![]() ![]() ![]() While there are many wonderful people in our world, there are also many who are evil at their core. If you think that Paul has overstated the danger, you have closed your eyes to the overwhelming presence of evil in our midst-the violence and ruthlessness and greed that dominate so many lives-the self-destructive behaviors that hamstring so many people-the great divide that separates the very rich from the very poor. First, he warns that we are facing powerful, malignant opponents-”principalities, …powers, …the world’s rulers of the darkness of this age, and …spiritual forces of wickedness” (v. Being able to discern the good from the bad is critical-if we want to heed the counsel of secular advice-givers.īut in these “whole armor of God” verses, Paul provides an alternative. Some of those gurus offer good advice, but others are agents of the Rulers of Darkness. The fact that people feel a need for advice is reflected in the ease with which self-help gurus enrich themselves. We need practical advice to help us cope as we swim in spiritually-polluted waters. Living as Godly people in an ungodly world poses a whole host of problems. Every time I think things couldn’t get worse, they suddenly move to a new, dark level-with the entertainment industry (including sports) leading the way. 12) dominate many people’s lives-and our culture reflects their influence. We live in a world where the Rulers of Darkness and “the spiritual forces of wickedness” (v. People quote it, because it addresses real-life issues. This is the most oft-quoted passage from the book of Ephesians and one of the most quoted from the whole Bible-so it deserves special attention. Paul knew that obeying the counsel that he was giving in 4:1 – 6:9 would not be easy, so he adds this “whole armor of God” passage (verses 10-20) to give the Ephesian Christians (and us) the spiritual resources to do what is needed. Paul called wives to be subject to their husbands-and husbands to love their wives even as Christ loved the church-and children to obey their parents-and slaves to obey their masters-and masters to treat their servants kindly and respectfully, “knowing that (God) is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and (that) there is no partiality with him” (5:22-33 6:1-9).Not to be foolish or drunken, but to be filled with the Spirit (5:17).And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving each other, just as God also in Christ forgave you” (4:31-32). “Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, outcry, and slander, be put away from you, with all malice. To deal with their anger-not allowing it to cause them to sin-not letting the sun go down on unresolved anger (4:26).To put away falsehood and to speak truth with their neighbors (4:25).Not to be “alienated from the life of God,” but to “be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and put on the new man, who in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of truth” (4:18-24).Everything in these three chapters spells out what is involved in Christians walking worthily of their calling. Paul had called these Christians to “walk worthily of the calling with which you were called” (4:1)-the key verse for chapters 4-6. ![]() Understanding Ephesians 6:10-20 requires a familiarity with what went before. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |