Written ~ 09-27-2024
Read Ephesians Chapter Six
Ephesians 6
In this concluding chapter of Ephesians, Paul continues to give us some powerful instructions. I’ll tell you what… after reading through the Book of Ephesians… if we really, genuinely want to live godly Christian lives, this is one book that gives us practical, easy to understand guidance. Don’t just read through it quickly, instead, stop and think about what the Lord wants you to see.
***Disclaimer*** This is a lengthy Bible Study, but I did not feel I could skip any part of this last chapter, it is just too important!
So, get ready! Here we go!
The very first set of verses I wish every single person in this world would take to heart what Paul is saying. The world absolutely would be a different place. But knowing how evil the minds of people can be and when you do not know the Lord these things seem to go in one ear and out the other.
Ephesians 6:1-4…
1 “Children, obey your parents because you belong to the Lord, for this is the right thing to do. 2 “Honor your father and mother.” This is the first commandment with a promise: 3 If you honor your father and mother, “things will go well for you, and you will have a long life on the earth.”
4 Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger by the way you treat them. Rather, bring them up with the discipline and instruction that comes from the Lord.”
In a perfect world it would be easy for a child to always obey their parents. But that’s just not reality. Children will always want to push the limits of their parents. If the instruction and discipline is not consistent in a household the child will learn very quickly how much they can get away with. This leads to an unruly home. If kids are allowed to do whatever they like and all the parents are doing is yelling commands without follow through, this breaks down the family unit very quickly.
Here’s what a healthy, godly relationship between a parent and child should look like and something every family should strive for…
Proverbs 6:20-23…
20 “My son, my daughter, obey your father’s commands,
and don’t neglect your mother’s instruction.
21 Keep their words always in your heart.
Tie them around your neck.
22 When you walk, their counsel will lead you.
When you sleep, they will protect you.
When you wake up, they will advise you.
23 For their command is a lamp
and their instruction a light;
their corrective discipline
is the way to life.”
When the instruction, guidance and discipline of a godly father and a godly mother are instilled in a child, look at what it gives to the child…
- It will always be in their hearts
- It will lead them
- It will protect them
- It will advise them
- It will be a lamp
- It will be a light
- It will be a way to life
For new parents who have unity in the upbringing of their children, they have come to understand that their instructions, guidance, and discipline will produce in that child a productive, godly life.
In Ephesians 6:4 it says, “Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger…” I realize this verse is specifying the word “father” here but considering so many single parent households, this rule applies to mothers as well. So, dad’s and mom’s take note to what Paul is saying here…
“Dad’s, Mom’s, do not provoke (fire up, instigate, encourage) your kids to anger by the way you treat them. Rather, bring them up (raise them) with the discipline and instruction that comes from the Lord.”
It is so important for parents to pray with each other and decide how they are going to raise their children. In what ways will discipline and instruction reflect the Lord? If you don’t know how to discipline and instruct your child in the Lord, then start digging into your Bible…DAILY.
If you have adult children and they are wayward, not following in the footsteps of the Lord, as their parent it is still your responsibility to pray for them without ceasing and draw them back to the Lord! With the love of Jesus, there is promise that mutual respect can be developed. But both parties must be willing to have the Lord help through any disagreements.
Ephesians 6:5-9…
5 “Slaves, obey your earthly masters with deep respect and fear. Serve them sincerely as you would serve Christ. 6 Try to please them all the time, not just when they are watching you. As slaves of Christ, do the will of God with all your heart. 7 Work with enthusiasm, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people. 8 Remember that the Lord will reward each one of us for the good we do, whether we are slaves or free.
9 Masters, treat your slaves in the same way. Don’t threaten them; remember, you both have the same Master in heaven, and He has no favorites.”
For this passage, for better understanding, let’s change the word “slave” to employee and “master” to employer (except for the Master we have in heaven).
When you go to work do you have the type of attitude that serves the Lord in everything you do? Do you work with enthusiasm? Do you obey the regulations your employee has set for their company? I realize, at times, your job can become stressful, tiring, maybe you even feel what you do is a little pointless. But if this is where God has placed you, He has a purpose for you to be there and you are to “do the will of God with all your heart.” It says in verse 6:7, “…work as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people.” Do you ever slack off when the boss isn’t around? You may not feel like this applies to your workplace, but it says in verse 6:8, “Remember that the Lord will reward each of us for the good we do…” So, this isn’t just a job we are talking about, your employment is an opportunity to serve the Lord. We are to respect our employer, no matter how difficult that might be, work hard and with enthusiasm. Again, we are to please them with the work we do because it reflects the Lord within us.
For those of you who are the employer, Paul says to treat your employees in the same manner. Respect your employees, you yourself need to work hard and enthusiastically and serve the Lord in all you do.
It would be so nice if all employers and employees could follow godly sets of instructions. But if you work in an environment that does not have a godly atmosphere, then you need to be that light.
The next passage of this chapter is extremely important to read, thoroughly, reread and reread and reread… we live in a world that is becoming increasingly evil with each passing year. As believers, we must be prepared for the battle that is raging all around us.
Ephesians 6:10-18…
10 “A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power. 11 Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. 12 For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.
13 Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm. 14 Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness. 15 For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared. 16 In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil. 17 Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
18 Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere.”
In these verses Paul gives us a wonderful visual of how to prepare ourselves for battle in a world that has gotten increasingly dark and evil. Sometimes, it almost seems like it would be easier just to do what we want and fall into the madness, not have a care in the world. As believers though, that’s not what God has placed on our hearts, we should want to stand firm in our faith, no matter what. The guidelines Paul is showing us here in Ephesians are important for us to follow, here is a list of each piece of God’s Armor:
- Belt of Truth
- Body Armor or Breastplate of Righteousness
- Shoes of Peace
- Shield of Faith
- Helmet of Salvation
- Sword of the Spirit, the Word of God
- Praying in the Spirit
Some may look at that list and think it’s ridiculous, thinking, “We don’t wear armor anymore, that’s something Romans soldiers wore a long time ago.” But when you are looking through the eyes of the Lord, it makes perfect sense. Paul made it clear in verses 6:10-12 who and what we are in battle with:
- We are fighting against the strategies of the devil
- We are fighting against the evil rulers of the unseen world
- We are fighting against the evil authorities of the unseen world
- We are fighting against mighty powers in the dark world
- We are fighting against evil spirits in the heavenly places
- What we ARE NOT fighting against are flesh and blood enemies
The temptations of the world, the evil we see in people’s actions, the attack on another person just because of their race and religion, the wars we hear about, the lying, cheating, the desensitizing of violent actions. These things and honestly, so much more, is because of the “unseen world of evil spirits” that want nothing more than to destroy anyone before they have a chance to know who God is and accept His Son as Lord and Savior. But if those evil spirits miss their chance to turn a person’s heart away from the Lord, and that person becomes a follower of Jesus Christ, guess what the evil spirit’s mission becomes… their mission turns into being a nuisance to the believer, they will do all they can to hinder the believer from living their Christian Life Boldly, to speak the truth and spread the Gospel Message so others can believe and accept the Lord! That’s why Paul is giving us this very practical visual, something for us to follow every day to ensure success in your daily walk with the Lord.
Let’s look at each piece of God’s Armor and find out why each piece, securely in place, is so important for every believer.
Beginning in verse 6:10…
“Be strong in the Lord and His Mighty Power.”
The very first thing you must do is stand firm in your relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. Being a believer in the Son of God gives you access to the might and power of heaven, walking strong, bold in Christ will give you a great starting point, now we build on that foundation. Putting on the full armor of God is what will help us resist the devil and the evil spirits in this world. Each piece of God’s armor has a specific job. A Roman soldier would know the importance of each piece of his armor and know exactly how to use it. We should too. Not only should we put on the armor, but we also need to know how to use it correctly and effectively.
Verse 6:14a,
“Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth…”
Since the ruler of this world, Satan, is also called the deceiver, the prince of lies, the tempter, we must have a strong sense of what the truth is. The job of the devil’s evil spirits is to trip us up, to “sit on our shoulders” and feed us with lies. The more we give into those lies, the better those evil spirits get at making us turn our eyes off of Jesus. So that’s what the Belt of Truth is for, to stand firm in the truth of Jesus Christ. To stand firm in what the Bible says about you, to know the love the Father in Heaven has for you. As believers we have become the children of the Almighty God, He would never fill our hearts and minds with lies about who we are to Him.
Verse 6:14b,
“…put on the body armor of God’s Righteousness…”
This piece of armor is also called the Breastplate of Righteousness. It is our moral compass, we need to know without any doubt, right from wrong. It is imperative we guard our hearts from things that could make us cross the line onto a path leading to sin. When you look at a Roman soldier’s armor, the breastplate is the piece that covers the soldier’s vital organs. If any one of the vital organs is damaged in battle, death could soon follow. In a spiritual battle, the devil loves to toy with the things of the heart. If he can devastate us with unrelenting heartbreak or get you to believe his lies, what better way can he get the upper hand? So, by putting on the breastplate or body armor of God’s righteousness, we are protecting those vital lifelines. Think of your physical body, your heart, your lungs, your entire abdomen. If you were under attack and these areas were heavily damaged, your life would be over. Protecting our hearts and other lifelines in a spiritual battle is just as important.
Verse 6:15,
“For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so you will be fully prepared.”
A soldier would never consider going to battle without shoes on. Nowadays, boots are thick leather and laced all the up the calves. Heavy boots are worn to guard against blisters or stepping on something that could pierce the skin. What happens if you’re out hiking or going for a walk and you’re not fully prepared and you get a horrible blister on your heel or ball of your foot? It is extremely painful! Makes it quite difficult to carry on! So, by putting on our spiritual shoes, what do you think it helps with? In verse 6:15 it says we are putting on peace. Walk in Peace. Walk with the Lord by your side. We need to be prepared by knowing the Word of God, we must know the Gospel message, the Good News of what Jesus did for us on the cross! We don’t want to be hobbling about or feel like we’ve just stepped on Lego pieces with our bare feet! If the enemy can keep us from going out and sharing the message of Jesus Christ because we’re afraid of stubbing our toe or stepping on a piece of glass, we need to be reminded that we have a pair of indestructible shoes to put on! We need to get out of our comfort zone and walk in the footsteps of Jesus Christ our Lord.
Verse 6:16,
“In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil.”
God is giving us a warning in this verse; this vital information is saying there are evil spirits (demons) in this world that want to take us out, just because we believe in who Jesus is! Verse 6:16 says we need to stop the fiery arrows of the devil; another version says we need to extinguish all the flaming missiles from the evil one. The shield of faith is the knowledge of Jesus Christ, we know He is the Son of God, we know He died on the cross and rose from the dead three days later. If we have given our heart over to the Lord and we have faith in who He is, that unwavering faith is what will stop or extinguish any fiery arrow or flaming missile pointed straight for us. Having that shield of faith put up and by having us stand firmly behind its truth will guard against attacks from the enemy. So, make sure your shield is in good shape, not rusty and dented, and don’t drag it behind you, leaving yourself vulnerable to attack. This shield is vital because not only can it be used for protection, but it can also be used as a weapon. Having an unwavering faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, gives you a powerful stance when in battle with the enemy.
Verse 6:17a,
“Put on the Helmet of Salvation…”
The helmet of salvation is one of my favorite pieces of this armor. When I visualize putting on a helmet of salvation, I don’t see one of those “skull caps” that some motorcyclists like to wear. No, the helmet I want to put on covers my entire head, straps under my chin, and leaves just enough room for me to see out of it. When you think about the word Salvation, what does it make you think of? Well, for the believer it is what Christ did for us on the cross. By the shedding of His blood and the sacrifice of His body, He paid the price to save us from a life of darkness and a future eternity in Hell. So, as we place the Helmet of Salvation on our heads we are anointing our heads with the Blood of Jesus. Think about this… on or in our heads we have our eyes, our ears, our mouths, our tongues, our brains. By covering our heads with this helmet, the Salvation of Jesus, it should guard our eyes, to be mindful what we allow ourselves to look at. This helmet should guard our ears so we can carefully discern what we listen to. The words that come out of our mouths should also be guarded; hurtful words can come from our mouths if we don’t stay mindful of who we are representing. The helmet of salvation also covers the brain, our minds, our thought lives, each of which need to be heavily guarded. By having Jesus as Lord of your life, your thoughts should be fixed on what is true, honorable, right, pure, lovely, admirable; think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. (See Philippians 4:8)
Verse 6:17b,
“…take the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God…”
The sword of the Spirit is the defensive piece to our armor that can absolutely paralyze the devil and his evil spirits. When the Word of the Lord is spoken, the devil must flee. Reading the Word of God, knowing the Word of God is a powerful tool in our arsenal. The devil cannot stand against its power. By using the sword of the Spirit and the Name of Jesus, we can have full confidence going into battle. When you pick up your sword, what does it feel like? Is it made of cardboard, that with the first plunge it bends in half and is useless? Or maybe it is made of silver, sure it’s beautiful and shiny, but can it withstand the heat of battle? What if your sword is forged from the strongest steel, it comes from the hottest fire, it’s been tried again and again and with each battle it prevails! Your sword should look well used, not pristine, it needs to be ready for battle.
Verse 6:18,
“Pray in the Spirit at all times…stay alert…pray for other believers…”
The power of prayer should not be taken lightly. When you bring your requests before the throne of Heaven, God takes those requests and in His Almighty Power through His Holy Spirit He works through those requests by His Will. We cannot forget to pray for one another. Every believer has a battle to fight, we need to keep them in our constant prayer that they will stand firm. When we pray with the Power of the Name of Jesus, we give all Christians across this country and in every corner of the world a fighting chance to be successful in the battle raging around them every single day. Stay alert. Be persistent. Pray.
So… You might be thinking, “How do I put on the armor of God?”
Here is a sample prayer that can be prayed each morning when you rise from your bed…
Jesus, would you help me put on my armor today? Help me to put on my Belt of Truth. Lord Jesus strap on my Breastplate of Righteousness. Help me lace up my Shoes of Peace, so I can be ready to take Your Word wherever I need to go. Lord hand me my Shield of Faith, You are the one I have complete faith in so help me keep my shield up in front of my body, protect me, do not let me drag my shield behind me. Lord, I pray You would set the Helmet of Salvation on my head, cover me with Your blood, anoint my tongue that I would speak only those things which are pleasing to You. Guard my ears that I would not listen to idle gossip or foul language. With the covering of this Helmet, tame my thoughts so they would only meditate on the things that glorify Your Name. Lord, hand me the Sword of the Spirit, Your Word, help me recall what I know to be true and use Your Word defensively as I go into battle. And Lord Jesus as I bow down before You, I pray for all Christians everywhere that they too would be successful in their daily battles; strengthen them as You have strengthened me. I am ready Lord. Thank You for helping me prepare for my day.
~AMEN~