Read Chapter 6

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ephesians+6&version=NIV


6:1–4 Obedience to parents can amount to obedience to God (Exod. 20:12; cf. also Deut. 5:16). A child’s obedience led to a long life. This was especially true in the Old Testament where disobedience leads to death (Exod. 21:15, 17). Paul also described the father’s proper relationship to his children (6:4). Fathers are to be gentle and patient like the Lord and are to avoid provoking their children.

6:5–9 The Bible does not advocate slavery but rather assumes it as part of the cultural setting. Slavery was not instituted by God but by sinful and fallen man. What God does through his word is to regulate this evil until such a time as it is recognized as morally wrong and is changed. What Paul emphasized is one’s perspective on slavery (cf. Gal. 3:28; 1 Cor. 7:20–23). Paul’s word of admonition to the masters is like his word to fathers in Ephesians 6:4. Paul added a command for seeing the position of master in perspective. Paul reminded them that slave and slave owner alike are servants to the Master in heaven.

6:10–12 What kind of armor is available to protect believers from the evil in this world? (cf. 6:14–20). The armor comes from the Lord’s mighty power (6:10). Paul called believers to arms so that they would be able to stand firm against the attacks of the devil. The God who calls believers to receive blessings in the “heavenly realms” (cf. 1:3) also provides armor for the struggle with evil in that same realm.

6:13–20 Note the pervasive use of the Old Testament throughout this section: Isaiah 11:5 and 59:17 in 6:14; Isaiah 52:7 in 6:15; Psalm 7:10, 13 in 6:16; Isaiah 59:17 in 6:17; and Isaiah 49:2 in 6:17. These passages speak of God’s great and promised redemption through his Messiah. The armor of God is not something the believers put on to fight on their own. The armor is Christ himself. Putting on the armor is equivalent to putting on Christ. The power of Christ is sufficient to stand against all evil and temptation that a believer will encounter.

Paul wrote this letter from Rome where he was under the custody of Roman soldiers (cf. Acts 28:16). Knowing that his readers would be familiar with the dress and armor of Roman soldiers, Paul used this imagery to communicate a spiritual message. Roman soldiers used a sturdy belt (6:14) to fasten their sword to their body. A soldier girded in such a manner would be recognized as being on active duty. Paul wanted believers to gird themselves with “truth,” the foundation for all spiritual activity.
The soldier’s body armor (6:14), made of bronze scales or plates sewn on leather, protected his front and sometimes his back. Paul exhorted believers to find their protection in righteousness.
Roman soldiers prepared for battle by putting on shoes that had short nails in their soles (6:15). These enabled them to stand firm and avoid slipping on the ground. Paul wanted believers to prepare themselves for spiritual battle with the gospel of peace. The Old Testament allusion is to Isaiah 52:7.
Two types of shields were used by Roman soldiers: a large shield that protected the whole body and was carried by the infantry, and a smaller shield, made of wood overlaid with leather, which was carried by the archers (6:16). Paul wanted the believers to take up the shield that consists of faith.

In 6:17 Paul quoted Isaiah 59:17. The soldier’s helmet, made of metal or leather, was designed to protect his head, the most vital part of the body. The helmet of “salvation” is the helmet that consists of salvation and protects the believer’s spiritual destiny. The sword, a two-foot, double-edged blade, was the soldier’s most important weapon. He was trained to stab instead of swing and cut. The “sword of the Spirit” is the only offensive weapon mentioned. It is supplied by the Holy Spirit and is identified as the utterance or spoken word of God (cf. Heb. 4:12). Although Paul was under house arrest during his Roman imprisonment (Acts 28:16), he was probably chained to a Roman soldier and had these images before him as he wrote this letter (Acts 28:20).

6:21–22 Tychicus apparently carried the letter to the readers in Ephesus and Asia Minor for Paul (6:21; Col. 4:7). Paul’s report as to how he was doing was linked to his situation as “God’s ambassador” in “chains” (3:1; 4:1; 6:20). Paul, who was in a situation that most would consider difficult, was sending a letter and messenger to bring encouragement and comfort to the Ephesian Christians.

Discussion and reflection
What piece of armor do you/we need the most in our lives right now?