In this message we shall see that in the progressing stage of God’s full salvation, the stage of transformation, the believers experience the dispensing of the divine Trinity corporately also by wrestling against the Devil and his spiritual forces of evil in the heavenlies (Eph. 6:10-20).
In Ephesians 1:1 to 6:9 we have the revelation on the positive side concerning the church for the fulfillment of God’s eternal purpose. In 6:10-20 we see that, on the negative side, the church is a warrior to defeat God’s enemy, the Devil and his spiritual forces of evil in the heavenlies. In verse 11 Paul refers to the stratagems of the Devil, and then in verse 12 he explains, “Our wrestling is not against blood and flesh, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the world-rulers of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenlies.” “Blood and flesh” refers to human beings. Behind men of blood and flesh are the evil forces of the Devil, fighting against God’s purpose. Hence, our wrestling, our fighting, must not be against men but against the evil spiritual forces in the heavenlies. The principalities, the authorities, and the world-rulers of this darkness are the rebellious angels who followed Satan in his rebellion against God and who now rule in the heavenlies over the nations of the world. “This darkness” refers to today’s world, which is fully under the dark ruling of the Devil through his evil angels. The world-rulers of this darkness are the princes Satan has set up to rule the various nations. Because of the working of Satan, who is the authority of darkness, the earth and its atmosphere have become “this darkness.”
In verse 12 Paul also speaks of “the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenlies.” Here the heavenlies refer to the air (2:2). Satan and his spiritual forces of evil are in the air, but we are seated in the third heaven above them (2:6). Therefore, Satan and his evil forces are under us, and their fate is to be defeated by us.
We need to realize that our warfare is not against human beings but against the evil spirits, the spiritual powers in the heavenlies. Thus, the warfare between the church and Satan is a battle between us who love the Lord and who are in His church and the evil powers in the heavenlies. We must fight against these spiritual forces.
In Ephesians 6:10 Paul says, “Be empowered in the Lord and in the might of His strength.” The Greek word rendered “empowered” here has the same root as the word “power” in 1:19. To deal with God’s enemy, to fight against the evil forces of darkness, we need to be empowered with the power that raised up Christ from the dead and seated Him in the heavens, far above all the evil spirits in the air. First we are empowered by the power that raised Christ from among the dead and made Him to be the Head over all things, and then we know God’s might and strength.
In 6:10 we are charged to be empowered “in the Lord.” The fact that we are to be empowered in the Lord indicates that in the spiritual warfare against Satan and his evil kingdom we can fight only in the Lord, not in ourselves. Whenever we are in ourselves, we are defeated.
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