Ephesians 6:16

Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. ABOVE ALL, [ epi (G1909)]. So A. Delta G 'Over all:' so as to cover all that was put on before. Three integuments are specified-the breastplate, girdle, and shoes; two defenses-the helmet and shield; and two offensive weapons-the sword and the spear (prayer). Ellicott, etc., 'Besides (in addition to) all,' as in Luke 3:20. But if it meant this, it would have come last in the list (cf. Colossians 3:14). But 'Aleph (') B f g, Vulgate read [ en (G1722)] 'In all (things).' TAKING, ...

16._Taking the shield of faith. _Though _faith _and _the word of God _are one, yet Paul assigns to them two distinct offices. I call them one, because the word is the object of faith, and cannot be applied to our use but by faith; as faith again is nothing, and can do nothing, without the word. But Paul, neglecting so subtle a distinction, allowed himself to expatiate at large on the military armor. In the first Epistle to the Thessalonians he gives both to faith and to love the name of a _breastplate, _— “putting on the breastplate of faith and love,” (1 Thessalonians 5:8.) All that was intended, therefore, was obviously this, — “He who possesses the excellencies of character which are here described is protected on every hand.” And yet it is not without reason that the most necessary instruments of warfare — a sword and a shield — are compared to faith, and to t

10-18 Spiritual strength and courage are needed for our spiritual warfare and suffering. Those who would prove themselves to have true grace, must aim at all grace; and put on the whole armour of God, which he prepares and bestows. The Christian armour is made to be worn; and there is no putting off our armour till we have done our warfare, and finished our course. The combat is not against human enemies, nor against our own corrupt nature only; we have to do with an enemy who has a thousand ways of beguiling unstable souls. The devils assault us in the things that belong to our souls, and labour to deface the heavenly image in our hearts. We must resolve by God's grace, not to yield to Satan. Resist him, and he will flee. If we give way, he will get ground. If we distrust either our cause, or our Leader, or our armour, we give him advantage. The different parts of the armour of heavy-a...

Verse 16. _ABOVE ALL_, (ΕΠΙ ΠΑΣΙΝ, _OVER ALL_ THE REST OF THE ARMOUR,) _TAKING THE SHIELD OF FAITH_] In the word θυρεος, _thureos,_ the apostle alludes to the great _oblong shield_, or _scutum_, which covers the whole body. See its description before. And as _faith_ is the grace by which all others are preserved and rendered active, so it is properly represented here under the notion of a _shield_, by which the whole body is covered and protected. Faith, in this place, must mean that evidence of things unseen which every genuine believer has, that God, for Christ's sake, has blotted out his sins, and by which he is enabled to call God his Father, and feel him to be his portion. It is such an _appropriating_ faith as this which can quench any dart of the devil. _THE FIERY DARTS OF THE WICKED._] βελος, _a dart_, signifies any kind of _missile weapon_; every th

ABOVE ALL - Ἐν πᾶσιν En pasin. Not “above all” in point of importance or value, but “over” all, as a soldier holds his shield to defend himself. It constitutes a protection over every part of his body, as it can be turned in every direction. The idea is, that as the shield covered or protected the other parts of the armor, so faith had a similar importance in the Christian virtues. THE SHIELD - note, Isaiah 21:9. The shield was usually made of light wood. or a rim of brass, and covered with several folds or thicknesses of stout hide, which was preserved by frequent anointing. It was held by the left arm, and was secured by straps, through which the arm passed, as may be seen in the annexed figures. The outer surface of the shield was made more or less rounding. Item

EXPOSITION EPHESIANS 6:1 CHILDREN, OBEY YOUR PARENTS IN THE LORD: FOR THIS IS RIGHT. The first duty of children is obedience, and "in the Lord," _i.e. _in Christ, this duty is confirmed. The ἐν Κυρίῳ qualifies, not "parents," but "obey," and indicates that the element or life which even children lead in fellowship with Christ makes such obedience more easy and more graceful. The duty itself rests on the first principles of morality—"for this is right." It is an obligation that rests on the very nature of things, and cannot change with the spirit of the age; it is in no degree modified by what is called the spirit of independence in children. EPHESIANS 6:2 Honor thy father and mother (which is the first c

ABOVE ALL, TAKING THE SHIELD OF FAITH,.... Which may be understood either of the grace of faith, which is like a golden shield, precious, solid, and substantial; and like a shield of mighty men, by which mighty things are done, and by which the believer not only repels, but conquers the enemy. The Jews say n, that repentance and good works are as a shield against divine vengeance: or rather of the object of faith, that which faith makes use of as a shield; so God himself is a shield, Genesis 15:1; his divine perfections, as his power, faithfulness, truth, and immutability, which encompass the saints as a shield, and are opposed by faith to the temptations of Satan; also the love and favour of God, Psalms 5:12; and particularly God in his word,...

Ephesians 6:10. _Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might._ Everything depends upon that. Whether you are called upon to work, or to wait, or to watch, or to suffer, you have need to be strong. If you are not yourself strong, the very armor that you wear will be a burden to you. It is of the utmost importance that Christians should be as strong in grace as they can possibly be. And the power that is to be in them is to be the power of God: «the power of his might.» What a wonderful power that is! The power of flesh is weakness, and the power of man is fading but the power of God is almighty and unchangeable; and if we can be girt about with this power there is scarcely any limit to what we may successfully attempt. «Finally,» as if this were a matter of the highest importance, to be considered first and last. «Finally, my brethren, be strong in

6. THE WARFARE AND THE PANOPLY OF GOD CHAPTER 6:10-20 __ 1. The warfare (Ephesians 6:10) 2. The panoply of God (Ephesians 6:13) Christian warfare or conflict is with the devil and his wiles, with the principalities, the powers, the rulers of the darkness of this world, and with the spiritual armies of wickedness in the heavenly places (literal translation). This revelation given here concerning the powers of darkness, the principalities, the rulers of the darkness of this world and the wicked spirits in the heavenly places, is important and demands a closer attention. The Scriptures clearly teach that there is a vast dominion of darkness over which Satan is the head and that, as the god of this present age, he has rulers over this world and a large army o

THE SPIRITUAL WARRIOR AND THE ARMOUR OF GOD. For the rest, the Christian must be strong in the Lord, equipped with God's armour, in face of the devil's wiles. He wrestles, not against mere human foes, but against the dæ monic powers and principalities who are the rulers of this dark and wicked world; against the evil spiritual agencies in the heavenly sphere. Against such, if he is to stand in the day of evil, his armour must indeed be the armour of God his girdle truth, his breastplate righteousness, his sandals the preparedness begotten of the peace the gospel brings; in all circumstances he must take trust in God as shield so shall he be able to quench all the Evil One's flaming darts; he must take the helmet which consists of salvation, and the Spirit's sword, _i.e._ the utterance of God; with constancy, moreover, of ceaseless prayer and intercession in the Spirit at every moment, ke...