Ephesians #14 – Study Questions
The Armor of God – Pt. 1
Ephesians 6:10-24 (CGS#14)
INTRODUCTION: Ephesians 6:10-24 might be the most well-recognized section in the whole book (letter) of Ephesians. And it is for good reason. These fourteen verses are poignant, hopeful, and sharpening for believers. This is such a well-known passage that we are going to take the final two weeks of our series through Ephesians to walk through it.
Reading Paul’s closing words, it is easy for us to fixate on the armor of God as it is listed (vv. 14-17). We will look at those verses specifically next week. But this closing section is really marked by Paul’s encouragement and exhortation in v.18, “To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints…” The whole point of this section is to remind the Ephesian believers to preserve, to keep going, and to not give up on the faith or on prayer. Here we are again, reminded by Paul of the “me and we” reality of the Christian faith and our salvation. Yes, our faith and salvation have “me” implications. I have been saved by grace through faith (2:8-9), and I have been blessed by God (1:3), and I have been sealed with the Holy Spirit (1:13). The gospel has personal implications. At the same time, the gospel has corporate (we) implications. We have been saved by grace through faith (2:8-9), we have been blessed by God (1:3), and we have been sealed with the Holy Spirit (1:13). Paul’s call to perseverance is both a me and we thing. He is calling us as individual believers to press on and calling us as a community to persevere. This is an important reality for us as Americans. Why? Because we are so hardwired for radical individualism. We need to be reminded that perseverance is not just an individual thing. It takes all of us supporting and spurring one another on. That is why we must not give up on prayer. In fact, Paul tells us to pray at all times in the Spirit and that “in the Spirit” is to define all of our prayers and requests to God. Prayer in Paul’s mind and experience is not a last resort when desperate times call for desperate measures. Instead, it is an essential that links us to God and to one another. We are able to pray as individuals for one another and together for each other. This prayer life is essential in perseverance. And it is the Spirit of God that empowers this kind of practice that we would not normally pursue. It is also the very thing that will help us endure and persevere.
We cannot forget the context of this letter, Ephesus. This was not a safe or pleasant city in which to live as a Christian. Do you remember what happened to Paul here in Acts 19? When he was chased out of the city by a mob? It was hard to be a Christian in Ephesus. There was the decadence of extreme wealth, during which the pursuit of pleasure was encouraged. There was political influence and loyalty to the Roman Empire. And there was a plurality of religious expressions that were mixed and interchanged with ease. Then, there were the Christians who claimed that there was only one Lord, Jesus. That sexual immorality was wrong and that those who were in positions of authority should actually serve instead of being served. No, being a Christian was not easy. It will take the Spirit of God and fervent prayer for them and us to persevere faithfully. Yet, there is one final risk for them and us, persevering with a wrong perspective. They needed to know what was really at the source of their challenges. Their struggle was against the devil, the cosmic powers over this present darkness, and the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. It is easy to get confused and think we’re struggling against our neighbors. We’re not. Our true struggle is against something bigger. The dominion of sin. Jesus has set us free, and we should live as free people. This will require holding to the right perspective, and the right perspective makes perseverance possible.
GETTING STARTED – As a group, take time to answer this question. When was a time in your life when you had an incorrect perspective on something? How did that impact your life and relationships? How did it change?
IN THE WORD – Let’s dig back into the passage(s). It is important to strengthen our muscles in reading God’s Word. On Sunday, we walked through the passage in the sermon. Hopefully, that helped you to see the landmarks of the passage with fresh eyes. Now, with your group, go back through it and see what God is saying to you specifically.
First, before you read the passage, take a moment to ask God’s Spirit to quiet your mind and heart and to illuminate the text to you. Second, read the passage aloud to the group. Then, follow the simple method below. (O.P.A)
Observe: Make 8-10 observations from the passage. Pay close attention to observe and note repeated words and phrases, names, places, and themes.
Principles: From your list of observations, what patterns or big ideas do you see emerging? Can you distill it down into 2-4 big idea truths?
Apply: Moving from your list of principles, it is time to apply God’s Word. Remember, we believe that God’s Word is living and active and that it can change the way we live Monday- Friday. What is one tangible way to apply a truth from your list above?
Note: Another way to approach your time together is to talk through the following questions.
- Ephesus was a place that was full of idolatry. That is, people worshipped the Emperor, Artemis, and Dionysus, often interchangeably. Christianity called them to worship the One True God. What are the gods of Ames? What are the things that can become idols in your life? How do you safeguard against them?
- How do Paul’s words in vv. 11-12, help to reframe the current moment that we are living in? How does it give you peace and hope?
- One of the temptations when we think we’re struggling against our neighbors is to form holy huddles, that is, to only associate with other believers. The Ephesian church will struggle with this very thing. How can we be intentional not to let that happen in our lives and church? How do we love our neighbors who are not believers so that they might see and hear the gospel?
- One of our life questions is, “Is the Spirit flowing through me?” This question is all about dependence on the Holy Spirit. How do you regularly depend on the Holy Spirit in your daily life? Do you ask the Spirit of God for strength, insight, or help throughout your day? Do you look for his guidance, and are you open to his conviction? What might be an intentional next step in this area for you?
- What does prayer look like in your life? Do you consider it only a me thing, or have you experienced it as a we thing also? Praying isn’t just about sitting for long periods of time in a quiet place (it can be that), but it is about having an abiding conversation with God. How might you increase your conversation with God throughout the day?