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It will be seen that in the context of truth, we have the doctrine in chapter 1: (which
we need to hold faithfully), followed by instructions which affect not only our faith, but
our daily life. We must be sincere, truthful, in our dealings in business and in our social
life, as we speak to our `neighbour'. There are references to "grow up into Him in all
things, which is the Head, even Christ", also to the "fruit of the Spirit", or as translated in
the N.I.V. "the fruit of the light", which follows the injunction of 5: 8 to "walk as
children of light". There are the practical injunctions of putting off the old man, putting
on the new man, and putting away lying, so that we speak truth with our neighbour. This
is practical truth for today.
We find there are eight references to faith in Ephesians which might be in the form of
an introversion, like the structure of the references to Truth. We will however just list the
eight references, and leave the reader to test and seek for the structure himself:
Faith in Ephesians.
"Heard of your faith" (1: 15).
"By grace are ye saved through faith" (2: 8).
"Access . . . . . by the faith of Him" (3: 12).
"That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith" (3: 17).
"One Lord, one faith, one baptism" (4: 5).
"Till we all come in the unity of the faith" (4: 13).
"The shield of faith" (6: 16).
"Peace . . . . . love with faith" (6: 23).
In connection with the "shield of faith" in 6: 16, Charles Welch puts forward the
question, is this a reference to our faith, or the Lord's faithfulness? He then draws
attention to Psa. 91:, as follows:
"He shall cover thee with His feathers, and under His wings shalt thou trust: His truth
shall be thy shield and buckler. Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for
the arrow that flieth by day; nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the
destruction that wasteth at noonday" (Psa. 91: 4-6).
The next pair in the structure of The Sixfold Armour, under B & B, is The
Breastplate--righteousness, and The Helmet of salvation. Charles Welch links these as
"heart" and "head". From a doctrinal aspect, salvation is essential. We were by nature
without Christ, having no hope, and without God in the world. But it is by faith we are
saved. In his book Letters From Prison, page 111, Stuart Allen suggests that the
breastplate of righteousness does refer in the first place to imputed righteousness, but that
it also has practical implications. It refers to righteousness in action. Stuart Allen also
points out that the head stands for thinking and planning, so the helmet of salvation has
doctrinal and practical implications.
The third pair in the structure, C & C, relating to the feet and hands, is "The
Shoes--gospel of peace" and "The Sword--The Word of God". There are four
references to gospel in Ephesians, 1: 13, 3: 6, 6: 15 & 6: 19 and eight references to