Bible Gateway passage: Ephesians 6 - New International Version (2024)

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Listen to Ephesians 6

6Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.^(A) ²“Honor your father and mother”—which is the first commandment with a promise— ³“so that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth.”^[a]^(B)

⁴Fathers,^[b] do not exasperate your children;^(C) instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.^(D)

⁵Slaves, obey your earthly masters with respect^(E) and fear, and with sincerity of heart,^(F) just as you would obey Christ.^(G) ⁶Obey them not only to win their favor when their eye is on you, but as slaves of Christ,^(H) doing the will of God from your heart. ⁷Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not people,^(I) ⁸because you know that the Lord will reward each one for whatever good they do,^(J) whether they are slave or free.

⁹And masters, treat your slaves in the same way. Do not threaten them, since you know that he who is both their Master and yours^(K) is in heaven, and there is no favoritism^(L) with him.

The Armor of God

¹⁰Finally, be strong in the Lord^(M) and in his mighty power.^(N) ¹¹Put on the full armor of God,^(O) so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. ¹²For our struggle is not against flesh and blood,^(P) but against the rulers, against the authorities,^(Q) against the powers^(R) of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.^(S) ¹³Therefore put on the full armor of God,^(T) so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. ¹⁴Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist,^(U) with the breastplate of righteousness in place,^(V) ¹⁵and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.^(W) ¹⁶In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith,^(X) with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.^(Y) ¹⁷Take the helmet of salvation^(Z) and the sword of the Spirit,^(AA) which is the word of God.^(AB)

¹⁸And pray in the Spirit^(AC) on all occasions^(AD) with all kinds of prayers and requests.^(AE) With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying^(AF) for all the Lord’s people. ¹⁹Pray also for me,^(AG) that whenever I speak, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly^(AH) make known the mystery^(AI) of the gospel, ²⁰for which I am an ambassador^(AJ) in chains.^(AK) Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should.

Final Greetings

²¹Tychicus,^(AL) the dear brother and faithful servant in the Lord, will tell you everything, so that you also may know how I am and what I am doing. ²²I am sending him to you for this very purpose, that you may know how we are,^(AM) and that he may encourage you.^(AN)

²³Peace^(AO) to the brothers and sisters,^[c] and love with faith from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. ²⁴Grace to all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with an undying love.^[d]

Footnotes

Ephesians 6:3 Deut. 5:16
Ephesians 6:4 Or Parents
Ephesians 6:23 The Greek word for brothers and sisters (adelphoi) refers here to believers, both men and women, as part of God’s family.
Ephesians 6:24 Or Grace and immortality to all who love our Lord Jesus Christ.

Cross references

Ephesians 6:1 : Pr 6:20; Col 3:20
Ephesians 6:3 : Ex 20:12; Dt 5:16
Ephesians 6:4 : Col 3:21
Ephesians 6:4 : Ge 18:19; Dt 6:7; Pr 13:24; 22:6
Ephesians 6:5 : 1Ti 6:1; Tit 2:9; 1Pe 2:18
Ephesians 6:5 : Col 3:22
Ephesians 6:5 : Eph 5:22
Ephesians 6:6 : S Ro 6:22
Ephesians 6:7 : Col 3:23
Ephesians 6:8 : S Mt 16:27; Col 3:24
Ephesians 6:9 : Job 31:13, 14
Ephesians 6:9 : S Ac 10:34
Ephesians 6:10 : 2Sa 10:12; Ps 27:14; Hag 2:4; 1Co 16:13; 2Ti 2:1
Ephesians 6:10 : Eph 1:19
Ephesians 6:11 : ver 13; Ro 13:12; 1Th 5:8
Ephesians 6:12 : 1Co 15:50; Heb 2:14
Ephesians 6:12 : Eph 1:21; 3:10
Ephesians 6:12 : Ro 8:38
Ephesians 6:12 : S Eph 1:3
Ephesians 6:13 : ver 11; S 2Co 6:7
Ephesians 6:14 : Isa 11:5
Ephesians 6:14 : Ps 132:9; Isa 59:17; 1Th 5:8
Ephesians 6:15 : Isa 52:7; Ro 10:15
Ephesians 6:16 : 1Jn 5:4
Ephesians 6:16 : S Mt 5:37
Ephesians 6:17 : Isa 59:17
Ephesians 6:17 : Isa 49:2
Ephesians 6:17 : S Heb 4:12
Ephesians 6:18 : Ro 8:26, 27
Ephesians 6:18 : S Lk 18:1
Ephesians 6:18 : Mt 26:41; Php 1:4; 4:6
Ephesians 6:18 : S Ac 1:14; Col 1:3
Ephesians 6:19 : S 1Th 5:25
Ephesians 6:19 : S Ac 4:29
Ephesians 6:19 : S Ro 16:25
Ephesians 6:20 : 2Co 5:20
Ephesians 6:20 : S Ac 21:33
Ephesians 6:21 : S Ac 20:4
Ephesians 6:22 : Col 4:7-9
Ephesians 6:22 : Col 2:2; 4:8
Ephesians 6:23 : Gal 6:16; 2Th 3:16; 1Pe 5:14

FAQs

What is the main message of Ephesians 6? ›

Servants are to obey their masters with a sincere heart as if serving the Lord (Ephesians 6:5–7). Whatever good they do will be received back (Ephesians 6:8). Masters are to treat their servants in the same way and not threaten them.

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What is Ephesians 6 1 NIV? ›

Ephesians 6 1

Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. "that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth." Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.

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What is the Bible verse Ephesians 6 18? ›

In Ephesians 6:18 we read the following words, "With every prayer and request, pray at all times in the Spirit, and stay alert in this, with all perseverance and intercession for all the saints" (HCSB). This is one of the Bible's amazing verses on prayer.

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What Bible verse is "The armor of God"? ›

The full quotation is from Paul the Apostle's Epistle to the Ephesians 6:10–18, in the King James Bible: (10) Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. (11) Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.

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What is the key verse in Ephesians 6? ›

1Children, obey your parents because you belong to the Lord, for this is the right thing to do. 2“Honor your father and mother.” This is the first commandment with a promise: 3If you honor your father and mother, “things will go well for you, and you will have a long life on the earth.”

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What is the moral lesson of Ephesians? ›

Trust in God

Trusting in God's providence is one of the central themes in the book of Ephesians, and Ephesians 6:10-20 provides a beautifully vivid metaphor to encourage us.

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Who do you need to obey in Ephesians 6 1? ›

ESV Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. NIV Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. NASB Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.

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What is Ephesians telling us? ›

There are three main themes of Ephesians: (1) Christ has reconciled all creation to himself and to God; (2) Christ has united people from all nations to himself and to one another in his church; and (3) Christians must live as new people.

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What is the full armor of God prayer in Ephesians 6? ›

Protect me with every piece of Your armour. Father, help me fasten Your belt of truth around my waist (Ephesians 6:14). No matter the lies and deceptions thrown at me, I know Your unchanging Truth will always prevail. I pray You will protect me from being misled by worldly trickery and evil falsehoods.

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What does it mean to pray in the Spirit in Ephesians 6? ›

First, believers are to pray "in the Spirit." Our prayers are not merely our thoughts or about our desires, but are to be done in submission to God. Next, we are to "keep alert." While we may not be literally praying every waking second, there is never a good time to set prayer aside.

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What is the meaning of Ephesians 6:19? ›

His goal was not personal comfort, but effective ability to evangelize those around him. Notice also that his prayer to share the gospel included a request for the right words to share. We are to share our faith through our actions, yet are also called to share our faith with our words.

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What is Ephesians 6 in simple English? ›

1 You who are children, obey your parents. Because you belong to the Lord , that is the right thing to do. 2 God's Law says: 'Always respect your father and your mother. ' That is the first rule of God's Law that also has a promise.