Ephesians 6:19-20 says, And pray for me, too. Ask God to give me the right words so I can boldly explain God’s mysterious plan that the Good News is for Jews and Gentiles alike. I am in chains now, still preaching this message as God’s ambassador. So pray that I will keep on speaking boldly for him, as I should.
Paul was in prison for his faith when he wrote the book of Ephesians. He asked the believers to pray that he would have boldness and the words to say when he preached the Good News. They didn't have the New Testament, they were in the middle of living it and writing it. Paul knew that his words were important. He probably didn't know that we'd be reading them two thousand years later. We should pray for pastors, preachers, evangelists and missionaries - that they would have the words to say to share the Good News about Jesus effectively. We should pray that God will give us the right words to share the Good News too. We are all called to share the love of Jesus with those around us - so we're all evangelists.
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Ephesians 6:18 says, And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people. Paul says "And pray" to indicate that as well as putting on the armour of God, we should pray.
I don't know much about warfare, but I know that it's important to follow the commands of your leader. Prayer is how we communicate with our commander (God) and one of the ways he communicates with us. We should pray on all occasions - in the daytime and the night, when we're happy and when we're sad, when we are young and when we're old, when we're struggling and when we're thriving. We should pray with all kinds of prayers - private, communal, silent, out loud, prayers of thanks and prayers of request, prayers of praise and of crying out to God. We are also told to pray for God's people - they are our fellow soldiers in this spiritual battle. That doesn't mean that we shouldn't pray for non-Christians as well, but we should especially pray for other Christians because we are all in the same spiritual war. Ephesians 6:17 says, Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. The Sword of the Spirit is the Word of God, which is the Bible. When Jesus was tempted by Satan he quoted the Bible. Matthew 4:3-4 says, During that time the devil came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become loaves of bread.” But Jesus told him, “No! The Scriptures say, ‘People do not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God (which comes from Deuteronomy 8:3). Satan tempted Jesus twice more and he responded with Scripture.
Psalm 119:11 says, I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you. You can hide God's word in your heart by reading and studying it every day and memorising Bible verses. When you are tempted by Satan there will be a scripture to reinforce what God desires for your life, as opposed to what Satan is tempting you to do. Here are some examples of temptations and relevant Bible verses: Gossip - Titus 3:2 Lying - Proverbs 12:22 Pornography - Matthew 5:28 Selfishness - Philippians 2:3 Pride - Proverbs 16:18 Anger - Proverbs 29:11 Envy - James 3:16 Hate - Matthew 5:43-44 Drunkenness - Ephesians 5:18 Foul language - Ephesians 4:29 Ephesians 6:17 says, Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. You would be very foolish to go into battle without a helmet. Your brain controls your body, so if it gets damaged you're in real trouble. Your thoughts happen in your brain. Understanding that your hope is in the Lord guards you mind against the discouragement and deceptions of Satan. The Enduring Word Commentary says, "The helmet of salvation protects us against discouragement, against the desire to give up, giving us hope not only in knowing that we are saved, but that we will be saved. It is the assurance that God will triumph." Because we know that we are saved by grace, that Jesus is coming back, and that God is preparing a place in eternity for us, we don't get discouraged. The helmet of salvation is the hope of salvation. Do you feel hopeful and confident that God will be victorious in the end?
Ephesians 6:16 says, Hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil. Faith is a big deal - it's mentioned 458 times in the New International Version of the Bible. Hebrews 11:1 says, Faith means being sure of the things we hope for. And faith means knowing that something is real even if we do not see it. Faith is trusting in God and in his Word.
Your faith in God stops the fiery arrows of the devil. These arrows come in the form of temptations, fears, anxieties, feelings, and unhelpful thoughts. When these fiery arrows come your way, remember that they are lies and temptations from the devil. Remind yourself of God's truths about who you are in him and how he wants you to live. Ephesians 6:15 says, On your feet wear the Good News of peace to help you stand strong. The right footwear is very important when you go into battle. You need to be steady on your feet and be able to walk or run on rough terrain. You wouldn't go into battle wearing thongs or flip flops (depending on which part of the world you live).
The NIV says, with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. The Greek word for readiness translates as foundation. So this verse is saying the Good News about Jesus should be the foundation for your life and it will keep you steady. It will give you peace, joy, and hope in the face of difficult circumstances. Basing your life on anything else, such as money, success, happiness, is like wearing thongs or flip flops into battle. Ephesians 6:13 says, So put on God's armour now! Then when the evil day comes, you will be able to resist the enemy's attacks; and after fighting to the end, you will still hold your ground. God's spiritual armour helps us to stand firm to the very end. So, what is the armour of God?
Ephesians 6:14 says, So stand ready, with truth as a belt tight around your waist, with righteousness as your breastplate. Belt of truth - the basic truths of the faith hold everything else together. As a Christian, you need to know what you believe and why. These basic truths include things like:
Breastplate of righteousness - this is the righteousness that comes from God; forgiveness for sins because of the blood of Jesus. Because of this great gift, our lives should be characterised by holiness and integrity and everything that God approves of (think the fruit of the Spirit). Knowing who God says I am, affects everything I do and say. God's righteousness helps me to stand against the lies of the devil. Ephesians 6:11-12 says, Put on all the armour that God gives, so you can defend yourself against the devil's tricks. We are not fighting against humans. We are fighting against forces and authorities and against rulers of darkness and powers in the spiritual world.
Whether you like it or not, if you are a Christian, you are in a spiritual battle. The Enduring Word Bible Commentary says, You are in a spiritual battle. If you are ignorant or ignore that fact, you probably aren’t winning the battle. The forces, authorities, rulers of darkness and powers refer to Satan, his army and the darkness of sin. Here's what the Bible says about these dark forces: Jesus is above these dark forces - Ephesians 1:19-21 I want you to know about the great and mighty power that God has for us followers. It is the same wonderful power he used when he raised Christ from death and let him sit at his right side in heaven. There Christ rules over all forces, authorities, powers, and rulers. He rules over all beings in this world and will rule in the future world as well. They can't separate us from the love of Jesus - Romans 8:38 I am sure that nothing can separate us from God's love—not life or death, not angels or spirits, not the present or the future. Jesus defeated these powers at the cross - Colossians 2:15 There Christ defeated all powers and forces. Jesus will destroy these powers - 1 Corinthians 15:24 Then after Christ has destroyed all powers and forces, the end will come, and he will give the kingdom to God the Father. We don't have to fear these powers of darkness, but to win the battle we have to acknowledge it exists and put on the full armour of God. More on that in the next study. Ephesians 6:10 says, Be strong in the Lord and in his great power (International Children's Bible). In the Contemporary English Bible it is translated, Let the mighty strength of the Lord make you strong.
Paul implies that our strength comes from God, not from ourselves. This is such a comforting thought, because life is hard and I often don't feel strong enough to do it on my own. Here are some other verses about God making us strong. Psalm 28:7 The Lord is my strength and shield. I trusted him with all my heart. Isaiah 41:10 Don’t worry—I am with you. Don’t be afraid—I am your God. I will make you strong and help you. I will support you with my right hand that brings victory. 2 Corinthians 12:9 My grace is all you need, for my power is greatest when you are weak. The Bible is full of stories where God has strengthened ordinary people and enabled them to do extraordinary things: Noah built an ark for 100 years. Joseph was sold as a slave by his brother and was wrongly imprisoned for 14 years. Moses stood up to a harsh pharaoh and led the Israelites out of Egypt. Joshua led the Israelites into the Promised Land. Daniel was faithful to God, even when they put him in a lion's den. Paul wrote much of the New Testament while he was in prison. No matter what circumstances you are facing right now, God is with you and his Holy Spirit lives in you. He will strengthen you. Ephesians 6:5-8 says, Slaves, obey your human masters with fear and trembling; and do it with a sincere heart, as though you were serving Christ. Do this not only when they are watching you, because you want to gain their approval; but with all your heart do what God wants, as slaves of Christ. Do your work as slaves cheerfully, as though you served the Lord, and not merely human beings. Remember that the Lord will reward each of us, whether slave or free, for the good work we do.
Our work can be an act of worship if we do it as though we are working for God. Paul said that we should do the right thing at work, even when no one is looking. He also said we should have a cheerful attitude. We're not just representing ourselves and our boss, we're representing Jesus. It's a good witness of your faith when you work hard. And God rewards us for the good work we do. When you get a job, whether it is stacking shelves in a grocery store or selling burgers, work hard and have a good attitude. Work as though you are serving Jesus. |
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