In Ephesians, the Apostle Paul encourages all who read the small letter originally addressed to Christians at Ephesus to “walk His way.” To walk; to per·ee·pat·eh·o, in the Greek. Peripateo means to make one’s way or to live or regulate or conduct one’s life or self. Specifically, as Christians we are to peripateo like Christ. Seven times, in as many verses, Christians are called to peripateo in a way that is Christ-like.
In Ephesians 2:2 Paul references the way “in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience.” Of course, this is in contrast to the way Christians are walking now. Paul clarifies how Christians are to walk when he writes in Ephesians 2:10, “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.” As Christians we walk in good works.
In Ephesians 4:1 Paul cites his current state and pleads, “I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called.” Christians are to walk in a way that is worthy of being a follower of Christ. While most Christians would defend their manner of walking as being worthy, the truth is our walk is not always as Christ-like as we would profess. The Christians at Ephesus struggled with this as we see in Ephesians 4:17, when Paul writes, “This I say, therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you should no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk, in the futility of their mind.” Like today, the Christians at Ephesus would wander from the path of Christ and need to be reminded to get back on course.
The thing we must remember is to walk like Christ. The Holy Spirit inspired Paul to use the word peripateo to describe the Christian’s life for good reason. The word peripateo carries with it not only a way of life in private and at home, but a way of life that the Christian is to live and act out wherever they go.
The last three verses that talk about our walk are practical in instruction. We are told in Ephesians 5:2 to “walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma.” To walk in love, as is described for us here, is to show love to others in such a way that is sacrificial like Christ. It is even implied that such a sacrificial love for others might involve giving our life for others like Christ,
All of the many different descriptions of walking like Christ are important for us to regularly review. This is why Paul writes in Ephesians 5:8, “For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light.” Everyone who is a Christian was once not a Christian. To not be a Christian means that you are not living in the light of Christ, but in the darkness of Satan. Since every Christian is now living their life reflecting the life of Christ as they “walk” they are to no longer live like they lived prior to becoming a Christian.
Finally, Ephesians 5:15 calls upon Christians to “See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise.” To walk circumspectly as a Christian means to live our lives cautiously and carefully, as Christ did.
If we were to summarize what Paul were to say for his readers in one verse, he might tell them to simply: “walk like Christ.” To walk His way . . . to talk His way . . . to live His way.
