Eph 6.11 - 16
Put on all the armor of God, for you to be able to stand against the deceit of the Devil, because fighting against flesh and blood is not to us, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of the darkness of this age, against the spiritual powers of evil in the heavenly realms.Because of this, take up all of the armor of God that you may be able to resist in the evil day, and having worked out all things, to stand. Then stand firm, "having girded your loins about with Truth" and having put "on the breastplate of righteousness," Isa. 11:5; 59:17and having shod the feet with the preparation of the "gospel of peace." Isa. 52:7Above all, taking up the shield of faith, with which you will be able to quench all the darts of the evil one being kindled.
Context seals the deal.
The reader is informed that a spiritual battle is going on….NOT between us and The Devil (because he is presently bound), but against the deceit (plural ‘methodeia’) of The Devil.
If this battle was against Satan, himself, then the text would have plainly said so, on a singular basis. Instead, the plural deceit is listed out in plural fashion demonstrating the demonic forces which are roaming free.
This passage ends with the way it started – reiterating that we are NOT in battle with Satan, himself, but the darts (plural ‘belē’), demons, that he is launching at us.
And that's HOW the devil is still not yet 'bound' today. He is STILL allowed to 'deceive'. That's been his job since God's Eden and it has not changed yet today.
This is one of the Scriptures those who say the devil is bound already try to use...
John 12:31-33
31 Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out.
32 And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.
33 This he said, signifying what death he should die.
KJV
However, Jesus mentions along with that "the judgment of this world", which did NOT happen literally at His crucifixion, for that judgment of the wicked of this world is for when He returns at His second coming to reign as KING.
That's why He then says this later...
John 14:28-30
28 Ye have heard how I said unto you, I go away, and come again unto you. If ye loved Me, ye would rejoice, because I said, I go unto the Father: for My Father is greater than I.
29 And now I have told you before it come to pass, that, when it is come to pass, ye might believe.
30 Hereafter I will not talk much with you: for the prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in Me.
KJV
John 16:8-11
8 And when He is come, He will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:
9 Of sin, because they believe not on Me;
10 Of righteousness, because I go to My Father, and ye see Me no more;
11 Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged.
KJV
The Holy Spirit reproves those in Christ who believe today, not the wicked who reject and work for the devil against Christ because that's what Christ's second coming will do.
Jesus is showing that His crucifixion sealed... God's judgment upon the devil, as that is what Scripture says Jesus came to do, to defeat the devil and death. Jesus by His death and resurrection has already defeated... the devil. But the time of the devil's sentencing to perish in the lake of fire is not yet, so he is yet to be 'bound' today and is still... very much at work in today's world.
Jesus also reveals this when He said, "for the prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in Me."
What did He mean that the devil is coming and has nothing in Him, if the devil is already bound? It's simple for anyone reading Rev.12:7 forward and heeding it as written, for the devil is to be cast down to this earth in the last days with his angels, and that means literally.
Rev 12:7-17
7 And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels,
8 And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven.
That war in Heaven is also hinted at in the Daniel 12 Scripture which is about the very end of this present world, the part in bold is about the coming time of "great tribulation" that Jesus foretold us in Matthew 24... The deliverance phrase after that is the timing of Christ's second coming to end that time of great tribulation upon God's people...
Dan 12:1
12:1 And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book.
KJV
Rev.12:9 And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.
10 And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.
Until this casting out happens for the last days, Satan is still in Heaven as accuser against us day and night. The "power of His Christ" is mentioned happening then in Heaven when Satan is cast down, and certainly it's easy to know that "power" was not fulfilled yet until Jesus died on the cross and The Father raised Him, which shows this event did NOT happen prior to Christ's first coming to die on the cross.
11 And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.
There is yet another time marker for this event of the devil being cast down to this earth. Those in Christ overcoming the devil "by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony", even to their death, is yet another "great tribulation" timing marker. It further shows what timing this casting out of Satan is for, i.e., the last days prior to Christ's second coming.
12 Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.
13 And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman which brought forth the man child.
In the later 17th verse further below, we are shown who that "woman" is that the devil goes after once he is cast down to this earth out of Heaven.
14 And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent.
15 And the serpent cast out of his mouth water as a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away of the flood.
16 And the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed up the flood which the dragon cast out of his mouth.
17 And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.
KJV
The flood metaphor was used first in the OT prophets about God sending the Assyrian upon the rebellious of His people (Isaiah 8 and 28, the section of Isa.28:14-22 verses being most telling in relation to the last days):
Isa 28:2
2 Behold, the Lord hath a mighty and strong one, which as a tempest of hail and a destroying storm, as a flood of mighty waters overflowing, shall cast down to the earth with the hand.
KJV
Thus God uses that flood metaphor here again in Rev.12 about the flood of waters coming out of the serpent's mouth. Words come out of one's mouth, so that flood is a symbol for the devil's lies in deception upon the "woman". And the "woman" has the Testimony of Jesus Christ showing this timing also again, is for after Jesus' 1st coming. Likewise, the timing of that 3 and 1/2 years in Rev.12:14 is the timing of the latter half of the final "one week" of Daniel 9, which is about the timing of the "great tribulation" Jesus taught.
So when our Lord Jesus said the prince of this world cometh, He meant it literally, not spiritually.
And that makes it impossible for that evil prince to already be bound in Heaven when that Rev.12 Scripture linked to end time events clearly shows us he is to be cast down to this earth OUT OF HEAVEN to this earth. And his angels are coming here also with him. That is WHY the tribulation time will be a time upon this earth the world has never seen, and will never see again once it is over.
And THAT is the "evil day" that Apostle Paul was hinting at in Ephesians 6 admonishing us to put on the whole armour of God so that we might "stand" literally... against the "wiles of the devil".
So, do I need to cover Paul's warning about this that he gave in 2 Thessalonians 2:4 in relation to Jesus' warning about it in Matthew 24:23-26 and Revelation 13:11 forward also???
