# Ephesians Chapter 6
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## Summarrium
Paul speaks again of the appropriate forms for social relationships be they those of parents or children, Servants and Masters. In all cases he implores responsible and honourable living seeking to give sacrificially as Christ first gave for us, without partiality as God has shown no partiality with his children.

Paul instructs the Ephesians to be strong in the Lord putting on the full armour of God to stand against the principalities and powers the spiritual forces of evil that transcend flesh and blood praying continually for all the saints. Paul explains he sends Tychius to report on Paul and ending with a benediction.


## Meditatio
What struck me about this passage is how strength in the Lord is equated with being appropriately equipped. One does not become a concert pianist by accident. We might recall that Paul has in the preceding chapter encouraged the Ephesians to discern and do what is pleasing to God. That this is one of those chapters that reflects the idea that there is a working out to be done by believers[^1].

Often we strive for certainty and indeed a cursory google will provide systematic theologies, conceptual frameworks and all manner of religious structures that purport to have found the way. Yet Jesus claims that he *alone* is the way[^2]. A quote from Dune that recently struck me:

"`Once men turned their thinking over to machines in the hope that this would set them free. But that only permitted other men with machines to enslave them.`"

It struck me given along these lines that we do a similar thing with matters of Faith. We permit others to do our thinking for us. Adopting before we first question motives for doing so or the power we place in their hands. Perhaps one of the snares, one of those '*darts of the evil one*' might be the unbridled control we give to others in the adoption of their ideas; unbridled power to both destroy and undo us.

One of the more interesting points raised by Simone and Malcolm Collins that is worth considering is their aspiration not to create their own religion or to colonise others. But instead to avoid colonization by others and perpetuate a respect of cultural sovereignty[^3]. As the God emperors would go on to say "`Dangers lurk in all systems. Systems incorporate the unexamined beliefs of their creators. Adopt a system, accept its beliefs, and you help strengthen the resistance to change`". 

Resistance to change; herein lies a difficulty. With our preoccupation with the functional utility of Christ and the borderline idolatry of soteriology and mission. Where Christ is reduced from his elevated glory and transformative power to a single event in the life of the believer. Who would now really want the kind of salvation of which David spoke?

[^1]: With the passage in [Philippians 2:12-13](https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Philippians+2%3A12-13&version=ESV) another good example.
[^2]: See [John 14:6](https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John+14%3A6&version=ESV) for example.
[^3]: See the Malcolm's on [Cultural Sovereignty](https://youtube.com/clip/UgkxV56I_wVXyMPzNP1luZwFchLUMPOQk6vL?si=TEZCZ48_My4sU7pZ)