Just to lay my viewpoint out from the beginning and so you can understand where I'm coming from, I believe according to scriptures that the demons in the gospel accounts are inactive at the moment, or more accurately I believe they were cast out and are bound for future judgment, until the day of tribulation.
Yet a trend I've noticed lately which has grown stronger over the last decade or two is the assumption that Christians are battling with unseen entities or demons, please understand from my point of view people must be under the effects of hallucinogens as I and many others have seen absolutely no evidence of demons running around tormenting people.
And as with the nature of all things, verses in scripture become twisted to accommodate peoples own bias or viewpoints I realise people may think I am blinded to facts as equally as I think they are, so just some light discussion may help understand differing perspectives.
The most common go to verse that people go to prove demons are still active, I run into is.
Eph 6:12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
I would like to point out if its possible, if it is indeed possible to look at something from another's perspective so we can point out the error in thinking. Is that from my perspective, this verse is innuendo, what I mean is it is not explicitly saying demons are the powers that are in fact ruling the world. It is being deduced by some that that is what the verse is saying in a round about way.
So when I say its talking about men I suppose those who oppose that notion can also say its innuendo and that its not saying men are the powers in darkness that are ruling the world?
And I would agree, we are taking our preconceived view, which should be from scripture not personal testimonies, and applying it to this verse.
I'm just saying other verses are explicit so they should hold more merit than this verse.
In my view the whole world is in darkness, just as I was before being born again, I was blind but now I see. The government where I live is secular and they make laws and regulations which definitely provide spiritual testing and personal spiritual battle, yet all authorities are still put there by God, they are in darkness and do the wrong thing morally all the time but they represent the immoral people of the world as a whole, I'm no longer a part of this world, and am a citizen of the heavenly kingdom, yet I must muck through this world for a short time.
Its another topic but even immoral people who dwell in darkness want to do the right thing and the ruling powers and authorities generally do and want to do a good job, and they do an amazing job considering.
If I am to give a exegesis on the armor of God in Eph 6, it will be practical and it would highlight how the parts of the armor will help us get through this world that dwells in darkness, its not to go and physically fight against those that disagree with us, for it has spiritual application where we can get assurance and strength and wisdom and humility to help us be lights in this world and have peace in our everyday life.
As I think Ephesians 6 was written for us for this very practical reason that we can still apply to ourselves today.
Yet I've heard messages on Eph 6 and I get no practical application from them, its about how we may not be wretched sinners but supposedly hidden beings are whispering into our ears alighting our desires and lusts and sinful nature etc etc and we must put on supernatural amour to defend ourselves against these beings.
While I do hear the odd good message most of the time I think the people giving them should be in a asylum. I guess I'm saying and I hope it does not come across to arrogant but people are missing the forest because of supposed demons in the trees.
Anyway please comment on how you see Eph 6:12, and if you have verses that could also be used would be great.
Yet a trend I've noticed lately which has grown stronger over the last decade or two is the assumption that Christians are battling with unseen entities or demons, please understand from my point of view people must be under the effects of hallucinogens as I and many others have seen absolutely no evidence of demons running around tormenting people.
And as with the nature of all things, verses in scripture become twisted to accommodate peoples own bias or viewpoints I realise people may think I am blinded to facts as equally as I think they are, so just some light discussion may help understand differing perspectives.
The most common go to verse that people go to prove demons are still active, I run into is.
Eph 6:12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
I would like to point out if its possible, if it is indeed possible to look at something from another's perspective so we can point out the error in thinking. Is that from my perspective, this verse is innuendo, what I mean is it is not explicitly saying demons are the powers that are in fact ruling the world. It is being deduced by some that that is what the verse is saying in a round about way.
So when I say its talking about men I suppose those who oppose that notion can also say its innuendo and that its not saying men are the powers in darkness that are ruling the world?
And I would agree, we are taking our preconceived view, which should be from scripture not personal testimonies, and applying it to this verse.
I'm just saying other verses are explicit so they should hold more merit than this verse.
In my view the whole world is in darkness, just as I was before being born again, I was blind but now I see. The government where I live is secular and they make laws and regulations which definitely provide spiritual testing and personal spiritual battle, yet all authorities are still put there by God, they are in darkness and do the wrong thing morally all the time but they represent the immoral people of the world as a whole, I'm no longer a part of this world, and am a citizen of the heavenly kingdom, yet I must muck through this world for a short time.
Its another topic but even immoral people who dwell in darkness want to do the right thing and the ruling powers and authorities generally do and want to do a good job, and they do an amazing job considering.
If I am to give a exegesis on the armor of God in Eph 6, it will be practical and it would highlight how the parts of the armor will help us get through this world that dwells in darkness, its not to go and physically fight against those that disagree with us, for it has spiritual application where we can get assurance and strength and wisdom and humility to help us be lights in this world and have peace in our everyday life.
As I think Ephesians 6 was written for us for this very practical reason that we can still apply to ourselves today.
Yet I've heard messages on Eph 6 and I get no practical application from them, its about how we may not be wretched sinners but supposedly hidden beings are whispering into our ears alighting our desires and lusts and sinful nature etc etc and we must put on supernatural amour to defend ourselves against these beings.
While I do hear the odd good message most of the time I think the people giving them should be in a asylum. I guess I'm saying and I hope it does not come across to arrogant but people are missing the forest because of supposed demons in the trees.
Anyway please comment on how you see Eph 6:12, and if you have verses that could also be used would be great.
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