Paul’s Prayer for the Saints: Ephesians 1:18—23     

In our last study, we looked at Paul’s thankfulness for these believers in Ephesus and his prayer for them that God “may give to you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him” (Ephesians 1:17). As he elaborates on that prayer, he prays “that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened.”

Paul is praying that God would open the eyes of believers so they might know these three things:

• the hope of God’s calling and the confident expectation that comes from being called by God
• the riches of His glorious inheritance, and how precious and valuable God’s people are to Him
• the surpassing greatness of His power toward believers and the immense, incomparable power that is available to those who believe

Paul then clarifies what that power looks like in action: it is the same mighty strength God demonstrated when He raised Jesus the Messiah from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly realms.

In short, it is a prayer for spiritual perception—that believers would truly see and understand the hope, the inheritance, and the resurrection power that belong to them in Jesus.

In Ephesians 1:21, Paul goes on to say, “far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come”. The four terms mentioned—rule, authority, power, and dominion—refer to types of spiritual forces, both good and evil. In Paul’s time, people feared these spiritual forces greatly. Paul’s point is that the Messiah outranks them all, completely and permanently. The phrase “every name that is named” is a catch-all—whatever title, power, or being one could name or think of, Jesus is above it. You have nothing to be anxious about. This would have been deeply reassuring to believers in Ephesus who lived in a culture saturated with spiritual fear and occult practices.

The phrase in verse 22, “And He put all things in subjection under His feet,” is a quotation connected to Psalm 8:6, which was originally about humanity’s dominion over creation. Here Paul applies it to Messiah Jesus as the true and ultimate human who fulfills what mankind was always meant to be. The term “all things” is without exception. This includes natural creation—the physical world and universe—all the various spiritual powers, including angels, demons, and every cosmic force; and lastly, all human governments and authorities. This is not yet fully visible to the world; Hebrews 2:8 acknowledges, “we do not yet see all things subjected to him.” But it is already positionally and decisively true. The victory has been won, and its full revelation is on the way.

Paul then says, “and gave Him as head over all things to the church” (Ephesians 1:22b). God gave Messiah Jesus headship over all things—not independently of the church, but rather for the church. His authority is a gift granted for the benefit of the church! Paul concludes his prayer in verse 23 with this final statement: “which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.” Paul is saying here that Jesus has chosen to make the church the instrument through which He works and makes Himself known on earth. The church is, in a real sense, Jesus’s hands, feet, and voice in the world.

The last statement in his prayer, “the fullness of Him who fills all in all,” communicates that the church is the uniquely privileged body of the ascended, reigning King Messiah. The church is distinct from Israel, includes both Jewish and Gentile believers in Messiah Jesus, and serves as Jesus’s ambassador and expression in this age. In a sense, the church represents the risen Messiah to the world on earth in the current time between His first and second coming.

This relationship is seen as a mystery with no Old Testament equivalent. Jesus the Messiah fills the church both intimately and organically, which is distinct from His general sovereign presence over creation.