Bible Version: New International Version (NIV)
Application Notes: Life Application Study Bible (NIV)
EPHESIANS 6
1 Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. 2 “Honor your father and mother”—which is the first commandment with a promise— 3 “so that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth.”
4 Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.
5 Slaves, obey your earthly masters with respect and fear, and with sincerity of heart, just as you would obey Christ. 6 Obey them not only to win their favor when their eye is on you, but as slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from your heart. 7 Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not people, 8 because you know that the Lord will reward each one for whatever good they do, whether they are slave or free.
9 And masters, treat your slaves in the same way. Do not threaten them, since you know that he who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and there is no favoritism with him.
The Armor of God
10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people. 19 Pray also for me, that whenever I speak, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should.
Final Greetings
21 Tychicus, the dear brother and faithful servant in the Lord, will tell you everything, so that you also may know how I am and what I am doing. 22 I am sending him to you for this very purpose, that you may know how we are, and that he may encourage you.
23 Peace to the brothers and sisters, and love with faith from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 24 Grace to all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with an undying love.
Application Notes
6:1-4 If our faith in Christ is real, it will usually prove itself in our relationships at home with those who know us best. Children and parents have a responsibility to each other. Children should honour their parents even if their parents are demanding and unfair. Parents should care gently for their children. even if their children are disobedient and unpleasant. Ideally, of course, Christian parents and Christian children will relate to each other with thoughtfulness and love.
6:1-2 There is a difference between obeying and honouring. To obey means to do as one is told; to honour means to respect and love. Children are not commanded to disobey God in obeying their parents. Adult children are not asked to be subservient to domineering or abusive parents. Children should obey while under their parents' care, but continue to honour their parents for life.
6:3 Some societies have established customs in place to honour their elders. They respect their wisdom. defer to their authority, and pay attention to their comfort and happiness. Christians should treat older people this way. Where elders are respected, long life is a blessing. They do not feel themselves to be a burden, and neither does the rest of the Christian community.
6:4 The purpose of parental discipline should be to help children grow into mature adults and Christians. not to exasperate and provoke them to anger or discouragement {also see Colossians 3:21). Parenting with love and discipline takes lots of patience and understanding. Frustration and anger should not be causes for discipline. Instead, parents should act in love. wisely treating their children as Jesus would treat them. Parents must also be diligent to give them the instruction and encouragement that is vital to their upbringing. If you are a parent, do you read the Bible to your children? Do you tell them the great stories of the heroic men and women of the faith who have gone before you? Do you pray for and with them daily? Do you take them to worship and Bible study groups and let them see how important your involvement in church is to you? Can they see the difference Christ makes in your life?
6:5 Slaves played a significant part in this society. When Paul wrote this letter, the Roman Empire had several million slaves. Because many slaves and owners had become Christians, the early church had to deal straightforwardly with the question of master-slave relations. Paul's statement neither condemns nor condones slavery. Instead, it tells masters and slaves how to live together in Christian households. In Paul's day, women, children, and slaves had few rights. In the church, however, they had freedoms that society was denying them. Paul tells husbands, parents, and masters to be caring.
6:6-8 Paul's instructions encourage responsibility and integrity on the job. Christian employees should do their jobs as if Jesus Christ were their supervisor. Christian employers should treat their employees fairly and with respect. Can you be trusted to do your best, even when the boss is not around? Do you work hard and with enthusiasm? Do you treat your employees as people, not tools or servants? Remember that no matter whom you work for, and no matter who works for you, the one you ultimately should want to please is your Father in heaven.
6:9 Although Christians may be at different levels in earthly society, we are all equal before God. He does not play favourites; no one person is more important than anyone else. Paul's letter to Philemon stresses the same point: Philemon, the master, and Onesimus, his slave, were brothers in Christ.
6:10-17 In the Christian life, we battle against rulers and authorities (the powerful evil forces of fallen angels headed by the devil, who is a vicious fighter; see 1 Peter 5:8). To withstand their attacks, we must depend on God's strength and use every piece of his armour. Isaiah similarly mentions God's armour (Isaiah 11:5; 49:2). Paul gives this counsel not only to the church, the body of Christ, but also to each individual within it. The whole body needs to be armed. Satan checks for weak spots; he knows them all. So we must help each other, stand our ground, and resist the enemy until the end of the battle. Don't try to face him unarmed.
6:12 These who are not "flesh and blood" are demons over whom the devil has control. They are not mere fantasies--they are very real. We face a powerful army whose goal is to defeat Christ's church. When we believe in Christ, these beings become our enemies, and they try every device to turn us away from him and back to sin. Although we are assured of victory, we must engage in the struggle until Christ returns, because Satan is constantly battling against all who are on the Lord's side. We need supernatural power to defeat Satan, and God has provided this by giving us his Holy Spirit within us and his armour surrounding us. If you feel discouraged, remember Jesus' words to Peter: "On this rock I will build my church. and the gates of Hades will not overcome it"! Matthew 16:18).
6:16 When the enemy, the ruler of this world (John 12:31), sends his flaming arrows of temptation, doubt, lust, anger, despair, or desire for vengeance at us, we can hold up our shields and stop them. We are assured that "everyone born of God overcomes the world" and "this is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith" (1 John 5:4). Stand in faith against Satan with firm courage, even when he uses his most fearsome weapons. God assures you of victory.
6:18 How can anyone pray on all occasions? One way is to make quick, brief prayers a habit as you respond to every situation you encounter throughout the day. These can be simple requests for help or spontaneous thanks for the beauty around you. In addition, you can order your life around God's desires and teachings so that your very life becomes a prayer. You don't have to isolate yourself from other people and from daily work in order to pray constantly. You can make prayer your life and your life a prayer while living in a world that needs God's powerful influence. "Praying for all the Lord's people" means praying for all believers in Christ; pray for the Christians you know and for the church around the world.
6:19-20 Undiscouraged and undefeated, Paul wrote powerful letters of encouragement from prison. Paul did not ask the Ephesians to pray that his chains would be removed, but that he would continue to speak fearlessly for Christ in spite of them. God can use us in any circumstance to do His will. Even as we pray for a change in our circumstances, we should also pray that God will accomplish his plan through us right where we are. Knowing God's eternal purpose for us will help us through the difficult times.
6:21 Tychicus is also mentioned in Acts 20:4; Colossians 4:7; 2 Timothy 4:12; and Titus 3:12.
6:24 This letter was written to the church in Ephesus, but it was also meant for circulation among other churches. In it, Paul highlights the supremacy of Christ, gives information on both the nature of the church and on how church members should live, and stresses the unity of all believers--man, woman, parent, child, master, slave--regardless of sex, nationality, or social rank. The home and the church are difficult places to live the Christian life because our real selves come through to those who know us well. Close relationships between imperfect people can lead to trouble--or to increased faith and deepened dependence on God. We can build unity in our churches through willing submission to Christ's leadership and humble service to one another.
Taken from Life Application Study Bible - Third Edition - (NIV)