Ephesians 6

Ephesians 6

Advice to Children

Ephesians 6:1 Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. 6:2 “Honor your father and mother”—which is the first commandment with a promise—6:3 “so that [things] it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth.” NIV

6:1 Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. 6:2 “Honor your father and mother,” which is the first commandment with promise: 6:3 “that it may be well with you and you may live long on the earth.” NKJV

Obey Your Parents in the Lord

This is the same request given to the “wife” in submitting to her “husband” as “to the Lord” (Eph 5:22), as the Lord would direct her. That is always giving the Lord her priority. The same goes for children, who wish to obey their parents as their Lord and Savior has asked them. 

They are to avoid stubborn disobedience that makes family life difficult. Children are to foster compliance in areas where the Lord, whom they love, allows it. Children in the Lord will avoid “bitterness and anger” (Eph 4:31), even if they suffer because of their parents’ faults.

Obey Your Parents, This is Right

 Paul is addressing believing parents who follow the Lord and “walk in the way of love, just as Christ has loved” them (Eph 5:1). They will walk in the Lord's loving wisdom within their family.

• “But the wisdom from above is first of all pure, then peace-loving, gentle, accommodating, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial, and sincere.” James 3:17 Berean Study Bible

Their love of God joined with love for each other, and their children, is the foundation of family order. History has proven this a million times. The rebellion of children, to go their own way in opposition to worthy parents, leads to a life of trouble and many sad mistakes.

When Paul says this is right, he means children should follow the directions of worthy parents. The wrong thing to do is to disobey, in secret or openly. “For the Lord watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked leads to destruction” (Ps 1:6). This is true, for rebellious children often have a harder life as adults, unless they repent of their waywardness.

Children should guard their hearts when faced with cruel parents. They can’t afford to allow any form of hatred to exist in their hearts. John says, “Anyone who hates a brother or sister, their family and friends, is in darkness and walks around in darkness” (1 John 2:11). Hatred is so dangerous that it will create a picture in the mind that justifies hatred, which is another form of murder. The darkness that hatred creates in the heart is cruel, oppressive to the Spirit, and kills joy in the Lord.

Honor Father and Mother, First Commandment With a Promise

God gives a special blessing to children who care for aged parents; they are more likely to outlive their parents. They are promised a better life and a longer life when they obey their parents in the Lord.

• “For the Lord watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked leads to destruction.” Psalms 1:6

That it May Go Well with You

God has given a promise to children. Suppose they are compliant with their parents' wishes when they are young. Later in life, God will bless them, and they may not even know why they are so blessed.

Moses added this phrase when he repeated the 10 Commandments, 40 years later in Deuteronomy 5. The Ten Commandments are not a static document, for additions and subtractions have taken place. For example, compare the fourth and tenth commandments in Exodus with the changes in Deuteronomy 5.

• The Mount Sinai Commandments: “Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you” (Ex 20:12 NKJV).

• Ten Commandments 40 Years Later: “Honor your father and your mother, as the Lord your God has commanded you, that your days may be long, and that it may be well with you in the land which the Lord your God is giving you” (Deut 5:16 NKJV). [Added phrases by Moses]

This is the only time Paul mentions the Ten Commandments in Ephesians. In the fifth chapter, Paul says, “there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality” (Eph 5:3), which is a reference to the seventh Commandment, “You shall not commit adultery” (Ex 20:14). However, the single word “adultery” does not stand for the scope of Paul’s words.

Advice to Fathers

Ephesians 6:4 Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord. NIV

6:4 And you, fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath [anger], but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord. NKJV

6:4 Fathers, don’t make your children angry, but raise them with the kind of teaching and training you learn from the Lord. Easy-to-Read Version

Exasperate Your Children

The Greek word is parorgizó, meaning: To provoke and exasperate with anger. Instead, fathers are to “be careful to devote themselves to doing what is good” (Titus 3:8), in their speech and conduct.

In discipline, fathers were not to cause their children to become angry and upset to the point of tears. Because their fathers are arbitrary, demand strict obedience without good reasons, and lack kindness, misrepresenting “the goodness of the Lord” (Ps 27:1). 

They are not to punish their children severely for slight mistakes. They are not to order them around to perform tasks that the father would not do himself. He is to encourage them to help each other, love each other, love their mother, and “Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way, you will fulfill the law of Christ” (Gal 6:2).

Fathers do not lie to their families. If a father lies, he assumes the identity of being a son of the Devil, whom Jesus said, “When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies” (John 8:44). Instead, in his conversation, he is to set a higher standard for himself. To aim to keep his “conversation always full of grace, seasoned with salt” (Col 4:6). Salt brings out the good flavor of food. “For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations” (Ps 100:5).

Instead, in their discipline, they are not to break “the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace” (Eph 4:3) between fathers, wives, and their children. Fathers are to have “holy hands” that do not lift their “hands” to strike another in “anger or disputing” (1 Tim 2:8). They are not to assert their authority unreasonably, with angry threats. Fathers are to have patience with their children and let them learn from their mistakes when it is in their best interest.

Many youths have turned to rebellious ways solely because of their father’s unreasonableness and use of severe punishment. The damage done can be generational.

The Father's overly severe punishments will draw his wife’s sympathies toward the child. This creates friction in the home, with no room for tender love. Worst of all, if the husband is a religious man or clergy, this ministry will be severely crippled. We pity his congregation, for he will preach without the Spirit of God and His blessings.

Instead, Teach Children Instruction from the Lord Jesus

First and most important, Paul sees the father of the family actively teaching his children. He is not to be an absent parent, leaving spiritual responsibility all on his wife, or on the church.

Some men have misread this instruction. They have used harsher language from selected Old Testament sources. Thinking they were teaching their children. Some fathers have used modern prophets and popular teachers to pattern their instructions.

The expression “instruction of the Lord” appears seven times in Ephesians and represents the “Lord Jesus Christ.” Paul points to Jesus' instructions and teaching as the primary source of his training for his children.

The expression "bring them up" means his teaching should be age-appropriate. Do so with much grace and love, and with much prayer.

“May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word” (2 Thess 2:16,17)

• “May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement  and good hope, encourage your hearts and strengthen you  in every good deed and word”  (2 Thess 2:16,17)

 Instructions to Enslaved People

(Col 3:22-25; Titus 2:9-10; 1 Cor 7:21-23)

Ephesians 6:5 Slaves, obey your earthly masters with respect and fear, and with sincerity of heart, just as you would obey Christ. 6:6 Obey them not only to win their favor when their eye is on you [people pleasers], but as slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from your heart. 6:7 Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not people [master], 6:8 because you know that the Lord will reward each one for whatever good they do, whether they are slave or free. NIV

6:5 Bondservants [slaves], be obedient to those who are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling [respect & fear], in sincerity of heart, as to Christ; 6:6 not with eyeservice [win their favor], as men-pleasers, but as bondservants [slaves] of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart, 6:7 with goodwill [wholeheartedly] doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men, 6:8 knowing that whatever good anyone does, he will receive the same from the Lord, whether he is a slave or free. NKJV

Good is Rewarded by God

Paul instructs the Roman slaves to be obedient to their slave owner for a simple reason. God rewards doing good from the heart, because this is what God does. When the Christian slave is abused, instead of retaliation, they do good. God regards the good they do as doing it for Him. Amazing relief from natural anger and depression that generally follows abuse.

Paul’s Counsel to Titus

“Teach slaves to be subject to their masters in everything, to try to please them, not to talk back to them, and not to steal from them, but to show that they can be fully trusted, so that in every way they will make the teaching about God our Savior attractive” (Titus 2:9,10).

Paul’s Counsel to Colossian Christians

“Slaves, obey your earthly masters in everything; and do it, not only when their eye is on you and to curry their favor, but with sincerity of heart and reverence for the Lord. Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. You are serving the Lord Christ. Anyone who does wrong will be repaid for their wrongs, and there is no favoritism” (Col 3:22-25).

Peter’s General Letter to All Christians

“Slaves, in reverent fear of God, submit yourselves to your masters, not only to those who are good and considerate, but also to those who are harsh, for it is commendable if someone bears up under the pain of unjust suffering because they are conscious of God. But how is it to your credit if you receive a beating for doing wrong and endure it? But if you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is commendable before God” (1 Peter 2:18-20).

Basic premise: Christian Slaves Were to be Set Apart

1.  Slaves were to obey their masters in everything. Slaves were to obey in all things and in every respect. (Col 3:22). This would not be common for other slaves.

2.  Their obedience must not be to earn their master’s favor, as men-pleasers (Col 3:22).

3.  Their obedience must spring from sincerity of heart. (Col 3:22). This might be very challenging, considering the inhuman treatment that could be given to slaves. However, historical accounts indicate that many Roman slaves were loved and regarded almost as family. To be sold to a good Roman family has answered the prayers of many enslaved Christians.

4.      Paul requested that Titus, who was a church leader in Crete, “teach slaves to be subject to their masters in everything, to try to please them, not to talk back to them” (Titus 2:9). Under Roman law, enslaved people had no legal right to demand better food, improved working conditions, adequate sleeping quarters, or privacy.  There were many reasons to be angry, especially if the Christan Slave had been free for many years. Even if the anger seems justified, it is spiritual death.

5.  Slaves were to “submit yourselves to your masters, not only to those who are good and considerate, but also to those who are harsh” (1 Pet 2:18). Even if their master was ill-tempered, demanding, and abusive, they were not to retaliate with anger. Many masters would notice that their compliance differed from that of other enslaved people, who were uncooperative; thus, their faith was honorable.

6.  They were to respect and fear their master’s rank and authority (Eph 6:5). They were to view themselves “as slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from your heart” (Eph 6:6). In their daily assigned tasks, they were not to let bitterness control them.

Slavery in the Roman World

The Roman Empire maintained slavery largely through warfare and foreign conquest. Slavery formed the backbone of its economy, legal framework, history, and culture. Every nation across the Mediterranean world during Paul’s era participated in some form of forced servitude. It was a common fact of life.

Slaves could serve as tutors, childcare, household attendants, managers, artisans, and agricultural laborers. Slaves could help the mistress of the household or serve as cooks.

Slaves were property of the slave owner, just as one would own an animal. Slaves had no legal rights, could be sold, disciplined, abused, or killed at their owner’s discretion. Physical punishment was common for minor infractions if the slave displeased their master. Sexual access was treated as a legal right of Roman slave owners, which would be very difficult for young enslaved Christian women.

Christian Slaves and Special Diets

Slaves, male or female, were to “obey” their masters “in everything”; they had no personal rights to express their conscience if it contradicted their master’s express command. Unless their kind spirit and sweet attitudes won the master's favor and earned them more privileges and exemptions from physical and sexual abuse.

For instance, while the Jerusalem Council asked Gentile believers to abstain from certain foods—" from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from the meat of strangled animals” (Acts 15:29). The slave serving a pagan household rarely had control over the meat provided to them.

If the master offered their slave meat offered to idols, soaked in blood, the believing slave was to “submit” themselves to the wishes of their master, without complaining. Yet the Christian slave could appeal to their Master or “Lord of all and [who] richly blesses all who call on Him” (Rom 10:12), for relief from uncomfortable or harsh treatment. They serve a living God who will answer their prayer of faith. For “all things are possible with God” (Mark 10:27). The Christian slave had a huge advantage not available to the other enslaved individuals.

• “In repentance and rest is your salvation, 

in quietness and trust is your strength.” Isa 30:15

The Lasting Impact of an Enslaved Christian

Suppose the enslaved Christian had endeared themselves to their master by loving service. If the master came to trust his Christian slave, this slave would have more freedom to choose their diet and maintain their purity.

If the mistress tested her Christian slave, for instance, by leaving jewelry on a table and nothing was ever stolen. Then, over time, the Christian slave would be trusted and valued, resulting in more personal freedom to practice their faith.

The simple, uncomplaining, truthful, and honest slave would witness this Roman family. We will never know how many slave owners came to faith because they saw faith at work, up close, in their slave. Also, we will never know the impact of the enslaved Christian on other slaves of the household who came to faith in Christ due to the influence of a Christian slave.

Sabbath Keeping Under Roman Enslavement

The enslaved Christian was not to demand Sabbath worship from their pagan master, unless the master voluntarily allowed it. If the master assigned them domestic duties or field work on the Sabbath day, the slave was to comply without objection.  Even if forced to work in violation of the fourth Commandment, which specifically states: Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work…” (Ex 20:9-10). They were not to object but instead to “obey” their masters, “in all things and in every respect.”

The slave knew that if they worked for their master on the Sabbath with sincerity of heart, not in anger or bitterness. God would count their hard labor as done for Him and would reward it accordingly. If, on the Sabbath, the slave was ordered to plant a field, God would reward the work as if they were doing evangelism next to Peter or Paul.

The Early Church did not teach religious liberty as a civil right for Christians. They followed Jesus' example, who did not publicly condemn Rome for its abuses.

• “Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. God has established the authorities that exist. Consequently, whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves” (Rom 13:1-2).

Paul Was Not a Public Social Justice Reformer

Paul did not advocate social justice; he was not a political activist. He did not seek to overturn Roman civil law, nor did he petition the Roman Senate to grant civil rights or religious freedom to enslaved Christians.

To Paul’s associate, Titus, he wrote: “Remind the people” in your sermons, “to be subject to rulers and authorities,” to Roman governors and representatives.  Then Paul adds that they were “to be obedient, to be ready to do whatever is good” to Rome and its authority. Furthermore, they were “to slander no one” but “to be peaceable” (Titus 3:1-2). The NKJV says they were “to speak evil [curse] of no one” (Titus 3:2 NKJV); the KJV says “to speak evil [insult] of no man” (Titus 3:2 KJV).

Recently, we listened to a highly praised sermon. The title was on humility, a worthy topic. However, after a few Bible verses, the pastor launched into a long condemnation of some police abuse by the government; in his mind, it deserved severe condemnation. He used many graphs and charts to illustrate his point. Sadly, this Pastor did not follow the example of Jesus, Paul, Peter, John, or James, who never spoke condemning words to the pagan Roman Government, although every word would be well deserved. We could not finish his sermon. He did not focus his congregation “on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God” (Col 3:1). We pray that God will forgive him, “for they do not know what they are doing” (Lk 23:34).

Paul supports the slave class. He even tells the Christian master to treat their slaves “with what is right and fair” (Col 4:1). Paul did not tell the Christian slave owner to free their slaves, but to treat them well.

The book of Philemon is written to a Christian slave owner to receive back his runaway slave, not to consider freeing them from slavery.

If the young Christian church was to survive in Pagan Rome, it had to be seen as law-abiding. If not, they would be crushed and destroyed without mercy. Christians today should avoid political issues that engross the heart and mind. Some Christians we know can talk only about politics.

The Gospel Undermines Slavery

If Paul had taken the public position advocating freedom for slaves, the Roman Government would have destroyed the early Church. Instead, the gospel undermines slavery at its heart through its insistent call for all believers “to love one another” (John 13:34-35).

Paul had previously taught that when we are “renewed in knowledge in the image of our Creator…there is no slave or free” (Col 3:10,11).

There is no separation between the enslaved persons and free classes in Christian fellowship, which was very radical and unheard of in Paul’s time.

Paul told the same thing to the Galatian church: “There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Gal 3:28).

In Christ by faith, while at church worshiping God, there was to be no distinction between classes, between men and women, or between the rich and poor.

Jesus' greater mission was to set us free from the domination of sin and, in a secondary sense, to give us freedom. “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free” (Luke 4:18).

All believers were to “make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace” (Eph 4:3).

All believers were to “love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love” (1 John 4:7,8).

What Were the Advantages of Being a Christian Slave?

All hard work and toil for their masters—God promised to reward them with eternal life. Everything they do will be as if it were done for God himself, as if God had asked them. They will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward” (Col 3:24). Their reward for doing the daily chores and hard toil for a pagan master is eternal life.

1.      They were to obey their master as if they were “doing the will of God from your heart” (Eph 6:6).

2.      They were to serve their masters, “wholeheartedly as if they were serving the Lord” (Eph 6:7).

3.      Slaves were taught by church leaders to “not steal from their masters, but to show that they can be fully trusted” (Titus 3:10).

4.      Whatever their assigned work, from their master, they were to do it “with all their heart,” as if “working for the Lord, not their human masters” (Col 3:23).

God Will Reward the Slave

God was good to slaves. Imagine hours and days of hard work, with little time to sleep or eat, all for the master’s luxury. God will reward the slaves' work as if they were working with the Lord in mind. Thus, the Roman slave receives a great reward from God, as if they were an associate pastor with the Apostle Paul.

 To prevent anger and revenge at injustice dealt to the slave by the heartless master. Their Lord will personally highly honor them with eternal life in heaven, as children of God. They could leave God to repay the wrongs their masters did to them.

If the slave works for their master in faith, God will reward them as if they worked for Him. God promised slaves that if they worked with all their heart for their master, it was the same as working for the Lord in the mission field. They will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward.

Sincerity of Heart

Paul gave this advice so no place would be left in the believer’s heart for bitterness and anger, even when justified.  The slave cannot let any hate or malice toward their master spring up due to abuse, neglect, or false accusations. Because “bitterness” and “malice” will “grieve the Holy Spirit of God” (4:30-31). This is the behavior of those who don’t know of God’s love, whose “mouths are full of cursing and bitterness…and the way of peace they do not know. (Rom 3:14,17).

We must remember Paul is speaking to slaves that have tasted and experienced the “grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit” (2 Cor 13:14) in their lives. When they have been “born of the Spirit” (John 3:6), they will have sustaining, uplifting inner strength unavailable to any other slave. God will hear their prayers. For “the Spirit” will help their “weakness,” and “the Spirit himself intercedes for” them “through wordless groans” (Rom 8:26).

A slave that “loves our Lord Jesus Christ with an undying love” (6:24) has advantages, such as better mental health and unusual answers to prayer. Daniel, a slave in Babylon, experienced this: “God had caused the official to show favor and compassion to Daniel” (Dan 1:9).

God can grant slaves the favor of their masters, granting them certain privileges and positions of trust. We will never know how many slaves have seen changes in their masters’ hearts. Those who have received favor and good reports from the family they serve cheerfully—all due to God’s blessing in answer to their prayers.

Lessons For Us

The work of a Christian, in countries that deny their faith, while laboring for the state or their unbelieving family, will be rewarded by God as if done for Him. As Paul and Peter advised, believers should not expose themselves to undue hardship by demanding acceptance of their faith practice.

When living in countries where it is legally difficult to worship God openly, they should make every effort to be law-abiding citizens. They should find ways to worship and serve God without directly conflicting with state laws.

It is not a denial of Christ when Christians are required to attend a mosque by government overlords or controlling family members. It does not require denying Christ.

A believer living in an anti-Christian environment must carefully endeavor to be seen as law-abiding, even if it requires compromising personal freedom found in Christ.  What that would be would differ from one person to another, after much prayer. No one should condemn another in these difficult situations, as if they have all the answers.

The Value of Prayer and Faith

Suppose the servant is abused and does not respond with righteous anger. Then they can call on God, who brings justice to the oppressed, for “the Lord works righteousness and justice for all the oppressed” (Ps 103:6).

• We have no idea how many times praying slaves have been delivered from dread and fear of their masters, in answer to the slaves’ prayers.

• We have no idea how many times God has distracted an abusive slave owner by requiring him to go on long journeys, away from his home, leaving others in authority who are kind.

• We have no idea how often God moved a slave from an oppressive master to a good master, who does not abuse them, in answer to their prayer of faith.

• We have no way of knowing the countless times God has protected the trusting slave. For instance, when a Roman master purchased a new group of slaves, his wife went to inspect them. She pointed out a specific young girl who was very different. She told him to leave her alone, and she wanted that slave to be in her care.

• We have no idea how many times a slave was given more freedom to worship God in answer to the prayer of the slave. Claiming the promise “If you believe,” in Christ and His way of life, “you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer” (Matt 21:22).

• We have no idea how many slaves and members of their master’s home became faithful to Jesus on account of the witness of a godly slave.

• “He rescued me from my powerful enemy, from my foes, who were too strong for me” (Ps 18:17).

• “The salvation of the righteous comes from the Lord; He is their stronghold in time of trouble” (Ps 27:29).

• “The Lord has heard my cry for mercy; the Lord accepts my prayer” (Ps 6:9).

To Slave Owners

Ephesians 6:9 And masters, treat your slaves in the same way. Do not threaten them, since you know that he who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and there is no favoritism with him [God]. NIV

6:9 And you, masters, 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. NKJV

Masters

The word master means one in authority; the Greek word is often translated as just “Lord” (Matt 4:7). Paul is speaking to Christian slave owners. This would include some Roman slave owners, who became Christians due to the influence and prayers of a Christian slave. Both groups of slave owners need to realize that their faith in Christ should bring about a change in pagan customs that legalized abusive behavior against the slaves they own, as the slave master might wish from day to day.

• “Masters, provide your slaves with what is right and fair,

because you know that you also have a Master in heaven.”  Col 4:1

Masters Treat Slaves in The Same Way

With “sincerity of heart” (6:5), he treats his slaves as the Lord's property. He realizes that if he mistreats them, it is done as if to the Lord Himself, who identifies with believing slaves. He is to treat his slaves in view of all the values of his Christian faith. If a slave is rebellious, he is not to treat them with severity, as Roman law permitted. He is to remember that the slave was “bought at a price” (1 Cor 6:20), by the blood of the Lamb. His Master Jesus became a slave, to save them from their sins.

• ‘So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you,

for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.” Matt 7:12

• “Though he [Christ] was in the form of God, he did not consider being equal with God something to exploit. 

But he emptied himself by taking the form of a slave…” Phil 2:6,7 (CEB)

Not to Threaten Them—

The Roman Slave owner was not to use abusive words. Neither was the slave owner to force his slaves to work by threatening to whip or physically punish them. Instead, he is to remember that God will give justice to the slave, because God considers it done to Himself. Thus, a rebellious slave would become a matter of prayer for the master.

No favoritism with God

Slave owners were never to think they are superior. That they are of a higher class than their slaves. Masters are themselves slaves to a higher master, the Lord God of heaven and earth.

It is widely known that the Early Christian churches, slaves and slave owners worshiped together. The Christian community was the only place in the Roman world where “there is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Gal 3:28). These early Christian groups had no status among worshipers, “for God does not show favoritism” (Rom 2:11).

This principle should guide Christian leaders to show no favoritism, not giving the best opportunities to their friends while demoting someone of equal ability.

• “If I have denied justice to any of my servants, whether male or female, when they had a grievance against me, what will I do when God confronts me? What will I answer when called to account? Did not He who made me in the womb make them? Did not the same one form us both within our mothers?” Job 31:13-15

Spiritual Warfare

Ephesians 6:10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 6:11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. NIV

6:10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. 6:11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. NKJV

6:10 Finally, grow powerful in union with the Lord, in union with his mighty strength! Complete Jewish Bible

Be Strong in the Lord

 There are many ways we can grow stronger in our faith. One of the most important ways is to be in Scripture often, daily. As John commended his friends, writing to them,  “I write to you, young men [young people], because you are strong, and the word of God lives [abides] in you, and you have overcome [conquered] the evil one” (1 John 2:14). Notice that the devil is defeated when we are strong in Scripture.

Should we ask ourselves? Do we know the books of the Bible? Can we summarize some of the themes in Paul’s and Peter’s letters? Do we know what Jesus taught in John 14-17? Do we understand the Sermon on the Mount enough to repeat its themes? Are we familiar with John’s three letters? Do we understand enough to explain Justification by Faith, a major theme in the Apostle Paul?

Jesus has told us the secret to receiving answers to prayer, which always expose and defeat the “devil's schemes.” “You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you…If you remain [abide] in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you” (John 15:3,7). For Jesus to remain, or abide, in us, we need to be in the Word of God daily. More in the New Testament than the Old Testament.

Our advice is to set aside most sermons and books and rely on God's Word alone. Pray that God will open your eyes to Scripture and give you personal understanding.  

Another way to be strong in the Lord is to repeat the Lord’s Prayer daily, “Your will be done, on earth [in my life] as it is in heaven.” Just as God’s will and His plans are done in all of heaven, we pray that we will live today according to His will. Every morning, as we put our feet on the ground, we pray to God that we will do His will in our life today. We look for His guidance each day with a humbled, surrendered heart with a desire to live our lives to His honor.

Finally

Paul is drawing his letter to a close, and lastly, he wants to warn the Ephesians about the devil’s schemes. The devil has made up countless tricks intended to deceive or ensnare us. Jesus warned us to watch out for “false prophets” who will appear genuine but “deceive many people” (Matt 24:11). These “false prophets” are part of the devil’s schemes, tricking us into believing they are true teachers of the Word of God. 

Paul first teaches us about the Devil’s global activism, affecting all of society (Eph 6:12).

Second, Paul explains how to wear the full armor of God (Eph 6:13-18), so no believer in Jesus will be deceived, no matter how good the Devil’s counterfeit is.

Devil’s Wiles, Tricks, Charms and Deceptions

Since Jesus said there will be many false prophets, we should be very careful not to follow a group or a church that adds requirements to Jesus, something one must do that the Apostles never proclaimed. These groups rob the Gospel of Christ “of its power” (1 Cor 1:17). They claim to be highly honored teachers of Christ, but they add rules and doctrines for believers to accept. Rules “based on merely human commands and teachings” (Col 2:22). These are the Devil's most successful disguises. So compare each doctrine with Jesus and the Apostles to see whether it aligns with what they actually taught.

The most fearful of Satan’s schemes is when we are caught by surprise and are unprepared, because we did not recognize it as a temptation for the Evil One until afterward. Then we are convicted of sin and confess it at the cross, accepting forgiveness offered there.

John has given us a similar warning: “We know that we have come to know him [Jesus] if we keep his commands. Whoever says, ‘I know him,’ but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in that person…Whoever claims to live in him must live as Jesus did.” (1 John 2:4,6).

False teachers may talk the talk, but they ignore large sections of the Gospels and the teachings of Jesus and his Apostles. They often spend more time talking about themselves while amassing a small wealth.

We can escape the Devil’s wiles only by being strong in the Lord. This is having settled convictions that God is trustworthy, that he loves us, and that we have been “justified freely by his grace” (Rom 3:24). In turn, they make it their “goal to please him” (2 Cor 5:9) and “live a life worthy of the calling you have received” (4:1).

• “We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience”(Col 1:9-11)

The Devil Is a Defeated Enemy

Just before the cross, Jesus requested of His Father special protection for his children, saying, " My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one” (John 17:15). The same day Jesus was arrested, he told his disciples, “The prince of this world is coming. He has no hold over me…the prince of this world now stands condemned” (John 14:30; 16:11). During the life of Jesus, every demon ran from the command and presence of Jesus. Now all this power to defeat evil from the Devil is available in believers' prayer of faith. It should be settled in our minds; the Devil is a defeated foe. Satan has no controversy with God; it has been settled: he is defeated, doomed; he waits. We look to the time when he will be cast “into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels” (Matt 25:41).

Among those “born of the Spirit,” Satan is defeated. He cannot possess them or force them into the dark side. He can present temptations through the media and through people in society who are under his influence. But God limits Satan's power over those who believe in His Son, doing so by protecting His children. He can influence those around us to bring us trouble, but even this is limited, as he is subject to the will of God, which believers are committed to follow.

Believers will find that the greatest foe assailing them is often their own inherited fallen nature, which comes from within. From this internal source will come evil thoughts, such as bitterness, resentment, and lust in all its forms.  Ideas will spring up from this source that suggest ways that lead to forbidden pleasures. This internal source of conflict is conquered only by the power of the Spirit, for the “Spirit” wants “what is contrary to the flesh” (Gal 5:17). The Spirit is more than able to subdue all our human sources of evil, day by day. Yet we will never possess holy flesh here on earth; conflict will remain until the resurrection.

Ephesians 6:12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the (1#) rulers, against the (2#) authorities, against the (3#) powers of this (4#) dark world [darkness] and against the (5#) spiritual forces of evil in [from] the heavenly realms

 6:12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against (2#) principalities, against  (3rd) powers, against the (1st) rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.

6:12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world rulers of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavens. NET

The Evil One Uses the World’s Authorities for His Purposes

(1st) Rulers

In the Greek, this refers to secular rulers, authorities, and magistrates of this sinful world. Because “the whole world is under the control of the evil one” (1 John 5:18) and “The one who practices sin is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning” (1 John 3:8 NET). When rulers promote injustice and do not restrain evil, the evil one directs their minds and thoughts, and they involuntarily listen to and obey it.

The North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is an example of a secular ruler who is influenced by spiritual forces of evil. They forbid holding, reading, or distributing the Bible, which can lead to severe punishment, including imprisonment in a prison camp.

(2#) Authorities / Principalities

In Greek, this refers to authority, power, and jurisdiction with the right to exercise their power. It could be elected powers, governing authorities who give military orders. The darkness of evil forces influences them.

(3#) Powers

In Greek, it refers to world rulers. In the Greco-Roman world, rulers and authorities were well understood, as society was structured around various levels of governance and power. It could be police or secular business owners with power and influence.

It could be religious authorities, as Jesus said about the temple leaders: “You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s [devil’s] desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies” (John 8:44). Notice the characteristics of the dark forces that influence the world. They murder, and they lie about everything, having no idea how to tell truth from a lie.

(4#) Dark world

In Greek, it refers to darkness, the absence of light, the spiritual condition of those who live apart from God's truth and light. “If we hate others, we are in the darkness; we walk in it and do not know where we are going, because the darkness has made us blind” (1 John 2:11, Good News Translation). The dark world does not value human life; they get in the way of their agenda. Some music and movies project darkness into society.  

John says, “Anyone that hates…is a murderer and you know that no murderer has eternal life residing in him” (1 John 3:15). Hatred is the basis of murder and physical and mental abuse. It robs one of joy and peace. “There is no peace,” says the Lord, “for the wicked” (Isa 48:22; 57:21).

In contrast, believers in Christ are “sons of light and sons of the day. We are not of the night nor of darkness” (1 Thess 5:5). Believers “know that we have passed from death to life, because we love each other” (1 John 3:14). The dark world has twisted views of what love is, often arising from their prejudices and how it makes them visible to the public.

(5#) Spiritual Forces of Evil

Stands for the Devil and his Angels. The realm of the evil spirits, the invisible sphere not seen by the human eye; evil spirits that come from the “Devil” (Eph 6:11). In Rev 16:14, they are called “spirits of demons.”  They are supernatural, above human ability to see, not dependent on food, light, or air to exist—and they are dominating our world. Jesus had many encounters with “demons” and “impure spirits,” and everyone was defeated.

Jesus called Satan the hidden “Ruler of this world” (John 14:30), and Paul called him “Prince of the power of the air [invisible]” (Eph 2:2 NKJV). They are in a different dimension that we can’t see with our human eyes.

Where Does the Evil One Work Effectively?

Evil works through world leaders, presidents of various countries. Those who hold influence and power in the world; Satan moves on them to do his evil work. They decide to go to war, to rob the people of any rights, to enrich themselves at the expense of their country.

Just look at WW I & II: not a just war of defense, but a war of aggression, where over 50-84 million were killed, millions more lost family, and fell into deep sorrow. This was the result of hate that was murderous. This is the chief weapon of the spiritual forces of evil in our world use against the truth. John the Apostle says, “The one [person] who does [practices] what is sinful is of the devil. Because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work” (1 John 3:8).

In the rulers, authorities, and powers of society, Satan’s influence is felt to make everyone’s life miserable.

To the believer “in Christ,” Satan is defeated. Thus, Satan carries on his evil craft in the minds and hearts of world leaders. For example, there are about 50 countries that illegally or severely restrict Christian faith and the Bible. In this, Satan is delighted.

Satan is behind many acts of violence in society. He can influence many with dark, depressive, suicidal thoughts. He influences some to rob, steal, and murder, for reasons they can’t explain. We can see his evil powers at work in the daily news: rapes, murders, thefts, suicides, political lies, abuse of civil power, and stealing from others even if they have more than enough. They steal for reasons they don’t understand.

What Defeats Satan's Influence in Our Lives

The only thing that can stop Satan’s influence in our lives is being “born from above” (John 3:3, footnote), where our “body is a temple of the Holy Spirit” (1 Cor 6:19). “If anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” (2 Cor 5:17). This limits Satan’s direct access to the believer.

The Apostle John explains it this way: “This is how we know who the children of God and the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not God’s child, nor is anyone who does not love their brother or sister…Anyone who does not love remains in death” (1 John 3:10,14).

Certain Actions Are an Open Invitation to Satan’s Influences

Paul calls sexual immorality and obscenity “fruitless deeds of darkness” (Eph 5:11), disqualifying us from having “any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God” (Eph 5:5). Paul warns us “not to be even a hint of sexual immorality” (Eph 5:3). Thus we should “be very careful…How we live, not as unwise, but as wise” (Eph 5:13). Because once darkness gets a foothold in our lives over time, we will forget “all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives” (Col 1:9). Hate will start to replace love, for “anyone who hates a brother or sister is in darkness and walks around in the darkness. They do not know where they are going, because the darkness has blinded them” (1 John 2:11).

But those who have faith in the Son of God and confess their sins do not live in darkness. “You are all children of the light and children of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness” (1 Thess 5:5). Because He has “rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins” (Col 1:13-14).

Ephesians 6:13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand [firm]. NIV

6:13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. NKJV

When the Day of Evil Darkness Comes—From Evil Rulers and Authorities (6:12)

Persecution of Christians is found in many countries of the world. Being a believer in Jesus puts you at risk of imprisonment or death. As Jesus has warned us: “I am sending you out like sheep among wolves…when they arrest you, do not worry about what to say or how to say it. At that time you will be given what to say,  for it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you” (Matt 10:16,19-20).

Hatred of Christians is found at times in the workplace or among some family members. Thus, Paul wants all believers to know how to survive evil’s onslaught of judgment and condemnation.

When the Day of Evil Darkness Comes—From Inside Us

We should know what defenses we have against evil. When evil comes from inside our “earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed” (Col 3:5), or from “evil suspicions” (1 Tim 6:4). These are often powerful, internal, sweeping, and moving temptations. They are like steam, arising from within our feelings, emotions, and desires when we want to strike back. When we are hurt, disappointed, shamed, falsely accused, abused, overworked, underappreciated, taken advantage of, and not loved—we are tempted to respond with evil, to evil words and deeds.

In the Psalms, we are assured, “Why should I fear when evil days come?” (Ps 49:5). “Is not the Lord your God with you? And has he not granted you rest on every side?” (1 Chron 22:18). Believers in Christ have an overwhelming advantage over evil. They can stand their ground and not be defeated. Satan and his evil host are not able to control you.

•  “Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell. Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care.  And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.” Matt 10:28-30

In the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus taught us to repeat his words as our prayer, saying, "and lead us not into temptation but deliver us from the evil one” (Matt 6:13). This phrase has two requests. The first is for God to protect us and keep us from falling into temptation through foolish or blind mistakes. The second part of the prayer is for God Himself to deliver us when the day of evil—the offhand moment when evil comes to us unprepared—and blindsides us.

Stand Your Ground With the Full Spiritual Armor—Under Temptation

Sometimes, evil makes suggestions that come directly from our fallen nature. If we respond with the suggestion in pleasure or approval, we open the door for evil or Satan to gain a foothold in our lives. As Paul has already said in this letter, “Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold” (Eph 4:26-27). We could also say, do not let the sun set while you are dwelling on imaginary suggestions that arouse dark pleasure. When we embrace evil in thought or planned action, we open the door to exchanging the Lord’s peaceful, sweet influence for something else.

After You Have Done Everything, You Can

Paul is recommending self-inventory. Have you been listening to “obscenity,” vulgarity, or impure words in public media, with little consideration of their effects in damping your “love and with a gentle spirit?” (1 Cor 4:21).

Have you neglected gospel meditation on Jesus and His Apostles in favor of other pursuits? Ask God to lead the way in your life, that you will “understand what the Lord’s will is” and be “filled with the Spirit” (5:17-18). No one can prescribe this to you; understanding will come from God, and you will know of its source. 

• "Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you—unless, of course, you fail the test?” (2 Cor 13:5).

Full Armor of God

To wear the armor of God is to have learned the lessons taught in the preceding chapters of Ephesians. Pray over Scripture. Ask God for more love. For “love comes from God; everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love…and the One who was born of God [Jesus Christ] keeps them safe, and the evil one cannot harm them” (1 John 4:7,8; 5:18).

What Does It Mean to Wear the Full Armor of God

Make the prayer of Paul yours: “We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives, so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God” (Col 1:9-10). Everything hinges on being “born of the Spirit” (John 3:8). Then we must continually abide in Christ through His Word as Jesus said, “I am the vine, you are branches If you remain [abide] in me and I in your…If you remain in me and my words remain [abide] in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you” (John 15:5-7).

This spiritual armor can be used to battle addictions and co-dependencies with others who do not “live as children of light” (5:8). It helps you stand your ground in what you have learned from God and Scripture as truth, and not yield to pressure to be like others who do not love God.

The Full Armor Always Brings Satan’s Defeat

When the seventy disciples returned from their mission trip, they “returned with joy, saying, ‘Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name.” Jesus said to them, ‘I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you” (Lk 10:17-19).

Carefully take note of the words Jesus used to describe demons. He called them “serpents” and “scorpions,” which have painful or deadly bites. They fill people with their venom of darkness and unbelief in God. Only faith in Christ Jesus, the Son of God, is the antidote to that venom.

Jesus saw the complete defeat of Satan; because of the authority of Christ, he has been cast down from his former position of power. Satan didn't even put up a fight; he was defeated as quickly as a lightning strike. All of Satan’s assumed strength and power were defeated without a word of protest.

For “the battle is the Lord’s” (1 Sam 17:47). “Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God’s” (2 Chron 20:15).

How to Stand Against:

The Devil’s Schemes (6:11)

Dark Spiritual Forces of Evil (6:12)

Evil Times and Temptations (6:13)

Ephesians 6:14(1#) Stand firm then [Be prepared with no fear]: with the belt of truth buckled around your waist,

                (2#) with the breastplate of righteousness in place,

Eph 6:15 (3#) and with your feet fitted with the readiness [firm footing] that comes from the gospel of peace [The peace of God].

Eph 6:16 (4#) In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming [hot] arrows of the evil one [to hurt and tempt us].

Eph 6:17 (5#) Take the helmet of salvation and

       (6#) [Take] the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God.

Eph 6:18 (7#) And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests [supplication]. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people. NIV

6:14 Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 6:15 and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 6:16 above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. 6:17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 6:18 Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints. NKJV

Stand your ground (6:13)…Stand firm (6:14)

Stand in place, in faith, and do not let fear weaken you. “When I am afraid, I put my trust in you” (Ps 56:3). While wearing the full spiritual armor, we need never run. Instead, we will see “The Evil One” run away in defeat.

•  “He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand” (Ps 40:2).

To stand firm means to persevere without hesitation while holding on to your faith, dressed in the spiritual armor God has provided.  Because “with a true heart in full assurance of faith” (Heb 10:22), know that you can withstand Satan’s temptations.

Satan is already a defeated foe. He can irritate us, distract us, tempt us, and try to draw us into his net of lies. However, he is put on the run even by a young child using their faith. With your eye of faith, imagine the evil one fearful of You!

• “You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them [evil spirits], because the One who is in you [Christ Jesus] is greater [in power] than the one [evil one] who is in the world” (1 John 4:4).

The defeated evil one is not the center of attention in the New Testament

It is interesting how little attention the Apostle gives to the Devil. For instance, in the letters of Colossians, Titus, or Philippians, there is no reference to the Devil or Satan. In Ephesians, there are just two references to the devil in 4:27 & 6:11, and none to Satan. In Romans, there is one reference to Satan in 16:20 and no reference to the Devil. The apostle Peter makes only one reference to the Devil and none to the word Satan. Why? Satan has already been completely defeated, and that defeat is repeated again and again by the believer calling the name of Jesus. The controversy is forever over between Christ and Satan.

Jesus gave a new name to the devil, calling him just “the evil one” (Matt 5:37). His proper name is not worth mentioning; he is just evil and the only really and completely “the evil one”.  Jesus used this term five times and Paul twice. But listen to John the Apostle describe the defeat of the evil one:

• “I am writing to you, fathers, because you know him who is from the beginning. I am writing to you, young men, because you have overcome the evil one.” 1 John 2:13
  
  
  

• “I write to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God lives in you, and you have overcome the evil one.” 1 John 2:14

• “We know that anyone born of God does not continue to sin; the One who was born of God keeps them safe, and the evil one cannot harm them. 1 John 5:18

• “We know that we are children of God, and that the whole world is under the control of the evil one” 1 John 5:19

Six Defensive Armors: Designed to Protect Each Believer

With the full armor that God has provided for us, we will have a decided advantage over the Devil. Even though he possesses vastly superior strength over weak humanity, he can be defeated and, better yet, made to run away, as the demons demonstrated when Jesus rebuked them, and they were driven into a “herd of pigs” (Matt 8:31), to be seen no more.

1.      “Stand firm” with the Belt of Truth

2.      “Stand firm” with the Breastplate of righteousness

3.      “Stand firm” with your Feet fitted with the Gospel of peace

4.      “Stand firm” with the Shield of faith

5.      “Stand firm” with the Helmet of salvation

6.      “Stand firm” with the Sword of the Spirit

7.      “Stand firm” with Prayer in the Spirit

Two Offensive Armors: Found in Teams of Believers

1. Prayer in the Spirit (Eph 6:18): “For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God...the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.” (Rom 8:14-15).

2. All kinds of prayers and requests (Eph 6:18): Prayers with promise, for those God has placed on our hearts. For help in times of need.

• “Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” Heb 4:16

(1#) Stand…Belt of Truth

Embrace God’s word: “Your word is truth” (John 17:17). Wrap it around you to keep your eyes on the Word throughout the day, for by this means we are made “wise unto salvation” (2 Tim 3:15). With Scriptures as our belt, holding up our trousers, or cloth wrapped around us, secured with a belt, we will not be caught naked.

Beware of teachers that use very little Scripture.

There is little strength to be gained from sermons in which speakers talk mostly about themselves. Worse is to bring politics into the sermon or speculate about prophecy. Worse yet are Christless sermons, failing to point to Christ as “the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6). Without much Scripture, these false teachers can not present “sound teaching of our Lord Jesus Christ and with the teaching that promotes godliness” (1 Tim 6:3 CSB, Christian Standard Bible).

Beware of teachers who focus mostly on prophecy or the law.

They try to prove that current events in the world are direct fulfillment of Scripture. They dwell on prophecy, as if knowing prophecy will prepare one to “stand against the Devil’s schemes” (Eph 6:11). They often neglect the teachings of Jesus and His Apostles, who should be primary, and end-time prophecy secondarily.

Beware of teachers who want to just prove the doctrines of their church. 

When special church doctrines are set forth as necessary for salvation, we should be wary. Often, information contrary to their conclusions is left unmentioned. Their efforts are aimed at securing your membership in their church, thereby increasing their membership and offerings. This is not the “Belt of Truth.”

• “Guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long.” Ps 25:5

• “Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” John 8:32

• “I do not write to you because you do not know the truth, but because you do know it and because no lie comes from the truth.” 1 John 2:21

• “This is how we know that we belong to the truth and how we set our hearts at rest in His presence.” 1 John 3:19

Scriptures are the source of truth

Scriptures are the clothes we wear, buckled with the belt of truth. Jesus counsels the seventh church of Revelation to buy “white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness” (Rev 3:18). The concept of nakedness means we are defenseless and easily led astray because we are not wearing the “full armor of God.” We lack “spiritual understanding” (Col 1:9).

God wants all believers to be “fellow citizens” and “members of His household.” We are to be “built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus as the chief cornerstone” (Eph 2:20). Thus, we will not be entrapped in “endless genealogies” of the Old Testament and “controversial speculations” about end-time events or other spiritual questions, “rather than advancing God’s work—which is by faith” (1 Tim 1:4).

“Simon Peter” said, “Lord…You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and to know that you are the Holy One of God” (John 6:68-69). Alongside Peter, acknowledge that Jesus alone has the words of eternal life. The power to impart an unending life in the Holy City of New Jerusalem and the endless cosmos over endless time. Only by living forever is it possible to become aware, to visit, to study the parts of an endless universe. It is believed that the size of the entire cosmos is unknown. The total size of the universe is estimated by some authorities to be at least 250 times that of the observable part. The reality is that it is many more than a million times larger than what we can see today. The size, the diversity, the vast distances of the cosmos—need, yes, require an eternal life to even partially become aware of its countless parts.

This kind of life is before your eyes, found in the life and teaching of Jesus and the Apostles.

What is truth

It is a seamless account from God the Father promising us an inheritance. All aspects of the truth support each other. In its simplest expression, it is the “message of truth, gospel of your salvation” (Eph 1:3).

In Ephesians chapter one, there is a good description of the chain of truth. Truth that is safely connected to all other parts of truth. Everything good that qualifies us to be in His presence is by the movement of God. Notice how active God is in our lives.

Truth does not need any human additions, any old church tradition. Truth does not need a modern prophet to add new light or new requirements to be in God's favor.  

1.      God gives us every spiritual blessing from heavenly places (Eph 1:3).

2.      God has chosen us (Eph 1:4).

3.      God has chosen us in love (Eph 1:4).

4.      God has predestined us (Eph 1:5).

5.      God has adopted us (Eph 1:5).

6.      God has given us glorious grace (Eph 1:6),

7.      God has given us redemption (Eph 1:7).

8.      God has given us forgiveness of sins because of the riches of God’s grace (Eph 1:7).

9.      God wants to give us the seal of the Holy Spirit (Eph 1:13).

10. God wants to give us the Holy Spirit as a deposit guaranteeing our eternal inheritance (Eph1:14).

11. God wants to make us alive with Christ (Eph 2:5).

12. God wants to seat us with Him in heavenly places (Eph 2:6).

13. God wants to bring us near to Him by the blood of Christ (Eph 2:13).

14. God wants us to have a foundation on the Apostles and prophets, with Christ as the chief cornerstone (Eph 2:20).

15. God wants us to become a dwelling place where God lives by his Spirit (Eph 2:22).

16. God wants us to know that through faith in Christ we can have access to Him with freedom and confidence. (Eph 3:12).

17. God wants us to understand the breadth and length and height and depth of the love of Christ and be filled with all the fullness of God Himself. (Eph 3:18,19).

18. God wants us to know personally what it means to put on the new self and thus be created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness. (Eph 4:24).

19. God does not want us to grieve the Holy Spirit that seals us for the day of our redemption at the second coming of Christ. (Eph 4:30).

Now our part is to pray that we can: “Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children, and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us” (Eph 5:1,2)

(2#) Breastplate of Righteousness

What is this breastplate? In ancient times, it was a metal plate that covered the chest to protect against swords and arrows in battle.  

To us, it is “the gospel, the righteousness of God” (Rom 1:17). The righteousness we need to stand before a holy God. It is not one we can acquire on our own. It is not human righteousness at all—it is divine righteousness. It becomes ours as the result of God’s free gift: for “all are justified freely by his grace” (Rom 3:24). To be justified is to have our sins erased and forgiven in the sight of God the Father.

1.      “This righteousness is given through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ to all who believe.” (Rom 3:22).

2.      This righteousness is revealed in “the Gospel” (Rom 1:16).

3.      This righteousness comes from God and fully satisfies God’s commandments in which we have been found guilty. Now just imagine that the words “the Lord our righteousness” (Jer 23:6 NKJV) are embossed on your shield. 

4.      There is only ONE righteousness, and it is not ours; it is “The righteousness of God” (Rom 1:17; 3:21), which is “credited” (Rom 4:3-5, 9-11, 22-23) or accounted to your life record. This enables us to have “access” (Rom 5:2) to the very presence of our Creator.

5.      This gift of God’s righteousness is credited to your account, as if it were your own. Whose perfect obedience is this? It is Christ Himself. Thus, demons cannot gain access to your heart because the Lord our righteousness is our shield.

(3#) Feet fitted: “Gospel of Peace”

Peace with God, peace with others, peace of mind, called the gospel of peace. Peace is a Divine influence that creates space inside us for peace to dwell. It is a refreshing place because it is where the “peace of Christ” rules our “hearts” (Col 3:15). It is born of confession of sins and realization that Jesus is the Lord of our lives. Peace is sourced by being right with God, with humility, for “the Lord sustains the humble” (Ps 147:6). For “the meek will inherit the land and enjoy peace and prosperity” (Ps 37:11).

The true gospel is called the gospel of peace, not fear and dread. Because the very heart of peace is grace. Anytime a teacher of the gospel tries to load us with guilt for not following their doctrines. It is a red flag warning. When the gospel is presented in the presence of the Spirit of the Lord, peace is always the result.

When our “feet are fitted” with the teaching of peace received from the gospel, we are ready to stand our ground when the day of evil comes for us. Otherwise we may not endure to the end.

We cannot overstate the importance of the foundation of lasting peace with God—we must stand on the ground of humility. Paul has already told us that we are “to live” our lives “worthy of the calling” we have received. How do we do this? By being “completely humble.” And making “every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace” (Eph 4:1,2). What does this mean? It means that the Spirit in us is to seek unity with the Spirit in another. If we are not humble, we will feel superior to others by what we know, our higher education, our higher position, our greater wealth, or our desire to be seen as special and talented.

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor [spiritually]” (Matt 4:18). Only to those who see themselves very spiritually bankrupt, weak, and helpless is the kingdom of God given. If you don’t see yourself that way, pray God will give you that understanding.

• “For this is what the high and exalted One says— he who lives forever, whose name is holy: 'I live in a high and holy place, but also [I live] with the one who is contrite and lowly in spirit [poor in spirit], to revive the spirit of the lowly and to revive the heart of the contrite'” (Isa 57:15).

• “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble” (James 4:6)

Those who are humble are “revived” by receiving more of the Spirit in their lives. The gospel of peace must always be taught with deep and lasting humility, the only way to teach it successfully. Every gospel teacher must “be completely humble and gentle” (Eph 4:2). “For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted” (Matt 23:12).

Peace is forgiveness-centered because we know God has forgiven us and loves us. It can’t be explained on paper or in words. Because it is a Divine influence. “Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way. The Lord be with all of you” (2 Thess 3:16).

Peace is the third fruit of the Spirit (Gal 5:22), behind love and joy. It is evidence of the Spirit’s presence: “The mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace” (Rom 8:6). “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may [will] overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit” (Rom 15:13).

We are always to be ready to share the gospel of God's love, which is peace that comes from within our souls.  The “peace of God, which surpasses all understanding” will "guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus” (Phil 4:7 NKJV).

• “In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, Lord, make me dwell in safety.” Ps 4:8

• “Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” Philemon 1:3

• “Peace to all of you who are in Christ.” 1 Peter 5:14

• “Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way.” 2 Thess 3:16

(4#) Shield of Faith, in God

Faith is born out of God’s word, and Faith is sustained by God’s word. We can have true faith only through the Word of God. Take away the Word and no faith will remain. Faith is born, awakened in us by hearing and reading the Word. We are like Lazareth in the tomb, “dead in our transgression and sin” (Eph 2:1). What can awaken us? Nothing but the call of God can produce faith that gives us new life.  “No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him” (John 6:44). If you are being drawn to God right now, He is calling you. Acknowledge it and respond to it, for it will feel very natural to place faith in God, springing from love.

It is through the Bible that faith is strengthened and continued. Because the Bible directs us to God and His promises. If we want to be strong in faith, we must spend time studying the Bible and claiming the promises that are found there. "Faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ” (Rom 10:17).

“Because it is by faith you stand firm” (2 Cor 1:24). Faith is effective in reaching out to find help from God. Peter repeats the same truth, saying, “Resist him [the devil], standing firm in the faith” (1 Pet 5:9). The “Shield of faith” is the very first defense that we bring to bear when evil catches us by surprise, when evil attacks us from within or without. This shield is deployed instantaneously because we know how to be “instant in prayer” (Rom 12:12 KJV).

Faith starts “like a mustard seed…when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree” (Matt 13:31,32). Faith will move into the heart, personally and emotionally, with a real and true love for God.

An example of moving the heart is John Wesley's conversion account. In May 1738, Wesley had been actively teaching, preaching, and evangelizing for years. He knew Christian doctrine, but it had not affected Wesley personally. He believed, but there was not much personal love for Christ. Wesley lived by doing good works, but not by faith.

“In the evening I went very unwillingly to a society in which one was reading Luther’s preface to the Epistle to the Romans. About a quarter before nine, while he was describing the change which God works in the heart through faith in Christ, I felt my heart strangely warmed. I felt that I did trust in Christ alone for my salvation and assurance was given me and that He had taken away MY sins, even mine, and save ME from the Law of sin and death.”

What we learn from Scripture is that faith must be poured into the heart, beyond knowledge. In the sense that you may not be able to discern how you came to believe. It just happened one day. Maybe one day you come to recognize that you are a believer in God. You were not convinced by arguments in favor of faith. Yet you believed because God put it in your heart to believe.

Real faith will move into our emotions and feelings when we know, we just know it, that God is with me. You know this personally. You love God, as faith blossoms and blooms. “For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. As Scripture says, ‘Anyone who believes in him will never be put to shame’” (Rom 10:10-11).

1.    Faith is a gift, not from within us; it does not come from us in any way whatsoever.

2.    Faith is embedded in Scripture, centered in Christ. Many have no idea how they came to believe. One day it all started, and they are drawn to God. Many can look back and see when the moment of faith in God just happened. 

3.    Jesus said, “I have come as a light into the world; whoever believes in Me [faith] should not abide in darkness” (John 12:46). It is “the light of the world” that moves on us so that we are able to see the darkness of our sins, the selfish pleasures in our lives, as we reach the arm of faith up to God.

4.    Faith is always available—day or night, globally, male or female, child or youth. Anytime, anyplace, almost any age. Faith leaps out of the Word of God as a reality that can’t be explained.  “The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart,” that is, “the message concerning faith that we proclaim” (Rom 10:8).

5.    "But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Cor 15:57). The victories we experience over bad habits and temptations come from God, as much as faith is a gift of God. It is the Word of God that creates faith in our hearts. From that God-given faith, we are also given a desire to be pure and holy: “But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: ‘Be holy, because I am holy’” (1 Peter 1:15-16).

With the Shield of Faith We can Extinguish ALL the Flaming Arrows Coming from the Evil One

In Greek, this means a dart, a javelin, or an arrow used to set an object on fire. These arrows from evil sources are often very personal and urgent. Tailored just for you, at this moment.  They can be like barbed arrows that, when driven deep into flesh, are very hard to remove. Once a Satanic arrow strikes us, our thoughts, eyes, and attention are given to the appealing temptation. It is intended to cause us to stumble and fall into the arms of temptation.

These arrows can appeal to sexual pleasures, to pride in our position, our talent, or education. They can be like Cupid’s arrow that instills love at first sight with a forbidden pleasure or revenge or lust. A man will love his wife and family, but when he sees this other woman, he can’t, of his own strength, stop the cascade of feelings and pleasant imagination, even at a serious cost. His only defense at this moment is the prayer of faith to God that He will deliver you right now when you need it!

Thank God, the Lord Jesus Christ. These tailor-made arrows can always be extinguished!! We can deploy the shield of faith as soon as the temptation occurs. It is deployed by prayer to God, in faith, for His deliverance. In Psalm 69, David expresses prayers we can offer to God, with the shield of faith pointed upward to heaven, in the midst of overwhelming temptations.

• “Save me, O God, for the waters have come up to my neck. I sink in the miry depths, where there is no foothold. I have come into the deep waters; the floods engulf me…Answer me, Lord, out of the goodness of your love; in your great mercy turn to me. Do not hide your face from your servant; answer me quickly, for I am in trouble. Come near and rescue me; deliver me because of my foes.” (Ps 69)

The Apostle John gives assurance of victory over the enemy: “You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in [the Spirit] you is greater than the one who is in the world [Devil]… “ This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith” (1 John 4:4; 5:4). John tells the young men in his care, “I am writing to you, young men, because you have overcome the evil one…”I write to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God lives in you, and you have overcome the evil one” (1 John 2:13-14).

Jesus has given us assurance that the “ruler of this world” has “no power over me” (John 14:30). “If Christ is in you, then even though your body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives life [victory] because of righteousness [God’s]” (Rom 8:10).

(5#) The Helmet of Salvation

In the most basic sense, the helmet of our salvation is directly related to our knowledge and understanding of the fact that we are God's children. It is based on the assurance that we are “freely” (Rom 3:24) forgiven and “justified by faith” alone (Gal 2:16). This Helmet is the knowledge that we are born “not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God” (John 1:13).

The Helmet is our “salvation that is in Christ Jesus, with eternal glory” (2 Tim 2:10). It carries the promise of eternal life.

God has placed us in a very special position, next to His own Son, whom God dearly loves and who is dear to God's heart. This is what it means to be “in Christ.” This fact changes our mental outlook on life and, in conflict with the Devil’s arrows of temptation, this is very defensive. It is hard for evil to penetrate faith’s positive assurances, which is known because the Holy Spirit has established God’s temple within us. Paul tells all the believers in Corinth that “you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in your midst” (1 Cor 3:16).

If anyone wore a large Roman helmet made of iron and bronze alloys, they would know it was on their head. So likewise, when we are “in Christ,” we can repeat Paul’s affirmation. “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Rom 8:1). We know we are loved, forgiven, accepted children of God. What a helmet God has given us! It is an assurance that we are loved by God. This alone will protect our minds from temptation to follow the ways of evil and darkness.

(6#) The Sword of the Spirit, Which is the Word of God

This means that the Spirit functions within Scripture, never away from Scripture, no matter how inspired the source.  The Spirit does not inspire or move on us apart from the Word of God. Never does the Spirit lead us into a teaching or doctrine that is not centered in Jesus or His Apostles.

The main function of the Spirit is to “testify” (Jn 15:26) to us about Jesus. As Jesus said, “the advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name…will remind you of everything I have said to you” (John 14:25). Jesus, His words, and life are the channel of the Spirit’s influence and power to defeat “the evil one.” To deploy the “Sword of the Spirit” is to be Christ-centered.

The Sword of the Spirit is not speaking in tongues; it is Scripture spoken in the face of the Evil One's temptation. Just as Jesus said, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’” (Matt 4:10). Jesus did not use glossolalia to defeat Satan.

The Sword of the Spirit is effective with humility

For the Spirit’s sword to be effective, we must be “poor in Spirit” (Matt 5:3) and take a “lowly position” as “this child,” a child on the lap of Jesus, or we “will never enter the kingdom of heaven” (Matt 18:3-4). The Spirit’s powerful sword is never given so that we can exalt ourselves. So that we can boast about all our good deeds and author books all about ourselves for reputation, money, and honor. So that we can talk about ourselves, our blessed life, the miracles of our life in sermons and books.

Paul said, “For Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the gospel, and not with words of eloquent wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power” (1 Cor 1:17 ESV). Paul’s expression of “eloquent wisdom” points to talents that bring attention to the speaker. “May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world” (Gal 6:14).

The disciples were baptized with more of the Spirit than anyone, yet they did not dwell on themselves. Matthew did not mention himself at all, neither in the first nor in the third person, in his gospel account. Neither did Luke talk about himself in Acts or the Gospel of Luke. Peter, in his two letters, did not mention any miracle or remarkable abilities that the Spirit gave him. 

The Sword of the Spirit is effective with love

The Spirit’s sword is only as sharp as we love God and we love others, as God loves them. When “God lives [abides] in us,” by His Spirit, “his love is made complete in us. This is how we know [with certainty] that we live [abide] in him and he [God] in us: He has given us of his Spirit [as our assurance]” (1 John 4:12-13).

• “Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives [abides] in us and His love is made complete in us.”   1 John 4:11,12

Think about this for a moment. We will never know God as it is our privilege; it is only made possible by “the gift of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:38). This special gift is a new law, a new power as Paul says: “The law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death” (Rom 8:1). If we “walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh” (Gal 5:16).

Only the Spirit can “break up your fallow ground” (Hosea 10:12), our strong defenses of pride, attention-seeking, competition with others, and jealousy over the gifts or talents of others. Only the Spirit can create a “bond of peace” with all others that have also received the Spirit and put their faith in Christ.

• The Spirit of truth “goes out from the Father” (John 15:26

• The Spirit is sent to “live [abide] with you and will be in you” (John 14:17)

• We are to be “born of the Spirit” (John 3:8)

• We are to be “led by the Spirit” (Gal 5:18)

• God puts His “seal of ownership on us” when He “puts His Spirit in our hearts” (2 Cor 1:22).

• God pours out his “love into our hearts through the Holy Spirit,” whom He has “given to us” (Rom 5:5)

• God’s “anointing” by the Spirit “teaches you about all things,” and this “anointing is real” (1 John 2:27)

• We are to be a “dwelling” place where the Spirit lives (Eph 2:22)

• The Spirit gives us “life and peace” when the Spirit “governs” our minds (Rom 8:6)

• *“God sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts” so that we can call for HELP, calling out directly to “Abba, Father.” (Gal 4:6).

Being Born of the Spirit

• Will silence the Old Nature that controls all who are not in Christ.

• Will show us the truth about ourselves when we are selfish, critical, harsh, unkind, and self-centered.

• Will discipline us with “conviction… of sin” (John 16:8 NKJV).

• Will “save us through the washing of rebirth and renewal [regeneration] by the Holy Spirit” (Titus 3:5).

To be born of the Spirit is like putting “on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator” (Col 3:10). “If anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” (2 Cor 5:17).

It is like the creation of a new Adam and Eve on earth: those who are “transformed into his [God’s] image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit” (2 Cor 3:18). Just like Adam was made into the “image of God” (Gen 1:27), we are “conformed to the image of his Son” (Rom 8:29). The opposite image is anyone who “worships the beast and its image” (Rev 14:9).

Born Again of the Spirit—A Gift From God

• When in Christ a New Creation has come (2 Cor 5:17)

• In Christ, made alive (1 Cor 15:22)

• We are to be Born of God (John 1:13)

• We are to be raised with Christ (Col 2:12)

• We are to be made alive with Christ. (Col 2:13)

• We are to be born of the Spirit (John 3:8)

• We are to be regenerated and renewed by the Spirit (Titus 3:5)

• We are to be anointed with the Spirit (1 John 2:20, 27)

• All that counts is a New Creation (Gal 6:15)

• We are Born Again of imperishable seed (1 Pet 1:23)

• We are raised…sit in heavenly places (Eph 6:4)

• God has made us alive with Christ (Eph 2:5)

• We are no longer slaves to the body (Rom 6:6)

• We are to be united in His resurrection (Rom 6:5)

• We are to have a new-in-mind attitude (Col 3:10)

• We are to have a new self made in the image of the Creator (Col 3:10)

• We are to be like new wine skins (Matt

• We are to be raised with Christ—seated with God (Col 3:1)

• We are to have our minds set on things above (Col 3:1)

• Now our life is hidden with Christ in God (Col 3:3)

• We are to be born by the power of the Spirit (Gal 4:29)

• We are to be God raised us up with Christ and seated us with Him (Eph 2:6)

• We can have Christ powerfully work us (Col 1:29)

• All this is possible because Christ took hold of me (Phil 3:12)

• We are to be strengthened in our inner being, by the Spirit, to love God (Eph 4:16)

• All of the above is the mystery of: “Christ in you” (Col 1:27)

• The brother of Jesus Jude wrote this: “Dear friends by building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in God’s love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life [Advent]” (Jude 20-21)

• “May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship [communion] of the Holy Spirit be with you all” (2 Cor 13:14).

Ephesians 6:18 (7#) And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests [supplication]. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people. NIV

6:18 Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints—NKJV

6:18 Never stop praying, especially for others. Always pray by the power of the Spirit. Stay alert and keep praying for God's people. Contemporary English Version

6:18 Pray in the Spirit at all times. Pray with all kinds of prayers, and ask for everything you need. To do this, you must always be ready. Never give up. Always pray for all of God’s people. Easy-to-Read Version

6:18 By all prayer and supplication praying in all time in Spirit, and for this same watching vigilantly in all perseverance and supplication for the holy.  Literal Translation

Prayer For All Occasions: Together

Praying in the Spirit is how the church should pray. It is how believers at home and in their private worship should pray. This kind of praying is not formal, with no passion or deep movement. Prayer in the Spirit will always soften and awaken the heart to seek God. It will always bring praise to God for His grace and many blessings, with thankfulness for everything we have and own, as we make our requests with genuine earnestness.

Praying in the Spirit also includes the many instant prayers we make all day for guidance and to do God's will. It is seen in the importance we place on prayer, as we plan for longer quiet times with Scripture and Spirit-filled music to seek God with all our hearts.

• “Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer” Romans 12:12 KJV

• “I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers.” Eph 1:16; Rom 1:9-10.

• “I always thank my God as I remember you in my prayers, because I hear about your love for all his holy people and your faith in the Lord Jesus. I pray that your partnership with us in the faith may be effective in deepening your understanding of every good thing we share for the sake of Christ.” Philemon 1:4-5

Praying in the Spirit is both offensive and defensive against “spiritual forces of evil” (6:12). It can be practiced in a group committed to the Ministry of Prayer, praying for one another and for all others. Amazing answered prayers would never happen were it not for this kind of persevering prayer.

Listen to what Paul said about the prayers of many people: “He [God] has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us again. On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us, as you help us by your prayers. Then many will give thanks on our behalf for the gracious favor granted us in answer to the prayers of many” (2 Cor 1:10-11). This is the most powerful means to defeat the “forces of evil” (Eph 6:12).

We can pray in the Spirit, anytime we wish, day or night. We can pray about everything; even while we are doing other things, we can send up silent prayers. We can pray as we begin our day, as we go through it, and as we conclude it. When a group of believers is committed to praying together, in the Spirit, individual prayers become more active, and the Spirit moves in the lives of others.

The Moravian Community of Herrnhut in Saxony commenced a round-the-clock “prayer watch” in 1727 that continued nonstop for over a hundred years. By 1791, 65 years after the commencement of that prayer vigil, the small Moravian community had sent 300 missionaries to the ends of the earth, at a time when no Christian community had sent out missionaries. Their missionaries were different from those sent out today; they went out for life and seldom came back.

Prayer Depending on the Spirit

Praying With the Holy Spirit Within You

What does it mean to pray in the Spirit?  First, it is the opposite of formal prayers, which often take place during worship services, at the dinner table, or at the opening of a business meeting. There is no passion, no calling to renewed consecration and conviction of sin.

To pray in the Spirit, we must have more love for God: For “hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us” (Rom 5:5). The Montgomery New Testament (1924) translates: "Hope which never disappoints us. For through the Holy Spirit who has given to us, the ‘brimming river of the love of God’ has overflowed in our hearts” (Rom 5:5). Helen Barrett Montgomery, is the only modern speech translation of the New Testament produced by a woman.

When the Spirit fills our hearts with love for God, it is the most important sign that we are Spirit-filled.

• “For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God.” Eph 3:14-19

• Read and study 1 John 3:23-24. God has given us two commands: First, to have faith in the name of His Son; Second, to love one another. Then God will live in us and we in Him; we will know this because of the Spirit God has given to us.

Praying in the Spirit is depending on the Spirit to silence the evil in our natures that would lead us to deny Christ. That brings to our awareness past lustful thoughts, a self-centered life, a lack of concern and love for others, or a compromise in our lives that we have long tolerated. The will urge us to repent and call us to live a higher standard of holiness. We have been “chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, by the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to obey Jesus Christ and be sprinkled with His blood: May grace and peace be yours in the fullest measure” (1 Peter 1-2).

The Spirit is the means by which we are sanctified. Daily we should hear the call to live our lives “holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship” (Rom 12:1). This is true worship, which comes from the Spirit moving us to love God and to bring Him honor in every way we can.

• “But we should always give thanks to God for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God has chosen you from the beginning for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and faith in the truth.” 2 Thess 2:13

• “Such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God.” 1 Cor 6:11

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Praying in the Spirit means following the quiet urge to spend more time in prayer. Set aside longer periods alone with God for prayer today, tomorrow, or right now. As Jesus taught us, saying, “When you pray, go into your room, close the door, and pray to your Father (Matt 6:6). Be alone with God often.

• "But you, dear friends, by building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit” (Jude 20).

Praying in the Spirit is found while reading Scriptures that speak to your heart. You will hear the call to confess sins, something you have never seen before. When this happens, you should confess them immediately. Maybe you are shown some kind of unacceptable habit that you know is not possible to yield up to God. The Spirit will point you to divine power that alone can change your situation. When the Spirit is moving on your heart, calling to repentance and deeper surrender to God, stay right there and let the Spirit lead you into communion with God.

Praying in the Spirit will move you to love holiness and give you a joy that radiates from within your own spirit. As a result, praise and thanksgiving flow from your heart, reflecting inward peace. If we do not follow up on these convictions laid on our hearts, we will lose the free joy of the Spirit's presence and the nearness of God, and prayer will become dead.

Praying in the Spirit often begins with listening to Songs of the Spirit, or “spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God” (Eph 5:19). These are songs with words inspired by the Spirit, sung by singers who sing with open devotion to God through the Spirit. They will move you to love and praise God from your heart. Let them move you into prayer of surrender and confession of sin. Let them move your heart to say out loud, with the music, “I love you, Lord.”

• "In the morning, Lord, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait expectantly.” Ps 5:3

While seeking the will of God in the morning with a desire to bring honor to Him, the Spirit will often urge you to go to a quiet place and spend time alone in prayer. Always take the New Testament or the Psalms with you to pray over, verse by verse, with God. This is true fertilizer for the soil of your heart. It is important to clear your calendar to spend several days just with the Lord. Perhaps at the sea, in hills and mountains, seek a quiet place to be alone with God. Often our minds become cluttered with voices and images of the past. They may be good or bad; however, they intrude into our devotions. In longer periods of prayer with just the Bible, we can place all clutter — the fears, the anxious thoughts, the disappointments, and our mistakes — in an imaginary box. Place them in His arms and leave them there. In exchange, ask for peace.

Our advice: take a pen and paper with you. As you read the text, ask God to give you understanding of what you are reading. When your mind or body becomes tired, rest your mind by exercising in a place where you can walk and talk out loud to the Lord. God will meet you there and give you of His Spirit. You will know this is true by the state of your heart, your earnestness, and increased love for God, His Son, and the Gospels.

• “You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You. Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord is everlasting strength.” Isa 26:3-4

Praying in the Spirit in a group setting of two or more will bring them into unity and love for each other that did not exist before. Not only that, but we also have the unusual promise of Jesus: “I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven” (Matt 18:19). Group prayer, in the Spirit, is powerful. Is saving to the soul.

Praying in the Spirit, we “ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives” (Col 1:9).

Praying in the Spirit, ask God to give us more of the Fruits of the Spirit: “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control” (Gal 5:22-23). So we can live lives that are  “self-controlled, and sound in faith, in love and in endurance” (Titus 2:2).

·         For the “Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline” (2 Tim 1:7).

Praying in the Spirit calls for intercessory prayer, claiming the love God has for one who is worthy of blame, deserving condemnation; we are to hold that one up in prayer on their behalf. Just as Christ died on our behalf, we pray for them, on their behalf.

Praying in the Spirit, ask God to let you live your life worthy of His calling. To open up opportunities for you to good to others and share your faith: “We pray for you always, that our God will count you worthy of your calling, and fulfill [your] every desire for goodness [do good and be good] and the work of faith with power [Spirit]” (1 Thess 1:11 NASU).

• “You know of Jesus of Nazareth, how God anointed Him with the Holy Spirit and with power, and how He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.” Acts 10:38

• “Those who by perseverance in doing good seek for glory and honor and immortality, eternal life.” Rom 2:7

• “Brethren, do not grow weary of doing good.” 2 Thess 3:13

• “Instruct them to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share.” 1 Tim 6:18

• “In all things show yourself to be an example of good deeds, with purity in doctrine, dignified, sound in speech which is beyond reproach, so that the opponent will be put to shame, having nothing bad to say about us.” Titus 2:7,8

• “And do not neglect doing good and sharing, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.” Heb 13:16

• “Now the God of peace, who brought up from the dead the great Shepherd of the sheep through the blood of the eternal covenant, even Jesus our Lord, equip you in every good thing to do His [God’s] will, working in us that which is pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.” Heb 13:20-21

• “He must turn away from evil and do good; He must seek peace and pursue it.” 1 Peter 3:11

• “I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep.” John 10:11

When we pray in the Spirit, our prayers will be heartfelt requests that arise from deep and urgent need. We will be more earnest in prayer and listen to quiet instrumental spiritual songs that will give you thoughts and words in your prayers. To bring more power into prayer, pray with your Bible open, reading the words as a prayer to God. For example, you could say, “Lord, I want to ‘walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us’ (5:2); Lord, make this a pattern for my life. Call me to task when I fail. Implant inside me new motives with power through his Spirit in my inner being” (Eph 3:16).

Praying In the Spirit

When we have been praying in the Spirit, we will listen to the Spirit calling us to confess personal sins. Sometimes the Spirit will cut into our hearts like a sword, revealing a cherished sin and showing pockets of pride that look down on others as inferior. Listen and learn. When the Spirit repeats his warnings, they will become more intense or, after a time, will disappear altogether.

Prayer is Both Offensive and Defensive Against Evil

None of the offensive or defensive weapons are effective without much and much more and more prayer. Only by prayer can we be alerted to coming dangers and be prepared. If not, evil will try to sneak past our defenses while we are spiritually asleep because our prayer life has been neglected. 

Paul tells us how to pray, saying, “Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you” (Col 3:13). The word “grievance” means to blame, to lodge a complaint, or to find fault. Sure, they may be very guilty, just as we were very guilty before God when we were “once far away.” But God “brought us near” to Him, “by the blood of Christ” (2:13). Although at one time “we were separated from Christ,” despite our sick condition, God “made us alive with Christ” because of “His great love with which he loved us” (Eph 2:12,5,4).

Be Alert / Be Watchful

Be watchful, taking advantage of the situations God has brought you into. Be watchful for your known weaknesses, the trigger points that could cause you to overreact, be taken by surprise, and fall into disgrace. Be alert to thoughts that come from our sinful nature that seek our attention and approval. Ask God to filter these thought messages that are so offensive and promote attention-seeking and pride.

Always Keep on Praying / All Perseverance

We cannot be “asleep” (1 Thess 5:5,6) to the evil around us. Keep praying until God, in prayer, brings your assurance. Prayer is often the means by which God carries out His purposes on earth, in the lives of others and in our own. God has preordained prayer as a means for Him to change things, bring about good results, and cause abundance and goodness to flow in human lives. If Jesus felt the need to pray alone, how much more should we? Jesus taught us, “that men always ought to pray and not lose heart” (Lk 18:1 NKJV).

 Personal Request from Paul

Ephesians 6:19 Pray also for me, that whenever I speak, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, 6:20 for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should. NIV

6:19 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, 6:20 for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak. NKJV

Words Spoken Fearlessly

Under hatred and organized efforts to disrupt and discredit his teachings, Paul would be tempted to be more fearful and compromising, to soften his opposition. Paul’s prayer was that he would face any opposition with the Words that God gave him, and speak them fearlessly, even to those who wanted to kill him.

The Mystery

In Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, he uses the word mystery seven times and nine times in all his other letters. In general, the mystery of the gospel is not known to anyone unless it is explained or revealed to them.  The gospel of grace was a mystery kept hidden in God: how He would save broken and fallen men and women.

Now, through the lives of believers and “through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms.” (Eph 3:9,10).

This mystery of God has made everyone see “the unsearchable riches of Christ.”  To know “what is the fellowship of the mystery…through Jesus Christ” (Eph 3:8-9). Through faith, by God’s grace, we are restored into fellowship with God. This is not an ordinary grace, but active grace that changes us in untold ways. It has been seen by believers worldwide since Jesus lived on earth. As a result, this mystery is made known to the entire cosmos across limitless space, in ways we can’t see or understand. 

Final Greetings

Ephesians 6:21 Tychicus, the dear brother and faithful servant in the Lord, will tell you everything, so that you also may know how I am and what I am doing. 6:22 I am sending him to you for this very purpose, that you may know how we are, and that he may encourage you. 6:23 Peace to the brothers and sisters, and love with faith from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 6:24 Grace to all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with an undying love. NIV

6:21 But that you also may know my affairs and how I am doing, Tychicus, a beloved brother and faithful minister in the Lord, will make all things known to you; 6:22 whom I have sent to you for this very purpose, that you may know our affairs, and that he may comfort your hearts. 6:23 Peace to the brethren, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 6:24 Grace be with all those who love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity. Amen. NKJV

6:24 Grace be with all those who love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity. Amen. BRG Bible

6:24 Grace be with all those who love our Lord Jesus Christ with an undying love. NET Bible
6:24 Grace be with all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with love incorruptible. English Standard Version

6:24 Grace be with all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with undying and incorruptible love. Amplified Bible

Tychicus Will Encourage You

This is the purpose of ministry. A pastor is to encourage believers. They are to teach the congregation about love and faith, which come from God the Father and His Son Jesus Christ. The best themes in sermons are about love and faith.

Love with Faith

 Faith is never alone for very long; God unites us with love. True love, unselfish love, faithful love, generous love, kind love, caring love, and most of all undying love for our Lord Jesus Christ.

Undying Love

“The term ‘love’ is not found at the end of the sentence, as in the NIV, but is supplied to clarify the sense in English. The term, “undying,” which modifies it, captures the sense of the kind of love the author is referring to here. He is saying that God’s grace will be with those whose love for "Jesus never ceases” (NET Bible footnote).

A love that is in constant regeneration. Always being rekindled and brought to life in our hearts. Always being refreshed, renewed, and sought after in our daily lives. This love becomes so precious to us that it is the reason why we worship God. We can’t even think of not worshiping God with love for Him, and love coming back to us through His Son.

“In repentance and rest 

is your salvation, 

In quietness and trust is your strength.” 

Isa 30:15 NIV

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All Bible quotations are from the New International Version, unless otherwise indicated.

End of Ephesians Chapter 6

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