Paul closes this letter with some encouragement for his readers and careful instruction on how to combat the attacks of Satan. Paul knew that Satan would be ready to destroy this unity about which he had written. Throughout the ages, Satan has used racism and judgmentalism to divide the body of Christ and now that Jew and Gentile were one through Jesus Christ, the church would be under attack. It is with this in mind that Paul writes to warn his readers to “be strong in the Lord and the power of His might.” Defending against these attacks would take Christians putting “on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.” The “wiles of the devil” are the strategies and schemes which he uses in order to cause the believer to stumble. So, what does Paul mean by the armor of God? He mentions six pieces of spiritual armor a Christian needs to have as a part of his or her life. The first piece of armor is the girdle (belt) of truth (6:14a). In combat a soldier wore loose-fitting clothes, which could be dangerous since fighting was mostly hand to hand, so the man needed to use a belt to draw in the extra clothing. This belt of truth symbolizes a soldier being committed to truth or truthfulness which ultimately brings freedom. When a person is truthful there is no reason to be ashamed. The second piece of armor is the breastplate of righteousness which protects the heart (6:14b). When we are holy and obedient to God it protects us from the attacks of Satan. Next, Paul commands the Christian to have his feet shod with the gospel of peace (6:15). Feet often symbolize stability and it is the gospel which gives us confidence and peace with God. The fourth piece of armor is the “shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one.” Trust in God and His promises will cause us to not become discouraged. Satan tries to bring temptations into our life which cause us to doubt God’s promises. The helmet of salvation refers to protecting our mind against Satan’s attacks on our salvation. At times we all have doubts about our salvation, but remember that it is not based in feeling but fact. The last piece of armor is the “sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” The truth of scripture enables us to defend against Satan’s attacks so it is necessary for us to fill our mind with it. Prayer plays a major role in strength for the Christian and Paul asks that believers pray for each other and also him as he spreads the gospel (6:18-20). These last few verses of Ephesians are a great challenge to both Jew and Gentile who are one in Jesus Christ to be alert to the attacks of Satan, but realize God provides the strength for us to withstand him. Put on your spiritual armor and combat the evil world around you by living life by God’s principles and truth.

Dear God, help me to stand against the attacks of Satan and be light in a dark world.

I love how Paul continues his teaching on submission as a result of being filled with the Spirit, especially since he applies it to every group that may be reading this letter. He has already dealt with submission/love in marriage and now he moves on to how being submissive looks in the life of a child. Instead of messing around, Paul goes straight to the heart of the issue – “children obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.” A child can tell if he or she is being controlled by the Holy Spirit if obedience to parents is characteristic of his or her life. Paul’s instruction is very plain…obeying parents is the right thing to do. In a society that disregards the wisdom and instruction of parents, children who are followers of Christ should distinguish themselves from the world by giving honoring mom and dad. Honoring is an attitude of the heart where a child is obeying not only in action (6:1) but also in attitude (6:2). Some kids obey with their feet, but not with their heart and God is interested in obedience which stems from the heart. Paul also reminds children of the promise of long life to those who follow this commandment (6:3). In the same vein, Paul turns to the father (and mother) commanding them to not “provoke your children to wrath….” Provoking children is when a parent puts unreasonable demands on a child and rules with fear rather than love. I’ve often heard that rules without love/attention leads to rebellion, but rules with love/attention lead to respect. Rather than controlling their children parents are responsible to “bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord.” Parents should never leave spiritual instruction to a church or school, but should personally take responsibility for teaching their children to love and fear the Lord. In Ephesians 6:5-9 Paul turns his attention to the workplace. How does being filled with the Spirit look when I am at my job? First, Paul directs his attention to employees. Employees should obey their bosses and give them the respect they deserve (6:5). Ephesians 6:6 also reminds them to work hard even when the boss is not around to observe their work. Paul uses the expression “eyeservice” and “men-pleasers” to describe this type of employee. He also challenges employees to have the right view of of who they are working for…work ultimately reflects doing the will of God realizing He will reward us when we work hard even when no one is around to see (6:6b-8). Before closing his thoughts on submission, Paul gives some instruction to employers in Ephesians 6:9. Paul writes for masters to “do the same things to them, giving up threatening, knowing that your own Master also is in heaven, and there is no partiality with Him.” Employers and employees should treat each other with respect. Submission is obviously a big part of being filled with the Spirit and we should examine how we are measuring up to Paul’s instruction in this passage. Are you being a submissive wife? Are you being a loving husband? Are you being an obedient child? Are you imposing unreasonable demands on your children? Are you working hard at your job even when the boss is not there to see you? Are you treating your employees with respect?

Dear God, expose areas where I need to change.

This passage does not have a lack of conversation; in fact, these verses are some of the most popular when someone discusses a marriage relationship. We have to get the picture so far in the book of Ephesians so we can better understand what Paul is saying. Remember, Paul has spent a great portion of this letter correcting people’s thinking on the subject of what makes a follower of Christ different from everyone else. Most people relied on their heritage (Jewish) for that close connection with God; however, Paul made them aware that the gospel has been given to both the Jew and Gentile making no distinction between them. Paul goes on to write that the thing which makes them different is their lifestyle. Believers in Jesus Christ do not live a life of sin and wickedness but they strive for holiness and purity. In Ephesians 5:15-21, Paul just stated that being controlled (filled) with the Holy Spirit leads to certain behaviors and one of the behaviors he mentions is submission. Those verses naturally lead into the issue of a marriage relationship. The first direction is aimed at the wife where Paul says “submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord.” Submission carries the idea of giving place to another, in other words, willingly allow your husband to lead and guide your family. When a wife does this, she is in essence submitting to the Lord. I think it is equally important to view the next piece of advice in conjunction with the wife’s submission: “husbands love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her….” These commands go hand in hand. The husband should love his wife so much that he is willing to sacrifice anything for her. After all, Paul compares the duties of the husband with what Christ did for the church. I believe when the husband is properly loving his wife, the wife has no problem submitting to her husband because she knows he is doing what is best. Yes, God has ordained the man as the head of the home, but not to be a domineering authority. If a man loves God, then he will love his family and follow the principles of God in directing his family. I love how Paul ends this section: “let each one of you in particular so love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.”

Dear God, help me follow these principles in my relationship!

Walking in the light (truth) is not an easy thing, so Paul gives them further insight on how a Christlike lifestyle can be accomplished. First, Paul commands them to “walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise….” What does it mean to “walk circumspectly”? This phrase carries the idea of carefully and wisely making moral choices with your lifestyle. Paul also asks his readers to “redeem the time because the days are evil” which ultimately means to use the time given to them for the purposes of God instead of selfishly wasting time on insignificant things. When Paul says that the “days are evil” he is warning people that they do not have time to waste because Satan and the world are working hard to destroy lives. Third, Paul wants believers to “understand what the will of the Lord is.” God’s will (purposes for our life) is not some mystical game of hide and seek, but everything He expects from us is revealed in His word. Understanding God’s will takes self-discipline and much time spent in the Bible. Lastly, Paul commands his readers to “be filled with the Spirit….” Understanding the filling of the Spirit must be read in context with the first part of verse 18: “do not be drunk with wine….” Drunkenness is when alcohol has complete control over your actions and Paul is making a comparison here by saying that we should not be under control of wine, but under the control of the Spirit. Being filled with the Spirit is an issue of control and we must daily give control of our life over to God for His use. How do we know if we are filled with the Spirit? Paul gives three ways the Spirit evidences Himself: singing (5:19), thankfulness (5:20), and submission (5:21). Each day we should be filled with the Spirit and give Him complete control over all our attitudes and actions.

Dear God, fill me with Your Spirit today and may You produce in me singing, thankfulness, and submission!

Paul brings up their past as he had already done in Ephesians 2. The reason he reminds them of the past is so that they can look back from where they came and rejoice in the difference Christ has made in their life. In verse 8 Paul tells his readers that they “were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord.” Although their past was full of sin and regret, Jesus Christ had brought forgiveness and redemption enabling them to have fellowship with God. Because of forgiveness, believers are now commanded to walk in light (truth) and Paul even mentions the fruit of the Spirit in this context. Walking in light always results in bearing fruit (love, joy, peace, longsuffering, etc.). As Paul has been teaching throughout the book of Ephesians, the distinction does not descend from skin color or heritage, but by the way a person conducts their life. A follower of Christ walks in the light and an unbeliever walks in sin. Ephesians 4:11 points out that Christians should “have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them.” Paul goes on to say that “it is shameful even to speak of those things which are done by them in secret.” Sin should not be a part of a Christian’s life because it identifies them with the works of Satan and the world; in fact, sin should not be a topic of discussion amongst believers because it can influence a person’s mind. So, what is the judge of sin and righteousness? God’s word is truth and is the standard by which we compare our life. The word of God is perfect and the pure revelation of the character of God so we should carefully heed and obey it. Paul makes a plea to any who still do not believe by quoting Isaiah 60:1: “awake, you who sleep, arise from the dead, and Christ will give you light.” One of the main purposes of living the Christian life is to continually become a follower of the light and forsake the works of darkness. Through God’s power and strength, we can walk in the light.

Dear God, I want to walk in the light of You. Help me to keep myself pure from the works of Satan and the world.

Paul makes a strong statement to begin chapter 5: “be imitators of God as dear children.” It is interesting that he calls believers to imitate God and furthermore refers to them as children. Kids are a reflection of their parents, whether good or bad. Children pick up words, actions, reactions, and habits from what they observe in the lives of their parents. In the same manner, Paul commands that any Christ follower imitate what they see in God. Because God is our heavenly Father, we should reflect His character. Paul mentions the supreme characteristic a believer can imitate…walking in love. Jesus Christ set the example of love by giving “Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma.” In the gospels Jesus said that the two great commandments are loving God and loving others. I believe that when we love God, love for others will closely follow. It is impossible to love others without loving God. Walking in love is a must for a genuine follower of Christ, but there are many things which must not characterize the lifestyle of a Christian. In verse 3 Paul lists sins such as fornication (any sexual sin) and covetousness declaring that these things should “not be names among you, as is fitting for saints.” Verse 4 continues a list of sins which should not be a part of a Christian’s life. A stern warning is given in verse 5 when Paul states that “no fornicator, unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.” Again, Christians can commit these sins, but their life should never be characterized by them. A person whose lifestyle is continually wicked and sinful cannot claim kinship with Christ. Sin brings God’s judgment on the sinner; therefore, a person who is characterized by sin must never be convinced that he has any part in God’s family unless he repents (5:6). In verse 8 Paul warns his readers to not partake with those whose lifestyle is not imitating the character of God. The advice is clear – walk in love and stay far from sin!

Dear God, may I imitate only You!

Continuing to express his theme of unity in diversity, Paul proclaims that lifestyle makes them distinct from those around them, not heritage. In keeping with his theme, he unveils characteristics which define the lifestyle of the believer. Change begins with the Holy Spirit working together with the word of God and an individual submitting to the truth of God. A Christian does not simply acknowledge the truth, he lives the truth. What does living the truth look like? First of all, Paul contrasts telling the truth with lying. Before a relationship with Christ many of his readers lied, but now they have been changed and should demonstrate a life of truth telling (4:25). Secondly, anger should be directed at evil but should never lead to bitterness (4:26). There is nothing wrong with being angry at sin, but some people take it to extremes and allow their anger at wrongdoing to cause them to commit sin. The phrase “let not the sun go down on your wrath” means that there should be a time when we let go of anger…it should not consume our life. Paul also throws in the phrase “neither give place to the devil” because he knew his readers may allow righteous indignation turn into bitterness and hatred (4:27). Next, instead of gain through stealing, Paul challenges them to work hard and earn an honest living (4:28). Monetary gain should also lead us to give to “him who has need.” Making money is not just about providing for our family, but also giving to help the less fortunate. Another characteristic which makes a Christian distinct from unbelievers is the way he or she talks (4:29). Paul puts it like this: “let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers.” The words which come from the mouth of a person say a lot about his character. Corrupt speech reveals an evil heart, but encouraging speech reveals a heart changed by God. Most importantly Paul instructs them not to “grieve the Holy Spirit of God.” Grieving the Holy Spirit is committed when a believer refuses to change his old ways and continually walks in sin. In summary Paul commands that all the things he has mentioned “be put away from you;” in other words, stop following your old ways. In case they did not get it, Paul gave them what has proven to be one of the most profound verses in the New Testament “be kind to one another…forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.” Christians have just lost the art of being nice! Commit today to leave your old ways behind and pursue new life in Christ.

Dear God, help me to put off the ways of the old man and put on the ways of Christ.

Paul gets really practical with his readers in these verses. He has been imparting to them a lot of new concepts for the church, specifically that Jew and Gentile have both become one – there is no longer a distinction between the two. The death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ for our sins broke down the walls of separation which formally existed and brought them together in the name of Christ. Paul knew this would cause some animosity within the church, but he further taught them things which were important to their faith. The difference was no longer about heritage, but about the way they lived their lives. Paul begins this practical instruction by writing to “no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk.” Remember that Gentiles often represented those who were far from God and did not believe in the one, true God. Paul told his readers that they were no longer like the unbeliever because they “walk…in the futility of their mind, having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart…have given themselves over to lewdness, to work all uncleanness with greediness.” Being Jew or Gentile did not have anything to do with being a Christian, but lifestyle had everything to do with being a Christian. Unbelievers did not regard God in any part of their life, but those who had learned, been taught, and heard the truth of Christ knew that they were to “put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts.” Belief in Jesus Christ changes the way we live our life. The old man represents our lifestyle before Jesus Christ which was marred by sin and selfishness. Now we have “put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.” The new man is not something we have the power to create but in perfectly orchestrated by God and enables us to life life in His power, not our own. How do we put on the new man? Being renewed in the spirit of your mind leads us to holiness. Since the mind is the center of all that we are and drives our attitudes and actions, our mind must be transformed. Only God has the ability to give us a new mind! As our mind is changed through the Holy Spirit and the word of God, it leads us to right actions, which we’ll address in the next verses.

Dear God, thank You for giving me a new mind and I pray I’d use it for Your good!

Unity has been a major theme thus far in the book of Ephesians. The great mystery of Jew and Gentile being brought together through the blood of Christ has finally become a reality, but Paul realizes that many believers would have objections to worshipping beside people of distinct heritage. Paul reveals that one of the key factors in finding unity is in those who are spiritually mature equipping others in love. First , Paul lets his readers know that “to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift” meaning He is responsible for dispensing these gifts (4:8-10). In verse 11 he mentions four spiritual gifts: apostles, prophets, evangelists, and pastors/teachers. This list is not exhaustive (see Romans 12:6-8; 1 Corinthians 12:4-10; 1 Peter 4:10 for more gifts) but Paul gives the ones which pertain to the subject at hand – unity. Although evangelists and pastor/teacher are the only offices which still exist in our church age, these offices served two purposes: to equip and edify (4:12). Equipping carries the idea of providing the necessary tools to arrive at a finished product. In this case, the word of God was faithfully taught by these leaders to assist the church in developing a Christian worldview, mainly unity in diversity (4:13). Edifying carries the idea of strengthening and encouraging those within the church. When people use their gifts properly, believers should benefit by remaining strong in doctrine, avoiding deceitful teachings (4:14), and growing in love(4:16). God always does His part in providing the resources needed for accomplishing His purposes (spiritual gifts), but it is up to us to use them for His benefit. May we discover the gifts God has given to us and use them to bring glory to Him alone!

Dear God, help me to do my part in using the gifts You’ve given me to equip and edify the church.

After revealing that Jew and Gentile are one through Christ, Paul challenges them with some practical ramifications of their faith. Paul says to “walk worthy of the calling with which you were called.” Walking refers to lifestyle and worthy carries the idea of living up to God’s standards, so walking worthy is demonstrating a lifestyle of holiness through daily attitudes and actions. Paul does one specific way that his readers can demonstrate a lifestyle of purity… they should live a life of humility. Humility is the quality which causes a person not to think highly of themselves. This doesn’t mean we should hate ourselves, but view our life under God’s control and submit to His ways. When humility is a part of our daily conduct we will treat others with respect and be patient with them (4:2). Humility leads to patience which ultimately leads to unity. Paul had every reason to address the subject of unity since the Jews were probably not too excited about the inclusion of Gentiles in the church. Paul gave them the formula to be unified – be humble. When people think too highly of themselves and think they are superior to others it will inevitably result in fighting, jealousy, and hatred. These characteristics could not make their way into the church so Paul wanted to challenge them to be humble. The Holy Spirit creates peace within the life of believers (4:3) and oneness is God’s way. After all there is one body (the church), one Spirit, one hope (eternal life), one Lord, one faith (truth/Scripture), one baptism, and one God. Unity is expected within the body of Christ! There is no reason people within the church should not get along. I realize people have different personalities, likes/dislikes, and opinions, but those things are not what unify. Unity is based on the list Paul just mentioned. If God expected the Jews and Gentiles to get along, God must also desire us to develop unity within the church. Yes, unity takes work, but the Holy Spirit empowers us. I am not calling for the church to embrace doctrinal error but to demonstrate humility and patience which will ultimately lead to unity!

Dear God, cause genuine believers to get along and may I be an agent of change within the church. Make me unified with You so I can be unified with others.