Ephesians 6:10-20 - Preparing for Spiritual Battle
6:10Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his power;11put on the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil, 12for our struggle is not against blood and flesh, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. 13Therefore take up the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to withstand on that evil day, and having prevailed against everything, to stand firm. 14Stand, therefore, and belt your waist with truth and put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15and lace up your sandals in preparation for the gospel of peace. 16With all of these, take the shield of faith, with which you will be able to quench all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17Take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 18Pray in the Spirit at all times in every prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert and always persevere in supplication for all the saints.19Pray also for me, so that when I speak, a message may be given to me to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel, 20for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it boldly, as I must speak.
What is an Epistle? Twenty of the twenty-seven books in the New Testament are called Epistles. Epistles are simply letters written by one or more leaders of the early Christian movement to instruct and encourage the new, and often struggling, churches in and around the Mediterranean basin. A number of the letters, for example I and II Corinthians, deal with specific problems that had arisen in the churches. These early conflicts posed a great threat to the consolidation and expansion of the Gospel and had to be dealt with forthrightly. Others of the letters are more general in tone and were often circulated in the house churches and read almost as sermons.
What about Ephesians? This letter has been described in many ways. William Barclay calls it “the Queen of Epistles”. Others have called it “the Switzerland of the New Testament” and the “divinest composition of man”. It is general in tone, although probably originally intended to begin its circulation in Ephesus, a beautiful seaport town in what is now Turkey. Ephesians is closely related to Colossians and contains many of the same themes. Some scholars believe that Ephesians is actually a careful commentary on the letter to the Colossians.
The location: Ephesus was the capital of the Roman Province of Asia. It was situated on the West coast of Asia Minor near the modern city of Izmir, Turkey on the Aegean Sea. It had a fine natural harbor and was a center for trade. It, like Corinth, was large, prosperous and diverse. There was a large arena capable of seating 50,000 and a stadium for fights, races and athletic contests. It was the location of the Temple of Artemis, considered one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.
The situation: Paul visited Ephesus twice, once for a brief visit and later for a stay of more than two years. His ministry was both fruitful and controversial. He was thrown out of the synagogue after only 3 months. He probably worked as a tentmaker in the mornings and lectured in the afternoons. Many reported healings and exorcisms. Pagan converts burned their magic books and eventually a riot broke out over Paul and his work. A wealthy silversmith named Demetrius, organized a city wide protest claiming that Paul threatened the economic viability of the city which was dependent on the many artisans who earned their living from the worshippers of Artemis. Paul was essentially run out of town and never returned. However, the church was firmly established. Tradition has it that Ephesus was where John the Apostle spent his last days as the much beloved Bishop of an often troubled church.
The author: Scholars disagree as to whether this letter was actually written by Paul or by a disciple in Paul’s name.
What is the major point? Ephesians describes the reconciling work of God in Christ Jesus that unifies all of the people of earth, subdues the hostile cosmic powers and is the one through which a new humanity and new society are created. It is a letter about enemies becoming friends in the power of Christ. It is especially poignant to be reading from Ephesians in the midst of the divisiveness of our time when grace is so little understood and rarely offered. The passage before us today forms the ending of this beautiful letter. He began by focusing his reader on the beauties of the heavenly realm. Now he ends by reminding us that, while God’s children have blessings in store, there is still a battle to be fought here on earth with the powers of evil. Even though those powers have ultimately been defeated by Christ on the cross, we believers still have work to do to resist the powers of darkness and be prepared for the inevitable spiritual warfare that occurs when entrenched selfish powers topple. The important point here is that we are prepared. We have been given every needed tool. We simply need to engage.
Word Study
Vs. 10 – finally – This word can be understood in two ways. Obviously, it indicates that the author is introducing his last teaching element and coming to the end of his letter. Another possibility exists as well. In many of the most ancient manuscripts of this letter there is a variant that means something like ‘in the remaining time.’ If that is the case then the author is encouraging people for the spiritual battle that will occur in the time between the resurrection and the fulfillment of the age.
Be strong … strength of his power – The author uses the same three words here that he did in 1:19. These words indicate a power beyond a person’s own abilities and skills. It is a can do kind of power that can only come from Christ’s indwelling presence.
Vs. 11 – put on – this word indicates that one must actively choose to access the powerful armor of God. It cannot be passively employed.
Whole armor – (panoplia) the full catalogue of needed equipment.
Stand – not passive resistance but rather the triumphant stance of a victor. The author wants us to know that the outcome of the battle is not in question. We wrestle with the powers of evil knowing already that we will be victorious.
Wiles of the devil – this phrase suggests that evil lurks in the shadows. It is wily and can sneak up subtly and strike without warning.
Vs. 12 – for our struggle – King James Version translates this ‘we wrestle.’ It is a word not from military imagery but rather from athletics.
Rulers, authorities, cosmic powers, present darkness – these words refer to “intangible spiritual entities whose will is often worked out via concrete historical, economic, political, social and institutional structures.” (Dr. Richard Peace, Mastering the Basics.) This is different from what, in other places, the Bible refers to as demons. In those other cases the force seems to affect individuals. Here the evil threatens groups, communities and even the whole human family.
This present darkness – literally “the world rulers of this darkness.” These are the world rulers, both literal and supernatural, who have been defeated by the gospel of grace but who refuse to concede and therefore continue the battle of darkness, regardless of the damage to others and sometimes from that sole purpose, so that they can feel strong. This is a fascinating concept that the ancients understood to include the leaders of nations and structures of oppression as well as cosmic forces like the stars or supernatural beings.
Forces of evil – these powers are characterized by wickedness disguised as light.
Vs. 13 – on that evil day – the author may have had in mind the day of final reckoning when Jesus returns to set things straight. More likely, though, he is referring to the current days of pressure and testing in which the believers live. In either case, steadfast resistance to evil is a given for Christians.
Stand firm – this is a military term that refers to the fighting position of fully equipped soldiers that, unless someone broke ranks, was nearly impossible for an enemy to penetrate. It could be translated, ‘hold your position.’
Vs. 14 – All of the armor mentioned here is defensive except for one.
Belt of truth – probably refers to the leather belt on which a soldier hung his sword and secured his tunic. Truth (alethia) refers to the essence of all truth, the very heart of truth that results in unassailable integrity and consistency of character.
Breastplate of righteousness – This was the major piece of armor of a soldier, made of metal and leather that covered the vital organs of the body. Righteousness here refers to right standing before God and the moral character that results from holding fast to Christ. This is the character of light and truth as opposed to darkness and lies.
Vs. 15 – shoes for your feet – these are the leather half boots worn by soldiers. They were studded with metal to enable a soldier to dig in and hold fast.
The balance of this verse is interesting. In Greek it could be translated ‘put on your feet the firm footing of the good news.
Vs. 16 – the shield of faith – This refers to a large oblong shield made of layers of wood on an iron frame and covered with linen and animal hides. These were often wet down to repel flaming arrows.
Flaming arrows – These were pitch soaked arrows. Their purpose was not to pierce and kill a soldier but to set him on fire and cause him to break ranks and create panic. The flaming arrows the author has in mind here are temptations, tests, persecution and suffering that comes for standing for the truth.
Vs. 17 – helmet of salvation – a heavy metal head covering that was lined with felt or sponge and gave protection from even the heaviest ax blows. Here the author is saying that the sure knowledge of salvation (both eternal salvation and the present wholeness that comes from knowing Christ) is enough to ward off the fiercest assaults.
Sword of the Spirit – a short stabbing sword used for personal combat. This is the only piece of offensive weaponry mentioned. The only offense called for here is to allow the Spirit to enable the believer to speak the word of God into the situations of darkness. The word here does not refer to the Bible itself. Rather it refers to proclamation, the speaking of the gospel truths.
Vs. 18 – pray – the author does not consider as a separate weapon against the evil days. Rather it is the supply for the battle and undergirds everything.
All – the author uses this word four times in this verse. Prayer is to be totally comprehensive in times of spiritual warfare.
Vs. 19 – boldness – this word is used more than many other words to describe the Christian character. In Christ we do not cringe from the truth, we live it, speak it, and embody it.
The mystery of the gospel – this refers to the unfathomable wonder of grace and forgiveness in Jesus Christ.
Vs. 20 – ambassador in chains – if the letter is written by Paul himself, he is under house arrest and was probably chained to the wrist of one soldier after another.
Questions for Personal Reflection
1. The imagery of battle and spiritual warfare can be hard to comprehend and accept for our own lives. Still, most of us can understand that there are many forces in the world and even our own lives that work against love, grace, truth and peace. What are some of those forces in your opinion? How does the gospel address them?
2. Warfare always costs something, even spiritual warfare. Have you ever paid a price for standing up for the gospel? Have you ever experiences persecution or trouble for your faith or your interpretation of things of faith? How did you react?
3. Light and darkness are symbols for truth and lies in the Bible. In what ways do you see a present darkness in the world? What are the powers that support that darkness? Where do you see points of light? What supports the light?