Ephesians 6:10-24

Ephesians 6:10-24 … These verses will close this rich letter which is really an encyclical to be passed to all the churches telling us to take up the wealth we have in Christ Jesus. The closing verses may be the most valuable part of the whole letter as they deal with preparedness for life. It begins by telling us to “… be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might.” That’s quite a command when you think about it: standing in the strength and might of God! It’s reasonable to ask how you do that … and this letter will tell us: preparedness! It won’t be possible to stand in the strength of God without being prepared and the preparation is expressed in a metaphor of clothing; being clothed in preparation in six ways:

1. Being clothed with Truth (which is the Word of God – 14a).
2. Putting on the breastplate of righteousness – 14b (righteousness is freely given to you by Christ).
3. Protecting your feet with the Gospel (implies being ready to move over hard ground) – verse 15 (and of course the Gospel is the Good News of Jesus Christ).
4. Protecting yourself with the shield of faith, with which you’ll be able to defend yourself – verse 16.
5. Wearing the helmet of salvation – verse 17a.
6. And arming yourself with the Sword of the Spirit – verse 17b, which is the Word of God, knowing God’s Word thoroughly in preparation for every assault.

If it sounds militaristic, it is because these verses tell us that there is a spiritual battle to be fought and won, not just once, but frequently as we face the challenges of life in a sinful world. The preparation is real and effective beyond measure, allowing the believer to stand strong in the strength of the Lord. So this is very, very valuable to every follower of Christ and we’re told to undergird all this with prayer and readiness – verse 18.