Ephesians 6 ~ Putting on the Armor!

Don't forget to visit my dear friend Jenilee and her thoughts on Ephesians 6!

Ephesians 6

Chapter Breakdown (Matthew Henry Commentary)

1. Duties of Children & Parents (1-4)

2.Of Servants and Masters (5-9)

3. All Christians are to put on spiritual armour against the enemies of their souls. (10-18)

4.The apostle desires their prayers, and ends with his apostolic blessing. (19-24)

As a kid, this chapter was one of my favorites. I loved reading about the armor of God and putting it on. I liked the idea of being a soldier in the Lord's Army! Remember that old song?????

I may never march in the infantry
Ride in the cavalry
Shoot the artillery
I may never fly o'er the enemy
But I'm in the Lord's army!
Yes Sir!

I'm in the Lord's army!
Yes sir!
I'm in the Lord's army!
Yes sir!

Everyday, God wants us to put on the armor of God, not so we can sing a cute little song. The enemy is out to destroy us. We must do all that we can do to "stand firm". I have taught about this lesson with the kids several times over the years (that's me teaching about it at VBS in Sault Ste. Marie). I have fun with it of course by using fun items to get the point across. I want kids to understand that even at their age we all need to be prepared. We need to put on....

Belt of Truth

I want my kids to know Christ who is truth!

Breastplate of Righteousness

I want my kids to protect their heart with the righteousness of Christ given to us.

Feet fitted with the Gospel of Peace

I want them to be able to stand their ground by being firmly planted in the Gospel. "Motives to obedience, amidst trials, must be drawn from a clear knowledge of the gospel." ~Matthew Henry

Shield of Faith

I want my children's Faith to be so strong so it will be able to withstand when arrows of doubt come.

Helmet of Salvation

I want their salvation, who they are in Christ, to protect their minds when thoughts of insecurity creep in.

Sword of the Spirit

Our weapon! May we always rely on the word of God to come against the enemy of our soul.

Pray in the Spirit (vs. 18)

I would like to add this as one of our weapons as well. When we pray, we are fully relying on the power of God to protect and keep us.

What God Wants To Show Me Today

Here is a great "IF-THEN" Verse!

1 Children, obey your parents because you belong to the Lord, for this is the right thing to do. 2 “Honor your father and mother.” This is the first commandment with a promise: 3 If you honor your father and mother, “things will go well for you, and you will have a long life on the earth.”

Children IF you obey Then things will go well for you....and you will have long life on earth. I find that even at the ripe age of 34 there are times I still have to remember to "honor" my mom and dad with my attitudes and thoughts. It doesn't stop just because I move out of the house. I still need to show them honor and respect.

But here is where sometimes as parents we forget that Paul keeps teaching. It is always easy to point out to our kids that they must obey! But is it always easy for us to remember verse 4?????

4 Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger by the way you treat them. Rather, bring them up with the discipline and instruction that comes from the Lord.

Do my kids struggle to be obedient because I am not following verse 4? We need to watch our anger and how we treat our kids very carefully. If we are disciplining, instructing and loving them like Christ would want us to I have a feeling our kids would do much better........ hum something to think about.