Ephesians Chapter 6

Chapter Six begins with a continuation of the context which began back in Chaper five and verse 21:

Ephesians 5:21 Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.

The passage then has specific instructions to husbands and then to wives, and the final verse is:

Ephesians 5:33 Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself; and the wife see that she reverence her husband.

And so chapter six continues:

Ephesians 6:1 Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right.

Ephesians 6:2 Honour thy father and mother; which is the first commandment with promise;

Ephesians 6:3 That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth.

Parents have an awesome responsibility to train up their children in the way that they should go according to Proverbs. Paul referred to Timothy's mother and grandmother in 2 Timothy 1:5. He speaks of Timothy's genuine faith which he says first dwelt in his grandmother and in his mother. Parents should teach their children the rightly divided word of truth. Paul has referred here to Exodus 20:12 which is the commandment to "honor thy father and thy mother" and it contains a promise "that thy days may be long..."

Ephesians 6:4 And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.

Nuture carries the idea of education and training. Admonition is to call attention to, as in the doctrine. It carries the idea of a mild rebuke rather than "provoking" to wrath.

Ephesians 6:5 Servants, be obedient to them that are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in singleness of your heart, as unto Christ;

Ephesians 6:6 Not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart;

Ephesians 6:7 With good will doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men:

In the bible there are servants and there are masters, according to the flesh. Onesimus in the book of Philemon would be an example. He evidently had left Philemon but Paul, in Rome, calls him "my son" because Paul had "begotten him in his bonds." Paul had sent him back to Philemon "not now as a servant, but above a servant, a brother beloved."

The application that could be made of this passage is the attitude and relationship between an employee and employer. Not just doing a job with "eyeservice" but as a saved person, as a servant of Christ, doing their job ernestly and from the heart.

Ephesians 6:8 Knowing that whatsoever good thing any man doeth, the same shall he receive of the Lord, whether he be bond or free.

Paul says, in 2 Corinthians 5:10 that believers will "receive the things," not receive FOR the things, done in the body, at the judgment seat of Christ.

And finally he says:

Ephesians 6:10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.

Believers walk in His power and in his might, not in our own. Paul prayed for the Ephesians back in chapter one that they might know what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe. That belief is according to the working of his mighty power which he wrought in Christ when he raised him from the dead and set him at his own right hand.

Believers have that position in Christ. The idea Paul presents here is living the life that God has made us in Christ.

Ephesians 6:11 Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.

Wiles have to do with trickery. The object of the devil is to neutralize a saved person. The devil cannot "posess" a saved individual because a saved person has been "bought with a price" and belongs to the Lord. But the devil surely can and does deceive people. This armour is for the purpose of "standing" and not being tricked or deceived.

Ephesians 6:12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

The devil has his own "army." They are not flesh and blood. They are referred to as principalities and powers and rulers of the darkness of this world. The devil is the god of this world and he operates today at full power. His purpose is to blind the minds of them that believe not and to neutralize those who do believe.

Ephesians 6:13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

We live today in an evil day. It is called "man's day." We live in a time when the "mystery of iniquity" works. That has to do with the Satanic system and the world is filled with it. It is social, political, economic and religious. Millions of people are caught up in false religion today while millions of others are distracted by social betterment programs, by politics and by economic events that happen in the world.

When you have "done all" and have on the armour he is about to describe then you stand:

Ephesians 6:14 Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;

The TRUTH Paul refers to here is the word of truth, the gospel of YOUR salvation. It is found only in Paul's epistles. Paul was given the TRUTH for the body of Christ. That salvation truth is that Christ died for our sins, all of them. He was delivered for our offenses and was raised again for our justification. Paul warned of men turning away from the truth and turning unto fables. Religion today is full of fables. Paul said that in the last days men would have a "form of godliness" but that they would deny the power thereof. Godliness is the gospel Paul preached, but there are many in religion today who will not receive it and believe it.

We are to have our loins "girt about" with the truth of the gospel. Then he says "having on the breastplate of righteousness." That is not a reference to our own but rather it refers to the righteousness of God.

Philippians 3:9 And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:

That's what a believer is to wear. We are told in Romans to "walk in newness of life." That newness of life is to live our life in the flesh by the faith OF the Son of God. We are to reckon ourselves dead to sin but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. That is the way God reckons it and we are told to do the same.

Ephesians 6:15 And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;

Having your feet shod carries the idea of "going" and in going our feet should by being prepared. We need to know what we believe and why we believe it. We should be prepared to share that. We should speak the truth. We should be able to tell people that their sin is not the issue today, because God was in Christ, at the cross, reconciling the world unto himself. He did that by imputing our sins to Jesus Christ. He made him to be sin for us. So God is not charging people with sin today. Instead, nearly two thousand years ago he charged Christ with our sins. Our sins have already been judged and Christ died for them. So the only thing God imputes to an unbeliever today is their unbelief. We should be able to tell people that and to show them that in the verses.

Ephesians 6:16 Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.

Those fiery darts come from the devil's attempt to get a believer off course and to neutralize him. It is the faith OF Christ which resulted in our salvation. This is the shield that we have. Our faith grows when we study to shew ourselves approved unto God. But our standing with God in the body of Christ is glorious and not having spot or wrinkle. We stand before God in his own perfection, not ours. This is the shield that we have. Notice in Romans:

Romans 8:38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,

Romans 8:39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Notice those angels and principalities and powers. They are the ones that may attempt but are not able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Our justification came as a result of HIS faith. That is the shield of faith which is a part of the whole armour of God today.

Ephesians 6:17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:

A helmet goes on your head. It refers to knowledge that you have, the knowledge of your salvation. Paul says that God would have all men to be saved and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. The truth is in the gospel. Paul said "I know WHOM I have beleived. Not "in whom." And he says that he is persuaded that he is able to KEEP that which I have committed to him. Paul committed his salvation to the Lord Jesus Christ. That's what a believer does today. We turn our salvation over to the Lord. We commit it to him and we leave it there, trusting him.

Notice also the sword of the Spirit which he says is the word of God. The word of God, the bible, is the weapon a believer has in order to stand and to withstand. To engage in the warfare Paul talks about here:

2 Corinthians 10:4 (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)

2 Corinthians 10:5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;

The knowledge of God is contained in the written word of God. Believing it and taking it at face value is the only way it can be effective. Men imagine things that God calls foolish. The wisdom of the world is foolishness with God. The word of God, according to Hebrews is quick and powerful, sharper than any two edged sword. It is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

The only tangible thing you have in this world that pertains to the things of God is your King James Bible. It contains the perfectly preserved word of God in English today. We need to take it, study it, read it and believe it.

Ephesians 6:18 Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;

Now take note of the words in the next verse:

Ephesians 6:19 And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel,

Paul tells the Ephesians to pray always and to pray for all saints and then he says pray for me. Notice the purpose: That utternace may be given unto to me. He says that he may speak bodly in order to make known the MYSTERY OF the gospel.

The mystery OF the gospel has to do with the very salvation of these Ephesians and of you and me. It pertains to the mystery he writes about in Chapter three, which he calls the "unsearchable riches of Christ" He calls it the FELLOWSHIP of the mystery which rather than being able to find out about it in the scriptures that it was hid IN GOD. This mystery is FURTHER revelation and is distinct from other mysteries Paul has previously written about. Because of this Paul is literally in bonds in Rome.

Ephesians 6:20 For which I am an ambassador in bonds: that therein I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.

Now he mentions the letter carrier:

Ephesians 6:21 But that ye also may know my affairs, and how I do, Tychicus, a beloved brother and faithful minister in the Lord, shall make known to you all things:

Ephesians 6:22 Whom I have sent unto you for the same purpose, that ye might know our affairs, and that he might comfort your hearts.

It appears that Paul sent Tychicus to Ephesus shortly before he wrote 2 Timothy (see 2 Timothy 4:12) If so, that would make the Ephesian letter and the letter of 2 Timothy the two last letters Paul wrote.

Ephesians 6:23 Peace be to the brethren, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Ephesians 6:24 Grace be with all them that love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity. Amen.