The word "darkness" in Ephesians 6:12 comes from a root word meaning
shade or error.
Another word to describe this "darkness" is obscurity.
Do we see that the entities the apostle Paul describes as the "rulers
of the darkness of this world," are beings who are committed to keeping the people of this world in error.
They accomplish this through outright lying (Satan is a liar). They also
work in more subtle ways. Shading, manipulating--obscuring-- the truth.
The Rulers of the Darkness of This World oppose all truth.
Jesus is the Truth. His words are spirit and life.
Therefore, the Rulers of the Darkness of This World are committed to opposing
the truth of Jesus Christ on every level of understanding using any method or person they can.
There is an entire class of devils committed to this one thing. A formidable army
with only one goal--that of keeping mankind in darkness concerning every truth that will save, set free or bring any blessing
or relief to us whatsoever.
They bitterly hate us and, if they cannot keep us from eternal doom, delight in causing
us to suffer needlessly.
I say needlessly because so much of our suffering is needless. The scriptures
say many are destroyed for lack of knowledge. The knowledge that is lacking is the knowledge revealed in the Word
of God--the truth--the light.
Don't the scriptures say, "Thy Word is a light unto my feet...?"
Jesus said, "The Blind lead the blind, and they all fall into the ditch."
We have an enemy who is committed to keeping us in the shade, to obscuring the light
and to leading us into the ditch through error.
God has revealed, in his Word, how we can prevent this from happening.
