Ephesians 6
6:1-4. The Fifth Commandment (2-3) is the foundation of all kinds of Biblical submission of inferiors to superiors. Note again that this has nothing to do with equality of persons, but of position and circumstance, in this case birth order and maturity. Both father and son are equal souls before God, but the son owes due honor to his parents, and they are charged to lead with wisdom and loving discipline for the child’s good (cf. Heb.12:5-11).
6:5-9. This is, of course, not an endorsement of slavery (1 Cor.7:21), but a condition of position that arises in a fallen world. This is a way to ameliorate that condition, if both slave and master render due obedience and service to the Lord. Note again that there is equality of persons before God. “There is no partiality with Him” (9). There is no rank before him except the rank that he shall give us by his righteous judgment (2 Cor.5:10).
6:10-17. Standing strong with the weapons of our warfare; cf. 2 Cor.10:3-5.
6:11-12. In the strength of the Lord’s might, we are to stand against the whole world system and spirit of the age, which is controlled by Satan and the powers of darkness (cf. Eph.2:2; John 12:31; Acts 26:18).
6:13-17. We must stand firm, for there is no backplate included in the full armor of God. “Resist the devil and he will flee from you” (James 4:7).
6:18-20. The Lord’s army is to pray at all times in the Spirit for themselves, and in petition for others, that they may be alert and persevering with all boldness.
6:21-24. Greeting through Tychicus, and a benediction.
In conclusion, consider how the Lord used Paul in this warfare. The Lord mocked the spiritual forces of wickedness by allowing them to put Paul in chains (20), thus freeing him to write this and several other of his most powerful epistles. These epistles were then the means the Lord used to release many from “the world forces of this darkness.” Imprisoning Paul, like the cross itself, was one of those victories of Satan about which I doubt he likes to reminisce.