footnote to an article written years ago by the present writer in Things to

Come, Dr. Bullinger drew attention to the true disposition of the verse.

`For we wrestle not

But With

in heavenly

with flesh and blood

Principalities ...

Of This World

We do not wrestle with flesh and blood; neither do we wrestle in heavenly

places.  We do wrestle with spiritual wickednesses who are the rulers of the

darkness of this world, not of that world at the right hand of God.  The reader

may appreciate a confirmatory passage where a similar division of subject is

necessary.  As 2 Peter 1:19 stands in the Authorized Version, it lends colour to

the erroneous teaching that the Second Coming of Christ is not to be understood

as a literal future event, but as the `day star' arising `in our hearts'.  We

get the truth by dividing the verse as we divided Ephesians 6:12

`Whereunto ye do well

as unto a light ... and

in your

that ye take heed

the day star arises

What is `the evil day' of Ephesians 6:13?  We know that there is yet to be

war in heaven between Michael and his angels, and the dragon and his angels

(Rev. 12:7).  We know that when Israel crossed the Jordan and entered their

inheritance, Jericho was encircled and its walls fell.  So, too, there may be a

day for which we are now preparing.  For the present, however, it is certain

that no campaign or conquest is in view in Ephesians 6.  Our orders are to

`stand' to `stand against' and to `withstand'.  To exceed our orders is as much

disobedience as to refuse to obey.

It is noteworthy that the actual word `fight' does not occur in Ephesians

6.  We are instructed that our `wrestling' is not towards (pros) flesh and

blood, but spiritual foes.  The word that is most prominent in the description

of the conflict is the word `stand':

`That ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil ... that ye

may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

Stand Therefore' (Eph. 6:11-14).

There appear to be three phases of conflict suggested here:

Standing against the wiles of the devil.

Withstanding in the evil day.

Having worked out all, to stand.

The wiles of the Devil are in active operation at the present time; open

warfare is not the order of the day.  Wiles, stratagem, craft, cunning, snares,

wolves in sheep's clothing, ministers of Satan like ministers of righteousness,

these are some of the Devil's devices.  Ephesians 4:14 uses the word methodeia,

translated `lie in wait to deceive', which has been rendered as `systematic

deception'.  We find the system at work in 2 Corinthians 4.  There Paul

repudiates the `craftiness' and the `deceitful handling of the word of God' by

his opponent, and appears clad in the armour of righteousness as he battles for

the truth (2 Cor. 4:2-4; 6:7).  The days in which we live are evil (Eph. 5:16),

evil is to increase (2 Tim. 3:13).  We are at present training for the mighty