The Meaning of Ephesians 6:12: “We Do Not Wrestle Against Flesh and Blood”

It isn’t a physical fight in the way we usually perceive conflict. No punches will be thrown; no physical weapons will be drawn. This is a spiritual battle—and it will affect your eternal life.

If you are to have any chance of emerging victorious, you must understand who those enemies are and how to defeat them.

Paul identifies our adversaries in Ephesians 6:12: “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.”

Unpacking this verse helps us understand who our enemies are, and aren’t. Once we’ve identified who we are fighting against, we can go on to victory.

“We do not wrestle against flesh and blood”

Paul begins by informing us of who our enemies are not: “We do not wrestle against flesh and blood.”

When oppression and conflict sprout up in our lives, they typically come from other human beings. Whether it’s a coworker who gets on our nerves, a hostile supervisor, someone we struggle to get along with or simply a stranger we catch in a bad mood, most of the “battles” we might think of involve a physical, tangible opponent.

However, Paul reveals that the “flesh and blood” enemies we think we face are actually a red herring—a decoy to distract us from the real enemy.

Part of godly character is taking the high road, even with people who take an adversarial approach to life. Ultimately, our most important enemies are not other human beings. 

God expects His followers to live peaceful lives and maintain healthy relationships with others. “If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men” (Romans 12:18). 

Instead of fighting back, Christians should avoid escalating matters, even when someone else provokes a conflict. Jesus Christ instructs His followers “not to resist an evil person” and even to turn the other cheek in response to his or her attacks (Matthew 5:39)

This doesn’t mean that Christians must accept all forms of abuse or discrimination. There are situations where it would be appropriate for someone to stand up for himself or herself and what he or she believes in. (For a more in-depth analysis of this subject, read our article “What Does It Mean to Turn the Other Cheek?”)

Part of godly character is taking the high road, even with people who take an adversarial approach to life.

It is difficult to refrain from battle with other human beings, but identifying our real enemy makes it easier.

Our true spiritual enemies

A Christian’s real enemy is far more powerful than any human being.

Paul continues in Ephesians 6:12, telling us that we do wrestle “against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.”

That sounds like a lot of enemies!

Yet all these intimidating descriptions refer to a much narrower definition of our adversary—an organized spiritual force of beings who provoke the attitudes and conflicts present in our world. 

The “principalities,” the “powers,” “the rulers of the darkness of this age,” the “spiritual hosts of wickedness” that we face daily are Satan and his demons.

The Bible makes it clear that Satan has temporarily been given authority over the world (2 Corinthians 4:4; Ephesians 2:2).

In the meantime, we are tasked with fighting daily battles against the spiritual darkness that rules the world today.

Satan and his demons are sneaky enemies. If you aren’t paying attention, you won’t even recognize their tactics. They aren’t like human enemies, whom you can see, hear and feel. Instead, they most often work in attitudes and thoughts, pushing and prodding us to do what is sinful.

Behind every enemy that seems to be “flesh and blood” is a more conniving spiritual adversary working to pull us off the right path. Peter warned us to “be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour” (1 Peter 5:8).

We can’t let our guard down, or our enemy will attack. Like a prowling lion, Satan lurks at the edges of the herd, looking for prey that isn’t paying attention.

But we don’t have to fear Satan in the way a sheep may fear a lion. Peter assures us we can “resist him, steadfast in faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world” (verse 9).

There are many things that the Bible tells us to flee, but Satan is not one of them. When he and his minions present evil attitudes and desires on the doorstep of our mind, we must fight back.

But fighting against an invisible enemy who exists on an elevated, spiritual plane seems impossible. How can we possibly hope to hold our own against a foe so much bigger than ourselves?

How to fight an enemy (much) bigger than you

Thankfully, the Bible is filled with examples of victorious underdogs.

All through human history, God has helped His people defeat enemies who once seemed invincible, even toppling giants.

We are told that with God all things are possible (Matthew 19:26). He will not leave us unarmed in the fight against Satan and his demons.

Notice that most of the armor Paul describes is defensive—a helmet, a breastplate and a shield. Offense is rarely the first recourse for a Christian. We aren’t called to go hunting for a fight, especially against the demonic realm. 

Defense, on the other hand, requires forethought and planning; you must put on a suit of armor if it is to defend you from attacks. It doesn’t do you any good to keep your armor in a drawer.

Do not wait until you are under siege, or it will already be too late.

The only offensive weapon listed in Ephesians 6 is the “sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God” (verse 17). In other words, in those instances where we do take a “jab” at our enemy, our offense should always be rooted in God’s Word rather than our own.

Know your enemy and yourself

The philosopher Sun Tzu wrote in The Art of War: “If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles.” Although not divinely inspired by God, he touches on an important point we must employ in our own spiritual battles.

We can be aware of Satan’s tactics, remaining steadfastly informed of how he operates thanks to God’s warnings in the Bible (see 2 Corinthians 2:11).

We can defeat Satan only by relying on God’s strength rather than our own. We must put the battle fully in God’s hands. We must also know ourselves. If we know our weaknesses, we also know how best to defend ourselves against an assault.

Someone who struggles to maintain a peaceful mindset in daily interactions can intentionally work to develop habits and thought patterns that promote peace.

Likewise, someone whose mind easily drifts toward worthless things should put on the “helmet of salvation” Paul describes and train his or her thoughts to focus on things of high spiritual value. 

We can make these changes only once we have come to a certain level of self-awareness and are able to understand our own weaknesses. It doesn’t do us any good to ignore the chinks in our armor, especially when facing such a powerful adversary, who will pounce on any weakness he can find.

Ultimately, we can defeat Satan only by relying on God’s strength rather than our own. When we put the battle fully in God’s hands, He will lead us to victory (1 Corinthians 10:13; 15:57).

Paul summarized it best in Romans 8:31, where he wrote, “If God is for us, who can be against us?”

Fight the good fight and stand strong

You are in the fight of your life, your eternal life. But you will have victory if you rely on God’s strength to empower you in your battles.

We know who our enemy is: Satan the devil and his host of demonic forces. We know their tactics: they will do everything in their power to get us to choose sin instead of righteousness. 

Christians have a suit of armor at their disposal that can defend them against Satan’s attack. It is each Christian’s responsibility to keep that armor at the ready, polished and strong.   

Ephesians 6:13 implores us to “take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.”

If you want to learn more about the equipment that God gives us to stave off the enemy’s attacks, embark on our Journey exploring “The Armor of God.”

Date Posted: June 29, 2026