City Life Starter

Written by Chris Pate

The Word

[11] Therefore remember that at one time you Gentiles in the flesh, called “the uncircumcision” by what is called the circumcision, which is made in the flesh by hands—[12] remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. [13] But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. [14] For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility [15] by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, [16] and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility. [17] And he came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near. [18] For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father. [19] So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, [20] built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, [21] in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. [22] In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.

Ephesians 2:11-22

Analysis

This weeks scripture reading is full of insight and gives us great hope from a world divided by ethnicity, gender, and socio-economic class, to a people now one in Christ. Paul builds from the first ten verses in Ephesians 2 that we looked at previously. Without going verse by verse today, since our great writers will do this throughout the week, let me pull out a strand of thought and worldview Paul brings to us in his understanding of what this gospel has accomplished.

One area we have not been able to hone in on as much in this letter is Paul’s insightful revelation of, as he would call it in verse 2, “following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience.”

This idea that our allegiance and bondage to sin was not just naturalized in us through the flesh, but also controlled in us by a spiritual enemy/enemies, is not a new concept. Paul didn’t come up with this on his own. The Scriptures, from the beginning has spoken on this state we have found ourselves in. Not just sinning and missing the mark, but loving the darkness and needing someone outside ourselves to free us from this someone inside our flesh, which is drawing us to darkness(John 3:19). This deep disease could never have been fixed by the law or doing good and bettering ourselves and our society at large through better societal norms and laws. We needed a new heart and not just more knowledge. Our state, without Jesus, is worse than we ever imagined. There is an evil power outside ourselves that has infected us on the inside, that only a good power outside ourselves can effectively cure and remake us from the inside out.

Paul ties, not only the fall of man in original sin into his understanding of scripture, but also the prince of the power of the air, now ruling and wreaking havoc in us and ruling this world. Without understanding this we can easily turn the gospel message into just a new set of rules instead of entering a new family and a whole new allegiance we have been ushered into. As Paul says in Colossians 1:13 “He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son…”

We need to lay this foundation from scripture when we are talking about being one in Christ and not being separated by gender, ethnicity, or sociology-economic class. We must have this aspect down as well, lest we strive like the world system and try to create oneness on our own through natural education and laws alone. Not to dismiss the need for laws that bring justice, but to make sure we see our gospel as solving the deep issue in the heart of man: ignorant (sometimes deliberate) devotion to the kingdom of darkness. 

Why is this important today you may ask? Because it is so easy to regulate the gospel message to education and intellectual understanding alone without seeing the powers of darkness being destroyed as well. Seeing the whole gospel and not just gospel in parts gives us even more confidence to share it and more appreciation for all Christ did for us. This ties back into Ephesians 1 and Paul’s praise to God and prayer for us to have a continued revelation of the hope of our calling. 

Application

Ok, so that was a lot of information, and you might be asking how does that effect me today? The understanding that there is not only material things bringing division, tempting and drawing me away from a loving God, but also a spiritual enemy who has committed treason and who is at work in this world. This will lay a foundation for future understanding of the application as we will see in later chapters of Ephesians.

For example, Paul will tell us we are not battling against flesh and blood (Ephesians 6:12) and to put on the armor of God (Ephesians 6:13). These become cheap metaphors for long-winded sermons rather than applicable metaphors in which we should faithfully regard. God doesn’t give us “armor” to go to the grocery store, but rather to prepare for the battle that we are actually in. If you don’t know you’re in a battle, you are caught off guard any time there is an attack. Since we have been translated into a kingdom of light we prepare to battle a darkness that does not want to give up any ground. 

This should by no means cause fear in us, but rather to wake us up to the reality at hand in our world. This causes us to pray without ceasing, guard our hearts and minds from the schemes of the adversary, and do all we can to walk in peace with one another in order to fight the temptation of this darkness that drives wedges between us and our neighbor. Division is the greatest tactic of our enemy and unity is the greatest feat of our Savior. 

In fact of all the things Jesus could’ve prayed for on his last day on earth in John 17 he chose unity. “Let them be one, as we are one…” he would pray and we must too. 

So how do we apply this unity and fight this enemy best? Pray for one another, forgive those who have hurt you, and apply this oneness in Christ to yourself daily in word and deed by faith. Resist the enemy and he will flee.

Prayer

God thank You that what happened from the cross to the throne is greater news than I could’ve ever imagined. Give me greater understanding and revelation of You and Your kingdom. Let me be a vessel of peace in a world of chaos and disunity. Thank You for destroying the dividing wall of hostility in the spirit and let me be apart of your kingdom, seeking to make that a continued reality on earth as it is in the heavens. In Jesus mighty name, amen!