For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. (Eph. 6:12 NKJV)

This passage is often cited to show and reinforce the need for Christians to constantly depend on God, to be diligent in our Bible study because otherwise we may be deceived. And deception is often in relation to one’s salvation.

The concern is that if you are not careful and if you do not depend on God and study the Bible continuously you may go astray in your theology. You may lose your faith. You may give in to temptation. You may acquire a wrong belief in the state of the dead. You may believe the wrong things. Conclusively, you may lose your salvation.

The concern expressed is most valid. But perhaps there are wider implications to this passage that may extend beyond the realm of the individual toward the collective.

In earlier passages in Ephesians 6, Paul talked about relationships. He encouraged sons to honor their fathers; fathers to love their sons; slaves to work hard for their masters;"and masters, [to] treat [their] slaves in the same way. Do not threaten them, since you know that he who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and there is no favoritism with him."

The context seems to prepare the readers for the next warning regarding principalities and powers.

For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. (Eph. 6:12)

Perhaps in the context of what was said earlier, we can read this text to say: Although we strive to live in harmony with one another and create a community of mutual respect, we must beware of the power of darkness and the hosts of wickedness that constantly strive to destroy human connectedness. Hence, if we keep our eyes focused on God, we will be able to maintain that connectedness that is so essential to our humanity.

Taking this a step further, we ask ourselves what it is that we have to wrestle against, what wickedness we have to fight against. In referring to the phrase against principalities, against powers that are not flesh and blood, the passage seems to suggest something abstract and not concrete. It seems to suggest something beyond eating pork, breaking the Sabbath, and bowing down to idols. The deception is more subtle, more conceptual, and more attitudinal.

In Genesis 3:1, the Bible says, "The serpent was the craftiest of all." And, indeed, he was. Verse 5 says, "God knows very well that as soon as you eat it you will become like Him. Your eyes will be opened. You will be able to know good from evil!"

What Eve did not realize was that to be connected to God, only God could be God. Eve could not be like God and hope to remain connected to God. A human being has to remain a human being in order to be in a relationship with God.

The deception that results in disconnectedness becomes even clearer when we look at Isaiah 14:13–14:

For you said to yourself, "I will go up to Heaven and rule the angels. I will take the highest throne. I will rule on the Mount of Assembly far away in the north. I will climb to the highest heavens and be like the Most High."

This is when the ego becomes saturated with itself. This is the primary cause of Lucifer’s downfall. It is the "I" that gets in the way. It is this "I" that separates. How does this "I" form the basis for separation? It is reflected in the phrase, "I will be like the Most High." Or, as in Genesis chapter 3 when Lucifer said to Eve, "You will become like Him."

When the self seeks self-sufficiency or self-dependency, it separates itself from God and others. When we fail to recognize the relational nature of who we are, we alienate ourselves. And the mechanism of this process of separation is mentioned in the following sentence in Genesis 3:5, "You will be able to know good from evil."

This phrase is indeed a great deception, the deception of the power of darkness. The self that seeks to understand itself from itself will ultimately destroy itself. When we seek self-affirmation and identity formation through our own knowledge of good and evil, not recognizing our human limitations, we become alienated.

When one says, "I know what is right and I know what is wrong," one sets oneself as that principle of judgment. And when one becomes more obsessed with being right, one separates oneself from others. "I’m right. I know what is truth. You better listen to me."

This is also reflected in political statements such as "We shall prevail. We will win," not recognizing that when there is a winner, there is also a loser. Perhaps this type of attitude is what Paul warns us against. And when he says, "Let your strength come from the Lord’s power within you," perhaps he is saying that the source of our self-identity is to be found in God, in the person of Christ who died on the cross and not how right we are and how perfect we have become.

Life teaches us a very important lesson in the process of self-understanding. Although knowledge is important, it is grace that grants us permission to explore the depth of our souls. Through this grace, we come to realize that it is not what we know that makes us who we are, but our understanding that we are loved.

The message from Ephesians 6: Remain in God’s grace because it is the way to fight against powers and principalities that seek to alienate us from God and our neighbors.

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