The goal, which is to Stand, when all is done. This is the final and another favorite chapter of Ephesians. It’s full of blessings and training and amazing reasons behind those lessons. What a great God we have. Let’s pray:
Lord Jesus, the things You have done and the Father has prepared for us are so far beyond our imaginations that it’s all I can do to say it’s going to be good. So I’m asking, as we read this final chapter of this book, You make the lessons in it stick in our hearts and bring them to mind so we can think over them often. And Lord, that You will lead me in this so that this chapter is understood and it grows our faith. For Your glory, Lord, I pray. Amen.
Family Relationships
Please read Ephesians 6:1-3
1 Children, obey your parents in the Lord [that is, accept their guidance and discipline as His representatives], for this is right [for obedience teaches wisdom and self-discipline]. 2 Honor [esteem, value as precious] your father and your mother [and be respectful to them]—this is the first commandment with a promise— 3 so that it may be well with you, and that you may have a long life on the earth.
Value your parents as precious. That is honor? Yet look at the promise for the children who do this… it may be well with you and that you may have a long life on the earth.
Please read Ephesians 6:4
4 Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger [do not exasperate them to the point of resentment with demands that are trivial or unreasonable or humiliating or abusive; nor by showing favoritism or indifference to any of them], but bring them up [tenderly, with lovingkindness] in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.
Love is the command, so none of us should do anything that causes resentment in anyone. Nor show favoritism. Be kind in the discipline you give, as the Lord instructs you.
Please read Ephesians 6:5-8
5 [a]Slaves, be obedient to those who are your earthly masters, with respect for authority, and with a sincere heart [seeking to please them], as [service] to Christ— 6 not in the way of eye-service [working only when someone is watching you and only] to please men, but as slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from your heart; 7 rendering service with goodwill, as to the Lord, and not [only] to men, 8 knowing that whatever good thing each one does, he will receive this back from the Lord, whether [he is] slave or free.
Respect authority, serve with goodwill, because the promise is you will receive whatever good you do back from the Lord.
Please read Ephesians 6:9
9 You masters, do the same [showing goodwill] toward them, and give up threatening and abusive words, knowing that [He who is] both their true Master and yours is in heaven, and that there is no partiality with Him [regardless of one’s earthly status].
Every one of us is to show goodwill towards others. Respecting and sincerely serving each other. It’s quite certain that when God says you will receive the good you do back, the other side is true as well. Whatever you do, however you treat people, that will be returned to you.
The Armor of God
Please read Ephesians 6:10-12
10 In conclusion, be strong in the Lord [draw your strength from Him and be empowered through your union with Him] and in the power of His [boundless] might. 11 Put on the full armor of God [for His precepts are like the splendid armor of a heavily-armed soldier], so that you may be able to [successfully] stand up against all the schemes and the strategies and the deceits of the devil. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood [contending only with physical opponents], but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this [present] darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly (supernatural) places.
Draw your strength from Jesus and be empowered through your union with Him. That’s the key, your union with Him. You have to be In Him first. And His powerful might can empower you and not detract from Him at all.
To help He’s giving us His armor. Study helps us learn the precepts, and their purpose is to help us stand up, stand against all the schemes and strategies and deceits of the devil.
But this daily struggle we’re in is not against people, but against rulers, powers, and forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. Despite what it feels like when we argue with each other. It’s something we need to remember and meditate on.
Stand
Please read Ephesians 6:13-17
13 Therefore, put on the complete armor of God, so that you will be able to [successfully] resist and stand your ground in the evil day [of danger], and having done everything [that the crisis demands], to stand firm [in your place, fully prepared, immovable, victorious]. 14 So stand firm and hold your ground, having [b]tightened the wide band of truth (personal integrity, moral courage) around your waist and having put on the breastplate of righteousness (an upright heart), 15 and having [c]strapped on your feet the gospel of peace in preparation [to face the enemy with firm-footed stability and the readiness produced by the good news]. 16 Above all, lift up the [protective] [d]shield of faith with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God.
Twice we’re told in these few verses to put on the whole armor of God. All of it, every day. Why? So that we will be able to resist and stand our ground when the evil day comes.
Can you see right in this why I love the AMP version so much? Clue: if you read ‘having done everything to stand firm’ how are you supposed to know what that really means without their helpful little [that the crisis demands] and [in your place, fully prepared, immovable, victorious] don’t you want to be victorious in your life? Oh yes, I do. It’s why I switched last chapter from the NIV to the AMP again. The extra info is so helpful.
So what can we do? Stand firm and hold our ground with the armor of God.
First up, the belt, because the Truth holds everything together, and holding it together is a big part of standing. So first Truth which is always Jesus. And for this armor, a wrap around your waist that covers a lot of you.
Then the breastplate of Righteousness. Again Jesus. Because Jesus is the one who has made us Righteous. And this is God’s armor, so of course it’s Righteous, He’s Righteous. And a whole lot more than that, but still, the breastplate.
Shoes, figuratively speaking the shoes are the gospel of peace, which is Jesus again. Because He is the Prince of Peace and the Peace beyond understanding in our lives. These shoes will allow you to have firm-footed stability and readiness to face the enemy. The gospel does that. Know that you know it. For in it is all our hope.
Then the shield of faith. Faith is the shield and if you treat it as one, it will become one and God’s shield, oh it is beautiful and completely surrounds you. And can completely extinguish every flaming thing that comes at you. Faith in Jesus. Faith in the Gospel, faith in God. Faith in all He’s done and continues to do every day for us.
Then the helmet of Salvation. Because Jesus is our Salvation, and knowing it and meditating on it, and getting it down in your heart can’t happen unless your mind is going to let it. So think on some scripture it doesn’t have to be this one, but something, for more than just the time it takes to read it. Here’s an example… a week ago, this was the verse of the day James 1:19 (Amplified Bible)
Understand this, my beloved brothers and sisters. Let everyone be quick to hear [be a careful, thoughtful listener], slow to speak [a speaker of carefully chosen words and], slow to anger [patient, reflective, forgiving];. When I read it, due to some issues in my life, I knew, this verse, I needed to review often. Why?
Because this one, which is today’s verse of the day: Proverbs 15:1 (Amplified Bible)
A soft and gentle and thoughtful answer turns away wrath, But harsh and painful and careless words stir up anger. has been in my memory for a long time, but it doesn’t help every time, so I needed this other one, because it feels like my hearing is more of the issue these days.
So if you need to think on the gospel a lot to get it where you know you know it and can bring it to mind at any time you might need to, then you should read it a lot, memorize it, or just meditate on it until it reaches your heart in such a way that your faith is grown.
The sword of the Spirit is the Word of God. So it’s Jesus. And all Scripture somehow points to Jesus. It’s the why to continue studying, continue to read, keep praying. Keep growing your faith.
Please read Ephesians 6:18-21
18 With all prayer and petition pray [with specific requests] at all times [on every occasion and in every season] in the Spirit, and with this in view, stay alert with all perseverance and petition [interceding in prayer] for all [e]God’s people. 19 And pray for me, that words may be given to me when I open my mouth, to proclaim boldly the mystery of the good news [of salvation], 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains. And pray that in proclaiming it I may speak boldly and courageously, as I should.
And keep praying. All the time, and in every season of the year, of your life, in the Spirit and with this goal in mind, this standing, resisting, goal in mind. So stay alert. Persevere in prayer and petition for all God’s people especially those who proclaim it in our days. That they would be bold and courageous. Because as Paul says in second Thessalonians, ‘not everyone has the faith’
Please read Ephesians 6:21-24
21 Now, so that you may know how I am and what I am doing, Tychicus, the beloved brother and faithful minister in the Lord, will tell you everything. 22 I have sent him to you for this very purpose, so that you may know how we are, and that he may comfort and encourage and strengthen your hearts.
23 Peace be to the [f]brothers and sisters, and love joined with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 24 Grace be with all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with undying and incorruptible love.
Grace begins most of the letters, and here, he’s ending it with Grace, all of it is Grace, all our lives is Grace. So long as you can count yourself among those who love our Lord Jesus Christ with undying and incorruptible love. What a goal, because if we are soldiers in the armies of God, we have to be able to resist evil, use the armor and end up with our feet below us, to Stand.
Bless the Lord. This has been such a gift. The chance to study this and Lord, Your leading is always more than I can thank You for, so Lord, bless every person who reads this book, these lessons, this many worded lesson You gave me, and Lord, help us all to remember the goal and live in light of that. Thank You, Lord.
Footnotes
[a] Ephesians 6:5 – [a]Slaves, be obedient to those who are your earthly masters, – Slavery was common in New Testament times (as well as in ancient Israel). One might become a slave through conquest, the commission of a crime, or destitution. Slaves were required to do their masters’ bidding and work without compensation (cf Luke 17:7-10). Elsewhere Paul advises slaves not to dwell on their circumstances, and to earn their freedom if they can (1 Cor 7:21). The admonitions here accurately reflect the slave/master relationship in the Roman Empire; since they were not compensated, slaves sometimes did only what they had to do to avoid punishment, and masters could be cruel disciplinarians.
[b] Ephesians 6:14 – having [b]tightened the wide band of truth – Lit girded your loins, a phrase often found in the Bible, is an urgent call to get ready for immediate action or a coming event. The phrase is related to the type of clothing worn in ancient times. Before any vigorous activity the loose ends of clothing (tunics, cloaks, mantles, etc.) had to be gathered up and tucked into the wide band worn around the midsection of the body. The band (usually about six inches wide) also served as a kind of pocket or pouch to carry personal items such as a dagger, money or other necessary things. Gird up your mind or gird up your heart are examples of variants of this phrase and call for mental or spiritual preparation for a coming challenge.
[c] Ephesians 6:15 – having [c]strapped on your feet the gospel of peace – A reference to the Roman soldiers’ shoes which were studded with hobnails to give them stability on the battlefield.
[d] Ephesians 6:16 – Above all, lift up the [protective] [d]shield of faith – Here the Greek word refers to the large Roman soldiers’ shield designed to protect the entire body. It had an iron frame and was covered in several layers of leather. When soaked in water before a battle the shield could put out the fiery missiles thrown at them by the enemy.
[e] Ephesians 6:18 – [interceding in prayer] for all [e]God’s people – Lit the saints.
[f] Ephesians 6:23 – Peace be to the [f]brothers and sisters – Lit brethren.
Next week is an off week, for you to catch up on anything you are behind on study wise. And the next study starts June 24th. If you’re subscribed, you will know what it will be next week so you can get a head start on reading it if you want to.