Ephesians 5:15-21 “Walk in Wisdom”

Introduction:

In Ephesians 4–5, Paul shifts from teaching about our salvation to how believers are to live in response to it.

A key word Paul repeatedly uses is “walk,” referring to the daily lifestyle and conduct of a Christian.

Paul calls believers to:

Walk worthy of their calling (4:1)

No longer walk like the world (4:17)

Walk in love (5:2)

Walk as children of light (5:8)

In Ephesians 5:1, Paul gives the overarching command:“Be imitators of God as dear children.”

This means believers should reflect the character of God in the way they live.

In Ephesians 5:15–21, Paul now explains what that kind of life looks like in practical terms.

He teaches believers to:

Walk carefully and wisely

Redeem the time

Understand the will of the Lord

Be filled with the Spirit

These verses show us that the Christian life is meant to be lived intentionally, wisely, and for the glory of God.

1. (V15) See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but wise

Sermon Point 1: Walk Carefully (Ephesians 5:15)

a) See then

Paul begins with a serious call to intentional awareness: “See then that you walk circumspectly.”

The phrase “see then” carries the idea of discerning, observing, and carefully considering how we live our lives.

Paul is exhorting us to pay attention to the way we walk and conduct ourselves daily.

Paul is saying: Know what pleases the Lord and live in a way that reflects that you are children of the light.

Just one verse earlier, in Epistle to the Ephesians 5:14, Paul urges believers to awake from spiritual sleep, reminding them that some people are living life spiritually asleep, moving through life without awareness of God’s will.

Therefore, Paul calls the church to wake up, open their eyes, and walk with spiritual alertness so their lives reflect the light of Christ. 

b) “Walk”

In Scripture, the word walk refers to one’s daily way of living.

It describes:

Your conduct

Your habits

Your lifestyle

The direction of your life

Paul is talking about how we live day by day, not just what we say we believe.

Our faith must show up in how we live, how we treat people, and how we use our time.

We are to walk worthy

As imitators of God

c) “Circumspectly”

To walk circumspectly means to live carefully, accurately, and thoughtfully.

It carries the idea of someone watching every step.

Paul exhorts us to not wander carelessly in sin or to be distracted by life, but to be careful about their choices

Because the light of Christ has been given to us, we should walk carefully and wisely, not foolishly.

Your conduct is accurate according to the Word of God

This kind of living includes:

Making the right use of every opportunity

Not walking in sin

Using your time wisely

Staying spiritually alert

In other words, don’t sleepwalk through your Christian life.

Paul is calling believers to wake up spiritually.

Application: Many people live without thinking about eternity

Without thinking about God’s will

Without thinking about how their actions affect their witness.

But the wise believer lives awake, alert, and intentional.

d) Not as fools

Paul contrasts wisdom with foolishness.

A fool lives carelessly, drifting into the unfruitful works of darkness.

But the wise believer avoids those things and chooses a life that honors God.

The believer must always be evaluating their steps.

Believers are not to drift through life spiritually unaware.

Application: If we neglect spending time in the word, in prayer, and in fellowship drifting can occur due to distractions, complacency, and a lack of spiritual discipline

We must evaluate our lives thoughtfully and deliberately. A wise believer lives in a way that is skillful, intentional, and pleasing to the Lord.

Christian living is not accidental — it requires spiritual attentiveness.

Think about a driver going down a mountain road.

If the driver stops paying attention, even for a moment, the car can drift off the road. The danger is not always speeding — sometimes it’s simply not paying attention.

In the same way, many believers don’t fall into sin because they planned to — they simply stopped paying attention to their walk with God.

1.1 (V16) Redeeming the time, because the days are evil

a) Make the most of the God-given time you have

The phrase “redeeming the time” means to buy up or make the most of every opportunity.

It carries the idea of someone who sees something valuable and immediately takes hold of it before the opportunity is gone.

A similar idea is you go to the store and they are having a sale and redeem the opportunity buy purchasing the product on sale

Paul is reminding us that time is a gift from God.

Transition: The urgency to redeem the time becomes even clearer when we remember how quickly our lives pass by.

b) Life is but a vapor

Every day we wake up is borrowed time entrusted to us by the Lord. Every hour, every moment, every opportunity is something we have been given to steward for His glory.

Each of us has been given a set amount of time in this life.

Scripture reminds us that our lives are like a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away.

Because of that, we must use our time wisely.

Illustration

Think about a breath on a cold morning. For a moment you can see it in the air — and then it disappears.

That is what the Bible says our life is like.

Because life passes so quickly, Scripture calls us not to waste it on things that ultimately do not matter eternally.

Instead, we are to redeem the time — to use our days for loving God, serving others, growing in Christ, and pointing people to the gospel.

Redeeming the time means:

Using our lives for the glory of Christ

Taking opportunities to serve the Lord

Speaking to others about Jesus

Investing in things that have eternal value

Transition: Paul is calling believers to seize the opportunities God places before them.

c) Because the days are evil

Paul gives the reason for this urgency: “because the days are evil.”

We live in a world that is morally dark and spiritually hostile to God.

Every day brings distractions, temptations, and pressures that try to pull believers away from Christ.

Time can easily be wasted, distracted, or consumed by things that have no eternal value.

That is why Paul urges believers to live with spiritual urgency.

But the wise believer asks:

How can I use this day for Christ?

How can I serve the Lord today?

How can I point someone to Jesus?

Colossians 4:5 “Walk in wisdom toward those who are outside, redeeming the time.”

Our lives should demonstrate wisdom, urgency, and intentional living, especially before those who do not yet know Christ.

2. (V17) Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is

a) Therefore do not be unwise

Here Paul continues the contrast he has been making between the wise and the unwise.

The unwise person lives life without giving serious thought to God.

They move through life guided by feelings, culture, or personal desires, rarely stopping to ask, “What does the Lord want?”

Transition: Because drifting away from God leads to spiritual foolishness, Paul now gives the positive command for believers.

b) But understand

In contrast, Paul calls believers to understand the will of the Lord.

God’s desire is that we know Him and know His will for our lives.

He wants to reveal His will to us

As we spend time with Him, He transforms our minds and reveals His will.

The primary way we understand the will of God is through His Word.

As believers grow in their knowledge of God’s Word, they begin to see more clearly:

what pleases the Lord

what honors Him

and what direction their life should take

Transition: This leads to an important truth about biblical wisdom.

c) True wisdom is aligning life with God’s will

Wisdom is not simply intelligence, education, or life experience. A person may know many things and still live foolishly.

True wisdom is when a person desires to know and follow what God wants.

The wise believer continually asks:

What does God desire in this situation?

What decision would honor the Lord?

What does Scripture say about this?

As taught in Epistle to the Romans 12:2, believers are called to reject conformity to the world and be transformed by the renewing of their minds, so they may discern God’s good and perfect will.

The unwise drift, but the wise pursue a life aligned with God’s will.

2.1 (V18) But do not be drunk with wine, but be filled with the Holy Spirit

a) Do not be drunk

Drunkenness is the opposite of wisdom, it makes you do unwise things

Paul says that drunkenness is dissipation. This means that drunkenness is a waste of resources that should be submitted to Jesus.

The Bible consistently condemns drunkenness because it leads to a loss of self-control and opens the door to many other sins.

Drunkenness represents the carnal alternative to being filled with the Spirit.

Instead of being guided by God, the person becomes controlled by alcohol.

Drunkenness wastes:

time

money

health

relationships

b) But rather be filled with the Holy Spirit

Just as alcohol can influence a person's thoughts, speech, and behavior, the Holy Spirit desires to influence the believer’s:

attitudes

words

decisions

and actions.

The Spirit-filled life is a life that is surrendered to God and shaped by His presence.

This is not about losing control; it is about placing our lives under the right control — the control of the Holy Spirit.

A believer who is filled with the Spirit will begin to display:

spiritual wisdom

godly character

self-control

and a life that honors Christ.

2.2 (V19) Speaking to one another in psalm, hymns, making melody in your heart

a) The connection with being filled with the Spirit and praise is significant.

The evidence of a spirit filled believer is one who has praise coming from their mouth

Those who are filled with the Spirit will naturally praise, and praise is a way that we are filled with the Spirit.

Building people up with our speech

2.3 (V20) Giving thanks for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus

a) A heart of gratitude

One of the clear evidences of a Spirit-filled life is a heart of gratitude toward God.

When a believer is filled with the Spirit, their life begins to overflow with thanksgiving rather than complaining, praise rather than negativity.

Gratitude flows from the recognition that every blessing ultimately comes from God the Father.

Instead of focusing only on difficulties, the Spirit-filled believer learns to see God’s goodness, faithfulness, and sovereignty in all circumstances.

This gratitude is not merely occasional; Paul says we are to give thanks “always for all things.”

When we are filled with the Spirit, we will have a desire to worship God and to encourage others in their worship of God.

2.4 (V21) Submitting to one another in the fear of God

a) Submitting

The word “submitting” means to place oneself under or to arrange under in rank.

It was originally a military term, describing how an army functions with different levels of authority

Each person understands their role and respects the order of authority so the whole army can function properly.

In the Christian life, submission is not about inferiority but about humility, respect, and willingness to serve one another.

Paul teaches that Spirit-filled believers choose to honor others and not insist on their own way.

This attitude flows from reverence for God, because a heart that fears God will also learn to walk in humility toward others.

In Conclusion

Paul calls believers to live with intentional wisdom and spiritual awareness.

Because the world is filled with darkness and distraction, Christians must walk carefully, making the most of every opportunity and using their time for what has eternal value.

Instead of drifting through life, believers are called to understand and follow the will of God revealed in Scripture.