Seek First – Kingdom Focused Devotionals

“Grace be with all those who love our Lord Jesus Christ with incorruptible love” (Eph. 6:24).

                Grace has been the consistent theme of the entire letter.  Perhaps one of the most beloved verses of Ephesians is 2:8—“For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God.” 

                Notice that grace is commended toward “those who love our Lord Jesus Christ with incorruptible love.”  This is not so much a suggestion of an exclusivity or limitation of grace but rather to remind them that only when saving grace is embraced through faith can the love and grace of God be received in their full and wonderful measure. 

                The word translated “incorruptible” is a challenge to translators.  It can be understood in the sense of “immortality (Rom. 2:7).  It can also mean sincerity or purity.   Perhaps there is a sense of all these meanings in the present verse.  Because God’s love is immortal it should be kept pure from every kind of spiritual decay.  God’s love is eternal and thus it must be responded to with a love that is unfailing and pure. 

Prayer:  Father, thank you for your unfailing love.  Teach me to love you with incorruptible love.  Amen.

“Peace be to the brethren, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ” (Eph. 6:23). 

                Paul’s final greeting is essentially a prayer for the Ephesian believers.  Paul picks up the triad, peace, love, and faith which have all been central to the entire message of this letter. 

                Peace reflects the Old Testament blessing of shalom.  It speaks of peace with God which leads to peace with oneself and ultimately with others.  Only those who are in Christ (brethren) can comprehend a peace that passes understanding.  When one is at peace with his/her creator it ought to be reflected in their personal demeanor and personal relationships. 

                Notice that Paul connects love and faith—“love with faith.”  Love springs from faith and without the essential union that faith provides with Christ love cannot grow.  On the other hand, faithfulness is actually one of the byproducts of love.  Thus Paul commends that they know love with faith. 

                The source of all these blessings is God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.  All blessings originate with the Father and are mediated through His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ (1:3).  Are you at peace with God?  Is it reflected in your growing faith and love? 

Prayer:  Father, help me to reflect Your peace and grow in love with faith.  Amen.

“I have sent him to you for this very purpose, so that you may know about us, and that he may comfort your hearts” (Eph. 6:22).

                Modern day technology has enabled us to “stay connected” all the time and from any location.  We can become so reliant on such technology that we ignore the importance of the human touch and the comfort it brings. 

                Paul clearly understood that believers in Ephesus may have heard about his imprisonment.  Without easy avenues of clear communication, reports could have easily been misunderstood or exaggerated.  Paul didn’t want his friends to be over-concerned about his condition, but he did want them to be able to pray with clarity. 

                Tychicus, the bearer of the Ephesian letter, would be able to give them direct communication and thus comfort their hearts.  In our day of face book, e-mail, and twitter, we should never ignore the value of personal communication.  Two of my daughters live outside the U.S.  It is wonderful to talk to them on the phone but even greater to see them in person.  If that is impossible, it is a joy to talk to someone who has been with them recently.  They can provide the details that comfort our heart knowing all is well. 

Prayer:  Father, remind me of who I need to contact today to share a word of comfort.  Amen.

“But that you also may know about my circumstances, how I am doing, Tychicus, the beloved brother and faithful minister in the Lord, will make everything known to you” (Eph. 6:21).

                If you compare the concluding words of this epistle with those of Colossians 4:7-9 you will find a remarkable similarity.  I have suggested that the two letters were companion letters which have in view a wider audience than the church name appended to each.  When Epaphras came to visit Paul in prison, he alerted him to the threat of false teaching upon all the churches in pro-Consular Asia.  Paul wrote the Colossian letter with a more direct attack on the false teaching and the Ephesian letter to fortify all the churches.  Tychicus was the man chosen to deliver the letters. 

                It must have been encouraging to Paul, at this point in his ministry, to have a friend that he could call a “beloved brother and a faithful minister.”  We first hear of Tychicus as one of the representatives of the Asian church who went to Jerusalem at the end of Paul’s third missionary journey (Acts 20:4).  Tychicus is not only the bearer of three letters (Ephesians, Colossians, and Philemon) he is also a messenger who will give them accurate news about Paul’s conditions. 

                Do you have a Tychicus in your life?  Do you have a beloved brother/sister whom you can trust to join you as a faithful minister?  If so, thank them for their work.  If not pray that God will send you a Tychicus. 

Prayer:  Father, help me to be a beloved brother and faithful minister to someone today.  Amen.

“For which I am an ambassador in chains; that in proclaiming it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak” (Eph. 6:20).

                Up until this point, Paul has spoken little about his own present conditions.  So that they may pray with specificity and power, Paul reminds them of his imprisonment for the sake of the gospel.  Again, it is impressive that he doesn’t request that they pray for his release but for his boldness.

                The key to this request can be found in the curious phrase “an ambassador in chains.”  Paul’s readers would have been familiar with the fact that ambassadors came to Rome from far and wide.  Paul came to Rome as a prisoner of the powerful Roman emperor but he considered himself to be an ambassador in chains.  He gave allegiance to the one true King and therefore his mission to Rome was at the command of his rightful King. 

                As an ambassador of the King, his role was to beg men on behalf of Christ to be reconciled to God (2 Cor. 5:20).  Thus, even though he was bound in chains (Acts 28:16-20), he still functioned as an ambassador.  Imprisonment can cause even the boldest of soldiers to bow to the fear of man and thus requests prayer that he might speak boldly as would be appropriate for an ambassador of the true King. 

Prayer:  Father, give me the boldness of Paul today as I serve as an Ambassador of the King.  Amen

“And pray on my behalf, that utterance may be given to me in the opening of my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel” (Eph. 6:19).

                Paul now becomes personal and asks his readers to pray for him.  This prayer is instructive as we pray for pastors, missionaries, and our various friends in ministry.  Yet, we must not miss the truth, that we are all called to ministry, and therefore it is instructive as we pray for ourselves and each other. 

                It is interesting that Paul’s primary request was not for physical protection or the deliverance from prison, but for boldness in proclaiming the gospel.  I find it encouraging that the greatest missionary evangelist who ever lived asked his friends to pray that he would have boldness in proclaiming the mystery of the gospel.  In fact, he asks that utterance may be given him in the opening of his mouth.  Do you sometimes find it difficult to open your mouth in declaring the gospel?  You are in good company.  So, ask your friends to pray that you too would have boldness in opening your mouth. 

                The mystery, also mentioned in Eph. 3:3-4, is no longer hidden.  It has been made known in Christ.  This gospel is for Jew and Gentile alike and will be fully declared by Christ’s church. 

Prayer:  Give me boldness in the opening of my mouth today so that I may make known the mystery of the gospel.  Amen.

“With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints” (Eph. 6:18).

                We probably shouldn’t describe prayer as a part of the armor of the Christian, but it is nonetheless the essential covering for every believer.  Paul may actually be suggesting that each piece of the armor be put on and secured with prayer. 

                When you read the verse, you eyes and ears are drawn to the word “all” which is repeated four times in this single verse.  Prayer is essential at all times and must be offered in all its forms for all saints with all perseverance.  We are often instructed not to cease from prayer which means that every incident of life is to be encountered with prayer.  The natural inclination of man is to think we can win the spiritual battle by our own wiles and energy.  Nothing could be further from the truth.  We must “pray at all times” with the awareness that we are fully dependent on God. 

                The phrase “in the Spirit” indicates that the Spirit is our helper in prayer.  But it means even more than this.  As we walk “in the Spirit,” he becomes the very atmosphere of the Christian’s life.  He guides, guards, and empowers us even for the duty of prayer which is essential to every other aspect of Christian living. 

                Prayer is unlimited in terms of time and space and thus it is unlimited in its reach and its outreach.  We are thus called to pray for “all the saints.”  The believer is not simply concerned for his/her own spiritual victory but for the whole of the church and the ability of fellow-members to stand.

Prayer: Father, keep reminding me of the whole of Your church worldwide.  Amen.

“And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God” (Eph. 6:17).

                The Old Testament often refers to speech as a sword.  For example the Psalmist indicates that the words of wicked men in terms of a sword.  “Even the sons of men, whose teeth are spears and arrows and their tongue a sharp sword” (Ps. 57:4).  All of us have been wounded by words. 

                We have a sword which has great power when used appropriately.  Hebrews 4:12 states, “For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.”  The sword of the Spirit has as its goal not the wounding of men but their conversion.  We would be more effective in winning men and women to Christ if we were fully confident of the power of our sword. 

                Our sword also has power to protect against the onslaught of the enemy.  For example, we should look to our Lord’s use of Scripture to counter the temptations of the adversary in Matthew 4:1-10.  This one example should be incentive enough for us to hide God’s Word in our heart.  The study and memorization of God’s word is not an option for the believer.  It is the necessary sword of the Spirit. 

Prayer:  Thank you for the sword of the Spirit, your powerful Word.  Amen.

“And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God” (Eph. 6:17).

                 “PY where is your helmet,” shouted the coach.  Football practice came to a standstill at the loud remonstration by the coach.  PY was our nickname for one of our smaller players.  PY’s head was so small his helmet spun around when he was hit.  Now he was planning to attack a large blocking sled with no helmet.  Not a good idea! 

                That was over 40 years ago.  Today we are so helmet conscious that we have them for riding bikes, skateboards, and tricycles.  No soldier would think of going to battle without his helmet.  In the same manner, the believer must take the helmet of salvation. 

                The divine Warrior of Isaiah 59:17 wears the helmet of salvation.  Salvation is not only God’s gift that saves us from the penalty of sin, it is also His saving help which protects us from the power of sin and the promise that we will one day be fully delivered from the presence of sin.  Without the assurance of the forgiveness of sin and the present power to overcome sin, the soldier is too easily wounded in conflict. 

                Do you ever allow the memory of past sin, keep you from present activity?  Put on the helmet of salvation.  Do you ever find yourself in a struggle with the present temptation to sin?  Put on the helmet of salvation.

Prayer:  Father, I don the helmet of salvation, knowing my sins have been forgiven.  Amen.

“In addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one” (Eph. 6:16).

                If you have ever seen a picture of a Roman soldier, you have seen the large shield which covered most of the body.  Paul now comes to that piece of armor.  “In addition to all” is to be understood in terms of “to cover all the rest.”  The shield of the Christian soldier is faith.  It is a total reliance upon God. 

                Paul once again gives us a glimpse of the strategy of the enemy.  In ancient times, darts or spears were dipped in pitch and then set on fire.  The wooden shields were thus covered in leather so that it might quench the fire quickly before the shield was destroyed.  Paul knew that the adversary also employed the fiery darts of criticism, innuendo, impurity, selfishness, doubt, fear and disappointment to discourage the Christian soldier. 

                When we learn to fully rely upon God and the truth of His word, the shield of our faith will deflect and quench all such weapons used by the adversary.  What fiery darts most often cause you to stumble in the onward march?  Can you rely upon God in each and every situation?

Prayer:  Father, teach me total reliance so that I may extinguish all the flaming arrows.  Amen.