The Pulpit Commentary — Ephesians — Section 263

Vers. 10-20.-Tlie Olll'istiam, warfare. Even in common parlance we speak of ".the battle of life." Even for ordinary purposes we have to fi"ht ac,ainst indolence, ovil l_u~ts, ~ishonest tendencies, nnd many other things in o~rselv~s; and ngainst oppo~1t.1on, 111 _treatl!lent, temptation on the part of others, and the depressing effects of trml and d1sappomtment. All hard work is II fight; we have to fi~ht against the sense of monotony, against the feeling of weariness, against the longincr for ease; and when we nre sick, or feeble, or depressed, it is often hard to bold on the straight path of hard duty and turn away from the allurements of pleasure. 'fhe ring of the hammer, the blow of the shuttle, the housewife's active step from dawn to dewy eve, often tell of baltles and victories in quiet spheres, that without the eclat have much more real glory than ordinary wars. But much rr.ore is the Christian life a battle. The chief enemies here are unseen. It is impossible to pursue an aimless, careless life and be a Christian. " If any man will come after me," said Christ, "let him deny himself, and take up his cross and follow me." Not only to be a Christian, but such a Christian as this Epistle delineates; to walk worthy of the vocation with which we are called ; to be ever reaching forth toward the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ; to be growing up into Christ toward that condition in which we shall be without spot or wrinkle or any such thing; to be advancing thus in spite of hosts or spiritual foes, working unseen, sapping and mining our Christian life, trying to entangle and enslave us in every way ;-this can be no easy task; it is a veritable battle, demanding constant vigilance and incessant care. It may seem strange that we shoulJ be exposed to such enemies. Is not our blessed Lord exalted far above all principality and power and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come? Has be not spoiled principalities and powers, making a show of them openly? Is he not Head over all things to his Church? Why, then, does he not crush all her foes? Doubtless because he bas purposes of discipline to carry out in connection with these enemies, because, while he is willing to fight in and through his people, he does not see it right to crush bis foes without their instrumentality; in this way habits of vigilance and prayer and activity must be kept up by them; but all the greater will be their joy when at last the victory is gained, and they get the reward of "him that overcometh." In the Middle Ages, certain coarse means were employed to arrest attention to the formidable foes that beset the Christian soldier. Fre~coes were painted on the walls of churches and other ecclesiastical buildings, representing souls which were sometimes seen coming out of dying bodies, while angels on the one side, and devils on the other, were striving to get them. 'l'he devils were grotesque, hideous, revolting monsters, more absurd than terrible. It was the way or that age to emJ,oJy truths which in our material age are apt to be thought as ridiculous as the demons or the Italian frescoes. Dut there are spirits of evil hovering about us, trying to obscure and pervert the truth, to blind us to the fruits of sin, to dazzle our eyes with the glory of earth, to entangle us in subtle temptations, to fill our minds with doubts and fear~ and evil forebodings, luring us to the edge of the precipice, an,! ready, if they shon!J get their way, to burst into their bitter scornful laugh, as they beholJ us, through their wiles, woltering in the gulf of despair. Let us observe: 1. 1'he true Source of strength: "In tho Lord" (ver. 10). 2. The true armour to seek. "The whole armour of God " ( ver. 11 ). 3. The true enemies to be overcome. (V ers. 11, 12.) "The wiles of the devil," and other unseen spiritual foes. 4. The true employment and attitude of the Christian warrio-r: "Withstand ... and stand" (vor. 13). 5. The various pieces of the armottr, and their use. (Vers. 14-18.) "Who is she that looketh forth ns the morning, fair as the moon, clear as the sun, and terrible as an army with banners?" An army consists of men who not only have armour, but havo been trained to use it. An unarmed army can only be food for the enemy's artillery, materinl for a dreadful rnassacro. Let professing Christians see that they are armed, and that they are making a good use of their armour. Nature cries out for an easy life, for n truce with the world, the devil, nn<l the flesh. In this sense our motto must be war, not peace; for in this scnso Christ came, not to send peace on earth, but a sword. Vere. 18-20.-" Praying always." Hera is n part of the Christian's armour which had nothing corresponding to it in the panoply or the Roman soldier. Prayer comes in without any figure. ,ve are taught that, even when overy spiritnnl wc,\pon is prepared  264 'l'HE EPIS'l'LE TO TRE EPHESIANS. [on. VI. 1-24,