Ephesians 5:15–20 . . .

“Walking Wisely by the Spirit’s Power”

In last week’s enlightening study titled “Walking and Living in the Light” (5:7–14; see our previous study), Paul continued his exposition of our need to walk in the light of Christ and please God, making it plain that living apart from darkness doesn’t mean withdrawing completely from the world. Instead, our walking as children of the light means never engaging in the sins of the unbelieving culture as we love and relate to sinners around us. The apostle revealed how God wants us to walk and live as children of Jesus’ Light in this dark world.

In this passage, we come to the final description of a Christian’s walk: In 4:1–16, Paul calls us to walk in a manner worthy of our calling; in 4:17–32, he calls us to walk in a way that differs dramatically from our walk as Gentile pagans; in 5:1–6, he urges us to walk in love, while in 5:7–14, we’re instructed to walk as children of light; finally, in 5:15 through 6:9, we’re called upon to walk as those who are wise. The overriding command of this section is recorded in v. 15, and repeated twice in v. 17 and v. 18.

Each of the next three commands to walk wisely has a corresponding contrasting command: not to walk unwisely. These are variations of Paul’s command: to walk wise and carefully.

Paul’s First Command (5:15–16)

The apostle opens by giving his readers his first command. Here, and earlier in this letter, Paul seldom gives a command without also giving a corresponding prohibition. And so his signature instruction is given to us in the “not … but” format.

Paul starts today’s six-verse passage with a wise directive: “Be very careful, then, how you live.” Because the Light of Jesus has been given to us, we must walk and live wisely, not as fools do. Thankfully, Paul proposes a goal in v. 16, as well as an objective for Christians to live. The goal is to embrace and fulfill our covenant relationship with God and one another. The objective, which becomes clear in succeeding verses, appears that we’re to have a clear understanding of what it means to “Be very careful” in the world, striving to make our walk become, as a Christian community member, an enlightening witness to the world’s members.

The important word in v.15a is“then,” referring to what God is saying through Paul in the preceding verses: 5:8–10. We Christians were once in darkness; but because of Jesus and what he accomplished, we now live in his Light. As a result, we’re to bring to light — expose — the deeds of darkness in our fatalistic despairing world, confessing our sins to God and fleeing from them. A person who walks very carefully is one who’s prudent, watchful, and circumspect, always trying to avoid error, sinfulness, or danger. Our careful walk in the world, on the job, in church, and at home, may be the reason others feel compelled to come to Christ and seek salvation. So long as the Spirit of Jesus controls our lives, we can display its fruit. Walking very carefully allows the life and Light of Christ to reflect through us onto others.

Following in v. 15b, the term “not as unwise but as wise” is used by the apostle. Having emphasized the contrast between light and darkness, Paul now contrasts wisdom and foolishness. He wants us to understand that the Lord’s will is about our being wise. The fool is wise in his own eyes and first trusts himself. But the wise person has the mark of wisdom, which is knowing God and living according to his revealed ways. The fool, for example, will lie in order to make gains, thinking that lying is a clever means to protect himself and get ahead. The wise person knows that God forbids lying and that trusting God is the best way to achieve God’s ends; with such knowledge and trust in God, he’s able to determine his will for specific situations. So, understanding what the Lord’s will is about realizing how God wants us to make life’s daily decisions.

Making the most profitable use of our time demonstrates to unbelievers our commitment to fulfill God’s purpose for us. We’re to seize the moment, “making the most of every opportunity” for Jesus’ glory! The foolish person has no strategy for life and misses opportunities to live for God in an evil environment. When viewing the world’s state of affairs today, it behooves us to be wise and continually abstain from evil. It takes wisdom to recognize what’s evil. Those who are lost are inclined to be oblivious — morally numb — to the rightness and wrongness of the world in which they live.

Paul’s Second Command (5:17)

Becoming wise so we can avoid the day’s evils requires us Christians to study (not simply read) God’s Word and continue to ask his will. We must awaken ourselves spiritually so we’ll be able to successfully respond to people’s needs and see that our ministry efforts are effective. To fail to know and to do God’s will is foolish.

Paul referred to "foolish" actions and talk in 5:4. Here in v. 17, he reminds us that foolishness contradicts God’s desire for our lives. The foolish not only miss opportunities to make wise use of time, they have a more fundamental problem: not understanding what God’s purposes are for mankind and for Christians. His purposes are a basic theme in this epistle: Review 1:1,5,9,11, and 6:6. Further, Paul was well acquainted with those proverbs that frequently noted the negatives associated with foolishness (Proverbs 10:1; 14:17; 15:20; 17:25; 19:13; 21:20; 30:32). The wording here in v. 17 is stronger than in v. 15. Those who are wise refrain from foolish living. Paul instead urged readers to recognize God’s will.

To “understand what the Lord’s will is” becomes the defining moment for being wise. Doing the will of God amounts to acting wisely using sound reasoning, as directed by the Spirit of Jesus and the Word of God. Christians are to know and to do God’s will. We must not “personalize” his will according to our preferences, thereby seeing God’s will has being more like “God’s will for my life.” Herein, “the Lord’s will” is Father God’s eternal plan, which Paul has outlined for us in chapters 1 through 3. If we’re to be wise instead of foolish, we must be ingenious and insightful as we follow God’s plans and purposes found throughout the Scriptures. We’re also to base every decision of ours on his eternal plan.

It was by God’s will alone that Paul saw himself as an apostle of Jesus. All believers are adopted as sons and disciples of Jesus by his will (1:5). His revelation contains the clear will of God. Those who study his Word become familiar with his perspective on life’s issues (2 Timothy 3:16). Further, prayer and the wise words of other mature believers can assist us. Such tools help us better determine specific applications of God’s will for many areas of our life. When we turn from foolishness, we can focus much more clearly on understanding God’s desires for our lives.

Paul’s Third Command (5:18–20)

We’ll now see Paul’s third command to walk carefully and wisely as one who is filled with the Spirit of Jesus. In it he contrasts the filling with the Spirit with drunkenness, which results in debauchery (a.k.a. dissipation, decadence, depravity). As a contrast, the filling of the Spirit is fruitful, beneficial, edifying.

Note that Pail associates drunkenness with being filled with the Holy Spirit (v. 18). There’s something in common with both conditions that enables Paul to make this contrast: that one person can be under an influence that affects him, whether of wine or of the Spirit. When he speaks here of being filled with the Spirit, he means to be under God’s control. The effect of this control is a happy, mutual encouragement to praise God and a healthy, mutual relationship with people.

A person who becomes drunk is under the influence of alcohol while a Spirit-filled Christian is under the authority and power of the Holy Spirit. But here the comparison ends and the contrast begins. The lustful contrast to being filled with the Holy Spirit is being drunk. The Bible condemns drunkenness without reservation!

Some people in Paul’s day believed that they could enter the spirit world through drunkenness. To contact a spirit or a dead ancestor, all that would have been needed was to get drunk. The Greeks even had a god of wine called Dionysus; they believed that when one got drunk, this wine god would come and inspire or possess the drunkard, causing him or her to do and say certain uncontrollable things. Paul tells us in v. 18b that a Holy-Spirit-filled life isn’t gained through such an approach. He does so using the word “Instead” (v. 18b).

What command does the apostle Paul give to Christians in v. 18a? Don’t get drunk! A Christian’s life isn’t to be lived under the intoxicating influences of the world (Proverb 20:1; 23:29–33). On the contrary, it’s to be controlled by the Holy Spirit and filled with his indwelt presence. Just so you know, the issue of “drinking” isn’t what Paul is addressing. Nowhere in the Bible are we told “Don”t drink.” What happens, therefore, is that each of us develops personal convictions and opinions about what’s forbidden and what’s permissible.

What’s the result of drunkenness? “Drunkenness leads to “debauchery,” which is a sinful state having all moral restraints cast aside. A person who yields to debauchery allows free rein on his sinful passions. The key to understanding this is found by realizing the meanings of “drunk” and “debauchery,” which comes from the Greek word asotia; from that word we sometimes call a drunkard a “sot.” It means reckless, riotous living that’s out of control. [†  Does the Bible permit a believer to drink wine? Find Warren's Scripture-based answer here.]

Why contrast drunkenness with the Spirit? In v. 18b, Paul contrasts the effect of the Holy Spirit with the state of drunkenness. Pastor and Bible teacher David Guzik compares the two: “Alcohol is a depressant. It ‘loosens’ people because it depresses their self-control, wisdom, balance, and judgment. The Holy Spirit has an exact opposite effect. The Spirit is a stimulant. He moves every aspect of our being to a better and more perfect performance.”^[1]

How does Paul describe the Spirit-filled life in vv. 19–20? Paul expresses the Spirit-filled life in the following terms: (a) Speaking to each other with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, encouraging and comforting one another while exhorting them by means of God’s Word; (b) singing and praising the Lord from the heart, rejoicing in his presence and fellowship; and (c) always thanking Father God in Jesus’ name for everything, accepting his will, recognizing his sovereign control, and trusting his fatherly care, wisdom, and goodness. This variety suggests that God delights in creative, spontaneous worship.

Give thanks!  One filled with the Spirit is also filled with thanksgiving. A complaining heart and the Holy Spirit just don’t associate with one another. Charles Spurgeon (1834–1892), nicknamed “The Prince of Preachers,” spoke these words in one of his 3,500 sermons: “Every hour, yea, every moment has brought a favor upon its wings. Look downward and give thanks, for you are saved from hell; look on the right hand and give thanks, for you are enriched with gracious gifts; look on the left hand and give thanks, for you are shielded from deadly ills; look above you and give thanks, for heaven awaits you.”

Summary Conclusion

Paul has in these six verses exhorted Christians to walk as wise followers of God’s Word and will. He’s repeated this command in three different ways, attempting to demonstrate what’s needed when walking as a wise person. He’s also provided us with three displays of the Spirit that each bears witness to Jesus’ presence and control in a Christian’s life. Walking wisely involves thought, consideration, prioritization, and planning. It’s all about disciplined living as a result of making smart God-honoring choices. It’s in Christ, and in him only, that true wisdom is found.

Our understanding of the value and importance of a day’s every moment is essential. Paul instructs us to take advantage of every opportunity the Lord gives us. Father God is the One who opens doors for us to serve him in a variety of ways. But, if we neglect these opportunities, there’s no guarantee that we’ll have a second chance. That’s why we must realize how we’re using our time. Are we wasting it? Or are we making the most of every opportunity according to God’s will?

To consciously yield to the Spirit we must remember that we’re “under new management” — no longer slaves of sin but set free and now slaves to righteous living. When Paul wrote that the Ephesians shouldn’t get drunk, but “be filled with the Holy Spirit (v. 18), he echoed the same theme: Yield to the Holy Spirit; consciously and continually give him control of every area of your life. Living in step with the Spirit is taking the path to life and peace — temporarily on earth, forever in heaven.

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