Ephesians 6:12

The Pulpit Commentary - Ephesians 6:11-12

The Divine panoply: its necessity and design. Christians have a spiritual warfare on earth ( 2 Timothy 4:7 ). They have to fight for God ( 1 Samuel 25:28 ), for truth (Jud Ephesians 1:3 ), and for themselves ( Revelation 3:11 ). I. THE DIVINE ARMOR . It is so called because God provides each individual part of it. It is amour for offence as well as defense—"forged on no earthly anvil and tempered by no human skill." The amour of Rome—celibacy, poverty, obedience,... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Ephesians 6:12

For we wrestle not against flesh and blood. Our conflict is not with men , here denoted by "flesh and blood," which is usually a symbol of weakness, therefore denoting that our opponents are not weak mortals, but powers of a far more formidable order. But against the principalities, against the powers. The same words as in Ephesians 1:21 ; therefore the definite article is prefixed, as denoting what we are already familiar with: for though all of these, evil as well as good, have... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Ephesians 6:12

The foe . The Christian life is a warfare. In order to wage this successfully we must understand the nature of the foes we have to contend with, because the weapons and armor will have to be selected according to the character of the attack that is made upon us. I. THE NATURE OF THE FOE . 1. Negatively considered . 2. Positively considered . II. THE CHARACTER OF THE WARFARE , Mediaeval armor is useless before rifle-bullets. Old castle walls are no... read more

Albert Barnes

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Ephesians 6:12

For we wrestle - Greek, “The wrestling to us;” or, “There is not to us a wrestling with flesh and blood.” There is undoubtedly here an allusion to the ancient games of Greece, a part of the exercises in which consisted in wrestling; see the notes on 1 Corinthians 9:25-27. The Greek word used here - πάλη palē - denotes a “wrestling;” and then a struggle, fight, combat. Here it refers to the struggle or combat which the Christian has to maintain - the Christian warfare.Not against flesh and... read more

Joseph Benson

Joseph Benson's Commentary of the Old and New Testaments - Ephesians 6:12

Ephesians 6:12. For we wrestle not Greek, ουκ εστιν ημιν η παλη , our struggle is not; against flesh and blood Not merely against human adversaries, however powerful, subtle, and cruel, nor against fleshly appetites; but against principalities, against powers The mighty princes of all the infernal legions: and great is their power, and that likewise of the legions which they command. Against the rulers of the darkness of this world Greek, προς τους κοσμοκρατορας του σκοτους , του... read more

Donald C. Fleming

Bridgeway Bible Commentary - Ephesians 6:10-24

The Christian’s warfare (6:10-24)For Christians, life involves warfare, though the battle is not with earthy forces but with spiritual. They are involved in a struggle against hostile demonic powers who have rebelled against God and oppose his people. As ancient soldiers wore armour when they fought their battles, so Christians must prepare themselves for conflict. They receive their armour, as well as their strength, from God, but they themselves must fight the battle. Above all they must make... read more

E.W. Bullinger

E.W. Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes - Ephesians 6:12

we wrestle = to us the wrestling (Greek. pale ; only here) is. against . Greek. pros, Ephesians 6:11 . flesh and blood = blood and flesh; i.e. human beings, contrasted with the wicked spirits mentioned below. principalities . App-172 . powers . App-172 . rulers = world-rulers. Greek. kosmokrator ; only here. the = this. darkness . The present order of things. of . . . world . The texts omit. spiritual wickedness . Literally spiritual (hosts) of the wickedness (Greek. poneria.... read more

James Burton Coffman

Coffman Commentaries on the Bible - Ephesians 6:12

For our wrestling is not against flesh and blood but against principalities, against the powers, against the world rulers of this darkness, against the spiritual host of wickedness in the heavenly places.In this verse, Paul described the spiritual enemy. He had already mentioned the "devil"; but Satan has many allies, "the spiritual hosts of wickedness." It is an unpardonable error to suppose that Paul here had any reference to the mythological gods of the Greeks and Romans, or to any of the... read more

Thomas Coke

Thomas Coke Commentary on the Holy Bible - Ephesians 6:12

Ephesians 6:12. Principalities, against powers,— These are put here for those revolted angels, who stood in opposition to the kingdom of God. The rulers of the darkness of this world, seems to mean those who have long usurped a dominion over the world, and who, in the present age, hold men in the chains of hereditary superstition and destructive errors, which have been delivered down to them through many succeeding generations. There is somewhat peculiar in the original of the next clause,... read more

Robert Jamieson; A. R. Fausset; David Brown

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible - Ephesians 6:12

12. Greek, "For our wrestling ('the wrestling' in which we are engaged) is not against flesh," c. Flesh and blood foes are Satan's mere tools, the real foe lurking behind them is Satan himself, with whom our conflict is. "Wrestling" implies that it is a hand-to-hand and foot-to-foot struggle for the mastery: to wrestle successfully with Satan, we must wrestle with GOD in irresistible prayer like Jacob (Genesis 32:24-29 Hosea 12:4). Translate, "The principalities . . . the powers" (Ephesians... read more

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