Ephesians 6

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Dave Burnette's Commentary

Ephesians Chapter 6

Written By: God through Inspiration

Penned By: Paul

Date Penned: (60 AD)

Overview: Paul Proclaiming Unity in the Body (c 1-6)

Theme: Unity in the Church (c 4-6)

Message: Fighting the Enemy (v 1-24)

Ephesians 6 Commentary

(6:1-4) Children and Parents - If our faith in Christ is real, it will usually prove itself at home, in our relationships with those who know us best. Children and parents have a responsibility to each other. The fact that Paul took the time to directly address those who were regarded by some as the “lower” and “less important” members of society (wives, children, and slaves) shows that he raised them to a level of importance and responsibility in the body of Christ. All Christians are to be responsible in their positions, living as Christ would have them live.

(6:5-9) Slaves and Masters - Slaves played a significant part in this society as well as in most societies of that day. No ancient government ever considered abolishing slavery as it was such an instrumental part of the Mediterranean economy. There were several million slaves in the Roman Empire at this time. People could become slaves by being born to a woman who was a slave, by being made a slave as punishment for a crime, by being kidnapped from another land, and by being conquered by another nation (slave dealers would buy captured prisoners and send them to the slave markets to be sold for a profit). Sometimes, however, parents would sell their children into slavery. And some would voluntarily become slaves in order to pay a debt. Usually those with financial means owned slaves. Slave owners had absolute power over their slaves.Because many slaves and owners had become Christians, the early church had to deal straightforwardly with the question of master/slave relations. Masters and slaves had to learn how to live together in Christian households. They were to be treated equally in the church. In Paul’s day, women, children, and slaves had few rights. In the church, however, they had freedoms that society denied them.

(6:10-20) The Whole Armor of God - In this letter, Paul explained the need for unity in the body of believers; here he further explained the need for that unity—there will be inevitable clashes with evil, and the church must be ready to stand and fight. In the Christian life, we battle against rulers and authorities (the powerful evil forces of fallen angels headed by Satan, who is a vicious fighter, see 1 Peter 5:8). To withstand their attacks, we must depend on God’s strength and use every piece of his armor. Paul was not only giving this counsel to the church, the body of Christ, but to all individuals within the church. The whole body needs to be armed. As you battle against evil, fight in the strength of the church, whose power comes from the Holy Spirit. What can your church do to be a Christian armory?

(6:21-24) Final Greetings - Paul closed this letter to the Ephesians and the surrounding churches by sending greetings from Rome and the Christians there. The Roman Christians and the Ephesian Christians were brothers and sisters because of their unity in Christ. Believers today are also linked to others across cultural, economic, and social barriers. All believers are one family in Christ Jesus.

Dave Burnette's Life Application
Put on the Armor

Each day we walk through the Bible chapter by chapter making an application of our text to help us grow in the Lord. Many applications can be made from each day's text. Today we continue in the book ofEphesians with Chapter 6 and in our text we see Paul finishing the letter to the Church on Ephesus with instruction for the family, those in authority, and facing the enemy with the whole armor of God. In making application we see that as Christians, we do face a battle everyday but our Lord will fight the enemy for us if we choose to put on the full armor of the Lord. How about you? Do you put on this armor before you start your day? Let us learn from our text today and the wisdom of Paul to put on the whole armor of the Lord, letting the Lord fight the enemy which will deliver victory in our lives.

Ephesians 6

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Ephesians 6

¹Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right.

²Honour thy father and mother; which is the first commandment with promise;

³That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth.

⁴And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.

⁵Servants, be obedient to them that are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in singleness of your heart, as unto Christ;

⁶Not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart;

⁷With good will doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men:

⁸Knowing that whatsoever good thing any man doeth, the same shall he receive of the Lord, whether he be bond or free.

⁹And, ye masters, do the same things unto them, forbearing threatening: knowing that your Master also is in heaven; neither is there respect of persons with him.

¹⁰Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.

¹¹Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.

¹²For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

¹³Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

¹⁴Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;

¹⁵And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;

¹⁶Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.

¹⁷And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:

¹⁸Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;

¹⁹And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel,

²⁰For which I am an ambassador in bonds: that therein I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.

²¹But that ye also may know my affairs, and how I do, Tychicus, a beloved brother and faithful minister in the Lord, shall make known to you all things:

²²Whom I have sent unto you for the same purpose, that ye might know our affairs, and that he might comfort your hearts.

²³Peace be to the brethren, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

²⁴Grace be with all them that love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity. Amen.

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