Here is my commentary on Ephesians 6:16. I am publishing these once or twice a week, but you can read all of the available articles at our web-site, http://www.new-life.org.au

Ephesians 6:16

“With all these things, take the shield of faith, with which you will be able to quench all the flaming arrows of the evil one.”

Some translators take the phrase ”with all these things” to be “over all these things.” The Roman shield was a body length protection from arrows and other projectiles. The shield could be carried over head to protect from arrows fired from above. When enemies covered their arrows with cloth soaked in pitch and set on fire, the shields themselves were protected by leather soaked in water.

The shield was an all-purpose protection from weapons before they even made contact with the armour.

Again Paul reminds us of the war of the spirit in which Christians are engaged. The enemy is constantly assaulting us in all kinds of ways to probe for any fatal weakness.

The flaming arrows may take the form of temptations. We all have weaknesses that we easily fall prey to. In many ways, these are automatic in the sense that there are triggering events every day that exist just because of the fallen world in which we live. A person with a weakness for lust, or greed, or pride, will not need too many promptings from the evil one before their thoughts have been hijacked.

Emotions that undermine faith can also be arrows that can pull us down. Fear and anxiety are two such emotions. If I allow anxiety to dominate my feelings, then I am being disobedient to Christ who repeatedly commanded us not to be anxious about anything but to trust our heavenly Father (Matthew 6:25-34).

Accusations from other people can likewise be arrows that attack our faith, especially when they seem to be unfounded. We may be mocked for our faith, or our motives may be misunderstood. In these ways, satan turns our desire for approval by others into arrows that wound our relationship with God.

Like arrows, fiery or otherwise, the key features of these attacks is that they come upon us without warning. An arrow was launched from a distance away, possibly before the victim knew the assailant was even there, and it came silently.

We need to be constantly aware of the presence of the enemy, and ready to come under fire. We must prayerfully analyse our own weaknesses so that when we are tempted then we can stand firm in the lesser temptations as well as the greater ones.

It is faith that protects us from the fiery arrows of the evil one.

Faith understands that when our emotions are under attack, God is greater than our fears. Faith determines that God has promised to care for his children and that he is faithful. When anxiety or fear threaten to overwhelm us, faith looks to the Father, not to the circumstance.

Faith is the shield that protects from temptations. Since the Garden of Eden, satan has attempted to undermine the commands of God (“Did God really say?”), and the goodness of God (“God knows that you will be like Him”). All temptation comes down to denying either the word of God or the character of God. When we know God by faith, and trust him for who He is, the power of temptation is quenched.

To hold a shield in place under sustained attack requires strength and stamina. As we walk with the Lord and engage in battles over a lifetime, we discover that our strength to apply the shield, and hence quench those arrows, actually grows. Whereas some people become discouraged or accepting of their weaknesses, people of faith learn to hold firm their shields in ever increasing intensities of attack from the devil.

In doing this, we can have great victory in the ways of the Spirit.

Key points in this verse:

• The shield of faith protects every part of our spiritual being
• The enemy has many and varied ways of undermining our trust in the Lord
• The fiery arrows come silently and without warning
• Faith is the shield that quenches every attack from the enemy
• We must learn to apply faith in the midst of temptation and other attacks
• We should grow in our ability to withstand evil

Here is my commentary on Ephesians 6:15. I am publishing these once or twice a week, but you can read all of the available articles at our web-site, http://www.new-life.org.au

Ephesians 6:15

“As shoes for your feet, put on whatever will make you ready to proclaim the gospel of peace.” (NRSV)

“And with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.” (NIV)

“For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News, so that you will be fully prepared.” (NLT)

These three translations show that there is a wide variety of interpretations of how this seemingly simple verse should translated. Sometimes the relationship of the various words in a Greek sentence is not easily discerned.

Firstly, we need shoes to protect our feet. The soldier in hand- to- hand combat requires shoes that support his feet and help to maintain his footing on a slippery surface without sinking into soft ground and restricting his movement. A combat shoe, boot, or even a sandal, is not a fashion accessory, but a vital part of the soldier’s equipment.

What is Paul advocating should be our shoes in this metaphor that he is using? According to the New Revised Standard Version, the answer is “ whatever makes you ready.”

So, we are to take hold of whatever tools we need that will prepare us to proclaim the gospel of peace. This means that our focus has to be on our mission, that is proclaiming the gospel of peace. This is a very proactive understanding.

Firstly, we seek our mission field through prayer. “ Lord, where and how do you want me to preach the gospel of peace?” Then we look for the resources that will help us to do that — training, book, equipment, spiritual gifts, and so on.

The gospel is the gospel of peace because it expresses the end of hostility between God and people. Through the death of Jesus on the cross, the sin that separates us from God is done away with. The veil of separation is torn down, and we are reconciled to our Father.

In this understanding, then, it is the preaching of the gospel which is the focus of this part of the armour.

In the interpretation offered by the New International Version, it is “The readiness that comes from the gospel of peace” that the shoes represent.

Looking at this closely, the gospel of peace, when we receive it into our heart imparts a readiness. Soldiers should always be ready to fight, so Paul is saying that having enlisted in God’s army by receiving the gospel of peace, we should be ready to fight against “the rulers, principalities, and powers of this present darkness” (Ephesians 6:12)

Many Christians want a quiet life. They are afraid to engage in spiritual warfare whether through prayer or declaration or preaching the Good News. We must always be ready to take our stand in the war. Whether we are aware of it or not, we are in the greatest imaginable battle. We must stand and fight.

The New Living Translation tells us that the shoes are the peace that come from the gospel, and the result of putting on this peace is there that we are prepared.

When we are reconciled to God through Christ, we come to a place of peace. God’s shalom permeates our soul, so that where we once were at war with God, with ourselves, and with others, we are now at peace. This peace is a restoration of the true nature that God created us to carry.

Now, instead of being at war with the wrong enemies, we are prepared for battle with the right enemies. In this battle, the peace of God holds us upright so that all of the tactics, weapons, and attacks of satan are unable to pull us down and take us out of the battle.

These three translations provide us with three different approaches to this verse. However we understand this, let us be ready, with our boots on, for all that the enemy might throw at us, and in the last day, to remain standing firm in Christ.

Key points in this verse:

• Shoes help to support our feet s that we stand firm in the battle
• We should take hold of whatever resources God gives us in order to preach the Good News
• We must always be ready to fight the powers, principalities, and cosmic rulers of this dark age
• The gospel gives us peace with God, with ourselves, and with others, so that we can fight against the true enemy of our souls

Here is my commentary on Ephesians 6:14. I am publishing these once or twice a week, but you can read all of the available articles at our web-site, http://www.new-life.org.au

Ephesians 6:14

“Stand therefore, and fasten the belt of truth around your waist, and put on the breastplate of righteousness.”

Paul now starts to describe the armour of God and its various components .

First there is the belt of truth. This belt (or girdle as it is translated in some older versions) served to hold up the flowing robes so that the soldier was able to move freely. it also provided a place to carry various weapons and other equipment, as well as holding the other pieces of armour together.

The belt was foundational to the protection of a soldier. Truth is likewise foundational to the health and well-being of the Christian.

Jesus is the truth (John 14:6) so we must make Jesus the foundation of all we do. Jesus must be in our mind, in our heart, and in our mouth at all times.

Our culture has completely destroyed the concept of truth. We live in a post- truth society. Truth has become an internal, personal quality rather than an objective quality that can be tested and either refuted or confirmed.

People can define their own truth, and it is perfectly reasonable to declare,”What is true for you is not true for me.” People are allowed to define the gender identity as if their self-centred thoughts somehow overrule biology and DNA.

Despite the wishful thinking of post-modern men and women, objective truth reigns in the created universe. Stepping over a cliff will cause you to accelerate downwards at the rate of 9.8 metres per second squared, whether or not you believe in gravity. Two vehicles colliding will obey the laws of physics, regardless of our beliefs about our freedom to choose which side of the road to drive.

The God who has revealed himself in scripture and through the testimony of the church, also stands outside of our post- truth beliefs. We might want to believe that there are many ways to God, but Jesus says,” nobody comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:7). We might want to believe that everyone goes to heaven when they die, but God says that those who resist Him will be thrown into a lake of fire (Revelation 20:11-15).

Truth is more than doctrines. It is also a moral or ethical quality. To be a person of Truth means that we internalise the grace of God and our beliefs about Him. In other words, the gospel must transform our heart and our lifestyle, or else we have not received the truth. Our actions must line up with our beliefs otherwise we show that we do not really believe what we claim to believe.

The Old Testament prophets frequently express the heart of God towards his people. “These people worship me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.” (Isaiah 29:13)

Righteousness is described as a breastplate. The breastplate was designed to protect the vital organs such as the heart and lungs. Paul is saying that righteousness protects our spiritual life in the same way.

Jesus is our righteousness. He not only imputed righteousness to us through His death on the cross, but He makes us righteous in fact.

God demands that his people must be holy, as He Himself is holy. To be holy, or to be righteous, means that we live a life that is free from sin.

This righteousness is about the way we live from day to day. No longer are we pulled by our sinful desires or the works of the flesh (Galatians 5:19-21). A righteous person discerns what is the right thing to do and proceeds to do it, regardless of the short-term costs .

Every part of our life must be covered by righteousness. At work, we must not act unethically, even if it costs us our job. At the shop, we must not take advantage of errors in calculating change or applying prices. At home, we must seek to treat family with the love and care that Jesus does.

Both truth and righteousness are at the heart of the Christian character. We are to be people who live in truth and injustice.

Key points in this verse:

• We must seek God’s truth and put it at the centre of our lives
• Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life
• God has revealed to us truth that is eternal and objective
• Righteousness in our dealings with other people will protect and nurture our spirit
• Jesus is our righteousness. He sets us free from fleshly desires

Here is my commentary on Ephesians 6:13. I am publishing these once or twice a week, but you can read all of the available articles at our web-site, http://www.new-life.org.au

Ephesians 6:13

“Therefore, take up the whole armour of God so that you will be able to withstand in that evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm.”

Paul again exhorts us to take up the whole armour of God. A soldier in battle with only part of his armour clearly remains vulnerable. Whenever we are engaged in spiritual warfare, that is everyday, we must be fully protected against the attacks of the foes describe in verse 12.

We must never underestimate the ferocity of the warfare in which we are involved. The enemy searches for any weakness that can be exploited, and he never gives up.

Paul talks about the “evil day.” While every day is a day of battles, some days are more ferocious than others. Our lesser battles are preparations for the greater battles or the evil day.

Our battles can be internal in terms of temptation and natural, but sinful, desires. There are days when we seem to have mastered these things. There are other days when the voices and images sown into our brains are amplified and become almost unbearably intense. How we respond to the lesser temptations will determine our response to the greater or more intense temptations.

The battle can also be external. Various pressures can come against us, such as persecution and other forms of opposition. We need to be prepared and ready to stand firm in Christ when these events come.

As we take up the whole armour of God, we will be able to withstand (more literally, “stand against”) these pressures. This suggests a positive resistance in which we not only refuse to give in, but we push back in order to stand our ground.

To stand against the enemy means that we do not just avoid giving Into temptation or persecution when they come. It means that we take the initiative, take the battle up to the enemy. For every temptation, we fight and we replace it with a positive virtue. For every opposition, we need to reach out to show love to those who persecute us.

Then, having done everything, we stand, even on the evil day.

To give up before the battle is over is to fall and be defeated. We have to do everything in our power, under the direction of God, to keep on fighting.

In the Second World War, and Australian seaman, Teddy Sheean, earned a Victoria Cross for extreme courage. As his ship was sinking after being hit by Japanese bombers, he strapped himself to an anti aircraft gun to protect his crew mates from strafing. Despite being already wounded by two bullets, he kept firing until the ship sank beneath the waves, taking down at least one enemy bomber.

This is an example of “having done everything”.

We might feel like we are being destroyed by the enemy, but we must do everything to stand against the evil one .

Finally, having done everything, we stand firm .

We stand firm in Christ, in the gospel, in the faith.

The aim of every believer, and the desire of God’s heart, is that we overcome all the opposition – external and internal – and we stand firm. No compromise. No retreat.

And if we fall, there is no condemnation from God. We stand up, fight the next battle, knowing that in God, even their our become stepping stones to greater victory.

Key points in this verse:

• We need the full armour of God
• There are greater and lesser battles, all are part of the constant spiritual warfare
• We must do all that we can to stand firm in Christ

Here is my commentary on Ephesians 6:12. I am publishing these once or twice a week, but you can read all of the available articles at our web-site, http://www.new-life.org.au

Ephesians 6:12

“ for our struggle is not against enemies of 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.”

A more literal translation of this verse is:

“For our struggle/ wrestling is not against blood and flesh, but against the principalities, against the authorities, against the cosmic rulers of this darkness, against the evil spirits in the heavenly realms.”

Paul changes his analogy briefly from the soldier in the army to the wrestler on the ground, to make the point that the struggle is personal, one in which every christian is engaged.

With ever-evolving military technology taking warfare from a battlefield to the safety of a computer lab, we can think of the life and death struggle of warfare as being a comfortable thing for us. No, we are wrestling an enemy, it is hand to hand, brute strength wrestling.

Our enemy in this struggle is not blood and flesh, but spiritual. When we are rejected, mocked, hated, or suffer violence for our faith in Christ, we are not to hate those who who oppose us, but love them. They are not doing it to us, but the spirits and rulers of the heavenly realms are doing it.

Paul here lists four different spiritual powers that oppose us. These are evil spirits, not human beings. They are the fallen angels who serves satan in various areas and with various levels of authority and power.

There is a definite hierarchy in the infernal kingdom, just as there is a succession of authority in God’s Kingdom. it is unwise to make too much of these various terms for spiritual rulers and powers. God has not given us a detailed description all these spirits that oppose us, except to highlight that there is a struggle, and the sacrifice of Christ on the cross of Calvary has ensured their defeat.

The rulers or principalities (in Greek “archas”) are spirits which rule over geographic areas such as cities, regions, nations, and so on. They influence culture through religious expressions, through arts, media and governmental institutions. Wherever there are people, there are principalities seeking to control them, and most importantly, resist the gospel in an area.

A biblical example of this is Daniel 10. Daniel has a vision of an angel who describes a three week struggle against the prince over the kingdom of Persia. This is a real struggle initiated by Daniel’s prayer and fasting.

The authorities are spirits which exercise governmental power to oppose christians. They persecute believers and stand in the way of the preaching of the gospel. In many countries, they may take a nationalistic cover, or a religious cover ( for example Islamic or Hindu), or a civil religion such as secularism that opposes all public expressions of belief. Extreme forms such as Nazism, communism, and fascism, result from a combination of authorities and principalities which hold people in extreme bondage, sometimes over generations.

The “cosmic powers of this darkness” are spirits which energise seemingly impersonal forces that control the lives of large swathes of humanity. These would include wars, revolutions, abortion, ritualised murder, drugs, and so on. They seem impossible to overcome because their power is not localised. As soon as one manifestation is defeated, another pops up to replace it. The ongoing strife in the Middle East and in Afghanistan are examples of this.

The “evil spirits in the heavenly realms” are the kinds of spirits which bring affliction, addiction, torment, and destruction to individual lives and family groups. These are the demons which Jesus dealt with daily.

As christians, we are involved in fighting this battle each day. The fact that the battle is fought in the heavenly realms does not make this battle less real than other struggles we might engage in.

For Western christians, there is widespread ignorance of the spiritual realm. Our modern mindset ignores anything that is non-material. When we ignore the power that satan exerts over us, we are unable to fight effectively.

The other problem is that we have failed to discern the spirits and the nature of the struggle. We end up fighting the wrong battles against flesh and blood enemies. The battle must be fought at the heavenly level not at the ground level. The enemy is not coming against us with tanks and artillery, but bombs and missiles. Our warfare must be fought in the air, not on the ground.

Paul declares in 2 Corinthians 10:4 that the weapons of our warfare and not fleshly but spiritual. In verse 13 of Ephesians 6, he describes what the weapons are which God has given us.

Key points in this verse:

• We are not struggling against flesh and blood, but against spiritual powers
• This is a personal wrestle which every christian is engaged in
• The enemy has a wide variety of spirits embedded in various layers of society and culture
• We need to discern the true nature of the battle or we will be consumed by the enemy