The Unseen World

Series on “I am Joe’s Favorite Verses”
(Click on the link below to read the verses.)
Ephesians 6:10-20

[Many years ago, there used to be articles in the Reader’s Digest titled “I am Joe’s ___” with the blank being filled with a body part or organ. Over the years, I’ve written down verses that are meaningful to me on 3x5 cards. In this series we’ll be looking at some of my favorite verses. In other words, “I am Joe’s Favorite Verses”.]

 

When I was a teenager, I loved horror movies like Frankenstein, Dracula, The Mummy and Wolfman. Every Saturday night there was a TV show called “Shock Theater” hosted by Christopher Coffin. I never missed an episode.

 

I loved movies like House on the Haunted Hill starring Vincent Price and Beast with 5 Fingers with Peter Lorre. There was a TV series called The Twilight Zone hosted by Rod Serling. Edgar Allen Poe was my favorite author. Anything that involved the supernatural or the unexplainable fascinated me.

 

In his letter to the Ephesians, Paul encouraged them to “be strong in the Lord”. Then he warned them about something that sounds like it could have come straight out of one of the movies that I watched as a kid.

 

¹² For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.         NLT

 

Our Western culture doesn’t embrace the concept of spiritual warfare. We would rather attribute life’s struggles to circumstances, mother nature, the environment, science or some other logical reason. But Paul clearly stated that there are spiritual battles.

 

For example, when he was in Ephesus for two years, there was a riot started by a silversmith who made shrines of the Roman goddess of Diana. Paul’s ministry was hurting his business. On the surface, it appears that the root cause of the riot was greed and jealousy. But underneath, it was a spiritual battle.

 

The book of Job is a classic example of a spiritual battle that on the surface appeared to have worldly causes: The Sabeans killed his servants and stole his oxen and donkeys. A windstorm caused a house to collapse killing his sons and daughters. His wife turned against him and told him to “curse God and die”.

 

But previous to this, unseen by Job, there was a conversation between God and Satan. The Lord pointed out the faithfulness of Job. But Satan claimed that it was only because God had blessed him with so much that Job was faithful.  

 

So, God allowed Satan to attack his servant Job to prove that he was faithful. On the surface, it appeared to be natural causes. But below the surface, in the unseen world, it was spiritual warfare.

 

When Paul wrote his letter to the Ephesians, he was under arrest and chained to a Roman soldier. So, it’s not surprising that he would use the armor of his jailer as a metaphor to encourage the Ephesians to stand strong.

 

¹³ Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.                      NIV

 

After he details what the “full armor of God” is, he closes with this statement.

 

¹⁸ Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere.       NLT

 

In Ephesians, Paul teaches us that our ultimate struggle is not against human enemies, but against "spiritual forces of evil". But the good news is that we don’t have to face them alone. The Holy Spirit is always with us and makes God’s power available to us.

 

 Copyright 2026 Joseph B Williams

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