Walk Wisely in an Evil Age by the Spirit

Paul returns to the turn in Ephesians where grace received becomes a life lived before God. Paul calls Christ’s people to “look carefully” at how they walk, because nobody moves through life untouched by the voices, habits, and values around them. Wisdom, in the biblical sense, is not simply being smart or successful. Wisdom begins with the fear of the Lord and asks, “What pleases the Lord?” rather than, “What seems right to me?”

Paul calls believers to make the best use of the time because the days are evil. The days do not require withdrawal from the world, but careful and intentional living within it. The image of a river shows how spiritual drift works: a person may never decide to swim away from God, yet the current of the age can slowly carry that person far from where he began. Christ alone never drifted with that current. Jesus walked in perfect obedience to the Father all the way to the cross.

Paul then commands believers to be filled with the Spirit. The Spirit is not something Christians use up and then need to refill like gas in a car. Every believer has already been sealed with the Holy Spirit, yet the Spirit calls believers to live under His ongoing influence, direction, and control. Drunkenness gives a person over to disorder and foolishness, while the Spirit shapes thought, speech, responses, and the whole walk of life.

Paul connects being filled with the Spirit to letting the word of Christ dwell richly within God’s people. The Spirit who inspired Scripture uses Scripture to transform minds, desires, and loves through ordinary means: hearing, reading, praying, singing, and obeying God’s word. The fruit of that Spirit-filled life appears in ordinary places. Worship becomes the whole church reminding one another who God is and what Christ has done. Gratitude refuses to let pain have the final word about God, even while lament remains honest about evil and suffering. Relationships begin to change as reverence for Christ teaches believers to serve one another rather than protect their own preferences. Christ has made His people His own, and the risen Christ gives His Spirit so that they do not walk alone.

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Key Takeaways

• 1. Wisdom refuses spiritual drift Paul’s river image shows that careless living rarely begins with a bold decision to reject God. Spiritual drift usually happens little by little, as the world’s voices become louder than God’s word. Wisdom pays attention to the direction of the heart before the current carries it farther than expected. [50:55]
• 2. The Spirit governs everyday life The Spirit’s filling is not a temporary spiritual high or a lower tier of Christianity. The Spirit calls believers to yield their thoughts, words, reactions, and decisions to His ongoing control. The question is not whether a believer possesses the Spirit, but what influence is shaping that believer’s life. [55:31]
• 3. The Word and Spirit belong together Paul’s connection with Colossians keeps Spirit-filled living from becoming vague or detached from Scripture. The Spirit presses Christ’s word deeply into the heart through hearing, reading, praying, singing, and obedience. Transformation happens as truth moves beyond information and begins changing what a person loves. [58:39]
• 4. Gratitude refuses pain’s final word Christian thanksgiving does not pretend that evil is good or that suffering does not hurt. Gratitude rests in the reality that God, His promises, His grace, and Christ have not changed. Grace received slowly produces a heart that can grieve honestly while still giving thanks. [65:48]
• 5. Reverence for Christ reshapes relationships Submission to one another grows from reverence for Christ, not from fear, self-protection, or personal advantage. The Spirit-filled life becomes visible not merely in gathered worship but in homes, marriages, parenting, and daily acts of service. Christ changes relationships by turning hearts from “What do I deserve?” toward “How can I serve?”
  
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Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [43:14] - Returning to Ephesians 5
• [45:39] - Reading Ephesians 5:15-21
• [46:52] - Walk Wisely in an Evil Age
• [47:09] - Biblical Wisdom Begins with God
• [49:10] - Making the Best Use of Time
• [50:55] - The Danger of Spiritual Drift
• [53:30] - Christ Walked Perfectly for His People
• [54:24] - Be Filled with the Spirit
• [57:33] - What Is Shaping the Heart?
• [58:17] - The Spirit Fills Through Christ’s Word
• [61:20] - The Fruit of a Spirit-Filled Life
• [62:11] - Worship That Strengthens the Church
• [65:14] - Gratitude in Suffering
• [67:25] - Reverence for Christ in Relationships
• [70:47] - Christ Walks with His People

Bible Reading

Ephesians 5:15–21
“Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.” [45:50] [46:39]

Colossians 3:16
“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.” [58:39]

Proverbs 9:10
“The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight.” [48:00]

Ephesians 1:13
“In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit,” [55:06]

Observation questions

1. In Ephesians 5:15–17, what commands does Paul give about walking, using time, and understanding the Lord’s will?
2. What does Proverbs 9:10 identify as the beginning of wisdom, and how is this different from simply being intelligent or successful? [48:00]
3. What contrast does Paul make between drunkenness and being filled with the Spirit in Ephesians 5:18? What parts of a person’s life can be affected by each kind of influence? [56:14]
4. According to Ephesians 5:19–21 and Colossians 3:16, what visible results flow from a life shaped by the Spirit and Christ’s word? [58:39]

Interpretation questions

1. Paul says the days are evil, yet he does not tell believers to withdraw from the world. What might it look like for a believer to make good use of time while still living faithfully in a fallen world? [50:18]
2. Spiritual drift often happens gradually rather than through one clear decision to reject God. What kinds of voices, habits, or values can slowly move a believer away from trusting and obeying God? [50:55]
3. Every believer has been sealed with the Holy Spirit, yet Paul still commands believers to “be filled with the Spirit.” How does this help a believer understand the difference between possessing the Spirit and living under the Spirit’s direction? [55:31]
4. Ephesians emphasizes being filled with the Spirit, while Colossians emphasizes letting Christ’s word dwell richly in believers. Why is it important not to separate the Spirit’s work from God’s word? [59:13]

Application questions

1. What is currently shaping your heart most strongly—God’s word, the voices around you, entertainment, social media, work pressures, fear, or something else? What is one sign that this influence is showing up in your thoughts, words, or choices? [57:33]
2. Where might you be tempted to drift spiritually without noticing it? Is there a desire, fear, habit, or pattern of thinking that has begun to sound more like the world than like Christ? [51:34]
3. Biblical wisdom asks, “What pleases the Lord?” Think about one decision, responsibility, or relationship in your life right now. How might asking that question change the way you approach it? [53:06]
4. What regular practice could help the word of Christ dwell more richly in you this week: reading Scripture, praying Scripture, singing, gathering with the church, or obeying something God has clearly shown you? What would make that practice realistic and specific? [59:46]
5. Worship strengthens the whole church because believers remind one another of who God is and what Christ has done. How can you come prepared to sing and participate in a way that encourages others, even on a difficult Sunday? [01:03:06]
6. Gratitude does not deny pain or call evil good; it refuses to let pain have the final word about God. In a present hardship, what remains true about God, his promises, his grace, or Christ that can give you reason to thank him? [01:06:04]
7. Reverence for Christ changes the question from “What do I deserve?” to “How can I serve?” In your home, workplace, or church relationships, where would it be costly but good to put another person’s good ahead of your own preference? [01:08:04]