Category: Ephesians

“Children, obey your parents because you belong to the Lord, for this is the right thing to do. ‘Honor your father and mother.’ This is the first commandment with a promise: If you honor your father and mother, ‘things will go well for you, and you will have a long life on the earth.’ Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger by the way you treat them. Rather, bring them up with the discipline and instruction that comes from the Lord.  Slaves, obey your earthly masters with deep respect and fear. Serve them sincerely as you would serve Christ. Try to please them all the time, not just when they are watching you. As slaves of Christ, do the will of God with all your heart. Work with enthusiasm, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people. Remember that the Lord will reward each one of us for the good we do, whether we are slaves or free. Masters, treat your slaves in the same way. Don’t threaten them; remember, you both have the same Master in heaven, and he has no favorites.”

Isn’t it easy to use the Bible to understand what other people should do? These verses remind me of the ways that I have tried to get others to relate to me (“Kids, the Bible says you should obey your parents!” and I used to joke when I was a child, “Dad, don’t provoke your children!!”). When we think about the Bible’s teaching on relationships, we need to remember to come at it from a learner’s perspective. “What is God saying to me?” versus “What is God trying to say to everyone else?”

Parent/child relationships can be complicated, and as a counselor I’ve known countless numbers of people who have a strained relationship with their parents or their children. What does it mean to honor your parents when they have abused you? What does it mean to repair damage you may have done to your children? On top of that, reading about slavery in the Bible can be confusing and difficult. In our American history, people have misused the Bible to support slavery. In Paul’s day, Jewish slaves were people who had entered into voluntary slavery with other Jews in order to work off a debt. The main point? Act like Jesus no matter who you are because God doesn’t care at all about your earthly status. We are all the same in his eyes.

Here’s your freedom for today: Jesus always offers new possibilities. I’ve known many people who have repaired and restored broken relationships after years of repentance and work. I’ve known many who have honored their parents or respected their adult children by staying out of their lives appropriately. Still others have found a new family at church and these new relationships are a form of redemption from old family relationships. Jesus can also get you out of indebtedness to others and set you free from all kinds of slavery. No matter where you are at with your relationships, Jesus can guide you into right ways of living. Just keep your eyes on your path and he’ll lead you.

“A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.”

When someone is writing a letter to you and they say, “A final word…” it’s time to pay attention to something very important. It is no accident that Paul has saved one of his most important points for last so that it will stick with the Ephesian Christians. His message? Stay strong. Fight on a supernatural level. There is a whole lot more to this Jesus-thing than meets the eye.

So how do we fight supernatural battles we can’t see or fully understand? Supernaturally, of course. We can’t rely on our own earthly senses. The Holy Spirit has to open our eyes so that we can see into deeper spiritual places than we ever have before. Paul will list some specific tips in tomorrow’s post, but for now start with prayer. Ask God to open your spiritual eyes and give you spiritual tools to fight the demons that stalk you.

Here’s your freedom for today: we don’t have to be afraid of the dark. The Holy Spirit is like a giant flashlight, shining into dark places. Since he dwells within us when we accept the forgiveness and leadership of Jesus, everywhere we go is an opportunity to shine a light. As Jesus followers we can act differently than the world around us and we can walk around free. That freedom is all by itself quite a light to a dark world without you having to do or say a thing. What would it mean for you to live a free life? What darkness lurks around you that needs a light to shine on it?

“Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm. Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness. For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared.  In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil. Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.”

Paul described an unseen spiritual war that we are fighting as we follow Jesus (see yesterday’s post). In today’s verses, we get a bit more understanding as to how we can fight this war. Paul uses a metaphor of a suit of armor to describe the spiritual weapons we have at our disposal. One thing to notice is that spiritual weapons are designed to overcome evil with good. Thus, the result of using our spiritual weapons is life and health rather than death and destruction.

What can you do today to fight this spiritual war? Here are some tips:

1. Read the Bible (like putting on a belt to secure your clothing)

2. Do the right thing (gives you basic body armor because Satan can’t accuse you if you haven’t done anything wrong)

3. Sit in the peace of the Gospel (you can run faster when you aren’t trying to earn God’s approval in your own strength)

4. Lean into the reality that the kingdom of God is real (faith will protect you from a whole lot of lies)

5. Memorize Scripture (when Satan attacks your thinking you’ll have a quick comeback)

Here’s your freedom for today: God has equipped you to win. Sometimes we forget that we are in a war on God’s team, rather than all of these battles belonging to us. Some people say, “God is fighting your battles,” but it is more accurate to say, “God has invited you to help win his battle.” Why would God not give us all the equipment we need to win his war? It wouldn’t be very strategic to withhold the proper equipment from your own army. Today, pick just one of the strategies listed above and get some practice using your spiritual weapons.

“Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere. 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. To bring you up to date, Tychicus will give you a full report about what I am doing and how I am getting along. He is a beloved brother and faithful helper in the Lord’s work. I have sent him to you for this very purpose—to let you know how we are doing and to encourage you. Peace be with you, dear brothers and sisters, and may God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you love with faithfulness. May God’s grace be eternally upon all who love our Lord Jesus Christ.”

How’s your prayer life been lately? Do you feel alert, strategic, persistent, and missional? Or have you felt sluggish, disconnected, or apathetic? Perhaps you are somewhere in between. Your prayer life can be a good gauge of your overall spiritual progress. If you don’t feel completely dependent on prayer to help you accomplish your mission, you might not have a very supernatural mission you are setting out to accomplish. Supernatural acts are by definition things we cannot do naturally. Thus, prayer is the way in which we operate in spiritual authority and use the gifts of the Holy Spirit for his purposes.

Paul was given a supernatural mission: to spread the Gospel to the whole known world. And perhaps just to demonstrate his abilities, God had Paul thrown in jail half the time. Seems hard to spread a message around the globe when you are locked in a cell and have pretty limited communication options. Perhaps we underestimate the power of writing a letter, but God found it useful to accomplish his purposes. God cannot be limited by earthly limitations.

Here’s your freedom for today: God’s faithful love and grace are with you today. Paul ends his letter with an encouraging benediction, reminding his readers that God’s faithful love and grace are anchors in the midst of hardship. Paul is writing while chained in a cell, yet his real tether is to the love and grace of Jesus. What is spiritually true is often quite different than what appears to be true in an earthly circumstance. Paul was more free in that jail cell than many of us will experience in our everyday lives. In what ways do you need freedom, love, and grace today? Ask God to bless you with these gifts so that you may experience his peace in the midst of any circumstance.