What is Ephesians 6 about?
Ephesians 6 closes Paul's letter with practical teaching for households and a call to spiritual battle. Children are told to obey their parents and honor them, "the first commandment with promise," and fathers not to provoke their children. Servants and masters are told to treat one another as serving Christ. Then Paul writes his famous passage on "the whole armour of God" (verse 11): the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, shoes of the gospel of peace, the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation and "the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God" (verse 17). He asks for prayer to speak the gospel boldly.
What does Ephesians 6 mean?
Ephesians 6:11
Paul ends his letter to the Ephesians with a call to spiritual readiness. "Put on the whole armour of God" means using every piece of protection God provides, not just some of it. Paul likely had in mind a Roman soldier, perhaps one guarding him as he wrote from prison. The reason is "that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil." "Wiles" means schemes or tricks: Paul describes evil as deceptive rather than always obvious. In the verses that follow he lists truth, righteousness, the gospel of peace, faith, salvation, and the word of God. The goal is not to attack people, but to stand firm.
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