In this lesson we will see how the believers corporately experience the dispensing of the Divine Trinity in the progressing stage of God’s full salvation, that is, in the stage of transformation, through wrestling with the devil and his spiritual forces in the heavenlies.
Ephesians 1:1 through 6:9 speaks of the positive revelation of the church in its accomplishing of God’s eternal purpose, whereas, on the negative side, 6:10-20 speaks of the church being a warrior to defeat God’s enemy, the devil, and his spiritual forces in the heavenlies. Verse 11 speaks of “the stratagems of the devil”; then verse 12 explains that “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.” Behind men of blood and flesh are the evil forces of the devil, who oppose God’s purpose. Hence, our wrestling, our fighting, is not against men but against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenlies. The rulers, the authorities, and the world-rulers of this darkness are the rebellious angels, who follow 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, who rules through his evil angels. The rulers of this darkness are the princes set up by Satan to rule over the nations. Because of the work of Satan, the power of darkness, the earth with its atmosphere has become a world of darkness.
Verse 12 also speaks of “the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenlies.” The heavenlies refers to the air (2:2). Satan and his spiritual forces are in the air, but we are seated above them in the heavenlies (v. 6). Hence, Satan and his evil forces are under us and are destined to be defeated by us. We must realize that our warfare is not against human beings but against the evil angels, the spiritual powers, in the heavenlies. The warfare between the church and Satan is a battle between those who love the Lord in the church and the evil powers in the heavenlies. We must fight against these spiritual forces.
Ephesians 6:10 says, “Be empowered in the Lord and in the might of His strength.” The word empowered in Greek 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 great power that raised Christ from the dead and seated Him in the heavens, far above all the evil spirits in the air (v. 20). When we are empowered with the power that raised Christ from the dead and that made Him to be the Head over all things, we realize the might and strength of God.
In 6:10 Paul tells us to be empowered “in the Lord.” In 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.