Enduring Watchfulness

The battle we are in requires us to constantly pray for each other, that we may keep holding nothing back to tell the world they are at odds with God who fairly must deal with them with the place prepared for the devil and fallen angels. We have the words of life that He gave, and are heavenly ambassadors to the reconciled of heaven. The battle is against the lies that deny Jesus Christ as the only way, truth, and life. So we pray watchfully and with endurance. This is the war in spiritual realms...

Ephesians 6:18-20

18 praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints — 19 and for me, that utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.

Prepared for Battle

To stand firm and fight the good fight, battle armor must be worn to protect and to fight. Truth must hold everything up and allow weapons to be rightly used, readily available. The heart must be protected from corruption with righteousness. Feet must have shoes that take you to the destination, always ready to witness to the great things Christ has done. Faith will keep the enemy's attacks from getting through, in the power of His might as the head knows security of salvation. God's word wielded by His Spirit within will win the battles.

Ephesians 6:14-17

14 Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16 above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. 17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God;

Strong in the Lord’s Power

We must be strong in the dominion of His power. To do this requires choices and trust to rely on Him and study to make true decisions to arm for battle with assurance of victory. The fight is against the devil and fallen angels, not Hollywood scary versions, but very real enemies of Christ and all who are His. The devil is cunning and uses deceptive ways to trick us into not believing all God says as in Eden. This is why we need all of the protective armor offered to us! So we can stand firmly and remain standing as we fight.

Ephesians 6:10-13

10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

Servants and Masters

Servants must both listen and take heed to do what they are commanded; so are we to listen to Christ and obey in trusting, sincere, willing action. What we do in this life for those over us (bosses, military superiors, etc) should reflect Jesus Christ in the ways He showed how by serving us. He did not come to be served, but to serve, and gave a his life for many. So we do good and know that pleases God, and there are either consequences or rewards. If we are over others, we must serve them as Christ also!

Ephesians 6:5-9

5 Bondservants, be obedient to those who are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in sincerity of heart, as to Christ; 6 not with eyeservice, as men- pleasers, but as bondservants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart, 7 with goodwill doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men, 8 knowing that whatever good anyone does, he will receive the same from the Lord, whether he is a slave or free.  9 And you, masters, do the same things to them, giving up threatening, knowing that your own Master also is in heaven, and there is no partiality with Him.

Honor and Nurture

Children must obey their parents, just as God's children must do all He tells us. This is why family structure and authority is important to God - it reflects how we relate to Him. This brings life and not consequence. So parents, fathers in particular as the head, must raise children to know and fear The Lord, to include reproof and punishment with warning and exhortation.

Ephesians 6:1-4

1 Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. 2 “ Honor your father and mother,” which is the first commandment with promise: 3 “ that it may be well with you and you may live long on the earth.”  4 And you, fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord.

Mystery of Marriage

When a man marries, he must "leave behind" (one who on being called away cannot take another with him) his parents - implied for the wife with her parents also - and be fully committed and one with his wife as a new family union. So we are to be one with Christ, leaving the old love of the world behind as we become one with Him. This is the hidden truth of us as Christ's wife/bride. So we are to love and respect each other as we do Christ and He us...

Ephesians 5:31-33

“ For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” 32 This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church. 33 Nevertheless let each one of you in particular so love his own wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.

Nurturing Love

Nurturing, tender care is what we apply to our own lives; so we are to love both ourselves and our wives. The Lord so loves us with loving kindness to help us grow and thrive in Christ. As part of His body, I am loved and cared for - so must I strive to do for my wife as Christ does for His Church!

Ephesians 5:28-30

28 So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself. 29 For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the church. 30 For we are members of His body, of His flesh and of His bones.

Give of Ourselves as Christ

Christ yielded up, handed over Himself to humbly serve and sacrificially lay down His rights and position so we could be saved from our sin that separates us from Him. He did this so He could wash us clean from unrighteousness by what He said to make us presentable to Himself as a bride, the church. This means we are made pure and set apart to be pleasing to Him. So must we men also give of ourselves for our wives...

Ephesians 5:25-27

25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, 26 that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, 27 that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish.

Submission and Headship

Submission in marriage is for both, and signifies our submission to our head, who is Christ. Because of the temptation and Fall of mankind through the woman first, God set the order of authority this way. He is the Savior, not the man, however - so we all are subject to Him as the bride of Christ (the Church, all regenerated believers).

Ephesians 5:22-24

22 Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. 23 For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body. 24 Therefore, just as the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything.

Filled with His Spirit and Thanksgiving

Those without hope attempt to feel better by getting drunk; we who are in Christ have Him in us - but we need to choose, to yield, to allow Him to fill us more completely. He will fill us out as the fragrance of perfume fills a room when the flask is opened. How? Some ways include avoiding sin (example here of not getting drunk), encouraging and worshipping together, being thankful to God for all things, and submitting to each other. We can serve each other in humble submission, not with prideful self-serving. This goes against our (fallen) nature, so we yield again by choosing to do so. Get forgiven, washed clean, and repeat.

Ephesians 5:18-21

18 And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit, 19 speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord, 20 giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, 21 submitting to one another in the fear of God.

The Circumspect Life of Wisdom

We need to live exactly, accurately, diligently - "in information accurately; in effort thoroughly." So, as we read, hear, study, memorize, and meditate on God's word, we understand exactly what we should and should not do. We have the information to do the best and most we can (though we fail and have to get up, get forgiveness, and go on), so that we can buy back our time here and rescue it from loss. As it says here, it is mindless and senseless (unwise) to not do these things. So we need to bring together all He tells us in order to be wise. Early to bed, early to rise, kill (die to self), and eat (spend time reading the Bible, praying, meditating) makes the believer spiritually healthy, wealthy, and wise in His eyes.

Ephesians 5:15-17

15 See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, 16 redeeming the time, because the days are evil. 17 Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is.

Exposing Darkness with Light Exposing Darkness with Light

Not only are we to live in the light ourselves, but we are to reveal the darkness by His light in us. The word expose means "showing someone that he has done something wrong and summoning him to repent bring to light; convince, convict." We reveal, in LOVE, sin's wrong against God. We call them to turn from it and turn to Christ Jesus - imploring all to be reconciled (made right again) with God. Only God can do this, but He uses us as instruments.

Ephesians 5:11-14

11 And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them. 12 For it is shameful even to speak of those things which are done by them in secret. 13 But all things that are exposed are made manifest by the light, for whatever makes manifest is light. 14 Therefore He says:

“Awake, you who sleep, Arise from the dead, And Christ will give you light.”

Walk as Children of the Light

What pleases the God who rescued us from death and separation from Him? To walk not in the dark ignorance of wrong, but in the light of what is right BY HIS STANDARDS. He is good, and expects us to follow Him. If His Spirit lives in us, then we must choose His work in us of goodness, righteousness, and truth - not walk away from it into the dark fringes again. What is well pleasing and acceptable to Him? Let us run after that.

Ephesians 5:8-10

8 For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light 9 (f or the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth), 10 finding out what is acceptable to the Lord.

Inheritors of the Kingdom

Disobedience; often shown as the result of unbelief. Those who live in sin do not really believe, so do not do what God commands. Some examples here include those who often have sex outside of marriage (and see nothing wrong, so continue to not believe God and do what He says), those who want what others have all the time (and so do more wrong to acquire them), and other unclean (unrighteous) thoughts and actions. This is why those who have been saved from sin must go and sin no more - to stop angering God as those who do not believe and do not obey. We must not join in with them; we are free from those things!

Ephesians 5:5-7

5 For this you know, that no fornicator, unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. 6 Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. 7 Therefore do not be partakers with them.

Fitting Behavior for Saints

Things that are not "fitting" are ones which are not suitable, right or proper. For reborn believers, Christians, these include anything that is unclean - including sexual sins or words that are unloving and harmful to others. Love fulfills the Law when it does no harm to others. Instead, we must love in word, deed, and thought. What is in our heart does come out in what we say and do, and God sees that and desires to change us by His Spirit as we make the right choices. He is called alongside to help us, and will.

Ephesians 5:3-4

3 But fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness, let it not even be named among you, as is fitting for saints; 4 neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks.

Imitators of God and His Love

How we live should be driven by a progression toward love, but we let our own desires get in the way too often. Instead of "being ourselves," we must imitate or follow the examples that Jesus gave us as these verses in Ephesians point out. Because He loved us enough to give up His rights as the Son of God, to suffer and die for us, so must we love and give ourselves for others' good. This goes against our flesh, but is our living sacrificial life we can offer every day (Rom.12:1-2) to please Him.  

[We are the evidence of God and His love, not just the church left here to reach out the word of the Gospel... - pastor @ WBF]

Ephesians 5:1-2

1 Therefore be imitators of God as dear children. 2 And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet- smelling aroma.

Kind and Forgiving as Forgiven

Here again I see the second greatest commandment, to love others as we love ourselves. It can be difficult at times to always be kind, caring, and forgiving as we must. I think of how God forgave me when I did not even come close to deserving it... In Christ He forgave me while I did not even love Him - He loved me first and proved it on the cross and up out of the grave! So I hang my head when I act with anger, bitterness, talking bad of others, and not forgiving and loving as Christ gave me example. But I am more than a conqueror in Him!

Ephesians 4:31-32

31 Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. 32 And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.

Corrupt Communication vs. Edification

The word corrupt has meanings to include: decayed, rotting, rotten; literally, of decaying fish or fruit no longer useful for food; more generally useless, of no value, unfit. Is what we say something that gives life, preserves, nutritious for growth and well-being, valuable, and fitting? These are some ways to give grace in speech from these verses. If we do do even try to do this, we actually grieve God's Spirit...we make Him sad and hurt Him who lives in us forever.

Ephesians 4:29-30

29 Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers. 30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.

No More Lying, Anger, or Stealing!

Lying. Anger towards others. Stealing. These are all sins that the Ten Commandments spelled out, and which Jesus exposed as motives in our thoughts even without the outward acts. Instead, He desires us to speak what is true, to deal with anger and seek forgiveness to be reconciled with each other as He did for us in Christ on the cross, and to work to even give to others instead of taking wrongly only for our own desires. This is doing no harm to each other, which is the second great command - to love each other.

Ephesians 4:25-28

25 Therefore, putting away lying, “Let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor,” for we are members of one another. 26 “Be angry, and do not sin”: do not let the sun go down on your wrath, 27 nor give place to the devil. 28 Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him labor, working with his hands what is good, that he may have something to give him who has need.

Off With the Old, Renewed by the New

So, since we who are Christ's do not run after the self-indulgence of sin we were once in, we must listen to be further taught by Him. We need to listen to what He tells us so we can follow. To be made new in our ways of thinking we need to first put off what we used to do, all that serves our own wrong desires (sinful lusts). Then we put on (daily) new desires that become good habits and character traits to replace the bad ones. These are given to us already, and our choices allow His grace to transform us as we choose well. He made is to be set apart (holy) and righteous. This must be the direction of our lives!

Ephesians 4:20-24

20 But you have not so learned Christ, 21 if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus:22 that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, 23 and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, 24 and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.

To "put off" and "put on" in the original Greek has the meaning of taking off clothing, putting it aside, and putting new clothes on. This is what we need to do with our attitudes, desires, and actions.

Futile Thinking of the Blind World

Futility is "nonsense, nothingness, emptiness, frustration, purposelessness." This is how those who are not Christ's live - and what we need to stop doing as His. They do not understand, but we have the mind of Christ because His Spirit lives in us. We were also once blind, but now we see, albeit sometimes through a glass (mirror) dimly. We feel now what is right, not as the world who are numb to righteousness. Therefore we must pursue purpose and righteous thoughts and actions to please God as we were created.

Ephesians 4:17-19

17 This I say, therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you should no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk, in the futility of their mind, 18 having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart; 19 who, being past feeling, have given themselves over to lewdness, to work all uncleanness with greediness.

Tossed with Doubt or Built Up with Love?

To become like Christ, we must study to be approved as we wrestle with what the Bible says, not what others want to tell us. We must absolutely test all we hear by personal examination of God's word, or we will be spiritually tossed about in the imperfect storm of deception and error. Such cults as Mormonism and Jehovah's Witnesses thrive on those who fail to seek the truth for themselves. But we who know the truth are required to speak it to others IN LOVE. Then as Christ's body we can grow and function as He designed...

Ephesians 4:14-16

14 that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, 15 but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head — Christ — 16 from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.

Gifts for Unity of Faith to Know Him

The gifts He gives are to give us what we need ("a process of adjustment that results in a complete preparedness equipping, perfecting, making adequate"). Why? So that we can serve each other in Christ, with the goal of becoming one as we all understand the absolute truths of His word and knowing Him - mature by the measuring stick of Christ Himself!

Ephesians 4:11-13

11 And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, 12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, 13 till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ;

Gifts of Grace

Because God came down from heaven as a man, suffered, died, and rose from the grave to go back up to heaven, He has been everywhere for us - including suffering in our place for sin to death to pay our debt! He took the sin that imprisoned us and imprisoned it instead of us in Hell. So He now also gives us who are His gifts by His Spirit who now live in us as new creations... This is mercy, grace, and love.

Ephesians 4:7-10

7 But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ 's gift. 8 Therefore He says: “When He ascended on high, He led captivity captive, And gave gifts to men.”  9 (Now this, “He ascended” — what does it mean but that He also first descended into the lower parts of the earth? 10 He who descended is also the One who ascended far above all the heavens, that He might fill all things.)

Colossians 2:15

Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it.

Core Truths of our Calling

The truth of the Bible angers many because it closes the door to God outside of the one door, Jesus Christ. There is, as Acts 4:12 says, no other way. There is then in Christ one Spirit God puts inside every believer at their new birth - no false second baptism of Him. We are baptized by Him at the rebirth by the one God by what His Son Jesus Christ did for us on the cross and out of the grave. He is Lord and God. There is no other.

Ephesians 4:4-6

4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6 one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.

Bearing With Each Other

Back to verse 2 of Ephesians 4. Matthew Henry said, "By meekness, that excellent disposition of soul, which makes men unwilling to provoke, and not easily to be provoked or offended." This is so difficult! So I aim to not allow accusations and hurt to make me respond in the flesh, but in love as I must. Battle weary...

Ephesians 4:2

with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love,

Walk Worthy

Bound as a prisoner of righteousness to Jesus. This is why we need to live in a way that is suitable and worthy of our rescue from sin, death, and Hell. How? Some ways include humility, kindness, taking a lot from others, and doing our best to be the one Body in Christ we have been called into. These go against our old nature, so take effort of choices to attain over a lifetime. Join me in pursuing these as we fail, fall, and get up over and over to press toward that prize!

Ephesians 4:1-3

1 I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, 2 with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, 3 endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

Glory to God for His Working!

God my Father is glorified in Jesus Christ working in me as part of His body, the Church! He works in ways far beyond my expectations and belief, so why do I not just believe what He says and rely on such infinite ability and power to do outside of the box I put Him in?

Ephesians 3:20-21

20 Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, 21 to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

Rooted and Grounded in Fullness

How much do you know His love? With Christ in us, we have the ability to know His love. The difficult part is to show that to others as He does to us! If we root ourselves in Him and His love, His fullness by His Spirit and our transformed mind and heart can begin to reveal the unmeasurable love He has for us. We cannot understand this love fully, but it changes us - some slowly as myself, others a bit quicker.

Ephesians 3:17-19

... that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height — 19 to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.