Sermon Tone Analysis

Big Idea of Message:

The goal is to walk worthily of God — but is beyond simply putting forth effort or overcoming human obstacles.

There are extremely powerful spiritual beings that strategize and carry out plans to derail the best intentions of Christians to live out God’s call in their lives.

So rest in your relationship with God, pray, and depend on His strength.

Commentary Notes (Click to View)

Source: Ephesians: Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament, Clinton E. Arnold

Literary Context

Paul concludes the moral exhortation he began in 4:1, where he appealed to believers to “walk worthily of the calling to which you were called.”

They ought to give careful attention to how they walk, and is repeated throughout the letter (4:17, 5:2, 8, 15).

Paul now reveals that it may be more difficult to obey God and advance his kingdom purposes than many believers realize.

The goal is to walk worthily of God — but is beyond simply putting forth effort or overcoming human obstacles.

There are extremely powerful spiritual beings that strategize and carry out plans to derail the best intentions of Christians to live out God’s call in their lives.

Throughout the letter are references to supernatural opposition.

These are the powers who held humanity in bondage before the redemptive work of Christ (2:2) and now threaten to find an inroad and set up a base of operations in the lives of people who have come to know Christ (4:27).

Union with Christ and the new identity of believers come to a climax in 6:10-20 because it is through this relationship and all that it entails that believers are strengthened to resist the powerful attacks from the evil one and his emissaries.

The readers are admonished to be strong “in the Lord,” that is, through growing deeper in a present, dynamic relationship of dependence on the one who is powerful enough to do more than they could ask or imagine (see 3:20).

They are called to grow into a self-awareness of their new identity.

They need to become profoundly aware of the changes that have occurred in their lives now that they have come to a knowledge of the truth, received righteousness, experienced salvation, been endowed with the gift of the Spirit, and can now exercise increasing faith in God.

Yet, consistent with his calls to ethical purity throughout this half of the letter, Paul calls his readers to exhibit this new identity in their day-to-day life, by practicing truthfulness, becoming more righteous in their behavior, and essentially becoming increasingly pure in thought and action.

The danger of not doing so is that this neglect leaves open a window of vulnerability that the devil and his powers will try to exploit (4:27).

The use of military metaphors in this section convey the idea of spiritual power, such as complete armor, breastplate, shield, helmet, sword, strapping a weapon around one’s waist, and putting on shoes.

The metaphor shifts when he uses the term “struggle” in 6:12, a term from the sport of wrestling, but could refer to the wrestling a soldier may engage in.

Commentators sometimes refer to the armor and weaponry of a Roman soldier as the background and inspiration for the metaphor, but the metaphor falls short.

Roman historian, Polybius, gives the most complete description of the equipment of a legionnaire (Polybius, Hist.

6.23.2-5).

Paul leaves out important parts of the “complete armor” of the Roman soldier, such as two pila (javelins) and the greaves (leg armor).

Most of Paul’s imagery comes directly from Isa. 11:4-5 [Open in Logos Bible Software (if available)] ; 59:17 [Open in Logos Bible Software (if available)] , cf. 1 Thess.

5:8 [Open in Logos Bible Software (if available)] ).

Paul may have had some inspiration due to the pervasive phenomenon of Roman Soldiers in his world, as well as writing this letter while living under Roman custody, but the primary background and impetus for it is the OT, especially Isaiah and the image of God as the Divine Warrior.

The repetition in this section is used to stress certain ideas.

On four occasions, he uses the verb “stand” (ἵσταμαι) to point to the need for divine enablement and the goal of the struggle (6:11b, 13d, 14a; 6:13b).

There are also a variety of terms used for power to stress the availability of divine power for believers in the midst of the battle.

Because prayer is foundational to drawing on God’s power and successfully resisting demonic assaults, Paul uses an array of terms to highlight the importance of prayer.

(προσευχόμενοι in 6:18a; προσευχή in 6:18a; δεήσεως in 6:18a and 18f; and ἀγρυπνοῦντες in 6:18e).

Prayer receives further stress with the fourfold repetition of the word “all” (πάς) in connection with it (see 6:18c, d, f, g).

Paul builds the responsibility of believers to grow in their knowledge of their new identity in Christ and to appropriate it by using the variety of terms conveying the notion of “putting on.”

6:10-20: Appropriating the Power of God to Stand against the Powers of Darkness

Introductory Exhortation (6:10)

Exhortation to Appropriate God’s Power because of the Supernatural Nature of the Battle (6:11-13)

Resisting the Powers of Darkness by Appropriating Armor from God (6:14-17)

Prayer as the Foundation and Essence of Spiritual Warfare (6:18-20)

Big Idea for 6:10-20:

Living a life pleasing to the Lord and engaging in the mission of the church is not easy because there are powerful supernatural beings that strategize and attack.

Because of this, God makes available his power and divine resources to believers, so they can resist the assaults of these hostile spirits and advance God’s kingdom into the world.

Believers are called to appropriate these gifts, cultivate their corresponding virtues, and above all, pray in the Spirit as an expression of their dependence on the Lord to receive God’s enabling power.

Translation: (16:10) Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty strength.

(11a) Put on the complete armor of God (b) so that you are strengthened to stand against the strategies of the devil (12a) because our struggle is not against blood and flesh, but (b) against the rulers, (c) the authorities, (d) the world powers of this darkness, (e) the evil spiritual beings in the heavenly places.

Structure: Finally – Paul transitions to the final set of exhortations in the letter.

Vs 10 – “be strong in the Lord,” as a summary exhortation that stands over the entire passage and gets at the heart for what readers are supposed to do.

Vs 11 parallels and introduces the metaphor of the armor of God that gives expression to the idea of divine enablement and protection throughout the rest of the passage.

The passage has three sections following the introductory appeal: (1) vv.

10-13 (this sermon), which emphasize the need for dependence on God because of hostile principalities and powers, (2) vv.

14-17, which delineate the range of spiritual weapons needed to engage the enemy successfully, and (3) vv.

18-20, which emphasize prayer in accordance with the work of the Spirit as the foundation to preparing and engaging in spiritual struggle.

In the first section, Paul enjoins believers to put on the armor (6:11), he gives reason for their need of it with an infinitive purpose phrase stating that the goal is “to stand.”

This is surprisingly difficult because the struggle is not against human opponents, but spiritual beings.

The preposition “against” (pros) is used six times to delineate the range of spirit beings that believers must contend with.

In 6:13, he reiterates the importance of taking up the armor and repeats the goal of standing.

Introductory Exhortation (6:10)

Exhortation to Appropriate God’s Power because of the Supernatural Nature of the Battle (6:11-13)

The comparison of God’s power to weaponry (6:11a)

The supernatural nature of the battle (6:11b-12)

The strategies of the devil (6:11b)

The nonphysical nature of the struggle (6:12a)

The range of spirits opposing the church (6:12b-e)

The need for God’s power to resist the supernatural enemies (6:13)

Reiteration of the need for God’s power (6:13a)

The time of the battle (6:13b)

The preparation for battle (6:13c)

The goal of the battle: to stand (6:13d)

6:10 — Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty strength.

| (CSB) Finally, be strengthened by the Lord and by his vast strength.

| (ESV) Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might.

In his concluding admonition, Paul urges his readers to a greater dependance on the Lord for the divine empowerment needed to face their enemies and live the kind of lives God has called them to live.

The Greek word, “finally” could be interpreted as “from now on,” as it is used in Gal.

6:17 [Open in Logos Bible Software (if available)] , the only other place it is used in the NT or LXX.

Yet, this future use does not fit the context, since readers are already engaged in battle.

The more natural understanding is to understand the adverb as introducing the last exhortation of the second half of the letter, as the NLT translates as “a final word.”

“Be strong” should be interpreted as a passive voice, stressing the idea that the strength is received from an outside source.

It is also an imperative and implies volition and action on the part of the hearers to seek God and present themselves to him for filling with his power.

The same word was used by Paul to appeal to Timothy to “be strong” (2 Tim 2:1 [Open in Logos Bible Software (if available)] ).

The language should evoke memory of God’s repeatedly calling Joshua to “be strong” (Josh 1:6 [Open in Logos Bible Software (if available)] , 7 [Open in Logos Bible Software (if available)] , 9 [Open in Logos Bible Software (if available)] , Deut.

31:6-7 [Open in Logos Bible Software (if available)] ) as he was to lead God’s people into the land of Canaan, where they would face many enemies and fight many battles.

The difference, now, is that God’s people face more powerful enemies than mere human opponents.

Joshua 1:6-9

Be strong and courageous, for you shall cause this people to inherit the land that I swore to their fathers to give them.

7 Only be strong and very courageous, being careful to do according to all the law that Moses my servant commanded you.

Do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may have good success wherever you go. 8 This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it.

For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.

9 Have I not commanded you?

Be strong and courageous.

Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.”

Deuteronomy 31:6-8

31 So Moses continued to speak these words to all Israel. 2 And he said to them, “I am 120 [Open in Logos Bible Software (if available)] years old today.

I am no longer able to go out and come in.

The LORD has said to me, ‘You shall not go over this Jordan.’

3 The LORD your God himself will go over before you.

He will destroy these nations before you, so that you shall dispossess them, and Joshua will go over at your head, as the LORD has spoken.

4 And the LORD will do to them as he did to Sihon and Og, the kings of the Amorites, and to their land, when he destroyed them.

5 And the LORD will give them over to you, and you shall do to them according to the whole commandment that I have commanded you.

6 Be strong and courageous.