Read Ephesians 6 at Bible Gateway.
Previously: Ephesians 6:1-9, nurture and admonition
Beginning in verse 10 to the end of the chapter, Paul then begins to expound on what it means, after having done all, to stand.
stand, in Greek, is histemi, and it means:
1) to cause or make to stand, to place, put, set up — in the presence of others, in the midst, before judges, before members of the Sanhedrin; to make firm, fix, establish, in that a person or thing is caused to keep his or its place;
2) to stand, be kept intact (of family, a kingdom), to escape in safety;
3) to establish a thing, cause it to stand, so that the authority or force of anything is upheld or sustained; to stop, stand still, to stand immovable, stand firm, as the foundation of a building, to continue safe and sound, stand unharmed, to stand ready or prepared, to be of a steadfast mind, to be one who does not hesitate or waver.
We sit in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, we walk as wise men, understanding what the will of the Lord is. Then we have to stand in our place of authority and stand against the wiles of the devil. There is going to be a fight, a spiritual battle, even after we sit and walk. And our part in that spiritual battle is to stand firm and not give ground to the enemy in any area.
Paul was in prison in Rome (or on his way to Rome) when he wrote this letter to the Ephesian church. He probably knew it was his last chance to communicate to them what was of most importance before his trial and death. But even if he didn’t die, his plan was to go on to Spain from Rome, to preach the gospel, so maybe it was in his heart that he would not be seeing his brothers in Ephesus again.
His final message to them was: sit, walk, then stand. 🙂
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