Harvest Desoto Bible Study

Breadcrumb Questions

• Verse 10
  • Paul’s final exhortation is this: “Be strong in the Lord.”
    • Considering the way of life Paul has just called us to in the previous passages (“submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ,” 5:21), what does it look like to display both strength and submission in the way you live your life? Are these mutually exclusive? Or compatible? How do they fit together?
    • Paul doesn’t only say to “be strong,” but he adds, “be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might.”
      • What do these phrases add to the command? How is this different than generic strength?
      • Think contextually about the answer to the question: what does it mean to be strong in the Lord?
• Verse 12***
  • ***Notice that we’re taking this verse out of order. That’s because v.12-13 provide the ground or reason for the command in v.11. (Remember our most common grounding word in the NT? Hopefully, these are jumping off the page at you by this point ☺︎).
  • What is the reason (in v.12-13) that we need to follow the command in v.11?
  • Notice another not/but here:
    • What or whom do we not wrestle against?
      • What does Paul mean by “flesh and blood?”
    • What or whom do we wrestle against?
      • First, note that Paul assumes that we are “wrestling” or “struggling.”
        • Is there anything about your spiritual walk that is like wrestling or struggling?
      • Paul uses multiple descriptive phrases to describe essentially the same thing. What is this thing (or things) against which we struggle as believers?
• Verse 11
  • Because of the spiritual opposition we face, what does Paul call us to do here?
  • How does the fact that our enemy is not “flesh and blood” but “spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places” change the way we go about this spiritual battle?
  • We’re told in verse 11 and 13 to take up the whole armor of God, and Paul gives us a purpose clause- a “so that”- after each of them. What is the purpose of our taking up the armor of God?
• Verses 14 – 18
  • In these verses Paul gives us six pieces of this armor that we are to put on. Find each of the six. What seems to be the purpose of each one? (Some of these have their purpose spelled out for us; some may require some speculation on our part).
  • What does it look like for us to intentionally put on each of these as we fight against the schemes of the devil and his attempts to disrupt our walk with Christ?
  • Which of these seem to offer protection to us? How do they protect us?
  • Which seems to make us ready? (Ready for what? is a valid question to consider). How does it make us ready?
  • Which seems to put an offensive weapon in our hand? How can it be used offensively?
  • Note in v.18 how closely prayer is tied to this imagery of spiritual warfare.
• Verse 19-20
  • What seems to be at the heart of Paul’s prayer request to the Ephesians? (hint: look for repeated words or phrases)
• Verses 21-23
  • Paul, the prisoner, is encouraging the hearts of the Ephesian believers here: “Peace… love with faith… grace be with all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with love incorruptible.”