Ephesians 6
Paul’s Advice to Children and Parents
1 Children, obey your parents because you are Christians.t This is the right thing to do.2 “Honor your father and mother
3 that everything may go well for you, and you may have a long life on earth.” This is an important commandment with a promise.t
4 Fathers, don’t make your children bitter about life. Instead, bring them up in Christian discipline and instruction.
Paul’s Advice to Slaves and Masters
5 Slaves, obey your earthly masters with proper respect. Be as sincere as you are when you obey Christ.6 Don’t obey them only while you’re being watched, as if you merely wanted to please people. But obey like slaves who belong to Christ, who have a deep desire to do what God wants them to do.7 Serve eagerly as if you were serving your heavenly master and not merely serving human masters.
8 You know that your heavenly master will reward all of us for whatever good we do, whether we’re slaves or free people.
9 Masters, treat your slaves with respect. Don’t threaten a slave. You know that there is one master in heaven who has authority over both of you, and he doesn’t play favorites.
Put On All the Armor That God Supplies
10 Finally, receive your power from the Lord and from his mighty strength.11 Put on all the armor that God supplies. In this way you can take a stand against the devil’s strategies.12 This is not a wrestling match against a human opponent. We are wrestling with rulers, authorities, the powers who govern this world of darkness, and spiritual forces that control evil in the heavenly world.
13 For this reason, take up all the armor that God supplies. Then you will be able to take a stand during these evil days.t Once you have overcome all obstacles, you will be able to stand your ground.
14 So then, take your stand! Fasten truth around your waist like a belt. Put on God’s approval as your breastplate.15 Put on your shoes so that you are ready to spread the Good News that gives peace.16 In addition to all these, take the Christian faith as your shield. With it you can put out all the flaming arrows of the evil one.
17 Also take salvation as your helmet and the word of God as the sword that the Spirit supplies.
18 Pray in the Spiritt in every situation. Use every kind of prayer and request there is. For the same reason be alert. Use every kind of effort and make every kind of request for all of God’s people.19 Also pray that God will give me the right words to say. Then I will speak boldly when I reveal the mystery of the Good News.
20 Because I have already been doing this as Christ’s representative, I am in prison. So pray that I speak about this Good News as boldly as I have to.
Greetings From Paul
21 I’m sending Tychicus to you. He is our dear brother and a faithful deacont in the Lord’s work. He will tell you everything that is happening to me so that you will know how I’m getting along.
22 That’s why I’m sending him to you so that you may know how we’re doing and that he may encourage you.
23 May God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give our brothers and sisters peace and love along with faith.
24 His favort is with everyone who has an undying love for our Lord Jesus Christ.
Ephesians 6
1 Children,t obey your parents in the Lords for this is right.2 “Honor your father and mother,”s which is the first commandment accompanied by a promise, namely,
3 “that it may gotwell with you and that you will liveta long time on the earth.”s
4 Fathers,t do not provoke your children to anger,t but raise them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.
5 Slaves,t obey your human masterst with fear and trembling, in the sincerity of your heart as to Christ,6 not like those who do their work only when someone is watchingt – as people-pleasers – but as slaves of Christ doing the will of God from the heart.t7 Obeyt with enthusiasm, as though serving the Lordt and not people,
8 because you know that each person, whether slave or free, if he does something good, thiss will be rewarded by the Lord.
9 Masters,t treat your slavest the same way,t giving up the use of threats,t because you know that both you and they have the same master in heaven,t and there is no favoritism with him.
Exhortations for Spiritual Warfare
10 Finally, be strengthened in the Lord and in the strength of his power.11 Clothe yourselves with the full armor of God so that you may be able to stand against the schemest of the devil.12 For our strugglet is not against flesh and blood,t but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world rulers of this darkness,ts against the spiritual forcest of evil in the heavens.s13 For this reason, take up the full armor of God so that you may be able to stand your groundt on the evil day, and having done everything, to stand.14 Stand firm therefore, by fastenings the belt of truth around your waist,t by putting on the breastplate of righteousness,15 by fitting yourt feet with the preparation that comes from the good newst of peace,t16 and in all of this,t by taking up the shields of faith with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.17 And take the helmet of salvations and the swords of the Spirit, which is the word of God.18 With every prayer and petition, prayt at all times in the Spirit, and to this endt be alert, with all perseverance and requests for all the saints.19 Prayt for me also, that I may be given the message when I begin to speakt – that I may confidently make knownt the mystery of the gospel,
20 for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may be able to speak boldly as I ought to speak.
Farewell Comments
21 Tychicus, myt dear brother and faithful servant in the Lord, will make everything known to you, so that you too may know about my circumstances,t how I am doing.
22 I have sent him to you for this very purpose, that you may know our circumstancest and that he may encourage your hearts.
23 Peace to the brothers and sisters,t and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
24 Grace bet with all of those who love our Lord Jesus Christ with an undying love.st