Ephesians 6

Chap. VI. Ver. 1—24. The duties of parents and children, masters and servants. The Christian soldier, his armour, and his conflicts.—All our social duties are reciprocal; parents who give their children a careful and religious education, have a right to expect a cheerful and uniform obedience. At the same time, authority should be always exercised with prudence and moderation. The evil passions should neither be indulged, nor provoked; but parental discipline should be exercised in the fear of God. So masters should be sparing in their threatenings, and moderate in punishing, knowing that we all have “a Master in heaven,” who is no respecter of persons; who will scrutinize the conduct of the sovereign and the slave with equal justice and impartiality.

Christian servants, however, must take no advantage of the conscientious lenity of their Christian masters, but serve them with equal reverence, and promptitude, as others—“With good will doing service, as to the Lord, and not unto men.” We now come to consider the Christian soldier, his armour, and his conflicts. The life of man was by the ancients compared to a warfare; that of a Christian is eminently so: but then Christianity provides him with armour, both defensive and offensive; and not only so, but likewise with strength and fortitude for the engagement. “Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.” Nor has the believer, however weak in himself, reason to fear the result, while thus supported by divine assistance, notwithstanding the number and magnitude of the hostile powers against him.

These are divided into two classes, internal and external; domestic and foreign, if we may so speak; to both which he is continually exposed. Our internal enemies are flesh and blood; that carnal and corrupt nature so pathetically lamented by St. Paul himself, in his epistle to the Romans, (Chap. vii. 24:) “O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?” This continually opposed his advancement in the divine life, and often threatened to cramp the energy of his exertions: but when he recollected the promised strength of his divine Master—the “grace sufficient” to support him under all circumstances; he then burst into the triumphant exclamation—“I thank God, through Jesus Christ our Lord!” But Paul had, as we also have, other enemies to contend with; namely, “principalities and powers, the rulers of the darkness of this world, and spiritual wickedness,”

or wicked spirits, who formerly occupied high situations in the upper world, but sinned, and were cast down therefrom; [even] Satan and his host. These wind themselves into the human mind like serpents, seeking whom they can seduce; or prowl about the earth like lions, seeking whom they might devour. It is possible, however, that the expression, “spiritual wickedness in high places,” may have a different meaning, and allude to the advanced ground, or elevated stations, from which their fiery darts are aimed at us. But let us now examine the panoply, or “whole armour of God,” provided for us to resist such mighty enemies. The girdle of truth, is the first and most essential part of this armour; for without simplicity and godly sincerity, all our exertions are unquestionably in vain. The breastplate of righteousness, or internal sanctification, is equally necessary to guard the heart; and the shoes, or sandals of peace, are no less important to guard our feet in a path strewed, not with roses, but with thorns and briers—with broken flints, or with burning lava!

Above, and over all these, we are commanded to take the shield of faith, which is able to resist and quench the fiery darts of Satan. The helmet of salvation, or the hope and confident expectation of eternal life, is the crowning and completing article of this defensive armour: but we now come to offensive armour, without which, however obstinately the Christian may resist, he can never gain the victory—we mean the sword of the Spirit, which we are told is “the word of God;” and the Spirit of supplication, and watchfulness, and perseverance, are no less necessary to engage upon our side “the power of his might,” by which we alone can conquer. The apostle here drops the allegory, and having [spoken] of prayer, urges them thereto with all earnestness; and begs an interest in their prayers on the behalf of all saints, and particularly for himself, that he might be enabled, though his body were enchained, freely and boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel to the Gentiles, to whom he was sent as an ambassador, with the proclamation of divine mercy.

“Soldiers of Christ, arise,
And put your armour on,
Strong in the strength which God supplies
Through his eternal Son.
Strong in the Lord of Hosts,
And in his mighty power;
Who in the strength of Jesus trusts,
Is more than conqueror.”—C. Wesley.

Notes on the verses

Chap. VI. Ver. 2. The first commandment with promise—i.e. with a special and peculiar promise. Ver. 3. On the earth—Or “land.” See (Exodus 20:12). Ver. 4. Nurture and admonition—According to Doddridge, mean “Discipline and instruction,” which should always go [together]. Ver. 6. Eye-service—i.e. while the master’s eye is upon them. Ver. 9. Forbearing—Margin, “moderating”—threatening.—Some masters who are moderate, and perhaps backward, in punishing, are yet violent and outrageous in their threatenings; which, while it is very unbecoming, at the same time often exposes them to contempt. Ver. 11. The whole armour—(Gr. panoplia) or panoply—of God—i.e. the complete suit of Christian armour. Ver. 12.

Spiritual wickedness in high places.—Margin, “Wicked spirits in the heavenlies.” Doddridge explains it of the apostate spirits who formerly resided there. See Jude ver. 6. Desai Whole armour.—Complete suit of armour, both offensive and defensive. Ver. 14. Breast-plate.—(The [breast]plate consisted of two parts; one of which covered the whole region of the thorax or breast, and the other the back, as far down as the front part extended.)—Bagster. Ver. 15. Having your feet shod.—The Grecian soldiers wore [plaits] and shoes of brass, to preserve their legs and feet: Macknight explains this of the virtues necessary for those who first prepared the way for the gospel, particularly fortitude and perseverance. Ephesus was the capital of Proconsular Asia, preached in this celebrated but licentious city, by St.

Paul, with the most abundant success: and [so] was the Apostle’s concern for their spiritual welfare. Ver. 16. Above (or over) all, taking the shield of faith.—This seems to refer to those large shields which the ancients used to cover their whole bodies; and the fiery darts, to the fire-bearing darts and arrows described by Thucydides and Livy, the lower parts of which were surrounded with tow and other combustible matter, and which, when set on fire, were darted against the enemy. See Orient. Customs, No. 544.—Of the wicked.—Doddridge, “wicked one.” Ver. 17. Sword of the Spirit.—Comp. (Hebrews 4:12). Ver. 18. With all prayer—Social and private, studied and extemporary, supplicatory and deprecatory, &c.

Bp. Wilkins, in his treatise of prayer, explains this of improving the gift of prayer by continual exercise, and gathering fit materials by reading, conversation, meditation, &c. Ver. 20. Ambassador in bonds.—Gr. “In a chain.” See (Acts 28:20): by which it appears that Paul, as was not unusual, was suffered to dwell in his own hired house, under the charge of a Roman soldier, to whom he was fastened by a single chain. See Paley’s Hora Paul. (Ephesians 6)No. 5. Ver. 21. Tychicus—Was “one of Paul’s friends and fellow-labourers, and had been his companion in the last interview he had with the elders of Ephesus,” (Acts 20:4). See also (2 Timothy 4:12). (Titus 3:12). 3 years afterwards. On his return from; and the gospel was first [preached] that he did not leave them till three Macedonia and Achaia to Jerusalem, he sent for the elders of the church to meet him at Miletus, where he took an affectionate leave of them, and de-