Ephesians 6:12

12 “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities,

against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual

hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.”

I would dare say that most people don’t realize who they are fighting when bad

things happen to them. When disease torments our bodies, natural disasters

strike our neighborhoods, turmoil and strife are going on in our homes; It

is “Satan!”. He and all his “dark” angelic forces that deal in this earthly realm are

what causes the chaos and turmoil in our lives. Therefore, it is so vitally important

for all of us to read our bibles for ourselves and open our hearts to hear “the God

on the inside” of us, giving us answers and revelation of the scriptures. Of course,

we need Pastors and Elders that know the bible and people that we can talk to for

our questions, but we must know God for ourselves as well.

Many times, we hear people on the news saying, “I don’t know why God took my

baby?”. God is the giver of life and Satan comes to steal, kill and destroy. (John

10:10 ) A simple truth to remember, if it is bad, it’s Satan, if it is good, it is God.

You must know who your enemy is, or you may end up fighting the wrong

person.

For you to fully understand this verse, you will have to define some words to get a

full understanding. Don’t be afraid to pull out your dictionary if some words

baffle you. In Proverbs, it says, “…In all your getting, get understanding.”

(Proverbs 4:7)

Principalities and Powers (Authorities or Rulers) – the contexts make it clear that

it refers to the vast array of evil and malicious spirits who make war against the

people of God. The principalities and powers of Satan are usually at work here;

beings that wield power in the unseen realms to oppose everything and everyone

that is of God.

Romans 8:37-38, assures us that” nothing can separate us from the love of God.”

Love is the greatest power in the universe. What is clear is that, whoever they are

(the powers and principalities), they cannot separate us from God’s love. Victory

is already ours. It would be unfortunate to dwell on the powers of Satan and miss

the main thrust of this verse, which is the assurance of what God has done to

save us.

God has given us the weapons to win in battle and in everyday life.

Let’s study a little bit more in this verse.

What “heavenly places” is God referring to here in Ephesians 6:12. Surely, He is

not referring to those “principalities and powers” to be in the same place where

God dwells? In the same Heaven? Let’s find out…

There are (3) Heavens

1. The Atmospheric Heaven – The First Heaven

“Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather in barns; yet

your heavenly Father feeds them” (Matthew 6:26 ).

The air in which we breathe and all living things is the heaven above us. The place

where rain and snow come from and birds fly.

This is also the place where Satan does all of his work against the people of God.

This is the “heavenly places” that the bible refers to in Ephesians 6:12.

2. The Celestial Heaven – The Second Heaven

“And take heed, lest you lift up your eyes to heaven, and when you see the sun,

the moon, and the stars, all the host of heaven, you feel driven to worship them

and serve them, which the Lord your God has given to all the peoples under the

whole heaven as a heritage”. (Deuteronomy 4:19).

This is where the stars and the sun and the moon dwell.

3. Heaven as The Home of God – The Third Heaven

God is not limited to one geographical area, but He does have a “Home”.

“For Christ has not entered the holy places made with hands, which are copies of

the true, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us”.

(Hebrews 9:24).

This is where God dwells.

Study through these notes and read for yourself what it says about the 3 heavens.

As we move forward in our study with the “Armor of God”, you will realize where

and why you are fighting. Knowledge is powerful, and Satan knows that. “He has

blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts, so they can neither see with their

eyes, nor understand with their hearts, nor turn–and I would heal them.”

(John 12:40)

Let’s go forward in our study with our eyes wide open and our hearts open to

learn what it means to wear our armor and why it’s so important. We won’t be like

those that beat the air, but we will win our battle with knowledge and precision.

1 Corinthians 9:26-27

26 “So I run with purpose in every step. I am not just shadowboxing. 27 I

discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should. Otherwise, I

fear that after preaching to others I myself might be disqualified.”

Let’s run with purpose and learn to discipline ourselves to not only run and make

it to the finish line, but to get there strong and unscarred. Let’s fight the good

fight and win every time.

Next week we will begin to learn about our weapons of spiritual warfare. We will

learn about so many more than those spoken of in the book of Ephesians. Keep

tuning in and let’s learn and grow together.

If you have questions, please email me at the email address below.

Next Week:

The Armor of God – “Truth – The Loin Belt – The Written Word of God”