Ephesians – Part 10

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Exhortation Regarding Relationship with God

In Ephesians 6:10-24, we are called to put on the Armor of God to stand firm against spiritual warfare. In your home, you may find the atmosphere tense or filled with conflict. This week, I challenge you to gather your family and have a discussion about the ‘spiritual battles’ you each are facing. Pray together for protection and wisdom, and encourage one another to stand firm. You might even create a family devotional that highlights each piece of armor – the belt of truth, breastplate of righteousness, and so forth – and how it relates to your family dynamics.

Spiritual Struggles

We are not struggling against human beings but against the unseen agents (Ephesians 1:20–23a) of the Adversary, Satan (Matityahu 4:1). This is why “the weapons we use to wage war are not worldly. On the contrary, they have God’s power for demolishing strongholds” of demonic spirits (2 Corinthians 2b–5). This description of the armor and weaponry that God provides confounds people who are used to fighting people by worldly methods and have no sensitivity to God’s methods, which are: truth, righteousness, readiness grounded in the Good News of shalom, trust, deliverance (or: “salvation”), the Word of God given by the Spirit, and prayers. Unbelievers taken aback by the apparent triumphalism of the song, “Onward, Christian Soldiers,” should understand that the “soldiers” in this song, that is, the Believers in Yeshua, are not fighting to force non-believers to convert, but to overcome demonic principalities and powers by God’s prescribed methods.

¹⁰ Finally, grow powerful in union with the Lord, in union with his mighty strength! ¹¹ Use all the armor and weaponry that God provides, so that you will be able to stand against the deceptive tactics of the Adversary. ¹² For we are not struggling against human beings, but against the rulers, authorities and cosmic powers governing this darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realm. ¹³ So take up every piece of war equipment God provides; so that when the evil day comes, you will be able to resist; and when the battle is won, you will still be standing. ¹⁴ Therefore, stand! Have the belt of truth buckled around your waist, put on righteousness for a breastplate, (Isaiah 11:5)

 

 

¹⁵ and wear on your feet the readiness that comes from the Good News of shalom. (Isaiah 52:7) ¹⁶ Always carry the shield of trust, with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the Evil One. ¹⁷ And take the helmet of deliverance; (Isaiah 59:17) along with the sword given by the Spirit, that is, the Word of God;

 

 

The offensive armor included only one weapon, a short sword used in close combat. The “sword” symbolized God’s word. Because of its design, content, and origin, God’s Word can be described as “trustworthy” (2 Timothy 2:11), “confirmed” (Hebrews 2:3; 2 Kefa 1:19), and “enduring forever” (1 Kefa 1:24–25).

Request For Prayer

¹⁸ as you pray at all times, with all kinds of prayers and requests, in the Spirit, vigilantly and persistently, for all God’s people. ¹⁹ And pray for me, too, that whenever I open my mouth, the words will be given to me to be bold in making known the secret of the Good News, ²⁰ for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may speak boldly, the way I should.

Each piece of armor must be put on carefully with prayer, drawing upon divine resources. This prayer is Spirit-energized, Spirit-enabled, and Spirit-directed. Praying in the Ruach is an admission of a Believer’s ignorance and dependence on God.

Further Report

²¹ Now, so that you may also be informed about how I am and what I am doing, Tychicus, the dear brother and a faithful worker for the Lord, will tell you everything. ²² This is the very reason I have sent him to you, so that you may know how we are getting along and so that he may comfort and encourage you.

Tychicus. A Believer from Asia Minor who accompanied Sha’ul to Yerushalayim (Acts 20:4). Sha’ul sent him to Ephesus with this letter (this verse and 2 Timothy 4:12) and the one to Colossae (Colossians 4:7) and perhaps to Titus in Crete (Titus 3:12).

²³ Shalom to the brothers. May God the Father and the Lord Yeshua the Messiah give you love and trust. ²⁴ Grace be to all who love our Lord Yeshua the Messiah with undying love. [1]

In our next post, we examine Sha’ul’s Letter to the Philippians.

Click here for the PDF version.

[1] Ephesians 6:10–24.