other kinds of evil spirits, that remain more at home in the citadel of the kingdom of darkness : principalities, powers. This third class is different, inasmuch as they go abroad and take pos session, as it were, of the provinces of the world : rulers [holders] of the world. — rou axorovg, of the darkness) Herein they are dis tinguished from angels of light. This is mostly spiritual dark ness, ch. v. 8, 11 ; Luke xxii. 53, which has wickedness presently after as its synonym ; yet even to them natural darkness is more congenial than light. The contest is much more difficult in darkness. — roD aiuvos rovrov, of this world) The word xo^oxpdropag, the holders (rulers) of the world, directly governs the two geni tives ffKOTovg and atiuvog, of the darkness and of this world, according to [in relation to] either part of the compound word. KO<T/AO£, world, and aluv, age, are to be referred mutually to each other, as time arid place.1 The term, Holders (rulers) of the world, is the ground on which this wickedness is practised. There are princes of the darkness of the world in the present age. The connection between %6ff/j,og, world, and aiuv, age, is not gram matical but logical : XOG/AOC, world (mundus), in all its extent ; atuv, world, age (saeculum), the present world, in its disposition (character), course, and feeling. I cannot say xotf^og rou aluvos, as, on the contrary, I can say aiuv rov XOG^OV. — ra ffvevparfxa, the spiritual things) The antithesis is blood and flesh. These spiritual things are opposed to the spiritual things of grace, 1 Cor. xii. 1, and are contrary to faith, hope, love, the gifts [of the Spirit], either in the way of a force opposite [to those graces], or by a false imitation of them. Moreover, as in the same epistle, ch. xiv. 12, spirits are used for spiritual things, so here spiritual things are very aptly used for spirits. For these spirits make their assault with such quickness and dexterity, that the soul does not almost think [generally is not aware] of the presence of these foreign existences lurking beneath, but believes that it is something in itself within which produces the spiritual tempta tion ; and even <ffvsvftar/x6v9 spiritual, in the singular, may be taken as a kind of military force, in the same way as rb itfwtxbv, horsemen, is applied in Rev. ix. 1 6, and rb ffrpanunxbv is else-
refers to place ; adav to time : The world-rulers of the age ; the world-rulers of the darkness. But Engl. V. makes Mns governed by f, of the darkness of this world. — ED.
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where used of an army ; so that here rd Kvevfjt,ar/xa9 viz. may be used as in Zosimus, 1. 3 : rd xz^rta rdy^ura, %svix6v, The bands of infantry, & foreign force. Aristot. 3, pol. 10, p. 210.— sv rri?s sKovpavioig, in places above the heavens) Even enemies, but as captives (ch. iv. 8, note), may be in a royal palace, and adorn it.
13. 'AmXdlSsrs, take unto you) ver. 16 "tin Deut. i. 41, LXX. dvaXa/Sovrsg. — rqv Kavortl.iav, the ivhole armour) A lofty expression. Paul (says Yict. Strigelius, in summing up the contents of this chapter) gives to the Christian soldier integuments, defences, and offensive iveapons. The integuments are three, the breastplate, the girdle, and the shoes ; the defences or puAaxr^/a are two, the shield and the helmet; the offensive weapons, a/awry pia,1 are also two, the sword and the spear. He had regard, I think, to the order of putting them on, and held the opinion that Paul proceeds from those accoutrements which adorn the man even when outside of the battle-field (as the breastplate of any material whatever), to those which are peculiar to the soldier ; and indeed the phrase above all is put in between integuments and defences. He adds the spear, prayer. Although Paul rather introduces prayer with this reference, viz. that we may rightly [duly] use the whole armour. — Iv T^ w'tpq r»j vovqpa, in the evil day) Ps. xli. 2, LXX. iv qpepcf, wovqpjp. The war is perpetual. The battle rages less on one day, more on another : the evil day, either when death assails us, or during life, being of longer or shorter duration, often vary ing in itself [When the wicked one assails you, ver. 16, and malignant forces are infesting you, ver. 12. — V. g.]. Then you must stand, you must not then at length [then for the first time begin to] make preparation. — avavra xarspyaffd/tsvoi) having rightly prepared all things for the battle. So xarg^ya^stf^a/, 2 Cor. v. 5 jo xarepyaaapsvos ii/iag, He who hath wrought, i.e. prepared us]; Ex. xv. 17, xxxv. 33, xxxviii. 24 ; Deut. xxviii. 39. The re petition2 is very suitable, to stand, stand ye.