Beloved, I am glad to share with you today the above theme from Eph 6:1-3 and following. Indeed, let’s not think that this epistle, which exposes high and sometimes abstract truths, is written only for advanced Christians, or accomplished men. Here the apostle speaks directly to the children. What he has to say to them is very simple: “Obey your parents”; consider their warnings to be those of the Lord. This discipline, as painful as it sometimes seems to you, corresponds to the instructions your fathers received about you (Eph 6:4).
As for slaves and masters, what is enjoined to them applies to all those who have leaders (Eph 6:5-8) or subordinates (Eph 6:9). Our work will give us every day the opportunity to put these verses into practice, that is, to do (from the heart) the will of God. We are before His eyes continuously (Eph 6:6). But we need strength. Where can I find it? In the Lord (Eph 6:10). He alone will make us capable of confronting the formidable invisible enemies, the spiritual powers of satanic wickedness that threaten us. For Christ Himself sits “in the heavenly places, above every principality, and authority… and dominion…”(Eph 1:15-23; Col 2:13-15).
So far, the epistle has given us a marvellous unfolding of the truth about Christ and the church, followed by exhortations to have a life of very high character. Here we come to the last words of the epistle that concern the adversaries, and the armor we need, if we are to maintain the truth, and live the life that has been placed before us. We are not left to our own resources. For the power of the Lord is at our disposal, and we must be strong in His power.
The adversaries envisaged here are not human but satanic. They exist in the spirit world, not in flesh and blood. Satan is their leader, but he is spoken of them as principalities and authorities, and also as “rulers of this darkness.” We know very little about these opponents, and we don’t need to know more. It is enough for us that their evil purpose be unmasked. They are dominators of this world, because they control and dominate the entire system of the world, even if the human actors on the world stage hardly suspect it. Their domination generates darkness. This is the explanation for the gross spiritual darkness that fills the earth. How often, after the gospel has been preached very clearly, do we not hear people express their astonishment that the unconverted people have listened to it all without any ray of light entering their hearts. This passage, as well as 2 Cor. 4:4, provides an explanation that removes any reason to be surprised by this phenomenon.
And to stand firm against these “spiritual” enemies so formidable, man’s weapons are totally ineffective. You might as well fight with your fists against tanks or missiles (Job 40:20-41:2). But God puts His armor at our disposal (Rom 13:11-14). What are the parts? Truth as a belt: the strength that submission to the Word gives; through her Jesus triumphed in the wilderness. Justice as a breastplate: an irreproachable conduct, flawless in front of men. The Gospel of Peace for Shoes: an active walk in peace preparing people to receive the truth. Faith as a shield: total trust in what God is. Salvation for helmets: the same trust in what God has done. Thus, clothed and protected, the sword of the Spirit and prayer will enable us to counterattack victoriously.
This armor completes, it is very late to put it on when we should be in battle. Let us wear it “at all times” (Eph 6:18), so we will be sure to be covered by it “on the wrong day” (Eph 6:13). Among the prayers, let us not neglect those who are about the lord’s work. For the apostle solicited them. He was sure to find in the Ephesians a deep interest in the gospel and in the assembly. May the Lord see it in each of us.
But this is about these great hostile powers exerting all their tricks and energy against believers. They cannot deprive them of the salvation of their souls, but they can divert them from the intelligence of their heavenly calling, and from a life truly in harmony with that call: this is their goal. But it is obvious that we cannot face such powers with our own strength. Thank God, we don’t need to try to do this, because the necessary armor is all provided to us freely by God. We just have to take it. Otherwise, we will not experience its value.
We have to take for ourselves all the complete armor of God, but we also have to put it on. Then we can resist and hold. The conflict envisaged here is essentially defensive. By the grace of our God, we are placed in a heavenly and elevated position, and we must hold it despite all attempts to dislodge ourselves from it. In harmony with this, the various specified parts of the armor are, with one exception, all defensive in nature. The belt, breastplate, shoes, shield and helmet are not offensive weapons; only the sword is offensive.
The apostle speaks of course figuratively, because we find that each element of the armor is something of a moral or spiritual nature that we must put on: things that, although given by God, must be taken, and we must also put them on in a practical way, and integrate them into our experience. The first element is the truth. It must be like a belt for our kidneys. Girding his kidneys expresses a preparation for activity. All our activities must be within the framework of truth. The truth must govern us. The truth is given to us by God, but we must put it on so that it can govern us. The word of God is the truth, but it is not the truth in the Bible that will defend us, but rather the truth applied in a practical way to all our activities.
The second element is the breastplate which is justice. We are righteousness of God in Christ, but it is when we walk as a result of this, in practical righteousness, that it acts as a shield, protecting all our vital organs from the blows of our mighty enemies. How many Christian fighters fell painfully wounded in battle because there were lamentable deficiencies in their practical justice. A crack in the breastplate provides an opening to the enemy’s arrows.
Normally we do not think of shoes as part of the armor, yet, since it is through our shoes that we are in continuous contact with the earth, they take on this character from the Christian point of view. If our contact with the earth is not correct, we will indeed be vulnerable. What does “the preparation of the gospel of peace” mean? It is not that we have to prepare the way of the gospel in an evangelical sense (although it is of course very desirable to do so), but that we ourselves should be subject to the preparation that the gospel of peace operates. If our feet are so shod, we will bring the peace of the gospel into all our relationships with the men of this world, and in doing so we will be protected ourselves.
Next to all this, there is faith that acts as a shield, that faith that signifies a practical and living trust in God; that faith that keeps its eyes on Him and His word and not on circumstances or enemies. With the shield that protects us, besides the rest of the armor, the stingers of burning doubt sent by the bad guys are diverted and extinguished. The helmet protects the head which, just after the heart, is the most vulnerable point in humans. The salvation known, understood, which we enjoy, and practically carried out, this is our helmet. Our prayers must reach that fervor indicated by the word supplication; and at the same time, we must always be careful. We must be on alert on the one hand to avoid anything that would be incompatible with our requests, and on the other hand to welcome the response to our requests. This characterizes the intensity and truth in our way of praying, so that our prayers may well be a force and not a farce.
We must not be limited in our prayers. No doubt, we have to start with ourselves, but let’s not stop there. Let’s expand our requests to include “all saints.” Just as all saints are necessary to grasp the truth (Eph 3:18), so the scope of our prayers must not be less than all the saints. This scope even expands to “all men” in 1 Tim 2.1. However, the epistle to the Ephesians is above all the epistle of the church, and that is why the circle considered here is that of “all the saints”. But we must not be occupied with “all” to the point of getting lost in the indefinite. So, the apostle adds “and for me”.
The following verses have been compiled for your edification and grouped together for your better understanding.
Domestic duties; God’s weapons:
- Order to Honour Parents
1 Tim 5:4 If a widow has children or grandchildren, let them learn above all to exercise piety towards their own families, and to give back to their parents what they have received from them; for this is pleasing to God. Ex 20:12
Honor your father and mother, that your days may be extended in the land that Jehovah your God gives you. Lv 19:3 From this sacrifice of thanksgiving, he will offer as a sacrifice consumed by fire before the Lord: the fat that covers the bowels and all that is attached to them; Dt 27:16 Cursed be he who despises his father and mother! -And all the people will say: Amen! Pr 30:17 The eye that mocks a father And that disdains obedience to a mother, The crows of the torrent will pierce it, And the little ones of the eagle will eat it. Mt 15:4 For God said: Honor your father and mother; and: He who curses his father or mother will be punished with death. Eph 6:2 Honor your father and mother (this is the first commandment with a promise);
- Divine fairness
Ps 98:9 Before the Lord! For he comes to judge the earth; He will judge the world with justice, and the people with fairness. Ps 99.4 Let us celebrate the strength of the king who loves justice! You strengthen righteousness, You exercise justice and equity in Jacob. Isa 11:4 But he will judge the poor with fairness, and he will pronounce with righteousness on the unfortunate of the earth; He will strike the earth with his word like a rod, and with the breath of his lips he will make the wicked die.
- Spiritual armor
Rom 13:12 Night is advanced, day is approaching. Let us therefore strip ourselves of the works of darkness, and put on the weapons of light. 2 Co 6:7 by the word of truth, by the power of God, by the offensive and defensive weapons of justice; Eph 6:11 Put on all the weapons of God, so that you can stand firm against the devil’s tricks. 1 Th 5:8 But we who are of the day, let us be sober, having put on the armor of faith and charity, and having as their helmet the hope of salvation.
- The Stages of Spiritual Preparation
-Abandonment of idols 1 S 7:3 Samuel said to the whole house of Israel: If it is with all your heart that you return to the Lord, remove from your midst the foreign gods and the Astarte, direct your heart to the Lord, and serve him alone; and he will deliver you from the hand of the Philistine. 2 Ch 19:3 But good things have been found in you, for you have made idols disappear from the land, and you have applied your heart to seek God.
-Purification of God’s temple 2 Ch 29:15 They gathered their brethren, and after sanctifying themselves, they came to purify the house of Jehovah, according to the king’s order and according to the words of Jehovah.
-Returning to the Lord Lk 1:17 he will walk before God with the spirit and power of Elijah, to bring the hearts of the fathers back to the children, and the rebels to the wisdom of the righteous, in order to prepare for the Lord a well-disposed people.
-Personal Purification 2 Tim 2:21 If, therefore, anyone keeps himself pure, by abstaining from these things, he will be a vessel of honor, sanctified, useful to his master, proper to all good work.
From all of the above, we note that as great a servant of God as Paul was, he desired to be sustained by the prayers of other saints who were not as great as he was. He desired prayers, not to get out of prison and make his circumstances easier, but to be able to fully carry out his ministry despite his captivity. He was in the bonds, but remained just as much an ambassador as when he was free(2 Co 5:20). When he was free, he thought he was more of an ambassador of the gospel, begging men to be reconciled. Now that he was a captive, he considered himself an ambassador of the mystery, that mystery that he briefly unveiled in the above in the epistle. This is the “mystery of the gospel”, since one flows from the other and is its appropriate continuation. If we do not understand the gospel, we cannot understand the mystery. For example, the mystery must be a closed book for those who imagine that the gospel must Christianize the whole earth, and thus introduce the millennium. Paul’s last desires for the brethren, though simple, are very complete. How happy the brethren must be when peace, love and faith prevail among them, all proceeding from a divine source. Then grace actually rests on them. Only there must be purity of heart and in motivations. The last phrase in verse 24, “in purity,” or “in incorruption,” is a reminder to us that even in those early days of the church where the apostle wrote, what was corrupt had made its way among those who professed to be Christians. Loving the Lord Jesus in incorruption is the stamp of reality, the fruit of God’s authentic work. Our prayers support you all in your efforts to live according to the commandments of the Lord Jesus Christ.
PRAYER OF ACCEPTANCE OF JESUS CHRIST AS LORD AND PERSONAL SAVIOR
I now invite every person who wants to become a new creation by walking in the truth, to pray with me the following prayer:
Lord Jesus, I have long walked in the lusts of the world ignoring your love for humans. I admit to having sinned against you and ask your forgiveness for all my sins, because today I have decided to give you my life by taking you as Lord and personal Savior. I recognize that you died on the cross of Calvary and rose from the dead for me.
I am now saved and born again by the power of the Holy Spirit. Lead me every day to the eternal life that you give to all who obey your Word. Reveal yourself to me and strengthen my heart and faith, so that your light may be shining in my life right now.
Thank you, Lord Jesus for accepting me into your divine family, so that I may also contemplate the wonders of your kingdom.
I will now choose a nearby watering point to baptize myself by immersion, in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
All adoration, power and glory are yours, now and forever and ever. Amen!
I would be happy to respond to any questions and comments you may have, before sharing with you tomorrow “the apostle’s affection for the Philippians.”
May the Lord Jesus Christ bless you abundantly.
David Feze, Servant of the Lord Almighty God.