Paul drives Ephesians 5 toward a simple call that lands hard: walk wisely, be filled with the Spirit, and let that filling show up as thanksgiving, worship, and submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ. The mixed church in Ephesus has been told that Jew and Gentile are now one body, so the “old self” habits are dead, and the “new self” must imitate Christ. The text insists that mutual submission can only grow out of prior submission to the Holy Spirit. The Spirit is fully God, a person with will, emotions, and intellect, and he is a he, not an it. Under the new covenant he indwells believers forever, not popping in and out. His filling is not a one-time zap but a moment-by-moment surrender that moves the will when the flesh wants the opposite.
Ephesians sets the contrast with a vivid picture: do not get drunk with wine, but be filled with the Spirit. Drunkenness hands control to the flesh and breeds chaos. Spirit-filling hands control to God and bears different speech, different actions, and a different boldness that runs toward Jesus, not toward a mess. “Whatever you feed is what you are hungry for,” so the believer who feeds the Spirit’s desires becomes eager for holiness. That surrender cannot be real without submission to Scripture. The Spirit authored the word, so “God told me” claims get weighed by the text. Delight in the word, be still, and keep it. Honest tools for observation, evaluation, adaptation, and implementation help the church hear God clearly, not chase vibes.
Submitting to the Spirit changes the tongue. Ephesians bans filthiness, foolish talk, and crude joking, and replaces them with words that edify, give grace, and push the room into doxology. Addressing one another with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs turns conversations into reminders of God’s promises and care, and gratitude rises. Finally, reverence for Christ looks like imitation. Jesus submitted as a son to parents he created, washed dirty feet as Lord and teacher, touched the untouchable, and in Gethsemane said, “not my will, but yours.” His lowliness becomes the pattern. Mutual submission looks like self-forgetfulness for the body’s good, forgiving as God in Christ forgave, doing one’s part with excellence while making room for others to do theirs, receiving discipleship with honesty, and discipling without pretending to be the whole body. The aim is not control but Christ being honored as Lord.
Key Takeaways
- 1. Submit to the Spirit first Submission to people without surrender to the Spirit just shifts control from one flesh to another. The Spirit indwells, leads, and empowers, but his filling flows as the believer yields moment by moment. Real unity grows out of that quiet yes to God when the flesh is loud. [41:38]
- 2. Be filled, not numbed Drunkenness hands the wheel to the flesh and ends in chaos; Spirit-filling hands the wheel to God and yields order, courage, and love. The same mouth that once spilled secrets can now hold silence or speak life. Different control produces a different person, aimed at Jesus. [42:15]
- 3. Let Scripture set the voice The Spirit wrote the book, so discernment starts with open pages, not open-ended impressions. Delighting in the word, being still, and keeping what it says quiet the noise of self and culture. Clear questions and concrete steps move the soul from “God told me” to “God has spoken.” [49:27]
- 4. Trade crude talk for doxology Ephesians does not leave room for “funny but filthy.” Words either rot or raise the room. Speech that rehearses God’s promises, names his kindness, and fits the moment puts courage back into weary hearts and pivots conversations toward worship and gratitude. [53:28]
- 5. Imitate Christ through mutual submission Jesus had every right to be served, yet he stooped, obeyed, and bled. Reverence for him looks like forgiving quickly, serving gladly, yielding roles so others can flourish, and practicing honest, accountable discipleship. The body’s health outranks personal spotlight. [60:08]
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