Ephesians 6:10–24 Bible Study Notes
(avg. read time: 3–7 mins.)
Translation
6:10 Finally/As for the rest, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. 11 Put on the full armor [panoply] of God in order that you will be able to stand against the designs of the devil, 12 because the struggle for us is not against blood and flesh, but against the principalities, against the powers/authorities, against the world rulers/powers of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. 13 For this reason take up the full armor of God, in order that you should be able to arise in the evil day and after accomplishing everything else to stand. 14 Stand, therefore, having belted your waist with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness/justice, 15 and having strapped on the feet with preparation/readiness of the gospel of peace, 16 in all things taking up the shield of faith, by which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one; 17 and take the helmet of salvation, as well as the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, 18 with every prayer and petition praying in every season in the Spirit, and with this in view being on alert with all perseverance and every petition for all the saints, 19 as well as on my behalf/for me, in order that a word/speech may be given to me in the opening of my mouth, with boldness/frankness to make known the mystery of the gospel 20 for/because of which I am an ambassador in chains, in order that in it I should speak boldly/frankly as it is necessary for me to speak.
21 Now, that you also may know the circumstances about me, what I am doing, Tychicus the beloved brother and faithful servant in the Lord will make all things known to you, 22 who I sent to you for this same/very reason in order that you should know the circumstances about us, and that he may comfort your hearts. 23 Peace be to the brothers and sisters and love with faith from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 24 Grace be with all those who love our Lord Jesus Christ in incorruption/complete vivification.
Observations
This famous text reminds us that our struggle is against what we cannot see. But we see their effects everywhere, so we can perceive their power. They are the principalities, the powers, the world rulers of this darkness, and the spiritual forces of wickedness that Christ has already been exalted over. However, Christ’s exaltation is but the first fruits of victory. The victory will not be fully consummated until our own resurrection, as Paul discusses in 1 Cor 15:20–28 as well. But God enables us to participate in that victory now and in the time to come, when we will enter our promised inheritance, by giving us this panoply of armor and one weapon. This is also a reminder that we are not alone in this fight. Every individual is involved in the struggle, but we are not facing the fight alone. We are one with God and God has made us one with one another. We are expected to equip ourselves accordingly.
The description is in some ways reminiscent of the armor of God in Isa 59:17–21 (also see Isa 11:5 and 52:7). This is another of those Divine Warrior texts that remind us that God fights for us. It is his victory and we are called to participate in it. We do so by partaking of his armor.
These different pieces reflect what we have already seen in the letter. The belt of truth binds the armor together and reflects the truth that unites the Church. The breastplate of righteousness/justice reflects protecting our own hearts, the hearts of others, and the heart of the Church by living rightly according to the will of God who made us right with him and with each other through his reconciling work. The feet strapped with the readiness of the gospel of peace reflects how we are to go and proclaim this good news, which includes the shalom God has established between us and himself, as well as the peace he has made among us. The shield of faith is said to extinguish the arrows of the devil and it reflects what Paul said about faith and faithfulness in the rest of the letter, particularly in how our faithfulness unites us with Christ and participates in his own faithfulness. Our allegiance to Christ keeps us close to him and ensures our victory over him as Christ has triumphed over him. The helmet of salvation reflects God’s salvific work in Christ, as Paul declared especially in chs. 1 and 2. The sword of the Spirit is, of course, the reminder that is the Spirit who enlivens us and enables us to be in participatory union, and he works through the gospel and Scripture, the word of God. Finally, the instruction concerning prayer and perseverance also illustrates how the Spirit works among us, keeps us together, and empowers us.
The last term in the entire letter is the same term Paul uses in 1 Cor 15 to describe the resurrection body. It is typically translated “incorruption,” but I prefer to translate it more positively as “complete vivification.” It generally refers to indestructibility, immunity to decay, incorruptibility (in both vital and moral senses), and it can function as a synonym for immortality/ἀθανασία, as in 1 Cor 15:53–54. It refers not simply to the absence of death or mortality, but to the banishment of these qualities that is the result of receiving the utter fullness of everlasting life, the type of life untouchable by death or mortality. The absolute vivification that comes with resurrection to everlasting life removes all symptoms of mortality and replaces them with the characteristics of the everlasting life of God. It is also described as a benefit of the gospel in 1 Tim 1:10. Paul uses the term in Rom 2:7 for what the righteous seek, the result of which is that God gives them everlasting life. Outside of the NT and patristic literature, it may be applied to God or the gods, or it may otherwise be an allusion to the divine (e.g., Philo, Heir 35; Names 210; Moses 2.194; Eternity 46–47; Plutarch, Arist. 6.3; Diogenes Laertius, Lives 10.76, 123). Indeed, Philo sometimes uses it as a synonym for “divine” (Philo, Creation 153; Sacrifices 5). Wisdom 2:23 reflects a similar idea in saying that humans were originally supposed to have this quality in order to reflect God and that this quality is restored through following Wisdom in 6:18–19 (cf. Philo, Agriculture 100; Drunkenness 140; 212; Flight 59; Dreams 1.217–218; 2.258). Patristic literature used this term as a reference to the character of divine life, which Jesus made accessible to humans through his union of God and human in his incarnation (which was brought to completion in his death and resurrection; e.g., Irenaeus, Haer. 3.18.7; 19.1; Athanasius, Inc. 8; 22; John of Damascus, Orthodox Faith 3.12). In this context, it refers to the love of Christ that is 1) apropos to that eschatological state, 2) signifies fullness of life, and 3) is reflective of having a pledge of this life in the present by virtue of their union with the risen Christ.
Reflective Questions
What does this text say about God the Father?
God gives us everything we need for spiritual warfare. Peace, love, and faith come from him. It is his word that is our weapon. It is his victory that we participate in.
What does this text say about God the Son?
Peace, love, and faith come from him. Love for him is characterized by incorruption/complete vivification. It is his victory that we participate in.
What does this text say about God the Holy Spirit?
The word of God is the sword of the Spirit. We pray in the Spirit.
What does this text say to or about the people of God?
We are involved in a cosmic conflict much larger than ourselves. We participate in God’s victory in Christ over the powers that oppose us. We need God’s provision to stand. We are a praying and persevering people. Our love for the Lord is to be characterized by incorruption/complete vivification.