The exhortations in this section of the epistle correspond with chapter 4:5, “One Lord, one faith, one baptism”—the second circle of Christian privilege and responsibility. In the previous section we have seen that it is God’s desire that the body of Christ would visibly manifest an unbroken unity among its members under the ascended Head in heaven. In this division, we learn that it is the mind of God that the members of the one body would also visibly manifest the moral beauty of Christ in this world during the time of His absence. Throughout this whole section of the epistle, separation is insisted on, for without it, these moral beauties will surely be marred in their display.
Various aspects of the believer’s “walk” come before us in this section of the epistle (chaps. 4:17; 5:2, 8, 15).
Walking in “righteousness and true holiness” (chap. 4:17-32).
Walking in “love” (chap. 5:1-7).
Walking in “light” (chap. 5:8-14).
Walking in “wisdom” (chap. 5:15-21).
Walking in Righteousness and True Holiness
Chap. 4:17-32—If the moral beauties of Christ are to be seen in the saints, they must undergo a complete character change in their lives from what they once were. The salvation of God has brought about a tremendous change in our souls. We have passed “from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God” (Acts 26:1818To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me. (Acts 26:18)). Now God would have this to be seen in the lives of the saints in a practical sense. The things that characterize man in the flesh must be put out of our lives, and a whole new lifestyle that is characterized by “righteousness and true holiness” must be adopted.
A Character Change
“Vanity.”
The “understanding darkened.”
“Alienated” from God.
“Blindness.”
Having “cast off all feeling” of conscience.
Given over to “lasciviousness,” “uncleanness,” and “greediness.”
Such is what characterizes the normal order of life among those who do not know God. This is what the Ephesian saints, who were predominantly Gentile, once were. Since they were saved, Paul tells them that such a lifestyle is now wholly inconsistent with their calling in Christ. He says, “Ye have not so learned the Christ” (vs. 20 – J. N. Darby Trans.). As mentioned earlier, “the Christ” is a term used in Paul’s epistles to denote the spiritual union of the members of Christ’s body to Him who is the Head in heaven (1 Cor. 12:12-1312For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ. 13For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit. (1 Corinthians 12:12‑13)). Then he goes on and says, “If so be that ye have heard Him, and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus” (vs. 21). “Jesus” is the Lord’s manhood name. When it is used alone, without His usual titles of Lord and Christ, it refers to Him as a Man in this world. By speaking of learning “the Christ” before being taught the truth in “Jesus,” Paul was indicating that we must first know our calling in the Christ (which the first three chapters unfold) before we can properly walk as Jesus did in this world. We are thus “taught by Him” by viewing His perfect example.
The order in verses 20-21 is, therefore, important to note. We see many earnest Christians who do not know their calling in “the Christ” trying to live as “Jesus” did in places and positions in this world that are wholly inconsistent with their calling. As a result, the Spirit of God does not identify with it in any significant way. A Christian trying to behave like Jesus, while holding an office in government, is an example.
The “Old Man” and the “New Man”
Vss. 22-24—In order that we would manifest the moral features of Christ in this world, we also must understand certain truths in regard to the “old man” and the “new man.” Hence, the Apostle speaks of this before exhorting them to a life consistent with their calling.
Romans 6:66Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. (Romans 6:6) says, “Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be destroyed [annulled], that henceforth we should not serve sin.” We learn from this that God has passed judgment on the old man at the cross of Christ (Rom. 8:33For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: (Romans 8:3)). Not only has our old man been judged at the cross, but these verses in Ephesians 4 tell us that, as part of our Christian confession, we have put off the old man and put on the new man. By making a profession of being a Christian, we have by our profession confessedly dissociated ourselves from everything to do with the old man and have identified ourselves with everything of the new man.
Unfortunately, the KJV translates verses 22-24 as if the putting off of the old man and the putting on of the new is something that we are to do in our lives. However, it is not a Christian exercise; it is something we have done in taking our stand with Christ. Verse 22 should read, “Having put off according to the former conversation, the old man ... ” And verse 24 should read, “Having put on the new man ... ”
To add to the misunderstanding that comes from the faulty translation in the KJV, the “old man” is a term that is often used synonymously with “the flesh” (our fallen sin-nature) by most Christians. But this is incorrect. J. N. Darby remarked, “The old man is being habitually used for the flesh incorrectly.” When we look carefully into the Scriptures, it will be abundantly clear that the old man and the flesh are not the same, and therefore, cannot be used interchangeably. If the “old man” were the flesh, then this passage is saying that we have put off the flesh—that we no longer have the sin-nature in us, which clearly is not true. Moreover, the “old man” is never said to be in us, but the flesh most certainly is. F. G. Patterson said, “Nor do I find that Scripture will allow us to say that we have the old man in us—while it teaches most fully that we have the flesh in us to the end.”
Nor is it correct to speak of the “old man” as having appetites, desires, and emotions, as does the flesh. Oftentimes Christians will say things like, “The old man in us desires those things that are sinful.” Or, “Our old man wants to do this or that evil thing ... ” Such statements are confusing the old man with the flesh. H. C. B. G. said, “I know what a Christian means who loses his temper, and says it is ‘the old man,’ yet the expression is wrong. If he said it was ‘the flesh,’ he would have been more correct.”
We would also add that the “old man” is not Adam personally, but what is characteristic of the fallen race under him. To see the old man more clearly we must look at the fallen race as a whole, for it is unlikely that any one person would be marked by all the features that characterize that corrupt state. Taking the race as a whole, we see all the ugly features that compose the old man.
The “old man,” therefore, is not a living thing in the believer with sinful appetites, desires, and emotions, but rather, it is an abstract term that describes the corrupt state of the fallen race of man, which God has judged at the cross, and the believer has professedly put off in identifying himself with the Christian testimony.
The “new man” is also an abstract term. It denotes the new order of moral perfection in the new creation race under Christ. Perhaps we could say that the new man is the new state that characterizes the new race of men under Christ. The old man is characterized by being “corrupt” and “deceitful,” but the new man is characterized by “righteousness” and “holiness.”
The “new man” is not Christ personally, but it is Christ characteristically. This new moral order of manhood first came into view in “Jesus” when He walked here in this world (vs. 21), and now marks all in the new creation race under Christ who walk in the Spirit. The new race under Christ did not have its beginning until He rose from the dead to be its Head. As “the Firstborn from among the dead” (Col. 1:1818And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence. (Colossians 1:18)), He has sent the Spirit of God into the world to link believers (“many brethren”) to Himself (Rom. 8:2929For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. (Romans 8:29)). They are now of the same order of manhood as Himself (of the same “kind” – Gen. 1:21, 24-2521And God created great whales, and every living creature that moveth, which the waters brought forth abundantly, after their kind, and every winged fowl after his kind: and God saw that it was good. (Genesis 1:21)
24And God said, Let the earth bring forth the living creature after his kind, cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of the earth after his kind: and it was so. 25And God made the beast of the earth after his kind, and cattle after their kind, and every thing that creepeth upon the earth after his kind: and God saw that it was good. (Genesis 1:24‑25)). In this sense, we are “all of one” with Him in this new race (Heb. 2:10-1310For it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings. 11For both he that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one: for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren, 12Saying, I will declare thy name unto my brethren, in the midst of the church will I sing praise unto thee. 13And again, I will put my trust in him. And again, Behold I and the children which God hath given me. (Hebrews 2:10‑13)). The “new man,” therefore, is a term that denotes the moral characteristics of the new race of men under Christ.
Since the “new man” is patterned after the image of Him who created him (Col. 3:1010And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him: (Colossians 3:10)), being part of the new creation race, we are fully able to now represent Christ here in this world. As Christians, the features of the new man are to be seen in us, and they will be when we walk in the Spirit (Gal. 5:1616This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. (Galatians 5:16)). In Colossians 3:12-1512Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; 13Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye. 14And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness. 15And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful. (Colossians 3:12‑15) Paul mentions ten moral characteristics of the new man that should be seen in the saints, as they exhibit the truth of “Christ in you, the hope of glory” (Col. 1:2727To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory: (Colossians 1:27)).
Exhortations Based on the Fact that the “Old Man” Has Been Put Off and the “New Man” Has Been Put On
The “old man” has been put off and the “new man” has been put on, but this does not mean that we don’t need to be exercised about these things. Every doctrinal truth should have a practical bearing on our lives. The verses that follow in this chapter show that the believer is no longer to manifest the characteristics of the old man in his life but rather those of the new man. This is the point of the exhortation.
The emphasis of Paul’s exhortation in the remaining verses in Ephesians 4 is that we would put into practice what is true in fact. If we have put off the “old man” and put on the “new man,” then let us be done with that old corrupt lifestyle and live after what characterizes the new man. Paul mentions a number of transitions that should naturally result in the life of the believer as he walks in “righteousness and true holiness.” If we study the life of the Lord, we will be “taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus.” Each one of these features that mark the new order of manhood was seen in Him in perfection.
Honesty Instead of Falsehood
Vs. 25—There should be honesty instead of falsehood. The KJV translates this as “lying,” but this word is too narrow. It should be translated “falsehood,” which includes everything that is untrue and dishonest—not just our words. It is just as easy to live a lie with our lives, as it is to tell a lie with our tongues. Ananias and Sapphira illustrate this. He lived a lie, but his wife told a lie (Acts 5:1-101But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession, 2And kept back part of the price, his wife also being privy to it, and brought a certain part, and laid it at the apostles' feet. 3But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land? 4Whiles it remained, was it not thine own? and after it was sold, was it not in thine own power? why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart? thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God. 5And Ananias hearing these words fell down, and gave up the ghost: and great fear came on all them that heard these things. 6And the young men arose, wound him up, and carried him out, and buried him. 7And it was about the space of three hours after, when his wife, not knowing what was done, came in. 8And Peter answered unto her, Tell me whether ye sold the land for so much? And she said, Yea, for so much. 9Then Peter said unto her, How is it that ye have agreed together to tempt the Spirit of the Lord? behold, the feet of them which have buried thy husband are at the door, and shall carry thee out. 10Then fell she down straightway at his feet, and yielded up the ghost: and the young men came in, and found her dead, and, carrying her forth, buried her by her husband. (Acts 5:1‑10)).
This transparency of honest character was seen throughout the Lord’s life. He could rightfully say that He was “even the same that I said unto you from the beginning” (John 8:2525Then said they unto him, Who art thou? And Jesus saith unto them, Even the same that I said unto you from the beginning. (John 8:25)). J. N. Darby’s translation footnote says, “His speech presented Himself, being the truth.”
Righteous Anger Against Evil Instead of Indifference to It
Vss. 26-27—There should be unabating righteous anger against evil instead of indifference to it. There are two kinds of anger in these verses: one is right and proper, and the other is not. Verse 26 is speaking about righteous anger, which is not sin, but verse 31 is speaking about fleshly anger, which is nothing but sin.
We are told in verse 26 to be “angry.” This couldn’t be something sinful, for God would never tell us to do something evil. God Himself is said to be angry in this way. Psalm 7:11<<Shiggaion of David, which he sang unto the Lord, concerning the words of Cush the Benjamite.>> O Lord my God, in thee do I put my trust: save me from all them that persecute me, and deliver me: (Psalm 7:1)1 Says, “God is angry with the wicked every day.” (See also 1 Kings 11:99And the Lord was angry with Solomon, because his heart was turned from the Lord God of Israel, which had appeared unto him twice, (1 Kings 11:9).) This kind of anger is, of course, righteous indignation against evil. Similarly, the Psalmist said, “Do not I hate them, O LORD, that hate Thee? And am not I grieved with those that rise up against Thee? I hate them with perfect hatred” (Psa. 139:21-2221Do not I hate them, O Lord, that hate thee? and am not I grieved with those that rise up against thee? 22I hate them with perfect hatred: I count them mine enemies. (Psalm 139:21‑22)). The Lord Jesus, who is perfect and sinless, was angry when He saw blessing to needy people being hindered (Mark 3:5; 10:145And when he had looked round about on them with anger, being grieved for the hardness of their hearts, he saith unto the man, Stretch forth thine hand. And he stretched it out: and his hand was restored whole as the other. (Mark 3:5)
14But when Jesus saw it, he was much displeased, and said unto them, Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God. (Mark 10:14)). Paul adds, “and sin not,” because we need to be on guard that what starts out in righteous anger doesn’t turn into fleshly anger.
Since it says, “Let not the sun go down upon your wrath,” some have thought that Paul was saying that we shouldn’t go to bed angry, but get things cleaned up in our souls with the Lord in self-judgment the same day that it happens. However, it is not speaking of the sun going down literally; it is figurative language that speaks of keeping righteous anger alive. We are not to let our righteous anger against sin wane or else we’ll become indifferent to evil. The figure is taken from Joshua 10:12-1412Then spake Joshua to the Lord in the day when the Lord delivered up the Amorites before the children of Israel, and he said in the sight of Israel, Sun, stand thou still upon Gibeon; and thou, Moon, in the valley of Ajalon. 13And the sun stood still, and the moon stayed, until the people had avenged themselves upon their enemies. Is not this written in the book of Jasher? So the sun stood still in the midst of heaven, and hasted not to go down about a whole day. 14And there was no day like that before it or after it, that the Lord hearkened unto the voice of a man: for the Lord fought for Israel. (Joshua 10:12‑14), when he called on God to keep the sun up until the armies of Israel had finished judging their enemies. The point of the exhortation is that we should never become complacent about evil. We should always have a healthy, undying, righteous anger against evil. Again, the Lord Jesus is an example of this. He showed righteous anger in the temple toward the merchants. Twice He drove the merchants out: once at the beginning of His ministry (John 2:14-1714And found in the temple those that sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the changers of money sitting: 15And when he had made a scourge of small cords, he drove them all out of the temple, and the sheep, and the oxen; and poured out the changers' money, and overthrew the tables; 16And said unto them that sold doves, Take these things hence; make not my Father's house an house of merchandise. 17And his disciples remembered that it was written, The zeal of thine house hath eaten me up. (John 2:14‑17)) and again at the end of His life (Matt. 21:12-1312And Jesus went into the temple of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves, 13And said unto them, It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves. (Matthew 21:12‑13)). His attitude toward this sin had not abated.
In verse 27 Paul adds that we need to be careful to not “give place to the devil.” This happens when we let our anger against sin abate. Indifference toward evil of any kind opens the door for the devil to work in our lives.
Giving to Others Rather Than Stealing From Them
Vs. 28—We are to give to others rather than steal from them. Stealing may have been a way of life with some in their unconverted days, but now they were to be concerned about not just not taking from others, but giving to them. In Christianity we are to work with our hands, not merely to meet our daily needs but to exceed our daily needs, so that we have something to give to others. This shows that one of the features of the “new man” is a genuine care and concern for others, proved in sacrificial giving. The Lord Jesus perfectly exemplified this in His life. He has taught us by example that “it is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:3535I have showed you all things, how that so laboring ye ought to support the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, It is more blessed to give than to receive. (Acts 20:35)).
Speaking With Grace to Others Rather Than Using Corrupt Communication
Vss. 29-30—What characterizes the world through which the believer passes is “corrupt [filthy] communication.” Some people can hardly speak a sentence without using corrupt language. As a marked contrast, Christians are to speak with gracious words to all with whom they interact. The Lord again is our example. All who heard Him “wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of His mouth” (Luke 4:2222And all bare him witness, and wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth. And they said, Is not this Joseph's son? (Luke 4:22)).
The things we say and do should most definitely not “grieve” “the Spirit of God” who dwells in us (vs. 30). He is a divine Person with feelings, and when we do something that He hasn’t led us to do, He is grieved. Verse 31 gives us examples of what would grieve Him. Elsewhere we are told to not “quench” the Spirit (1 Thess. 5:1919Quench not the Spirit. (1 Thessalonians 5:19)), which is not allowing Him to work through us as He would. Grieving and quenching, therefore, are opposites. Grieving the Spirit is doing something He has not led us to do, and quenching the Spirit is not doing something that He would lead us to do. Since the Spirit has “sealed” us “for the day of redemption” by His indwelling presence, we must be very careful to walk according to the divine Guest within. Everything that God is doing is heading toward the day when we will be set free (the meaning of redemption) from the presence and power of sin so that we can be used to display the glory of Christ.
Kindness and Compassion Rather Than Bitterness and Anger
Vss. 31-32—We are also to “remove” from our lives “all bitterness, wrath, anger,” etc. All such is to be replaced with kindness and tenderness. No one exemplified this better than the Lord Himself. When the poor leper came to Him, He was “moved with compassion” and “put forth His hand and touched him” (Mark 1:4141And Jesus, moved with compassion, put forth his hand, and touched him, and saith unto him, I will; be thou clean. (Mark 1:41)). This may have been the first time someone had touched that man for years.
Forgiving One Another Rather Than Being Wrathful, Injurious, and Malicious
Vs. 32—Another feature of the “new man” is that we don’t hold grudges. Being receivers of God’s “grace,” it becomes us to act toward others as He has acted toward us. Having received eternal forgiveness from God, we are to manifest that same forgiving spirit toward others who have acted toward us in a bitter and wrathful way (vs. 32). Again, the Lord Jesus perfectly manifested this spirit. When the nation rejected Him and nailed Him to the cross, He said, “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:3434Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. And they parted his raiment, and cast lots. (Luke 23:34)).
Walking in Love
Chap. 5:1-7—The exhortations that follow in chapter 5 continue the line of thought in chapter 4 of the saints manifesting a total character change that would become the saints of God.
Since we are now part of the family of God, we are to be “imitators of God, as dear beloved children.” In chapter 4 we were to imitate the perfect ways of “Jesus.” Now in chapter 5 we are to imitate the moral attributes of God. Normally a child will imitate its parents in mannerisms and speech. Likewise, as children of God, we are to imitate God our Father. As mentioned, this would be referring to His moral attributes, for we cannot imitate God’s attributes in deity. The two great moral attributes of God in particular in this chapter are “love” and “light.” Love is the activity of His nature; light is the essence of His being.
Walking as “dear [beloved] children” means that we should walk as ones who are loved of God. The emphasis here is not on us loving God, but rather living in the enjoyment of His love for us. We are “dear” to Him. If we walk with a sense of that, we will “walk in love” toward others.
The great example of walking in love is Christ Himself. In the Old Testament the children of Israel were to love their neighbour as themselves (Luke 10:2727And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbor as thyself. (Luke 10:27)). But in the New Testament, love is put on a substantially higher plane—we are to love “as” Christ has loved us. And how did He love? He submitted Himself—even to enduring death—in unswerving loyalty and love to His Father’s will. It was a love that manifested complete submission and obedience, and it was “a sweet-smelling savour” to God. It was a sacrificial love of obedience. This is the character of love that we are to have.
Vs. 3—Our walk, therefore, is to be as what “becomes saints.” A saint literally means, “a sanctified one” or “a holy one.” Not only is “fornication and all uncleanness or unbridled lust” not to be found among the saints—it should “not be even named” in our conversation. These things are not to be topics of discussion because there is contamination connected with thinking and talking about them, even if it is to condemn them. If we dwell on these things and they become common in our conversation, they could creep into our lives. Similarly, the children of Israel were warned to not look into how the heathen nations practiced idolatry because there was a danger of falling into it themselves (Deut. 12:29-3229When the Lord thy God shall cut off the nations from before thee, whither thou goest to possess them, and thou succeedest them, and dwellest in their land; 30Take heed to thyself that thou be not snared by following them, after that they be destroyed from before thee; and that thou inquire not after their gods, saying, How did these nations serve their gods? even so will I do likewise. 31Thou shalt not do so unto the Lord thy God: for every abomination to the Lord, which he hateth, have they done unto their gods; for even their sons and their daughters they have burnt in the fire to their gods. 32What thing soever I command you, observe to do it: thou shalt not add thereto, nor diminish from it. (Deuteronomy 12:29‑32)). The old adage that you can get just as dirty hugging a chimney sweep as you can fighting him is certainly true. Those who frequently talk about these corrupt things don’t seem to be very far away from it in their souls. It is dangerous ground.
Vs. 4—Moreover, as “saints,” we are not to descend from the dignity of our position as sons of God to engage in “foolish talking” or “jesting” (vs. 4). The Apostle is not condemning humor here; the rebuke is against frivolous talk that makes light of sacred things and of sin. The Christian is to be filled with love and gratitude and the “giving of thanks.” Such becomes those who have been called to the lofty position we have in Christ. Buffoonery only mars the manifestation of Christian love.
Vss. 5-6—The Apostle goes on to denounce any complicity of the saints with the sins of the age. He draws a very sharp distinction between those who are in the “kingdom of Christ and of God” and those who are not. He speaks of those who are not believers as being characterized by various sins, who surely have no part in the kingdom. He adds, “Let no man deceive you with vain words.” He anticipated that there would be those who would rise up and attempt to excuse these sins in professing believers, by putting forth plausible arguments that in certain cases it would be permissible. The Apostle settles this immediately by telling us that all such arguments are false. He makes it clear that “because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the sons of disobedience.” The KJV says, “children of disobedience,” but “sons” is the correct word. It implies that these people are fully developed in their moral corruption and disobedience. It is true that a believer may fall into any one of these sins, but no true believer is characterized by them.
His point in mentioning this is to show that there is to be a marked distinction between believers and unbelievers. If we are to properly manifest the moral attributes of God in this world, and “walk in love as Christ” did, separation is imperative. Consequently, he says, “Be not ye therefore fellow-partakers with them” (vs. 7).
Walking in the Light
Chap. 5:8-14—In the first seven verses the moral attribute the Apostle would have the children of God to manifest is “love.” In this next series of verses the moral attribute he focuses on is “light.” He employs the figures of “light” and “darkness” to emphasize the importance of the believer walking in separation from evil.
Vss. 8-10—He says, “Ye were once darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord.” Darkness implies the absence of the knowledge of God—gross ignorance of the divine will. The Ephesian saints were not only in the dark in their unconverted days; they were “darkness” itself. Now that they were saved, there was to be a striking contrast in their lives to all that they were. The truth of the gospel had penetrated their souls and transformed their lives. The light of God had illuminated them morally and spiritually. Not only were they in the light; they were now “light in the Lord.”
Paul employs these figures of light and darkness to show that our new life in the Lord is completely opposite to our old life. The two are opposites and cannot exist together. If light comes in, darkness vanishes. Since these two things are incompatible, to be consistent with what we are, the Apostle insists on separation in our lives. We are “light in the Lord,” therefore, we are to “walk as children of light” (vs. 8). We are to practice what we are in actual reality. This is one of the great differences between the Law and the gospel. The Law demands of men that they should be what they are not; the gospel exhorts believers to be what they are. To leave no doubt about what the light produces in the lives of the saints, he says in a parenthesis, “The fruit of the light (not “Spirit” as in the KJV) is in all goodness and righteousness and truth” (vs. 9). When these things are manifest in our lives, we will prove by experience “what is acceptable unto the Lord” (vs. 10).
Vss. 11-13—In verse 7 we are warned of having fellowship with the evil workers of this world, but in verse 11 we are warned against having fellowship with their evil works. Again, separation is enjoined upon the believer. We are told to have “no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness.” By separating from it all, our lives as light will “expose” those evil things. The KJV translates “expose” as “reprove,” which implies admonishing and rebuking evil people and evil things. But that is not exactly what the Apostle is referring to here. It is not the testimony that we speak, but the testimony we live that he is emphasizing here. Exposing the unfruitful works of darkness is not denouncing every evil practice in the world by talking about it. It is, rather, to walk in separation from it, whereby the light in us shines more brightly and distinctly. It will expose all that we come in contact with. To talk about the corruption, even if it is to rebuke it, will defile us. For this reason Paul says, “For it is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret” (vs. 12). Paul’s point here is that we don’t have to talk about evil to expose it. He says, “All things having their true character exposed by the light are made manifest; for that which makes everything manifest is light” (vs. 13). Our responsibility is to let the light shine, and it will expose everything.
Vs. 14—This, however, was the concern of the Apostle. There was a danger of the Ephesian saints not walking in separation, and there wouldn’t be any power in their testimony for the Lord. Therefore, he gives the needed exhortation, “Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from [among] the dead, and Christ shall shine upon thee.” The imagery of someone sleeping among the dead is an apt picture of a believer living in fellowship with those who are lost. A sleeping man and a dead man look almost the same. Though one is living and the other is not, from all outward appearances they look the same. It speaks of a breakdown in practical separation in the life of a believer. In that state he surely will not manifest the light. It is only by arising from among the dead that we have the promise that “Christ shall shine upon thee.” The Lord will not identify Himself with us in testimony while we lie among the spiritually dead. But when we separate and arise from among them, He shines on us, and we will manifest our true character as a powerful, shining light.
Walking in Wisdom
Chap. 5:15-22—The Apostle then passes on to speak of the need of walking in wisdom. He says, “Walk circumspectly [carefully], not as fools, but as wise.” Our wisdom will be seen in “redeeming the time [opportunity]” and walking in “the will of the Lord.” Paul gives the reason why—“because the days are evil.” Wisdom would behoove us to seize every opportunity to gain an understanding of what “the will of the Lord is,” which essentially is the truth, and is disclosed in the mystery in its practical application. He would have us to know His will so that we would intelligently “further God’s dispensation” at this present time (1 Tim. 1:44Neither give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which minister questions, rather than godly edifying which is in faith: so do. (1 Timothy 1:4) – J. N. Darby Trans.). Not only should we seize opportunities to learn the truth but also opportunities to serve the Lord. Since such opportunities of turning men to the light are few, we must seize every occasion that comes along and use it wisely.
Vs. 18—Paul warns that if we carelessly let opportunities pass us by, our lives could be quickly wasted in the pursuit of earthly and worldly things. There is a real danger of getting intoxicated with those things to the point where we lose our discernment. The extreme case of worldliness is to be “drunk with wine, in which is debauchery.” In contrast to this, he exhorts us to be “filled with the Spirit.” The Apostle would have us to note that just as an intoxicated person is totally under the control of the alcohol in him, and it is evident by his actions, so also should the believer be under the control of the indwelling Spirit of God—and it will be evident in his life.
Being “filled” with the Spirit (chap. 5:18) is not the same as being “sealed” with the Spirit (chap. 1:13). All Christians are sealed with the Spirit, but not all Christians are filled with the Spirit. This is because it is one thing to have the Holy Spirit dwelling in us and quite another for Him to be filling us. A believer is sealed once when he believes the gospel of his salvation, but he can be filled many times. There is no exhortation in Scripture to be sealed with the Spirit, but there is this exhortation to be filled with that divine Person. It doesn’t mean that we need to have more of the Spirit (because God does not give His Spirit “by measure” – John 3:3434For he whom God hath sent speaketh the words of God: for God giveth not the Spirit by measure unto him. (John 3:34)), but rather that the Spirit needs to have more of us. We need to be more yielded to Him, and let Him fill and control every aspect of our lives. This involves a condition of supreme surrender to Christ as Lord.
We get instances of the disciples in the early Church being filled with the Spirit as recorded in the book of the Acts (Acts 2:4; 4:8, 31; 7:55; 13:94And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. (Acts 2:4)
8Then Peter, filled with the Holy Ghost, said unto them, Ye rulers of the people, and elders of Israel, (Acts 4:8)
31And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness. (Acts 4:31)
55But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up stedfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God, (Acts 7:55)
9Then Saul, (who also is called Paul,) filled with the Holy Ghost, set his eyes on him, (Acts 13:9)), and we might be inclined to think that it is an experience that is exceptional and beyond anything we could hope for. But it is evident from this 18th verse that is something to be desired, aimed at, and is within the reach of every Christian—otherwise there wouldn’t be the exhortation.
Vss. 19-21—When a Christian is “filled with the Spirit,” he will be found rejoicing and speaking to others with “psalms and hymns and spiritual songs” (vs. 19). These are three different kinds of Christian compositions that express spiritual thoughts and feelings in regard to the Lord, the truth, and the path in which we tread.
“Psalms” are not, as some Christians think, the Old Testament Psalms. If they were, the Spirit of God would have added the article “the” before the word “Psalms,” which He does in other passages of Scripture when referring to them (Luke 24:4444And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me. (Luke 24:44); Acts 13:3333God hath fulfilled the same unto us their children, in that he hath raised up Jesus again; as it is also written in the second psalm, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee. (Acts 13:33)). These psalms are compositions that are based on Christian experiences, which we have gained through walking with the Lord in the light of the truth.
The Old Testament Psalms are Jewish compositions expressing Jewish sentiments and experiences; they do not have a Christian setting and do not properly convey Christian knowledge and sentiments. For instance, the name of the Father, which is characteristic of Christianity, is not known to them. Hence, eternal life is not known. Moreover, the knowledge of Christ’s finished work is not known, nor is the believer’s acceptance in Christ before God through the indwelling Spirit. The Old Testament Psalms do not portray the feelings of one who has a purged conscience and knows peace with God. Consequently, they are composed with an element of fear of the judgment of God, even though they have faith. Furthermore, the hope in the Psalms is not heaven, but to live on earth in the kingdom of Israel’s Messiah. The worship is also of a Jewish order in an earthly temple; the place of a Christian worshipping within the veil is entirely unknown. The cry in many of the prayers in the Psalms is for vengeance on their enemies, which is not the attitude of a Christian who blesses those who curse him and prays for those who despitefully use him. The Old Testament Psalms are not to be read as giving expression to normal Christian thoughts and experiences. We can read them to gain an understanding of the circumstances of the Jewish remnant in the coming Tribulation, and we can also gather God’s moral principles from them, which are applicable to saints of all ages.
“Hymns” are compositions that express worship and address God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ directly. These may take the form of prayers.
“Spiritual songs” are compositions that contain spiritual truths in accord with the Christian revelation by which we are instructed and exhorted in the Christian pathway. They may be in the form of “teaching” us some aspect of the truth, or “admonishing” us as to some practical point of Christian living (Col. 3:1616Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. (Colossians 3:16)).
Being “filled with the Spirit” will not only be evidenced in Christians “singing and making melody” with their hearts (vs. 19), but also in “giving thanks” in all circumstances in which they find themselves (vs. 20). It will also manifest itself in happily “submitting” to one another and walking together in unity (vs. 21).
A Threefold Evidence of Being Filled With the Holy Spirit
We have a joyful spirit in the “Lord” (vs. 19).
We have a thankful spirit to “God the Father” (vs. 20).
We have a submissive spirit to “one another” (vs. 21).
In conclusion, if we are to manifest a character change in our lives, we must have the two things that Paul mentions at the beginning and end of this section. We need to be “taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus” (chap. 4:21) and be “filled with the Spirit” (chap. 5:18). In other words, we are to have the perfect life of the Lord Jesus before our souls as our model and walk in the power of the ungrieved Spirit of God (chap. 4:30). The first concerns the need for having a right object for our hearts and the second is in regard to having a moral exercise to walk in the Spirit.