For patrons, the men’s Bible study at my church is going through Ephesians, and I asked if I could teach Eph 6:11-12 because of all the research I’ve been doing lately. The outline below is what I’m going to teach, and this will be much of the content of my article on “ransom” and “redemption”. If you’re wondering at the connection, ransom/redemption refer to freeing slaves, and unbelievers are enslaved to sin/Satan, and only freed when they become believers. (full explanation in my article, and references below)
11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. 12For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.
- Armor of God later since there’s more detail in a few verses
So hard to introduce, but…
- We know there is hierarchy among demons –> Luke 11:14-15 = keep that in mind
- “a ruler” vs “the ruler”
- Daniel 10 –> the whole chapter.
- Can we agree that the messenger was an angel?
- Can we agree that the ones stopping the angel weren’t mortal, but likely demons?
- Verse 13:
- prince of the kingdom of Persia
- the kings of Persia
- Michael, one of the chief princes
- Also verse 21 “Michael your prince”
- Jude 1:9 = Michael the Archangel
- Archangel = “arch” + “angel” Arch = first/leader/ruler/chief
- Verse 20
- the prince of Persia
- prince of Greece
- Daniel 10 = “kings and princes” = demonic hierarchy.
- Notice the “kings” of Persia!
Demonic “kings” = rulers?
- Ezekiel 28:11-17
- Demon or human?
- v12 = king of Tyre, seal of perfection, perfect in beauty
- v13 = You were in Eden, the garden of God
- v14 = “You were the anointed cherub, You were on the holy mountain of God
- Cherub = angel plural = cherubim
- v15 (all)
- v16 = Therefore I have cast you [out] as profane From the mountain of God
- v17 = pride caused the fall?
- So, human king or demonic king?
- 2 Kings 1:1-4 – “the god of Ekron”
Satan’s authority over the world:
Satan is the “god of this world”
- 2 Corinthians 4:3-4 “god of this world”
- 1 John 5:19 “lies in the power of the evil one”
- John 12:13 “Ruler of this world will be cast out”
- John 14:29-30 “ruler of the world is coming”
- 2 Timothy 2:24-26 “captive by him to do his will”
- Galatians 4:1-9 The BIG one.
- v9 – how is it that you turn back again to the weak and worthless elemental things, to which you desire to be enslaved all over again?
- v8 – you were slaves to those which by nature are no gods.
- v3 – were held in bondage under the elemental things of the world.
- Luke 4:5-6
- “all the kingdoms of the world … it has been handed over to me, and I give it to whomever I wish”
- He’s not stupid enough to lie to Jesus.
- “handed over” = paradidómi
- The Greek verb “paradidómi” primarily means to deliver or hand over something or someone to another. It can imply a positive action, such as entrusting something valuable to someone, or a negative action, such as betrayal. In the New Testament, it is often used in the context of delivering someone to authorities or betraying someone, as seen in the accounts of Jesus’ betrayal and arrest.
- Thus, “all the kingdoms of the world” have been handed over to Satan!
- “handed over” = paradidómi
- Mike drop…. But God is still sovereign.
Don’t get freaked out:
- Colossians 1:13-14
- “domain” = dominion
- Acts 26:12-18 (Paul before Agrippa)
- My translation of verses 17-18:
- 17 rescuing you from the Jewish people and from the Gentiles, to whom I Myself am sending you, 18 to open their eyes, for them to turn from darkness to light, and from the dominion of Satan to the dominion of God, for them to receive forgiveness of sins, and an inheritance among the men *made holy by faith, the faith in Me.
- The Lord’s prayer = deliver us from “evil” or “the evil one”? Same Greek construction in both, so it’s a matter of interpretation.
- Masculine words = almost certainly “the evil one”, since neuter usually means an object.
How or when was Satan given authority?
Three options:
- Option #1 By mankind at the garden/ fall
- Dominion given to man: Genesis 1:27-28
- 2 Peter 2:17-20 “by what a man is overcome, by this he is enslaved.”
- v20 = reference to Jesus’s parable of the strong man about spiritual warfare.
- Luke 11:14-23
- We the house (teaser: could be nations as well?), demons are the “strong man”/unclean spirit, Jesus is the “stronger man”.
- Thus, since we have dominion over the Earth, and Satan has dominion of unbelievers, he has dominion over the world because he has dominion over unbelievers.
- Option #2: Sin is his “invention”, and he has rights over whoever uses it
- Not great evidence for this one, but I thought I’d mention it.
- Option #3: given dominion by God
- Context = “sons of God” phrase
- Job 1:6
- monogenas = only unique
- we are “sons of God”, but not like Jesus
- Job 38:4-7
- Notice: at the creation of the Earth = not man/mankind
- “sons of God” = other angelic beings
- “morning stars” = angelic beings because they’re singing
- Stars = angelic/demonic beings (usually demonic)
-
- Rev 9:1
- rev 12:3-4 and 7-9
-
- Stars = angelic/demonic beings (usually demonic)
- Gen 6:1-4 <— Start next week here – Recap “sons of god” = angelic or demonic beings / another word for angels
- “sons of God” = angelic/demonic beings who were giants.
- Job 1:6
- Context for following
- “elohim” = Hebrew word we translate “God” and/or “Gods”
- 1 Samuel 28:3-20 (8-14) – read in ESV
- Different theories (really Samuel vs a demon) Either way = a “god” who’s not God.
- It was really Samuel = 1 Sam 15:35
- Elohim means any “spiritual being”, with the implication of power (not “merely” a ghost)
- This includes angel or demonic beings.
- Psalm 82:1-8 — Read in KJV
- v1 “congregation of the mighty” = “congregation of God” NASB = “his own congregation”
- “congregation” = more than one!
- The “divine council” theory = like a king’s court
- Job 15:7-8 in ESV
- Jeremiah 23:16-22 – v18 and v22 = council of the Lord
- Daniel 7:9-10
- v9 = thrones, plural
- v10 = Court (council? As in a “king’s court”?)
- divine council = 1 Kings 22:2-23
- “He judges among the gods” = small “g” gods.
- “congregation” = more than one!
- v 6 “gods” and “sons of the Most High” = “sons of God”
- v7 “die like men”, “fall like one of the princes”
- Princes = princes of Persia and Greece?
- v8 “for thou shalt inherit all nations.” Not has them now, will inherit them in the future.
- v1 “congregation of the mighty” = “congregation of God” NASB = “his own congregation”
- Sons of God = spiritual beings that God created, both good and bad.
- Context = “sons of God” phrase
- The “table of nations”
- Deut 32:7-9 — read in ESV
- v7 “The days of old” “elders will tell you” = it is known.
- “ask your father, and he will show you” = it’s written down!
- v8 “When He separated the sons of man”
- “when” so the following happened in the “days of old”
- When did God do that? Babel.
- Gen 11:1-9 Especially 9
- Gen 10:32
- (Babel = Gen 11 = explanation of how/why they were split up after the genealogy in Gen 10. Ancient Hebrews group topically, not necessarily chronologically; important genealogies first, short story of explanation afterwards)
- v8 number of the sons of ____
- Masoretic = Sons of Israel
- Dead Sea Scrolls = “Sons of God” <– Oldest and makes the most sense because it explains the other two variants
- Some LXX = Sons of God
- Some LXX = Angels of God (interpretive)
- Separated how?
- “according to the number of the sons of God” =
- Deut 4:19-20
- host of heaven =the “sons of God”?
- The nations were allotted to this “host of heaven”, like Deut 32. (with context of Job 38:4-7 and Rev 9:1 and Rev 12)
- host of heaven = “sons of God” / angelic beings?
- Deut 4:19-20
- “according to the number of the sons of God” =
- v9 contrast, Jacob is God’s.
- The people’s boundaries are contrasted with God’s people
- v7 “The days of old” “elders will tell you” = it is known.
- Table of Nations in Genesis 10:
- Notice verses 5, 20, and 31-32 = Separated by lands, languages, and families… separated by God?
- Notice = no Israel.
- Read all of Gen 10
- The “sons of God” (demonic beings) were given dominion over the nations of man by God Himself because man abandoned God. They were overcome by sin and tempted away, and “by what a man is overcome, to that he is enslaved”…
- …so God waited.
- Notice verses 5, 20, and 31-32 = Separated by lands, languages, and families… separated by God?
- Deut 32:7-9 — read in ESV
The overall sub-textual arc of the Bible
- The first prophecy about Jesus in Gen 3:15 is about defeating Satan (a “son of God”)
- This spiritual warfare motif is all over scripture, though veiled to our modern western eyes.
- The three rebellions
- The fall = man and Satan
- Gen 6/the Nephelim = the “sons of God” (another spiritual rebellion)
- Gen 11/babel = man again
- God said “fill the earth”, but they gathered in one place to try to ascend to heaven.
- At Babel, God had enough of his rebellious “sons” (spiritual and physical)
- He divided them up, matching the rebellious spiritual sons with rebellious earthly families/tribes.
- A judgement of “free will” = “I’ll let you do what you want” = sons of God wanted worship + sons of man wanted to serve other gods = perfect (-ly terrible) match.
- He divided them up, matching the rebellious spiritual sons with rebellious earthly families/tribes.
- God’s solution, because He had no people. (all turned away, like Romans 3)
- God waited until Abraham, to Isaac, Jacob, and until eventually Israel became a large “sub-nation” in Egypt
- Israel was under the authority of the gods (small “g”) of Egypt!
- Moses’s constant refrain: “Let my people go”
- God could’ve won a military victory and conquered, but He choose to apply pressure until the “gods of Egypt” “let them go”. (Because they had legitimate authority given to them by man and God Himself)
- Judgement against the gods of Egypt
- Exodus 12:11-13, Passover instructions “and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgments”
- Numbers 33:1-4 (just v4, “brought judgement on the gods” but context…)
- Not against the people, against the Gods
- The result: Exodus 12:29-32
- v31 = “go, worship the LORD”
- The “gods of Egypt” cried “uncle”. They would lose the whole of Egypt if they didn’t, so they let them go.
- Thus, God “redeemed” (bought back) Israel from the Egyptian gods/demons. (small “g”)
- This is how Israel became God’s people
- All other nations remained under the dominion of Satan and his demons; other “sons of God”.
- The rest of the Old Testament is God and His people versus the demonic “gods” and their people.
- The people of Israel didn’t wrestle against flesh and blood…
- …and we don’t today.
- Our modern enemy: the gods (small “g”) of the other nations that are fighting against
Bonus: Making the Conquest of Canaan make sense: holy war
- Context first
- Gen 6:1-4 – v4 “and also afterward”
- Nephilim means “giant”
- KJV translates it as “giants”
- Derived from the Hebrew root word that means “to fall”
- Num 13:30-33
- v33 = Anakim = Nephilim
- Anak = means “to be tall”
- Deut 2:9-11
- v10 Rephaim = tall as Anakim
- Thus: Anakim = Rephaim = Nephilim
- All sons of demons!!!
- Joshua 11:21-23
- Target = Anakim = giants = sons of demons
- Some merely “driven out”
- Some “devoted to destruction” =
- The Hebrew verb “charam” primarily means to ban or devote something to destruction. It is often used in the context of dedicating something to God, which frequently involves its complete destruction. This term is used in the context of warfare, where certain cities or peoples are devoted to destruction as an act of divine judgment. It can also refer to the act of setting something apart as sacred or forbidden.
- Giants driven into Gath… who else was from Gath that was a giant?
- David’s first public act was to slay a Nephilim! (symbolic much?)
- Why the destruction of Caananite peoples, and why were they all giants?
- All giants? = Num 13:30-33
- Likely exaggeration = Gibeonites and others.
- Guess: The sons of demons knew the land was promised to Israel, so they moved in to prevent that.
- God wanted them wiped out… maybe because they were the sons of demons?
- All giants? = Num 13:30-33
- David finished it:
- 1 Chronicles 20:4-8
- They are gone, no more.
- Gen 6:1-4 – v4 “and also afterward”
How Jesus freed us from Satan:
- Sin = debt
- Matt 6 Lords prayer = opheiléma
- Usage: The term “opheiléma” primarily refers to a debt or an obligation, both in a literal and metaphorical sense. In the New Testament, it is often used to describe moral or spiritual debts, such as sins or trespasses, that one owes to God or others. It conveys the idea of a duty or responsibility that must be fulfilled or forgiven.
- Better translation = “debt or sin”
- Parallel in Luke 11:1-4
- sin = debt
- Luke 13:1-5 — Read in KJV or NKJV
- sinners = opheiletés
- In the Greco-Roman world, debt was a common aspect of economic life, and being a debtor could lead to severe consequences, including slavery or imprisonment. The concept of debt also had significant moral and religious implications, as it was often used to describe one’s obligations to God and others. In Jewish thought, the idea of debt was closely linked to sin and forgiveness, as seen in the Lord’s Prayer where debts are equated with sins (Matthew 6:12).
- sinners = opheiletés
- Matt 6 Lords prayer = opheiléma
- Context:
- Blood Purifies = Exodus 29:35-37
- It cleanses from sin = 1 John 1:6-7
- The document nailed to the cross Col 2:8-15 — Read in NASB
- v14 “record of debt” = cheirographon
- The term “cheirographon” refers to a handwritten document, particularly a legal or financial document such as a certificate of debt or a bond. In the context of the New Testament, it is used metaphorically to describe the record of debt or the legal demands that stand against humanity due to sin.
- In the ancient Greco-Roman world, a “cheirographon” was a common legal instrument. It was a handwritten document that acknowledged a debt or obligation, often signed by the debtor. This document served as a binding agreement that could be used in legal proceedings to enforce repayment. The concept of a written record of debt was well understood in both Jewish and Greco-Roman cultures, making it a powerful metaphor for the spiritual debt incurred by sin.
- “canceled” = “blotted out” = cleansing (by the blood of His cross)
- blotting out = smearing ink to erase the extant writing (they didn’t have erasers) — ancient “white out”
- v14 and v15 = same sentence = continuing thought.
- Disarmed the rulers = removed their primary weapon against us, holding us enslaved to them: sin
- They didn’t realize this would happen: 1 Corinthians 2:6-7
- Satan had the power of death (Heb 2:14), so he probably thought that subjecting Jesus to death would mean Jesus — God Himself — was under his power. Surprise!
- Instead, the cross allowed Jesus’s blood to “blot out” the record of sins that indebted us to Satan = we’re free because our sins were cleansed/purged by Jesus’s blood.
- Possible that the enemy thought Jesus was like the Nephilim and didn’t understand that it was God Himself, but but likely. (Some of the early church fathers taught this, but not all; fishing analogy)
- v14 “record of debt” = cheirographon
