Children were to obey their parents in the Lord; and not merely on the ground of the fifth commandment, which was the first commandment of promise. The commandment is owned as part of the ways of God in government, but the higher ground of being in the Lord is attached. All relationships in the flesh were at an end for faith at the cross; but the Lord had risen as head of a new creation, and had breathed into His own, His own spirit of life. This had delivered them from all connections with the first Adam; they were not in the flesh but the Spirit if so be the Spirit of God dwelt in them. They were adopted out of the family of Adam into the family of God; and this new place and this new relationship were the basis of all obedience of children to their parents. Christ’s example as being subject to His parents, was for them; but this was always founded on and subordinate to the higher relationship between Him and the Father, as He said, when His parents found fault with Him, Wist ye not that I must be about My Father’s business? (Comp. Luke 2:49-51). May Christian parents ever remember that the relationships of sons to the heavenly Father, is a higher relationship than every natural one, and that they may not by disowning it, provoke their children to wrath, but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. The Lord’s Name comes in here in connection with responsibility, as authority. It is authority founded on the grace that puts us in connection with that Lord, and therefore it is in direct contrast with law-obedience, which is authority without grace. Obedience to commandments is not grievous but precious, when we know that we are in the Lord. To disobey is to do violence to the new nature, in which we are connected with the Lord.
Servants were to have the Lord before them in all their obedience to their masters; consequently all eye-service would go for nothing. If the Lord’s good pleasure is before the servant, all eye-service for his master’s good pleasure is at an end. He will obey him to do the will of God. The encouragement of reward from the Lord is also set before him (vs. 8).
Rewards and chastisement have to do with the Lord’s government in this world. All these dealings are founded on that sovereign grace that has given us the glory.
Masters were to take the Lord’s ways towards His servants as their example, doing the same things toward their servants, moderating threatening, remember that their master was in heaven, neither was there any respect of persons with Him. He saw no difference between rich and poor.
Finally, the saints were to be strong in the Lord, and in the power of His might. there was a conflict they were engaged in, far worse than that Israel engaged in to take the land of Canaan. They needed then to put on the whole armour of God that they might be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. We wrestle not against flesh and blood, like Israel in Canaan, but against principalities and powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against wicked spirits in the heavenlies. The strength to meet it is in the Lord. We are carried back to Eph. 1:19-20, to be reminded how this power was to be measured. It was exhibited in a Man in the glory, whom God had raised from the dead, and set at His own right hand in the heavenlies, far above all principality and power and might and dominion and every name that is named. That power was committed into his Man’s hand. God had made Him Head over all things, Head of the Assembly which is His body, and complement of Him that fills all in all. The members of that body had been held under the three-fold power of the enemy; they did walk according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, but by His great love and mercy and grace were now quickened together with Christ, raised up together, and made to sit together in the heavenlies in Christ. Thus, the Church was in union and contact with Him who was the exhibition of the power of God, in raising Him up and making Head over all things. The saints were to stand together in that blessed position, strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. All that same strength had been brought unto them by the Holy Ghost, who was to strengthen them in the inner man for their walk; and God was able to do exceeding abundantly above all they asked or thought, measured by that same power that worked in them (comp. Eph. 3:16-20). thus they were encouraged to stand fast against the power of the enemy, in the knowledge of that exceeding greatness of God’s power to them that believed, strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.
But besides this, they needed to put on the whole armour of God so as to be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. The devil here is the serpent, not the lion, and the armour is for the most part defensive against his wiles. Those wiles might be exhibited in a minister, Satan thus transformed into an angel of light (comp. 2 Cor. 11:13-15), or in a beggar perhaps coming to your door in the form of a mendicant friar or sister of mercy (comp. Joshua 9:3-15), or in other ways. Thus, in the very place of our highest privileges, the heavenly places, we are brought into direct conflict with the enemy. He has well acted his serpent-like character, in making poor foolish saints, thinking themselves wise, to represent him as locked up in hell. God represents him as ranging around with his wicked spirits in the heavenlies, and the saints are exhorted to stand fast against his wiles. He is the wily tempter of the saints to unbelief and sin, and then the accuser of them before God, the author of division between children of God (see Gen. 3, Rom 16, Rev 12). Wherefore the saints are again exhorted to take to them the whole panoply of God, that they might be able to resist in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
The pieces of armor mentioned are the girdle, the breastplate and the sandals, the shield, the helmet, and the sword; and these connected with truth, righteousness, peace, faith, salvation and the Spirit.
Prayer completes the whole. The girdle is the first, and perhaps the importance of it is form the fact of its binding together the different parts of the man’s clothing and bracing up his loins for strength for the battle. Truth is connected with it, no doubt alluding to the great truths of the epistle, but as to the practical understanding of them and carrying them out in our warfare against the enemy. If I know the truth of the purposes of the God of the Lord Jesus Christ, in regard to His Son’s glory, His will as to the children and their inheritance (Eph. 1:1-15), if I know what He has done to His Son in the meantime, for the carrying out of these purposes, exalting Him above everything, and gathering out a body-a Bride for Him (Eph. 1); and building the saints together on earth for an habitation of God through the Spirit (Eph. 2:19-22); I shall be walking worthy of the vocation wherewith I am called, endeavoring to keep, with as many other members of Christ who will walk with me, the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace, realizing that there is one body and one Spirit, etc., and thus walk outside all worldly or sectarian unions (Eph. 4:1-5). I shall be braced up with the truth, and be able to face the various forms of evil around me, in their corporate character. If I know again, what the truth as it is in Jesus means, as an individual, and have embraced it, namely, to have put off the old man and his deeds, and be renewed in the spirit of my mind, and to have put on the new man which after God is created in righteousness and holiness of truth; then, putting away lying, I shall speak truth to my neighbor, knowing that all lying is outside the new man, who is the truth (Eph. 4:20-24). Thus, again shall I be braced up and strengthened, having on the girdle of truth.
The breastplate is the second piece of armour and is connected with righteousness. The new man which I have put on is created in righteousness and holiness of truth, but this appears to be the practical carrying out of that righteousness in my daily walk; dealing justly and righteously with my neighbor; doing to each as I would that they should do unto me; for the righteousness of the law is fulfilled in those who walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit (see Rom 8:3; comp. also 1 John 2:29; 3:7-10); but this again will only be carried out practically as I bear about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus. It is only then that the life of Jesus will be manifested in my mortal flesh. If I do unrighteously I get a bad conscience and Satan thus gets an advantage.
Thirdly, the feet are to be shod with the preparation of the Gospel of Peace. Peace is the end of enmity and is the portion of new creation, for Christ is our peace. All difference between man and man and Jew and Gentile is at an end at the cross. The law of enmity which kept Jew and Gentile apart is also abolished in the flesh of Jesus. Man is brought nigh and reconciled through the risen Christ, who has sent down the holy Ghost, and believers are baptized inot one body. Peace is proclaimed to everybody from the Peacemaker, who is in the glory; and all who receive the glad tidings of peace, are brought out of the scene of enmity into the beauteous world of peace of the new creation. No wonder the apostle exclaimed, How beautiful are the feet of those that proclaim the glad tidings of peace (Isa. 52:7). The feet shod with the preparation of the Gospel of Peace, is the practical carrying out of this towards everyone. Wherever I walk I should carry peace, for the cure of all quarrelling, fighting and enmity.
Fourthly, above all, the shield of faith should be taken. This piece is outside to cover all, and to be grasped with a firm hand. Faith never thinks of itself; it is occupied with its object, and that is the God of all grace, who has given His Son to die, and to set Him in the glory. So God says to Abraham (Gen. 15:`1), I am thy shield and thy exceeding great reward. David says (Psalm 3:3), Thou, O Lord art a shield for me, my glory and the lifter up of mine head. Who is the God you know, Christian? He is the God and Father of the Lord Jesus Christ, the eternal Lover of your soul, who has chosen you in Christ before the foundation of the world, adopted you as His son, given you redemption through Christ’s blood, and an inheritance in Him whom He has chosen to be the Center of all things in heaven and earth. He is the God of love, mercy and grace, who, when you were dead in sins, quickened you together in Christ, raised you up and made you sit in the heavenlies in Christ Jesus, giving you a place in Christ’s body, of which He is the Head. Oh, what a God we know! What dart of enemy can pierce through such a shield, if held up? The God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the God of His infancy, of His boyhood, of His manhood; who carried Him through the temptation of satan, the opposition of Pharisees, and the coldness and unfaithfulness of disciples; who enabled Him to carry out the work of redemption for us, who raised Him out of the dead, and by His power placed Him in the glory, is the God we know. Such is our shield against the fiery darts of the wicked one. Let me be ever so low, I can always fall back on the God of love, who gave His blessed Son to die for me, a poor sinner. There is the answer to Satan’s most fiery dart. They overcame Him by the blood of the Lamb (Rev 12).
The helmet of salvation is the next piece of armor. This is for the protection of the head; a most vital part. No doubt it is the dwelling the consciousness of known salvation. Salvation is a large term embracing the past, the present and the future. This should be all a settled thing with my soul. We know first a God who has saved us, not according to our works but according to His purpose and grace which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began; but is now made manifest by the appearing of our Savior Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death and brought life and incorruptibility to light through the gospel (2 Tim. 1:9-10). Again, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, by the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost, which He shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior (Titus 3:5-6). Again by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not of works, lest any man should boast (Eph. 2:8—9). Salvation in this aspect is a past work, connected with the purpose of God, manifested by the appearance of Jesus Christ, who worked it out by His death and resurrection. It is applied actually to us by the Word, and the Holy Ghost, by which we are washed and renewed. On God’s side, it comes by His free favor; on our side it is received by faith, and the soul seems to be the present seat of it. In Heb. 7:25, and Phil. 2:12, we see it as a work going on every day, on the one hand through Christ’s never-ceasing intercession for us at the right hand of God, and on the other by the effectual working of the Holy Ghost in us, who causes us to will and to do of God’s good pleasure. Thus, we are carried through all the difficulties and trials of our wilderness journey here below, preserved by the intercession of Christ, and the power of the Holy Ghost. thirdly, it is a future thing and has reference to the coming of Christ on the one hand and resurrection of the body on the other (Phil 3:20). For our conversation is in heaven, from whence also we look for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall change our evil body that it might be fashioned like unto His glorious body, We are waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body; for we are saved by hope (Rom. 8:24). In this respect the Thessalonians are exhorted to put on for an helmet the hope of salvation; for God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ (1 Thes. 5:5-9). The intelligent knowledge of this then is the helmet of salvation spoken of in our chapter. The head is the place of intelligence, but without the intelligence being connected with salvation, this vital part is exposed to the enemy.
We come now to the only weapon for offensive warfare used in the passage. This is the sword of the Spirit. The Spirit wields the Word of God as His sword and so should we. The Savior used it against the enemy in His three-fold temptation. And the last was such a deadly thrust that Satan fled away in dismay. (See Matt. 4).
There is a seventh thing mentioned, though not a piece of armour, is what is absolutely necessary for a Christian soldier to use, and that is, Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Sprit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints; and for Paul too, that utterance might be given to him, that he might open his mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel, for which he was an ambassador in bonds; that he might speak with all boldness. Prayer is to encircle everything, and then watching thereunto, watching God in the carrying out of His purposes, in view of which we should alone pray; and not forgetting the instruments God was using for the carrying of His will.
Tychicus would make known to the Ephesians how Paul did, and as to all thing going on; a touching instance of that simplicity of live that concluded the interest of the saints would take in him, and at the same time cared for them. He concludes by wishing peace to all the brethren, and love with faith from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Grace also with all those who love the Lord Jesus Christ with incorruption. A saint who does this will care for the Person of that Holy One whom God did not suffer to see corruption. (Acts 2:27).
May God in His wondrous love and grace own the feeble opening up of this wondrous letter; own it as His own gift of ministry for the saints specially the young; that they may no longer be children tossed to and fro, by every wind of doctrine; but speaking the truth in love, may grow up into their living Head in all things.