It Starts Small

In Ephesians 6:12, Paul writes that our fight is not against the physical realm. We cannot engage in spiritual warfare with guns and ammunition, or swords and knives, frying pans or what ever suits your fancy. However, we engage spiritual warfare in these 4 realms.

1. The Rulers
2. The Authorities
3. Cosmic powers over this present darkness
4. Spiritual forces of evil

What are the Rulers?

Shining morning star,
how you have fallen from the heavens!
You destroyer of nations,
you have been cut down to the ground.
¹³ You said to yourself,
“I will ascend to the heavens;
I will set up my throne
above the stars of God.
I will sit on the mount of the gods’ assembly,
in the remotest parts of the North.
¹⁴ I will ascend above the highest clouds;
I will make myself like the Most High.”
¹⁵ But you will be brought down to Sheol
into the deepest regions of the Pit.

¹⁶ Those who see you will stare at you;
they will look closely at you:
“Is this the man who caused the earth to tremble,
who shook the kingdoms,
¹⁷ who turned the world into a wilderness,
who destroyed its cities
and would not release the prisoners to return home?”

Isaiah 14:12-17

The rulers of this spiritual warfare are Satan and his minions. Isaiah 14 describes how Lucifer was this amazing angel. He was the top, being called the morning star. He wanted to ascend above God, and wanted the glory for himself. Lucifer, because of this rebellion, was cast out along with a third of all the angels, and became Satan. Satan couldn’t rule heaven, so he started ruling over this world. Here are some passages to point out Satan’s rulership over this world.

Now is the judgment of this world. Now the ruler of this world will be cast out.

John 12:31

Jesus refers to Satan as “ruler of this world.”

Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:

Ephesians 2:2

Paul calls him the prince of the power of the air.

⁴ In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.

2 Corinthians 4:4

Satan is referred to as god of this world.

And we know that we are of God, and the whole world lieth in wickedness.

We (as in body of believers) are of God, but the world is in the power of the evil one.

Ephesians 6:12 is a famous verse describes the spiritual battle that exists in the lives of believers. It does so perhaps better than any other words in Scripture. First, Paul affirms our battle is indeed spiritual, not physical. The enemies we face, ultimately, are not people or objects. The Devil may use those as part of his attack, but our true opponent is not other people: it is sin.

“Rulers” seem to indicate a top level of evil spiritual forces.

So if Satan is the ruler of this world, what kind of authority does he have?

When we look at the book of Job, we have an understanding that Satan actually doesn’t have much authority. Whatever authority Satan has is allowed by God.

 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.

Matthew 28:18

Jesus says that all authority in heaven and on earth is given to him. Which means ALL authority, both in the physical and spiritual are given to Jesus. We see this authority being practiced throughout the gospels when he casts out demons. The greatest example of Jesus’ authority is when he casts out “legion.”

⁸ And when he was come to the other side into the country of the Gergesenes, there met him two possessed with devils, coming out of the tombs, exceeding fierce, so that no man might pass by that way.

²⁹ And, behold, they cried out, saying, What have we to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God? art thou come hither to torment us before the time?

³⁰ And there was a good way off from them an herd of many swine feeding.

³¹ So the devils besought him, saying, If thou cast us out, suffer us to go away into the herd of swine.

³² And he said unto them, Go. And when they were come out, they went into the herd of swine: and, behold, the whole herd of swine ran violently down a steep place into the sea, and perished in the waters.

³³ And they that kept them fled, and went their ways into the city, and told every thing, and what was befallen to the possessed of the devils.

³⁴ And, behold, the whole city came out to meet Jesus: and when they saw him, they besought him that he would depart out of their coasts.

Matthew 8:28-34
(See also Mark 5:1-17)

The legion of demons begged Jesus to cast them into a nearby herd of pigs.

If all authority on heaven and on earth is given to Jesus, why does it feel like Satan has authority over us?

Authority:

“Authorities” refer to general forces of evil attacking believers.

Satan is in opposition to God. When he deceived mankind, we willingly joined that opposition. This single act of disobedience (Adam and Eve eating the forbidden fruit) doomed all of mankind to join this plan. Another way of saying it, we were born into the plan of Satan. This is the cosmic power that is over this present darkness.

Cosmic Powers:

“Cosmic powers” seems to refer to the worldwide nature of this spiritual battle.

The definition of cosmic is something that is vast and grand relating to the universe. Although Satan’s deception was very simple, it plunged all of mankind and creation into this vast and grand state of rebellion. Before sin, there was no death. God created the heavens and the earth, all the creatures and vegetation, man and woman, and said it was good. After sin, creation started to die.

Unto Adam also and to his wife did the Lord God make coats of skins, and clothed them.

Genesis 3:21

God made garments made of skin for Adam and Eve. That skin had to come from somewhere. It came from God’s creation. That created being, that creature, was killed to cover Adam and Eve. Something had to die to cover their transgression. Just like how Jesus had to die to cover us with his blood, washing away our sin.

The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

John 10:10

Satan’s goal is the steal, kill, and destroy. He wants to steal the worship away from us, so instead of worshiping God, we worship other things. I admit, I am guilty of letting Satan steal my worship here and there. There are times where my focus is on other things, and God becomes a second priority. Anything can become an idol when it takes priority over God. Satan wants the worship. He wanted to be higher than God. He wants the glory. If he is able to deflect your worship and glorification away from God, he’s successful. This is the cosmic reality we live in.

Spiritual forces:

⁷ And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels,

⁸ And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven.

⁹ And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.

Revelation 12:7-9

This passage describes how the angel Michael and his angels are fighting the dragon. There is a real fight going on in the heavenly places. A fight that we cannot see. When we talk about the heavenly places, we also talk about the spiritual places. We are spiritual creatures. God’s spirit lives in all of us. Because we are spiritual creatures, we are influenced by these spiritual forces.

When a man is addicted to pornography, and the temptation creeps up on him, there is a spiritual fight that happens in him. Does he fall to the temptation and his urges? Or does he fight? This is a very difficult fight because fight that goes on in both the mind and the heart when these urges arise.

NEVER FOLLOW YOUR HEART.

The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?

Jeremiah 17:9

This is why Paul writes in Romans 12:

Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God.

Romans 12:2

We wage war not against the physical, but against the rulers, the authorities, the cosmic powers, and spiritual forces in the heavenly realm. I want to spend some time to share a simple and practical way we fight this fight.

“Evil in the heavenly places” again emphasizes a battle beyond this world.

Paul identifies our spiritual enemies. This list is commonly interpreted as a vague listing of the “ranks” within the demonic armies.

Spiritual battles can occur at all levels, anywhere across this world and beyond. The believer must be prepared for all types of attacks through putting on God’s armor, as Paul describes.