August 10, 2012
TOOLS OF THE TRADE
Ephesians 6
Adam Ryan
Central Truth
God has given us the tools we need.
Key Verse | Ephesians 6:11
Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. (Ephesians 6:11)
Ephesians 6
Children and Parents
1 Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. 2 “Honor your father and mother” (this is the first commandment with a promise), 3 “that it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land.” 4 Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.
Bondservants and Masters
5 Bondservants, 1 6:5 For the contextual rendering of the Greek word doulos, see Preface; also verse 6; likewise for bondservant in verse 8 obey your earthly masters 2 6:5 Or your masters according to the flesh with fear and trembling, with a sincere heart, as you would Christ, 6 not by the way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but as bondservants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart, 7 rendering service with a good will as to the Lord and not to man, 8 knowing that whatever good anyone does, this he will receive back from the Lord, whether he is a bondservant or is free. 9 Masters, do the same to them, and stop your threatening, knowing that he who is both their Master 3 6:9 Greek Lord and yours is in heaven, and that there is no partiality with him.
The Whole Armor of God
10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil 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 firm. 14 Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. 16 In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; 17 and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, 18 praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, 19 and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak.
Final Greetings
21 So that you also may know how I am and what I am doing, Tychicus the beloved brother and faithful minister in the Lord will tell you everything. 22 I have sent him to you for this very purpose, that you may know how we are, and that he may encourage your hearts.
23 Peace be to the brothers, 4 6:23 Or brothers and sisters and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 24 Grace be with all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with love incorruptible.
Dive Deeper | Ephesians 6
The correct tools make all the difference. I have learned that lesson while attempting to do a lot of the work myself around our house.
Last summer, while we were getting ready for our third child, we decided to redo two of our bedrooms. I did not realize how difficult it would be to pull up the carpet tack strips. The first room took much longer than I anticipated.
When I mentioned my struggle to a friend, he told me I was using the wrong tool and identified the right one I needed. That night, I stopped by the home improvement store and bought the correct tool. What a difference! The second room took only 20 percent of the time the first had.
Of course, God also knows it takes the proper tools to resist the devil. In His wisdom He has equipped us with armor that includes truth, righteousness, the gospel of peace, faith, salvation, the Word of God, and prayer.
God has not left us alone and defenseless. Not only can we stand firm because He has given us a great set of tools, but He has also given us instruction. After we put on our armor, God tells us to "pray at all times in the Spirit" (Ephesians 6:18). It's a great reminder that we need to depend on God's strength.
I continue to learn which tool to use in different situations. I am grateful that God has also given me a tool set. My responsibility is to learn how and when to use them. Community has been a great place to learn more about how to use God's tool set. I have learned a lot from their advice and also by watching how they utilize the word of God in their lives.
Discussion Questions
1. When was the last time you needed to stand firm?
2. Why is it difficult to remember to use the tools God has provided?
3. Are you asking people in your life to help you better understand how to use these tools?
WEEKLY FAMILY ACTIVITY
August 6-10 (Ephesians 2-6)
Read Ephesians 6:10-20.
In verse 11, Paul talks about the schemes and strategies of the Devil.
• What are they?
•
What does Paul say we should use to fight those schemes?
• Make a list of all the pieces of God's armor. What does each piece do?
• Go through your house and find articles of clothing to represent all the pieces of God's armor.
Take time to review and memorize what each piece is and what it represents. Example: a hat to stand for the helmet that represents our salvation.
Activity: Write each of the following words on a separate piece of paper: truth, righteousness, peace, faith, salvation, Word of God. Now put the clothing that represents each one across the room. If you have enough family members, you can make this into a competition by getting two piles of clothes that represent each thing. Now, draw one card from the pile, read it, and run down and get the item that represents that word. You can make it more difficult by pulling out more than one card.
Daily, we are to put on our armor so that we can withstand the attacks of the enemy. Talk together about what it looks like to put these things on every day (spending time in God's Word, praying, reminding yourself of your salvation, etc.).