Warren Doud presents a good article about the armor of God in accordance
with Ephesians 6:10-17. It is a good reminder for Christians, including
myself. I hope it brings some edification for you.
May God bless,
Carl
my website -- http://www.nettally.com/saints/
my blog -- http://www.anniemayhem.com/cgi-bin/wordpress/
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THE ARMOR OF GOD
An Exposition of Ephesians 6:10-17
by Warren Doud
The apostle Paul had a lifelong contact with the Roman army. He
was a Roman citizen and very patriotic; and his admiration of the
fighting forces of Rome was great.
The Roman army was at its peak of efficiency during the early
Christian era. It served as police and frontier guard over all of
Europe, the borders with Asia, and North Africa. Paul had many
dealings with Roman legionnaires.
+ A Roman soldier delivered Paul from the mob in Ephesus.
+ Roman soldiers saved his life when the mob in Jerusalem wanted
to kill him in the temple area.
+ The Roman soldiers were able to deliver Paul out of Jerusalem
from the hands of the religious leaders who wanted him dead, and
they brought him safely to Caesarea.
+ It was Roman soldiers who escorted Paul on the trip from
Caesarea to Rome, the voyage on which Paul suffered shipwreck.
+ Roman soldiers delivered Paul to the Roman garrison of the
Praetorian Guard for his imprisonment.
The Praetorian Guard represents everything that is famous in
Roman history. Their ranks were made up of the best and most
experienced combat tested centurions, comparable to the finest
from West Point, Sandhurst, St. Cyr. They were comparable to the
best combat units of modern times, such as Special Forces, 1st
Marines, Patton's 3rd Army, the Coldstream Guard, Big Red One,
etc. In Roman history, the man who wanted to be Emperor had first
to win the favor of the Praetorian Guard.
Every man in the ranks was a centurion, the most highly trained
warrior in history. The commander of the Guard was a chiliarch
who maintained the strictest discipline and combat training, even
though all ranks were seasoned combat veterans.
The emperor of Rome at the time of Paul's first imprisonment was
Nero (Lucius Domitius Ahenobarbus), a member of one of the most
distinguished families of military men and politicians; a family
of genius, but Nero himself was insane. As long as Nero listened
to the counsel of Seneca, he was more or less an enlightened
monarch; and he managed to judge Paul fairly during the first
imprisonment.
Paul wrote the epistle to the Ephesians during the period of his
house arrest in Rome while he was guarded by a centurion of the
Praetorian Guard. Paul witnessed to many guards during his two
years under house arrest; and as these men were posted to other
countries, they carried the gospel with them. Paul recognized the
mission field of the military and understood very well God's plan
in having him in Rome under these conditions.
This passage of Ephesians has as its background a large number of
Roman military metaphors, as you might suppose. Military
terminology is seen in a great deal of Paul writings; for
example:
In Gal. 6:17, Paul talks about bearing in his body the "mark" of
the Lord Jesus. In history, this mark was a brand placed on the
back of the left hand of a Roman soldier who had finished basic
training. It was a high honor and the sign of a "man's man."
Note the military terms in 2 Tim. 2:3,4. Paul wrote 2 Timothy
during his second imprisonment.
Roman military drill is the background of the terminology in Gal.
5:25; 1 Thess. 5:14; Col. 2:5.
1 Cor. 15:20-23 describes the doctrine of the resurrection of
believers in terms of a military parade. There are two
"battalions" of believers "passing in review", first those who
were dead, then those who are "alive and remain."
In 1 Cor. 14:8, Paul described the military commands given by a
trumpet. The idea here is that those who speak in tongues cause
confusion in the ranks.
In Gal. 1:6, Paul speaks of legalists as having gone AWOL from
the Gospel.
In Phil. 4:6,7, Paul refers to the mounting of the guard.
Eph. 6:10-12 provides, in military terms, an "estimate of the
situation." Such an estimate is based on facts gathered and
analyzed by reconnaissance and intelligence personnel. Questions
to be answered are:
Who is the enemy?
Where is the enemy?
What are his strength and disposition and his supporting units?
What is his logistical support and where are his supply lines?
What are his weaknesses?
What is the terrain like where the battle will be fought?
Ephesians 6:10
_finally_... literally, "as to the remaining", but in this
context, "now to get down to the final planning for attack." Paul
wants the Christian to go on the offensive against unseen forces,
the forces of Satan.
_be strong_... from the present passive imperative of endunamow
(endunamoo), a reference to inner strength or moral courage.
Success in battle is always based on moral courage. The present
tense used here indicates that moral courage must be used
continuously. The passive voice shows that this courage is
received by the believer from the Lord as a product of Grace. The
imperative is the mood of command; "You are ordered to receive
great moral courage!"
This courage comes through Christian growth in maturity, the
faith/grace process for Biblical perception and application.
Read 2 Cor. 10:3-6. Our weapons are the weapons of the soul; this
is how the believer receives strength. The basic emphasis in
Christianity is not "doing something" but "thinking something."
Divine production follows divine thinking. The soul is "armed"
when the believer is edified.
Bible truth applied to the life will include orientation to
Grace, a relaxed mental attitude, a capacity for personal and
impersonal love, great inner peace and happiness, and a divine
frame of reference. These are all ingredients of moral courage.
_in the Lord_... the Lord is the source of our strength and
training.
_in the power_... the instrumental case of kratoV (kratos),
meaning "inner power" or self-discipline.
_of his might_... genitive of source of ischuV (ischus), "endowed
power." The source for everything is the Lord Himself. See Acts
1:8. This takes us back to Eph. 5:18 and reminds us of the
necessity of the Holy Spirit's control.
Eph. 6:10 "As to the remaining teaching, receive great inner
strength from the Lord and in the inner power of His endowed
power."
Ephesians 6:11
_Put on_... refers to the soldier picking up his equipment and
weapons. This is an imperative (command) verb in the middle
voice, indicating that the believer receives benefit from putting
on the armor.
_the whole armor_... panoplia (panoplia), "all armor and weapons"
so, "all military equipment." [The English cognate is "panoply."]
There were three types of soldiers in the Roman army that wore
armor and carried these types of weapons.
The hastati (from hasta, "javelin") were less experienced
soldiers under training. They were usually not well trained with
the more sophisticated weapons such as the spear, machaira sword,
or bow. These troops were usually not used in the main battle,
but only in the opening skirmish when javelins were thrown at the
advancing enemy. The new believer is the hastati in the Christian
life. He is not trained with much in the way of weapons because
he is still ignorant of a lot of God's Word.
The princeps were somewhat more advanced. This was a young,
vigorous, strong soldier, equivalent in this analogy to the
vigorous advancing Christian who is beginning to operate on a
divine frame of reference.
The third line of battle was composed of the triarii, the
veterans, soldiers who could move into any area of combat and
were well-trained with all weapons.
_that ye may be able_... dunamai (dunamai), the ordinary Greek
word for "ability." This is the ability which is the result of
edification; and it is the main source of strength in the angelic
conflict.
_to stand_... istomi (histomi); this is the readiness of the
combat soldier, the Christian "centurion", armed, tough,
unyielding, with pride and motivation.
"Standing" is the first thing taught in unarmed combat or martial
arts. One of the first things taught in Judo, for instance, is
how to "break the stance" of the opponent. The Gauls, against
whom the Romans fought many campaigns, under Julius Caesar and
others, were human "tanks" in the sense that their ability to
take a very strong combat stance made them difficult to defeat in
individual combat.
Every believer is a member of the combat team and is required to
take his own part, to stand on his own. We are armed with
spiritual gifts and equipment, provided by Grace, to fight
against the forces of Satan.
_against the wiles of the devil_... proV (pros) plus the
accusative of meqodeia (methodeia), "face to face with the
strategy" of Satan.
Eph. 6:11 "Put on all of your spiritual military equipment so
that you may have the ability to stand in the ranks, face to face
with the strategy of Satan."
Ephesians 6:12
_for we wrestle_... palh (palei), refers to any sort of personal
combat. In the military sense, it refers to military contact with
the enemy.
_not against flesh and blood_... that is, "not face to face with
human beings."
_but_... "in contrast to the foregoing"
_against_... "face to face with" the following roster of the
Satanic organization.
_principalities_... arcon (archon), a word in Greek for one of
the highest rulers.
This word first shows up in the Attic Greek (Athens) in the days
of the Athenian democracy. The archon was the president or
preeminent decision maker in Athens. The number two man was
called bassilius archon, or "king-ruler." The third man was
called polymark, a military ruler. The following six leaders in
Athens were the thesmoteitai or "legislators." Even though there
was democracy, there was no anarchy in Athens because these
leaders kept things under control.
The Satanic organization has a number of supreme rulers; how many
is not known.
_powers_... from exousiaV (eksousias), "commissioned officers";
therefore, a secondary group of demon rulers.
_rulers of the darkness of this world_... the phrase "ruler of
this world" is all one word in Greek: kosmokrator (kosmokrator),
["world" + "ruler"]. The word skotoV (skotos) follows; therefore
the phrase should read "world rulers of darkness."
These demonic rulers are Satan's supporting organization;
analogous to logistics, intelligence, special weapons units, etc.
Satan has a special force of high ranking demons to make attacks
against prominent officials and heads of nations.
In Daniel 10:13f, the term "prince of Persia" refers to a fallen
angel, a demon, who was busy attacking the ruler of Persia.
Gabriel was delayed in bringing a message to Daniel because he
was in conflict with this kosmokrator demon. The archangel
Michael came to help and released Gabriel to come to Daniel.
In Dan. 10:20, the "prince of Grecia" is mentioned, referring to
the demon in charge of mounting attacks against the ruler of
Greece who was Alexander the Great at that time.
The principle is that Satan will vigorously attack any nation
which protects the divine institutions, allows personal freedom
to its citizens, and protects the nation against immorality. In
nations like that there is evangelism and missionary activity, so
demon activity will be stepped up with respect to those
countries.
In addition, all Christian believers are placed under direct
attack in the world system, with particularly heavy attacks
against those who are advancing in the Christian way of life.
_spiritual wickedness in high places_... literally, "spirits of
evil in the heavenlies." This refers to the rank and file of
demons which perform numerous functions.
Eph. 6:12 "Because our combat is not face to face with human
beings but, by contrast, is in confrontation with demon rulers,
military commanders of Satan, world-rulers of the darkness, and
spirits of evil in the heavenlies."
Ephesians 6:13
The question arises as to why God allows the Angelic Conflict to
continue. One reason is that in every generation, God permits
Satan to use his genius to attack the Plan of God and the
principle of Grace in the plan. Pressures are brought to bear on
believers so that the divine provisions of Grace may be made
manifest.
_wherefore_..."because of." Refers to the previous statements
regarding spiritual warfare against demons. Hence, "Because of
Satan's organization and activities, take the whole armor of
God..."
_take_... imperative of analambanw (analambano), "to take; to
seize" with a prefix which adds the idea of repetition to the
verb. We must "seize or take again and again" the armor of God.
As an example, one piece of the armor is "truth" (verse 14). This
piece of armor must be "put on" every day.
In any group of Christians there are two types, those who are
"ready" and those who are "not ready." A uniform of armor must be
taken up and put on whenever combat is anticipated. For the
Christian, combat is continuous. The emphasis of this verb is
"Don't get caught without your armor on!"
_the whole armor of God_... panoplia (panoplia). The hastati, the
princeps, and the triarii all wore the same basic armor. In the
following verses, the individual parts of the armor are
described.
_that ye may be able to stand_...
The following passages of scripture provide excellent
illustration of the concept of the Christian's "stand."
1 Cor. 15:57,58; Psa. 16:8; 21:7; 55:22; 125:1; Gal. 5:1; Phil.
1:27; 1 Pet. 5:5-11; Psa. 46:5; 66:9; 112:6; 121:3; Prov. 10:30;
1 Cor. 10:12; Job 11:14,15; Acts 11:23; Phil. 4:1; 1 Thess. 5:21;
2 Thess. 2:15; Heb. 3:6; 4:14; 10:23
_against the wiles of the devil_...
_and having done all, to stand._
Eph. 6:13 "Because of this, continually take up the whole armor
of God, that you may be able to take your position in combat, and
when all is finished that you may remain standing."
Ephesians 6:14
With this verse begins the categorization of the Christian's
armor, using by way of illustration the armor of the Roman
soldier.
_stand therefore_... aorist active imperative of ˘istomi
(histomi), the ordinary verb for standing, but in this context
"to stand in military rank."
Grammar Note: In verses 14 to 17 there is a string of verbs, all
of which are aorist participles in the middle voice. These are
the verbs such as "take" or "put on" associated with putting on
the pieces of armor. The Greek aorist participles have the same
standing in a context as the English past participle in that the
action of the participles precedes the action of the main verb in
the sentence. The idea is that before a soldier can take his
place in the ranks, he must be outfitted and trained.
_having your loins girt about_... aorist middle participle of
perizunumi (peridzunumi), "to put around."
The Roman soldier put around his waist a very wide belt which was
the holder for a lot of equipment. There was a loop, for example,
for the scabbard for the machaira sword. Other loops held ropes
and a rations sack. When the legions conquered a city, the
soldiers would empty out the ration sack to make room for gold,
jewelry, and other loot they picked up.
There were loops on the belt for darts. The belt was tied in
several places to stay in place, so that no matter how the
soldier moved about, fell down, climbed hills, etc., the belt was
always in place with weapons at the ready. There were designs
stitched into the belt which designated various campaigns in
which the veteran had fought. Instead of campaign medals or
ribbons, the soldier would weave into the belt something he had
taken during the battle.
_with truth_... alhqeia (aleitheia), refers to truth taught
accurately. This is the belt of the Christian soldier.
_and having on_... "having put on" the breastplate of
righteousness.
_the breastplate_... qwraka (thoraka) [Engl. cognate "thorax"].
This was attached to the belt and provided protection for the
upper torso, front and back.
In the ancient world, breastplates were of layers of cloth,
sometimes with metal greaves attached. The Greeks introduced a
bronze breastplate, with bronze plates covering vital areas or
the torso, held together with leather or cloth connections. Some
Samaritans noticed that horses' hooves, cattle horns, etc., were
made of very hard material, so they began to use horn sewed to
cloth to protect from blows.
The Romans had the ideas for armor design which provided light
weight combined with ease of movement and protection from blows.
The best type was called the qwrac stadiaV (thorax stadias), or
"breastplate which stands by itself." This breastplate was
attached to the belt by leather thongs passed through rings on
the bottom to keep it solidly attached. It was anchored to the
belt, and it was above the belt. Note: the belt had to be put on
first, then the breastplate.
_of righteousness_... The righteousness of God is basic
protection for the believer. The belt of truth combined with the
breastplate of righteousness is the basis for the edification of
the Christian.
Eph. 4:12,16,29
Eph. 6:14 "Stand, therefore, having about your waist the
equipment belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of
divine righteousness;"
Ephesians 6:15
And your feet shod ..."to bind with sandals." The sandal was the
GI boondocker for the Roman army. This is a reference to the foot
soldier slogging it out. The infantryman fights with the least
glamor and the highest casualties.
While the Greek soldier wore greaves to protect his ankles, the
Roman soldier wore a heavy soled sandal which had metal studs on
the bottom for good footing on uneven or slippery ground. This
shoe was known in Latin as the caligula, so the foot soldier was
called caligatus. Officers wore different footgear.
_with the preparation of_... etoimasia (etoimasia), refers to
full preparedness, being able to march great distances in order,
with others, and over a long period of time, to use weapons
effectively.
_the gospel of peace_... we are to be ready at any time to
minister the gospel. Note that all believers are included in this
command. Every Christian is in full time Christian service,
always on the front line.
Even a Christian who doesn't want to fight is in the conflict. A
soldier may be untrained or in poor condition and drop beside the
road before the enemy is reached. Or he may be killed in the
first skirmish.
The primary thrust of evangelism is through the individual. There
is a place for those with the spiritual gift of evangelism; but
these men can reach only a specialized segment of the population.
Individual believers circulate throughout the community in
various functions. They have jobs; they belong to clubs; they
have certain friends. The principle or witnessing for Christ is
that you do it in your own environment.
Preparation implies the ability to fight. Preparation means
flexibility and the ability to use God's Word in witnessing.
Knowledge of the basic doctrines of salvation is necessary for
witnessing (not salesmanship techniques). You need to know about
Reconciliation, Propitiation, Redemption, Imputation,
Regeneration, and The Barrier, as a starter. You don't have your
shoes on your feet without this preparation.
Notes on personal witnessing
Witnessing for Christ is the responsibility of every believer.
Acts 1:8; 1 Pet. 3:15; Mk. 5:18,19.
The effectiveness and clarity of the believer's witnessing
depends, in large measure, on his understanding of the Last
Judgment. Sins will not be the issue! The only reason that a
person will stand at the Last Judgment is that he rejected Christ
during his lifetime. John 3:18; 3:36. All sins have been judged
at the Cross, and there is no double jeopardy.
The basis for the indictment of unbelievers is human good, not
sins. The witnessing Christian must make the issue clear.
Witnessing is impossible apart from the filling of the Holy
Spirit. John 16:8-11. And the Holy Spirit must minister to the
unbeliever to apply the doctrine of salvation.
The context for witnessing is that part of the Word of God called
the Gospel. 1 Cor. 1:18; Eph. 6:17; Heb. 4:12.
The dynamics of witnessing depends on the believer's mental
attitude. One cannot be an effective witness if he is ashamed of
the Gospel, if he does not have the capacity to be occupied with
Christ, or if he is not oriented to Grace.
In Rom. 1:14-16, the apostle Paul says "I am debtor", "I am
ready", and "I am not ashamed." A fisherman has a desire to fish.
One is not a "fisher of men" without a desire to win souls.
There are two sources for a Christian's witness: (1) the
testimony of his life, 2 Cor. 3:3, and (2) the testimony of his
lips, 2 Cor. 5:14-21.
There is a reward for witnessing. 1 Cor. 3:11-16; 2 Cor. 5:10.
Rewards in heaven are an extension of edification; the only
things that are rewarded in heaven is what is done on the basis
of Grace. Thus, every reward in heaven is an eternal memorial to
the grace of God. Grace means that rewards do not reflect any
personal glory or merit. It is the Lord who enables us to labor
for Him and who provides the divine production in the life (gold,
silver, and precious stones).
Eph. 6:15 "Having shod your feet by means of full preparedness in
the good news of God's peace."
Ephesians 6:16
_above all_... or, "in addition to all." This phrase does not
mean that the following item of equipment is greater, but that it
is simply to be added to the above.
_taking_... aorist active participle of analambanw (analambano),
"to pick up something, as from the ground, repeatedly." The main
verb is "stand" in v. 14, so this action precedes the action of
the main verb.
_the shield of faith_... qureoV (thureos).
The Romans had a long, rectangular, knees-to-chin shield which
protected from arrows and spears and could be knelt behind during
an arrow barrage. It was quite a bit heavier and clumsier that
the smaller Greek circular shield; but there was a series of
exercises, a manual of arms, designed to give the soldier
flexibility and strength in the use of the shield. Groups of
soldier who were besieging a town could form close together and
hold their shields over their heads to make a huge testudo, or
"turtle", to protect the group from missiles.
The Romans were known by some of their enemies as the soldiers
who carried a "door" (thureos) into battle. The Franks of
Cisalpine and Transalpine Gaul ridiculed these smaller men
because of the great cumbersome shields they carried. But the
barbarians were surprised in battle when the little Romans, with
their great discipline, their consummate fighting skills, and
their mental attitude of victory, wiped up the ground with the
disorganized, vacillating Gauls.
In this verse, the Roman shield stands for the faith of the
believer in the promises of God. The value of faith lies not in
the person exercising it, but in the object. Faith is something
that all people possess and use every day. It is a
non-meritorious system of thinking and decision making. Most of
what we learn, we learn by faith.
_wherewith_... "by means of which"
_ye shall be able_... future active indicative of dunamai
(dunamai), a verb of ability or power. Implied in the future
tense is that there will be a training period in the use of the
shield before battle comes. In the Christian life, the training
period is the time during which promises and doctrines are
learned and practiced.
_to quench_... aorist active infinitive of sbeinumi (sbeinumi),
"to extinguish, to break off, to chop off."
_the fiery darts_... "missiles which have been set on fire", a
reference to fire arrows.
Persians used fire arrows against the Greeks in the days of
Xerxes. Herodotus makes reference to these in his description of
the attack against the citadel at Athens, referring to arrows
dipped in tar and set afire before shooting them.
Thucydides, in his book on the Peloponessian wars describes the
Spartans in the siege of Platea, "The Plateans constructed a
wooden frame which they set upon the top of their own wall
opposite the mound (built by Spartans). [They were trying to
outbuild each other to get the high angle of fire for their
arrows.] They also constructed curtains of skins and hides to
protect the front of the wooden platform. These were designed to
protect the woodwork and the workers against the blazing arrows
of the Spartans."
The Roman historian Livy, in his "History", described the siege
of Saguntum in which the Saguntians had designed giant darts to
be fired by a catapult. "There was used by the Saguntines a
missile called follerica, with the shaft of a fir tree, and round
in all its parts, except at the point from which the iron
projected. This part, which was square, they bound with tow and
smeared with pitch.
"But what caused the greatest fear with this weapon, even though
it should stick in the shield and did not penetrated into the
body, was that when it was discharged with the middle part on
fire, it bore along a much greater flame produced by the mere
motion, and obliged the soldier to drop his shield and expose
himself."
_of the wicked_... literally, "of the wicked one", the source of
the fiery darts.
Eph. 6:16 "In addition to all this, having taken up the shield of
the believer's faith, wherewith ye shall be able to extinguish or
cut off the fire arrows of the wicked one."
Ephesians 6:17
_and take_... "receive, (imperative), as an item of equipment"
_the helmet of salvation_... the perikefalaia (perikephalaia),
literally "something placed around the head", so, in the
military, "helmet."
It is the soul which is said to be saved; and the soul is in the
head (with its mentality, volition, self-consciousness, emotion,
sin nature). So it appropriate that the helmet is used to
represent salvation.
The Romans had the best helmet of the ancient world. Many other
nations used helmets of cloth wrappings, animal hides or bones,
or hooves, etc. The Roman helmet had chinstrap, visor, and came
down to cover the back and sides of the neck. Officers' helmets
had a ridge on top on which was mounted plumage or some sort of
brush, depending on the rank.
The parts of the Roman helmet were: a lining of leather, softened
for comfort and good fit; the helmet itself which was a bronze
casque for the soldier, or iron alloy for officers; a metal crest
for the plume; and a chinstrap. The highest ranking officers had
gold and silver alloy helmets for parade dress.
The helmet represents many principles of doctrine associated with
salvation.
_and the sword of the Spirit_... the macaira (machaira) mentioned
before. The word machaira was chosen here, and in Heb. 4:12, by
the Holy Spirit during inspiration.
There were many types of swords used in the ancient world:
The romphaia was a broadsword used mostly by the Gauls of Julius
Caesar's time. It was used with both hands, was six to eight feet
long, sometimes with one edge, sometimes two, and used to hack
off limbs and heads. The "barbarian" soldiers made great slicing
sweeps with the broadsword, leaving himself open for thrusts of
the machaira.
The Persians used the zephos, a thrusting weapon with a point,
rounded like a pencil, but with no cutting edge.
In the akinakes sword, the emphasis was on the handle and the
ornate decoration. It was actually a dress sword and was not
considered a serious combat weapon. The dolon was a sword hidden
in a cane or riding crop and used mostly by assassins.
The machaira is described by Vegetius in his Military
Instructions to the Romans. "They likewise taught not to cut, but
to thrust, with the sword. For the Romans not only made jest of
those who fought with the edge of a weapon, but always found them
an easy conquest. A stroke with the edge, though made with ever
so much force, seldom kills, as the vital parts of the body are
defended both by bones and armor. On the contrary, a stab,
although it penetrates only a few inches, is usually fatal.
Besides, in the attitude of striking [with the broadsword], it is
impossible to avoid exposing the right arm and side. On the other
hand, the body is covered when a thrust is given, and the enemy
receives the point before he sees the sword."
The user of the machaira is always covered, always protected,
always on balance, and always ready for defense or attack.
_of the Spirit, the Word of God_... "the sword from the source of
the Holy Spirit, namely, the Word of God.
Maturity and the ability to do God's work comes through years of
study of God's Word and practice in using doctrinal principles.
Following is a review of the doctrinal ideas found in 2 Timothy
2:15.
_Study_... from the Greek word spoudzo (spoudzo) meaning "to be
industrious, eager, to be diligent, to exert oneself." It has a
stronger meaning than "study." It is actually a way of life which
includes the proper mental attitude and motivation to learn Bible
doctrine daily. This word could be translated "make every
effort." And it is a command.
_to show yourself_... or, "to make every effort to represent
yourself...." It means to make every effort to concentrate, to be
objective to doctrine. to give priority to the Word of God. The
reason that y ou are entering the Lord's work is to live the life
of Christ.
_approved_... "to pass an exam." The emphasis is on success, not
failure. To be a successful Christian worker, you must study
(Test #1), and you must use what you study (Test #2). Can you
teach to the glory of God? The test is on the accuracy of what
you teach. Can you work to the Glory of God? The test comes when
you apply, whether you use Grace or legalism, whether you depend
upon man or God. Can you fix a car, iron a shirt, type a letter
to the glory of God? The test is on whether you know how to do
this.
_workman_... ergateis (ergateis), an agricultural worker, a
laborer, a routine worker. This word indicates one who is
involved in the mundane, routine, ordinary, distasteful, or dull
things in life. In the ancient world it meant feeding the cattle,
working in the fields, cleaning out the barn, etc.
Any task can be done as unto the Lord; the Christian life is
fantastic. The emphasis here is on doing small, routine things as
unto the Lord. Stay in fellowship and wait for God's promotion.
_needeth not to be ashamed_... literally, with the previous word,
"a not-ashamed workman." You don't have to be ashamed of your
station in life if you have an honest vocation. Every believer is
in full time service. A Christian worker must keep grace oriented
and not despise the ordinary things, or those who live an
"ordinary" life. And he must have these qualities before moving
out.
_rightly dividing with the word of truth_ ... "to cut straight,
to line out a straight path." Use Bible doctrine to keep from
straying into the cults, into the movements, to stay with
accurate interpretation and application of the Word of God. This
enables a life with no detours, no hangups, no blind alleys.
Therefore, the verse says, "Making every effort to represent
yourself approved to God, an irreproachable worker cutting a
straight path with the Word of Truth."
Eph. 6:17 "And receive the helmet of salvation, and the sword
provided by the Holy Spirit, which is the Word of God."
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