What does Ephesians 6:24 Mean?

Verse Meaning

As the apostle opened his epistle by referring to God"s grace, so he ended it ( Ephesians 1:2). God"s grace was the key to the calling of the Christian and the creation of the church. It is also essential to the conduct of the Christian (cf. Ephesians 1:7; Ephesians 2:5; Ephesians 2:7-8; Ephesians 3:2; Ephesians 3:8; Ephesians 4:7). Paul wished God"s unmerited favor and divine enablement on all who love Jesus Christ purely, without wrong motives or secret disloyalties (cf. 1 Corinthians 16:22). As God has poured out His grace to us in all purity, so we should pour out our love to Him in purity. [source][source]

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"Ephesians is ultimately about how God has powerfully equipped the church to experience blessing in Christ, by creating a new community that is able to honor God and resist the forces of evil. No longer does one"s Jewish or Gentile identity dominate. They are part of a new, reconciled community, a reconciliation that involves not only God but also one another. All enablement in this new sacred community is rooted in what the exalted Christ has provided for His people. That is why believers can have hope, since they have begun participation in a wealth of benefits distributed from heaven. The church"s members are citizens raised and seated with Jesus in a heavenly citizenship, though they represent Him now as light on the earth, fully enabled for the task. In all of this, God is taking steps toward the ultimate summation of all things in Christ." ^[1] [source]

Context Summary

Many would be strong, but fail because they forget that they can be effectively so only "in the Lord, and in the strength of His might." Paul had a very vivid conception of the powerful forces that are arrayed against the Church. He is not dealing here especially with our personal temptations, but with those hosts of wicked spirits that lie behind the evil of the world. It is probable that the vast systems which oppose the gospel-the philosophies, temples, and priests of false religions; the trade in strong drink, impurity, and like evils; and such iniquitous institutions as the system of indentured slavery-are directly promoted and furthered by the agency of evil spirits in arms against God.

We must be pure and holy, if we are to prevail against evil; and especially must we give ourselves to prayer. To prevail in this warfare we must diligently employ the weapon of all prayer. Tychicus carried this letter. He was faithful to the end, Acts 20:4; 2 Timothy 4:12. The Epistle closes, as it began, with uncorrupted, that is, pure and eternal, love. Alford says, "This is the only truth worthy to be the crown and climax of this glorious Epistle." [source]

Chapter Summary: Ephesians 6

¹  The duty of children toward their parents;
⁵  of servants toward their masters
¹⁰  Our life is a warfare, not only against flesh and blood, but also spiritual enemies
¹³  The complete armor of a Christian;
¹⁸  and how it ought to be used
²¹  Tychicus is commended