Introduction to Paul's Letter to the Ephesians

CHAPTER-BY-CHAPTER SUMMARY OF EPHESIANS

Paul's Letter to the Ephesians helps believers to gain a clearer understanding of the wonderful salvation that we have in Jesus Christ.  Salvation can be defined simply as "the state of being spiritually rich in Christ" (see Ephesians 1:18).  From chapter one's catalog of our wonderful spiritual blessings to chapter six's listing of the full armor of God, and everywhere in between, Ephesians overwhelms us with its account of the riches of God's glorious grace revealed to us in salvation.

In chapter one, we learn that salvation is a part of God's master plan, decreed before the foundation (or creation) of the world.  The entire Trinity is involved in the process.  The Father chooses and predestines us.  The Son redeems and forgives us.  The Holy Spirit indwells and seals us.  Also, in chapter one, Paul describes the tremendous authority and power of the Lord Jesus Christ evidenced in his being raised from the dead and seated at the right hand of the Father far above every rule, authority, power, and dominion.  What is so amazing and mind-blowing is that this same resurrection and ascension power works within the Body of Christ.  The Holy Spirit effects the power of God within believers and applies to our lives the benefits of God's salvation.

In chapter two, Paul elaborates further on the wonderful salvation that we have.  We have been freed from the power of sin, reconciled to God and saved to do good works through the grace of God in Christ.  Furthermore, we have been raised to new life in Christ and we are seated in heavenly places in him, far above the very principalities and powers that he defeated at Calvary.  Not only have we been reconciled to God, but we also have been reconciled to one another.  Christ indeed has erased all natural distinctions among us.  In Christ there are no second-class citizens.  All are joined in one body, the Church, through the Spirit of God to become a dwelling place of God.

Chapter three speaks of the "mystery" of God.  The mystery is the unfolding of the full purposes of God in Christ revealed to us in the proclamation of the gospel.  A significant aspect of this proclamation is that Jewish and Gentile Christians are fellow-heirs to God's inheritance, joint-members of the one body of Christ, and fellow-partakers of the promise of Christ in the gospel. And this mystery is now been revealed through the Church, even as Paul has revealed it to the church.  The Church is like a mirror in which the principalities and powers see the glory of God.

Because God has blessed Christians so richly, we must "walk in a manner worthy of our calling."  The Christian walk is then described in Ephesians 4:1-6:9.  The walk is a holy and righteous one in which Christians imitate God and demonstrate agape love to our brothers and sisters in Christ.  According to Ephesians 5: 1, 2 such a walk is pleasing to God.

One definition of salvation is "rescue from danger."  This definition reminds us that we will face many dangers in our Christian walk.  In fact, we are at war with the forces of hell.  As unbelievers, we were under the power and control of Satan.  We were children of disobedience.  But when we came to faith in Christ by His grace, we were delivered from Satan's "kingdom of darkness" and made citizens in the "kingdom of light."  Now as children of light, we are targets of the enemy and he seeks to destroy us at every turn.

The wiles and stratagems of the devil are vast.  The enemy attacks us by sowing seeds of division among Christians, so Paul warns us to walk in unity with other believers.  The enemy assaults our minds with ungodly thoughts, so we must put off the old self of sin and corruption and put on the new self of holiness and righteousness.  The enemy entices us with immorality and impurity, so we must walk in purity, walk in the light and walk in wisdom by allowing the Holy Spirit to control our thoughts and our actions.  The enemy also attacks our relationships: husbands and wives, parents and children, employers and employees.  Therefore, we must learn to walk in harmony with others by cultivating attitudes of submission and humility.

The sixth chapter of Ephesians is largely about the spiritual warfare of Christians.  Paul discusses six pieces of armor that we need to defeat the assaults of the enemy.  These are the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the sandals of the gospel of peace, the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit.  We put on the armor daily (or continually) through prayer and through being men and women of character (belt of truth and breastplate of righteousness).  This requires submission to God, spending time in his Word, and allowing the truth of the gospel to prepare us (Sandals of Peace) so that we can resist the enemy in his attacks against our faith (Shield of Faith) and our assurance of salvation in Christ (Helmet of Salvation).  Finally, we must remain sensitive to the Holy Spirit so that he can drop a direct Word into our spirit (Sword of the Spirit) to use against the evil one when he attacks us.  God's salvation fully equips us with the weapons that we need to defeat dark spiritual forces.