Ephesians 6:13

 

 

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Ephesians 6:13 Therefore *, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. (NASB: Lockman)

Greek: dia touto analabete (2PAAM) ten panoplian tou theou, hina dunethete (2PAPS) antistenai (AAN) en te hemera te ponera kai apanta katergasamenoi (AMPMPN) stenai. (AAN)
Amplified: Therefore put on God’s complete armor, that you may be able to resist and stand your ground on the evil day [of danger], and, having done all [the crisis demands], to stand [firmly in your place]. (Amplified Bible - Lockman)
NLT:  Use every piece of God's armor to resist the enemy in the time of evil, so that after the battle you will still be standing firm. (NLT - Tyndale House)
Phillips:  Therefore you must wear the whole armour of God that you may be able to resist evil in its day of power, and that even when you have fought to a standstill you may still stand your ground. (
Phillips: Touchstone)
Wuest: On this account, take to yourself, at once and once for all, the complete armor of God in order that you may be able to resist in the day, the pernicious day, and having achieved all things, to stand. (
Erdmans
Young's Literal: because of this take ye up the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to resist in the day of the evil, and all things having done -- to stand.

REFERENCES

Albert Barnes
Wayne Barber
J M Boice
John Calvin
Thomas Constable
Bob Deffinbaugh
Explore the Bible
David Guzik
S Lewis Johnson
Alexander Maclaren
John Piper
A T Robertson
Ray Stedman
Ray Stedman
Ray Stedman
Ray Stedman
Ray Stedman
Marvin Vincent
Precept Ministries

Ephesians 6
Ephesians 6:12-13: Spiritual Warfare - 6

Ephesians 6 Spiritual Warfare (Audio)

Ephesians 6
Ephesians Expository Notes

Ephesians 6:10-13 spiritual Warfare

Ephesians 6:10-24: Use God’s Full Armor
Ephesians 6

Ephesians 6:10-24 The Christian's Conflict-Audio or Pdf
Ephesians 6:13 The Panoply of God
Ephesians 6:10-20 Ready to Move w Gospel of Peace

Ephesians 6 
Ephesians 6:10-13: Beginning The Battle

Ephesians 6:10-13: Strategy Of Satan

Ephesians 6:10-13: Tactics Of Terror

Ephesians 6:10-18: Defense Against Defeat-Pt2

Ephesians 6:10-20: The Infallible Posture

Ephesians 6
Ephesians Lesson 1 - 37 pages PDF

THEREFORE, TAKE UP THE FULL ARMOR OF GOD: dia touto analabete (2PAAM) ten panoplian tou theou: (11-17; 2 Corinthians 10:4)

Therefore (1223) (dia) in this case serves as a marker of of something constituting cause thus  indicating a reason -- on account of, because of, for the sake of .

Fight, though thy foes increase; fight, till the dawn of peace;
Fight, till the war shall cease, then shout and sing.
Shout, then triumphantly, shout, shout the victory;
Shout, “Glory be to Thee, O Lord, our King! (
Play)

Take up (353) (analambano from ana = up + lambano = take) means literally to take up, to assume. Depending on the context analambano can mean to cause to go up, to lift up and carry away as in the Ascension of Christ (Acts 1:2, 11, 22), to take up in order to carry (Acts 7:43, Eph 6:13, 16), to pick up (someone to take along on a journey - 2Ti 4:11), to take aboard a ship (Acts 20:13, 14).

Paul like a military general to his troops commands the believers to take up their armor. The aorist imperative conveys a sense of urgency and demands that one take decisive action. Do this now! Don't delay!  So when the battle is the most fierce, the soldier of Christ may still be able to hold his or her position even against the most determined attacks.

Wuest adds that analambano means to...

 “to take up” in order to use, “to take to one’s self,” thus, “take up” as one takes up armor to put it on. The verb is aorist imperative, which construction issues a command given with military snap and curtness, a command to be obeyed at once and once for all. Thus, the Christian is to take up and put on all the armor of God as a once-for-all act and keep that armor on during the entire course of his life, not relaxing the discipline necessary for the constant use of such protection. (Wuest, K. S. Wuest's Word Studies from the Greek New Testament: Eerdmans)

Analambano is used 69 times in the Septuagint (LXX) (Gen. 24:61; 45:19, 27; 46:5f; 48:1; 50:13; Exod. 4:20; 10:13, 19; 12:32, 34; 19:4; 28:12; Num. 14:1; 23:7, 18; 24:3, 15, 20f, 23; Deut. 1:41; 32:11; 2 Ki. 2:9ff; 2 Chr. 25:28; Est. 5:1; Job 13:14; 17:9; 21:12; 22:22; 27:21; 36:3; 40:10; Ps. 50:16; 72:3; 78:70; 139:9; 146:9; 147:6; Isa. 40:24; 46:4; 63:9; Jer. 4:6; 7:29; 13:20; 46:3; Lam. 3:41; 5:13; Ezek. 2:2; 3:12, 14; 8:3; 10:19; 11:1, 24; 12:6f; 16:61; 43:5; Dan. 2:5; 4:34; Hos. 11:3; Amos 5:26; 7:15; Zech. 5:9)

TDNT notes that analambano in the LXX has such senses as

“to load,” “to set on the feet,” “to raise” (a song), “to lift up” (in prayer), “to receive” (instruction), and “to keep upright.” It can also become a term for rapture. (Kittel, G., Friedrich, G., & Bromiley, G. W.  Theological Dictionary of the New Testament. Eerdmans)

Analambano is used 13 times in the NT...

Mark 16:19 So then, when the Lord Jesus had spoken to them, He was received up into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God.

Acts 1:2 until the day when He was taken up, after He had by the Holy Spirit given orders to the apostles whom He had chosen....11 and they also said, "Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the sky? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in just the same way as you have watched Him go into heaven."...22 beginning with the baptism of John, until the day that He was taken up from us-- one of these should become a witness with us of His resurrection."

Acts 7:43 'You also took along the tabernacle of Moloch and the star of the god Rompha, the images which you made to worship them. I also will remove you beyond Babylon.'

Acts 10:16 And this happened three times; and immediately the object was taken up into the sky.

Acts 20:13 But we, going ahead to the ship, set sail for Assos, intending from there to take Paul on board; for thus he had arranged it, intending himself to go by land 14 And when he met us at Assos, we took him on board and came to Mitylene.

Acts 23:31 So the soldiers, in accordance with their orders, took Paul and brought him by night to Antipatris.

Ephesians 6:13 Therefore, take up the full armor of God, that you may be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm.

Ephesians 6:16 in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming missiles of the evil one.

1 Timothy 3:16 And by common confession great is the mystery of godliness: He who was revealed in the flesh, Was vindicated in the Spirit, Beheld by angels, Proclaimed among the nations, Believed on in the world, Taken up in glory.

2 Timothy 4:11 Only Luke is with me. Pick up Mark and bring him with you, for he is useful to me for service.

Ray Stedman illustrates the importance of full armor in warfare...

BRITISH ADMIRAL LORD DAVID BEATTY commanded a flotilla at the Battle of Jutland during World War I. As the battle began, British and German ships engaged each other in a long-range artillery battle. It quickly became apparent that there was a major flaw in the British ships. First, a heavy cruiser, the Lion, was hit by an artillery barrage and quickly sunk. Next the Indefatigable was hit in the powder magazine, and was blown to pieces. Then the Queen Mary was sunk, taking a crew of 1,200 sailors straight to the bottom. Watching this destruction among the proud ships of his fleet, Admiral Beatty turned to his bridge officer and said with characteristic British restraint,

"There seems to be something wrong with our ships today, Chatfield."

Though the British ships eventually turned back the German fleet, it was later discovered that there was a fatal flaw in the design of the British ships. Though they had heavily armored hulls, their wooden decks offered almost no protection against enemy long-range artillery shells that dropped almost straight down out of the sky. Only after the British began to armor their ships on top as well as on the sides did they stop losing ships to German long-range artillery.  Effective armor is a crucial element of victory in any war including spiritual warfare...If you leave anything unprotected, the enemy will find a way to exploit that chink in your armor and he will destroy you. In Ephesians 6, Paul calls us to "be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power." How do we do this? How do we become strong in the Lord as Paul exhorts us to? By putting on "the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes." And note that word full. We cannot merely put on this or that piece of God's armor in some random or incomplete fashion. We cannot leave any part of ourselves uncovered and unprotected. We cannot give our enemy any little opening, or he will exploit that opening to his advantage. (Ray Stedman. Spiritual Warfare - Available online and highly recommended!) (Bolding added)

Full armor (3833)(panoplia from pás = all, every + hoplon = weapon, originally any tool or implement for preparing a thing, became used in the plural for weapons of warfare) is literally wholly armed and refers to the complete set of instruments used in offensive and defensive war. The literal meaning referred to the full preparation of a foot soldier for offense and defense - the complete suit of armor. Certainly Paul could claim knowledge of the Roman soldier’s armor, being chained to one for some three years.

Don't miss the qualifying phrase "of God". It is His armor, not ours. He provides the full armor, but believers must recognize the battle and implement God’s sufficient provision by faith and obedience. Trust and obey...there is no other way to be happy in Jesus, than to trust and obey!

Vincent commenting on full armor writes that there is...

An interesting parallel passage, evidently founded upon this, in Ignatius’ Epistle to Polycarp, vi.

“Please the captain under whom ye serve, from whom also ye shall receive your wages. Let no one of you be found a deserter. Let your baptism abide as your shield; your faith as your helmets; your love as your spear; your patience as your whole armor. Let your good works be your savings (the deposita), that you may receive what is justly to your credit.”

Gibbon relates how the relaxation of discipline and the disuse of exercise rendered the (Roman) soldiers less willing and less able to support the fatigues of the service. They complained of the weight of their armor, and successively obtained permission to lay aside their cuirasses and helmets (Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire - chapter 27). (Vincent, M. R. Word Studies in the New Testament)

God has supplied the complete armor, but He expects the Christian to put it on. We need the divine equipment in its completeness, without the lack of any single part. God has not sent us out into battle without everything we need at our disposal. However, there is no armor for the back -- we are expected to face our foe!

This Greek word gives us our English word, panoply, which refers to a full suit of armor; ceremonial attire; something forming a protective covering; a magnificent or impressive array; display of all appropriate appurtenances.

TDNT writes that...

The soldier's equipment remains much the same for centuries but with minor variations, e.g., in the size of shields or the weight of armor. The Roman legionary carries a lance or spear, a shield, javelins, helmet, and breastplate of coat of mail. In the OT we read of shields, helmets, armor, shoes, spears, bows and arrows, and slings...  The word is used only figuratively in the NT. (Kittel, G., Friedrich, G., & Bromiley, G. W.  Theological Dictionary of the New Testament. Eerdmans)

Puritan Thomas Brooks alluded to the full armor when he wrote that...

Christ, the Scripture, your own hearts, and Satan’s devices, are the four prime things that should be first and most studied and searched. If any cast off the study of these, they cannot be safe here, nor happy hereafter. It is my work as a Christian, but much more as I am a Watchman, to do my best to discover the fullness of Christ, the emptiness of the creature, and the snares of the great deceiver....

SO THAT YOU WILL BE ABLE TO RESIST: hina dunethete (2PAPS) antistenai (AAN): (Eph 5:6,16; Ecclesiastes 12:1; Amos 6:3; Luke 8:13; Revelation 3:10)

So that (2443) (hina) introduces a purpose clause, the reason we are to take up the full armor is now explained.

Will be able (1410) (dunamai - see study of related word dunamis) means to have power by virtue of inherent ability and resources.  Note the passive voice which indicates that this is an internal enablement provided by an outside source, the Spirit of God. The tense is aorist so Paul is saying that we will be enabled to effectively resist.

Notice that Paul uses dunamai three times in this short treatise on spiritual warfare and each time it is in the passive voice indicating an external source of enablement to which the believer must be willing to yield and receive from the Holy Spirit!  (See notes Ephesians 6:11, 6:13; 6:16) In other words, attitudes such as self confidence, self sufficiency and self assurance, etc, have to be cast off like filthy garments of unrighteousness if we are to receive the necessary divine empowerment God graciously makes available.

Evil (4190) (poneros from pónos = labor, sorrow, pain) refers to evil and means active evil in opposition to good. When Satan is referred to as the "Evil One", the NT writers chose poneros rather than kakos, this latter word basically denoting a lack of something (it is not as it ought to be and thus is bad) but also used to refer evil in a moral sense.

Day (2250) (hemera) is literally the time space between dawn and dark or the whole 24 hours. In the present context, day refers more to a point or period of time.

Wuest writes that...

The definite article before “day,” marks it out as a particular day, probably, as Expositors says, “the day of violent temptation and assault, whenever that may come to us during the present time.” (Wuest, K. S. Wuest's Word Studies from the Greek New Testament: Eerdmans)

Resist (436) (anthistemi from anti = against + histemi = stand) means literally to stand or set against. It means to arrange in battle against and so pictures a face to face confrontation. It means to set one's self against, to stand firm against someone else's onset, to oppose (place opposite or against), to resist by actively opposing pressure or power, to withstand (oppose with firm determination). It involves not only a psychological attitude but also a corresponding behavior. It was used to refer to an army arranging in battle against the enemy force and so to array against.

Anthistemi suggests vigorously opposing, bravely resisting, standing face-to-face against an adversary, holding your ground. As a medical student I learned that antihistamines (derived from "anthistemi") block or antagonize histamine, and in the same way anthistemi tells us that with the authority and spiritual weapons granted to us we can stand against all evil forces. Note carefully that Paul does not say for us to hunt down or to actively pursue our spiritual enemies (don't worry...they will find us!), but to remain steadfast and immovable girded in the full armor of God in the face of persistent attack.

Wuest writes that anthistemi means

"means “to withstand, to be firm against someone else’s onset” rather than “to strive against that one.” The Christian would do well to remember that he cannot fight the devil. The latter was originally the most powerful and wise angel God created. He still retains much of that power and wisdom as a glance down the pages of history and a look about one today will easily show. While the Christian cannot take the offensive against Satan, yet he can stand his ground in the face of his attacks. Cowardice never wins against Satan, only courage."  (Wuest, K. S. Wuest's Word Studies from the Greek New Testament: Eerdmans)

Grant Richison makes the important observation that anthistemi...

"is a term of defense, not offense. The Christian must build fortifications against the Devil. The Christian is at war. We should establish bulwarks of faith against our enemy. We resist by obeying the commands of verse eight. We would do well to remember that we cannot fight the Devil in ourselves." (Richison, G: Today's Word)

The Net Bible note states that

"the term anthistemi carries the idea of resisting or opposing something or someone. In Eph 6:13, when used in combination with stēnai ("stand firm") and in a context of battle imagery, it seems to have the idea of resisting, standing firm, and being able to stand your ground." (The NET Bible Notes. Biblical Studies Press)

A Roman centurion, according to Polybius, had to be the kind of man who could be relied upon to resist or stand fast and not give way, even when hard-pressed. So too for the Christian soldier who is called to resist the devil, to forsake the world, and to deny the lusts of the flesh. As discussed elsewhere in these notes, the alert believer must constantly remember that Satan’s desire is to tempt believers to doubt, to deny, to disregard, and to disobey God. So strengthened by the Spirit and clothed with God's full armor, resist him!

Remember also that in spiritual warfare, there is no middle ground and no neutrality (Satan, unlike Hitler, recognizes no "spiritual Switzerland"). To stand with the Lord is to stand against everything sinful and worldly that formerly was appealing, corrupting, and enslaving.

Matthew Henry writes that

"We must not yield to the devil’s allurements and assaults, but oppose them. Satan is said to stand up against us, 1 Chr. 21:1. If he stand up against us, we must stand against him; set up, and keep up, an interest in opposition to the devil. Satan is the wicked one, and his kingdom is the kingdom of sin: to stand against Satan is to strive against sin. That you may be able to withstand in the evil day, in the day of temptation, or of any sore affliction." (Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole Bible) (Bolding added)

Believers are not to fight with one another but stand against their true enemy. Believers also need to guard against an unhealthy, arrogant attitude which says "we're going to whip the devil!"

Paul's call to resist could be paraphrased "hold your ground". The idea of not giving ground in spiritual battle certainly has its counterpart in literal warfare where the opposing sides are dug in, hunkered down and striving not to give an inch. This same idea of not giving ground was alluded to in Ephesians 4 where Paul wrote...

BE ANGRY, AND yet DO NOT SIN; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and do not give the devil an opportunity (topos - see discussion below). (In these two passages, Paul, like a commanding general in the fierceness of battle, barks out 4 commands all in the present imperative and three of these commands are with the negative, a Greek construction which forbids the continuance of an action which was already going on!) (See notes Ephesians 4:26;  4:27)

Paul commands the Ephesian believers to stop sinning (getting angry for the wrong reason, wrong time, wrong attitude, etc), to stop letting the sun go down on their anger and to stop giving the devil an opportunity. Remember that opportunity (topos) was used in Greek to refer to a territory, land, a defined place, an area (“District,” “town,” “dwelling-place”). In short topos can refer to an area of any size depending on the context. As used figuratively here topos refers to a  place, opportunity or occasion. Paul is saying for these believers to stop giving the devil a foothold or base for operations which parallels his instruction here in Ephesians 6:13 to hold their ground and not give an inch of territory to the devil or his minions! Don't make a "spot" for the devil to come sit in your life or between you and another individual, especially your mate! He specializes in driving a wedge between husband and wife (cf Genesis 3:1, 12, 13) and anger is one of his primary vehicles. It is interesting that topos is used in another passage on anger...

Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room (topos) for the wrath of God, for it is written, "VENGEANCE IS MINE, I WILL REPAY," says the Lord. (See note Romans 12:19) (Comment: the divine wrath - leave room for it to work. Do not get in its way, as you will do by taking vengeance into your own hands.)

Even the best motivated anger can sour, and we are therefore to put it aside at the end of the day. Taken to bed, it is likely to give the devil an opportunity to use it for his purposes. Saying this all another way "hold your ground"!

Anthistemi  is used 45 times in the Septuagint (LXX). After Moses died Jehovah Himself spoke to Moses' successor, Joshua, encouraging him with the declaration that

"No man will be able to stand before (LXX = anthistemi = stand against) you all the days of your life. Just as I have been with Moses, I will be with you; I will not fail you or forsake you." (Joshua 1:5)

God made the following promise to Israel is she was obedient to Moses...

"The LORD will cause your enemies who rise up against (LXX = anthistemi = stand against)  you to be defeated before you; they shall come out against you one way and shall flee before you seven ways." (Dt 28:7)

So strengthened in the Lord, "take up the full armor of God" so that when the battle is at its fiercest, you as a good soldier of Christ Jesus, will be able to hold your line against even the most determined enemy assault. In so doing you will find that when the assault passes, it will be found that not an inch of territory has been yielded to the enemy.

Resist means to defend oneself against the devil not to attack him. On the other hand to cower before the devil is to invite sure defeat. Clothed with the garment of a righteous lifestyle and strengthened in the inner man by the Spirit ensures effective resistance to diabolical attacks and procures his flight. On the other hand the believer is instructed (commanded) to flee from various evils...

Flee immorality 1Cor 6:18

Flee from idolatry 1Cor 10:14

Flee from these things [love of money], you man of God 1Ti 6:11

Flee from youthful lusts 2Ti 2:22 (note)

Notice that every use of flee in these passages is in the present imperative and thus is a command to continuously flee. The believer is never instructed to flee from the Devil but to resist him!

Constable adds that

"Whereas God commands us to forsake the world and deny the lusts of the flesh we should resist the devil. Satan’s desire is to get the Christian to doubt, to deny, to disregard, and to disobey what God has said." (Tom Constable's Expository Notes on the Bible)

In a parallel passage James  also uses verb anthistemi calling on believers to...

Submit  (line up under - do it now! It is urgent! = aorist imperative) therefore (because God opposes the proud who refuse to submit but gives grace to the humble who willingly, lovingly yield to Him)  to God. Resist (anthistemi - aorist imperative) = take your stand against) the devil and he will flee from you. (Comment: What a paradox - it is the humble man or woman that Satan will flee from, not the one who is filled with pride! People who believe that the Devil is red believe a religious fairy tale. This passage makes it very clear that the Devil is yellow! The Devil is not afraid of us but of our faith. By depending on the Lord the weakest Christian can not only check the Devil but he can vanquish him. It is amazing that God has given Christians the power to resist the greatest creature ever made! The Devil is mighty but not invincible. Some people act as if the Devil is almighty. This is a sad mistake because it defers to him too much. Furthermore, an attitude of indecision and doubt when facing the devil makes him bold and aggressive in his attacks but confronting him with a resolute will and firm confidence in God's promise (that the enemy must flee) unmasks him as a coward. The devil cannot lead a man or woman into sin without the consent of that person's will. As long as the individual's will is submissive to the control and guidance of the Holy Spirit, that person can stand victorious against any deception and seduction the devil might cast his or her way.)

Warren Wiersbe makes a great point (related to both the previous passages) writing that...

Before we can stand before Satan, we must bow before God. Peter resisted the Lord and ended up submitting to Satan!" (Wiersbe, W: Bible Exposition Commentary. 1989. Victor)

Peter uses anthistemi calling on believers to

Humble (aorist imperative - be willing to bow down to Him) yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time 7 casting all your anxiety upon Him, because He cares for you. 8 Be of sober spirit (aorist imperative), be on the alert (aorist imperative). Your adversary (see word study antídikos), the devil, prowls about like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. 9 But resist (anthistemi - aorist imperative) him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your brethren who are in the world. (See notes  1 Peter 5:6; 5:7; 5:8; 5:9 ) (Comment: Grant Richison writes that "This lion produces a howling or roaring sound. The lion uses his roar to frighten his game. By his roar, he immobilizes his victims. His roar is a weapon. What the Devil cannot accomplish through allurement he tries to achieve through dread. Lions usually range near six hundred pounds, standing four feet high. They run at twenty feet per bound and at about a hundred yards in five seconds. They are totally unpredictable. They will attack for no apparent reason. They have extremely powerful voices. Fear will blunt an aggressive Christian life. A roaring lion intimidates by his roar. The Devil intimidates by fear. He casts fear into weak Christians because that will intimidate them from a life of faith. As a lion in the wild chases a herd of gazelles and runs down the weak of the herd, so the Devil usually catches weak Christians first because he freezes them in fear. Fear incapacitates us from moving ahead with our Christian walk." -- Bolding added. From Today's Word)

Despite the devil's deceptions, accusations, power, hatred and ferocity, we can successfully resist because God commands us to do so and His commands always include His enablement. Be aware that although the devil is a defeated foe, he is also a persistent foe (prowls in  1Peter 5:8 is = continually on the prowl!).  For example, Luke records that

"when the devil had finished every temptation (of Jesus), he departed from Him until an opportune time." (Lu 4:13).

A word of caution is in order in regard to standing and resisting the devil. A believer should never "discuss" things with the Devil or his minions. Eve made this mistake, and paid for it dearly. Take your stand on the Word of Truth and then you will be able to withstand his attacks that come as lying deceptions.

In his first epistle John has several passages that reinforce the truth that the believer can resist the devil

I have written to you, fathers, because you know Him who has been from the beginning. I have written to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome (nikao - come off victorious over) the evil one (the devil and his evil angels). (1Jn 2:14) (Comment: These young men know sound doctrine and so are strong against sin and error because they have His Word in them and are enable to overcome the wiles of the devil, who makes havoc of spiritual children - see note Ephesians 4:14)

You are from God, little children, and have overcome (be victorious over) them; because greater is He who is in you (the Spirit of Christ) than he who is in the world. (the spirit of the devil and his henchmen) (1Jn 4:4). (Comment: The context speaks especially of false doctrine, which the Spirit of God will help the believer discern as error.)

We know that no one who is born of God sins; but He who was born of God keeps him and the evil one does not touch him. (1Jn 5:18) (Comment: The word for "touch" means to lay hold of or to grasp in order to harm. Because the believer belongs to God, Satan must operate within God’s sovereignty and cannot function beyond what God allows, as taught for example in Job 2:5. God protects His children and places definite limits on Satan’s influence or power).

IN THE EVIL DAY: en te hemera te ponera:

King Solomon, apparently a little older and wiser, warned...

Moreover, man does not know his time: like fish caught in a treacherous net, and birds trapped in a snare, so the sons of men are ensnared at an evil time when it suddenly falls on them. (Eccl 9:12)

Paul had already given believers instructions on how we were to live in the evil day. We are to be...

making the most of (redeeming = exagorazo) your time, because the days are evil (poneros = actively harmful and hurtful). (See note Ephesians 5:16)

When is the evil day? Although there is not complete agreement on the meaning of this term, the evil day surely began one day in the garden of Eden when the "Evil One" (Eph 6:16) tempted Adam and Eve and

"through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because  all sinned" (See note Romans 5:12).

And so the "evil day" began the moment sin entered the world. And since God gives no deferments or exemptions from "military service", His people are at war and will continue to be at war until He returns and takes charge of earth. Therefore each day in a believer's life is potentially an evil day in which we face an evil enemy.

Any day when the evil one comes upon us in force is the evil day. Every day of temptation is an evil day in this sense for the Christian. The phrase "the evil day" at least implies that not all days are evil. Some days as we have all experienced are worse than others. There are seasons in our lives when pressures are more intense, and when problems, trials, and temptations seem to gang up on us all at once. Surely these would classify as evil days. This phrase probably does not signify a literal twenty-four-hour day, for it could be a day, a week, or even years in length. But by the mercy and grace of God, thankfully not all of life is a relentless, excruciating trial. So while every day is not an evil day, we have to agree with God's Word when it tells us that, in general, life is an unrelenting struggle. The struggle varies in intensity from time to time, but it extends from the cradle to the grave.

MacDonald adds that

"the evil day probably refers to any time when the enemy comes against us like a flood. Satanic opposition seems to occur in waves, advancing and receding. Even after our Lord’s temptation in the wilderness, the devil left Him for a season (Lu 4:13)." (MacDonald, W & Farstad, A. Believer's Bible Commentary: Thomas Nelson)

How is this evil characterized? Paul says it is "evil" which is Greek poneros which means "malignant" evil that is actively opposed to and corrupting of that which is good. Thus poneros is actively harmful or hurtful. The root word for poneros interestingly conveys the ideas of toil or hard work, implying accompanying pain and distress and signifies the most tense or strenuous effort, e.g., of the soldier in battle, or the exertions of messengers or manual workers.

Bratcher explains that

Here the evil day is the day of combat with the spiritual forces; it is not the last day, the final battle between the forces of God and the forces of evil, but the day, any day, when the Christian has to go into combat against the forces of evil. Beare thinks the word may reflect the language of astrology, which would claim to tell a person when that person’s “evil day” would be. In a number of languages one cannot speak of the evil day, for the day itself is not evil but only the events which take place on such a day are destructive and bad. Therefore the evil day may be rendered as “the day of bad events” or “the day when evil strikes” (The United Bible Societies' New Testament Handbook Series)

Expositor's explains evil day this way...

"The day of evil" is neither a particular juncture like approaching death or the last great satanic outbreak at the end of the age nor the whole of the present age (5:16). It is "when things are at their worst" (NEB)—because of "the devil's schemes" (v. 11). (Gaebelein, F, Editor: Expositor's Bible Commentary 6-Volume New Testament. Zondervan Publishing)

Calvin comments

"By this expression ("evil day") he rouses them from security, bids them prepare themselves for hard, painful, and dangerous conflicts, and, at the same time, animates them with the hope of victory; for amidst the greatest dangers they will be safe."