Ephesians Chapter 6, Verse 12
From BibleWiki
12: οτι ουκ εστιν ημιν η παλη προς αιμα και σαρκα αλλα προς τας αρχας προς τας εξουσιας προς τους κοσμοκρατορας του σκοτους του αιωνος τουτου προς τα πνευματικα της πονηριας εν τοις επουρανιοις
12: 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.
12: For our wrestling is not against flesh and blood; but against
principalities and powers, against the rulers of the world of this
darkness, against the spirits of wickedness in the high places.
For we wrestle. Gr., "The wrestling to us ;" or, "There is not to us a wrestling with flesh and blood." There is undoubtedly here an allusion to the ancient games of Greece, a part of the exercises in which consisted in wrestling. See "1Cor 9:25, and following. The Greek word here used -- palh -- denotes a wrestling; and then a struggle, fight, combat, here it refers to the struggle or combat which the Christian is to maintain -- the Christian warfare.
Not with flesh and blood. Not with men. See "Gal 1:16". The apostle does not mean to say that Christians had no enemies among men that opposed them, for they were exposed often to fiery persecution; nor that they had nothing to contend with in the carnal and corrupt propensities of their nature, which was true of them then as it is now; but that their main controversy was with the invisible spirits of wickedness that sought to destroy them. They were the source and origin of all their spiritual conflicts, and with them the warfare was to be maintained.
But against principalities. There can be no doubt whatever that the apostle alludes here to evil spirits. Like good angels, they were regarded as divided into ranks and orders, and were supposed to be under the control of one mighty leader. See "Eph 1:21".
It is probable that the allusion here is to the ranks and orders which they sustained before their fall, something like which they may still retain. The word principalities refers to principal rulers, or chieftains.
Powers. Those who had power, or to whom the name of powers was given. Milton represents Satan as addressing the fallen angels in similar language : -- "Thrones, dominations, princedoms, virtues, powers."
Against the rulers of the darkness of this world. The rulers that preside over the regions of ignorance and sin with which the earth abounds. See "Eph 2:2"
Darkness is an emblem of ignorance, misery, and sin; and no description could be more accurate than that of representing these malignant spirits as ruling over a dark world. The earth -- dark, and wretched, and ignorant, and sinful -- is just such a dominion as they would choose, or as they would cause; and the degradation and woe of the heathen world are just such as foul and malignant spirits would delight in. It is a wide and a powerful empire. It has been consolidated by ages. It is sustained by all the authority of law; by all the omnipotence of the perverted religious principle; by all the reverence for antiquity; by all the power of selfish, corrupt, and base passions. No empire has been so extended, or has continued so long, as that empire of darkness; and nothing on earth is so difficult to destroy. Yet the apostle says that it was on that kingdom they were to make war. Against that, the kingdom of the Redeemer was to be set up; and that was to be overcome by the spiritual weapons which he specifies. When he speaks of the Christian warfare here, he refers to the contest with the powers of this dark kingdom. He regards each and every Christian as a soldier to wage war on it in whatever way he could, and wherever he could attack it. The contest, therefore, was not primarily with men, or with the internal corrupt propensities of the soul; it was with this vast and dark kingdom that had been set up over mankind.
Against spiritual wickedness. Marg., "or wicked spirits." Literally, "the spiritual things of wickedness;" but the allusion is undoubtedly to evil spirits, and to their influences on earth.
In high places, en toiv epouranioiv, "in celestial, or heavenly places." The same phrase occurs in Eph 1:3, Eph 2:6, where it is translated, "in heavenly places." The word (epouranioiv) is used of those that dwell in heaven, Mt 18:35 Phil 2:10; of those who come from heaven, 1Cor 15:48 Phil 3:21; of the heavenly bodies -- the sun, moon, and stars, 1Cor 15:40. Then the neuter plural of the word is used to denote the heavens; and then the lower heavens, the sky, the air, represented as the seat of evil spirits. See "Eph 2:2".
This is the allusion here. The evil spirits are supposed to occupy the lofty regions of the air, and thence to exert a baleful influence on the affairs of man. What was the origin of this opinion it is not needful here to inquire. No one can prove, however, that it is incorrect. It is against such spirits, and all their malignant influences, that Christians are called to contend. In whatever way their power is put forth -- whether in the prevalence of vice and error; of superstition and magic arts; of infidelity, atheism, or antinomianism; of evil customs and laws; of pernicious fashions and opinions, or in the corruptions of our own hearts, we are to make war on all these forms of evil, and never to yield in the conflict.
- "flesh" "blood and flesh"
- "against powers" Rom 8:38
- "world" "The rulers of this dark world"
- "spiritual wickedness" "wicked spirits"
- "high places" "heavenly"
- "places" "in heavenly things"
