Ephesians 6:12

Our wrestling is not (ouk estin hmin h palh). "To us the wrestling is not." Palh is an old word from pallw, to throw, to swing (from Homer to the papyri, though here only in N.T.), a contest between two till one hurls the other down and holds him down (katecw). Note pro again (five times) in sense of "against," face to face conflict to the finish. The world-rulers of this darkness (tou kosmokratora tou skotou toutou). This phrase occurs here alone. In John 14:30 Satan is called "the ruler of this world" (o arcwn tou kosmou toutou). In 2 Corinthians 4:4 he is termed "the god of this age" (o qeo tou aiwno toutou). The word kosmokratwr is found in the Orphic Hymns of Satan, in Gnostic writings of the devil, in rabbinical writings (transliterated) of the angel of death, in inscriptions of the Emperor Caracalla. These "world-rulers" are limited to "this darkness" here on earth. The spiritual hosts of wickedness (ta pneumatika th ponhria). No word for "hosts" in the Greek. Probably simply, "the spiritual things (or elements) of wickedness." Ponhria (from ponhro) is depravity ( Matthew 22:18 ; 1 Corinthians 5:8 ). In the heavenly places (en toi epouranioi). Clearly so here. Our "wrestling" is with foes of evil natural and supernatural. We sorely need "the panoply of God" (furnished by God).