In our previous posts this week, here and here, we read in Ephesians 6:10-13 where Paul writes that our battle is not against flesh and blood, not against what we can see and touch, but against a spiritual enemy. That spiritual is the devil and his demonic forces. That immediately sounds ominous and scary. Should Christians be worried?
In biblical theology, we talk about the difference between spiritual oppression and spiritual possession. There is much debate about how different these terms are, and to what degree Satan and his demons can impact believers when the Holy Spirit lives in us. It seems that we cannot be possessed, but we can be oppressed. I’ve certainly had some really, really dark dreams at night, which can feel like oppression. Others describe dark presences. Evil or self-destructive thoughts. Lies, deception, hatred.
In Ephesians 4, where Paul writes this:
“Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to his neighbor, for we are all members of one body. “In your anger do not sin”: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold. He who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with his own hands, that he may have something to share with those in need. Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.”
It seems that when we embrace sin in our lives, we can give the devil a foothold. Clearly we will want to avoid this. This is yet another reason why we pursue walking in step with the Spirit, being filled with the Spirit, and allowing his Fruit of the Spirit to grow in and flow from our lives.
Back to Ephesians 6. Paul uses numerous words to describe the spiritual darkness in our world. Look at verse 12. The NIV translates this spiritual enemy as “the rulers…the authorities…the powers of this dark world and…the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”
Some of those words sound physical. Rulers and Authorities. If we’re not careful, we could read Paul as saying that we are in a physical battle against national governments, kings, leaders. But that is not at all what Paul is saying. He is speaking entirely spiritually here.
In fact, the words he uses can be defined as “a supernatural power having some particular role in controlling the destiny and activities of human beings.”[1]
There is a real supernatural power, and, this is key, it is not weak, and it is not to be trifled with.
In the next post we’ll talk about how the spiritual world can affect us.
[1] Johannes P. Louw and Eugene Albert Nida, Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament: Based on Semantic Domains (New York: United Bible Societies, 1996), 146–147.
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