Ephesians 6
Summary: In Ephesians, Paul writes a letter that begins with a theological foundation that sets up how that theology should teach us to live practically.
Major Points:
- Instruction on Parenting - Our goal in parenting is to train our children up in the way of the Lord.
- Instruction on how to handle authority in our lives - We should respect and obey leaders in our lives out of respect and obedience to Christ. The way we submit to leadership is a great indicator of how we submit to Christ.
- Instruction on how to engage in spiritual warfare - Paul informs us that our war in the world is deeper that flesh and blood. The devil is our enemy and he is strategizing to destroy us. The goal of spiritual warfare is to take every thought and make it obedient to Christ. Spiritual warfare is a daily mental battle that we need to put on the armor of God for.
Question Bank:
How has your week been spiritually?
What has God been teaching you this week?
What sins are you struggling with that you need to confess?
V1-4 - As parents, how do we bring our children up in the training and instruction of the Lord?
What is one thing you can do right now to be a better parent?
V5-8 - help us understand how God wants us to act towards those placed in authority over us and how God wants us to treat our employees. Write down some words from this passage that Paul used to describe what it looks like to honor the authority in your life.
Vs 9-10 - discusses a master and slave relationship from the master's point of view, instructing the master to remember that even though he is the slave's earthly master, they both share a heavenly master and He shows no favoritism. You can tell more about a person not by how they treat their peers but by how they treat their subordinates. What does how you treat those underneath you say about your character?
Vs. 10-20 - This section of scripture discusses the Armor of God, which is a crucial piece of what it means to walk with Jesus. Take a minute and write down each piece of armor and it’s significance when it comes to spiritual warfare. (Hint: There are 7.)
V10-20 - What are the devil’s schemes?
How does each piece of armor specifically combat the schemes of the enemy?
In 2 Corinthians 10:5, we learn that the end goal of spiritual warfare is to make every thought captive to Christ. Knowing this, when is a time in your life where you feel like you’ve been engaged in spiritual warfare?
How did, or how could, the armor of God help you?