Every Day Devotion

Ephesians 6:16 [16] In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; (ESV) What kind of shield are we talking about? It was not a small shield. “The shield indicated here . . . was a large shield about four feet high and two and a half feet wide. . . The Roman shield was made of two layers of laminated wood, covered first with linen and then with hide, and then bound top and bottom with iron, with an iron ornament decorating the front of it.  A man could put his entire body behind it as it absorbed the javelins and arrows of the enemy.  In the case of flaming arrows, very often the arrow would snuff out as it buried itself in the thickness of the shield.  During battles these great shields would often bristle with smoking arrows like roasted porcupines.” - Hughes, R. Kent.  Ephesians:  The Mystery of the Body of Christ, page 234. The enemy is firing arrows at us constantly. Let me ask you, do you know whe

Ephesians 6:15 [15] and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. (ESV) What kind of shoes should we be wearing? The Roman soldier, which is the illustration that Paul is using, would have had steel studded boots for shoes. They were for standing, not running. They were for hand to hand combat. Those boots kept the soldier grounded in the midst of the battle. What a beautiful picture. It is the peace of God which keeps us grounded in the midst of battle. There are two ways in which we experience these Gospel Peace shoes. First of all, we recognize that it is the Gospel that gives us peace WITH God. Without the Gospel, any experiences of peace are fleeting and temporary. In the most important aspect of our lives, our relationship with God, we are filled with fear because we know that we are at odds with him. There is something just not right. We might not be able to describe it, but without making things right with God, we are not abl

Ephesians 6:14 [14] Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, (ESV) “The breastplate was usually a tough, sleeveless piece of leather or heavy material with animal horn or hoof pieces sewn on, covering the soldier’s full torso, protecting his heart and other vital organs. Because righteousness, or holiness, is such a distinctive characteristic of God himself, it is not hard to understand why that is the Christian’s chief protection against Satan and his schemes. As believers faithfully live in obedience to and communion with Jesus Christ, his own righteousness produces in them the practical, daily righteousness that becomes their spiritual breastplate. Lack of holiness, on the other hand, leaves them vulnerable to the great enemy of their souls.” - John MacArthur Study Bible notes. A breastplate gives us protection. Satan will scheme against us. He will shoot his arrows. One of his main weapons of choice is accu

Ephesians 6:14 [14] Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth,  (ESV) Truth is perfect. If truth has even a shred of falsehood it is not the truth. The danger that we face in our current culture is that people have a notion that truth is not perfect.  People will say, "You have your truth.  I have mine."  This flies in the face of reality, as well as the written Word of God. “Once, when a stubborn disputer seemed unconvinced, Lincoln said, "Well, let's see how many legs has a cow?" "Four, of course," came the reply disgustedly. "That's right," agreed Lincoln. "Now suppose you call the cow's tail a leg; how many legs would the cow have?" "Why, five, of course," was the confident reply. "Now, that's where you're wrong," said Lincoln. "Calling a cow's tail a leg doesn't make it a leg." - Bits and Pieces, July, 1991. Truth is perfect. And Paul uses the

Ephesians 6:13 [13] Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. (ESV) The scheming of the devil is such that we have a need to be fitted with every piece of the armor that God provides for us. In the verses which we will look at in more detail in the coming days we will examine each piece of armor. But, the essential truth here is that we need all of God’s armor! Paul says, “take up the WHOLE armor of God.” Now, we must be careful that we are in the right position to take up God’s armor. The great Charles Spurgeon said: “First, be strong, and then put on armor. It is no use putting armor on a weak man . . . Now you must be strong first, but then not trust in your strength, but put on the armor which is here described. And yet it would be useless to have the armor unless you are first strong. “Put on the whole armor of God.” How then do we become strong enough to put on the armor of God? By be

Ephesians 6:11–12 [11] Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. [12] For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. (ESV) One of the greatest dangers for the believer in Jesus Christ is to underestimate our enemy. We are told to put on the whole armor of God to stand against the scheming of the enemy. Do not underestimate your enemy. He was clever enough to deceive the very first human couple in the Garden. He has been clever enough to deceive family members, loved ones, co-workers, etc. 2 Corinthians 4:4 [4] In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. It is the scheming of the devil that keeps the unbelievers blinded, and unable

Ephesians 6:10 [10] Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. (ESV) Sometimes the last words said are the most important. The Apostle Paul has taken us on a journey in this letter to the church at Ephesus.  We have discovered God's sovereign plan to redeem us, not by our works, but by his free gift of grace.  We have learned deep theological truths of what it means to belong to the kingdom of God and how that is very different from the kingdom of this world we live in.  We then learned how we are to practically live out all that we believe.  Our beliefs direct our actions. Now, in the last chapter of this book, Paul says, "Finally."  In the coming verses he is going to describe a vivid reality that we are at war with spiritual forces that want to destroy us.  Before he set us free to engage in that terrible battle he had to teach us who we were and what we were to believe.  Now he says, "Finally."  These next verses are the final p

Ephesians 6:9 [9] Masters, do the same to them, and stop your threatening, knowing that he who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and that there is no partiality with him. (ESV) So, we continue looking at this passage of Scripture where Paul addresses how servants and masters ought to act toward one another as believers in Jesus Christ.  This is not a promotion of slavery, but as an existing situation in the Roman Empire Paul addresses how those who are already in this situation ought to act.  For our purposes we can understand these principles as relating to a boss and an employee.  Today's verse that speaks to masters will equally speak to you who are bosses, or may some day be a boss. Masters, or bosses, should treat those who are working for them with respect. In this verse the Apostle Paul includes this phrase, “stop your threatening.” Clearly, there were masters who were taking advantage of their servants and not treating them with respect. There are a few p

Ephesians 6:6-8 [6] not by the way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but as bondservants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart, [7] rendering service with a good will as to the Lord and not to man, [8] knowing that whatever good anyone does, this he will receive back from the Lord, whether he is a bondservant or is free. In the first century, many people were servants in people’s homes. As the Gospel spread across the Roman Empire many of these servants became Christians. Paul addresses the attitude that the servants should have toward their master. It is important to note that Paul was not promoting slavery, but he was recognizing that in the current status of servants and masters, there was a way that a Christian servant should act. We have a great privilege of freedom in this country. For many people, over centuries of time, being a servant has been a common way to provide for their families. In fact, there were even some who came to this country, who promised to

Ephesians 6:5 [5] Bondservants, obey your earthly masters with fear and trembling, with a sincere heart, as you would Christ. (ESV) One of the realities that we are learning as we work through the book of Ephesians is that God is very concerned with every aspect of how we live our lives. If we are believing the right things about God, then it will be evidenced by how we live our lives. Our behavior does not make us right with God, but if we are right with God it will affect our behavior. In chapters 5 and 6 we looked at how a right relationship affects our relationships with our spouses and with our children. In our text today, we find that God cares about our work. This is challenging for us today because we tend to separate our job as being something that God doesn’t have anything to do with. However, our jobs are very important to God. I am not just talking about those jobs that are full paid ministry positions like a pastor or missionary. I believe that God wants to be ho

Ephesians 6:4 [4] . . . but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. Parents, you have such an incredible influence in your children’s lives. Particularly, in their early childhood you are practically deity. They think you can do ANYTHING! “We had just finished tucking our five kids into bed when three-year-old Billy began to wail. Turns out, he had accidentally swallowed a penny and was sure he was going to die. Desperate to calm him, my husband palmed a penny that he had in his pocket and pretended to pull it from Billy’s ear. Billy was delighted. In a flash, he snatched it from my husband’s hand, swallowed it, and demanded, “Do it again!” - www.rd.com Parents have magic powers! But, in actuality, you really do have power! The power of influence. The way you lead your children will influence them physically, emotionally, relationally, and, most importantly, spiritually. Do NOT bring them down. Bring them UP! PHYSICAL INFLUENCE: Teach your children h

Ephesians 6:4 [4] Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. (ESV) The power that a parent has over a child is great. I can remember times when all my dad had to do is look at me and I felt cold terror go down my spine. He did not need to say many words, nor even speak in a loud voice to get my attention. Parents, you have been given power over your children. If I may quote the Apostle Spiderman, “With great power comes great responsibility.” Some parents have abused the power given to them it ought to be taken away. It is so sad what some parents have done to their children. As parents you have greater control over your behavior than your children have over theirs. When you cannot act like a respectable human being in dealing with your children, you make it almost impossible to obey God’s call for them to honor and obey you! Let’s go back to Ephesians 5:21: Ephesians 5:21 [21] submitting to one another

Ephesians 6:2–3 [2] “Honor your father and mother” (this is the first commandment with a promise), [3] “that it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land.” (ESV) In Ephesians 6:1, the Apostle Paul instructs children to obey their parents.  Here in these verses he instructs children to honor their father and mother.  Is there a difference? I believe that there is. Obedience is an action. Honor is an attitude. What is the Word telling us? God is not only concerned with what we do, but how we do it! You can obey your parents while grumbling in your heart against them. If that is what you are doing, you are disobeying God’s command to honor your parents. To honor is to give respect, to esteem, to hold up high. The Bible says that this command is with a promise; "that it may go well with you and you may live long in the land." Modern day “dad” translation: “Boy, if you want to live until your next birthday, you better watch your attitude!” I find it

Ephesians 6:1 [1] Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. (ESV) “I asked my brother-in-law, the father of four boys, “If you had to do it all over again, would you still have kids?” “Yes,” he said. “Just not these four.” - Sheila Lee, Lorain, Ohio (www.rd.com) In this study of Ephesians, Paul now turns to the relationship of parents and children.  At the end of Chapter 5 Paul addressed the relationship of Husband and Wife. I will say that while we are going to talk today about the relationship of parents and children, it is no accident that Paul establishes what godly marriage looks like before speaking of godly parenting. If you want to be a godly parent you need to be a godly spouse. Parenting is the hardest job you will ever love. Any parents know that there are times of great struggle and also times of great reward. And how we act has a great influence on how much reward or how much struggle we will have. Paul begins his instruction to children b

Ephesians 5:33 [33] However, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband. (ESV) Paul brings this section to a close with this a final admonition to the husband and the wife.  Husbands are commanded to love their wives, and wives are commanded to respect their husbands.  You may ask yourself, why does each one get a different command?  So many people today think that there is no distinction between husband and wife.  They are inter-changeable.  In fact, substitute genders and it does not matter.  God has different thoughts on the people whom he has made.  We are not the same. Not only are males and females different in their genitalia, but they are very different in how they are created emotionally.  Emerson Eggerichs is a marriage counselor who pastored for 25 years before starting his ministry to husbands and wives.  It was this verse that really got his attention.  He realized that men have a desperate need to be respected.

Ephesians 5:32 [32] This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church. (ESV) So much has been said about marriage.  Marriage is the foundation of the family.  Throughout all of the centuries of human history we have had marriage.  As we have already discovered, marriage is an institution given to us directly by God.  It is his plan for mankind that we commit to one another in marriage and produce children that are raised to know and honor him. But, Paul takes this one step further for us.  After these verses in which he has expounded on the marriage relationship, he reveals to us a mystery.  This is a mystery that many generations of humankind could not possibly have understood.  In fact, thousands of years had gone by before the Apostle Paul revealed, by the Holy Spirit, this mystery.  What is the mystery? Marriage is given as a picture of the relationship of Christ and the church!  All of the Old Testament used shadows and images to describe

Ephesians 5:31 [31] “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” (ESV) As we have been discovering, God's ideal for marriage is a most blessed and beautiful union.  While our culture has come to all kinds of conclusions about marriage, some downright bizarre, God's plan for the marriage relationship is beautiful.  His ideal involves the husband loving his wife sacrificially and leading her as the spiritual head of the home.  God's plan involves the wife joyfully following this man, who leads in the same way that Christ leads the church, cherishing and nourishing her. I cannot emphasize enough that marriage is a beautiful relationship that has been instituted by God.  In recent years, we have been faced with the challenge of a culture that looks at God's standard for marriage and cries out:  "Unfair!  Judgmental! Discriminating!"  Men declare that they want to marry men. Women demand

Ephesians 5:29–30 [29] For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church, [30] because we are members of his body. (ESV) Suicide is one of the most horrible tragedies that can ever happen.  When one makes the decision to take their own life the loved ones who are left behind wrestle with the question of why?  In the midst of the darkness and depression that a suicidal person is going through they are somehow unable to see the value in living, the value in themselves, and the value that other people have discovered about them.  Paul says in this verse that no one ever hated his own flesh.  This would argue that when we are functioning normally and as God designed we would cherish our flesh, and not be willing to discard it. There is a reason that I am making this point.  When we consider the marriage relationship we need to understand that in marriage God has made one body out of two.  Just like it would be a horrible tragedy to

Ephesians 5:28 [28] In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. (ESV) In our society today we are obsessed with elevating ourselves above all others.  If you spend any time on social media (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc.) you will find all kinds of posts that talk about only spending time with those who build you up and make you realize how great you are.  If people don't bow to your greatness you are free to cut them out of your life. So, I want to take a different angle on this.  Let's go with you looking at all of the things that would build you up.  Let's consider doing those things that you know will be a great blessing for you.  Let's devote a considerable amount of time focusing on you!  Now, here's the twist, Take all of that energy that focuses on yourself and instead focus all of that on your wife!  That is how it is supposed to work. You are to love your wife as yourself.  How woul

Ephesians 5:27 [27] so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish. (ESV) Paul continues in this beautiful illustration of the husband loving his wife in the same manner as Christ loved the Church.  The Savior desires to present the church in purity.  But, the reality is, we are not pure.  In so many ways we have been unfaithful to our loving husband, Jesus Christ.  We have loved ourselves, we have loved pleasures, we have loved the things that destroy our relationship with Jesus. This leads me to what I love about the Savior.  He not only desires that we be holy, but by the sacrifice of his very life for us he purchased our purity.  The purity that we have is not that which we have earned, but rather it is a gift that we could never earn.  Philippians 3:9 [9] and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith i

Ephesians 5:26 [26] that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, (ESV) We are continuing to look at the Apostle Paul's instructions on marriage.  I cannot emphasize enough the need for us all to stick to God's plan for marriage.  My heart breaks as I hear of marriage after marriage falling apart primarily because people do not follow God's plan. The statistics regarding divorce are not much different in couples that belong to the church vs. those who do not.  That is tragic. Today we are going to look at something that is very significant. The husband's role is a spiritual role.  Can I state that again?  The husband's role is a spiritual role!  God wants marriage to be led by a godly man.  That is the plan.  He is to have as his motivation the sanctification of his wife.  What do we mean be sanctification?  The setting apart of a person's life for holiness and purity.  That is something that is a part of every be

Ephesians 5:25 [25] Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, (ESV) So much of what is called love is not at all what the Bible is talking about when it talks of love.  We think in terms of romantic love.  Husbands think of love in terms of giving their wife flowers, or taking them away on a special trip, or even using certain words to woo their bride. While these can be nice things to do, the fact is that these actions do not rise to the level of love that Paul is referring to here in Ephesians 5:25. Paul is giving a command to husbands to love their wives as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her.  This kind of love is completely sacrificial.  It isn't contingent upon getting something back in return.  In fact, if nothing was given back in return this kind of love would still be given.  Sovereign love.  Sacrificial love.  A husband's love. To the husbands reading this I ask you, "How many times have you thou

Ephesians 5:23–24 [23] For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior. [24] Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands. (ESV) Have you ever had a boss that valued you and treated you with the utmost of respect? Perhaps, they often called you into the office to get your opinion on things.  Maybe they periodically checked with you to see how they might better empower you to do your job.  You were treated fairly and generously with compensation.  If you have had an experience similar to that, did you find it difficult to submit to their leadership?  I imagine not. In our passage today, we find that the husband is given a position of headship over the wife.  This means that his leadership is to provide, care for and support her in all aspects of life.  It is not only a God-ordained position, but it is even a picture of how Christ is also the head of the Churc

Ephesians 5:22 [22] Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. (ESV) So, let's get right into the hornets nest.  This verse has caused a lot of hurt.  Sadly, there have been far too many ungodly men who have used this verse to excuse their controlling, abusive behavior towards their wives. If you are a man who has used this verse to try to control your wife you need to pause and repent of your sin before you read further. Now, let's consider a few things. First of all, in verse 21 it says that we are all to submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.  You cannot ignore verse 21 and claim verse 22. Husbands are not exempt from submission.  Submission is a godly practice.  The world does not understand submission.  The world views submission as weakness.  The Bible teaches submission as a godly quality. Remember that Jesus submitted to the ultimate will of the Father saying, "“Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my w

Ephesians 5:22 [22] Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. (ESV) The marriage relationship is under constant attack.  When two people from different backgrounds and families decide to unite together for a lifetime covenant there will be challenges.  In fact, we know that divorce is rampant.  I am convinced that the only way for marriages to be successful is for them to follow the guidelines that God himself gave.  Here's the challenge.  We may agree in theory that God's way is best.  We may even sign a marriage covenant that says that we will be together until death parts us. But, doing things God's way is not always easy.  The world around us will actively rebel against God's ideals for marriage, and some of our friends will encourage us to reject God's plan because it is just too hard. This verse and the following verses in this section of Ephesians give us some of God's guidelines for godly marriage relationship.  They are not easy. The

Ephesians 5:21 21 submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ. One of the most disgraceful things that happen in a church are fights amongst its members.  Perhaps you have been a part of a church fight.  Maybe you left a church because of fighting in the church.  The reason that fights happen in a church is because they do not know how to follow the Apostle Paul's admonition to "submit to one another out of reverence for Christ." Thom Rainer, CEO of Lifeway, compiled a list of 25 silly church fights that actually happened.  Here they are in no particular order: 1.  Argument over the appropriate length of the worship pastor’s beard. 2.  Fight over whether or not to build a children’s playground or to use the land for a cemetery. 3.  A deacon accusing another deacon of sending an anonymous letter, and deciding to settle the matter in the parking lot. 4.  A church dispute of whether or not to install restroom stall dividers in the women’s restroom. 5.

Ephesians 5:20 20 giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, (ESV) I love the holiday we call Thanksgiving.  I love the crisp fall air.  I love the time being spent with family.  I love watching Football games.  I love the traditional American Thanksgiving meal with with turkey, dressing, sweet potatoes, biscuits, cranberry sauce, pumpkin pie, etc. I enjoy listening to loved ones around the table pondering about what they are most thankful for. The Apostle Paul had never met any Americans.  He probably never had turkey and cranberry sauce. He never watched football, but I am sure he would have been an Eagles fan! When Paul talked about giving thanks he was talking about an attitude that is to be at the very core of a godly person.  We give thanks.  Always. And for everything. Now, that is a tall order, don't you think? “The dominant characteristic of an authentic spiritual life is the gratitude that flows from trust - n

Ephesians 5:19 19 addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, Today's devotional could be a whole book.  Don't worry.  I am not writing a book on worship. Yet. Worship is something that many people have very strong opinions on, but they do not always reflect the opinion of the author of Scripture, the Holy Spirit.  Let's look at today's verse which speaks of how we are to worship. Notice the first few words in verse 19. “Addressing one another” Worship is to be with other believers. There are people who claim that they can worship just as well at home.   After all, the church has too many hypocrites. True believers value worship. And that includes the concept of worship being with one another. You show me a person who does not value worship with other believers in Jesus, and I will show you someone who is not walking in obedience to the Lord. Now, Paul mentions more than that we should

Ephesians 5:18 18 And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit (ESV) At first glance, this verse seems to be about condemning the use of alcohol in the life of the believer.  In fact, I can guarantee you that many a preacher has used this verse to preach against any drinking of alcohol.  But, I do not believe this verse is focused on the the prohibition of alcoholic beverages in a believer's life, but rather the admonition to be filled with the Spirit! I really appreciate what the great Baptist Preacher Charles Stanley has to say about this verse: "Although God wants every believer to be filled with the Spirit, many Christians are not sure what this means or what it looks like. To help us understand that whatever fills us controls us, Paul cites drunkenness as a negative example of “filling” and tells us to avoid it. Every believer is indwelt by the Holy Spirit, but the extent of His rule is determined by the Christian’s freedom

Ephesians 5:17 17 Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. (ESV) I believe that every true Christian desires to know what God's will for their life is.  Typically, young people see their whole life ahead of them and if they are devoted to Christ they want to know what God would have them to do for their whole career. They may think in terms of being a full-time pastor or missionary.  Maybe they see themselves as being a Christian musician or other kind of artist. Do you know what the will of God is? How have you discovered God's will in your own life?  I think we make it hard on ourselves sometimes. We want God to say, "Thou shalt go to ABC University, get employed by "I Always Hear God's Voice" Ministries, and live happily ever after.  We are expecting some kind of audible voice. Perhaps you will hear an audible voice.  I am not betting on it.  Nor do I think you should.  There are some Biblical principles that can

Ephesians 5:16 16 making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. (ESV) It is the foolish man who wastes time. When we consider our lifespan, we have a very small amount of time. Some have the privilege of living 70, 80, 90, maybe even close to 100 years on this earth. In the grand scheme of eternity that is not very long. What are you doing with the time that you have been given. Have you considered that the time you have been given is a resource that God wants an accounting for? 1 Peter 1:17 17 And if you call on him as Father who judges impartially according to each one's deeds, conduct yourselves with fear throughout the time of your exile, Wise walking means that we know we have a limited number of steps that we will take. We will be judged accordingly. Conduct yourself with fear throughout the TIME of your exile. Fear in this context does not mean terror, but rather, sober seriousness. We waste so much time, don’t we? We claim we don’t have time to re