Living a Spirit-Filled Life: Submission and Spiritual Warfare

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"Children are to obey their parents; this not only means that children have the responsibility to obey, but it also means that parents have the responsibility to teach their children obedience. And of course, this is one of the most important jobs for a parent. Parents need to understand this: you don't need to teach your child how to disobey; they inherit that right." [00:31:48]

"Obedience must be taught, and I would say that this is really essential and important in laying a foundation for a godly life to come. Because if a child can be taught properly how to obey their parents—not in an oppressive way, not in an authoritarian kind of way, but in a proper sense—then the groundwork is laid in that child's life for them to obey God properly." [00:36:41]

"Bond servants, be obedient to those who are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in sincerity of heart, as to Christ; not with eye service, as men-pleasers, but as bond servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart, with goodwill doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men." [00:43:20]

"Now, I want you to notice here, he says something absolutely revolutionary there in verse 5 because here he's addressing slaves, servants in the ancient world. And there in verse 5, he says, 'Bond servants, be obedient to those who are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in sincerity, as to Christ.'" [00:46:40]

"Paul's idea here is much the same as what he said in 2 Corinthians 10:3-4. Listen to this carefully: 'For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds.' Now, doesn't that sound great? I mean, it sounds like the same idea." [00:46:32]

"Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Now literally, what Paul wrote in the ancient Greek language is this: literally, he said, 'Strengthen yourselves in the Lord.' He probably took the idea from 1 Samuel 30:6, where it says that David strengthened himself in the Lord his God." [00:50:36]

"Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. Now, the armor of God will be explained more fully in the next passage, but the emphasis here in verse 11 is on the whole armor of God. That's the emphasis in the Greek construction here. God gives the believer a full set of equipment." [00:53:57]

"Therefore, take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Now, Paul introduced the idea of the whole armor of God back in Ephesians 6:11. And in the following passage, he's going to detail the specific items related to the armor of God." [00:59:36]

"Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace. You can only stand when you're equipped with the armor that God has given us in Jesus Christ. Every aspect of this symbolic armor answers to a specific dynamic in the Christian life." [01:06:36]

"Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for the saints—and for me, that utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains." [01:33:28]

"Paul concludes the letter just like he began it, with reference to grace and peace, these two essential cornerstones for the Christian life. And he says, listen, a blessing to all those who love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity, without corruption, with an undying love. Blessing upon them." [01:44:19]

"Paul ends by pronouncing a blessing. It was his way of helping the Ephesians to walk in every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Jesus Christ. That's our property. Amen. Let's pray. Father, we thank you for this amazing letter to the Ephesians, and Lord, I pray that you would give us wisdom and ability in the spiritual warfare that we fight." [01:46:32]

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