6^th Chapter of Ephesians

Ephesians 6:1

Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.

We continue under the theme of submission started in the last chapter, verse 21. I don’t understand why the chapter was divided this way, since we are still talking about submission and how this is done in the family, which is the core unit of the church. This goes to show you that the chapter and verse division is not part of the inspired text!

Children are to obey (hupakouō: to hear under (as a subordinate), that is, to listen attentively; by implication to heed or conform to a command or authority: - hearken, be obedient to, obey) their parents in the Lord. This phrase “in the Lord” is an interesting one. It is a qualifier of sorts. The children are to obey “in the Lord”, meaning, if the parents are to instruct them in ungodly things, they are not to follow that in the eyes of the Lord. So children are exempt in God’s eyes from doing ungodly things or following ungodly examples from their parents.

To obey them in the Lord is right (dikaios: equitable (in character or act); by implication innocent, holy (absolutely or relatively): - just, meet, right (-eous)).

Ephesians 6:2

"Honor your father and mother"-- which is the first commandment with a promise—

Paul quotes the 5^th commandment here. To honor is to prize, to hold in high esteem or value; to revere. This is something we are commanded to do. It is the natural order and nature God has established. Our parents don’t need to earn our honor and respect, we must give it to them regardless. Notice there are no qualifications here, just a plain and simple command to honor. The reason and benefit of us holding onto this is explained in the next verse as part of a promise attached to this command.

The Spirit teaches this is the first commandment with a promise. The promise being in verse 3:

Ephesians 6:3

"that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth." {3 Deut. 5:16}

The signs of a healthy society are stable family units. So much has to be said about this – the healthy family being the core of a healthy, growing church. So far, Paul always gets down to the importance of the nature of submission in the family in all his letters, as well as the other apostles. They couldn’t emphasize it enough to the early church. In this day and age we continue to espouse these spiritual and timeless values given to us from God. As there is a natural order to the physical family, there is a spiritual one that is supremely important for a healthy and stable society.

Cultures that have abandoned the knowledge of God and substitute it with idolatrous teachings have experienced this cultural and social decay and some have paid for it for centuries. As a church we are charged to be the salt of the earth and the light of the world. We are to make a difference in our societies and we are to affect and impact other ungodly cultures and ways of life with the truth and practice of our beliefs and convictions.

The way our families live in the world will enable us and other to enjoy a long life here full of blessings.

Ephesians 6:4

Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.

Parenting is the most challenging thing on earth for a human being. It is the closest thing to knowing what God goes through with us. It is stressful and yet the most enriching experience ever. It truly fulfills us as humans to parent. We get to experience every single emotion and challenge that will help us grow into the children God wants us to be. Because of this challenge, we are instructed not to exasperate (parorgizō: to anger alongside, that is, enrage: - anger, provoke to wrath) our kids.

Exasperation comes from being controlling, focused on yourself and your worldly affairs, and not being humble and tender. This is why the instruction is given specifically for the father, since the mother instinctively will be more tender and mild with the children.

Training the children requires discipline on your part as of first importance. If you lack discipline you will not be able to train [discipline] (paideia: tutorage, that is, education or training; by implication disciplinary correction: - chastening, chastisement, instruction, nurture) and instruct (nouthesia: calling attention to, that is, (by implication) mild rebuke or warning: - admonition) your children in the Lord.

Discipline vs. Punishment

These two cannot be confused in order to train up a child in the way he should go (Proverbs 22:6). A well trained child (with good discipline) does not need frequent chastisement (punishment). He who needs to be frequently admonished or rebuked (punished) is not a well disciplined (trained) child.

Our relationship with our children needs to be well-balanced, with plenty of nurturing and instruction that our training may bear good fruit.

Discipline: Instruction, training, correction.

Admonishment: Rebuke, warning.

Chastisement without discipline will not bear good fruit and provokes a spirit of rebellion. This is a mark of parents who are lazy and oblivious.

There are basically three styles of parenting:

Permissive - These parents are quick to give in to a child's demands and allow him/her more freedom than he may be ready for. These parents may even allow a small child to make important decisions that should be the adult’s responsibility--such as which nursery school he will attend. Some permissive parents simply don't care enough to make the appropriate demands on their child. Others don't really know any better.

Authoritarian - At the other extreme are authoritarian parents who make inflexible rules that leave no room for negotiation. The child is expected to conform to the parent’s image in everything from behavior and appearance to after-school activities and, eventually, career choice. If the child falls short, he's punished--either physically... psychologically, through the threat of losing the parent's love or both.

There’s a difference between being authoritative and an authoritarian. My step-dad was authoritative, my dad was authoritarian. My step-dad always had an impression on me because he demanded accountability and exacted purity and integrity in every move. What always got to me was the fact that he was beyond reproach. That always made the message sink in. As I have grown older I have developed a high respect for my dad out of love. He always made me think about God by the way he approached things. My dad, on the other hand, was an authoritarian. Oh I feared him all right, just because of his strong personality, not necessarily because of his integrity. As a matter of fact I was always able to see through my dads intentions because they always seemed kind of selfish and boastful. I didn’t hold him in the same place as my step-father. My dad was unpredictable, had to be handled with care. My step-dad was very predictable and you could always count on him giving you a practical solution for your problem. He always made it easy for me to make decisions that I know would please him.

A person who is authoritative is regarded as such because of how he holds himself accountable. Being authoritative doesn’t have to do with your personality. It has to do with how you say things and what you do. Since an authoritative person demands the best from himself, he will automatically expect and exact holy demands from others, due to his genuineness with God. The man who is authoritative is respected because he does what he says. He does it, and then he says it.

Authoritative - These parents have the most well-adjusted children and the most satisfying relationship with them. These parents are both flexible and structured. They are highly involved with and observant of their children. Because of this, they have a strong understanding of what their children are capable of, what makes them unique and which expectations are realistic. These parents communicate effectively and respectfully but don't spoil their children--and their children respect them as well. These parents are sensitive to their children. They listen carefully and hear and acknowledge the child's point of view. They show warmth and affection. They are quick to hug, express delight and tell their children how much they enjoy their company. They acknowledge their children's accomplishments in specific and encouraging ways.

Which one do you think is God’s style of parenting?

An authoritative person always seeks to give mercy because he recognizes the need to grow in everyone. The authoritarian demands justice at his hands. The difference between both of these is also illustrated in this trite comparison between a “boss” (authoritarian) and a “leader” (authoritative):

A boss creates fear, a leader confidence.
A boss fixes blame, a leader corrects mistakes.
A boss knows all, a leader asks questions.
A boss makes work drudgery, a leader makes it interesting.
A boss is interested in himself or herself,
a leader is interested in the group.
 -- Ewing, Russel H.

Ephesians 6:5

Slaves, obey your earthly masters with respect and fear, and with sincerity of heart, just as you would obey Christ.

Once you’ve got down the relationships at the core of your family and the church, then you are able to carry out adequate relationships with everyone else. Again, since “slave” and “master” may not apply to our societal structure at this time, these terms can be ported to “employee – employer” relationships.

So this means that all of us who have a boss should obey them with respect and fear. It is out of place for a Christian to speak or act disrespectfully towards his boss, whether he is a Christian or not doesn’t matter. There needs to be respect and reverence and sincerity. Notice how none of these things are qualified by whether or not the boss is worthy of receiving your respect. It is just proper Heavenly etiquette, as we would obey Jesus. This means that in the workplace, your boss is your head. This is a concept that most people in the world understand and follow. The Holy Spirit says this is proper.

Ephesians 6:6

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.

Here is a very important qualifier on your part: your obedience is not to be done to gain your boss’ favor for your benefit, but because you fear God and believe you are doing His will. Remember you are slaves of Jesus, and what you do at work is a result of your obedience and reverence to Christ. God knows your heart and set His face against you if you are double minded and dishonest.

Ephesians 6:7

Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not men,

Our service in our relationships needs to be done with all our heart, since we need to be convinced we serve the Lord, not men. If your attitude stinks in any of these relationships it is because you are not focused on Christ but on people. This can happen very easily when your focus is on yourself instead of serving others.

Let us not forget that it is the Lord we serve and it is of His body we are members.

Ephesians 6:8

because you know that the Lord will reward everyone for whatever good he does, whether he is slave or free.

Whether we are slaves (employers) or masters (bosses) God will reward us for the good we do. What is this good we can do? Serving wholeheartedly as we serve the Lord Himself. You cannot say you are serving God if you have a lousy attitude with your boss, family members or church members.

God does not reward people pleasers or people complainers. He rewards the service we render towards others when it is Christ-centered. If your service is genuine God will work through your boss to reward you. I think the best reward we get is a good attitude no matter what the circumstances. That’s the best reward! Joy and true blessedness as you work. This is contagious and spreads to others in your workplace, helping you spread the Gospel.

Ephesians 6:9

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.

Now comes the admonition for those who are bosses. If you lead or instruct anyone in your workplace, or if you are responsible for any crew, this is you the Sprit is addressing. Don’t let your position of authority go to your head. Instead, use it to serve and win people over to the Lord. You know Jesus is watching and is Master over all. Imitate His example and never show partiality but be fair and just. Don’t allow people to intimidate you and certainly don’t enable people’s character flaws or selfish ambition. If anything, use your position to remind others of Jesus righteousness in everything.

Ephesians 6:10

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.

And now the final admonition to the Ephesians Christians: Be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power! Paul describes exactly how you will be strong in the Lord, not because of your ability or special power, but because of your perseverance and belief in the Word and the Spirit working in you; because of your faith in the Lord Jesus! Only in His power are we strong! Only within Him are we secure!

Three different words are used to indicate the strength in triplicate of God: strong (endunamoō: to enable, to increase in strength; to make strong), mighty (ischus: forcefulness, ability; might, power, strength) and power (kratos: vigor, dominion, might, power, strength)!

Ephesians 6:11

Put on the full armor (panoplia) of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes.

How will we be strong? Here are the details. Notice how it is something you must do. I won’t be done for you unless you put it on! And you can’t put it on halfway! If you don't put the full armor (panoplia: panoply; whole armor) on, you will be an easy target for the forces of evil to manipulate you and lead you to death.

The only way we will be able to stand against the devil, and win over him is with God’s armor, that He provides for us. This armor is described piece by piece by the Holy Spirit, that we may be triumphant! Notice how this armor protects fully. It is whole and will protect all of you from the devil and the spiritual forces of evil. Of course, the armor described is spiritual, since our struggle is not against flesh and blood as the next verse will indicate:

Ephesians 6:12

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.

Just like Paul describes in 2Co. 10:3-6, the weapons and armor are not of the flesh but have divine power to demolish evil spiritual strongholds (castles, dominions, kingdoms). The strength you will receive from without (God) is achieved from within the mind -- through knowledge and faith in the Word of God and His Son Jesus because it is a spiritual battle. Armed with knowledge and faith your offense will be to love. That is the move (Galatians 5:6; Ephesians 4:16; 1Co 13:2)!

Anything that sets itself against the knowledge of God in your mind can be destroyed and every stray thought be taken captive to obedience unto Jesus. This is the power of the armor and weapons you have! But again, you must put it on! It is not a passive defensive/offensive! You must fight and defend yourself! You don’t put armor on to mill around and do nothing. You put armor on because you know you are in a fight unto death. These dark powers will send you everything they’ve got to destroy you. They don’t take any prisoners!

Since our struggle (pale: to wrestle; to vibrate) is not against the flesh or things that are in the dominion of the flesh, resorting to fleshly war will forfeit our walk in Christ and trap us in the enemy’s domain. We don’t want to give in to the evil tactics, but fight them! You don’t fight fire with fire, but with water! Therefore the armor described is one of a spiritual nature, as are the weapons that are powerful to demolish the evil dominions.

Who are we fighting?

1- Rulers, authorities and powers of this dark world

a. All those who do not love the truth – do not obey the Gospel

b. All those who do not know the truth – do not know God

2- The spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms

a. Satan – Angel of the Abyss

b. Demons – evil spirits under Satan’s domain

Ephesians 6:13

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.

Since our battle is against the spiritual forces, we must therefore put on the panoply (whole armor) of God so that we can stand our ground (anthistēmi: oppose, resist, withstand) during times or seasons of evil; or whenever evil presents itself to us. If you are out to seek it, your armor may already have a weak spot! Be careful! Notice, though, how when evil presents itself to us, it is not enough just to resist or stand our ground with God’s armor – we must have done everything (katergazomai: working out, laboring, performing) we can to fight this evil and not let it do you in. If you have aggressively fought the evil with God’s powerful spiritual weapons, then you can stand (histēmi: abide, continue, establish, keep intact)!

Putting on the armor and using it are not passive things. You must put it on; it depends on you – and you must learn how to use it, like a soldier learns how to wield his weapons and armor.

Ephesians 6:14

Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place,

How to stand firm

1- Belt of truth

What are belts used for? Think about why people use belts and what would happen if some of us didn’t use our belts! Belts are to keep our clothing in place. People use all kinds of belts, not just the ones that go around the pants. What does this mean?

Truth is what will hold all our armor intact (undamaged, integral, in one piece). Truth needs to wrap tightly around us, that we may be able to stand firm. Without truth, the rest of the armor will not work and will easily be dismantled and compromised. Without truth, you cannot stand firm in the face of evil – you will be defeated!

What and where is truth?

& John 17:17 – God’s Word is truth.

& John 14:17 – Truth comes from knowing the Spirit of Truth and receiving Him through baptism (Acts 2:38)

& 1John 2:4 – If we do not keep God’s commandments the truth is not in us

& 1John 3:18 – When we practice what we preach we know we are of the truth and we are reassured

& John 8:31-32 – The truth sets us free and you receive it by becoming a disciple of Jesus

& 2Thes 2:9-10 – You are saved if you love the truth

& 1Peter 1:22 – Our souls are purified by obeying the truth

You need to buckle up that truth all around you! You need to be convinced that the only truth there is in this dark world is the truth from the Bible and that nothing else matters. If you are convinced of this your armor can resist all the attacks that will come. You need to stand on the side of truth and love truth top be saved. The truth will free you and it is only in God’s Word

2- Breastplate of righteousness

The breastplate is like a bulletproof vest. It is what protects your heart and your other vital organs. Remember that evil does battle with your heart and mind, so your heart needs protection and the way to protect your vitality; your heart, is with righteousness. Remember that we’re not talking about your own righteousness here; we are not saved by works (2Tim 1:9; Titus 3:5) but by God’s grace and have been given a righteousness not of our own – but that which is in Jesus Christ (Rom 5:20-21)!

What and where is righteousness (uprightness, rectitude, doing the right thing)?

V Rom 3:20-26 – God shows us how right He is by justifying us through faith in Jesus

V Rom 5:15-19 – We all will die by Adam’s disobedience, but are made right by Jesus obedience to God

V Rom 6:13 – We need to use the members of our body to do the right thing

V Rom 6:16 – Obedience to God leads to righteousness (being right with; acceptable to God)

V Rom 8:10 – If Jesus is in you your Sprit is alive because of righteousness!

V Rom 14:17 – The church is about being right with God, not leasing the flesh or people

V 1Co 1:30 – Jesus is our righteousness!

V 2Co 5:21 – In Jesus we become God’s righteousness!

V 2Tim 3:16-17 – God’s word will train us in righteousness

Righteousness is doing what is right in God’s eyes. If this breastplate of righteousness is absent, all the evil, wicked fruit of our heart will lead us astray – right into the devil’s hands (James 3:16-18). With the righteousness of Jesus though, we are protected so we can stand firm in the face of evil! Because God is our champion and has justified us, we have confidence (Heb 4:15-16)! Our hearts are protected from condemnation by knowing we are of the truth (1John 3:19-22).

Ephesians 6:15

and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.

3- Shoes of readiness

The shoes are what will help us move about in the battle. Think of how important the protection of the feet is! Why? Because they will help us to be ready! Ready to move in – move out, rescue, serve and finally stand. Can you stand without feet?

The most important aspect of the shoes is the readiness they will provide. This comes from the Gospel of peace. To be ready is to be prepared. If we have obeyed the Gospel and are in the Gospel we have peace and we will be ready! Ready for what? Ready to do the task at hand: make disciples! Fight the war! Stand firm in the day of evil!

What is the Gospel and how does it make us ready?

V 1Co 15:1-4 – The Gospel is the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus. The Good News (evangelion) that Jesus died so we can live forever!

V Rom 1:15-16 – The Gospel is the dynamite (dunamis: power) of God! We need to be eager to preach it!

V Rom 15:20 – Make it your ambition to preach the Gospel!

V Rom 16:25-27 – The Gospel was a mystery explicitly revealed to those who want to embrace it. Through it we are strengthened!

V 1Co 1:17 – Our primer directive is to preach the Gospel. The message itself comes with the power of God! You don’t need to enhance it in any way.

V 2Co 4:3-4 – The Gospel is hidden (veiled) to those who are perishing; to those who do not love the truth

V Gal 1:6-7 – There is only one true Gospel – accept no other!

V Gal 1:8-9 – If you preach a distorted Gospel you will be condemned!

V Gal 1:11-12 – The Gospel did not come from man but from God

V Ephe 1:13 – When you hear the Gospel and believe in Jesus, you are sealed with the Holy Spirit

V Ephe 3:6 – We become partakers of the promise in Jesus through the Gospel

V Col 1:5 – The Gospel is the Word of Truth

V 2Thes 1:8; 1Pe 4:17 – The Gospel needs to be obeyed. How? Compare 1Co 15:3-4 to Rom 6:3-4

V 2Tim 1:10 – Life and immortality is brought to light in the Gospel

Ephesians 6:16

In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.

4- Shield of faith

What does a shield do? It effectively serves as a roving piece of extra heavy armor that you can use to thwart anything from hitting you. The Romans used as a shield a thick, heavy piece of wood the size of a small door, which they wrapped in tough leather and then covered in pitch to be able to extinguish flaming arrows. When many shields were placed side by side, they formed an effective and impenetrable barrier.

It is your faith that enables you to continue persevering, even though Satan continues trying to trip you up. Our faith together builds us up as a church (Jude 1:20; Eph 2:20-22). Without the shield of faith, the flaming arrows of the devil would bring us to a grinding halt.

What is faith and how does it shield us?

ô Rom 1:12 – We are mutually encouraged by each other’s faith

ô Rom 5:1-2 – We are justified by faith in Jesus and obtain access to grace to be able to stand

ô Rom 10:17 – Faith comes by hearing the Word of God

ô Rom 14:23 – Whatever does not proceed from faith is sin

ô 1Co 2:5 – Our faith needs to rest in the power of God, not in the wisdom of man

ô 1Co 15:17 – Our faith has value because of Christ’s resurrection

ô 2Co 5:7; Gal 2:20 – We are to trust and be lead by our faith, not our sight

ô Gal 5:6 – Our faith is shown effective by our love (1Co 13:5)

ô Eph 2:8 – The grace of God saves us through faith

ô Eph 3:17 – Jesus lives in our heart by faith

ô Eph 4:5 – There is only one valid faith

ô 2Ti 1:13 – The faith follows a specific pattern

ô Titus 1:13 – Sometimes we need to be rebuked that our faith may remain sound (complete)

ô Philemon 1:6 – By sharing our faith we receive full understanding of all good things in Jesus

ô Heb 11:1 – Faith is the assurance of things hoped for and the conviction of things not seen

ô Heb 13:7 – Faith is to be imitated

ô James 1:3 – Our faith needs to be tested in order to develop perseverance

ô James 2:14 – Faith needs to be accompanied by works in order to be valid and living

ô 1Pe 1:9; 1John 5:4 – The outcome of our faith is the salvation of our souls

Our faith enables us to stand firm!

Ephesians 6:17

Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

5- Helmet of salvation

Helmets protect the head. Of course, you won’t be much good without your head, so the helmet is a very important piece of the armor. Our helmet, what protects our head (where our thoughts and our mind reside) is our salvation. It is the promise of God, the love and commitment He has shown through Jesus, and the sacrifice on the cross that protects our heart from going astray when we believe with all our heart and mind these things (Rom 10:9). Believing is done with the mind, with the head. The heart can either support us or not. We must believe first with our head and then coax our heart to join the mind; to be convinced of the facts we have reasoned out. When our heart condemns us, or when it tried to lead us astray with all the evil that can come from it (Jeremiah 17:9), it is our salvation that we need to remember. Our salvation in Jesus will always restore the right perspective wee need to have on this earth to make it to Heaven. We need to remember we have been saved! We will stand firm! Our helmet of salvation will protect our head from the blows Satan tries to deliver to knock us back into the unconscious state of sinfulness.

What is salvation and how does it protect us?

R Rom 1:16 – Salvation comes from the Gospel, the power of God

R 2Co 6:2 – Salvation is urgent!

R 2Co 7:10 – Salvation comes from a penitent and humble attitude

R Phi 1:28 – Persecution is a sign of salvation

R Phi 2:12 – Salvation needs to be worked out – exercised

R 1Thes 5:9 – It is God’s desire for us to be saved, not receive His wrath

R 2Tim 2:10 – We ought to everything for the salvation of other people

R 2Tim 3:15 – The Scriptures give us the wisdom unto salvation

R Titus 2:11 – Salvation comes by the grace of God

R Heb 5:9 – Jesus is the source of salvation

R 1Pe 1:9 – Salvation is the goal of our faith

Salvation gives us the peace that surpasses understanding and that guards our heart and mind in Jesus (Phil 4:7).

6- Sword of the Spirit

Here’s our main offensive weapon – the sword of the spirit, which is the Word of God (Heb 4:12-13). The caliber and purpose of this weapon is described in Hebrews 4:12-13.

The Sword of the Spirit/The Word of God:

1- Is living

2- Is active

3- Is sharp

4- Is double edged

5- Pierces

6- Divides between the spiritual things

7- Divides between the physical things

8- Discerns the thoughts and intentions of the heart and mind

9- Exposes everything before God

10- Accomplishes God’s will (Isaiah 55:11)

11- Sanctifies – Makes us holy (John 17:17; 1Tim 4:5)

12- Is truth (John 17:17;Prov 30:5)

13- Blesses us if we keep it (Luke 11:28)

14- Works in the believer (1Th 2:13)

15- Created the Universe (Heb 11:3)

16- Is Jesus Himself (Rev 19:13)

When Paul speaks of the weapons we have in the spirit, capable of demolishing strongholds (2Co 10:4), he is referring to the mighty anchor of hope (Heb 6:19) that secures our soul and that is establish in us by hearing and internalizing the Word of God (Rom 10:17) through faith. The word, the sword, is what cuts deep into us to remove the sin and to heal us; sanctify us, wash us (1Co 6:11; Heb 10:22; Titus 3:5; Eph 5:26) and make us new!

Ephesians 6:18

And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.

7- Prayer

When you are in battle, facing the enemy, it is often not enough to have all your armor and weapons. It is often information about the enemy and communication between the soldiers and their generals that will lead the squadron to be victorious over the enemy. Strategy is deployed by good communication between the soldiers and their commanding officers. Prayer is our communication with our general, the Lord of hosts, the Lord God Almighty. All kinds of prayers and requests are to be laid at our Father’s throne with confidence! We have this confidence as we have seen, in this armor given to us!

If our mind is on prayer, we will be alert, enabling us to also be praying for each other. Praying and confessing our sin before each other will heal us if we are wounded in battle (James 5:6). The righteousness we have in Jesus makes our prayer effective in battle – it is a source of great power if effective prayer is working in us.

Pray with understanding and in the desire of the Spirit (1Co 14:15). Always see to it to put in every effort to pray and present your requests to God with wisdom. Pray earnestly for your brothers and sisters in Christ.

Let’s review the whole armor (panoply) of God:

1- Belt of truth

2- Breastplate of righteousness

3- Shoes of readiness

4- Shield of faith

5- Helmet of salvation

6- Sword of the Spirit – The Word of God

7- Prayer

With God’s armor you can:

1- Be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power

2- Stand against the devil’s schemes

3- Fight properly the rulers, authorities and powers of this dark world

4- Fight properly the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms

5- Stand your ground when evil comes onto you and end up standing after fighting it.

6- Be ready to make peace – you are a peace officer, a universal peace agent!

7- Extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one

8- Pray in the spirit on all occasions and with all kinds of prayers and requests

9- Be alert and keep on praying for all the saints

Ephesians 6:19

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,

THE GOSPEL MADE EFFECTIVE THROUGH PRAYER

When we pray for each other the power of effective prayer enables us to be effective in preaching the Gospel. It is the Spirit who helps us preach boldly; not only what to preach but how to preach it. He helps us say it right. By saying this Paul believes that other saint’s prayers will help him continue to be effective in this task. Pray for your leaders because they know your prayer is effective within them.

Our desire needs to be like Paul’s, to be speaking the words of God, not our own words. Other people’s faith must rest on the power of the cross, not on our own explanations (1Co 1:17; 2:4-5).

Ephesians 6:20

for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should.

Even though Paul was an experienced Gospel preacher, there are times when our heart may need some extra coaxing from the prayers of the saints. Sometimes we are intimidated, or lazy or procrastinators. The Gospel needs to be declared fearlessly and right! Notice the double emphasis on how it needs to be declared fearlessly (boldly)!

Ephesians 6:21

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.

Paul wanted the Ephesians to know how he was doing and what he was doing. He wanted to give account to the brethren. Didn’t want to keep anything a secret but be open about everything he did to encourage the brethren.

Ephesians 6:22

I am sending him to you for this very purpose, that you may know how we are, and that he may encourage you.

Ephesians 6:23

Peace to the brothers, and love with faith from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Ephesians 6:24

Grace to all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with an undying love.

The magnificent grace of God, our sole motivator to love and to work with all our strength is ours when we love Jesus with undying (aphtharsia: generally unending existence; (figuratively) genuineness: - immortality, incorruption, sincerity) love.