Ephesians 6:1-24

Chapter 6:1-4
    In the first verse there is so question as to what Paul is implying on his readers when it comes to obeying your parents in the Lord. Does this mean that children should obey their parents only if they are Christians or does it mean that children should obey no matter what their parents say. This is a topic that I can imagine would be hard for some families who are not equally yoked but that is a whole other topic. My personal believe is that a child should obey their parent Christian or not as long as they are within biblical means. A child shouldn't disrespect a parent if they are not being biblical but as Christians we are called to follow Christ and His teachings. The promise God gives us in verse 3 is that if we honor our parents/elders then we will live long on the earth. Our society as a whole would be so much better if people would apply this commandment to their lives. There is a special note to the parents here in verse 4 as well. They do have authority over their children but they should cause their children to be angry with them. As parents we are to instruct and discipline our children not provoke them.
Chapter 6:5-9
    These verse speak on how a slave and a master should treat each other. It makes you wonder why Christians back then didn't appose slavery but I think that since it was such a large spread action that they didn't realize it could change. Makes you wonder what we are doing now that down the road will be changed because it is wrong.  The slave here was instructed to be devoted to his master and not just do well when his master was looking. The masters were not to overpower his slaves in order to manipulate or intimidate. Even the master has a Master, our heavenly Father.
Chapter 6:10-13
     Paul instructs us to put on the whole armor of God so that we can defend ourselves from the enemy not just humans but also divine. Evil powers are something that we shouldn't take lightly. Paul repeats himself over and over again to stand firm.
Chapter 6:14-17
    The first step a solider must do is to gird his loins. In ancient times men would wear long robes and this would sometimes hinder them from running properly. They would pull up the fabric and tie it around their waist with a Belt. The belt represents truth because a Christian can not be tripped up by any untruth in his own life. The Breastplate, which protected the heart and lungs, represents righteousness. We defend ourselves from evilness when we are obedient to God.  The Shoes of the Gospel of peace was also an important part. A pair of bad shoes would slow down a solider. If we have the Gospel it will not slow us down. The Shield of faith mentioned in this passage was a large one that covered the whole body. Back then they were made of leather and soaked in water to protect the soldier from flaming arrows.  When we have faith in the Lord He will protect us from the enemy.  The Helmet protects the most vulnerable part of the body, the head. This represents salvation and when a person is saved they can hold their head high knowing that they have eternal life.Finally we have a defense against the enemy and that is the Sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God. The bible holds all the answer we would ever need to fight off the enemy.
Chapter 6:18-20
    We are to be in constant prayer especially when we are putting on the armor. Paul also asks for prayer to be bold when he witnesses. He is committed to the Gospel and doesn't ask to be released from prison but to be empowered t speak.
Chapter 6:21-24
    Paul closes the book out by speaking about the messenger Tychicus who would be telling the people the updates about Paul and what he is doing in prison. This man had an important role in Paul's ministry even though we don't hear alot of details about him.