Ephesians 6:10-18 NIV

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Ephesians 6:18

Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the spirit ,.... The last weapon is prayer, and takes in all sorts of prayer, mental and vocal, public and private; and every branch of it, as deprecation of evils, petitions for good things, and thanksgiving for mercies: and which should be used always: this stands opposed to such who pray not at all, or who have prayed, but have left it off; or who pray only in distress, and it suggests, that a man should pray as often as he has an... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Ephesians 6:10

Finally - Having laid before you, your great and high calling, and all the doctrines and precepts of the Gospel, it is necessary that I should show you the enemies that will oppose you, and the strength which is requisite to enable you to repel them. Be strong in the Lord - You must have strength, and strength of a spiritual kind, and such strength too as the Lord himself can furnish; and you must have this strength through an indwelling God, the power of his might working in you. read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Ephesians 6:11

Put on the whole armor of God - Ενδυσασθε την πανοπλιαν του Θεου . The apostle considers every Christian as having a warfare to maintain against numerous, powerful, and subtle foes; and that therefore they would need much strength, much courage, complete armor, and skill to use it. The panoply which is mentioned here refers to the armor of the heavy troops among the Greeks; those who were to sustain the rudest attacks, who were to sap the foundations of walls, storm cities, etc. Their... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Ephesians 6:12

For we wrestle not against flesh and blood - Ουκ εστιν ἡμιν ἡ παλη προς αἱμα και σαρκα· Our wrestling or contention is not with men like ourselves: flesh and blood is a Hebraism for men, or human beings. See the note on Galatians 1:16 . The word παλη implies the athletic exercises in the Olympic and other national games; and παλαιστρα was the place in which the contenders exercised. Here it signifies warfare in general. Against principalities - Αρχας· Chief rulers; beings... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Ephesians 6:13

Wherefore - Because ye have such enemies to contend with, take unto you - assume, as provided and prepared for you, the whole armor of God; which armor if you put on and use, you shall be both invulnerable and immortal. The ancient heroes are fabled to have had armor sent to them by the gods; and even the great armor-maker, Vulcan, was reputed to be a god himself. This was fable: What Paul speaks of is reality. See before on Ephesians 6:11 ; (note). That ye may be able to withstand - ... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Ephesians 6:14

Stand therefore - Prepare yourselves for combat, having your loins girt about with truth. He had told them before to take the whole armor of God, Ephesians 6:13 , and to put on this whole armor. Having got all the pieces of it together, and the defensive parts put on, they were then to gird them close to their bodies with the ζωμα or girdle, and instead of a fine ornamented belt, such as the ancient warriors used, they were to have truth. The Gospel of Jesus Christ is the truth of God;... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Ephesians 6:15

Your feet shod - The κνημιδες , or greaves, have been already described; they were deemed of essential importance in the ancient armor; if the feet or legs are materially wounded, a man can neither stand to resist his foe, pursue him if vanquished, nor flee from him should he have the worst of the fight. That the apostle has obedience to the Gospel in general in view, there can be no doubt; but he appears to have more than this, a readiness to publish the Gospel: for, How beautiful upon... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Ephesians 6:16

Above all, ( Επι πασιν , over all the rest of the armor), taking the shield of faith - In the word θυρεος , thureos , the apostle alludes to the great oblong shield, or scutum , which covers the whole body. See its description before. And as faith is the grace by which all others are preserved and rendered active, so it is properly represented here under the notion of a shield, by which the whole body is covered and protected. Faith, in this place, must mean that evidence of things... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Ephesians 6:17

Take the helmet of salvation - Or, as it is expressed, 1 Thessalonians 5:8 , And for a helmet, the hope of salvation. It has already been observed, in the description of the Grecian armor, that on the crest and other parts of the helmet were a great variety of emblematical figures, and that it is very likely the apostle refers to helmets which had on them an emblematical representation of hope; viz. that the person should be safe who wore it, that he should be prosperous in all his... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Ephesians 6:18

Praying always - The apostle does not put praying among the armor; had he done so he would have referred it, as he has done all the rest, to some of the Grecian armor; but as he does not do this, therefore we conclude that his account of the armor is ended, and that now, having equipped his spiritual soldier, he shows him the necessity of praying, that he may successfully resist those principalities, powers, the rulers of the darkness of this world, and the spiritual wickednesses in heavenly... read more

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Ephesians 6:18

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Ephesians 6:10

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Ephesians 6:11

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Ephesians 6:12

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Ephesians 6:13

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Ephesians 6:14

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Ephesians 6:15

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Ephesians 6:16

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Ephesians 6:17

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Ephesians 6:18

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