The second half of Paul's letter to the Ephesians emphasizes the Christian walk. The Christian life starts with one step. This is the step of faith, when a person accepts Jesus Christ as his Saviour. The Christian life then involves progress and demands strength for a Christian to grow. We, as Christians, must learn how to walk or we will never be able to run and fight the battle that is presented in chapter 6. Chapter 4 tells us that we should walk in a way that will not grieve the Holy Spirit of God. We grieve God's Holy Spirit when we allow sin to creep into our lives. To enjoy Christian living, anger and strife should be done away with. Problems, disagreements, and hatreds should be pushed aside by means of forgiveness and Christian love.
In these three chapters for today we are told to walk in unity, to walk in purity, to walk in love, to walk in light, to walk carefully, and to walk in harmony. Paul also tells us in chapter 5:16 that we should walk in the way of redeeming the time, because the days are evil. We are not to waste God's time. We are to use it wisely and make every minute count for Him. Time wasted today can never be made up, and the many things we should have done today for the Master cannot be done tomorrow.
In chapter 6 Paul tells us how to walk in victory. Many Christians today have not learned from God's Word how to walk in victory over Satan. Christ has completely overcome Satan and his armies, and victory is ours by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. When we live anywhere short of victory through Christ, then we are cheating ourselves of the blessings God has given to us. Verses 10 and 12 show us the enemy we fight. In verses 13 and 17 Paul gives us the equipment we must wear, and then, in verses 18-24, he gives us the energy we must use. In verse 11 we are told to put on the whole armour of God, that we may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. Paul goes on to explain what our armour is. In verse 18 he gives us the warrior's source of strength. That source is prayer. Prayer is the power line to heaven. When this line is broken, the Christian is rendered utterly helpless. The sword we must use to fight the battle against the devil is the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God; and the power we must use is continual, daily, moment by moment, prayer and meditation with God, through the Holy Spirit.
