Seek First – Kingdom Focused Devotionals

“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places” (Eph. 6:12). 

                Some today make light of the idea of a personal devil and the notion of “rulers,” “powers” and “spiritual forces of wickedness” seem to them a first century concept that can be jettisoned today.  I think we should be hesitant to consider ourselves wiser than the inspired authors of Scripture and our Lord who spoke of such realities. 

                Modern man daily finds himself up against powers and forces which are beyond his control and can’t be described in material terms.  You may have noticed that Paul changes the image, briefly, from that of a soldier to a wrestler.  This is done to convey the personal and intense nature of the struggle against the devil.  As in Eph. 1:21 Paul discusses these powers by using several synonyms for the enemies of the believers. 

                The present world is often spoken of as in the power of the evil one and the consequences of his dominion is “darkness.”  The present world order still is in rebellion against God and thus remains under the dominion of these powers and thus only in Christ can man gain victory over them.  If we are to stand firm against the “spiritual forces of wickedness” we must be equipped with the full armor of God and stand together with the full army of God. 

Prayer:  Father, thank You for Your victory on the cross and the victorious armor You make available to me.  Amen.

“Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil” (Eph. 6:11).

                Paul now uses an image which would have been readily visible to his first century readers and that is the armor worn by a soldier.  It is likely that Paul spent his last days chained to a Roman soldier.  As he contemplated the armor worn by his captors, he thought about the armor necessary for Christian victory.  The word armor (panoplia) is modified by the word “full” to indicate that the believer must avail himself/herself to the sum total of the armor. 

                Paul’s thought likely moved from the image of the Roman soldier to that of the heavenly Warrior described in Isaiah 59:17.  His linking to this heavenly soldier may not have been with visible chains, but those invisible chains which bound Paul to Christ which were stronger than any earthly chain. 

                Paul will describe the armor and the weapons in greater detail in the remainder of the passage, but we should notice first that the keyword of the passage is “stand” (also 6:13 and 14).  The image is not of a march or conquest but one of holding the fortress of the soul and of the Church for the heavenly King who has already won the victory. 

                The word used here for “schemes of the devil” has already been used in 4:14.  The idea is one of deceit and cunning devices.  We often forget that our adversary is the father of liars and he is the arch enemy of every believer.  We need the full armor of God because our battle is not against the stratagems of man but the wiles of a spiritual foe. 

Prayer:  Father, teach me never to stand without Your full armor.  Amen.

“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might” (Eph. 6:10). 

                Paul is now bringing this great epistle to a close.  He has spoken of the greatness of the purpose of God in Christ, the privilege and responsibility of His high calling for believers and the life that must flow from that calling.  This high calling will affect the believers in every relationship since all of life is now seen as sacred. 

                He feels compelled to remind his readers that the Christian life cannot be lived without a spiritual battle.  The primary necessity for the effective living of the Christian life is the power of God.  “Be strong” is actually passive and could thus better be translated “be made strong.”  A person cannot strengthen himself/herself for the living of the Christian life; he must be constantly empowered by the Lord.

                You may have noticed that Paul said “be strong in the Lord.”  When life is lived in union with Christ there will be a constant flow of power.  Remember apart from Him we can do nothing (Jn. 5:19 and 15:1-5).  The good news is that “the strength of His might” is available for triumphant and victorious living. 

Prayer:  Father, teach me how to live daily in the strength of Your might.  Amen.

“And masters, do the same things to them, and give up threatening, knowing that both their Master and yours is in heaven, and there is no partiality with Him” (Eph. 6:9). 

                The phrase “do the same things to them” indicates that masters are to act toward their servants “as unto the Lord” and “as doing the will of God.”  In other words, the master’s response and treatment of those who serve under them must be exercised with the understanding that they are also laboring as unto the Lord.

                Paul quickly makes a very practical application of this principle—“give up threatening.”  Threatening words came very easily from the lips of a master since a slave was not allowed to answer back.  An employer today can rule with an “iron fist” if he chooses, but such is not appropriate for the Christian who sees every area of his life under the leadership of the Lord. 

                Paul makes a powerful point to conclude his argument.  Slave and master stand on equal footing before their Master in heaven.  Both will be required to give account to Him for the stewardship of the opportunity they have been given on earth. 

Prayer:  Father, remind me daily that I work and play before Your eyes.  Amen.

“Knowing that whatever good thing each one does, this he will receive back from the Lord, whether slave or free” (Eph. 6:8).

                In the matter of relationship between employer and employee, Paul now looks to the matter of future reckoning.  Christians sometimes make the mistake of living this life like it is all of life.  Truth is, we are created for the Kingdom to come and therefore, every behavior and activity in this life must ultimately be evaluated by its impact on the Kingdom to come. 

                Thus the believer has two motivations for integrity and hard work.  In this life, he/she serves to please the Lord, and in the one to come, he will receive back from the Lord.  In many passages concerning the final judgment, both good and bad rewards are mentioned (Col. 3:24, 1 Cor. 3:14-15, 2 Cor. 5:10, and Matt. 25).  In this context, Paul only mentions the good for his primary goal is to encourage workers. 

                It is encouraging to know that nothing well done on earth is ever done in vain since the Lord views and rewards all.  A man or woman may reap only misunderstanding and criticism for his/her labors from their earthly boss, but he/she can know that God will reward fairly.  The last phrase “whether slave or free” reminds us that God’s judgment applies to all alike, rich and poor, slave and free. 

Prayer:  Thank You that You are the Righteous Judge.  Amen.

“With good will render service, as to the Lord, and not to men” (Eph. 6:7). 

                This verse continues the thought of verse 6.  Since we are “slaves of Christ” we must render service as unto Him.  Notice again that the Bible draws no dividing line between secular and sacred.  Our so-called secular work is our platform to demonstrate our kingdom commitment. 

                It is for this reason that the Christian workman strives in every setting to produce work that he/she would be pleased to present to the Lord.  When we understand the “sacredness” of all of life, the attitude and the output of our labor will not be dependent on the attitude our employer takes toward us, but on our desire to please the Lord.  We are not motivated to work harder or with better attitude simply because we may be rewarded by our employer, we work “as to the Lord.”

                Can you imagine the impact Christians would have upon their employers and fellow-employees if we took this simple command to heart?  This may be one of the greatest factors impacting our lack of evangelistic impact in our society today. 

Prayer:  Father, give me the desire to serve You faithfully in the marketplace.  Amen.

“Not by way of eyeservice, as men-pleasers, but as slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart” (Eph. 6:6).

                We sometimes make the mistake of dividing life into two separate categories—the sacred and the secular.  The sacred involves what we do at church and the secular involves the rest of life.  We come to church and worship and serve and we leave the building and take our “sacred clothes” off for the week and go back to the “secular world.”  There can be no distinction for the follower of Christ—everything and every moment are sacred. 

                For that reason, servants (employees) are not motivated by “eyeservice” to please men.  It appears that here and in Colossians 3:22 Paul has invented a word to express his meaning.  The idea is that the believer should not act under the “compulsion of Inspection” to please men.  If an employee’s only concern is to please men, he/she will act in such a manner as to do only those things which are seen and rewarded by man. 

                The Christian excels in his/her work whether observed by man or not, because his/her desire is to do the will of God from the heart.  We work for the approval of one—our Heavenly Father. 

Prayer:  Father, help me to do Your will daily as I serve in my job.  Amen.

“Slaves, be obedient to those who are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in the sincerity of your heart, as to Christ” (Eph. 6:5).

                When we understand this verse in its original cultural setting, we will be aware that Paul is still dealing with relationships within the broader household.  The principles established in this section can rightly be applied, in our day to employees and employers, whether in the home or in business. 

                First, there is an application of the general theme of “submission” that has governed this section since 5:21.  Paul first calls for obedience to those “who are your masters according to the flesh” which is a graphic reminder that they have a Greater Master who governs all relationships.  The addition of the phrase “fear and trembling” does not suggest fear of their earthly master, who will be instructed to “give up threatening” (v.9), but rather the “fear of Christ” (5:21). 

                “Fear” speaks of that obedient awe and worship of the one true Master of us all which should dominate all our relationships.  In Romans 14:7-9 Paul indicates that whatever the Christian does, he should do it as unto the Lord.  This means the transformation of the Christian’s entire standard of work and service into something totally different from the standards of the world.  Our work is to be rendered to our earthly boss as if they were being offered to our heavenly Master.  This is not to be done with a reluctant spirit, but “in the sincerity of heart.”  Honesty and wholehearted effort is to characterize the Christian employee.

                Can you imagine what such an evangelistic behavior would have on one’s boss and fellow employees?

Prayer: Father, help me to work today in fear of Christ.  Amen.

“Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.” Eph. 6:4.

                There are few tasks more difficult than parenting.  When we think that God has given us the stewardship of shaping a young life, it challenges us to turn to Him for help.  Parenting will bring you to your knees and to God’s Word for help.  Paul now turns to the duties for parents. 

                It is likely that even though Paul uses the word “fathers” he has both parents in mind.  The first word for parents is “do not provoke your children to anger.”  Children are called to obedience (6:1) and thus it is right for parents to demand obedience, but not in a capricious and domineering way.  Discipline is essential, but petty regulations and rules which serve to discourage children are to be avoided by godly parents.  In Colossians, the twin letter, Paul states it thus—“Father, do not exasperate your children so that they will not lose heart” (Col. 3:21). 

                Paul now turns to the positive duty of parenting and in so doing he uses a word that was used in 5:29, where he speaks of a husband “nourishing” their wife.  The word was originally used of bodily nourishment, but it came to be used in terms of “nurturing” of body, soul, and mind.  But notice that the key issue is neither harmony in the home nor the happiness of the children, but their regard for the Lord and His instruction.  If parents bring their children in the discipline and instruction of the Lord, the harmony in the home and the happiness of the child will be the natural consequence.  When parents teach their children God’s Word, the Spirit will bring both discipline and instruction through the Word.

                Christian parents should place a child’s loyalty to Christ above health, material prosperity, academic achievement, or social position.  Do you?

Prayer:  Father, help me to follow Your instructions for raising the children given me in stewardship.  Amen.