Pastor Mike Impact Ministries

Todaywe’re continuing to look at Ephesians 6:16. This verse is so important that weneed to spend a little more time on it. We’re talking about: “Above all,above all, take up the shield of faith with which we will be able to quench allthe fiery darts of the wicked one.” We need to remember, as we’ve saidalready, that the shield of faith is that connection you and I have with theWord of God.   I’lln...

Today we are continuing to look at Ephesians 6:16. Thispowerful verse tells us to take up the shield of faith. Something that hasjumped out at me as we were talking yesterday and preparing for today is thevery first two words of this verse: “Above all.” This chapter is aboutputting on the armor of God. It is about being able to stand against the wilesof the devil and to quench the fiery darts that...

Todaywe’re continuing in Ephesians chapter 6, moving on to verse 16. We’re talkingabout our enemy, the devil, and our protection and defense against him. As Paulhas said, “Put on the whole armor of God, that you might be able to standagainst the wiles of the devil.” Paul is now describing the equipment thatGod has provided for every believer so that we can stand and withstand theattacks of the evi...

Paul is drawing from thepicture of a Roman soldier. The Roman soldier wore strong sandals—oftenreinforced and fitted with hobnails. Those nails gave him traction andstability in battle. A soldier could not stand, advance, or fight effectivelyif his feet were slipping or injured. And spiritually speaking, if our feet arenot protected, we will not stand very long.   The Gospel gives us firmfooting a...

Overthe past few days, we have been learning about our enemy, the devil. Today, weturn our attention to the equipment God has provided for us, and we begin tolearn how to stand against him by putting on the whole armor of God that hasbeen made available to every believer. The fact that the Apostle Paul uses theword “wrestle” reminds us that this is a hand-to-hand battle. We are notmere spectators...

Youcan't fight the devil in your own power. “ Be strong in the Lord andin the power of His might”. Oh my friend, we stand in His power and in Hismight that is mightier than the power of Satan. As powerful as Satan is, he'snot mightier than God. Then secondly, notice what Paulsays in verse 11, “Put on the whole armor of God that you might be able tostand against the wiles of the devil”. The...

Please remember what I said yesterday aboutsit, walk and stand. It's so important to know and be practicing before we canstand against the evil one who will attack us, especially if we're doingsomething for the Lord. By the way, if the devil's not bothering you, it meansyou're not doing anything for the Lord. The devil tempted Jesus. The devil wentafter Peter. And I'll guarante...

Sooneror later, every believer discovers that the Christian life is a battleground,not a playground. We learn quickly that we face an enemy who is far strongerthan we are—apart from the Lord. It is very fitting that the Apostle Paul usesmilitary imagery to describe the believer’s conflict with Satan. At the time hewrote this letter to the Ephesian church, Paul himself was chained to a Romansoldier...

Today we will continue here in Ephesians chapter 6 and we're looking at verse 9 as Paulis talking about the workplace. Yesterday, as you know, he talked about theservant or the employee and gives instructions to them as a Christian employeeand what are your responsibilities? Now, he's talking to the employer or themaster. The Christian faith does not bring harmony by erasing social orcultu...

Today we continue in Ephesianschapter 6, looking at verses 5 through 8, where the Apostle Paul turns hisattention from the home to the workplace. The word "servants," or inthis translation, “bondservants”, undoubtedly refers to Christian slaves, butwe may certainly apply these words to the Christian employee today. There wereprobably 6 million slaves in the Roman Empire in that day, and...

Today we continue in Ephesians chapter 6, looking at verse 4, where the ApostlePaul speaks directly to fathers about their God-given responsibilities in thehome. In this one verse, God gives us both a warning and a calling .If left to themselves, children will naturally go their own way. Scripture andexperience both confirm this. That is why God places the responsibility oftraining children square...

Welcome to Pastor’s Chat. Today we continue in Ephesians 6:1-3, as the Apostle Paul continues histeaching on harmony in the Christian home . In these verses, Paul turnshis attention to the children. Wherever we look in society today, we seedivision and rebellion. Husbands and wives separate. Children resist authority. Employers and employees struggle against one another. We’ve tried education,legi...

Todaywe come to the closing verses of Ephesians 5:29-33. In these verses, theApostle Paul lifts our understanding of marriage to its highest level byshowing us that the Christian home is meant to be a living picture of Christ’srelationship to His church. Paul reminds us that no one ever hates his ownflesh, but nourishes and cherishes it—and then he adds these important words —“justas the Lord does...

Paul opens this entire section with a keyprinciple in verse 21: “Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear ofGod.” That word submission is foundational. Submission does notcancel authority or reverse roles. Children are not placed over parents, andservants are not placed over masters. Rather, submission governs howauthority is exercised and how it is received .   JesusHimself taught this pr...

Paulbegins this section with a command: “Be filled with the Spirit.” Thiscommand is for every believer, not just a select few. It is written in thepresent tense, meaning “keep on being filled,” reminding us that this is not aone-time experience, but a daily, ongoing relationship with the Spirit. And itis passive—we do not fill ourselves. We yield ourselves so that the Spirit mayfill us. To be fill...

Theword circumspectly is an interesting one. It comes from a word that means tolook around carefully. The idea is precision, accuracy, and thoughtful living. Paul is saying, “Pay attention to how you live. Walk carefully. Walk withpurpose.” The opposite would be walking carelessly—drifting through lifewithout direction, guidance, or forethought. The Christian life is notsomething we can leave to c...

“Foryou were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children oflight” (v.7).   Thatstatement is very important. Paul does not say we were merely in darkness—hesays “we were darkness” (v. 8). Before salvation, darkness defined us. It shaped our thinking, our desires, and our behavior. But when we trustedChrist, everything changed. We didn’t just step into the light—we became ligh...

Paulgives us a sober warning in Ephesians 5:6: “Let no one deceive you withempty words.” That tells us two things right away. First, deception isreal—even among believers in the church at Ephesus. And second, deception oftencomes wrapped in words that sound appealing, reasonable, or comforting, but areultimately empty—void of truth, power, and life. The enemy has always workedthis way. From the ve...

The Apostle Paul speaks very plainly to the church atEphesus reminding them of something that they should know . This is somethingthat as believers and followers of Jesus Christ that should be obvious to us. What should we know? “T hat no fornicator, unclean person, nor covetous man,who is an idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.   Now,it’s interesting that when you read...

The first admonitionPaul gives us is to walk in love. We walk in love because love is thefoundational characteristic of the Christian life. If we walk in love, we willnot disobey God or injure others, “for he who loves another has fulfilledthe law,” as we read in Romans 13:8.   TheHoly Spirit places that love within our hearts. Romans 5:5, tells us that thelove of God has been poured out in our he...

Ephesians 5:1-2 1Therefore be imitators of God as dear children . 2 And walk in love, asChrist also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrificeto God for a sweet-smelling aroma. Today we are looking at Ephesians 5:1-2, where the Apostle Paul gives us theclear admonition to walk in love. Also in in these two verses, Paul also givesus several reasons why we should walk in love...

Today we are continuing our study in Ephesians chapter 5. Right at thebeginning of this chapter, we are told to “be imitators of God as dearchildren.” As believers, we are called to put off the old man—to put offbitterness, anger, and wrath—and to stop living the way we lived before webecame followers of Jesus Christ. Then Paul gives us this clear admonition:“Walk in love.”   Myfriend, as I have b...

Paultells us we must be imitators of God as dear children. That phrase is veryimportant. It is only possible to put off bitterness, malice, anger, andunforgiveness because we are dear children of God. Over the years in mycounseling sessions I have hear many people say, “You don’t understand whatso-and-so did to me. You don’t understand what happened years ago. There is noway I can forgive or love...

Today,we're starting a new chapter in Ephesians 5 which is about Walking Jesus! Remember,when I started this series in Ephesians, I mentioned that years ago I gave eachof the chapters a subject headline. Ephesians 1 was Knowing Christ. Ifwe're going to live for Christ we must know Christ. We must know Him as ourpersonal Savior. We must know Him also as our Lord and the one who fills uswith...

Froma biblical perspective, forgiveness is not a small thing. It is not a sideissue. It is at the very heart of the gospel. Without forgiveness, there is nosalvation, no peace with God, and no real freedom in life. The Bible says in Ephesians1:7 , “In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness ofsins, according to the riches of His grace.” Forgiveness is God’s graciousact of removin...