We Wrestle Not Against Flesh and Blood Ephesians 6:12

Paul the apostle told the Ephesian church members they were to “put on the whole armor of God” so they would “be able to stand against the wiles of the devil”. In chapter six and verse twelve of his letter, Paul declared to the Ephesians how they “wrestle not against flesh and blood” where we read:

For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

The verse begins, “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers,...” Paul began with the words, “For we wrestle not” which literally means “a contest between two in which each endeavors to throw the other and which is decided when the victor is able to hold his opponent down with his hand upon his neck” and figuratively refers “to the Christian's struggle with the power of evil” “against flesh” or “towards and with regard to “the carnal mind, of natural generation, the sensuous nature of man, the animal nature with cravings which incite to sin” “and blood” which refers to “those things that resemble blood and the seat of life”, “but” which is a disassociation conjunction that means what is about to be written takes precedence over what was previously stated, “moreover, nevertheless and nonetheless” “against principalities” which are “towards and in regard to those in first place, in the beginning or original such as those who rule and magistrate as angels and demons”, “against powers” which refers to “towards and in regard to one who possesses authority such as those leading and more powerful among created beings superior to man, spiritual potentates”. Paul wanted the Ephesians to know that it was not “people” with whom they “struggle”, but “spiritual” entities which began with “principalities and powers”.

The verse continues, “...against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.” Paul added, “against the rulers” or “towards and in regard to the lord of the world, prince of this age, the devil and his demons” “of the darkness” which literally means “night darkness, of darkened eyesight or blindness” and metaphorically means “ignorance respecting divine things and human duties, and the accompanying ungodliness and immorality, together with their consequent misery in hell and persons in whom darkness becomes visible and holds sway “of this world” or “the unbroken age, perpetuity of time, period of time and eternity”, “against spiritual” or “towards and in regard to that which belongs to a spirit or being higher than man but inferior to God” “wickedness” which means “depravity, iniquity, malice, evil purposes and desires” “in high places” or “heavenly regions and in that which has heavenly origin or nature”. Paul added, “the lords of devils and demons” and “spiritual depravities which produce nothing but malice, evil and iniquity” to the list of “spiritual entities”.

When we meditate upon these words of Paul, we should recognize from where our true battles come. People are often used by these “spiritual” entities and ranking of “spiritual beings” to bring “struggle, war, confusion, difficulty, iniquity and evil” upon us, and the sooner we understand where our “wrestling” should be focused, the sooner we will rely upon Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit to manage our “conflicts”.

Next time Paul exhorts the Ephesians to “take unto you the whole armor of God”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

Look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, and the new devotional “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore.