Ephesians 6:12

12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

Ephesians 6:12 in Other Translations

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 we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.

12 For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.

12 This is no afternoon athletic contest that we'll walk away from and forget about in a couple of hours. This is for keeps, a life-or-death fight to the finish against the Devil and all his angels.

12 For our battle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the world powers of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavens.

Ephesians 6:12 Meaning and Commentary

Ephesians 6:12

For we wrestle not against flesh and blood
The Syriac, Arabic, and Ethiopic versions, and some copies, read "you", instead of "we". This is a reason why saints should be strong in the Lord, and why they should put on the whole armour of God, and prepare for battle, since their enemies are such as here described: not "flesh and blood"; frail mortal men, such as were wrestled against in the Olympic games, to which the apostle alludes. For this wrestling, as Philo the Jew says ^F5, concerning Jacob's wrestling, is not of the body, but of the soul; see ( Matthew 16:17 ) ( Galatians 1:16 ) ; and the meaning is, not with men only, for otherwise the saints have a conflict with men; with profane men, and wrestle against them, by bearing a testimony against their enormities, and by patiently enduring their reproaches, and conquer them by a constant adherence to Christ, and an exercise of faith upon him, which gets the victory over the world; and with heretical men, and maintain a conflict with them, by watching and observing the first appearance of their errors and heresies, and declaring against them, and by using Scripture arguments to confute them, and by rejecting the stubborn and incorrigible from church communion: yet they wrestle not against these only,

but against principalities, against powers;
by whom are meant not civil magistrates, or the Roman governors, though these are sometimes so called, ( Titus 3:1 ) , and may be said to be the rulers of the darkness of this world, or of the dark Heathen world, and were in high places, and were of wicked and malicious spirits, against the people of Christ; yet these cannot be opposed to flesh and blood, or to men, since they were such themselves; and though they were in high, yet not in heavenly places; and the connection with the preceding verse shows the contrary, the enemy being the devil, and the armour spiritual; wherefore the devils are here designed, who are described from their power, rule, and government, (See Gill on Ephesians 1:21), both in this clause, and in the next:

and against the rulers of the darkness of this world;
that is, over wicked men in it, who are in a state of darkness itself; and so Satan is called the prince, and god of the world, ( John 12:31 ) ( 2 Corinthians 4:4 ) . The Jews use this very word, the apostle does here, of the angel of death; who is called darkness ^F6; and the devil is called by them, (Kvwx lv rv) , "the prince of darkness" ^F7; and mention is made by them of (amle ykwvx) , "the darkness of the world" ^F8; from whom the apostle seems to have taken these phrases, as being in common use among the Jews; who also use it of civil governors ^F9, and render it, as here, "the rulers of the world", and say it signifies monarchs, such as rule from one end of the world to the other ^F11: some copies, and the Ethiopic version, leave out the phrase, of this world. It follows,

against spiritual wickedness in high places;
or wicked spirits, as the devils are, unclean, proud, lying, deceitful, and malicious; who may be said to be in "high" or "heavenly places"; not in places super celestial, or in the highest heavens, in the third heaven, where God, angels, and saints are; but in the aerial heavens, where the power or posse of devils reside, and where they are above us, over our heads, overlooking us, and watching every advantage against us; and therefore we should have on our armour, and be in a readiness to engage them; and so the Syriac and Ethiopic versions render it, "under", or "beneath heaven"; and the Arabic version, "in the air".

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FOOTNOTES:

F5 Leg. Allegor. l. 2. p. 96,
F6 Vajikra Rabba, sect. 18. fol. 160. 1. & Shirhashirim Rabba, fol. 25. 4.
F7 Pesikta in Kettoreth Hassammim in Targum in Gen. fol. 9. 4. Raziel, fol. 13. 1.
F8 Zohar in Lev. fol. 19. 3.
F9 Bereshit Rabba, sect. 58. fol. 51. 2.
F11 Tanchuma & Aruch in Guidon. Diet. Syr. Chal. p. 169.

Ephesians 6:12 In-Context

10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.

11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.

12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.

14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place,

Cross References

• 1. 1 Corinthians 15:50; Hebrews 2:14
• 2. Ephesians 1:21; Ephesians 3:10
• 3. Romans 8:38
• 4. S Ephesians 1:3