THE FORCES WHICH WE ARE UP AGAINST:
Let’s look at our verse for today in context, beginning with verse 10 “Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 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.”
The world has no understanding of the spiritual forces which our unseen, but certainly we see and experience their evil and insides influence on the nations and on the people who make up the nations. Once again, Vs 12 says “We do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual wickedness in the heavenly places.
For a vivid picture of what Paul is addressing, turn to the book of Daniel Chapter 10 where we have one of the clearest pictures of the forces which Paul is describing in Ephesians 6:13. Daniel had received a message from Gabriel in chapter 8 that refers to the end of the time of the kings of Media and Persia. Then, he speaks of the beginning of the kingdom of Greece. Afterward, he describes the beginning of the Caesars in the Roman Empire. Daniel 8:25 is interesting for it states, “Through his cunning, He shall cause deceit to prosper under His rule, And he shall exalt himself in his heart. He shall destroy many in their prosperity. He shall even rise against the Prince of princes, But he shall be broken without human means.” The he here, is referring to the Caesars and the fall of Rome.
Then in chapter 9, Gabriel appears again to Daniel and says, “I have come forth to give you skill to understand.” He then prophecies that “Seventy weeks are determined for his people and for the holy city.” That message contained the exact time of Messiah’s coming, but in a mystery illustrated by the 70 the weeks. Each week represents a period of time according to Ezekiel 4:6 which says, “I have laid on you a day for each year.” This is “prophetic language that gives us an understanding of how to interpret prophetic time periods. Using what God gave to Ezekiel is what Gabriel was telling Daniel. What Daniel was seeing would happen in a time period of 490 years or 7X70 = 490, form the beginning point of the prophecy. Daniel 9:25 is the starting point.
Dan 9:25
“Know therefore and understand, That from the going forth of the command To restore and build Jerusalem Until Messiah the Prince, There shall be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks; The Street shall be built again, and the wall, Even in troublesome times” Daniel 9:25 (NKJV).
Understanding the “Prophetic” is a critical component to understanding “spiritual warfare” because God’s enemy, the devil is at warfare with God’s eternal plans and purpose.
Then in chapter 10, during the reign of Cyrus king of Persia, Daniel once again fasts and prays for understanding during a time of mourning over Israel’s condition and what he received from Gabriel. This time it took 3 weeks for Gabriel to deliver to Daniel his message from God. Listen to what he says to Daniel in Daniel 10:11-14 then picking up with verse 20-21. You see beloved, there is a battle going on of which we have little understanding with our natural reasoning.
Gabriel, the messenger archangel fought with the prince of Persia or the Principality over Persia. He needed the help of Michel the waring archangel in order to defeat this Principality. After Gabriel completed his mission to deliver God’s word to Daniel, he would return, and apparently through Michael, the “prince of Persia” was defeated and opened the way for the prince of Greece, who gives power for the Grecian Empire, to emerge by defeating Media Persia.
Even now, in the Middle East, the issue is not Iran or any other Islamic nation, but Principalities and Wickedness in high places. It is these enemies that Paul mentions in Ephesians 6:12 that are binding the nations and trying to hold back the gospel of the kingdom. We, like Daniel, must be united in prayer and intercession for the understanding of God’s will, both for His people and His will for the nations. Our Father in heaven wants to give to us insight that only can come by the Holy Spirit and a true understanding of the scriptures. In Daniel’s day, the plans of God were being revealed and written down as scripture. From the time of the Apostles to the present, the will of God is being carried out in the earth through His anointed people.
Note that Paul says, “For we.” It is important that we think in terms of members of His body. It is a team effort. Any success that I have had in the gospel of the kingdom has always included others. We cannot be loners in the work of the kingdom of God.
The battle is a “pressure encounter battle. It is indeed like wrestling. By prayer, by the word of God, and by endurance, we keep the pressure on the enemy. We strengthen one another by encouragement through love and the keeping of unity of the faith in the bond of peace.
We must always remind ourselves that our warfare is not with flesh and blood. The enemy might work through flesh and blood, but the wrestling is not against flesh and blood, but “spiritual forces” that derive their power from principalities, powers, and rulers of the darkness of this age. It is spiritual hosts that are wicked by nature. They reside in heavenly places. They are unseen because they are spirit, but their works are clearly identified by scripture and evidenced in the confusion and havoc they bring upon the human race.
If you want a good read concerning these matters, look up the classic known as “Screwtape Letters” by CS Lewis. He does a great job illustrating the wiles of the devil through a character known as “Uncle Screwtape.” The devil’s assignment for his hordes of demons is to keep one from coming to Christ and when he fails in that assignment, he focuses on keeping God’s people from serving God effectively.