Unseen Foes

“For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.” (6:12)

After announcing the fact of the Devil’s strategic advances against the Body of Christ, Paul’s next sentence outlines a leadership roster. It’s a group of thugs in the spirit world that do the Devil’s bidding to carry out these strategies and to try to bring us down.

Before describing these lieutenants, and where they operate, it’s important to notice Paul’s statement about our Opposition. His lead words help us to identify that we are not battling human beings. We are battling spirit beings. This is not a tussle against humanity and people, but a struggle against spiritual hostilities and opponents that we can’t actually see. There’s no doubt the Enemy uses people in his strategies against us, but he has spiritual forces that carry out the motivated attacks through people. It’s easy to forget that these people the Enemy uses are not the enemy themselves, but victims of the Enemy.

 These spiritual forces are identified as:

• Evil rulers and authorities belonging to the unseen world
  • Mighty powers at work in what Paul calls “this dark world”
  • Evil spirits in the heavenly places

It’s a strong lineup—evil rulers and authorities, mighty powers, evil spirits. We can’t underestimate our Enemy.

Here’s where the battle gets difficult. Unlike conventional warfare, when the two armies or warring parties might see the other coming and confront each other, or one sneak around the other and attack and then reveal their physical presence, we can’t actually see our Enemy. This strong lineup I just referenced is operating in places that Paul identifies as the unseen world, this dark world, and heavenly places. We don’t know where their headquarters is, as it is not identified, nor can it be plotted on a map. But from wherever they are, they take orders, attack, plot, plan, and assault. It’s what they do.

So, we’ve got an overall Enemy, working against us with planned strategies, in attacks being led and coordinated by a number of different lieutenants, from places that we can’t see. We would do well to take seriously this battle!

These Dark World Mighty Powers (DWMP, I call them) want us to cower in their presence, and give in to their deluded schemes. They want us to think they are stronger than we are—trying to make us forget that the God of Angel Armies is with us, and that the same Spirit that raised Christ from the dead lives in us (Romans 8:11). They want us to forget out how this all comes out in the end, tricked into thinking that they will be victorious, and there’s nothing we can do to stop them.

We can’t under-estimate our Enemy. He uses highly coordinated and ferocious attacks. I wonder: as the End draws nearer, have we even seen the extent of his ferocity?  

It’s good that we have a ‘healthy fear’ of the Enemy and his cohorts. But it’s not a fear that causes us to run and hide, and throw up our hands in despair, but a fear that causes us to take notice, and take action. The Devil means business, operating as he does with a diverse leadership carrying out well-planned and oppressive strategies. We have to ‘mean business’ in response.

Also, let’s remember that these DWMP are temporary, not eternal. Their influence and freedom to torment is coming to an end. These DWMP hate us and all that we stand for. They have proven themselves motivated to resist the advance of the Kingdom of God. But God’s mighty power has no end; it is eternal. It is available. And we will overcome these brutes.

“Father, thank you for informing us of the spirit world leadership group that works against the Body of Christ. We are grateful to know what we are up against. We pray for insight and wisdom on how to respond, and for courage to stand strong in the face of this adversity.”