Ephesians 6
BSASBPaul finishes his picture of Christian life by speaking to children and parents, then to slaves and masters, showing how Christ’s lordship reaches into the household and the workplace. He then turns to the unseen battle every believer faces and describes the armor God supplies. The letter closes with a request for prayer and a word of blessing.
Ephesians 6:1
Children are told to obey their parents. The words “in the Lord” mean this obedience is part of following Christ, not just family custom. Paul calls it “right” because it fits the way God made families to work. It is a way of honoring Him at home.
BSA: obey (“listen attentively”): Obedience begins with really listening, not just reacting to orders.
Greek: ὑπακούετε (hypakouete, G5219) — “listen under, obey.” The word pictures hearing something and then placing yourself under it. It is attentive listening that results in doing.
Ephesians 6:2-3
Paul quotes the fifth of the Ten Commandments. To honor parents is more than to obey. It means to value and respect them, and that stays true even for grown children. The promise is a good life under God’s blessing. Paul calls it the first commandment with a promise attached.
BSA: Honor (“show respect and value”): Honor means treating parents as people of real worth, not merely complying with them.
See also: Exodus 20:12; Deuteronomy 5:16.
Ephesians 6:4
Authority in the home carries duties. Fathers are warned not to exasperate their children by harshness, unfairness or constant nagging. They are to raise them with patient training and teaching that point to the Lord. Parenting is meant to lead children toward God, not to crush them.
BSA: provoke (“stir up, enrage”): Careless or harsh treatment can stir up lasting anger in a child.
Greek: παιδείᾳ (paideia, G3809) — “training, upbringing, discipline.” This is the word for the whole raising of a child, including guidance, correction and teaching. It is wider than punishment.
See also: Colossians 3:21.
Ephesians 6:5
Slavery was widespread in the Roman world, and many early believers were slaves. Paul does not praise the system here. He speaks to people living inside it and tells them to work with honest, undivided hearts. They are to treat their work as service to Christ Himself. That gives dignity to the humblest labor.
BSA: sincerity of heart (“singleness of your heart, openness”): Their service should be whole and undivided, with no hidden resentment or double motive.
Greek: ἁπλότητι (haplotēti, G572) — “singleness, simplicity.” The word describes a heart with one aim and no folds in it, with nothing hidden behind the service.
Ephesians 6:6
Real obedience does not depend on being watched. A slave who works hard only under the master’s eye is working for appearances. Paul says to see yourself as Christ’s servant, who does God’s will from the heart even when no one is looking.
BSA: servants (“slaves”): Paul sets their true ownership above any earthly master: they belong to Christ.
Greek: ὀφθαλμοδουλίαν (ophthalmodoulian, G3787) — “eye-service.” Paul seems to have coined this vivid word for work done only while an eye is on you.
Ephesians 6:7
Good will turns ordinary duty into worship. When the work is done for the Lord and not merely for people, even a hard or unfair situation becomes a place of service to God. It is cheerful, willing effort, not grudging effort.
BSA: good will (“enthusiasm, kindness”): The service is meant to come from a willing, kind spirit, not bare compliance.
Ephesians 6:8
No good deed goes unseen. A master may overlook or abuse a slave, but the Lord notices every kindness and faithful act and will repay it. In God’s eyes, social rank does not decide who is rewarded. Faithful work matters to Him.
See also: Colossians 3:23-24.
Ephesians 6:9
Masters are told to treat their slaves in the same spirit, with goodwill and without bullying. They too have a Master in heaven. He does not favor the powerful, and He will judge both groups by the same standard. This quietly undermines any claim that one person is worth more than another.
BSA: threats (“intimidation, violent words”): Ruling by fear is set aside; the powerful must not use their position to terrorize.
Greek: προσωπολημψία (prosōpolēmpsia, G4382) — “favoritism, literally receiving the face.” It means judging by outward appearance or status. God does not look at the face to decide how to treat a person.
See also: Colossians 4:1.
Ephesians 6:10
Paul now turns to the spiritual battle. The strength we need is not our own. It is the Lord’s strength, and we are told to draw on it. The believer does not face the enemy alone or in personal willpower.
BSA: mighty power (“strength, ability, divine energy”): The power available to us is God’s own active energy, not human effort.
Greek: ἐνδυναμοῦσθε (endynamousthe, G1743) — “be made strong, be empowered.” The form suggests receiving strength from another. We are strengthened by the Lord, not strong by ourselves.
Ephesians 6:11
God supplies a complete set of armor, and we are to put all of it on. The reason is that the devil is cunning. He does not only attack openly. He sets traps, lies and clever plans, and we need to be ready to stand against them.
BSA: schemes (“wiles, cunning plans, a plan or trick used to deceive”): The enemy works by deception and trickery, not only by force.
Greek: πανοπλίαν (panoplian, G3833) — “full armor, the complete gear of a soldier.” Our word panoply comes from it. It means every piece of equipment, with nothing left out.
Ephesians 6:12
The real enemy is not other people but unseen powers of evil. Human opponents may be used by them, but our fight is spiritual. This changes how we face conflict. We rely on spiritual weapons and do not hate the people who oppose us.
BSA: struggle (“wrestling, fight”): It is a close, personal contest, like a wrestling match, not a distant skirmish.
Greek: πάλη (palē, G3823) — “wrestling.” Wrestling is hand-to-hand and demands strength and balance. The picture is of a hard, close contest.
See also: 2 Corinthians 10:3-4.
Ephesians 6:13
Because the fight is real, we need all of God’s armor. “The day of evil” speaks of times when the pressure is at its worst. The aim is not to win ground by our own strength but to stay standing, still faithful, when the battle is over.
BSA: stand your ground (“resist, withstand”): Standing means holding firm against pressure, not retreating.
Ephesians 6:14
The Roman soldier’s belt held his clothing and gear in place so he could move freely. Truth does the same for us: God’s truth and our own honesty keep everything else steady. The breastplate of righteousness protects the heart, a life of right living with God.
BSA: truth (“reality, accuracy”): It is not only correct belief but living in line with what is real.
See also: Isaiah 11:5; Isaiah 59:17.
Ephesians 6:15
A soldier needs sound footing to stand and advance. Our footing is the good news of peace with God. Being ready to share it, and secure in it, keeps us steady when we are tested.
Greek: ἑτοιμασίᾳ (hetoimasia, G2091) — “readiness, preparation.” It speaks of a settled preparedness, like a soldier with his boots laced and ready to move.
See also: Isaiah 52:7.
Ephesians 6:16
Faith is the shield that stops the enemy’s burning arrows: accusations, doubts, temptations and fears that fly at us. The shield works by trust, by holding up confidence in God’s character and promises against every lie.
BSA: faith (“trust and confidence in God”): It is trust in God Himself, not just belief in a set of ideas.
Greek: θυρεόν (thyreon, G2375) — “large shield.” This was the big, door-shaped shield that covered the whole body. It points to faith covering all of us.
Ephesians 6:17
Salvation is the helmet that guards the mind. We can be sure of our rescue in Christ. The only weapon for attack is the sword of the Spirit, God’s word spoken with the Spirit’s power, as Jesus used Scripture when He was tempted.
BSA: sword (“a short sword or dagger, for spiritual battle”): It is a close-combat weapon, suited to the hand-to-hand fight Paul described.
Greek: ῥῆμα (rhēma, G4487) — “spoken word, utterance.” Paul uses the word for a word actually spoken. The picture is of God’s word applied to the moment.
See also: Hebrews 4:12; Matthew 4:4.
Ephesians 6:18
Prayer holds the whole armor together. We are to pray in the Spirit, at every opportunity and in many different ways, and to keep at it. And we are not to pray only for ourselves but for all believers everywhere.
BSA: stay alert (“be watchful, stay awake”): Prayer needs wakefulness, an awareness of the needs around us and the dangers of drifting.
Greek: ἀγρυπνοῦντες (agrypnountes, G69) — “being sleepless, keeping watch.” It describes a guard who stays awake on duty. Prayer is watchful work.
Ephesians 6:19
Even the apostle asks for prayer. He does not ask for freedom or comfort, but for the right words and the courage to speak. The gospel was once hidden and is now made known, and he wants to make it plain.
BSA: mystery (“a secret, hidden truth”): It is something once hidden that God has now opened up for all to know.
Greek: παρρησίᾳ (parrēsia, G3954) — “boldness, freedom of speech.” It means speaking out openly and without fear, holding nothing back.
Ephesians 6:20
An ambassador speaks for a king and is normally protected. Paul is an ambassador wearing chains, a striking contrast. Even in prison he asks not for release but for the courage to keep speaking.
BSA: ambassador (“representative, messenger”): He speaks with another’s authority and message, not his own.
Greek: πρεσβεύω (presbeuō, G4243) — “I serve as an ambassador.” It is the word for a king’s official envoy. Paul’s chains show how little the world honors Christ’s envoy.
See also: 2 Corinthians 5:20.
Ephesians 6:21-22
Tychicus carries this letter and will bring news of Paul. Paul calls him dear and faithful. His coming is meant to comfort and strengthen the readers’ hearts, since news of a friend in prison would otherwise worry them.
BSA: encourage (“comfort, strengthen”): The aim of his visit is to put heart into them, not just give information.
See also: Colossians 4:7-8.
Ephesians 6:23
Paul closes with a blessing. Peace and love with faith are gifts that come from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. They are not things we produce ourselves. God supplies what His people need to live together.
BSA: Peace (“harmony, prosperity, freedom from war”): It means wholeness and right relationship with God and one another, not just calm feelings.
Ephesians 6:24
The letter ends with grace for everyone who loves Christ with a love that does not fade. God’s favor rests on all who love Him, however weak, and their love is meant to last.
BSA: undying (“incorruptible”): It describes a love that does not decay or wear out.
Greek: ἀφθαρσίᾳ (aphtharsia, G861) — “incorruptibility, imperishability.” It describes something that cannot rot or spoil. The love Paul wishes for them is lasting.