Ephesians 6
Children obey parentsverses 1-3
Children – obey your parents in the Lord – FOR this is RIGHT
honor your father and mother
which is the first commandment with promise
that it may be well with you
and you may live long on the earth
Fathers don’t provoke childrenverse 4
AND you fathers provoke not your children to wrath
BUT bring them up in the nurture
and admonition of the Lord
Servants [employees] honor your mastersverses 5-8
Servants – be obedient to them that
are your masters according
to the flesh with fear and trembling
in singleness of your heart
as to Christ
Not with eye-service – as men pleasers
BUT as the servants of Christ
doing the will of God from the heart
With good will doing service – as to the Lord
and not to men
Knowing that whatsoever good thing any man does
the same shall he receive of the Lord
whether he be bond or free
Masters [employers] honor your workersverse 9
AND you masters – do the same things unto them
forbearing threatening
Knowing that your Master also in heaven
neither is there respect of persons with HIM
Christian put on the whole armor of Godverses 10-17
Finally – my brethren – be strong in the Lord
and in the power of HIS might
Put on the whole armor of God
that you may be able to stand against
the wiles of the devil
FOR we wrestle not against flesh and blood – but against
principalities – powers
rulers of the darkness of this world
against spiritual wickedness
in high places
WHEREFORE take to you the whole armor of God
that you may be able to withstand in the evil day
and having done all to stand
Stand therefore – having your loins girt about with truth
and having on the breastplate of righteousness
And your feet shod with the preparation of the
gospel of peace
ABOVE ALL – taking the shield of faith
wherewith you shall be able to quench all the
fiery darts of the wicked
And take the helmet of salvation
and the sword of the Spirit
which is the word of God
Prayer is necessaryverses 18-20
Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit
and watching thereunto with all perseverance
and supplication for all saints
AND FOR ME – that utterance may be given to me
that I may open my mouth boldly
to make known the mystery of the gospel
FOR which I am an ambassador in bonds
that therein I may speak boldly – as I ought to speak
Tychicus brings report from Paulverses 21-22
BUT that you also may know my affairs – and how I do
Tychicus – a beloved brother
and faithful minister in the Lord
shall make known to you all things
Whom I have sent unto you for the same purpose
that you might know our affairs
and that he might comfort your hearts
Benedictionverses 23-24
Peace be to the brethren – and love with faith
from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ
Grace be with all them that love our Lord Jesus Christ
in sincerity AMEN
COMMENTARY:
DAILY SPIRITUAL BREAKFAST: Young Believers
: 1 Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right. (5219 “obey” [hupakouo] means to be obedient to, of one who on the knock at the door comes to listen who it is and answer the door, be subject to, respond to, adhere to, to give ear, or to harken)
DEVOTION: Here we have a promise given to obedient children. The LORD has guidelines for families throughout the Word of God. HE wants us to read them and put them into practice.
This one deals with the fact that children who have parents who honor the LORD should be obeyed. There are other parents who don’t honor the LORD who should be obeyed as long as they don’t encourage their children to do things that are against the law of the LORD and the law of the land.
Christian children of parents who don’t honor the LORD have to ask the LORD for wisdom regarding what they should do and what they shouldn’t do. Christian children of parents who are trying to honor the LORD have to use the same discernment but not as often hopefully.
If Christian children obey their parents the LORD will honor them with blessings. This will lead to a life that is pleasing to the LORD. Parents who love the LORD will give wisdom to their children in the areas of having a work ethic by helping around the house. They will instruct them in the area of use of money and therefore know how to budget what they have and use it wisely. They can instruct them personal time with the LORD which is the most important learning a child can receive from an parent who loves the LORD.
All children need to remember that they belong to the LORD first and foremost. Paul points out that it is the right thing to do.
CHALLENGE: We need a new generation of believing children honoring their parents with obedience.
DAILY SPIRITUAL LUNCH: Transitional Believers
: 4 And, you fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. (3949 “provoke” [parorgizo] means to anger alongside, enrage, anger, exasperate, or to rouse to wrath)
DEVOTION: Parenting is an awesome responsibility. Both parents have to work together. The LORD commands children to obey their parents in the LORD. The key words are “in the Lord.” Some parents are not followers of Jesus Christ. They might tell their children to break the commands of the LORD. Children are not to obey a parent who tells them to break the commands of the LORD.
Paul moves from parents to fathers. The leader or head of the home is the father. They will answer to the LORD for how the children are raised. If they are believers they have instructions from the LORD regarding raising children found in the book of Proverbs among other places.
Now Paul tells fathers not to enrage their children. What does that mean? It means that they are to be encouragers of their children in doing right. It means that they are not to discipline in anger. It means that they are to bring them up as the LORD would have them brought up according to the Bible. They are not to discourage them. Name calling or fits of anger do not help them grow in the LORD.
What does nurture mean? It means that fathers are to cherish their children. They are a gift from God. They have nineteen years to raise them to honor the LORD. It should be a joyful time as they grow up.
What is admonition mean? This is the discipline. This is the correction times. This is the teaching moments during the time their children are growing up. This is a time where grace is needed as well as strong voice of warning against wrong actions.
The role of father is an awesome responsibility. There are more families today that don’t have the proper influence of the father in the home. Many fathers have given up on their responsibility. My father was not in the home to raise me or his father in the house to raise him. Therefore he had no example to follow and I had no example to follow. It is hard for a father to raise his children with no example to follow.
Fathers are to set the example in the home of what it means to love a wife. They are to set the example by their attendance in church. They are to take leadership positions in the local church where they are gifted. Many local churches are struggling for leadership because many men are not to be found in the church on Sunday morning. Some fathers have their children attend churches that have no interest in the growth of their children and therefore have children who don’t see a reason to go to church. There has to be a match between the needs of the children and the church that you attend.
Men are to discipline their children to the point of obedience without enraging them against them. There is a balance between proper discipline and improper discipline. Proper discipline teaches and edifies children. Fathers have to feed and guide their children to adulthood. Some of us have not received the proper example from our earthly fathers but we have a heavenly father that expresses HIMSELF in the word of God. It should be our goal to have our children leave home loving the LORD and honoring their father and mother in adulthood. It is time for fathers who claim to be followers of Christ to be leaders in the home and church for the glory of God.
CHALLENGE: Be the father to your children that you should be. If you didn’t have a father that loved the LORD then find one that does and ask his advice.
DAILY SPIRITUAL SUPPER: Mature Believers
: 13 Wherefore take to you the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. (436 “withstand” [anthistemi] means oppose, resist, to be against, express opposition to, hold one’s ground, set against, or to resist by actively opposing pressure or power)
DEVOTION: The Bible informs us that “sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.” Each day is a new day of service to the LORD. We are not to say that we will do something tomorrow but if the LORD wills we will do something tomorrow. God is in control of our lives. HE has a plan for us and HE is working HIS plan in our life. We need to daily come into HIS presence and ask HIM what HE wants us to do. If we think we can plan without HIM we are sadly mistaken.
Here we find Paul informing every Christian to put on the whole armor of God to face each day. When we study the armor carefully, we realize that we are to put on Jesus Christ every day. HE is the ONE who gives us strength to fight each battle the LORD allows in our life for our good and for HIS glory.
We are to stand only in HIS power. We can only stand in HIS power when we yield to HIS direction for our life. What is this armor we are to put on with prayer each day?
The armor is made up of truth, righteousness, gospel of peace, faith, salvation, word of God. Now with all these different aspects of the armor of God we will be able to fight off the fiery darts of our enemy Satan and his angels. Remember we are tempted in three areas: the world, flesh and devil.
Our greatest enemy is the devil. He knows our weaknesses. He knows how to tempt us in our weakest area. He reminds us of our past failures. He is continually trying to stop us from being a witness for the LORD.
The LORD knows we can’t face him alone. We need help. We need daily help. If we are so foolish to start a day without the armor we will fall. Paul knew this for himself and for those in the church at Ephesus. Do we know it to be a fact in our life?
CHALLENGE: Obey the command: Put on the armor of God daily!!!
: 22 Whom I have sent unto you for the same purpose, that you might know our affairs, and that he might comfort your hearts. (3870 “comfort” [parakaleo] means to call to one’s side, instruct, console, encourage, admonish, strengthen, urge, cheer up, or soothe )
DEVOTION: Paul wanted the church at Ephesus to be strengthened. He was in prison so he sent them one of his faithful men named Tychicus. He brought word from Paul that would strengthen them in their testimony. It would give them courage to go out and witness for the LORD. Jail was not to be a determent to the furtherance of the Gospel. It should cause others to not fear being arrested for their faith.
Once we see others facing hard circumstances with courage it should encourage us to be faithful in our witness no matter what might happen to us.
We read of individuals who have been tortured for their witness for the LORD. I read a book called “Heavenly Man” that gave a testimony of many years of torture for his witness in the underground church in China. It was a eye opening book about what others go through for their witness for the LORD.
Each day I receive word from around the world of people who are killed for their preaching of the gospel. It can cause us to not care or to realize that we have a job to do no matter what might happen to us. Our response should be the later.
Many people are sitting in pews in our churches who are afraid to visit their neighbors with the purpose of telling about Christ when others are being tortured and killed for doing the same thing in other countries. We will not be tortured and killed yet in this country for our witness. We should be doing it now.
Persecution helped the church to move forward in Paul’s day. It might be coming to our land so that we might feel the necessity of witnessing before we are killed. We might find ourselves in jail witnessing to fellow prisoners and find out that they have know the LORD for many years but never talked to others about HIM.
CHALLENGE: Start witnessing today as we don’t know what tomorrow might bring. The command is still for every Christ to “go” into all the world preaching the gospel.
DISCIPLINES OF THE FAITH:
BODY
Chastity (Purity in living)
Fasting (Time alone with LORD without eating or drinking)
Sacrifice (Giving up something we want to serve the LORD)
Submission (Willing to listen to others and LORD)
Solitude (Going to a quiet place without anyone)
SOUL
Fellowship (Gathering together around the Word of God)
Frugality (wise use of resources)
Journalizing (Writing down what you have learned from the LORD)
Study and Meditation (Thinking through your study in the Word)
Secrecy (Doing your good deeds without others knowing but God)
SPIRIT
Celebration (Gathering around a special occasion to worship LORD)
Confession (Tell the LORD we are sorry for our sins on a daily basis)
Prayer (Conversation with God on a personal level)
Part of the armor: Prayingverse 18
Praying in the Spiritverse 18
Supplication in the Spiritverse 18
Supplication for all saintsverse 18
Silence (Letting the LORD deal with some problems and needs)
Worship (Time to praise the LORD alone or in a group)
DOCTRINES OF THE FAITH:
Scripture (66 inerrant books of the Bible)
Commandment with promiseverse 2
Sword of the Spirit = Word of Godverse 17
Mystery of the Gospelverse 19
God the Father (First person of the Godhead)
Godverses 6, 11, 13, 17
Will of Godverse 6
Whole armor of Godverses 11, 13
Word of Godverse 17
God the Fatherverse 23
God the Son (Second person of the Godhead –God/man, Messiah)
Lordverses 1, 4, 7, 8, 10, 21, 23, 24
Christverses 5, 6, 23, 24
Master in heavenverse 9
No respect of persons with HIMverse 9
Power of HIS mightverse 10
Jesus verses 23, 24
Lord Jesus Christverses 23, 24
God the Holy Spirit (Third person of the Godhead – our comforter)
Spirit verses 17, 18
Sword of the Spiritverse 17
Supplication in the Spiritverse 18
Trinity (Three persons of the Godhead who are co-equal =ONE God)
Angels (Created before the foundation of the world – Good and Evil)
Devilverse 11
Wiles of the devilverse 11
Principalities (evil)verse 12
Powers (evil)verse 12
Rulers of darknessverse 12
Spiritual wickedness in high placesverse 12
Man (Created on the sixth twenty-four hour period of creation)
Childrenverse 1
Parentsverse 1
Father verses 1, 4
Motherverse 1
Servantsverse 5
Mastersverses 5, 9
Fleshverse 5
Menverse 7
Bond verse 8
Free menverse 8
Worldverse 12
Sin (Missing the mark set by God on man and angels)
Provoke not to wrathverse 4
Eye serviceverse 6
Men pleasersverse 6
Threateningverse 9
Respect of personsverse 9
Wickednessverse 12
Evilverse 13
Wickedverse 16
Salvation (Provided by Christ’s death on the cross for our sins)
Obey your parents verse 1
Honor father and motherverse 2
Well with those who obey parentsverse 3
Long life for those who obey parentsverse 3
Bring children up in nurture & admonition of the Lordverse 4
Servants obedient to mastersverse 5
Singleness of heartverse 5
Servants of Christverses 5-7
Doing will of God from the heartverse 6
Good willverse 7
Strong in the Lordverse 10
Put on armor of Godverses 11, 13
Wrestle not against flesh and bloodverse 12
Withstand evil dayverse 13
Standverses 13, 14
Truthverse 14
Righteousnessverse 14
Gospel of Peaceverse 15
Faithverses 16, 23
Quench all the fiery darts of the wickedverse 16
Salvationverse 17
Sword of the Spiritverse 17
Prayingverse 18
Perseveranceverse 18
Supplicationverse 18
Saintsverse 18
Ambassadorverse 20
Speak boldlyverse 20
Comfortverse 22
Peaceverse 23
Love with faithverses 23, 24
Graceverse 24
Sincere loveverse 24
Israel (Old Testament people of God)
Church (New Testament people of God)
Christian relationships with othersverses 1-9
Brethrenverses 10, 23
Withstand evil dayverse 13
Utterance given to Paulverse 19
Paul needs to open mouth boldlyverse 19
Mystery of the gospelverse 19
Paul is an ambassadorverse 20
Paul needs to speak boldlyverse 20
Tychicusverses 21, 22
Beloved brother
Faithful minister
Make known to church all things
Sent by Paul
Know Paul’s affairs
Comfort fellow believers
Last Things (Future Events)
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QUOTES regarding passage
12 In military strategy one must never underestimate the strength of the enemy. Paul is certainly not guilty of such fatal misjudgment but gives a realistic report of its potential. The “struggle” (literally, “wrestling,” palē) is not merely against human foes but a war to the death against supernatural forces. “Flesh and blood” is actually “blood and flesh.” The words appear in this order only here. Blood is perhaps mentioned first lest flesh be regarded as inherently evil, as those who anticipated the Gnostic heresy taught.
Four aspects of corporate menace are presented here. The particular terms are in themselves morally neutral, though with Paul they invariably indicate sinister influences (Eph 1:21; 3:11). “Rulers” (archoi) are “cosmic powers” (NEB). Until the end of the age these demonic forces, already defeated by Christ on the cross (4:9), exercise a certain limited authority (exousia; here in the plural: exousias, “authorities”) in temporarily opposing the purposes of God. The title kosmokrator (power, potentate) occurs frequently in classical and rabbinical literature. It denotes one who aspires to world control. It was attached to savior gods in the ethnic religions and identified with the sun. So Paul may have implied by “powers” (kosmokratoroi) that what purported to be a cult of light is in fact the very opposite.
Beare (pp. 738, 739) sees in the expression “the spiritual forces of wickedness” (ta pneumatika tēs ponerias) the language of contemporary astrology in which the heavenly bodies were regarded as the abode of demons who held human lives in their grip. Pagans had no option but to resign themselves to an unalterable destiny. But Christians can fight against such malign influences.
If “the heavenly realms” (hoi epouranioi) are assumed to be the habitat of these evil spirits, they correspond to the “air” of Ephesians 2:2. But there is no evidence to show that hoi epouranioi can mean earth’s atmosphere and Paul certainly does not use the word like this elsewhere in Ephesians (1:3, 20; 2:6; 3:18). There may be a reference here to an inferior heaven as in 2 Enoch. Or again, hoi epouranioi could simply denote the unseen world in general, including both good and evil forces. (Wood, A. S. (1981). Ephesians. In F. E. Gaebelein (Ed.), The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Ephesians through Philemon (Vol. 11, p. 86). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House.)
12. We wrestle (ἔστιν ἡμῖν ἡ πάλη). Rev., more literally and correctly, our wrestling is. Πάλη wrestling, only here.
Flesh and blood. The Greek reverses the order.
Principalities and powers. See on Col. 1:16.
Rulers of the darkness of this world (κοσμοκράτορας τοῦ σκότους τούτου). Rev., more correctly, world-rulers of this darkness. World-rulers only here. Compare John 14:30; 16:11; 1 John 5:19; 2 Cor. 4:4.
Spiritual wickedness (τὰ πνευματικὰ τῆς πονηρίας). Lit., the spiritual things of wickedness. Rev., spiritual hosts of wickedness. The phrase is collective, of the evil powers viewed as a body. Wickedness is active evil, mischief. Hence Satan is called ὁ πονηρός the wicked one. See on Luke 3:19; 7:21; 1 John 2:13.
In high places (ἐν τοῖς ἐπουρανίοις). Rev., more literally, in the heavenly places. Used in the general sense of the sky or air. (Vincent, M. R. (1887). Word studies in the New Testament (Vol. 3, pp. 406–407). New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons.)
Our wrestling is not (οὐκ ἐστιν ἡμιν ἡ παλη [ouk estin hēmin hē palē]). “To us the wrestling is not.” Παλη [Palē] is an old word from παλλω [pallō], to throw, to swing (from Homer to the papyri, though here only in N. T.), a contest between two till one hurls the other down and holds him down (κατεχω [katechō]). Note προς [pros] again (five times) in sense of “against,” face to face conflict to the finish. The world-rulers of this darkness (τους κοσμοκρατορας του σκοτους τουτου [tous kosmokratoras tou skotous toutou]). This phrase occurs here alone. In John 14:30 Satan is called “the ruler of this world” (ὁ ἀρχων του κοσμου τουτου [ho archōn tou kosmou toutou]). In 2 Cor. 4:4 he is termed “the god of this age” (ὁ θεος του αἰωνος τουτου [ho theos tou aiōnos toutou]). The word κοσμοκρατωρ [kosmokratōr] is found in the Orphic Hymns of Satan, in Gnostic writings of the devil, in rabbinical writings (transliterated) of the angel of death, in inscriptions of the Emperor Caracalla. These “world-rulers” are limited to “this darkness” here on earth. The spiritual hosts of wickedness (τα πνευματικα της πονηριας [ta pneumatika tēs ponērias]). No word for “hosts” in the Greek. Probably simply, “the spiritual things (or elements) of wickedness.” Πονηρια [Ponēria] (from πονηρος [ponēros]) is depravity (Matt. 22:18; 1 Cor. 5:8). In the heavenly places (ἐν τοις ἐπουρανιοις [en tois epouraniois]). Clearly so here. Our “wrestling” is with foes of evil natural and supernatural. We sorely need “the panoply of God” (furnished by God). (Robertson, A. T. (1933). Word Pictures in the New Testament (Eph 6:12). Nashville, TN: Broadman Press.)
6:11b–12. The purpose of putting on God’s armor is to be able to stand against the schemes or stratagems (methodeias, used in the NT only here and in 4:14) of the devil or adversary (cf. 4:27). Christians are not to attack Satan, or advance against him; they are only to “stand” or hold the territory Christ and His body, the church, have conquered. Without God’s armor believers will be defeated by the “schemes” of the devil which have been effective for thousands of years.
The struggle is not physical (against flesh and blood); it is a spiritual conflict against the spiritual “Mafia.” Though the ranks of satanic forces cannot be fully categorized, the first two (rulers and authorities) have already been mentioned in 1:21 and 3:10. Paul added the powers of this dark world (cf. 2:2; 4:18; 5:8) and the spiritual forces of evil. Their sphere of activity is in the heavenly realms, the fifth occurrence of this phrase, which is mentioned in the New Testament only in 1:3, 20; 2:6; 3:10; 6:12. Satan, who is in the heavens (2:2) until he will be cast out in the middle of the Tribulation (Rev. 12:9–10), is trying to rob believers of the spiritual blessings God has given them (Eph. 1:3). (Hoehner, H. W. (1985). Ephesians. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 2, p. 643). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.)
As Christians, we face three enemies: the world, the flesh, and the devil (Eph. 2:1–3). “The world” refers to the system around us that is opposed to God, that caters to “the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life” (1 John 2:15–17). “Society apart from God” is a simple, but accurate, definition of “the world.” “The flesh” is the old nature that we inherited from Adam, a nature that is opposed to God and can do nothing spiritual to please God. By His death and resurrection, Christ overcame the world (John 16:33; Gal. 6:14), and the flesh (Rom. 6:1–6; Gal. 2:20), and the devil (Eph. 1:19–23). In other words, as believers, we do not fight for victory—we fight from victory! The Spirit of God enables us, by faith, to appropriate Christ’s victory for ourselves.
In these closing verses of the letter, Paul discussed four topics so that his readers, by understanding and applying these truths, might walk in victory. (Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Vol. 2, pp. 56–57). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.)
The Enemy (Eph. 6:10–12)
The intelligence corps plays a vital part in warfare because it enables the officers to know and understand the enemy. Unless we know who the enemy is, where he is, and what he can do, we have a difficult time defeating him. Not only in Ephesians 6, but throughout the entire Bible, God instructs us about the enemy, so there is no reason for us to be caught off guard.
The leader—the devil. The enemy has many different names. Devil means “accuser,” because he accuses God’s people day and night before the throne of God (Rev. 12:7–11). Satan means “adversary,” because he is the enemy of God. He is also called the tempter (Matt. 4:3), and the murderer and the liar (John 8:44). He is compared to a lion (1 Peter 5:8), a serpent (Gen. 3:1; Rev. 12:9), and an angel of light (2 Cor. 11:13–15), as well as “the god of this age” (2 Cor. 4:4, niv).
Where did he come from, this spirit-creature that seeks to oppose God and defeat His work? Many students believe that in the original Creation, he was “Lucifer, son of the morning” (Isa. 14:12–15) and that he was cast down because of his pride and his desire to occupy God’s throne. Many mysteries are connected with the origin of Satan, but what he is doing and where he is going are certainly no mystery! Since he is a created being, and not eternal (as God is), he is limited in his knowledge and activity. Unlike God, Satan is not all-knowing, all-powerful, or everywhere-present. Then how does he accomplish so much in so many different parts of the world? The answer is in his organized helpers.
Satan’s helpers. Paul called them “principalities … powers … rulers … spiritual wickedness in high places” (Eph. 6:12). Charles B. Williams translates it: “For our contest is not with human foes alone, but with the rulers, authorities, and cosmic powers of this dark world; that is, with the spirit forces of evil challenging us in the heavenly contest” (wms). This suggests a definite army of demonic creatures that assist Satan in his attacks against believers. The Apostle John hinted that one third of the angels fell with Satan when he rebelled against God (Rev. 12:4), and Daniel wrote that Satan’s angels struggle against God’s angels for control of the affairs of nations (Dan. 10:13–20). A spiritual battle is going on in this world, and in the sphere of “the heavenlies,” and you and I are a part of this battle. Knowing this makes “walking in victory” a vitally important thing to us—and to God.
The important point is that our battle is not against human beings. It is against spiritual powers. We are wasting our time fighting people when we ought to be fighting the devil who seeks to control people and make them oppose the work of God. During Paul’s ministry in Ephesus, a riot took place that could have destroyed the church (Acts 19:21–41). It wasn’t caused only by Demetrius and his associates, for behind them were Satan and his associates. Certainly Paul and the church prayed, and the opposition was silenced. The advice of the King of Syria to his soldiers can be applied to our spiritual battle: “Fight neither with small nor great, save only with the king” (1 Kings 22:31).
Satan’s abilities. The admonitions Paul gave indicate that Satan is a strong enemy (Eph. 6:10–12), and that we need the power of God to be able to stand against him. Never underestimate the power of the devil. He is not compared to a lion and a dragon just for fun! The Book of Job tells what his power can do to a man’s body, home, wealth, and friends. Jesus calls Satan a thief who comes “to steal, and to kill, and to destroy” (John 10:10). Not only is Satan strong, but he is also wise and subtle, and we fight against “the wiles of the devil.” Wiles means “cunning, crafty arts, strategems.” The Christian cannot afford to be “ignorant of his devices” (2 Cor. 2:11). Some men are cunning and crafty and “lie in wait to deceive” (Eph. 4:14), but behind them is the arch-deceiver, Satan. He masquerades as an angel of light (2 Cor. 11:14) and seeks to blind men’s minds to the truth of God’s Word. The fact that Paul uses the word “wrestle” indicates that we are involved in a hand-to-hand battle and are not mere spectators at a game. Satan wants to use our external enemy, the world, and our internal enemy, the flesh, to defeat us. His weapons and battle plans are formidable. (Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Vol. 2, pp. 57–58). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.)
6:12 struggle. A term used of hand-to-hand combat, rendered as “wrestle” by some translations. Struggling or wrestling features trickery and deception, like Satan and his hosts when they attack. Coping with deceptive temptation requires truth and righteousness. The 4 designations describe the different strata and rankings of those demons and the evil supernatural empire in which they operate. Satan’s forces of darkness are highly structured for the most destructive purposes. Cf. Col 2:15; 1Pe 3:22. not against flesh and blood. See 2Co 10:3–5. spiritual forces of wickedness. This possibly refers to the most depraved abominations, including such things as extreme sexual perversions, occultism, and Satan worship. See note on Col 1:16. in the heavenly places. As in 1:3; 3:10, this refers to the entire realm of spiritual beings. (MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (2006). The MacArthur study Bible: New American Standard Bible. (Eph 6:12). Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers.)
Ver. 12. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, &c.] The Syriac, Arabic, and Ethiopic versions, and some copies, read you, instead of we. This is a reason why saints should be strong in the Lord, and why they should put on the whole armour of God, and prepare for battle, since their enemies are such as here described: not flesh and blood; frail mortal men, such as were wrestled against in the Olympic games, to which the apostle alludes. For this wrestling, as Philo the Jew says, concerning Jacob’s wrestling, is not of the body, but of the soul; see Matt. 16:17; Gal. 1:16 and the meaning is, not with men only, for otherwise the saints have a conflict with men; with profane men, and wrestle against them, by bearing a testimony against their enormities, and by patiently enduring their reproaches, and conquer them by a constant adherence to Christ, and an exercise of faith upon him, which gets the victory over the world; and with heretical men, and maintain a conflict with them, by watching and observing the first appearance of their errors and heresies, and declaring against them, and by using Scripture arguments to confute them, and by rejecting the stubborn and incorrigible from church-communion: yet they wrestle not against these only, but against principalities, against powers; by whom are meant not civil magistrates, or the Roman governors, though these are sometimes so called, Tit. 3:1 and may be said to be the rulers of the darkness of this world, or of the dark Heathen world, and were in high places, and were of wicked and malicious spirits, against the people of Christ; yet these can’t be opposed to flesh and blood, or to men, since they were such themselves; and though they were in high, yet not in heavenly places; and the connexion with the preceding verse shews the contrary, the enemy being the devil, and the armour spiritual; wherefore the devils are here designed, who are described from their power, rule, and government, see the note on ch. 1:21. both in this clause, and in the next: and against the rulers of the darkness of this world; that is, over wicked men in it, who are in a state of darkness itself; and so Satan is called the prince, and god of the world, John 12:31; 2 Cor. 4:4. The Jews use this very word, the apostle does here, of the angel of death, who is called darkness; and the devil is called by them, שר של חושד, the prince of darkness; and mention is made by them of עלכא חשוכי, the darkness of the world; from whom the apostle seems to have taken these phrases, as being in common use among the Jews; who also use it of civil governorsi, and render it, as here, the rulers of the world, and say it signifies monarchs, such as rule from one end of the world to the other: some copies, and the Ethiopic version, leave out the phrase, of this world. It follows, against spiritual wickedness in high place; or wicked spirits, as the devils are, unclean, proud, lying, deceitful, and malicious; who may be said to be in high or heavenly places; not in places super-celestial, or in the highest heavens, in the third heaven, where God, angels, and saints are; but in the aerial heavens, where the power or posse of devils reside, and where they are above us, over our heads, overlooking us, and watching every advantage against us; and therefore we should have on our armour, and be in a readiness to engage them; and so the Syriac and Ethiopic versions render it, under, or beneath heaven; and the Arabic version, in the air. (Gill, J. (1809). An Exposition of the New Testament (Vol. 3, pp. 109–110). London: Mathews and Leigh.)
We are reminded, as the apostle closes his letter, that we are not yet in heaven, we have not reached the rest that remains for the people of God, and therefore he says, “Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of His might.” Perhaps it might be rendered, “My brethren, be daily strengthened,” for it is in the continuous tense; be constantly receiving strength from the Lord and go forth in the power of His might. It is important to realize that even after we have been converted for many years we have no more power in ourselves to insure victory over the foe than we had when first saved. The excellency of the power is not in us but in God, and therefore the necessity of living in communion with Him. The preacher cannot do his work aright unless in communion with God, the choir cannot sing aright, the workman at his bench or machine cannot do his work aright and bring glory to the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, the young woman at her desk, the man selling goods upon the street, the farmer at the plow, cannot work aright unless in communion with God. We all need His mighty quickening power to enable us to triumph in our respective spheres just as much as any missionary going to a foreign field to carry the gospel to lost men and women. Here is a challenge to everyone of us. We must face it for we cannot overcome in our own strength, therefore the importance of living near to the Lord, being strengthened in the Lord and in the power of His might.
“Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.” This is the armor that we have delineated for us piece by piece in the next section of the epistle. But the armor is of God, it is nothing of ourselves, for we have nothing in ourselves whereby we can meet the foe. “Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.” It is not only here but in other scriptures as well that the apostle by the Spirit insists upon this. In Romans 13:11 we read, “And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand … let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying. But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.” How many a Christian has forgotten words like these, and forgetting them has found himself absolutely powerless in the hour of temptation, unarmed, exposed to every imagination of a cruel foe. “Put on the whole armor of God.” (Ironside, H. A. (1937). In the heavenlies : practical expository addresses on the Epistle to the Ephesians. (pp. 305–307). Neptune, NJ: Loizeaux Brothers.)
Regarding the armor, first, God’s armor is needed because we struggle (v.12; only here in the NT, pale refers to battle or hand to hand combat) against evil spiritual forces. The NT informs us that their schemes (v.11; cf 4:14) can include at least the following: tempting to immorality (1 Co 7:5), attempting to deceive (2 Co 2:11;11:13-14), taking advantage of bitterness (Eph 4; 27, hindering ministry (1 Th 2:18).
(p. 1855, The MOODY Bible Commentary by Michael Rydelnik & Michael Vanlaningham)
Finally, Paul comes to the greatest weapon of all – and that is prayer. We note three things that he says about prayer. (a)It must be constant. Our tendency is so often to pray only in the great crises of life; but it is from daily prayer that the Christian will find daily strength, (b) It must be intense. Limp prayer never got a man anywhere. Prayer demands the concentration of every faculty upon God. (c) It must be unselfish. The Jews had a saying, “Let a man unite himself with the community in his prayers.” I think that often our prayers are too much of ourselves and too little for others. (p. 184, the Letters to the Galatians and Ephesians by William Barclay)
FROM MY READING:
THE CHARACTER OF THE CHRISTIAN
They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. John 17:16
We must consider what our Lord has to say about the Christian. Here is the character of the Christian. The first thing I notice is a negative .He says in John 17:6, “I have manifested thy name unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world.” Now that is the first thing He says about the Christian. He is not of this world. In verses 6-19 Jesus repeats that four times. In addition to verse 6, He says in verse 9, “I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me”; again in verse 14, “I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world”; and then in verse 16, “They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.” Our Lord goes on repeating that phrase because He wants to impress it upon us.
The first thing that is true about the Christian is that he does not belong to this world. In the light of this, it is vital that we should ask ourselves the question, am I of the world or am I not? That is the fundamental distinction that runs through the Bible from beginning to end. There are only two groups of people in the world today—those who are of the world and those who belong to Christ. In the last analysis there is no other division or distinction that has the slightest importance or relevance. That is why most of us are defeated by life in this world—we recognize other distinctions that are quite unimportant. But when we all come to die, does it make the slightest difference which political party we belong to? Does it matter whether we are rich or poor, learned or otherwise? There is only one fundamental distinction, and that is whether we belong to the world or to Christ.
A Thought to Ponder: The Christian does not belong to this world.
(From Safe in the World, pp. 22-24, by Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones)
GENDER THEORY INVENTOR ADMITS HE MADE IT UP (Friday Church News Notes, March 6, 2020, www.wayoflife.org fbns@wayoflife.org, 866-295-4143) – The following is excerpted from Parents As First Educators (PAFE), Mar. 2, 2020: “In an article published last fall in the online Canadian magazine Quillette, historian Christopher Dummitt discusses how he went from denying that sex is a biological reality to admitting that he was wrong. Dummitt describes how in the 1990s as a graduate student he promoted the idea that sex is wholly a social construct—‘that there was no such thing as sex.’ At that time he couldn’t find many people that agreed with him because ‘such beliefs went against common sense.’ Fast forward 25 years and ‘now my big idea is everywhere,’ writes Dummitt. It shows up especially in the talking points about trans rights, and policy regarding trans athletes in sports. It is being written into laws that essentially threaten repercussions for anyone who suggests that sex might be a biological reality. Such a statement, for many activists, is tantamount to hate speech. Dummitt admits he was wrong in promoting the idea that sex is a social construct, and says that he and others in the gender-studies field were ‘making it up’ when it came to their research. Yet this ‘baseless’ idea that Dummitt and others promoted is what is driving the transgender movement and its lobbying to have pro-transgender policies put in place. Dummitt laments the fact that, ‘My flawed reasoning, and other scholarship using the same defective thinking, now is being taken up by activists and governments to legislate a new moral code of conduct.’ This ‘flawed reasoning’ and ‘defective thinking’ has found its way into the Ontario sex-ed curriculum and who knows how many ‘spontaneous’ classroom discussions about sex and gender identity led by activist teachers. It is also what is behind the dramatic rise in children claiming they are transgender and the medical establishment’s approach to such children: affirming their new identity and offering them drugs and surgery to ‘transition.’”
CORONAVIRUS IN PERSPECTIVE (Friday Church News Notes, March 6, 2020, www.wayoflife.org fbns@wayoflife.org, 866-295-4143) – The following is excerpted from “U.S. Flu Season 2017-18,” CNSNews.com, Feb. 20, 2020: “As health care experts and world leaders struggle with the spread of the new corona virus (COVID-19) — an infectious respiratory illness like influenza (flu) but caused by a different virus–it merits noting how widespread influenza is in the United States and globally, and how many people die from the flu each year. … According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there were approximately 45 million cases of the flu in the United States during the 2017-2018 influenza season. Among those cases, 810,000 people had to be hospitalized. During that season, 61,000 people died from the flu. … Globally, about 1 billion people get the flu, according to Johns Hopkins Medicine. And the CDC reports that ‘between 291,000 and 646,000 people worldwide die from seasonal influenza-related respiratory illnesses each year.’ As of Feb. 25, the World Health Organization (WHO) said there were 80,239 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in 34 countries. The WHO also reported that there have been 2,700 deaths from COVID-19. As of Feb. 25, there were 54 COVID-19 cases in the United States but no deaths reported.”
Jesus begins His own ministry after John baptizes Him.
INSIGHT
The unique contribution of each of the four Gospels is very important to our understanding of the life of Christ. In the gospel of Matthew, the genealogy takes Jesus’ ancestry back to Abraham. That is because Matthew’s gospel is written by a Jew to Jews and emphasizes distinctly Jewish matters. However, Luke is a Gentile, writing to Gentiles, who emphasizes matters that are of concern to a broader audience.
From Matthew we learn that Jesus was a descendant of Abraham, and we see the fulfillment of the promises to Abraham. From Luke, we learn that Jesus is the Son of God, and we see the fulfillment of God’s promises to those of us who are not descendants of Abraham. (Quiet Walk)
Holidays
“Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days.” (Colossians 2:16)
This is the only verse in the New Testament that has any reference to holidays (at one time considered “holy days”). However, the Greek word so translated does occur there quite often, being rendered elsewhere always by its correct meaning of “feasts.”
Such “holy days” in the Old Testament economy normally required “no servile work” to be done on those days and were usually associated with a special “feast” of some deep spiritual significance. They certainly were not holidays in the modern sense, devoted mostly to pleasure.
In fact, it is perhaps significant that neither holidays nor vacations are mentioned in the Bible at all. The weekly Sabbath “rest” day is, of course, frequently emphasized. One day in seven has always been observed as a day to rest from labor and to remember our Creator. However, the other six days were to be spent working. Many can still remember when the norm was a six-day workweek.
Not so now. Many complain about even a five-day week, and “T.G.I.F.” is a common feeling as the “weekend” approaches. “Labor” Day is now a day mainly for fun, but it might be a good day for Christians to thank God for the privilege of work and doing that work “heartily, as to the Lord” (Colossians 3:23). Our work, whatever it may be, can become a real testimony for (or, sadly, against) the Lord whom we profess to serve.
In the ages to come, there will still be work to do for the Lord. In that day, it is promised that “his servants shall serve him” (Revelation 22:3). Therefore, we should be “abounding in the work of the Lord” right now. It will not be “in vain” (1 Corinthians 15:58). (HMM, The Institute for Creation Research)
Facebook: I don’t trust words, I trust actions. People can tell you anything but actions tell you everything.
To be a shepherd invokes the imagery of a one who provides care, protection, nourishment, and guidance for the flock. (p.31)
The leader is to protect and care for the spiritual needs of the congregation. (p. 31)
(Developing Leaders for the Small Church by Glenn C. Daman)
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