Ephesians 6 Studies

For those who may wish to ‘study’ this chapter, the following simple resources are provided for you. Each chapter is divided into a number of studies and each study or passage has a simple four-Part, verse-by-verse approach, to help you take in and think further about what you have read.

Passage: Ephesians 6:1-9

1 Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. 2 ‘Honour 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 favour 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 favouritism with him.

A. Find Out:    

1. What are children to do? v.1
2. Why? v.2,3
3. What are fathers not to do and to do? v.4
4. What are slaves to do and why? v.5,6
5. How and why are they to serve? v.7,8
6. How and why are masters to treat slaves? v.9

B. Think:

1. Who, under authority, are covered here, and how?
2. Who, in authority, are dealt with here, and how?
3. What was Paul’s general theme leading into this?

C. Comment:

Paul continues bringing direction as to attitude and behavior under the heading “submit to one another”. First here, he considers children who have a duty to submit to their parents, because God has said that if they do they will receive His blessing.

On the other side of the coin, Paul picks up on fathers to ensure a right balance, and warns against over zealous behavior that will exasperate the child. Instead a child is to be brought up under God’s gentle and wise leading.

Next Paul moves to slaves, accepting that they existed in his day and that he was unlikely to change that, and so he counsels Christian slaves to serve with a good attitude, to see their service as serving Christ, not just to be seen to be good servants but to see it as fulfilling God’s will (that way God will be able to move through them to their master), to receive God’s reward which may be now or in eternity.

On the other side Paul warns Christian masters to be careful how they treat their servants because they will be answerable to God who doesn’t see masters through more favorable eyes than He sees servants. In each case Paul ensures a right balance between the one in and the one under authority, for both are answerable to God.

D. Application?

1. We should submit to whoever is over us, as if we were to Christ.
2. We should honour those below us as from Christ.

Passage: Ephesians 6:10-13

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.

A. Find Out:

1. How are we to be strong? v.10
2. What are we to put on? v.11a
3. Why? v.11b
4. What do we NOT fight against? v.12a
5. Against whom do we struggle? v.12b
6. Having put on armour what are we to do? v.13

B. Think:

1. What, according to Paul, is the point of our struggle?
2. What, therefore, does that imply?
3. What also therefore, does the enemy try to do?

C. Comment:

When we come to this passage, we need to be quite clear about one or two things, for it is a passage that has been used to justify many unjustifiable views.

First it is all about HOLDING THE POSITION THAT IS OURS ALREADY. Jesus has made us children of God with all of the associated privileges that go with that, and Satan’s activity is to try to get us to accept something less than that. “Stand” comes three times in these verses and it is an indication that we are to hold onto what is ours already!

Second, it is not OUR strength that will achieve this, but God’s. We are to be strong “in the Lord”. That means the relationship we have with Him is to be the means of strength, protection, comfort. His power flowing in us is to enable us to resist the temptations that come, not to go the way of the rest of the world and fall into godlessness and unrighteousness. We are not to allow all sorts of wrong things to fill our lives, making us less than the children of God that we are supposed to be, and even more a prey of Satan who is out to destroy our relationship with God, and our very lives. No, by the grace and strength and wisdom of God that is available to us, we are to resist these things and stand in the wonder of who God has made us.

D. Application?

1. Jesus has made me a child of God, free from sin, guilt etc.
2. By God’s grace I can refuse them all!!

Passage: Ephesians 6:14-17

14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled round 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.

A. Find Out:

1. What is to be our belt? v.14a
2. What is to be our breastplate? v.14b
3. What is to be on our feet? v.15
4. What is the shield and for what purpose? v.16
5. What is to be our helmet? v.17a
6. What is to be our sword? v.17b

B. Think:

1. What is the purpose of a belt? What does that signify here?
2. What here protects the heart?
3. What are used to parry the attacks of the enemy? How was that seen in Jesus?

C. Comment:

In this passage people so often get caught up in the pieces of the armor and almost miss what they actually represent, so let’s examine each of them.

First there is truth, which as a belt holds the other pieces of clothing or armor in place. Truth is to be a fundamental part of our lives and it is to be applied to all areas of our lives.

Next there is righteousness that God imputes and imparts to us. We are to remember that HE makes us righteous by what HE has done, and that will protect our hearts from the lies that come about us.

Then there is a readiness or availability that comes with the Gospel, that desire to let God’s will be done through us and His love shared by us. When that is there it will keep us moving on with Him.

Then comes faith which is essential if we are to ward off the attacks of the enemy, words and thoughts that came like searing bolts out of the blue. Faith rejects these things and looks to God for grace and truth. Faith believes God and not feelings.

The facts of our Salvation are to protect our head (mind) and we are to keep God’s word in our hand as a weapon to counter untruths from the enemy. Meditate on each of these which are essential for our wellbeing.

D. Application?

1. Use all the armor God provides for you.
2. These are God’s provision for our safety.

Passage: Ephesians 6:18-24

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.

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.

23Peace 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.

A. Find Out:

1. How and when are we to pray? v.18a
2. What are we to do and when to pray? v.18b
3. What did Paul ask them to pray? v.19,20
4. Who was Tychicus? v.21
5. Why was he coming? v.21,22
6. What did Paul desire for them at the end? v.23

B. Think:

1. What do we learn here as to how to pray?
2. What do we learn here as to when to pray?
3. What does this passage tell us about Paul’s ministry?

C. Comment:

Concluding his words on how they are to hold the ground that is theirs and stand against the wiles of the enemy, Paul exhorts them to pray.

First the HOW: in the Spirit, being led by the Spirit. Prayer is to be first a thing that has its origins in heaven. When we allow Him to lead us we will have greater assurance about what we pray.

Second the WHEN: on all occasions and keeping on. In other words at all and any times, whenever it seems natural, not just at fixed times. Prayer is to be a natural expression of our lives that flows many times during the day. Not only that, we are to keep on with it, not being put off by the enemy, but letting it occur again and again in the day.

Third the WHO: Paul says we are to pray for all the saints, all the church. We may go on to pray for non-Christians but the family of God is to be our first focus.

Then comes the WHAT: we are to pray that fearlessly we will be the children of God that He has made us to be, sharing the love of God that He has called us to share. If we did that more and more the way would be opened up for more and more to hear and more and more turn to Him.

D. Application?

1. Prayer is inspired by God and flows back to God but is for our benefit.  
2. As we pray, so God moves in us and through us.