Ephesians 6:10-24

Notes compiled from my BSF group


Ephesians 6:10-24
Bottom line: This passage is about the Armor of God. I have previously blogged about this in the following posts:

http://aletheia-seekers.blogspot.com/2012/01/spiritual-warfare-and-armor-of-god.html
http://aletheia-seekers.blogspot.com/2009/12/091231-armor-of-god.html


Paul was a Roman, and so he structured the Armor of God based on the defensive and offensive components of a Roman guard's armor. Just like a soldier never enters a battlefield without making sure his armor is in tip-top shape, we, too, should never enter a spiritual battlefield without making sure our Armor of God is in tip-top shape. How do we do that? The above two links provide some ideas. But briefly, when we learn what each component of the Armor of God is, we gain a better idea of how to make sure we fix any chink in our armor.


The Christian battlefield is the spiritual warfare against Satan. We are constantly fighting because Satan never stops his deceptions. And every time we enter the battlefield, we need to fix our armor before we head back out again. It is critical to keep this armor in top shape because any foothold Satan can get a grip on us, he will take full advantage of it and use it against us.


The full Armor of God is our best defensive and offensive weapon against Satan. When it is well-kept, there is no way Satan can ever get through and harm us.




Ephesians 6:10–13

Satan is deceptive, but we are also sinful in nature.
Normally, when I run into questions that steer us away from the bottom line of the study, I don't post them, because I think those questions are best discussed in a small group. However, because the following is a pretty critical issue, I will therefore address it here. Question 4 of this session's BSF study asks, "Name some of the schemes of the devil from the following verses:
Genesis 3:1–5
2 Samuel 11:1–4
Daniel 4:28–30, 37
Matthew 4:1–11


The simple answers are easy enough to get, so I won't elaborate on them here. Instead, I would like to make it clear that Satan does one thing only, and he does it extremely well: He deceives. Everything else that he does (such as manipulation), he does successfully because of he is the Master of Deception. This is why we need to be aware of his tactics, be on-guard, and not fall prey to his deception.


It is true that Satan is constantly trying to pull us away from God and put stumbling blocks in front of us so that we may fall and blame God for not helping us. However, we also need to be aware that we may be our own enemies sometimes. For example, there is nothing in verse 2 Samuel 11:1-4 or Daniel 4:28-30, 37 that specifically say the people sinned because they were under the influence of Satan.


My point is, we need to be truthful with ourselves and own up to our own sin if we're the ones who need to repent. We can't just go and blame Satan for everything bad that we do. The reason is simple: If we are the problem, but we blame Satan instead, we will never repent, because we do not think we are inherently wrong. And because we never repent, the problem will never be solved and will just keep repeating itself. Conversely, if Satan is the problem, but we keep blaming ourselves, we can't solve the problem either! We can still repent of our sin, but after a certain point, we need to do more than repent. We need to ask God to step in and help us! If we are not honest with ourselves, we cannot correctly identify the ROOT of the problem. And if we cannot identify the root of the problem, then we cannot determine what is the correct solution.


We need to respect Satan as an enemy force, but we do not need to fear it.


1 John 4:4
You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.


When we have God in us, we have no fear, because God is greater than Satan, who is of this world. Although we have no need to fear, we should still respect Satan as a formidable enemy. This means we should never underestimate Satan, because when we do, we let our guard down, and give him an opening to take advantage of us.


The idea is simple. Any soldier, no matter how invincible, would crumble under any attack if he steps out on the battlefield with defective armor. Similarly, we don't need to fear Satan, because we have God on our side. BECAUSE WE HAVE GOD ON OUR SIDE. This means, when we put on our WELL-MAINTAINED Armor of God, we can march out confidently that Satan will not win. If we go out based on our own means, I do not think we would fare so well.



Zondervan NIV footnote:


* 6:10-20 Paul's scope in Ephesians has been cosmic. From the very beginning he has drawn attention to the unseen world (see note on 1:3; see also 1:10, 20-23; 2:6; 6:10), and now he describes the spiritual battle that takes place against evil "in the heavenly realms" (v. 12).


* 6:10 strong ... power. Implies that human effort is inadequate but God's power is invincible.

* Genesis 3:5 God knows. Satan accuses God of having unworthy motives. In Job 1:9-11; 2:4-5 he accuses righteous Job of the same. your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God. The statement is only half true. Their eyes were opened, to be sure (see v. 7), but the result was quite different from what the serpent had promised. knowing good and evil. See note on 2:9.


* 2 Samuel 11:1-27 This detailed account of David's sin has as its foil the story of how David came to receive Nabal's wife Abigail as his wife (1 Sa 25). There the Lord removes the husband because of his disdain for the Lord's anointed, and Abigail comes to David as the one who has prevented him from using his incipient royal power for personal ends. Here David abuses his royal power to obtain the wife of another whom he callously removes by royal manipulation of events. David commits the great sin of those entrusted by God with power - using it for personal ends. Contrast what David's greatest Son said about his own ministry (Mk 10:45).


* 2 Samuel 11:4 David sent messengers to get her. Through this and subsequent actions David broke the sixth, seventh and tenth commandments (Ex 20:13-14, 17). She came to him, and he slept with her. Bathsheba appears to have been an unprotesting partner in his adulterous relationship with David. (She had purified herself from her uncleanness.) The purpose of this statement is to indicate Bathsheba's condition at the time of her sexual relations with David. She had just become ceremonially clean (Lev 15:28-30) after the seven-day period of monthly impurity due to menstruation (Lev 15:19). It is thus clear that she was not already pregnant by her own husband when David took her.
Matthew 4:1 led by the Spirit ... to be tempted. This testing of Jesus (the Greek verb translated "tempted" can also be rendered "tested"), which was divinely intended, has as its primary background Dt 8:1-5, from which Jesus also quotes in his first reply to the devil (see v. 4 and NIV text note). There Moses recalls how the Lord led the Israelites in the desert 40 years "to humble you and test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commands" (Dt 8:2). Here at the beginning of his ministry Jesus is subjected to a similar test and shows himself to be the true Israelite who lives "on every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD" (Dt 8:3). And whereas Adam failed the great test and plunged the whole race into sin (Ge 3), Jesus was faithful and thus demonstrated his qualification to become the Savior of all who receive him. It was, moreover, important that Jesus be tested/tempted as Israel and we are, so that he could become our "merciful and faithful high priest" (Heb 2:17, see not there) and thus be "able to help those who are being tempted" (Heb 2:18; see Heb 4:15-16). Finally, as the one who remained faithful in temptation he became the model for all believers when they are tempted. by the devil. God surely tests his people, but it is the devil who tempts to evil (see notes on Ge 22:1; Jas 1:13; see also 1Jn 3:8; Rev 2:9-10 and notes; Rev 12:9-10). Like the Hebrew for "Satan," the Greek for "devil" means "accuser" or "slanderer." The devil is a personal being, not a mere force or influence. He is the great archenemy of God and the leader of the hosts of darkness.




Ephesians 6:14–18
Isaiah 11:5; 52:7; 59:17
1 Thessalonians 5:8


The components of the Armor of God are...
Belt of Truth: Know God’s word
Breastplate of Righteousness: Follow God’s Word
Footwear of Readiness: Understand the Gospel
Shield of Faith: Place all our trust in God; have no doubt
Helmet of Salvation: Be sealed by the Holy Spirit
Sword of Spirit: Be filled with the Spirit


All these items, except the Sword of Spirit, are considered DEFENSIVE components. Now, I have no evidence for this, so the following is just my opinion. I believe this is because we are not the ones who will defeat Satan. Revelation makes it very clear that God is the one who throws Satan into the lake of fire. We are, however, equipped with a robust collection of defensive weapons that we can use to fend off Satanic attacks.


The general idea here is holding fast to God's Word as the Truth, and living out God's Word as righteousness protects the most important body parts (chest, thorax, groins). When we are ready to speak the Gospel, we are agile and can maneuver and guide ourselves out of trouble. Shield of Faith stresses the importance of our faith. If a shield is cracked, it is ineffective. Similarly, when we doubt and do not stand strong in our faith, we cannot withstand external pressure when we are out there on the spiritual battleground. Faith is therefore so, so, so critical! As a Roman soldier would carefully tend to his shield before he goes to war, we, too, should mend our shield. If we have doubts, we should speak to church leaders/elders and discover why. We need to make sure we can stand strong in our faith so that when we are put to the test, we can remain standing. Lastly, Helmet of Salvation is pretty straightforward. Once we choose to follow Jesus, the Holy Spirit anoints us and seals our salvation in Jesus. Just like how a helmet protects the brain, so, too, does the Holy Spirit protect our soul, guiding our thoughts and actions.


Our obvious offensive weapon is the Sword of Spirit. As opposed to think of it as an attack weapon, think of it as our driving force to accomplish God's Will. When we are filled with the spirit, we are acting on behalf of God, and therefore anything we do, we are guaranteed success. We can cut through any resistance, any difficulties, because when God wants something done, that something gets done.


The Word of God is not only a defensive weapon but also an offensive one. When false prophets spew out lies, the Word of God guards our mind against those lies. When we speak the Word of Guard, we chase out the sinful nature of those who are still prey to Satan's deceptions.


Prayers, too, can be seen as an offensive weapon. When we pray with God’s Will in mind, we know our prayer will be answered (1 John 5:14-15).



Excerpt from Learn the Bible in 24 Hours by Dr. Chuck Missler:


The Armor of God


Another key topic Paul wrote to the Ephesians about was the cosmic warfare we are all engaged in.


For 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.


Those last phrases in Greek mean ranks of angels. Paul didn't have in view a battle with leaders of an administration we might disagree with, or the promoter of paganism in our culture, etc. Our real warfare is not with flesh and blood, but with ranks of angels, powerful beings who serve the power of darkness.


Paul gave us our imperative (this is not optional): Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. Paul then detailed seven key elements of our spiritual armor. And when should we put on the armor? Before the battle begins; yet the battle has already started and we are already on enemy turf. It's time we put on our armor. We should be girded with truth. We must have the breastplate of righteousness. Our feet must be shod with preparation of the gospel of peace. Our shield of faith must be intact. We must have our helmet of salvation. We have the sword of the Spirit. And the have artillery - prayer!
Each of these elements deserve careful study and preparation.


Zondervan NIV footnote:


* Eph 6:14 belt of truth. Cf. the symbolic clothing of the Messiah in Isa 11:5. Character, not brute force, wins the battle, just as in the case of the Messiah. breastplate of righteousness. Here again, the warriors' character is their defense. God himself is symbolically described as putting on a breastplate of righteousness when he goes forth to bring about justice (see Isa 59:1 and note).


* Eph 6:15 feet fitted with the readiness. Whereas the description of the messenger's feet in Isa 52:7 reflects the custom of running barefooted, here the message of the gospel is picturesquely connected with the protective and supportive footgear of the Roman soldier. gospel of peace. An expression found only here in the Bible (cf. 2:14-16; Ro 5:1 and note).


* Eph 6:16 shield of faith ... extinguish ... flaming arrows. Describes the large Roman shield covered with leather, which could be soaked in water and used to put out flame-tipped arrows.


* Eph 6:17-18 sword of the Spirit ... pray in the Spirit. Reminders that the battle is spiritual and must be fought in God's strength, depending on the word and on God through prayer.


* Eph 6:17 helmet of salvation. Isa 59:17 has similar language, along with the breastplate imagery (see note on v. 14). The helmet protected the soldier, and under certain circumstances, helmets provided a striking symbol of military victory.


http://www.gci.org/bible/eph13
The Call to Armor in Christ: Ephesians
Ephesians 6:10-24


Key text: “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes” (Ephesians 6:10-11).


Lesson objective: To understand that believers are not left defenseless in this world against attacks from evil and hostile spiritual forces, but that every believer is commanded to wage spiritual warfare dressed in full spiritual battle attire.


Introduction:The free world is continually at war against hostile forces seeking political power and even world domination. Freedom-fighting forces are on search and destroy missions in order to curtail and squash the best-laid plans of dictators and terrorist organizations. But where one enemy outpost is crushed in one part of the world, behold, another lifts its ugly head in another. It’s like firefighters chasing arson fires all over the city — as soon as they put one fire out, three more rise up. Of course, freedom-fighting forces could just give up and say: it’s not worth it! However, the consequences would be more horrendous than the present solution! It would be like the fire department saying:let the arsonists have their way and let the whole city burn down!


To prevent the forces of chaos from reigning, nations need military power capable of defense and offense. A state of readiness, with the best technology available in strategic weapons, makes for a good strike force at a moment’s notice. Although our technology is new, the lessons of readiness are as old as Rome! The ancient world depended on it for its survival! Rome had conquered the world of its time by this very method. It took five years just to train one Roman legion in the logistics and art of war. No wonder Rome ruled the world!


Paul was a prisoner in Rome when he penned Ephesians, and he was accustomed to being chained to Roman soldiers. He even converted some of them to Christ! Paul knew of a greater battle taking place, not in the battlefield of flesh and blood but in the spiritual realm of evil adversaries (6:10-12). This is the most dangerous and deadliest battle of all. It’s a fight to the finish with the believer standing on solid ground, but on the edge of the slippery slope of temptation’s beckoning. Christians must hold their ground and not give an inch!


The good news is that the war was won at the cross of Calvary. But that does not mean that believers are completely out of harm’s way — the battles must still be fought. Believers have every assurance that they will prevail, but at the same time believers are warned that they still have a fierce fight on their hands!


Paul, Christ’s ambassador in chains, gives a stern warning and an imperative to put on thepanoply of God (vv. 13-17). Panoply (Gr. panoplian) refers to the whole or complete battle dress, including every piece of armor that goes with it — the whole outfit! Paul had seen the Roman soldiers dressed in their full battle gear as they guarded him. If this was true in the material world, how much more important is a constant state of readiness in the spiritual world! Every believer, in order to be spiritually effective, must put on the complete outfit of spiritual armor that God has provided. Christians are to be dressed and constantly vigilant with truth, righteousness, gospel, faith, salvation and the word of God. With the full armor of God we are to hold our ground, defeat the evil spiritual forces of the enemy, and watch and pray (vv. 18-24). Amen.




Applications of Putting on the Armor of God:

- The righteous shall live by faith (Isaiah 11:5, Habakkuk 2:4)
- Proclaim the gospel (the good news!) to the ends of the world (Isaiah 52:7, Acts 1:8)
- Fight for justice (Isaiah 59:17)
- Have faith, hope love


The Word of God is living and effective and sharper than any double-edged sword, penetrating as far as to divide soul, spirit, joints and marrow; it is a judge of the ideas and thoughts of the heart (Hebrews 4:12).


Pray constantly (1 Thessalonians 5:17). Don't worry about anything, but in everything through, prayer and petition with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God (Philippians 4:6). Now this is the confidence we have before Him: whenever we ask anything according to His will, He hears us (1 John 5:14). And if we know that He hears whatever we ask, we know that we have what we have asked Him for (1 John 5:15).




Ephesians 6:18
Paul warns us to always be alert, to never become complacent, because Satan never rests. When we are not alert, Satan will catch us with our guard down and easily overcome us.



Be alert = be vigil, be watchful
Beware of false teachers (Eph 4:14-16, Eph 5:6-7).
Don't get drunk with wine, which leads to reckless actions, but be filled with the Spirit (Eph 5:18).




Ephesians 6:19–24
Paul prayed that he could speak bravely, that he could preach the Gospel and reveal its mystery fearlessly. As disciples of Jesus, we, too, should pray similar prayers.


It is extremely important to share the Gospel with the world because 1) this was the one and only mission Jesus gave to His disciples before He ascended into Heaven (Acts 1). Also, 2) If people don't hear the Gospel, they live without knowing the truth and live blinded to the bigger picture.


There is a spiritual war going on because Satan wants to be worshiped. He is fighting God for souls. This is the big picture.


If people do not understand that there is a war between God and Satan, they won’t know anything about the significance of their souls. If they don’t understand the significance of their souls, they won’t understand the significance of Jesus washing our souls clean of sin. If they don’t know about salvation through Jesus Christ alone, then they won’t seek redemption through Jesus. And if they don’t understand that through Jesus, sin can be forgiven, which would allow us to be reconciled eternally with God, they will be cast in to Hell along with Satan. The beginning of repentance and the forgiveness of sin all begins with people hearing the Gospel. This is why sharing the Gospel is so important!




Overall Summary

Eph 1: God has a plan for each of us, and He does not back away from His promises.
Eph 2: God is our Creator; His love for us is shown by the ultimate sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross for our sins.
Eph 3: God's Grace is amazing.
Eph 4: God is the truth and the light.
Eph 5: God is love.
Eph 6: God is mighty.