Twenty-First Sunday after Pentecost: Ephesians 6:12 – WWF: Wrestling Wicked Forces

Ephesians chapter 6 verse 12 says, "For our wrestling is not against flesh and blood; but against principalities and power, against the rulers of the world of this darkness, against the spirits of wickedness in the high places."

3500 years ago, Moses came down from Mount Sinai and brought the Israelites a promise from God of a kingdom on this earth. But 2000 years ago, Jesus came down from heaven and brought us the promise of a heavenly kingdom. This is the fundamental difference between the new covenant and the old. If we don't understand this, we will not be able to wage an effective warfare against Satan.

Our kingdom is not of this world. And so we must NEVER, NEVER fight or quarrel with human beings concerning any matter.

This is the Number One requirement for effective spiritual warfare. One of the chief ways by which Satan tries to sidetrack believers from their calling, is by getting them to fight or quarrel with others - with their relatives or their neighbors or their brothers and sisters in Christ. And invariably the quarrel will be concerning some earthly matter.

Understand, that Satan uses other people to come against us for our battle is not against flesh and blood. They can be Christians and non Christians but they come at us as accusation. We must remember that the people on the earth, though they may seem like our enemies because of the things they are doing to hurt us, are not our enemies. Satan and his fallen ones and demons are our enemy Not People. When it comes to a spiritual warfare you must take your eyes off of people and their sin and look to our commander the Lord Jesus Christ.

We have to remember that our war on earth is spiritual and not flesh and Not People.

We are spiritual beings in an mortal body. God is spirit and Satan is a spirit and so is his army of demons.

Our war is not flesh and blood with the enemy or with others around us. We have to separate the person coming at you through accusation or other means, and separate them from their sin. Jesus died for all men.

By focusing on the flesh and blood in stead principalities and powers, rulers of the world of this darkness, and against the spirits of wickedness in the high places. Satan drags believers down from their heavenly position to this earth and its affairs, and in this way makes them ineffective in their battle against him.

If you want to fight Satan effectively and to build the Church, determine that you will never get involved in a dispute with any human being, or concerning any earthly thing. We must not even wage imaginary battles in our minds, with others. We must not have a single complaint against anyone.

And we must not have an inward demand on anyone either. We must not, for example, have a demand that people should treat us with respect, or with consideration, or show love to us, or that they should never cheat us or deceive us etc., We must not have such expectations even from our marriage-partners. All such disputes and complaints and demands are indications that a person's kingdom is of this world, and that he has given place for Satan in his heart. And such people are doomed to live a miserable life.

God is the Only One with whom we have to do. As Hebrews chapter 4 verse 13 says, “Neither is there any creature invisible in his sight: but all things are naked and open to his eyes, [of him with whom we have to do.]" All our circumstances (including the way others treat us) are designed by our loving Father for our very best - to conform us to the likeness of His Son. Therefore we have no room for any complaints against anyone, but plenty of room for praising God at all times.