“In Christ” in the heavenlies is the believer’s promised land. This is his God-given inheritance promised even before the foundation of the world (Ephesians 1:4, 11). “In Christ” in the heavenlies, every spiritual blessing is his possession by right (Ephesians 1:3). Through his identification with Christ, the believer has already entered into the heavenlies (Ephesians 2:5-6).

Christ, his Savior, has won him from the kingdom and family of Satan to the Kingdom and family of God; Christ, his Head, has given him His own divine nature; Christ, his Lord, has dethroned self and has assumed the undivided control of his life; Christ, his Life, has shared with him His risen, glorified, supernatural life in all its fullness; Christ, his Sanctification, has put His blood, His cross and His throne between the believer and the world, the flesh and the devil; and Christ, his Conqueror, gives Himself in His high-priestly and intercessory ministry for the believer’s continuous and complete victory.

All this maddens the devil and spurs him into warfare against the saints of God. The conflict in the heavenlies is caused by the twofold triumph of Christ in the believer and the believer in Christ. Satan contests with Christ His inheritance in the saints and their inheritance in Him.

It is a spiritual conflict, a battle between supernatural forces. He who is the very personification of evil and wickedness and all his evil subordinates are warring against Him who is the very personification of righteousness and holiness and all His holy warriors. It is the hierarchy of hell against the theocracy of heaven.

Ephesians 6:12

“For our wrestling is not against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against the powers, against the world-rulers of this darkness, against the spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.”

If, in this conflict, Christ is to be manifested as the Victor, there must be on the believer’s part a realization of the power of the enemy. It is a very foolish thing to underestimate the power of the devil, for we do it not only to our hurt but to the detriment of the Body of Christ of which we are a member. The devil is mighty and powerful; he is cunning and crafty; he is intelligent and industrious.

His forces of evil are invisible—”not flesh and blood.”

They are well organized—”principalities.”

They are well governed—”powers.”

They work in secret—”the darkness of this world.”

They are entrenched in innumerable hosts in the very territory where the believer dwells—”hosts of wickedness in heavenly places.”

It behooves the believer to know that he is surrounded by the unseen, cunning, malicious, powerful hosts of the evil one who plots his downfall.

1 Peter 5:8

“Be sober, be watchful: your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.”

The believer is the channel through which Christ manifests Himself to a world in Satan’s embrace and through which Christ witnesses and works in that world to win it back to Himself. So, if the devil can defeat the believer and cause his testimony, his prayer, and his service to be powerless, he has, to that extent, defeated Christ, for he has held his ground in the world and regained ground in the believer. The only way in which he can hold his kingdom is by keeping his dominion over human lives. The most holy and spiritual Christian is Satan’s greatest hindrance so against him will be launched his fiercest onslaughts.

This being true, it is necessary to realize our foe’s power and recognize his methods of attack. He is a deceiver and seldom fights in the open. He lays snares to entrap the ignorant and innocent and comes as an angel of light to deceive even the elect. He works most successfully through the subtlety of seduction.

2 Corinthians 2:11

“Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices.”

2 Timothy 2:26

“And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will.”

2 Corinthians 11:14

“And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.”

2 Timothy 3:13

“But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.

Source: “Life on the Highest Plane” by Ruth Paxson

Dear Lord, help us to stop arguing (fighting) with human beings and instead recognize that the battle is with the powers of darkness and spiritual wickedness.