Lexicon

For

ὅτι

(hoti)

Conjunction



Neuter of hostis as conjunction; demonstrative, that; causative, because.

our

ἡμῖν

(hēmin)

Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative 1st Person Plural



I, the first-person pronoun. A primary pronoun of the first person I.

struggle

πάλη

(palē)

Noun - Nominative Feminine Singular



Wrestling, a wrestling bout; hence: a struggle, fight, conflict, contest. From pallo; wrestling.

is

ἔστιν

(estin)

Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular



I am, exist. The first person singular present indicative; a prolonged form of a primary and defective verb; I exist.

not

οὐκ

(ouk)

Adverb



No, not. Also ouk, and ouch a primary word; the absolute negative adverb; no or not.

against

πρὸς

(pros)

Preposition



To, towards, with. A strengthened form of pro; a preposition of direction; forward to, i.e. Toward.

flesh

σάρκα

(sarka)

Noun - Accusative Feminine Singular



Flesh, body, human nature, materiality; kindred.

and

καὶ

(kai)

Conjunction



And, even, also, namely.

blood,

αἷμα

(haima)

Noun - Accusative Neuter Singular



Blood, literally, figuratively or specially; by implication, bloodshed, also kindred.

but

ἀλλὰ

(alla)

Conjunction



But, except, however. Neuter plural of allos; properly, other things, i.e. contrariwise.

against

πρὸς

(pros)

Preposition



To, towards, with. A strengthened form of pro; a preposition of direction; forward to, i.e. Toward.

the

τὰς

(tas)

Article - Accusative Feminine Plural



The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

rulers,

ἀρχάς

(archas)

Noun - Accusative Feminine Plural



From archomai; a commencement, or chief.

against

πρὸς

(pros)

Preposition



To, towards, with. A strengthened form of pro; a preposition of direction; forward to, i.e. Toward.

the

τὰς

(tas)

Article - Accusative Feminine Plural



The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

authorities,

ἐξουσίας

(exousias)

Noun - Accusative Feminine Plural



From exesti; privilege, i.e. force, capacity, competency, freedom, or mastery, delegated influence.

against

πρὸς

(pros)

Preposition



To, towards, with. A strengthened form of pro; a preposition of direction; forward to, i.e. Toward.

the

τοὺς

(tous)

Article - Accusative Masculine Plural



The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

powers

κοσμοκράτορας

(kosmokratoras)

Noun - Accusative Masculine Plural



From kosmos and krateo; a world-ruler, an epithet of Satan.

of

τοῦ

(tou)

Article - Genitive Neuter Singular



The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

this {world's}

τούτου

(toutou)

Demonstrative Pronoun - Genitive Neuter Singular



This; he, she, it.

darkness,

σκότους

(skotous)

Noun - Genitive Neuter Singular



Darkness, either physical or moral. From the base of skia; shadiness, i.e. Obscurity.

[and] against

πρὸς

(pros)

Preposition



To, towards, with. A strengthened form of pro; a preposition of direction; forward to, i.e. Toward.

the

τὰ

(ta)

Article - Accusative Neuter Plural



The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

spiritual [forces]

πνευματικὰ

(pneumatika)

Adjective - Accusative Neuter Plural



Spiritual. From pneuma; non-carnal, i.e. ethereal, or a spirit, or supernatural, regenerate, religious.

of evil

πονηρίας

(ponērias)

Noun - Genitive Feminine Singular



Wickedness, iniquities. From poneros; depravity, i.e., malice; plural plots, sins.

in

ἐν

(en)

Preposition



In, on, among. A primary preposition denoting position, and instrumentality, i.e. A relation of rest; 'in, ' at, on, by, etc.

the

τοῖς

(tois)

Article - Dative Neuter Plural



The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

heavenly realms.

ἐπουρανίοις

(epouraniois)

Adjective - Dative Neuter Plural



From epi and ouranos; above the sky.

For we wrestle.

For our wrestling is.

(12)--Properly,That there is a struggle, a "battle of life," must be assumed at once by all who look at the world as it is; the question is whether it is against flesh and blood, or against a more unearthly power of evil.

Flesh and blood.--Or rather (as perhaps also in Hebrews 2:14), blood and flesh. So in John 1:13, "Not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh." In Matthew 16:17, 1Corinthians 15:50, we have "flesh and blood." The sense is clearly, as the comparison of all these passages shows, "mere human power." Possibly the word "blood" is here put first to prevent even a moment's confusion with the idea of wrestling against "the flesh" as an evil power within ourselves. In many passages of this Epistle St. Paul had dwelt on the opposition of the Christian to the heathen life, and the duty of rebuking and putting to shame the works of darkness; but here he warns us that the struggle is not a struggle with the "flesh and blood" of wicked men--a struggle which may still admit of some reserve of sympathy--but a truceless war with the spiritual powers of evil themselves.

Against principalities, against powers.--See Note on Ephesians 1:21.

Against the rulers . . .--"Principalities" and "powers" describe simply angelic powers, whether of good or evil. But in the following clauses St. Paul defines them as powers of evil, and appears to indicate two different aspects of this evil power. The original phrase is striking and powerful, "against the world-rulers of this darkness, against the spiritual powers of wickedness in the heavenly places."

The rulers of the darkness.--Properly, the world-rulers of this darkness. This phrase is simply a poetical expression of the idea conveyed by the title "the prince of this world," applied to Satan in John 12:31; John 14:30; John 16:11 (on which see Notes). For "this darkness" is obviously (as our version renders it, following an early gloss on the passage) "the darkness of this present world," as a world overshadowed by sin, and so kept, wholly or partially, from the light of God. The title "the prince of this world," was applied by the Jews to Satan, especially in reference to his power over the heathen, as lying outside the safety of the covenant. St. Paul applies it in a corresponding sense here to those outside the wider covenant of the gospel; just as in 1Corinthians 5:5, 1Timothy 1:20, he speaks of excommunication from the Church as a "delivery to Satan." The spirits of evil are therefore spoken of as wielding the power which the Tempter claims for himself (in Luke 4:6) over such souls as are still in darkness and alienation from God. This is a power real, but limited and transitory, able only to enslave those who "yield themselves" to it, and destined to be overcome; and it seems to refer especially to the concrete power of evil, exercised through physical and human agency.

Spiritual wickedness in high places.--The "spiritual powers" are not spiritual principles, but "spiritual hosts" of wickedness; and the phrase "in the heavenly places," corresponding to "the power of the air" in Ephesians 2:2 (where see Note), stands obviously in antithesis to "the darkness of this world." The sense, as in all other cases, seems to be local. (See Note on Ephesians 1:3.) The spiritual hosts of evil are described as fighting in the region above the earth. But the meaning underlying this figure surely points to the power of evil as directly spiritual, not acting through physical and human agency, but attacking the spirit in that higher aspect, in which it contemplates heavenly things and ascends to the communion with God. As the former idea corresponds to the gross work of temptation on the high mountain, so this to the subtler spiritual temptation on the pinnacle of the temple.

Verse 12.

For we wrestle not against flesh and blood.

men

But against the principalities, against the powers.

Against the world-rulers of this [state of] darkness

Against the spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.

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Our conflict is not with, 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.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 been put under Christ the Head, they have not been put under the members, but the evil among them are warring against these members with all the greater ferocity that they cannot assail the Head.(comp. Ephesians 2:2 ). "World-rulers" denotes the extent of the dominion of these invisible foes - the term is applied only to the rulers of the most widely extended tracts; there is no part of the globe to which their influence does not extend, and where their dark rule does not show itself (comp. Luke 4:6 ). "This darkness" expressively denotes the element and the results of their rule. Observe contrast with Christ's servants, who are children of light, equivalent to order, knowledge, purity, joy, peace, etc.; while the element of the devil and his servants is darkness, equivalent to confusion, ignorance, crime, terror, strife, and all misery.The natural meaning, though questioned by some, is, either that these hosts of wickedness have their residence in heavenly places, or, that these places are the scene of our conflict with them. The latter seems more agreeable to the context, for "in heavenly places" does not denote a geographical locality here any more than in Ephesians 1:3 and Ephesians 2:6. When it is said that "we have been seated with Christ in heavenly places," the allusion is to the spiritual experience of his people; in spirit they are at the gate of heaven, where their hearts are full of heavenly thoughts and feelings; the statement now before us is that, even in such places, amid their most fervent experiences or their most sublime services, they are subject to the attacks of the spirits of wickedness.Alphabetical: against and authorities blood but dark darkness evil flesh For forces heavenly in is not of our places powers realms rulers spiritual struggle the this wickedness world