus” (Phil. 4:7).

When tragedy strikes in our lives we need our feet shod with the gospel of peace. Those who fail to have their feet shod with the peace of God often sound like Job’s wife. You will recall how Job lost his children, possessions, and his health practically overnight. Mrs. Job was devastated! Everything she loved in this life was gone. Sadly, her judgment had been severely impaired by the things of this world. Consequently, she said to Job: “Dost thou still retain thine integrity? curse God, and die.” But Job viewed his circumstances through the eye of faith. He chose to trust in the Lord with all his heart, and lean not on his own understanding. Job admonished his wife accordingly: “Thou speakest as one of the foolish women speaketh.” He then adds: “What? shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil....The Lord gave, and the Lord hath taketh away; blessed be the name of the Lord. In all this Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly” (Job 1:21,22; 2:9,10). A crisis has a way of refining and purifying us for greater things in the Lord’s work. Even though living in a sin-cursed world may sometimes be overwhelming, we must learn to ponder what God is teaching us. One thing about experience, it gives the test first and the lesson later.

The shield of faith plays an important part in our spiritual warfare as well. But what is faith? “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen” (Heb. 11:1). Notice that faith has “substance” and “evidence.” In other words, it is based on the Word of God. We do not have a hope-so kind of faith. Rather our faith finds its rest in God who cannot lie. It is placing our full confidence in God that He will honor His Word.

So when Satan sends these fiery darts in our direction, we must be prepared to effectively use the shield of faith. These fiery darts meant to distract us. And if the shield of faith is not taken up, they will do just that.

Vs. 17… The helmet of the Roman soldier was made of leather covered with strips of brass. As a spiritual piece of armor, it is to guard the mind of the believer against the ruthless attacks of the adversary. The helmet of salvation has to do with the three tenses of our salvation in Christ:

Past tense—justification from the penalty of sin.
Present tense—sanctification from the power of sin.
Future tense—glorification from the presence and practice of sin.

In the midst of a spiritual conflict, we may find ourselves calling to remembrance one or more of these tenses at any given time. Justification simply means that we have been declared eternally righteous by God. We are beyond the reach of losing our salvation. “Who shall lay anything to the charge of God’s elect? It is God that justifieth....[And] who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?…Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him that loved us” (Rom. 8:33,35,37).

Sanctification has to do with being set apart from the world unto God’s service. This is what the apostle speaks of when he wrote to those at Philippi: “Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling” (Phil. 2:12). Notice Paul instructs these saints to “work out” their own salvation. The Philippians were not to “work for” it; they already possessed it. Rather, they were to “work out” that in-wrought salvation that God had bestowed upon them. As we grow in grace, our life should begin to reflect the image of Christ.

The future state of glorification will ultimately deliver us from the very presence of sin.

The sword of the Roman soldier was both a defensive and an offensive weapon. It had two edges and was about twenty-four inches in length. God uses His Word to convict the sinner of his sin. “For the Word of God is quick [living], and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart” (Heb. 4:12). The cold, hard steel of a man-made sword is intended to end life, but the sword of the Spirit is meant to impart life, and life more abundantly.

The “girdle of truth” speaks of the Word of God in its broadest sense. It is here we find our defense for the foundational doctrines of the Christian faith—creation, deity of Christ, bodily resurrection, etc. The sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God, points us specifically to Paul’s revelation which gives us God’s specific will for the dispensation of Grace. May God give us grace, wisdom, and courage to stand for this wonderful message that was first delivered unto us through the Apostle Paul.

Vs. 18-20… God is pleased when we pray all types of prayers: supplication, intercession, petition, thanksgiving, etc. They are to be offered up on every occasion, not only for ourselves, but also for those fellow-soldiers who are fighting alongside of us. And, we should be “watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints.” Watching for what? For God to work in their lives in answer to our prayers.

The commission of covenant relationship: Under both the Abrahamic and Mosaic covenants God demanded circumcision. Refusal to do so meant they were cut off from the blessings of God. Although circumcision did not save in and of itself, it did give them the opportunity to be saved. If Jewish parents were disobedient and failed to circumcise their male children, before these young men could be saved, the family had to repent and have them circumcised. Repentance was followed by the need to believe on the name of Christ. That is, believe He is the Messiah of Israel. Upon placing their faith in Messiah, they were required to be water baptized as an expression of faith. This symbolized the washing away of their sins and inducted them into the “royal priesthood” (I Peter 2:9). Jesus plainly taught His disciples: “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved.” Those who refused to be water baptized under the terms of this gospel are said to have rejected the counsel of God against themselves (Mark 1:4,5,14,15; John 20:31; Mark 16:16; John 1:31; Luke 7:29,30). Interestingly, the Lord goes on to say: “And these signs shall follow them that believe.” They were given the authority to cast out devils, speak with new tongues, heal the sick, raise the dead, forgive sins, etc. These miraculous deeds confirmed the Word of God that Christ was the King of Israel who would one day establish His kingdom of righteousness upon the earth (Matt. 10:5-15; Mark 16:17- 20; John 1:47-49; 20:21-23).

The commission of reconciliation: According to the revelation given to our apostle, we are living under a new set of marching orders. “By whom [Christ] we have received grace and apostleship, for obedience to the faith among all nations, for His name.” Note that the Holy Spirit here emphasizes “all nations.” This includes Israel. With the fall of Israel God has made all nations equal. Today, He is saving individuals out of the nations in spite of Israel. So then, the good news of the Mystery highlights the fact that Gentiles no longer have to be saved through Israel; Gentiles are not secondary citizens of the kingdom (Rom. 1:5; 11:11-13,32). The terms of salvation in this dispensation have changed. Since Gentiles were never the covenant people of God, we are not called upon to repent in relationship to the covenant in order that we might be saved. Rather, we are commanded to believe that Christ died for our sins, was buried, and rose again the third day. And what does God require of us as an expression of faith? “But to him that worketh not, but believeth on Him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.” We are saved by grace through faith alone (I Cor. 15:1-4).

According to Scripture, water baptism was an ordinance. (Heb. 9:1,10) In biblical times, an ordinance was a deed performed according to God’s command. Today, the handwriting of ordinances has been blotted out by the finished work of Christ. “Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to His Cross” (Col. 2:14).


The Mystery of the Gospel is different than the Gospel of the Mystery. The mystery or secret of the gospel has to do specifically with Calvary. You might say that it is the heart of the Mystery. Covenant theologians teach that Old Testament saints were saved by placing their faith in the coming death of Christ. “Of which salvation the prophets have inquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you: searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow” (I Pet. 1:10,11). The prophets are said to have “inquired and searched diligently.” They saw the importance of the matter, but were unable to interpret the words they spoke and wrote. The truth of the Cross was “to be testified in due time” through Paul’s gospel. (I Tim. 2:6) They “searched what,” the prophecies meant and when they would be fulfilled. Peter continues by adding this truth: “Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves [the prophets], but unto us they did minister the things, which are now reported.” If these prophecies regarding the Cross were not revealed to the prophets, then how can it be said that they understood the finished work of Christ, much less placed their faith in it to be saved?

Paul is the first to reveal the significance of Calvary. In other words, Paul removes the veil from the Cross and shows us what God accomplished there on our behalf. That is, God was in Christ reconciling the world unto Himself. He also explains that at Calvary Christ gave Himself a ransom for the sins of the world; therefore, whosoever places their faith in His death, burial, and resurrection is freely justified by “His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.”

May we, like Paul, open our mouths boldly to make known the revelation of the Mystery and the heart of this message, which is the good news of Calvary!

“Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me His prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God” (II Tim. 1:8).

Although the apostle was in prison when he wrote to the saints at Ephesus and later here to Timothy, he challenged them not to be ashamed of the gospel on the basis that he himself had boldly proclaimed the message in the face of severe adversity. Perhaps Timothy was already struggling with this problem, as he ministered the gospel at Ephesus. Keep in mind there was much to fear at that time, not to mention the tendency to become discouraged. “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind” (II Tim. 1:7).

In these days in which we live, the world seems to have a powerful influence over the lives of many believers. For this reason, many members of the Body of Christ are looking for that book, conference, or seminar that will be a shortcut to spiritual maturity. When it comes to our spiritual lives and having boldness of faith, we want instant results with little or no effort put into it. To have boldness in the faith, there must be three key ingredients: Time: Just as physical growth takes years, spiritual growth also takes time. Focusing on ourselves causes us to fear man and be reluctant to speak out. It takes time to learn to take our eyes off ourselves and to focus on Him. Discipline: It also takes discipline to sit down with the Word of God and study to acquire a knowledge of the Scriptures. Consistency: If we are to gain the respect of others in order to more effectively minister the gospel, we speak the truth in love consistently and we must also live the truth.