Ephesians 6:10-20

The Armor of God

10 Finally, ¹be strong in the Lord and in ²the strength of His might.

11 ³Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the ⁴schemes of the devil.

12 For our ⁵struggle is not against ⁶flesh and blood, but ⁷against the rulers, against the powers, against the ⁸world forces of this ⁹darkness, against the ¹⁰spiritual forces of wickedness in ¹¹the heavenly places.

13 Therefore *, take up ¹²the full armor of God, so that you will be able to ¹³resist in ¹⁴the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm.

14 Stand firm therefore, ¹⁵HAVING GIRDED YOUR LOINS WITH TRUTH, and HAVING ¹⁶PUT ON THE BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS,

15 and having ¹⁷shod YOUR FEET WITH THE PREPARATION OF THE GOSPEL OF PEACE;

16 in addition to all, taking up the ¹⁸shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the ¹⁹flaming arrows of ²⁰the evil one.

17 And take ²¹THE HELMET OF SALVATION, and the ²²sword of the Spirit, which is ²³the word of God.

18 With all ²⁴prayer and petition ²⁵pray at all times ²⁶in the Spirit, and with this in view, ²⁷be on the alert with all ²⁸perseverance and ²⁹petition for all the saints,

19 and ³⁰pray on my behalf, that utterance may be given to me ³¹in the opening of my mouth, to make known with ³²boldness ³³the mystery of the gospel,

20 for which I am an ³⁴ambassador ³⁵in chains; that in proclaiming it I may speak ³⁶boldly, ³⁷as I ought to speak.

Ephesians 6:10-20 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO EPHESIANS 6

In this chapter the apostle goes on with his exhortations to relative and domestic duties, and considers those of children and parents, and of servants and masters; and next he exhorts the saints in general to constancy and perseverance in the exercise of grace, and the performance of duty in the strength of Christ, and with the use of the armour of God described by him; entreats them to pray for him; gives the reasons of sending Tychicus, who brought them this epistle, and closes it with his apostolical salutation. He begins with the duties of children to their parents, which are submission and obedience to them, honour, fear, and reverence of them; the arguments engaging thereunto are taken from the light of nature and reason, from the command of God, and the promise annexed to it, Eph 6:1-3. Then follow the duties of fathers to their children, who are exhorted not to use them with too much rigour, and so provoke them to wrath, but to bring them up in a religious manner, that they may serve the Lord, Eph 6:4. Next he observes the duties of servants to their masters, which are subjection and obedience, which should be done with reverence of them, with simplicity of heart, as unto Christ, not with eyeservice, as menpleasers, but with the heart, and with good will, as doing the will of God, and as if it was to the Lord, and not men; to which they are encouraged by a promise of reward which is given without respect to bond or free, Eph 6:5-8. And masters, they are exhorted to do what is right and just to their servants, and not terrify them with menaces; to which they are moved by the consideration of their having a master in heaven, who is no respecter of persons, Eph 6:9. From hence the apostle passes to a general exhortation to the saints to behave with firmness and constancy of mind, though they had many enemies, and these mighty and powerful, and more than a match for them; relying on the power and strength of Christ, and making use of the whole armour of God, which he advises them to take, that they might stand and withstand in the worst of times, Eph 6:10-13, the several parts of which he enumerates, as the girdle of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the shoes of the Gospel of peace, the shield of faith, whereby the fiery darts of Satan are quenched, the helmet of salvation, the sword of the Spirit the word of God, and spiritual prayer of every sort for all saints, attended with watching and perseverance, Eph 6:14-18, which last part of the spiritual armour being mentioned, leads on the apostle to entreat the Ephesians to pray for him, that he might freely and boldly preach the Gospel; which he commends from the mysterious nature and subject of it, from his character as an ambassador for it, or for Christ, the sum and substance of it, and from his being in bonds for it; which showed how great an esteem he had of it, and how heartily concerned he was to preach it without fear, Eph 6:19,20. And then adds, that the reasons of his sending Tychicus, whom he describes by his relation to him as a brother, and his affection for him, and by his office as a minister, and his faithfulness in it, were, that they might be acquainted with his circumstances, in what state and condition he was, both with respect to things temporal and spiritual, and that their hearts might be comforted by him, Eph 6:21,22. And the epistle is concluded with the apostle's salutation; and the persons saluted are the brethren of this church, and all that love Christ Jesus sincerely; and the blessings wished for are peace, love, with faith and grace; the persons from whom they are desired are God the Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ, Eph 6:23,24.

Cross References

• 1. 1 Corinthians 16:13; 2 Timothy 2:1
• 2. Ephesians 1:19
• 3. Romans 13:12; Ephesians 6:13
• 4. Ephesians 4:14
• 5. 1 Corinthians 9:25
• 6. Matthew 16:17
• 7. Ephesians 1:21; Ephesians 2:2; Ephesians 3:10
• 8. John 12:31
• 9. Acts 26:18; Colossians 1:13
• 10. Ephesians 3:10
• 11. Ephesians 1:3
• 12. Ephesians 6:11
• 13. James 4:7
• 14. Ephesians 5:16
• 15. Isaiah 11:5; Luke 12:35; 1 Peter 1:13
• 16. Isaiah 59:17; Romans 13:12; Ephesians 6:13; 1 Thessalonians 5:8
• 17. Isaiah 52:7; Romans 10:15
• 18. 1 Thessalonians 5:8
• 19. Psalms 7:13; Psalms 120:4
• 20. Matthew 5:37
• 21. Isaiah 59:17
• 22. Isaiah 49:2; Hosea 6:5; Hebrews 4:12
• 23. Ephesians 5:26; Hebrews 6:5
• 24. Philippians 4:6
• 25. Luke 18:1; Colossians 1:3; Colossians 4:2; 1 Thessalonians 5:17
• 26. Romans 8:26
• 27. Mark 13:33
• 28. Acts 1:14
• 29. 1 Timothy 2:1
• 30. Colossians 4:3; 1 Thessalonians 5:25
• 31. 2 Corinthians 6:11
• 32. 2 Corinthians 3:12
• 33. Ephesians 3:3
• 34. 2 Corinthians 5:20; Philem 9 mg
• 35. Acts 21:33; Acts 28:20; Ephesians 3:1; Philippians 1:7; Colossians 4:3
• 36. 2 Corinthians 3:12
• 37. Colossians 4:4

Footnotes

• [a]. Lit "blood and flesh"
• [b]. Lit "in all"
• [c]. Lit "Through"
• [d]. Lit "praying"
• [e]. Lit "being"
• [f]. Lit "a chain"
• [g]. Two early mss read "I may speak it boldly"