Ephesians 6

Ephesians 6:1

6:1 In chapter 5 we learned that one of the results of being filled with the Spirit is being submissive to one another. We saw that a Spirit-filled wife, for instance, is submissive to her husband. Now we learn that Spirit-filled children willingly submit to the authority of their parents. The fundamental duty of all children is to obey their parents in the Lord. Whether the children are Christians or whether the parents are Christians does not make any difference. The parent-child relationship was ordained for all mankind, not just for believers.

The command to obey … in the Lord means, first, that children should obey with the attitude that in doing so they are obeying the Lord: their obedience should be as if to Him. Second, it means they should obey in all matters which are in accordance with the will of God. If their parents ordered them to sin, they should not be expected to comply. In such a case they should courteously refuse and suffer the consequences meekly and without retaliation. However, in all other cases they must be obedient. Four reasons are given why they should obey. First, it is right. It is a basic principle built into the very structure of family life that those who are immature, impulsive, and inexperienced should submit to the authority of parents, who are older and wiser. 6:2 The second reason is that it is scriptural. Here Paul quotes Exo_20:12 : Honor your father and mother (see also Deu_5:16). This command to honor parents is the first of the Ten Commandments with a specific promise of blessing attached to it. It calls for children to respect, love, and obey their parents. 6:3 The third reason is that it is for the best interests of the children: that it may be well with you. Think of what would happen to a child who received no instruction and no correction from his parents! He would be personally miserable and socially intolerable. The fourth reason is that obedience promotes a full life: and you may live long on the earth. In the OT, a Jewish child who obeyed his parents did enjoy a long life. In this Gospel Age, it is not a rule without exceptions. Filial obedience is not always connected with longevity. A dutiful son may die at an early age. But it is true in a general way that the life of discipline and obedience is conducive to health and longevity, whereas a life of rebellion and recklessness often ends prematurely. 6:4 The instructions to children are now balanced with advice to fathers. They should not provoke their children to anger with unreasonable demands, with undue harshness, with constant nagging. Rather children should be nurtured in the training and admonition of the Lord. Training means discipline and correction, and may be verbal or corporal. Admonition means warning, rebuke, reproof. Child-training should be in the Lord, that is, carried out in accordance with His will as revealed in the Bible by one who acts as His representative. Susannah Wesley, the mother of seventeen children, including John and Charles, once wrote: The parent who studies to subdue self-will in his child, works together with God in the renewing and saving of a soul. The parent who indulges it, does the Devil’s work, makes religion impractical, salvation unattainable, and does all that in him lies to damn his child, soul and body forever. 6:5 The third and final sphere of submission in the Christian household is that of servants to masters. The word Paul uses is bondservants or slaves, but the principles apply to servants or employees of all types. The first duty of employees is to those who are their masters according to the flesh. The expression, masters according to the flesh, reminds us that the employer has jurisdiction as far as physical or mental work is concerned, but he cannot dictate in spiritual matters or command the conscience. Second, servants should be respectful. Fear and trembling do not mean cowering servility and abject terror; they mean a dutiful respect and a fear of offending the Lord and the employer. Third, service should be conscientious, or in sincerity of heart. We should endeavor to deliver sixty minutes of work for every hour of pay. Next, our work should be as to Christ. These words show that there should be no real distinction between the secular and the sacred. All that we do should be for Himwith a view to pleasing and honoring Him and to attracting others to Him. The most menial and commonplace tasks in life are ennobled and dignified when they are done for the glory of God. Even washing dishes! That is why some Christian housewives have this motto over their kitchen sink: Divine service held here three times daily.6:6 We should always be diligent, not only when the boss is looking, but conscious that our Master is always looking.

It is a natural tendency to slack off when the employer is away, but it is a form of dishonesty. The Christian’s standards of performance should not vary according to the geographical location of the foreman. A customer once urged a Christian sales clerk to give him more than he was paying for, assuring him that his employer was not looking. The sales clerk replied, My Master is always looking! As servants of Christ, we should be doing the will of God from the heart, that is, with a sincere desire to please Him. Erdman says: Labor is immeasurably dignified by such considerations as these. The task of the humblest slave may be ennobled by being rendered in such a way as to please Christ, with such good will, with such hearty readiness and zeal, as to merit the approval of the Lord. 6:7 Then, too, we should serve with good will. Not with an outward display of compliance while we are inwardly seething with resentment, but cheerfully and willingly. Even if a master is overbearing, abusive, and unreasonable, our work can still be done as to the Lord and not to men. It is this type of supernatural behavior that speaks the loudest in the kind of world in which we live. 6:8 A great incentive to do all as if to Christ is the assurance that He will reward every such good work. Whether a person is a slave or free makes no difference. The Lord notes all the jobs, pleasant or disagreeable, that are done for Him, and He will reward each worker. Before leaving this section on slaves, some comments should be made:

1. The NT does not condemn slavery as such. In fact, it likens the true believer to a slave (bondservant) of Christ (v. 6). But the abuses of slavery have disappeared wherever the gospel has gonemainly by moral reformation.
2. The NT has more to say to slaves than it has to kings. This may be a reflection of the fact that not many wise, mighty, or noble are called (1Co_1:26). Probably most Christians are found in the lower economic and social brackets. The emphasis on slaves also shows that the most menial servants are not excluded from the choicest blessings of Christianity.
3. The effectiveness of these instructions to slaves is seen in the fact that in the early days of Christianity, Christian slaves frequently brought higher prices at the auction than heathen bondservants. It should be true today that Christian employees are worth more to their employers than those who have never been touched by the grace of God. 6:9 Masters should be guided by the same general principles as servants. They should be fair, kind, and honest. They should be particularly careful to refrain from abusive and threatening language. If they exercise discipline in this area, they will never have to resort to physical abuse of their servants. And they should always remember that they have a Master also, the same Master who is in heaven that the slave has. Earthly distinctions are leveled in the presence of the Lord. Both master and servant will one day give an account to Him.

Ephesians 6:10

E. Exhortations Concerning the Christian Warfare (6:10-20) 6:10 Paul is coming to the close of his Epistle. Addressing all the family of God, he makes a stirring appeal to them as soldiers of Christ. Every true child of God soon learns that the Christian life is a warfare. The hosts of Satan are committed to hinder and obstruct the work of Christ and to knock the individual soldier out of combat. The more effective a believer is for the Lord, the more he will experience the savage attacks of the enemy: the devil does not waste his ammunition on nominal Christians. In our own strength we are no match for the devil.

So the first preparatory command is that we should be continually strengthened in the Lord and in the boundless resources of His might. God’s best soldiers are those who are conscious of their own weakness and ineffectiveness, and who rely solely on Him. God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty (1Co_1:27 b). Our weakness commends itself to the power of His might. 6:11 The second command is concerned with the need for divine armor. The believer must put on the whole armor of God that he may be able to stand against the stratagems of the devil. It is necessary to be completely armed; one or two pieces will not do. Nothing less than the whole panoply which God provides will keep us invulnerable. The devil has various stratagemsdiscouragement, frustration, confusion, moral failure, and doctrinal error. He knows our weakest point and aims for it. If he cannot disable us by one method, he will try for another. 6:12 This warfare is not a matter of contending against godless philosophers, crafty priests, Christ-denying cultists, or infidel rulers. The battle is against demonic forces, against battalions of fallen angels, against evil spirits who wield tremendous power. Though we cannot see them, we are constantly surrounded by wicked spirit-beings. While it is true that they cannot indwell a true believer, they can oppress and harass him. The Christian should not be morbidly occupied with the subject of demonism; neither should he live in fear of demons. In the armor of God, he has all he needs to hold his ground against their onslaughts.

The apostle speaks of these fallen angels as principalities and powers, as rulers of the darkness of this age, and as spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. We do not have sufficient knowledge to distinguish between these; perhaps they refer to spirit-rulers with differing degrees of authority, such as presidents, governors, mayors, and aldermen, on the human scale. 6:13 As Paul wrote, he was probably guarded by a Roman soldier in full armor. Always quick to see spiritual lessons in the natural realm, he makes the application: we are flanked by formidable foes; we must take up the whole armor of God, that we may be able to withstand when the conflict reaches its fiercest intensity, and still be found standing when the smoke of battle has cleared away. The evil day probably refers to any time when the enemy comes against us like a flood. Satanic opposition seems to occur in waves, advancing and receding. Even after our Lord’s temptation in the wilderness, the devil left Him for a season (Luk_4:13). 6:14 The first piece of armor mentioned is the belt of truth. Certainly we must be faithful in holding the truth of God’s word, but it is also necessary for the truth to hold us. We must apply it to our daily lives. As we test everything by the truth, we find strength and protection in the combat. The second piece is the breastplate of righteousness. Every believer is clothed with the righteousness of God (2Co_5:21), but he must also manifest integrity and uprightness in his personal life. Someone has said, When a man is clothed in practical righteousness, he is impregnable. Words are no defense against accusation, but a good life is. If our conscience is void of offense toward God and man, the devil has nothing to shoot at. David put on the breastplate of righteousness in Psa_7:3-5. The Lord Jesus wore it at all times (Isa_59:17). 6:15 The soldier must have his feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace. This suggests a readiness to go out with the good news of peace, and therefore an invasion into enemy territory. When we relax in our tents, we are in deadly peril. Our safety is to be found in following the beautiful feet of the Savior on the mountains, bearing glad tidings and publishing peace (Isa_52:7; Rom_10:15). Take my feet and let them be Swift and beautiful for Thee Frances Ridley Havergal 6:16 In addition, the soldier must take the shield of faith so that when the fiery darts of the wicked one come zooming at him, they will hit the shield and fall harmlessly to the ground. Faith here is firm confidence in the Lord and in His word. When temptations burn, when circumstances are adverse, when doubts assail, when shipwreck threatens, faith looks up and says, I believe God.6:17 The helmet God provides is salvation (Isa_59:17). No matter how hot the battle, the Christian is not daunted, since he knows that ultimate victory is sure. Assurance of eventual deliverance preserves him from retreat or surrender. If God is for us, who can be against us? (Rom_8:31). Finally, the soldier takes the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. The classic illustration of this is our Lord’s use of this sword in His encounter with Satan. Three times He quoted the word of Godnot just random verses but the appropriate verses which the Holy Spirit gave Him for that occasion (Luk_4:1-13). The word of God here does not mean the whole Bible, but the particular portion of the Bible which best suits the occasion. David Watson says: God gives us all the protection that we need. We must see that there is a ring of truth about our walk with the Lord, that our lives are right (righteous) with God and with one another, that we seek to make peace wherever we go, that we lift up that shield of faith together to quench the flaming darts of the evil one, that we protect our minds from fears and anxieties that easily assail, and that we use God’s word to good effect in the power of the Spirit. Remember it was by the repeated sword thrusts of God’s word that Jesus overcame his adversary in the wilderness. 6:18 Prayer is not mentioned as a part of the armor; but we would not be overrating its importance if we say that it is the atmosphere in which the soldier must live and breathe. It is the spirit in which he must don the armor and face the foe. Prayer should be continual, not sporadic; a habit, not an isolated act. Then too the soldier should use all kinds of prayer: public and private; deliberate and spontaneous; supplication and intercession; confession and humiliation; praise and thanksgiving. And prayer should be in the Spirit, that is, inspired and led by Him. Formal prayers recited merely by rote (without giving thought to their meaning)of what value are they in combat against the hosts of hell? There must be vigilance in prayer: watchful to this end. We must watch against drowsiness, mind-wandering, and preoccupation with other things. Prayer requires spiritual keenness, alertness, and concentration. And there must be perseverance in prayer. We must keep on asking, seeking, knocking (Luk_11:9). Supplication should be made for all the saints. They are engaged in the conflict too, and need to be supported in prayer by their fellow soldiers. 6:19 Regarding Paul’s personal request, and for me, Blaikie remarks: Mark the unpriestly idea! So far from Paul having a store of grace for all the Ephesians, he needed their prayers that, out of the one living store, the needful grace might be given to him. Paul was writing from prison. Yet he did not ask prayer for his early release. Rather he asked for utterance in opening his mouth boldly to declare the mystery of the gospel. This is Paul’s final mention of the mystery in Ephesians. Here it is presented as the reason for his bonds. Yet he has no regrets. Quite the contrary! He wants to broadcast it more and more. 6:20 Ambassadors are generally granted diplomatic immunity from arrest and imprisonment. But men will tolerate almost anything better than they will tolerate the gospel. No other subject stirs such emotion, arouses such hostility and suspicion, and provokes such persecution. So Christ’s representative was an ambassador in chains. Eadie states it well: A legate from the mightiest Sovereignty, charged with an embassy of unparalleled nobleness and urgency, and bearing with him credentials of unmistakable authenticity, is detained in captivity. The particular part of Paul’s message that stirred the hostility of narrow religionists was the announcement that believing Jews and believing Gentiles are now formed into one new society, sharing equal privileges, and acknowledging Christ as Head.

Ephesians 6:21

F. Paul’s Personal Greetings (6:21-24) 6:21, 22 Paul was sending Tychicus from Rome to Ephesus to let the saints know how he was getting along. He commends Tychicus as a beloved brother and faithful minister (servant) in the Lord. There are only five references to this man in the NT. He was one of the party that traveled with Paul from Greece to Asia (Act_20:4). He was the apostle’s messenger to the Christians at Colosse (Col_4:7); to Ephesus (cf. 6:21 with 2Ti_4:12) and possibly to Titus in Crete (Tit_3:12). His twofold mission at this time was to inform the saints concerning Paul’s welfare in prison, and also to encourage their hearts, allaying any unnecessary fears. 6:23 In the closing verses, we have Paul’s characteristic greetingspeace and grace. In combining these two, he wishes for his readers the sum of all blessings. Also in combining the characteristic Jewish and Gentile words, he may be making a final veiled reference to the mystery of the gospelJew and Gentile now made one in Christ. In verse 23 he desires that his readers may have peace and love with faith. Peace would garrison their hearts in every circumstance of life. Love would enable them to worship God and work with one another. Faith would empower them for exploits in the Christian warfare. All these blessings come from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, a fact that would be impossible if They were not equal. 6:24 Finally the beloved apostle wishes grace for all those who love our Lord Jesus Christ with an incorruptible, sincere love. True Christian love has the quality of permanence: its flame may flicker and grow low at times, but it is never extinguished. The Roman prison has long since given up its noble inmate. The great apostle has entered into his reward and seen the face of his Beloved. But the Letter is still with usas fresh and alive as the day it came from his heart and pen. In the twentieth century it still speaks to us words of instruction, inspiration, conviction, and exhortation. In concluding our commentary on Ephesians we find ourselves in hearty agreement with the words of H. W. Webb-Peploe: There is perhaps no writing in the Book of God so majestic and so wonderful: and therefore, how impossible it is for any man, as a messenger even from God Himself, to do justice to it in the space allotted to us! I hope we may draw nigh to it, simply seeking for teachings upon holiness, teachings by which we may be sent forth to live a nobler and higher life than hitherto, and by which we may be enabled to glorify God.