Letter to the Ephesians -- Chapter 6
Paul moves on to look at the next major human relationship, that of the parent-child. After marriage the next relationship that develops is the one of parent-child (since procreation is a result of the marriage relationship). Paul begins by once again calling for submission: “Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right” (Ephesians 6:1). Because God has given parents as the head of the parent-child relationship, children are called to obey their parents. This obedience is not a “blind” obedience but is an obedience “in the Lord.” This means that our obedience towards our parents is done out of obedience to God first. We obey our parents because we obey, fear, trust, and love God our Father. “‘Honor your father and mother’—which is the first commandment with a promise—‘that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth’” (Ephesians 6:2-3). God Himself has attached His Word and promise to the command to obey and honor our parents. Therefore we are to honor our parents in all things because God said so, obeying them in accordance with the command, promise, and Word of God Almighty. Subsequently the only time we are to “disobey” our parents is when their command is in conflict with the clear will and Law of God. In that case we must “disobey” them out of obedience to God. In conclusion Paul addresses parents and their duty towards their children: “Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord” (Ephesians 6:4). Just because parents are the head of the children doesn’t mean that they have free reign to abuse this position. Parents are called to love, instruct, discipline, and train their children. No position of authority that God has established has been given for our own pleasure and will, but He has given us authority in order that we might serve and aide those who are under our care.
Next Paul discusses the generic relationship of master-servant. This very basic relationship represents every other relationship of authority in the world that doesn’t fall under the husband-wife and parent-child relationships. Therefore our relationship to the government is one of master-servant, our relationship at work is one of master-servant, and the relationship of teacher-student is one of master-servant. “Slaves, obey your earthly masters with respect and fear, and with sincerity of heart, just as you would obey Christ. Obey them not only to win their favor when their eye is on you, but like slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from your heart” (Ephesians 6:5-6). It is important for us to see that the “slaves” that Paul speaks of here are not just men who are “indentured and captive servants” but are in fact all men who have a boss or master. If we have any figure of authority over us in our life then in that context we are their “slave” and they are our “master.” Therefore as obedient servants and slaves of those whom we are under we are called to obedience not just for the sake of their favor but out of obedience to God’s will, out of obedience to Jesus Christ Himself. “Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not men, because you know that the Lord will reward everyone for whatever good he does, whether he is slave or free” (Ephesians 6:7-8). Just like our parents we are to obey all of our masters because God our Father has called us to do so. This should not be a grudging obedience but a heartfelt obedience that flows from thanksgiving to God’s amazing grace given to us in the Cross. Subsequently masters (all those who are in authority over another person) are also called to respect and love those under their authority. “And masters, treat your slaves in the same way. Do not threaten them, since you know that he who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and there is no favoritism with him” (Ephesians 6:9). Seeing that God Almighty is above all of us, we should follow His good example and love all those over whom we have been given authority. It is our duty to God that we look out for them, caring for their best interests in all things and at all times.
By having discussed these relationships Paul is simply teaching us to submit first to God alone in Jesus Christ and then to submit and honor our fellow man for the sake of Jesus Christ. His specific calls to submit are simply an offshoot of his general call for all Christians to submit to God first and then to one another in love. “Submit to the LORD” (2 Chronicles 30:8). “Submit to God and be at peace with him” (Job 22:21). “Submit to the Father” (Hebrews 12:9). “Submit yourselves to God” (James 4:7). We submit to God because His grace that He has bestowed onto us thru His Son Jesus Christ is unfathomable and undeserved; we love because He first loved us. The promise and nuptials that we have been given as members of the Church and Body of Christ are beyond compare and are worthy of daily thanksgiving and praise. All that is Jesus Christ’s is ours by means of His grace that is received in our lives thru the Spirit’s work of faith, and all the filth, grime, disgrace, and dishonor that we have brought to our husband Christ, has been carried by Him on the Cross. In the Cross of Christ Jesus we have been betrothed in righteousness, justice, love, compassion, and faithfulness. By His grace, God has chosen us to be His people, His Church, even though we have been nothing but faithless towards Him: “‘Return, faithless people,’ declares the LORD, ‘for I am your husband. I will choose you…and bring you to Zion’” (Jeremiah 3:14). “‘In that day,’ declares the LORD, ‘you will call me ‘my husband’…I will betroth you to me forever; I will betroth you in righteousness and justice, in love and compassion. I will betroth you in faithfulness, and you will acknowledge the LORD” (Hosea 2:16, 19-20). In addition to this union with Jesus Christ we have now become the very children of our Father in Heaven. “How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!” (1 John 3:1). Therefore we too should submit to Him (honoring, loving, and trusting Him) as our Father and parent who is looking out for our ultimate good and care. And lastly we are also to submit to our new Lord and Master Jesus Christ. Because He has betrothed Himself to us and has reconciled us as the children of our Father in Heaven we are now called to obey Him as our Master. We are to submit to His call and will, humbling ourselves as servants of neighbor and enemy alike for His sake. “You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to God…For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:22-23).
Having discussed our relationships to one another that must be founded in Jesus Christ, Paul concludes his letter to the Ephesians by urging them to stand firm in Jesus Christ and what He has done on our behalf: “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power” (Ephesians 6:10). Our stand in life is never on ourselves but is always “in the Lord” and in His mighty power, work, and abilities. Therefore Paul urges us to put on the armor that God has provided to protect us against the onslaughts of the devil: “Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes” (Ephesians 6:11). Because our battle is against such an evil foe as the devil it is absolutely essential that we don the protection that has been given us in Jesus Christ. All our earthly and worldly defenses and weapons are useless for our battle is not against flesh and blood but against unseen forces that are far stronger and darker than we realize. “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms” (Ephesians 6:12). Even though Jesus Christ has indeed won the war for us there are still small battles that must be waged until Judgment Day. Because this sinful world still goes on for the time being we must be ready as Christians for the full attack of the devil, his minions, the world, and our flesh, which all try to pull us away from the victory we have in Jesus Christ. “Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand” (Ephesians 6:13). The armor of God has been given us with the express purpose of enabling us to stand firm against these forces until life everlasting. With this armor God is providing for our perseverance in Jesus Christ for without this armor we would be naked and helpless to withstand the onslaught of this life.
Thru all this Paul is attempting to echo, teach, and reinforce one of the most common exhortations of the entire Scriptures: “Stand firm then” (Ephesians 6:14). Being that we are followers of the one God in Jesus Christ the Scriptures incessantly urge us to “stand firm.” This urging and admonition is what our entire journey as disciples can be summarized as: standing firm. We have already been saved, rescued, and forgiven in the Cross of Jesus Christ (all the necessary work has been done!) so the Scriptures do not urge us to help ourselves or save ourselves, but simply to stand firm in what God has already accomplished on our behalf. “If you do not stand firm in your faith, you will not stand at all” (Isaiah 7:9). “He who stands firm to the end will be saved” (Matthew 24:13). “By standing firm you will gain life” (Luke 21:19). “My dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you” (1 Corinthians 15:58). “Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be men of courage; be strong” (1 Corinthians 16:13). “It is by faith you stand firm” (2 Corinthians 1:24). “Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery” (Galatians 5:1). “Stand firm in the Lord, dear friends!” (Philippians 4:1). “Stand firm in all the will of God, mature and fully assured” (Colossians 4:12). “Stand firm and hold to the teachings we passed on to you, whether by word of mouth or by letter” (2 Thessalonians 2:15). “Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him” (James 1:12). “Be patient and stand firm, because the Lord’s coming is near” (James 5:8). “You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised” (Hebrews 10:36). “Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you the crown of life” (Revelation 2:10). These urgings however must not be taken as something we do and accomplish ourselves. God is the active agent in our perseverance and in our standing firm in the faith He has given us. “It is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ” (2 Corinthians 1:21). Therefore by teaching us about the armor of God Paul is giving us a full explanation of what the Scriptures mean when they urge us to stand firm and how God Himself is the one who holds us firm with these amazing gifts.
Paul continues on to elaborate on the armor God has provided that allows us to stand firm in Jesus Christ. “With the belt of truth buckled around your waist” (Ephesians 6:14). It is no coincidence that Paul proclaims the first piece of God’s armor to be the belt of truth. Sadly this belt of truth has been relegated to the “back burner” in most of Christendom today, as men think that it is of secondary importance. However, the truth is of first and primary importance; if we do not have the belt of truth then all the other armor of God is lost, and our entire faith is futile. What is the truth exactly? The truth is essentially two things which are intimately intertwined and ultimately impossible to separate: Jesus Christ Himself, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6). “Grace and truth came through Jesus Christ” (John 1:17), and God’s Law, message, Gospel, Word, and doctrine as revealed and fulfilled in Jesus Christ: “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (John 8:31-32). “Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth” (John 17:17). “Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers” (1 Timothy 4:16). The correct doctrine and truth of Jesus Christ is the most fundamental part of our armor of God which protects us from the world and Satan; without the proper belt of truth and the correct doctrine in regards to Jesus Christ we are completely lost and helpless amidst the lies of the world. Our entire faith, Christ-righteousness, and salvation (literally everything!) depend on the fact that it is all founded and rooted in the concrete truth, in Jesus Christ Himself: “If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins” (1 Corinthians 15:17). God does not want us to just get the “basics” and “essentials” right, but He wants us to worship Him in truth and to teach His truth (that is the pure doctrine and confession of Jesus Christ as the Scriptures proclaim). “God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth” (John 4:24). “You must teach what is in accord with sound doctrine” (Titus 2:1). Therefore the belt of truth is our most fundamental defense against Satan and his false prophets and gospels. Many will rise in the name of Christ and will distort, corrupt, and change the truth and so we must combat them and defend ourselves and the Church with the belt of truth we have been given in Jesus Christ. “Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them” (Acts 20:30).
“With the breastplate of righteousness in place” (Ephesians 6:14). The second piece of God’s armor is the breastplate of righteousness. “I put on righteousness as my clothing” (Job 29:14). “He put on righteousness as his breastplate” (Isaiah 59:17). The breastplate is the largest section in a suit of armor and it protects the body, torso, and heart from attacks. Just so, righteousness is our protection against our sin, the Law, and death which are clamoring to bring us down. What exactly is this righteousness though? Is it our own goodness or obedience? Absolutely not! It is very important that we recognize that this breastplate of righteousness that protects us is nothing from ourselves but is the gift of God’s own righteousness thru His Son. We do not seek a righteousness of our own devising, willing, or working. We look to God’s righteousness and not to our own: “Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness” (Matthew 6:33). “Vindicate me in your righteousness, O LORD my God” (Psalm 35:24). “Rescue me and deliver me in your righteousness” (Psalm 71:2). “Preserve my life in your righteousness” (Psalm 119:40). “In the LORD alone are righteousness and strength” (Isaiah 45:24). But what good is it to us that God is righteous? How does His righteousness protect us from His wrath and fury? The answer is Jesus Christ. He is the way in which God’s righteousness becomes our righteousness. The breastplate of righteousness we have been given is in fact Christ’s own righteousness that He has clothed us with thru His sacrifice on our behalf. “I will make a righteous Branch sprout from David's line; He will do what is just and right in the land. In those days Judah will be saved and Jerusalem will live in safety. This is the name by which it will be called: The LORD Our Righteousness” (Jeremiah 33:15-16). “It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption” (1 Corinthians 1:30). Jesus Christ is the Lord Our Righteousness, for we are clothed not in a righteousness of our own, but in Jesus Christ Himself who makes us right with God and takes God’s judgment and wrath for us. Therefore, as we did with the belt of truth, we put on Jesus Christ Himself since He is our righteousness before God the Father. “The LORD has made his salvation known and revealed his righteousness to the nations” (Psalm 98:2). “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Corinthians 5:21). “This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe” (Romans 3:22). We must don the righteousness of Jesus Christ daily so that we are protected from the accusations of our sin, the Law, and Satan. “Be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith” (Philippians 3:9).
“With your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace” (Ephesians 6:15). On our feet Paul tells us to clad ourselves with the readiness and preparation of the Gospel in order that we might carry out and heed the call of Jesus Christ. “How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, ‘Your God reigns!’” (Isaiah 52:7). Our “vocation” is where we are called to be in this life carrying out God’s work, and therefore our feet need to be ever ready to immediately heed Christ’s call in our life, but ever careful not to overstep this call by our human enthusiasm and zealousness. Dietrich Bonhoeffer put it well when talking about the call to follow Jesus Christ: “No man can choose such a life for himself. No man can call himself to such a destiny…The gulf between a voluntary offer to follow and genuine discipleship is clear. But where Jesus calls, he bridges the widest gulf.” The call of Jesus Christ to follow Him and to go to action for His name’s sake can come at anytime so we need our feet to be ready: “He said to another man, ‘Follow me.’ But the man replied, ‘Lord, first let me go and bury my father.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God.’ Still another said, ‘I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say good bye to my family.’ Jesus replied, ‘No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God’” (Luke 9:59-62). Christ is very clear that we always need to wear the boots of readiness on our feet that the Gospel gives us; when He comes and calls to us it will be unexpected and there will be no second chance. Luther once said, “It is amazing how quickly ‘later’ turns into ‘never.’” If we say to ourselves we will heed the call of Christ “later” then we will find that we have missed and forsaken the call of Christ altogether. If not now, when? If our feet are not prepared and ready by the Gospel we will find that they will lead us astray down the broad path of procrastination and destruction: “Their feet rush into sin” (Isaiah 59:7). “They greatly love to wander; they do not restrain their feet” (Jeremiah 14:10). Therefore let us fit our feet with the boots of readiness and preparation that comes thru the Gospel of Jesus Christ crucified. “Be dressed ready for service and keep your lamps burning, like men waiting for their master to return from a wedding banquet, so that when he comes and knocks they can immediately open the door for him” (Luke 12:35-36). “The Sovereign LORD is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to go on the heights” (Habakkuk 3:19).
Paul continues: “In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one” (Ephesians 6:16). The Lord God Himself is our shield who protects us from all the assaults of this life and it is thru faith, which trusts and believes in His mercy and goodness for the sake of Jesus Christ, that we are shielded. “The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and I am helped” (Psalm 28:7). “You who fear Him, trust in the LORD—He is their help and shield” (Psalm 115:11). The shield is the first line of defense for a warrior as he holds it out in front of his body to protect himself from all of the arrows and sword blows of the enemy. So it is with us, our faith in the promises of God Himself is our first line of defense that reassures us no matter the strife that comes our way. The faithful words of the psalmist illustrate this perfectly: “He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the LORD, ‘He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.’ Surely he will save you from the fowler's snare and from the deadly pestilence. He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart. You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday. A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you” (Psalm 91:1-7). Oh what a faithful and gracious God that we have, and what a fine example of trust we find in the psalmist! Though thousands and ten thousands fall around us we will never fear the evil one or this life, because we know that God is on our side and is working on our behalf. “If God is for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8:31). Job is also a great example of facing all the fiery arrows of the evil one, our sinful nature, and this world with a shield of faith: “Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked I will depart. The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away; may the name of the LORD be praised” (Job 1:21). In the end we must remember what it is and who it is that allows us to trust God so unwaveringly in the face of this life’s war: It is Jesus Christ and the work He has done for us on the Cross. Therefore we are urged to take up this shield of faith in Jesus Christ, casting it before us against all the attacks of Satan, the world, death, and sin. “In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade—kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed” (1 Peter 1:3-7).
“Take the helmet of salvation” (Ephesians 6:17). The final piece of God’s armor is the helmet of salvation. The helmet guards the head and it is one of the most important parts of the body to protect because from it stems all control and coordination of the body. It is for this reason that we must eagerly don the helmet of salvation, which is the hope of everlasting life we have been given in Christ Jesus. “Let us be self-controlled, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet. For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. He died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with him” (1 Thessalonians 5:8-10). “He put on righteousness as his breastplate, and the helmet of salvation on his head” (Isaiah 59:17). “O Sovereign LORD, my strong deliverer, who shields my head in the day of battle” (Psalm 140:7). The head is also the dwelling place of the mind with which we are commanded to love our God: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind” (Matthew 22:37). When our mind is protected by the helmet of salvation then we are under the Spirit’s control and no longer under the dominion of our sinful nature in our minds: “The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace” (Romans 8:6). No matter what human rationalizing and reasoning comes to attack our minds, we stand protected under the “foolish” promise of salvation thru the Cross of Jesus Christ and must cling to that above all else.
Having finished the armor of God Paul continues on to tell us of the weapons we have been given in the Spirit. “The sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God” (Ephesians 6:17). As disciples of Jesus Christ we are not just clothed in God’s armor, but we are also given an unimaginably powerful weapon with which we fight off all that comes our way: the sword of the Spirit, God’s very Word. When our hearts are troubled and our minds are doubting it is only God’s Word which can fight off the enemies that plague us. Christ tells us very plainly that the Holy Scriptures must be used to combat these attacks: “‘Why are you troubled, and why do doubts rise in your minds?’…‘Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms.’ Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures. He told them, ‘This is what is written: The Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations’” (Luke 24:38, 44-47). It is with the Holy Scriptures, which are the inspired and divine Words of God, that we destroy all pretensions and arguments that try to undermine our foundation of Christ Jesus. “For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:3-5). If we are to fight back against the lies and untruths of the world then we must make our every thought, word, and action captive to the revealed Word of Christ. Worldly arguments and pretensions will come and go leading men astray, so it is imperative that we ourselves cling to the one thing in this life that never changes or wavers: God’s Word. “Your word, O LORD, is eternal; it stands firm in the heavens” (Psalm 119:89). “The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God stands forever” (Isaiah 40:8).
In addition to His Word God has also given us a means and way to apply this powerful weapon: prayer. It is thru prayer that we are to utilize the Word of God, as we meditate on its promises and raise our petitions, problems, burdens, anxieties, and concerns to God above. “And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests” (Ephesians 6:18). When we take all things to God in prayer we have the promise that both our hearts and minds will be guarded in Christ Jesus. “In everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6-7). These awesome promises give the prayer rooted in God’s Word and Jesus Christ an amazing power that we must not squander or take for granted. Realizing this power of God’s Word and prayer Paul asks us to keep all the saints in our prayers, also praying that thru God’s messengers His Gospel will continue to be fearlessly spread throughout the world. “With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should” (Ephesians 6:18-20). When all the world and our whole life seems to be failing and falling down around us we must stop and take hold of this weapon that God has given us: we need to simply stop, be still, and pray. We need to take hold of God’s Word and promise, going before Him thru the sacrifice and blood of Jesus Christ. “The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still” (Exodus 14:14). “Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him” (Psalm 37:7). “Be still, and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10). “Call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you will honor me” (Psalm 50:15). “You are forgiving and good, O Lord, abounding in love to all who call to you. Hear my prayer, O LORD; listen to my cry for mercy. In the day of my trouble I will call to you, for you will answer me” (Psalm 86:5-7).
Having shown us the awesome armor and weapons with which we are to take our firm stand in Christ Jesus, Paul continues on to give his final greetings and encouragements to the Ephesians. “Tychicus, the dear brother and faithful servant in the Lord, will tell you everything, so that you also may know how I am and what I am doing. I am sending him to you for this very purpose, that you may know how we are, and that he may encourage you” (Ephesians 6:21-22). Paul is sending a fellow servant of the Lord to the Ephesians so that they may be informed of Paul’s work and reassured in the faith that they proclaim. He understands that it is important for them to have faithful men in their presence who can continue to lead them in the teachings and truth that he began. With that Paul goes on to conclude his letter by calling for God’s peace, love, faith, and grace to all those in Jesus Christ. “Peace to the brothers, and love with faith from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Grace to all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with an undying love” (Ephesians 6:23-24). Let us pray that thru this grace that we heed the admonitions of the Apostle, clinging with our entire being to the amazing work of God that has pulled us out of depths of our depravity and sin and has placed us on the firm rock of Jesus Christ crucified. “He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand” (Psalm 40:2).
Next Paul discusses the generic relationship of master-servant. This very basic relationship represents every other relationship of authority in the world that doesn’t fall under the husband-wife and parent-child relationships. Therefore our relationship to the government is one of master-servant, our relationship at work is one of master-servant, and the relationship of teacher-student is one of master-servant. “Slaves, obey your earthly masters with respect and fear, and with sincerity of heart, just as you would obey Christ. Obey them not only to win their favor when their eye is on you, but like slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from your heart” (Ephesians 6:5-6). It is important for us to see that the “slaves” that Paul speaks of here are not just men who are “indentured and captive servants” but are in fact all men who have a boss or master. If we have any figure of authority over us in our life then in that context we are their “slave” and they are our “master.” Therefore as obedient servants and slaves of those whom we are under we are called to obedience not just for the sake of their favor but out of obedience to God’s will, out of obedience to Jesus Christ Himself. “Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not men, because you know that the Lord will reward everyone for whatever good he does, whether he is slave or free” (Ephesians 6:7-8). Just like our parents we are to obey all of our masters because God our Father has called us to do so. This should not be a grudging obedience but a heartfelt obedience that flows from thanksgiving to God’s amazing grace given to us in the Cross. Subsequently masters (all those who are in authority over another person) are also called to respect and love those under their authority. “And masters, treat your slaves in the same way. Do not threaten them, since you know that he who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and there is no favoritism with him” (Ephesians 6:9). Seeing that God Almighty is above all of us, we should follow His good example and love all those over whom we have been given authority. It is our duty to God that we look out for them, caring for their best interests in all things and at all times.
By having discussed these relationships Paul is simply teaching us to submit first to God alone in Jesus Christ and then to submit and honor our fellow man for the sake of Jesus Christ. His specific calls to submit are simply an offshoot of his general call for all Christians to submit to God first and then to one another in love. “Submit to the LORD” (2 Chronicles 30:8). “Submit to God and be at peace with him” (Job 22:21). “Submit to the Father” (Hebrews 12:9). “Submit yourselves to God” (James 4:7). We submit to God because His grace that He has bestowed onto us thru His Son Jesus Christ is unfathomable and undeserved; we love because He first loved us. The promise and nuptials that we have been given as members of the Church and Body of Christ are beyond compare and are worthy of daily thanksgiving and praise. All that is Jesus Christ’s is ours by means of His grace that is received in our lives thru the Spirit’s work of faith, and all the filth, grime, disgrace, and dishonor that we have brought to our husband Christ, has been carried by Him on the Cross. In the Cross of Christ Jesus we have been betrothed in righteousness, justice, love, compassion, and faithfulness. By His grace, God has chosen us to be His people, His Church, even though we have been nothing but faithless towards Him: “‘Return, faithless people,’ declares the LORD, ‘for I am your husband. I will choose you…and bring you to Zion’” (Jeremiah 3:14). “‘In that day,’ declares the LORD, ‘you will call me ‘my husband’…I will betroth you to me forever; I will betroth you in righteousness and justice, in love and compassion. I will betroth you in faithfulness, and you will acknowledge the LORD” (Hosea 2:16, 19-20). In addition to this union with Jesus Christ we have now become the very children of our Father in Heaven. “How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!” (1 John 3:1). Therefore we too should submit to Him (honoring, loving, and trusting Him) as our Father and parent who is looking out for our ultimate good and care. And lastly we are also to submit to our new Lord and Master Jesus Christ. Because He has betrothed Himself to us and has reconciled us as the children of our Father in Heaven we are now called to obey Him as our Master. We are to submit to His call and will, humbling ourselves as servants of neighbor and enemy alike for His sake. “You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to God…For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:22-23).
Having discussed our relationships to one another that must be founded in Jesus Christ, Paul concludes his letter to the Ephesians by urging them to stand firm in Jesus Christ and what He has done on our behalf: “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power” (Ephesians 6:10). Our stand in life is never on ourselves but is always “in the Lord” and in His mighty power, work, and abilities. Therefore Paul urges us to put on the armor that God has provided to protect us against the onslaughts of the devil: “Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes” (Ephesians 6:11). Because our battle is against such an evil foe as the devil it is absolutely essential that we don the protection that has been given us in Jesus Christ. All our earthly and worldly defenses and weapons are useless for our battle is not against flesh and blood but against unseen forces that are far stronger and darker than we realize. “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms” (Ephesians 6:12). Even though Jesus Christ has indeed won the war for us there are still small battles that must be waged until Judgment Day. Because this sinful world still goes on for the time being we must be ready as Christians for the full attack of the devil, his minions, the world, and our flesh, which all try to pull us away from the victory we have in Jesus Christ. “Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand” (Ephesians 6:13). The armor of God has been given us with the express purpose of enabling us to stand firm against these forces until life everlasting. With this armor God is providing for our perseverance in Jesus Christ for without this armor we would be naked and helpless to withstand the onslaught of this life.
Thru all this Paul is attempting to echo, teach, and reinforce one of the most common exhortations of the entire Scriptures: “Stand firm then” (Ephesians 6:14). Being that we are followers of the one God in Jesus Christ the Scriptures incessantly urge us to “stand firm.” This urging and admonition is what our entire journey as disciples can be summarized as: standing firm. We have already been saved, rescued, and forgiven in the Cross of Jesus Christ (all the necessary work has been done!) so the Scriptures do not urge us to help ourselves or save ourselves, but simply to stand firm in what God has already accomplished on our behalf. “If you do not stand firm in your faith, you will not stand at all” (Isaiah 7:9). “He who stands firm to the end will be saved” (Matthew 24:13). “By standing firm you will gain life” (Luke 21:19). “My dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you” (1 Corinthians 15:58). “Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be men of courage; be strong” (1 Corinthians 16:13). “It is by faith you stand firm” (2 Corinthians 1:24). “Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery” (Galatians 5:1). “Stand firm in the Lord, dear friends!” (Philippians 4:1). “Stand firm in all the will of God, mature and fully assured” (Colossians 4:12). “Stand firm and hold to the teachings we passed on to you, whether by word of mouth or by letter” (2 Thessalonians 2:15). “Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him” (James 1:12). “Be patient and stand firm, because the Lord’s coming is near” (James 5:8). “You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised” (Hebrews 10:36). “Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you the crown of life” (Revelation 2:10). These urgings however must not be taken as something we do and accomplish ourselves. God is the active agent in our perseverance and in our standing firm in the faith He has given us. “It is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ” (2 Corinthians 1:21). Therefore by teaching us about the armor of God Paul is giving us a full explanation of what the Scriptures mean when they urge us to stand firm and how God Himself is the one who holds us firm with these amazing gifts.
Paul continues on to elaborate on the armor God has provided that allows us to stand firm in Jesus Christ. “With the belt of truth buckled around your waist” (Ephesians 6:14). It is no coincidence that Paul proclaims the first piece of God’s armor to be the belt of truth. Sadly this belt of truth has been relegated to the “back burner” in most of Christendom today, as men think that it is of secondary importance. However, the truth is of first and primary importance; if we do not have the belt of truth then all the other armor of God is lost, and our entire faith is futile. What is the truth exactly? The truth is essentially two things which are intimately intertwined and ultimately impossible to separate: Jesus Christ Himself, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6). “Grace and truth came through Jesus Christ” (John 1:17), and God’s Law, message, Gospel, Word, and doctrine as revealed and fulfilled in Jesus Christ: “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (John 8:31-32). “Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth” (John 17:17). “Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers” (1 Timothy 4:16). The correct doctrine and truth of Jesus Christ is the most fundamental part of our armor of God which protects us from the world and Satan; without the proper belt of truth and the correct doctrine in regards to Jesus Christ we are completely lost and helpless amidst the lies of the world. Our entire faith, Christ-righteousness, and salvation (literally everything!) depend on the fact that it is all founded and rooted in the concrete truth, in Jesus Christ Himself: “If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins” (1 Corinthians 15:17). God does not want us to just get the “basics” and “essentials” right, but He wants us to worship Him in truth and to teach His truth (that is the pure doctrine and confession of Jesus Christ as the Scriptures proclaim). “God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth” (John 4:24). “You must teach what is in accord with sound doctrine” (Titus 2:1). Therefore the belt of truth is our most fundamental defense against Satan and his false prophets and gospels. Many will rise in the name of Christ and will distort, corrupt, and change the truth and so we must combat them and defend ourselves and the Church with the belt of truth we have been given in Jesus Christ. “Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them” (Acts 20:30).
“With the breastplate of righteousness in place” (Ephesians 6:14). The second piece of God’s armor is the breastplate of righteousness. “I put on righteousness as my clothing” (Job 29:14). “He put on righteousness as his breastplate” (Isaiah 59:17). The breastplate is the largest section in a suit of armor and it protects the body, torso, and heart from attacks. Just so, righteousness is our protection against our sin, the Law, and death which are clamoring to bring us down. What exactly is this righteousness though? Is it our own goodness or obedience? Absolutely not! It is very important that we recognize that this breastplate of righteousness that protects us is nothing from ourselves but is the gift of God’s own righteousness thru His Son. We do not seek a righteousness of our own devising, willing, or working. We look to God’s righteousness and not to our own: “Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness” (Matthew 6:33). “Vindicate me in your righteousness, O LORD my God” (Psalm 35:24). “Rescue me and deliver me in your righteousness” (Psalm 71:2). “Preserve my life in your righteousness” (Psalm 119:40). “In the LORD alone are righteousness and strength” (Isaiah 45:24). But what good is it to us that God is righteous? How does His righteousness protect us from His wrath and fury? The answer is Jesus Christ. He is the way in which God’s righteousness becomes our righteousness. The breastplate of righteousness we have been given is in fact Christ’s own righteousness that He has clothed us with thru His sacrifice on our behalf. “I will make a righteous Branch sprout from David's line; He will do what is just and right in the land. In those days Judah will be saved and Jerusalem will live in safety. This is the name by which it will be called: The LORD Our Righteousness” (Jeremiah 33:15-16). “It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption” (1 Corinthians 1:30). Jesus Christ is the Lord Our Righteousness, for we are clothed not in a righteousness of our own, but in Jesus Christ Himself who makes us right with God and takes God’s judgment and wrath for us. Therefore, as we did with the belt of truth, we put on Jesus Christ Himself since He is our righteousness before God the Father. “The LORD has made his salvation known and revealed his righteousness to the nations” (Psalm 98:2). “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Corinthians 5:21). “This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe” (Romans 3:22). We must don the righteousness of Jesus Christ daily so that we are protected from the accusations of our sin, the Law, and Satan. “Be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith” (Philippians 3:9).
“With your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace” (Ephesians 6:15). On our feet Paul tells us to clad ourselves with the readiness and preparation of the Gospel in order that we might carry out and heed the call of Jesus Christ. “How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, ‘Your God reigns!’” (Isaiah 52:7). Our “vocation” is where we are called to be in this life carrying out God’s work, and therefore our feet need to be ever ready to immediately heed Christ’s call in our life, but ever careful not to overstep this call by our human enthusiasm and zealousness. Dietrich Bonhoeffer put it well when talking about the call to follow Jesus Christ: “No man can choose such a life for himself. No man can call himself to such a destiny…The gulf between a voluntary offer to follow and genuine discipleship is clear. But where Jesus calls, he bridges the widest gulf.” The call of Jesus Christ to follow Him and to go to action for His name’s sake can come at anytime so we need our feet to be ready: “He said to another man, ‘Follow me.’ But the man replied, ‘Lord, first let me go and bury my father.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God.’ Still another said, ‘I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say good bye to my family.’ Jesus replied, ‘No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God’” (Luke 9:59-62). Christ is very clear that we always need to wear the boots of readiness on our feet that the Gospel gives us; when He comes and calls to us it will be unexpected and there will be no second chance. Luther once said, “It is amazing how quickly ‘later’ turns into ‘never.’” If we say to ourselves we will heed the call of Christ “later” then we will find that we have missed and forsaken the call of Christ altogether. If not now, when? If our feet are not prepared and ready by the Gospel we will find that they will lead us astray down the broad path of procrastination and destruction: “Their feet rush into sin” (Isaiah 59:7). “They greatly love to wander; they do not restrain their feet” (Jeremiah 14:10). Therefore let us fit our feet with the boots of readiness and preparation that comes thru the Gospel of Jesus Christ crucified. “Be dressed ready for service and keep your lamps burning, like men waiting for their master to return from a wedding banquet, so that when he comes and knocks they can immediately open the door for him” (Luke 12:35-36). “The Sovereign LORD is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to go on the heights” (Habakkuk 3:19).
Paul continues: “In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one” (Ephesians 6:16). The Lord God Himself is our shield who protects us from all the assaults of this life and it is thru faith, which trusts and believes in His mercy and goodness for the sake of Jesus Christ, that we are shielded. “The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and I am helped” (Psalm 28:7). “You who fear Him, trust in the LORD—He is their help and shield” (Psalm 115:11). The shield is the first line of defense for a warrior as he holds it out in front of his body to protect himself from all of the arrows and sword blows of the enemy. So it is with us, our faith in the promises of God Himself is our first line of defense that reassures us no matter the strife that comes our way. The faithful words of the psalmist illustrate this perfectly: “He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the LORD, ‘He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.’ Surely he will save you from the fowler's snare and from the deadly pestilence. He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart. You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday. A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you” (Psalm 91:1-7). Oh what a faithful and gracious God that we have, and what a fine example of trust we find in the psalmist! Though thousands and ten thousands fall around us we will never fear the evil one or this life, because we know that God is on our side and is working on our behalf. “If God is for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8:31). Job is also a great example of facing all the fiery arrows of the evil one, our sinful nature, and this world with a shield of faith: “Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked I will depart. The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away; may the name of the LORD be praised” (Job 1:21). In the end we must remember what it is and who it is that allows us to trust God so unwaveringly in the face of this life’s war: It is Jesus Christ and the work He has done for us on the Cross. Therefore we are urged to take up this shield of faith in Jesus Christ, casting it before us against all the attacks of Satan, the world, death, and sin. “In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade—kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed” (1 Peter 1:3-7).
“Take the helmet of salvation” (Ephesians 6:17). The final piece of God’s armor is the helmet of salvation. The helmet guards the head and it is one of the most important parts of the body to protect because from it stems all control and coordination of the body. It is for this reason that we must eagerly don the helmet of salvation, which is the hope of everlasting life we have been given in Christ Jesus. “Let us be self-controlled, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet. For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. He died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with him” (1 Thessalonians 5:8-10). “He put on righteousness as his breastplate, and the helmet of salvation on his head” (Isaiah 59:17). “O Sovereign LORD, my strong deliverer, who shields my head in the day of battle” (Psalm 140:7). The head is also the dwelling place of the mind with which we are commanded to love our God: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind” (Matthew 22:37). When our mind is protected by the helmet of salvation then we are under the Spirit’s control and no longer under the dominion of our sinful nature in our minds: “The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace” (Romans 8:6). No matter what human rationalizing and reasoning comes to attack our minds, we stand protected under the “foolish” promise of salvation thru the Cross of Jesus Christ and must cling to that above all else.
Having finished the armor of God Paul continues on to tell us of the weapons we have been given in the Spirit. “The sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God” (Ephesians 6:17). As disciples of Jesus Christ we are not just clothed in God’s armor, but we are also given an unimaginably powerful weapon with which we fight off all that comes our way: the sword of the Spirit, God’s very Word. When our hearts are troubled and our minds are doubting it is only God’s Word which can fight off the enemies that plague us. Christ tells us very plainly that the Holy Scriptures must be used to combat these attacks: “‘Why are you troubled, and why do doubts rise in your minds?’…‘Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms.’ Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures. He told them, ‘This is what is written: The Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations’” (Luke 24:38, 44-47). It is with the Holy Scriptures, which are the inspired and divine Words of God, that we destroy all pretensions and arguments that try to undermine our foundation of Christ Jesus. “For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:3-5). If we are to fight back against the lies and untruths of the world then we must make our every thought, word, and action captive to the revealed Word of Christ. Worldly arguments and pretensions will come and go leading men astray, so it is imperative that we ourselves cling to the one thing in this life that never changes or wavers: God’s Word. “Your word, O LORD, is eternal; it stands firm in the heavens” (Psalm 119:89). “The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God stands forever” (Isaiah 40:8).
In addition to His Word God has also given us a means and way to apply this powerful weapon: prayer. It is thru prayer that we are to utilize the Word of God, as we meditate on its promises and raise our petitions, problems, burdens, anxieties, and concerns to God above. “And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests” (Ephesians 6:18). When we take all things to God in prayer we have the promise that both our hearts and minds will be guarded in Christ Jesus. “In everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6-7). These awesome promises give the prayer rooted in God’s Word and Jesus Christ an amazing power that we must not squander or take for granted. Realizing this power of God’s Word and prayer Paul asks us to keep all the saints in our prayers, also praying that thru God’s messengers His Gospel will continue to be fearlessly spread throughout the world. “With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should” (Ephesians 6:18-20). When all the world and our whole life seems to be failing and falling down around us we must stop and take hold of this weapon that God has given us: we need to simply stop, be still, and pray. We need to take hold of God’s Word and promise, going before Him thru the sacrifice and blood of Jesus Christ. “The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still” (Exodus 14:14). “Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him” (Psalm 37:7). “Be still, and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10). “Call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you will honor me” (Psalm 50:15). “You are forgiving and good, O Lord, abounding in love to all who call to you. Hear my prayer, O LORD; listen to my cry for mercy. In the day of my trouble I will call to you, for you will answer me” (Psalm 86:5-7).
Having shown us the awesome armor and weapons with which we are to take our firm stand in Christ Jesus, Paul continues on to give his final greetings and encouragements to the Ephesians. “Tychicus, the dear brother and faithful servant in the Lord, will tell you everything, so that you also may know how I am and what I am doing. I am sending him to you for this very purpose, that you may know how we are, and that he may encourage you” (Ephesians 6:21-22). Paul is sending a fellow servant of the Lord to the Ephesians so that they may be informed of Paul’s work and reassured in the faith that they proclaim. He understands that it is important for them to have faithful men in their presence who can continue to lead them in the teachings and truth that he began. With that Paul goes on to conclude his letter by calling for God’s peace, love, faith, and grace to all those in Jesus Christ. “Peace to the brothers, and love with faith from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Grace to all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with an undying love” (Ephesians 6:23-24). Let us pray that thru this grace that we heed the admonitions of the Apostle, clinging with our entire being to the amazing work of God that has pulled us out of depths of our depravity and sin and has placed us on the firm rock of Jesus Christ crucified. “He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand” (Psalm 40:2).
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