What are the 'high places' mentioned in Ephesians 6:12?
The high places in Ephesians 6:12 are spiritual high places, not physical seats of government like Congress, the White House, or Buckingham Palace. They refer to the leaders of Christendom and the great denominational leaders, where spiritual wickedness and the rulers of darkness operate against believers.
Les explains that Ephesians 6:12 is written to Gentile believers in the age of grace and closely parallels Joshua’s charge to be strong and of good courage. Paul writes that the believer’s wrestling is not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, powers, the rulers of the darkness of this world, and spiritual wickedness in high places. Les clarifies that these high places are not political or physical seats such as Congress, the White House, or Buckingham Palace. Instead, they are the spiritual high places—the leaders of Christendom and the great denominational leaders. This connects to his earlier point that while the Old Testament was directed to Israel under the law, believers can still learn from it, as Romans says.
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.
More Questions
According to Ephesians 6:12, who are Christians wrestling against?
Paul's statement in Ephesians 6:12 is God's word to believers today, and it describes a wrestling and battle not against other people but against principalities, powers, world-rulers of darkness, and spiritual wickedness in high places.