We are studying the Epistle to the Ephesians, which Paul wrote while in jail. A pastor once said that if Paul had not been put in jail, he would have been running here and there, constantly preaching, and we wouldn’t have received such deep writing. I was jokingly saying, “I don’t want to go to jail!” So, after twenty years of my preaching ministry, I have started focusing on writing all my sermons, putting them on a website, and printing books for the coming generation. I am realizing that writing is so important. We praise God for this wonderful epistle; it is impacting me deeply.
If God appeared to you in an Old Testament-style dream and asked you this morning, “What will you ask for? What is your need?” what would you say? I don’t know about you, but a word-by-word study of Ephesians is making me realize and pray daily: “Lord, my great need is that the spirit of revelation and wisdom should enlighten the eyes of my heart so that I may know HIP (Hope, Inheritance, Power).”
All our problems stem from not knowing that. If the Holy Spirit enlightens our eyes, our perspective—our worldview—will change. The way we see ourselves, the way we react to situations, and the decisions we make all depend on our perspective. Our worldview acts as the ultimate filter through which we process all information and experience. Sometimes our wrong thoughts and stubborn biases act as a filter and can blind us to reality. Charles R. Swindoll said, “Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you react to it.” How we react is always dictated by our perspective. Do you see that worldview is the overwhelming factor in the quality of our lives?
In the midst of all the trials and confusions of life, God knows our great happiness, stability, and victorious Christian life depend on an enlightened worldview of three distinct blessings of grace (HIP): the hope of our calling, the riches of the glory of His inheritance, and the exceeding greatness of the power of God working in us to bring us to that inheritance. If the Holy Spirit enlightens our eyes and gives us this divine worldview, we will start seeing life with a completely different perspective. Every ordinary day and every ordinary circumstance will shine with a tinge of eternal purpose. Then, the way we react, feel, think, speak, and act will be based on our new worldview. That is why through Ephesians 1, God tries to revolutionize our worldview. We will finish this chapter in two to three weeks, but God, through the apostle Paul, wants us to unforgettably realize this great need and pray lifelong for increasing enlightenment for this divine view.
We have seen the power of God working in us through Christ’s Resurrection and Session. We have two more: the Subjugation of all things to Christ and His being given as the Head of the church. Paul says to meditate on and grasp all of that together—RSSH (Resurrection, Session, Subjugation, Headship)—and all the power of God wrought to accomplish and sustain it until now and in the world to come. When you grasp it and see that great power working in you with enlightened eyes, that is the secret of a triumphant Christian life.
1. New Worldview in the Third Act of Christ
Let us see this power in the third act of God. If someone prophesies something that will happen tomorrow, we are amazed. Can I prophesy something that the whole world has no clue about, yet is 100% reality? I am going to show you what has happened already in the invisible world, which soon will be revealed in the visible world. Only those whose eyes the Holy Spirit opens will be able to see it now in advance.
Let us grasp this third act in a way that changes our worldview. We will follow three steps:
- A New Worldview in the third act of Christ.
- A New Worldview of your past, present, and future based on this third act.
- A few New applications based on this new worldview.
Verse 22 describes the subjugation of all things to Christ: “And He put all things under His feet.” First, let us grasp every word of this phrase by asking five questions: Who did this? What was done? Where was it done? How much was the extent of the subjecting? When was the subjecting done?
Who? The text uses the pronoun “He.” Who is “He”? We go back to verse 17: “the Father of glory, the God of our Lord Jesus Christ.” The whole context is the work of the Father. Paul prays that the Father of glory would give the spirit of wisdom and revelation, and it is the Father of glory who performed these four acts in Christ. He appointed Christ, He raised Him from the dead, He seated Him, and now He also subjected all things at the feet of Christ.
What was done? Verse 22 says He “put all things under His feet.” He subjected all things. What does “subjected” mean? The same word is used in Luke 10:17 when the disciples returned, having been given special authority and power, saying, “Behold, even the demons are subject to us.” When we speak in Your name, the demons recognize that we are the boss. They submit to us and recognize rightful authority. Paul also uses this word when he says slaves should be subject to their masters in everything.
When it says that the Father put all things in subjection to Christ, you see two relationships: one in which one governs and another is governed. One commands, the other obeys. One is sovereign, the other is subject. Christ is in a position where whatever He says, those subjected must obey; they have no choice. Subjugation is a strong word—whether they like it or dislike it, they must obey what is commanded.
Where was this subjection done? Look at the intensity of this subjection. Paul could have just said He subjected all things to Him, or placed them under His hand. But to make the picture more vivid, he uses a phrase rich with Old Testament roots: “under His feet.” This is a figure of speech.
This imagery is clearly explained in the original prophecy of Psalm 110:1: “The Lord said to my Lord, ‘Sit at My right hand, till I make Your enemies Your footstool.’” This prophecy talks about the Messiah’s enemies being made His footstool. It is a very powerful picture. It is not just a military conquest; it is an eternal, enthroned victory. When God raised Christ from the dead and seated Him at His right hand, He put all things beneath His feet.
All things were made the footstool of Jesus Christ. This means they must obey not just what He says or signals with His hand, but even His slightest gesture. He rules them with total subjugation. Imagery of all things becoming the footstool of the Messiah is equivalent to all being completely subjected to His utter dominion, entirely deprived of any power to oppose His purposes. The figure here is not a warrior in the heat of battle, but a Prince secure upon His throne, His enemies so completely defeated and humbled that they serve as furniture for the comfort of His feet. His enemies are so far from being able to disturb Him that He can employ them in any way He pleases.
Think of the picture of a footstool. You go to the office and come home tired; you kick the footstool in front of your chair, lean back, and stick your feet up. The poor footstool is subjected to your weight and has no choice; it is there to subserve your comfort and ease. That is the picture.
How much was the extent of this subjecting? The text says He put “all things” in subjection under His feet. What are “all things”? This is a universal, cosmic subjugation. Everything in existence, in the whole universe without exception, is included. All visible and invisible rulers, physical or spiritual powers, governments, human institutions, economic systems, media, technology, and cultures are under His feet. Every news headline, every global event—wars, economic shifts, the price of gold or petrol, debt, education, inflation, family situations, health, sickness, and even YouTube algorithms—all are under the feet of Jesus.
This is an absolutely new worldview. It is a call for believers to view all movements in the world from a Christ-centered perspective, rather than the reverse. The Father of glory not only raised and seated Christ, but He brought all things to a position where they become His footstool. All His enemies—every principality and power—are subject to the God-man as the exalted Lord of the universe.
When was this done? If only our blind generation could get a glimpse of this! Most people today would say this is yet for the future—that Christ is currently sitting helplessly in a corner, waiting for the day He returns to set up a kingdom for 1,000 years. Such theology is disgustingly dishonoring to the present glory of Christ.
What does the Bible say? Look at the text carefully. When God raised Him and seated Him at the right hand—facts of past history—He then put all things under His feet. It is already done. Paul uses a verb here that means He has set Him once for all and put everything beneath His feet once for all. This was effected on the coronation day of the Lord Jesus Christ. That is why, 2,000 years ago, the Lord said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me.”
But you might say, “Pastor, everything we see doesn’t seem to be under Christ’s rule.” 1 Corinthians 15 explains this. You may not visibly see it now, and there may be visible powers working against His will. However, it is a true reality: everything is under the feet of Christ now by an invisible, powerful, providential government. He thwarts the plans of His enemies and uses their wicked designs to accomplish His own purposes. They are always under His feet, though often in ways that are invisible and mysterious to us.
Psalm 2 talks about the sovereign operations of His present government: “Why do the nations rage, and the people plot a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord and against His Anointed… He who sits in the heavens shall laugh; the Lord shall hold them in derision.” In spite of all the raging and scheming, He who sits in heaven laughs and says, “Yet I have set My King on My holy hill of Zion.” All current powers are sovereignly made His footstool. They are submitting, even against their own intentions, to His ultimate plan.
A day is coming when this great subjection will be manifested visibly and even geographically. When He returns, it will be the delayed manifestation of His existing power. At that time, the whole world will beat their breasts, realizing how ignorant they were of this great reign and how lowly they treated the Sovereign Most High King.
Let me explain with a story. A king wins a decisive battle, not just for a small territory, but for an entire kingdom. He immediately goes to the capital, climbs the highest throne, and is enthroned. The moment he sits there, all other independent powers are lost. Their actions become illegal and will never achieve their goals. To show the utter defeat of his enemies, the king allows them to try their best to rise against him. In his inimitable style, he uses their efforts to build his own eternal kingdom. He uses the enemies’ attacks to train his soldiers and make his kingdom stronger. The enemies don’t realize they are indirectly building his kingdom. Once the kingdom is fully built, he will publicly execute them, as Revelation 20 shows when they are cast into the lake of fire.
That is what Christ’s kingdom is doing. His enemies may seem active, but they are not active beyond His decrees; they are just His footstool. All invisible powers and visible governments are just captured slaves of this great King. They are death-row prisoners. Soon, the King will come and publicly display His power. This rule is invisible now—only those whose eyes the Holy Spirit enlightens can see it—but one day it will become visible to the whole universe.
2. A New Worldview of Your Past, Present, and Future
Paul’s prayer is not just that we admire Christ’s power, but that we see how this infinite power is working specifically in our salvation. We will see this subjugating power displayed in three aspects: Past, Present, and Future.
Past: Preserving the Gospel Why was all this power given and put under Christ’s feet? This is described in John 17:1-2: “Father… glorify Your Son… as You have given Him authority over all flesh, that He should give eternal life to as many as You have given Him.” The goal of exalting Christ is to give eternal life.
Giving eternal life to you and me is a universally impossible task. It could only be done by One who was seated far above all principality and power. Why? Because throughout history, all these powers and authorities have stood against us receiving eternal life. Psalm 2 says the nations rage and the rulers take counsel against the Lord and His Anointed. There is constant raging against the spread of the Gospel message.
Think of God’s power to preserve that truth and bring it to us across 2,000 years. This coming Friday, October 31st, is Reformation Day. We should think of church history. Since Christ was exalted, every government and religious power has raged to destroy the knowledge of the Gospel so that you would not hear it. From the 1st to the 5th century, the Roman Empire—under emperors like Nero and Diocletian—launched savage persecutions: burning Christians alive, feeding them to lions, and burning the Scriptures. Did that stop Christianity? No. Psalm 110 says, “Rule in the midst of Your enemies.” The more they persecuted, the more Jesus used it to spread the Gospel.
From the 6th to the 15th century, the rise of religious power attempted to hide the Gospel, keeping people in darkness and making the Bible a forbidden book. These powers thought Christ was no longer reigning and that the elect would be lost. You and I might never have heard the truth if not for God’s power. But in the 16th century, the subjugating power of Christ was manifested again through the Reformation, giving us the Scriptures in our own language. We praise God for men like Martin Luther and John Calvin, whom God used to give shape to the Reformation.
The raging didn’t stop. In the 19th century and into today, we see the raging of intellectualism, Darwinism, communism, atheism, and liberalism. Even within the church, there is the raging of Arminianism (which enthrones the human will), the false prosperity gospel, and musical manipulation. These voices try to hinder and twist the true Gospel. They say, “Verse-by-verse preaching won’t work in our country; tell stories instead.” Think of the probability of you hearing the true Gospel in an ocean of false teaching. It would be impossible without this power.
Personally, think of those from a Hindu background. Sanatana Dharma is one of the world’s oldest traditions, with roots extending back over 4,000 years. Its philosophy is profound, with the Vedas and Upanishads written before Christ. Do you realize what power was needed to break through that and bring you to Christ? It was not just visible resistance.
Take all the rage of men throughout the ages, add the rage of the devil himself—the Prince of the power of the air—and all the powers of hell. What power was needed to subjugate all that and bring the Gospel to you when you were soaked in sin and hated the truth? God broke all that raging and made you hear His voice. As the hymn writer said: “Long my imprisoned spirit lay, Fast bound in sin and nature’s night; Thine eye diffused a quickening ray, I woke, the dungeon flamed with light; My chains fell off, my heart was free, I rose, went forth, and followed Thee.”
Why are you sitting here humbly listening to the word of Christ while the rest of the world lies in the lap of the devil? It is because everything in the universe is under the feet of King Jesus, who rules in the midst of His enemies. That is the power displayed in our past.
Present
Not only that, but oh, may the spirit of revelation open our eyes to see! It is this power that called us and is persevering us every minute. If the spirit of vision were to open our eyes this morning and visually show us every influence of depravity and sin in our hearts, all the powers in the world that want to hinder us, and the demonic powers that want to stop us from following Christ—if we suddenly saw just a 10-second Instagram reel of that vision—I tell you, every one of us would drop dead from multiple heart attacks and strokes in fright right here in this place.
If you could see the potential for sin and evil that remains within you—the playing with sin and the strong propensity toward it—and if Christ did not restrain you by His power, you would see the natural results of those sins and where they would take you. Think of the millions of subtle plots and traps of the devil and his host. He is roaring like a lion, waiting just one second for a chance to swallow you; his mouth is open and if you turn, you can feel his breath. Not just Job or Peter, but Satan desires to sift every believer. No horror movie is so scary. If the spirit of revelation opens your eyes and shows you that spiritual reality, you will see that every second you live as a Christian is the greatest undeniable proof that everything is under Christ’s feet right now.
Oh, child of God, not only did this power save us in the past, but the power of Christ’s present, incessant reign ensures He keeps all these powers under His feet so they do not destroy you, your faith, or your graces. There is a power in your life far beyond your own willpower, dedication, determination, or discipline. It is the power of Christ that controls all things under His feet. Because He lives in that position, He could say, “Because I live, you shall live also.”
Oh, praise God for Christ’s power! Who among us can say we have been preserved because we were watchful, praying, and disciplined in our use of the means of grace? We have often been careless and presumptuously sleeping like Peter; we have not been watchful against temptation, and we have walked in places where even angels—who do not have inbred depravity—would fear to tread. We have put ourselves in the midst of temptations that could have swallowed us up and utterly destroyed us. What was it that, in the midst of that, suddenly brought us to our senses? What prevented Satan from swallowing us immediately or a legion of ten thousand demons from entering and torturing us? It was the subjugating power of Christ. Oh, praise God for this power! If I stand here today and you sit there, we owe every second to this great power.
Future
This subjugating power of Christ over all things not only saved you in the past and preserved you until today, but this very power will also glorify you. I don’t know about you, but knowing my own heart and the millions of weaknesses inside me—having lived for nearly 50 years with this character called Murali—I stand today only because of this power. If this character is to be glorified, there must be a tremendous exertion of power yet to come, so that this mind will be utterly free from every sinful thought and emotion, every devious desire, and every inordinate appetite or indisposition to do the will of God. I will never be able to stand before God unless a lot more power is exerted in me. Paul says you are right; this power is more than enough. This subjugating power of Christ will do all that and will bring a character like Murali to such a glorious inheritance, so that the universe will praise this power for all eternity.
This power over all things not only protected your past and preserved you so far, but Christ’s reign ensures He keeps all these powers under His feet so they do not destroy you until you are safely brought to your inheritance.
- A New Worldview in the third act of Christ.
- A new worldview of your past, present, and future based on this third act.
- Few new applications based on this new worldview.
Application
Realize that your life depends on your worldview. Why do some people achieve so many things for Christ and remain so active in the Gospel and church work while I am so lazy? It is because their view was beyond that of normal people. Paul teaches us a completely different view that will make us warriors in God’s kingdom. Oh, may we learn to see all things under Christ’s feet! This view will change fear to courage, confusion to clarity, and self-reliance to total dependence on the enthroned, all-powerful Lord.
Application Points:
- If you have still not believed the Gospel command of Christ to repent and believe, children, have you? See, if He were a poor, pathetic Christ hanging on a cross begging you to believe Him, I would tell you to ignore Him. But if Christ is this exalted, enthroned, and powerful Christ with everything under His feet—beware. You can play with anyone, but not with Him. Right now, you are part of Christ’s footstool. You may not like it or acknowledge it, but you are. May God open your eyes to see the glory of Christ before it is too late. Soon He will rise from His throne and, with feet of brass, He will crush to powder everything under His footstool. We preach to you an exalted Lord of the universe who sits upon a throne and says to all sinners: repent before it is too late. Today is the day of salvation. This morning, acknowledge Me to be your rightful Sovereign; acknowledge Me to be your own Savior, and I will receive you and grant mercy and grace upon you. If you continue to rebel against Him, know for sure that He will not lose anything; He will even use your rebellion to make you an eternal example of His punishing power for those who disobey Him.
- Ultimate Security in a Chaotic World: Since “all things” are under Christ’s feet and authority, you can feel secure that nothing—no natural disaster, political upheaval, global crisis, or personal financial, health, or family crisis—is outside of His control. This is the ultimate basis for peace and trust even when circumstances seem terrifying or random. Do you see why Scripture can promise that all things work together for the good of those who love God? Is there not something in a corner of the universe that will do us harm or work evil in our lives? Never, because all things are under Christ’s feet. What security! Last week at the IT commission office, I was usually a little tensed, but then I remembered even that official is under the feet of my Lord. Oh, what a calm, secure feeling!
- As husbands and wives, we will see from chapter 5 onwards why husbands and wives should obey Christ’s commands in their families. These are not the commands of a weak, dying Savior. These are the commands of the Sovereign Lord who has everything under His feet. Husbands, love your wives; wives, submit. Each husband and wife will have to give an account for that. His blessings on your family depend on your obedience to the Lord’s commands.
- Children, if everything is under Christ’s feet, your whole life and future depend on your obedience to His commands. As we will study this evening, “Honor your father and mother” is His command so that everything will go well with you. Nothing will go well for you in school or in your future if you do not obey Christ’s commands, because everything is under His feet. You can never progress when you are disobedient to His basic commands.
- As a church, do we see with a new view whose church this is? We will see the great importance of the church in the next verse. Members of GRBC, do you see that you are not the church of some dead savior sitting in a corner? He is a Savior under whose feet your life, job, family, children, and blessings in every area reside. Do you see Him as the Lord of the church? What is your commitment to church membership? How dare some of you think of it as a club membership where you come once in a while, or attend one meeting but not another, or remain careless about other duties? Read Revelation; He says, “I will come with bronze legs and crush you.” As a pastor, this hits me first. In the fear of my Boss, I have been very patient because some have real difficulties. However, next year is going to be a reformation year for GRBC. We want to reform our church. As a first step, within three months, I want all those who are not attending evening services or the online Friday service to give me a written letter stating why you cannot attend regularly. Distance or sickness is fine. If you cannot give a proper reason, we may have to suspend your membership starting in February 2026 and disallow communion for three months. If you do not take communion for three months, you lose active membership. You may then re-apply for membership once you can attend all three meetings on Sundays and Fridays regularly. If this seems harsh, hear the sermons on the next two verses in the coming weeks. I am serious—in 2026, we will truly become a reformed church!
- Another important implication is the duty of Gospel work. Clearly, our weakness in Gospel work is a lack of vision regarding Christ’s subjugating power. We only see nations raging and false teachings spreading, and because nobody seems to listen to us, we are discouraged. We need to keep preaching and realizing the evangelistic mandate Christ gave to the church. It is this Christ who has commanded us to go and preach the Gospel, and the basis He gave in Matthew 28 is that “all authority and power in heaven and earth has been given to Me; therefore go.” As we face the Reformation anniversary, may we renew in our hearts the duty of Gospel work.
What vision will make us go to our neighbors, our loved ones, our children, our friends, and the people on the street to share the Gospel and make disciples? It is when we fill our minds with the perspective that God has put all things in subjection under His feet. All authority has been given unto Him. A church that has this overarching perspective of Christ’s power will be active in Gospel work. This is what will give us the confidence and compulsion to obey the command to share the Gospel; it gives us confidence that the Gospel will conquer. This is what constrains me to go. Oh, may we believe not in a pathetic, helpless Jesus, but in the Christ under whose feet all things are in subjection. All things are beneath His feet.
It is this vision of Christ that will make us faithful to the message of truth and prevent us from using wrong methods to bring people in. We will never think we have to “help” Christ get people by overlooking the demands of discipleship or by using cleverly conceived, psychologically cultivated methods to force decisions. We realize that when men savingly respond to the Gospel, it is not because we have been clever; it is because the King has put forth the rod of His strength in the midst of His enemies and brought them in by His power. We could get people using a hundred methods, promising and manipulating them, but they would not be true disciples. No, though we are small, we stick to the simple but true message of the Gospel and the methods the King has ordained to gather His sheep: praying, preaching pure truth, striving to live as witnesses as a church and as families, pleading with God, proclaiming the message through tracts, sharing words of testimony, and bringing people under the preaching.