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Walk and Warfare - Ephesians 6

 Friday, August 21 –

We come to the end of another workweek and also the end of another of the New Testament’s letters.  This morning we finish by reading Ephesians 6:1 – 24.  Please read the passage first, and then come back, and we’ll walk through it one more time.


Paul continues, under the leading of the Holy Spirit, to point out how we should “walk” out our faith in practical ways of everyday life.  The practical aspects of “walking” where we understand the Lord’s will and do it under the leading of the Holy Spirit, submitting ourselves to Christ, and each other, includes everyday relationships.  First, it was marriage at the end of chapter 5, as we are called to love, respect, submit, and protect our marriage. 

Once again, a chapter division divides what is written together.  Having talked about our walk in Christ in marriage, we turn the page to discover there are two more common areas we also must walk out in faith:  Children and Parents, Servants, or workers, and their Masters, or bosses.  The fifth commandment of the ten commands was that children are admonished to honor their parents – “Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the LORD your God is giving you.” (Exodus 20:12).  As Paul writes, he adds to it – “Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. ‘Honor your father and mother’ (this is the first commandment with a promise), ‘that it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land.’” (6:1-3). 

Under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, Paul adds “in the Lord.”  It’s not the only time he has used those words in giving instructions.  When he wrote about marriage and divorce, as well as single versus married, or even widowed women, he had told the Corinthians that under certain situations, they were permitted to re-marry with the stipulation that it is “in the Lord.”  It might seem strange, but what is clear is that Paul is aware that many of the converts to Christ are coming from families that disapprove of their children’s decision to follow Christ.  Jesus, himself, had said that when he taught and people followed him, that it would at times, divide households.  It doesn’t mean children who came to Christ were free to disobey their non-believing parents.  Yet, it also didn’t mean they were free from their commitment to Christ as their Lord.  Given what Paul writes to the Colossians (3:20) about this, the principle seems to be that obedience to parents is the norm, and not obeying is the exception.  If a child is young, the law of God is definitely in effect. Paul reminds us that this commandment was the first one that carried a promise with it.  Yet, as a child grows older towards adulthood, while the respect, love, and honor of parents is not diminished, the decisions, regardless of pain or separation must be that obedience to Christ is first.  I speak as one who has had to walk this out, and the wisdom that is needed to do both is not always an easy tension to resolve. 

Parents, especially Fathers, have their own duty to walk out – “Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord” (6:4).  Paul reminds Christian men that their response to the new life in Christ is to be self-controlled, gentle, patient in teaching their children about the Lord.  Oh, that parents would remember this.  Paul wrote this in a culture that was largely devoid of Fatherly wisdom.  The Roman father was “pater familias,” the head of the household, and, as such, had autocratic authority over everything from property, to a slave, to wife and children.  Completely different was the Christian father in the Church of Jesus Christ.  The Christian Father is involved, attentive, always aware of the family’s needs – physically, emotionally, and spiritually.  The Christian Father is to nurture faith, not fear.  I can’t tell you different my experiences were in talking to young Christians who came from homes that didn’t care from homes that cared deeply about them.  A child who grows up in a home that has nurturing, training, love with boundaries (discipline), and instruction in the faith is sadly becoming more and more infrequent.

As a Pastor, let me add to the text three implications for you to think about:
1.  It may take a village to raise a kid, but it takes a church to give them a community of faith role models.  Expose your kids to bible teaching both in the home and in the church.  If you belong to a church that doesn’t teach the Scripture as the word of God, I will urge you to reconsider whether this will help your kids grow in their faith.  Also, honor those who are in the church. Yes, I know that not all people, or even pastors, will measure up, but it doesn’t mean you should model gossip and slander. Speak well of those in leadership, and when you are not in agreement, demonstrate to your kids how to talk to the leaders about it and to pray for them.

2.  The Gospel is the message of salvation, and your kids need that too.  All too often, parents forget that their children are also “sinners” in need of “grace through faith” conversion.  I never had to ask my kids whether or not they had given their lives to Christ, because we talked about it, and they heard me preach on it, in general.  They all gave their lives to Christ personally at different times, different ages, and in different ways. 

3.  God is the source of wisdom, and his ways are true and good.  Keep pointing your kids back to God’s word, pray for them daily, show them how you obey Christ, and demonstrate your own love for God in both receiving grace and asking forgiveness for your own sins.  Some of the greatest moments of parenting come when a Father, or Mother, will look at a child and say, “I was wrong…please forgive me.”

The life of walking in the faith of Christ also includes our jobs and our roles as bosses.  Paul in 6:5-9, reminds “servants” to do their work as “servants of Christ” (5:6), with the added promise that “whatever good anyone does, this he will receive back from the Lord, whether he is a bondservant or is free” (6:8). Likewise, those who are the “Masters,” i.e., the “Boss,” must also know that their ultimate service is to Christ Jesus – their boss!

Finally, Paul reminds us that our invisible enemy – Satan will oppose this walk of faith in Christ.  Therefore, we must – “Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.  For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.  Therefore, take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm” (6:11-13). 
Our walk of faith in Christ has a foreboding enemy who will fight us every day in every way.  Satan has a host of his own “forces of evil.”  We cannot see them, but the reality is they are always seeking to create trouble for us.  Chuck Swindoll quotes from another author – “Kent Hughes has said it best in two sentences from his book on Ephesians: "Satan has no conscience, no compassion, no remorse, no morals. He feeds on pain and anguish and filth".[1]
Paul exhorts us “to stand against the schemes of the devil” (6:11)…and says it again, “stand firm (6:13).  How do we learn to stand against the enemy’s schemes and see what is going on?  The armor we are to put on mirrors the armor of a Roman soldier in Paul’s day.  Paul uses the armor as metaphors for Spiritual graces that protect us. 
A belt of Truth is the revealed truth that comes from God’s word (cf. John 17:17).  
A breastplate of righteousness is the free gift of God’s grace that comes through faith in Jesus Christ and bestows His righteousness to us. (cf. Romans 3:
22).  
Shoes of the Gospel of peace come from the prophet Isaiah (52:7).  It was Martin Luther who reminded his students and church to keep the Gospel always in the heart and mind as it serves to protect us from the assaults of the enemy.
The shield of faith serves to remind us that when the enemy throws at us his “fiery darts,” we respond with trusting faith.  What are these fiery darts?  He throws at us doubt, discouragement, hopelessness, depression, and a host of other negative things. 
The helmet of salvation is our assurance that we belong to Christ and God will protect us from the present into eternity.  Assurance of our salvation is our protection from the enemy’s assaults of condemnation against us. 
Lastly, the sword of the spirit, which is the word of God.  It is the only offensive piece of armor – the others are all defensive.  “Word” is the Greek word, “Rhema.”  Rhema is a spoken, now, word.  It is a word that comes to us as we face the enemy’s assaults – a verse of Scripture, or a message we heard, or a friend’s phone call, or an email with an encouragement.  Rhema is a word needed now!  When the devil tempted Jesus, he responded by quoting Deuteronomy - "Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word [rhēma] that proceeds out of the mouth of God" (Matt. 4:4).  If there is one verse that reminds us of the importance of reading God’s word, meditating upon it, and even memorizing it, this verse in Ephesians 6:17 is it. 

Paul adds another important thing, even though he doesn’t include it as a piece of armor – prayer. “praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints,  and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel,  for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak” (6:18-20).
As Paul sat in his prison cell, he had no idea if God was going to get him out or let him stay there until his execution.  Yet there is no despair in his writing.  He wants to proclaim the Gospel no matter where he is residing.  After referring to Tychicus as the one who carried the letter to them, he closes with a goodbye benediction – “Peace be to the brothers, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.  Grace be with all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with love incorruptible” (6:23-24).

Paul has made this letter into both theology and practice.  We learn the truth in the first three chapters, and we live out the truth in everyday life in the last three chapters.  It is a beautiful letter and captures the heart of what a Christian believes and what a Christian values.  I think of these two essentials – doctrine and duty – as two railroad tracks that are perfectly in sync with each other.  Doctrine is essential, but so also is doing it.  Talk, and walk it out…what we believe, live it!

Peace


[1] Chuck Swindoll's Living Insights New Testament Commentary - Galatians, Ephesians, page 303.  Quoting from R. Kent Hughes, Ephesians, page 216.

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