Ephesians 6:12

Ephesians 6:12 KJV 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.

Three points:

1. Wrestle

"We do not wrestle against." The foe is not flesh and blood--humans or animals, but this fight is against spiritual beings. This makes it clear that it is not a physical battle but a spiritual battle. We are not to use the sword of war but the Scriptures. The word "wrestle" comes from the idea of to "swing" an opponent down and hold him down.

2. Principalities, powers, rulers of darkness of this world, spiritual wickedness in high places.

These are these types of spirits. They are described in these terms by the Holy Spirit to help us understand the real war we Christians face. Principalities comes from the Greek word for an authority of the first, highest rank. Powers refers to the strength these evil beings have. Rulers of the darkness of this world: the word rulers is a term for satan (kosmokrator), darkness is the opposite of light (the light that is of God), and this world is the one we are living in--the earth. These spirit beings (unclean spirits) cause people to continue in their rebellion against God and His laws. Spiritual wickedness in high places refers to the spiritual wickedness these beings bring about in false religions, philosophies, and sects.

3. The war

It is a spiritual war. It is fought with spiritual weapons. We need protection with spiritual armor. This is mentioned in the verses following. Barnes writes in his commentary on the passage:

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 people, or with the internal corrupt propensities of the soul; it was with this vast and dark kingdom that had been set up over mankind. I do not regard this passage, therefore, as having a primary reference to the struggle which a Christian maintains with his own corrupt propensities. It is a warfare on a large scale with the entire kingdom of darkness over the world. Yet in maintaining the warfare, the struggle will be with such portions of that kingdom as we come in contact with and will actually relate:

(1) to our own sinful propensities - which are a part of the kingdom of darkness;

(2) with the evil passions of others - their pride, ambition, and spirit of revenge - which are also a part of that kingdom;

(3) with the evil customs, laws, opinions, employments, pleasures of the world - which are also a part of that dark kingdom;

(4) with error, superstition, false doctrine - which are also a part of that kingdom; and,

(5) with the wickedness of the pagan world - the sins of benighted nations - also a part of that kingdom. Wherever we come in contact with evil - whether in our own hearts or elsewhere - there we are to make war.