I teach Bible at Madison Academy in Huntsville, Al. Been there 30 years. Every year we have a lengthy presentation on what to do if a shooter comes in. But it always ends with “run, hide (if you can’t run), fight (if you can’t run or hide)”. In the moment of an actual shooter in the building, I won’t remember the whole lecture, but I will remember those 3 words and it might save lives. Hopefully, this blog will be brief in order to emphasize 3 key words in Ephesians: “sit, walk, stand”.

SIT

From prayersandpetitions.org

From mission venture ministries:

Jesus finished his redemptive work on the cross and then was raised and seated at the right hand of the Father. Eph 1:¹⁸ having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, ¹⁹ and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might ²⁰ that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, ²¹ far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. Paul prayed that his readers’ spiritual eyes would be opened to see that the same power that raised and seated Jesus had raised and seated them with Jesus in the heavenly places (Eph 2:6).So, it is important to start with where we are now seated: with Christ in the heavenly places. I’m not sure where that is exactly, but it must be a spiritual realm all around us that we can’t see. But we can see with an eye of faith our exalted position as Christians: raised from spiritually dead in sin, made alive spiritually, and seated with Jesus in the heavenlies. So, in one sense, you are exalted above spiritual death. The evil one can’t touch you. That should make you feel special in God’s eyes. So it is important that, before we talk about walking and standing, that you know where you sit in God’s eyes! In one sense, it’s not about what you do, about how you walk and stand. It’s about how God’s grace and love has lifted you to a different spiritual realm above all evil powers in this world. You are safe in the Father’s hands and no one can take you out of them.

WALK

So now that we realize where we are safely seated with Jesus in the heavenly places, how should we live as special children of God. How you walk is simply how you conduct yourself: what you do, think, and say every day 24/7. There are 7 “walks” in Ephesians. 1) 2:1-2 how you walked in sin and lusts before being saved. 2) 2:10 the good works we should walk in as newly created saved by grace children of God.

Chapters 4-6 then begin 5 very practical “walks”: 3) 4:1-3 walk worthy of you calling by God to be His child, with an emphasis on unity among believers and unity of doctrine (the 7 “ones”). 4) walk no longer as the Gentile pagans in futility and unbridled lust: put off the old sinful self and put on the new self that is created in the image of Christ. 5) 5:1-2 walk in love as Christ loved us and gave Himself for us, with an emphasis on putting away sexual immorality and greed. 6) 5:8 walk as children of light: the light of the world, Jesus, has shined on us and lifted us out of spiritual darkness and made us reflected lights; so put away all the deeds of darkness.

7) 5:15-16 walk as wise men, using your time wisely to be filled with the Spirit so you can encourage others and give thanks to God continually. To walk wisely includes “submitting to one another”. Paul then gives several areas where we should submit to one another: 1) Wives submit to husbands. 2) Husbands love their wives as Christ loved the church, nourishing and cherishing them (which is a submitting of your selfish will to God’s will for husbands). 3) Children obey (submit) your parents. 4) Fathers bring up your children in the discipline (training) and instruction of the Lord (submitting you will as the head of the family to God’s will for parenting). 5) Slaves obey (submit) to your masters. 6) Masters treat your slaves kindly (which is submitting being a slave owner to God’s will on how to treat them).

STAND

The Christian “walk” will not be a “cakewalk” (achieve or win something easily). There will be trials, tests of your faith, problems to overcome, difficulties, etc. I walk around our pond and the other day the wind was so strong that it made it hard to walk. You have seen reporters giving updates while in 100 mph winds of a hurricane, and it is all they can do to “stand”. So Paul ends the letter with the warning that we need to stand against the schemes of the devil and the spiritual forces in the heavenly places.

To stand against these schemes, we need to put on the “whole armor of God”. Imagine a soldier going into battle without a single defensive piece of equipment or an offensive weapon. He would be destroyed quickly. We will be destoryed by Satan if we don’t put on God’s armor. Notice the defensive equipment such as the shield, the feet protected (Roman soldiers wore heavy-soled military sandals called caligae), breastplate, and helmut. Notice the offensive weapon, the sword of the Spirit (the word of God). Like any soldier, we need to be alert to enemy danger and pray.

Isn’t that a neat way to look at Ephesians? Sit, walk, and stand. It simplifies it all. Much like they teach us in school on responding to a shooter: “run, hide, fight”. You won’t remember the 2 hour lectures someone gave you at inservice on shooters coming in school. In the moment of danger, you might remember 3 simple words: “run, hide (if you can’t run), fight (if you can’t run or hide)”.