Spiritual Warfare in Paul’s Letter to Ephesus (3)

• Posted on sdgale
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• on December 7, 2012
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(This article is the fourth in a series tracing the theme of spiritual opposition in Ephesians.)

Power of the Age to Come

And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience—among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus… Ephesians 2:1-6

Next, Paul moves on to God’s rescue of us from the bonds of sin in the dominion of darkness.  He describes this rescue in terms of regenerating power.  The resurrection power of Christ is brought to us personally and experientially.

At its essence, the power of God that brings us from spiritual death to spiritual life is that of the new creation, the age to come.  That power is detailed in Romans 8, where we along with all the created order are waiting to be released from the influence of sin as we live in this fallen world.  We as free in Christ long to be liberated from sin’s scourge.

In 2 Corinthians Paul says that if we are “in Christ,” the refrain of redemption in Ephesians 1, we are new creations (not just new creatures but part of a new cosmos).  The old has passed away; the new has come.  The new creating work of God in enfolding us into the resurrection victory of Christ by the Spirit sent at Pentecost is expressed by Paul in creation terms (cf. John’s new creation account in his Gospel that opens, “In the beginning…” and goes on to speak of new birth).

“For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.” (2 Corinthians 4:6)

In Ephesians 2:1-3 Paul records the backstory that belongs to every one delivered from the dominion of darkness and brought into the kingdom of light, under the rule of Jesus Christ.  We were dead in sin, following the prince of the power of the air, our father the devil.  We were citizens of the fallen kingdom by natural birth, being sons of disobedience and children of wrath, along with the rest of humanity sharing the guilt of Adam’s first transgression.

What Paul is describing in Ephesians 2:1-10 is the deliverance of Ephesians 1 brought home to us.  He registers our papers of adoption bestowed upon us in love (Eph. 1:4-5) by the grace of God. The Spirit brings the gospel of salvation to us as “the gospel of our salvation” as ones who believe, having been brought from death to life by the Spirit of the risen Christ.  No longer orphans we are now sons and daughters of the living God (Gal.4:3-7; John 14:18; Rom. 8:14-16).

Our new position as citizens of heaven is in the heavenly places (2:6).  We who were crucified with Christ have been raised up with Christ.  It is in Him that the power of the age to come is ours.   As Paul puts it in Colossians:

“If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.” (Colossians 3:1–4)

The upshot of this reality for us in Christ is that our enemy the devil has no claim upon us.  His accusations are without merit.  His power over us is broken.  He gains a foothold only by our folly (cf. Eph. 4:27).  Even then it bears no resemblance to that which described us in Ephesians 2:1-3 when we under his rule as ones dead in sin.

Only in the power of the risen Christ, we are now able to walk in newness of life. We live today in the power of the age to come, awaiting our Lord’s return. Paul expresses this in terms of the outworking of the life-giving grace that has appeared bringing salvation (cf. Titus 3:4-7).

“For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.” (Titus 2:11–14)

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Note: Those interested in a more general study of spiritual warfare will find an brief overview in What is Spiritual Warfare? (Basics of the Faith Series).  My book, Warfare Witness: Contending With Spiritual Opposition in Everyday Evangelism, addresses evangelism from the perspective of spiritual warfare.  A study guide to the book is available under CHOP resources.