Please open your bible to the epistles...Ephesians 6:10-20
"Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes."
Bookmark that and then open to this chapter as well...
Ephesians 3:10-12
"So that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. This was according to the eternal purpose that he has realized in Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through our faith in him."
Q: What are we doing?
A: Wrestling with rulers and authorities against the devils' schemes.
Q: Where?
A: In the heavenly places.
Q: Where is Christ?
A: The heavenly places.
Q: Where does he rule and reign?
A: The heavenly places.
Q: Why are we doing this?
A: So that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known...
Let’s flesh this out a bit more, tying the two passages together to sharpen the focus. To sharpen our weapons and prepare ourselves for revelation.
We're being taught to suit up, to stand firm, and to face the enemy. The "schemes" (those cunning tactics) are what we’re resisting, and the full armor is our gear for the fight. The purpose now, (flip to the second passage), "so that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places." This isn’t just about our own survival; it’s about a bold and ambitious proclamation. The church (that’s us!) is God’s megaphone, broadcasting His multifaceted wisdom to those same spiritual entities we’re wrestling with in chapter 6.
What are we doing? Wrestling with rulers and authorities against the devil’s schemes (Ephesians 6:12). It’s a spiritual grapple, not against flesh, but against these cosmic powers trying to undermine God’s rule. The armor equips us to resist and stand.
Where? In the heavenly places (Ephesians 6:12, 3:10). This unseen realm is the arena, beyond the trans-dimensional veil that separates our world and the spiritual realm, where the enemy operates and where Christ reigns. It’s not distant; it’s the spiritual dimension overlapping and surrounding our world and our lives.
Where is Christ? Heavenly places (Ephesians 1:20-21). He’s seated at God’s right hand, above all rule and authority (same entities from 3:10 and 6:12). He’s not just present there, He’s supreme.
Where does He rule and reign? Heavenly places. His victory (Ephesians 1:22, Colossians 2:15) means the enemy’s fighting a losing battle, but they’re still kicking up dust with their hateful schemes.
Why are we doing this? So that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known (Ephesians 3:10). This is the kicker; our stand isn’t just defense, it’s a declaration. "Manifold wisdom" (Greek: polupoikilos, many-colored, richly diverse) is God’s brilliant plan of salvation, redemption, unity in Christ, displayed through us to these spiritual onlookers. And He's doing it right in front of their faces. He is doing it outright, so they don't miss a beat.
Q: What are we doing?
A: We are...
1. Wrestling: In Ephesians 6, we’re combatants, armored up to withstand and push back against the enemy’s lies, chaos, and darkness. It’s an active resistance.
2. Witnessing: In Ephesians 3, we’re ambassadors, showing off God’s wisdom to the same rulers and authorities. Our stand, boldly clad in truth, righteousness, and faith, proclaims Christ’s triumph and fulfills his commission.
And here's the how.
Now look again in Ephesians, this time in chapter 4.
Ephesians 4:1-3 (and beyond through the whole chapter)
"I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace."
Don't grieve the Holy Spirit. Put away evil and slander. Be imitators of God. No obscenity. Give thanks. Be subject to one another. Live out the Christian life. Witness to it and study it. Be walkers in the word of God. It's not a stroll; it's a constant pattern. Be strong in the Lord in the strength of HIS MIGHT!
It's a fast pace. And your flesh is trying to keep up. So, you're trying to outpace that old man.
Galatians 5:16-17
"So, I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want."
Okay, so we know that we're in need of training before the battle. The battle is within us and must be fought there. And we have at our disposal these powers given to us from God's Spirit.
The full armor (truth, righteousness, faith, etc.) isn’t just gear; its God’s strength forged into us. This isn’t passive, it’s a deliberate, an active stance in the heavenly places, that unseen arena where spiritual forces clash. We have a very aggressive and formidable enemy, The Devil, and our weapons against his schemes are spiritual forces at work within us.
Therefore: (from Ephesians)
1. Don’t grieve the Spirit (4:30)—our power source.
2. Put away evil (4:31)—slander, bitterness, the enemy’s tools.
3. Imitate God (5:1)—love, purity, gratitude, sincerity (5:4).
4. Be subject to one another (5:21)—corporate unity is our strength.
It's a fast-paced march powered by "the strength of HIS might" (Ephesians 6:10). The flesh lags behind, but we’re outpacing that "old man" through discipline and dependence on God.
But what about that cosmic level enemy outside of us?
Who Are They?
These "rulers," "authorities," "cosmic powers," and "spiritual forces of evil" aren’t vague metaphors, they’re a host of intelligent, malevolent fallen created beings. A full third of the angelic beings God created.
Fallen Angels: Revelation 12:7-9 describes Satan, and his angels cast out of heaven, now waging war against God’s people. They’re part of this "host" (see also 2 Corinthians 11:14-15, where they masquerade as light). Daniel 10:13-20 mentions the "prince of Persia" and "prince of Greece", spiritual entities resisting God’s messengers, suggesting a hierarchy tied to earthly regions or realms. The phrase "cosmic powers over this present darkness" (Greek: kosmokratores) implies dominion over worldly systems, a darkness that blankets creation until Christ’s return (Romans 8:19-22). This isn’t just Satan alone, it’s a legion, an organized host occupying that unseen space, working in concert against God’s purposes and employing globalist cohorts out of mankind's wicked people.
I called it the "space between us and the universe", and that’s a poetic way to frame the "heavenly places", and I framed it in that way because I've come to believe that the spiritual realm is all around us in this invisible "in-between". This isn’t the starry skies or God’s throne in lofty heavenly clouds, it’s the spiritual dimension, the "air" where Satan is "prince" (Ephesian 2:2).
Think of it as a trans-dimensional veil. Beyond our physical senses yet intersecting with our world. Job 1-2 shows Satan roaming the earth and appearing before God, active in both realms. They’re not omnipresent like God, but they patrol this space, influencing human affairs (1 Peter 5:8, “prowling like a roaring lion”). They are limited to this prowl. They continue only by the will of God; he controls or binds them to the realm of this "air". And from that space they operate against Christ's reign which is above them (Ephesians 1:20-21), but they linger, stirring chaos until their final defeat (Revelation 20:10).
This "space" is like a cosmic battlefield, buzzing with these entities, between humanity and the fullness of God’s creation. On a scientific physical scale they are slipping through the atoms, in-between that molecular structure. They can travel in that slipstream. These entities, these fallen angels, these cosmic powers. They aren’t bound by flesh, so they could indeed weave their way through creation’s framework. Possibly even manipulating that framework to create wicked creatures, but that's for a different conversation.
It’s a compelling blend of spiritual truth and an almost sci-fi-like physicality that makes the unseen feel tangible. Ephesians 6:12’s "heavenly places" already sets the stage as a realm beyond flesh and blood, teeming with rulers, authorities, and cosmic powers.
These demonic entities operate in the interstitial spaces of creation, slipping through atoms, navigating the subatomic slipstream between cells, tissues, and organs. It’s as if they exploit the very fabric of reality itself. Scientifically, atoms are mostly empty space, electrons orbiting nuclei with vast gaps relative to their size. If these spiritual forces are non-physical yet active in our world, they could indeed "buzz" in that unseen lattice, present yet imperceptible. Prowling, swift, elusive, riding the currents of existence.
Satan and his demons are slipping between molecules, they whisper lies into minds (John 8:44), they stir chaos in systems (Daniel 10:13) or amplify the "present darkness" (Ephesians 6:12) from there. It’s subtle, it's electric like static in the air. They ambush Christians and unbelievers. Those "flaming darts" (Ephesians 6:16) could launch from this slipstream. Sudden, piercing attacks by Abaddon on our faith or peace, scheming, stalking and emerging from the cracks of reality to destroy us.
They buzz in this space between humanity and God’s full creation, a contested frontier where they resist the unity of all things in Christ (Ephesians 1:10). They're a swarm, intelligent, malevolent, darting through the molecular gaps, exploiting the tension between the camouflage of the seen and unseen.
Here’s where Ephesians 6:10-20 kicks in. If they fight from this cosmic slipstream, as I imagine, our armor isn’t physical, it’s spiritual, designed to counter their elusive nature:
1. The Belt of Truth: Anchors us against lies slipping through the cracks. God’s Word is solid, unyielding (John 17:17).
2. The Shield of Faith: As far as I see it, this is most important. It blocks darts fired from the slipstream; faith sees beyond the molecular veil to Christ’s supremacy (Hebrews 11:1). And helps us to rest assured in Christ's power, aided by the Helmet of Salvation. These are defensive armor.
3. The Sword of the Spirit: The Word of God cuts back at that enemy offensively, piercing into their domain (Hebrews 4:12). It’s our weapon from God to disrupt their buzzing noise. It slices through ALL the layers between the spiritual realm and the worldly flesh. No system, no earthly or supernatural entity can resist it.
4. The Shoes of Readiness: Prayer, Ephesians 6:18’s "praying at all times in the Spirit" bridges the gap, it's our direct line to God’s power, overriding their interference. They have no power to stop it, though they can delay the messengers from God. They are there, in that slipstream, resisting and blockading the defending angels sent from God. They fight them there and waylay them there. But our prayers are like messenger homing-pigeons that fly above them all and go directly to God's hand.
We don’t fight atoms with atoms; we fight spirits with Spirit. Standing firm (Ephesians 6:13) means holding on to our ground in this overlapping battlefield, unshaken by their slipstream schemes. Ephesians 3:10 says the church reveals God’s manifold wisdom to these entities. They’re forced to witness it. Our prayers fly above them, and they can hear them read aloud by God. Living in truth, unity, and faith (Ephesians 4:1-3), we broadcast God’s plan before them, and they hate that. Salvation threading through creation’s fabric, right where they lurk. I've seen their hate in a dream. They want our destruction like they want a meal while they're starving. They hunger for it terribly. It fills them with rage.
They slip through the atoms, in the in-between, but we stand in Christ, turning their battlefield into a stage for God’s glory. They’re there, elusive, buzzing through the molecular gaps, but we’re here, armored in God’s might, standing firm, staring them in the eye, and they turn from us in shame and fear.
Every prayer, every truth we wield, reverberates through that space, declaring God’s wisdom to a defeated host. It’s a war fought not with fists, but with faith, right there in the cracks of the universe. My vision of entities "slipping through the atoms, in between that molecular structure" aligns eerily with quantum theology ideas.
The "space between us and the universe" could simply be a quantum layer. When you pray, try praying down into that quantum layering.
Atoms are 99.9% empty space. Quantum fields, vibrating energies, fill these gaps. Could spiritual forces, unbound by physicality, operate in this fluctuating field? How? Maybe using light captured in a matrix of crystalized light to sustain the light energy and to power their movements. The light moves at light speed but is contained in a light crystalline fiber fabric that doesn't destroy the light but holds it and uses it.
I say absolutely. And I believe our dreams also operate in these quantum fields in a similar way and we are likely attuned to that light fabric matrix in our pineal gland which is in our brains. But that's also another discussion for another time.
These demonic entities might exist in a quantum state of potential, everywhere and nowhere, until they "collapse" into action (a temptation, a desire, a demonic dart). Quantum Entanglement suggests instant connections across vast distances. The "prince of Persia" (Daniel 10:13) resisting in one realm while affecting others fits this. These cosmic powers are exerting influence beyond locality, buzzing through the air (Ephesians 2:2).
This quantum slipstream isn’t just a sci-fi flourish, it’s a way to picture the "heavenly places" as a dynamic, unseen substrate intersecting our world. Ephesians 3:10’s "manifold wisdom" (polupoikilos, many-colored) takes on a new depth here. Quantum systems are probabilistic, multi-faceted, and God’s wisdom, displayed through the church, could be a counter-harmony to the enemy’s discord there. Our prayers fight against them there. Our teaching and preaching the Word of God fights against them there. It slips past all the layers and stabs them. Our love and faith are literally rippling instantly through their spiritual realm, declaring victory to these demonic rulers and authorities. And they hate that!
Our stand in the armor, our prayers (Ephesians 6:18), might "observe" God’s reality into being before them, and thereby collapsing the enemy’s schemes into defeat. We choose to stand, wielding spiritual weapons that shift the cosmic tide. We’re not passive; we’re co-creators in this cosmic dance. We're smashing their fortresses they put there when we pray. We're seizing ground and pushing over their barricades when we preach the word. They can't stop us. They have NO POWER over that armor.
So, stand firm, gird your loins with truth. It's the first line of defense and the best defense is a good offense.
2 Corinthians 10:4-5 ties in,
The weapons of our warfare… have divine power to destroy strongholds."
Those strongholds: lies, fears, chaos, all crumble when we pray God’s truth. It’s like flipping a quantum switch from darkness to light. The "schemes of the devil" (Ephesians 6:11) thrive in ambiguity, its mortal combat, but our faith-filled stand (Ephesians 6:16) locks in God’s reality. Yes! The sword of the Spirit (Ephesians 6:17), God’s Word, isn’t defensive, it’s a blade that cuts through the slipstream. Preaching truth shifts the tide, reclaiming territory in the heavenly places.
This is the heart of it, Christ’s victory (Colossians 2:15) he's stripped them bare, and the armor of God (Ephesians 6:10-17) is forged in His might. They can buzz in the quantum slipstream all they want, but they can’t pierce what God provides.
We are GOD'S WARRIORS!
And we stand in His strength, not ours (Ephesians 6:10). Like quantum observers, we collapse God’s will into being, our prayer tears down the barricades, and the Word builds up defenses that the demons cannot break through. Our stand, prayers, and preaching aren’t reactions, they’re acts of creation. Romans 8:17 calls us "co-heirs with Christ", and Ephesians 2:6 seats us with Him in the heavenly places. We’re not passive; we’re co-creators in this cosmic dance, while we sit with Him.
If I have any wish, I wish you would dance.
Seated, yet dancing. We are co-heirs, and we inherit Christ’s victory when we put on the full armor of God. Start with the belt of truth before you try on the breastplate of righteousness. Start with truth and the shield of faith. Operate in that for a time and you'll learn what the breastplate has to offer, and then you'll be able to pick up the sword of truth and be ready to walk in his shoes. Learn truth and it will set you free. Right now, if you've never known faith, start there. Train there. Study the truth. Pray for wisdom. And level up when the time is right. Don't attempt to wield the sword of truth, you're not at that level yet. Don't face off with Satan until you've learned the truth and received the first gift, that belt of truth. Then you can move on into the next level and beyond.
God bless you and keep you in His Son's righteousness. May his angels protect you and defend you as you train and work out in this righteousness. May he keep you ready, committed, and dedicated in obedience to God.
Amen.
