Brief Exposition of Galatians and Ephesians, Exposition 2 · Chapter 6 · Verse and explication 12
Vers. 12. For we wrestle not against flesh and bloud, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darknesse of this world, against spiritual wickednesse in high places.
THe Apostle, having thus propounded the duty, doth next enforce it from the nature of this warfare, as being a wrestling, which is a close combate betwixt two, hand to hand, each exerting their whole force & strength against one another: And from the terror and greatness of those adversaries, whom we are to fight against, described, 1. negatively, or comparatively, that they were not flesh and bloud, that is, any bodily or humane power, to wit, only, or principally; for, the Believer doth fight against those also, Joh. 16. 33. only they are but Satans auxiliary forces, whom he stirreth up and imployeth. Next, positively, the devils and damned angels, described, first, from their magnifick titles, principalities, powers, rulers of the darkness of this world: whereby is set forth their great naturall power and strength, together with their prince-like authority and government, which by Gods permission they exerce in the world, and upon wicked men in it by reason of their profanity and ignorance, here called darknesse, as chap. 5. ver. 8. Secondly, from their nature, as being for their essence spiritual, immaterial and without a body; and for quality, most wicked, and here called wickednesse it self in the abstract, thereby to aggreage their wickednesse, as being wholly destitute of all moral goodnesse. Thirdly, from the place of their abode, the high air, whereof Satan is prince, chap. 2. 2. Or rather, by this particle in high places, (as many Interpreters conceive) he setteth forth somewhat more of the nature of this warfare, to wit, the main matter about which the quarrel is, even high and heavenly things, which tend to the honour of God, and the eternal good of our souls: for, the word in the original is, in the heavenly, without the substantive places, and it may be as well supplied heavenly things, as it is, Heb. 8. 5. and 9. 23. and so it readeth well in, or, because of heavenly things; for, this particle, rendered in, is sometimes causall, and rendered because. See Matth. 26. 31. Hence Learn, 1. The Lord doth deal ingenuously with all whom He calleth to fight this spiritual conflict, by letting them know the power, strength and subtilty of the enemy; and the height of those difficulties which ly in their way to heaven before they engage, So that none may have occasion to say they were deceived, and made to meet with harder work than they were told of at the first: for, he setteth forth the nature of this warfare, and terror of the adversary to the utmost of what could be said by any, We wrestle against principalities and powers, &c. 2. So apt are men to dream of the way to heaven as easie, and to trouble themselves but little for attaining to it, Matth. 7. 21. that nothing lesse is required to make us shake off security, and minde the work of walking to heaven in earnest, than to set before us all those dreadfull dangers, insuperable difficulties, and terrible opposition, which of necessity we are to meet with in our way to it; for, that they may be excited to shake off lazinesse and be serious in this work, he seeth it necessary to set before them what dreadfull enemies they had to fight against, as appeareth from the causal particle for, which coupleth this verse with the former; Put on the whole armour of God,—for we wrestle against principalities and powers. 3. The malice of Satan, our spiritual adversarie, is bent, not only against the Saints in general, but also against every one in particular, each of whom he setteth upon, with so much fury, force and eagernesse, as if he had none to deal with but one alone: for, the Christians conflict with Satan, is here called a wrestling, which is a close combat betwixt two, hand to hand; and the original word signifieth such a strife as maketh the body shake again; We wrestle, saith he. 4. Every Saint and real Believer is this one, whom Satan so assaulteth: he forbeareth none, but setteth upon all; the strongest are not a terrour to him, nor yet the meanest are so far undervalued by him, as not to think them worthy of his wrath; and therefore all must fight and wrestle: for, the Apostle of purpose changeth the pronoun ye, in the former verse, into we in this, to shew that neither he nor any other was exempted from wrestling; We wrestle, saith he. 5. No place, no inward case, or outward condition wherein a Christian doth fall, can give him ease from, or a safe peace with, this restlesse adversary: his greatest safety is to be wrestling daily and without intermission; for, he saith not, we did wrestle, or shall wrestle, but in the present time, we wrestle: which implyeth a continued action. 6. Devils and damned evil spirits, are a more terrible and dangerous party to wrestle with than any bodily or humane power; yea, though all the skill, courage, valour, strength, which over was amongst men, were united and placed in one, This dreadfull adversary, (for strength, for craft, for unwearied diligence, for unpeaceablnesse of spirit against his party, for his malice, not so much against our body and outward estate, as against our choisest part, even the immortal soul; for his courage to assault, his nimblenesse to pursue, his immortal nature, that he never dieth) goeth far beyond the most terrible of men, yea, and all men: for, he extenuateth the power and terror of flesh and bloud, being compared with Satans making the latter far more terrible than the former, while he saith, we wrestle not with flesh and bloud, but with principalities and powers. 7. As men in tempting us to sin directly or indirectly, are subservient to Satan, and in that respect acted by him, Matth. 16. 23. So, our surest way to guard against all such tentations, is to look at Satan as our chief party, who maketh use of man one way or other, to promove his soul-ruining designes, and upon our ceding to the tentation, as a giving place to the devil, Eph. 4. 27. for, while he saith, we wrestle not with flesh and bloud, but with principalities and powers, he would have them to look at Satan as their chief adversary, even when they are tempted by men. 8. It is Satans constant work, not only to sin against the Lord himself; but to incite and tempt others to do the like, and envie and hinder that happinesse unto others which he hath irrecoverably fallen-from himself: and therefore such as are most active to entice others to sin and wickednesse, do resemble Satan most, and are to be looked upon, not as men, but incarnate devils. It is their fathers work they do, and his lusts they fulfill, Joh. 8. 44. for, he maketh it Satans work to wrestle with the Saints and make them sin against the Lord; We wrestle with principalities and powers. 9. As there is not only one but many devils feighting under one head and chief, Matth. 25. -41. So all of them are engaged in this spirituall warfare against the Saints; and therefore none of Christs souldiers should dream of ease, there being a sufficient number of enemies to engage all: yea, sometimes many devils do set upon one man at once, Mark 5. 9. for, all the stiles here given to Satan, are in the plurall number, to shew that they are a numerous enemy; Principalities, powers, rulers, wickednesses. 10. The people of God ought not to extenuate or undervalue the force and power of their adverse party in this spirituall conflict; but look upon them in their outmost strength, most numerous multitude, greatest activity, and in whatsoever may make them terrible: and this, not to weaken their own hands; but to awake them from their security, and to chase them to their strength: for, in order to this end, Paul holdeth out their enemy Satan in his most dreadfull colours; Principalities, powers, rulers of the darknesse of this world, spiritual wickednesses. 11. Though Angels by their fall, have losed much, even all their morall goodnesse, Joh. 8. 44. yet their essence and naturall being doth remain, yea, and such properties as do naturally flow from such an excellent being, as strength and ability to do, at Gods permission, whatsoever is not above the course of nature, (See upon chap. 2. ver. 2. doct. 8.) for which cause they are here called powers, yea. and what through Gods permission, their own usurpation, and the voluntary subjection of wicked men unto them, they exercise a prince-like authority over the children of disobedience: for, therefore are they called principalities and rulers. 12. Whatever prince-like authority Satan hath in the world, and whatever be his might and power to back his authority and make it dreadfull, he imployeth it all for carrying on this war against the Saints; his kingly power over wicked men is made use of for stirring them up sometimes to entice, Gen. 39. 7. sometimes to constrain the truely godly to sin against the Lord, Dan. 3. 2, &c, His power and might, whereby through Gods permission, he doth raise up storms, commove the elements, destroy cattel, smite the bodies of men with diverse diseases,, is all imployed for this to make men, and especially good men, break out in some one or other sinfull carriage, Job 1. 11. with 14. and 2. 5. with 7. for, while the Apostle designeth our adversary by stiles of principalities and powers, he sheweth whatever authority or power Satan hath, is imployed by him for carrying on the war. 13. This prince-like authority and rule which Satan exerceth, is not absolute and illimitted, but hath its own bounds appointed for it by God. As, first, his principality and rule is only in this world, but not in that which is to come, no not over the wicked, in whom he now ruleth, but there he and they both shall remain for ever close prisoners in hell, Matth. 25. 41. for, Christ is still to rule as Mediatour and Lord Deputy under the Father, untill He put down all rule, authority and power, and consequently Satan's among the rest, 1 Cor. 15. 24. Hence it is they are called rulers of this world, that is, now, and not hereafter. Next, his principality is limited only to those who are in their unrenewed state of darknesse, sin and ignorance of God. He may indeed exerce a tyrannical power over the Regenerate, but no princely authority, unto which they give unwilling obedience, there being still in such, a party for God, 1 Joh. 3. 9. which in one degree or other opposeth it self, at least doth not consent to Satan's usurpation, Rom. 7. 19. Gal. 5. 17. for, he confineth their rule to darknesse, that is, those who are in a state of sin and ignorance; rulers of the darknesse. 14. Though Satan cannot so far prevail over the renewed man as to rule in him; yet, he ceaseth not to assault him, if it were but to vex him, Rom. 7. 24. yea, and he may so far prevail with his assaults by drawing him on to some particular grosse acts of sin, 2 Sam. 11. 4. and thereby to dishonour God, 2 Sam. 12. 14. and to mar his own peace, Psal. 32. 3, 4. as that the best of men have need to stand upon their guard against him: for, though the Apostle doth limit his principality and rule to unrenewed men, yet he maketh even that, an argument, why he himself and all the converted Ephesians were to stand to their arms against him: which implyeth, that at least he would assault them; yea, and might in part prevail against them: for we wrestle against the rulers of the darknesse of this world. 15. Natural excellency, greatnesse and dignity, are very consistent and often-times found to be stained with the greatest moral deformity; yea, and most excellent creatures, when they degenerate to wickednesse, do usually prove most perverse: for, those glorious creatures, whom he presently called principalities and powers, having fallen from God, became not only wicked, but wickednesse it self in the abstract; Against spiritual wickedness. 16. So base, so shamefull, so defiling a thing is sin, that it putteth a stain, a blot, a note of ignominy, upon the greatest of created excellencies, if once it get place; yea, the moe, and more choice excellencies that God hath adorned any person with, he proveth the more loathsom and abominable to God, when he giveth loose reigns to wickednesse for, those princely excellent creatures, by reason of their sin, are branded with this ignominious stile, they are spiritual wickednesse. 17. It addeth much to the christian souldier his disadvantage in this spiritual conflict, that his grand and dreadfull enemy, the devil, is of a spiritual and immaterial substance: for, being a spirit, he is of vast understanding, and able to take up our natural inclination, and what temptation will be most prevalent with us, Joh. 12. 6. with Mark 14. 11. he is invisible both in his nature and approaches; he oft doth reach a deadly blow before we know it is he, 2 Sam. 15. 11. he penetrateth all material substance, and cannot be keeped out by locked doors; yea, the external senses being closed, he worketh upon the inward fancy and imagination, Mica. 2. 1. he is unwearied in his motions, and never ceaseth to pursue his design, notwithstanding of growing difficulties and multiplied repulses, Gen. 39. 7. with 10. 12. he hath a singular dexterity in driving us on to act spiritual sins, that is, either inward sins of the heart, or sins that are conversant, not about carnal passions and fleshly lusts, but spiritual objects, such as spiritual pride, errour, unbelief, &c. these being more like to his own spiritual substance: for, he setteth him forth in his spiritual nature, to make him more dreadfull, as also (according to the judgment of some Interpreters) to hint at the kind of those tentations, which with greatest dexterity and vigour he assaulteth the Saints with most, even to spiritual sins, against spiritual wickednesse, or the spirituals of wickednesse, as it is in the original. 18. The malice of Satan doth bend it self against the Christian souldier, not so much in his temporall and worldly, as in his spiritual and heavenly concernments; and whatever he doth to the Christian's hurt and prejudice in the former, it is that he may hereby reach him a blow in the latter, Job 1. 11. for, Paul doth shew the matter about which the quarrel is betwixt Satan and us, to be things heavenly, not earthly; in high places, better, because of heavenly things. 19. No worldly concernment or hazard, ought to go so near us, as that which concerneth the eternal good and salvation of our souls, the hazard of losing those concernments will startle a Christian souldier much, as knowing it can profit him nothing to gain the whole world, if he lose his soul: for, to make them take the alarm with greater speed, he sheweth it was not things earthly, but heavenly, which Satan intended to spoile them of; For we wrestle—for heavenly things, Therefore put on the whole armour of God, as it is, ver. 11.