Ephesians 1
17 I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better.
18 I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints (his holy people),
19 and his incomparably great power for us who believe.
What is this incomparably great power?
It’s the power that raised Jesus from the dead.
19 and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is the same as the mighty strength
20 which he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms,
21 far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given (name that is invoked), not only in the present age but also in the one to come.
22 And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church,
23 which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.
What are the heavenly realms?
This is a technical term used by Paul only in Ephesians.
The heavenly realms are that spiritual area of conflict where Christians are engaged in battle with the forces of evil. They are the battleground where we are fighting the enemy.
6:12 Our struggle is against… the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.
BUT
1:3 we have been blessed with every spiritual blessing in Christ …
1:21 Christ is at God’s right hand… far above all
2:6 we are seated with Christ…
3:10 Through the church God demonstrates his wisdom to the rulers and authorities…
The power that raised Jesus from the dead and set him at God’s right hand in the heavenly realms is a power made available to us!
This is manifested in two ways:
- One day we too will be raised from the dead
- Meanwhile, we have power over the enemy because we are seated with Christ in the heavenly realms (Ephesians 2:6)