Pastor David Jang’s Meditation on Ephesians 6: From Restored Relationships to Spiritual Victory
Among the engravings of the great German artist Albrecht Dürer, there is a masterpiece titled Knight, Death, and the Devil. In a valley draped in pitch-black darkness, “Death,” holding a skull, thrusts forward an hourglass as if to hurry time along, while a grotesque “Devil” threatens from behind. Yet the knight at the center fixes his gaze straight ahead and silently rides on. He does not tremble, nor does he look left or right. The solid armor that wraps his body, the sword at his waist, and his unwavering eyes are what guard him.
This image sharply reflects the spiritual reality we face today. In a world where visible conflicts and invisible temptations are tangled together, what should a Christian wear—and what should a Christian hold onto as they walk forward? Ephesians 6 is the Apostle Paul’s solemn answer to that question, a strategic manual delivered from heaven. Through his exposition of Ephesians 6, Pastor David Jang (founder of Olivet University) emphasizes that this chapter goes far beyond mere ethical guidance; it is an essential “survival manual” for believers to triumph in the war between earth and heaven.
Heaven’s Order Begins in the Closest Places
Before speaking about grand spiritual warfare, Paul turns his gaze to the most intimate and ordinary spaces: the “home” and the “workplace.” The battlefield is not far away. The relationships we face every day—between parents and children, and between supervisors and employees—are themselves intense spiritual ground.
Pastor David Jang highlights Paul’s declaration about children obeying their parents: “for this is right.” Here, “right” is not simply a social norm. It carries a profound theological insight: it is the order God embedded into the world at creation, and only by aligning with that order can humans enter into a right relationship with the Creator.
The promise of “that it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land” is not a shallow, prosperity-driven guarantee, but points to a state of shalom—wholeness and peace—that comes when spiritual order is properly established. Likewise, parents are told not to provoke their children but to raise them in the discipline and instruction of the Lord; masters and servants are to recognize that they, too, stand before a Master in heaven, abandoning threats and acting faithfully. All of this is an act of acknowledging God’s sovereignty hidden within relationships.
As Pastor David Jang explains, the attitudes we display at home and at work become our confession of faith. When we act not merely for the eyes of people, but with sincerity—“as to Christ”—that genuine heart becomes one of the most powerful weapons that can transform the world.
Armor of Light That Cuts Through Darkness: Firm Comfort
After establishing order in daily life, Paul expands the lens to the spiritual realm. He proclaims that our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against evil spiritual forces, and commands us to “put on the full armor of God.” Just as the knight in Dürer’s engraving passes through the valley of death wearing armor, we, too, need spiritual equipment.
The belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the shoes of the gospel of peace, the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit—these six pieces are not scattered fragments, but a single covering that envelops us in the character of Christ.
Pastor David Jang especially stresses that this full armor is a tool of grace that covers our weakness. When Satan fires arrows of condemnation, the breastplate of righteousness guards the heart. When waves of doubt surge in, the shield of faith extinguishes the flaming arrows. When the world shakes, the gospel of peace steadies our steps. Even in despair, the helmet of salvation protects our minds with hope. And the only offensive weapon—the sword of the Spirit, the Word of God—has the authority to cut down the enemy’s schemes in an instant, just as Jesus did in the wilderness.
In this way, the full armor is not something we manufacture ourselves; it is a gift and protection that God Himself provides and clothes us with.
The Unceasing Breath of Prayer: Marching Toward Victory
Yet even if we wear perfect armor and carry a sharp sword, it becomes useless without the strength to move. That is why, immediately after describing the armor, Paul speaks of prayer: “pray at all times in the Spirit… be alert… always persevere.”
Prayer is to an armored soldier what breathing is to the body; it is the supply line pouring resources onto the battlefield. Pastor David Jang delves deeply into the significance of prayer at this point. Spiritual warfare is not fought by our own strength; it is a delegated battle—one we fight by receiving heaven’s power through prayer.
What is striking is the prayer request Paul makes while in chains. He does not ask for release or personal comfort. Instead, he asks: “that I may declare it boldly,” the mystery of the gospel. Even the despair of imprisonment was, for Paul, the very place where his calling as an “ambassador” for the gospel was carried out. Pastor David Jang says this posture is the spiritual wildness we must recover today. When we move beyond our personal well-being and intercede for the church and for gospel messengers, we no longer fight alone—we win together as a great spiritual army.
At the close of Ephesians, Paul sends comfort through Tychicus and blesses “all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with an undying (unchanging) love.” Ultimately, the driving force behind this entire struggle is steadfast love. Perhaps the reason the knight in Dürer’s engraving could ride forward through the darkness without wavering was that he held faith and love for the fortress he was headed toward.
How is your life today? Are you exhausted by strained relationships or a nameless emptiness? Let us stand again before the mirror of God’s Word and examine ourselves. As in the message of Ephesians that Pastor David Jang proclaims, put on the full armor God has given you—securely. And kneel in prayer. Then, at last, we will become victors who break through darkness and move toward the light. Grace will surely come to those who are prepared—and to those who love to the very end.