“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.”
‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭6:12‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.”
‭‭II Corinthians‬ ‭5:17‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

The New Testament was first written in Greek, so everything that we read today has been translated from that language. The word principality in Greek is arche, meaning “beginning or first.” That’s important. If you input  this meaning into the text, we are wrestling, not against flesh and blood, but against the beginning.

The first ways things were done in our families. The beginning of our relationships. The first things we did in adulthood. How many times do we reminisce on what we did first? That’s where the enemy  traffics. You started lying, so you’re a liar. You started cheating, so you’re a cheater. You started being promiscuous, so now you’re a slut. You started doing drugs, so now you’re an addict. We can go down this road all day. It’s tough to fight what’s first.

But it’s necessary.

God is so good, in that, He always gives us a warning and a strategy. Ephesians tells us what we’re wrestling with, while Corinthians gives us a way to win—accept Christ! The foundational scripture in 2 Corinthians tells us that when we accept Christ, we become new. Guess what that means? Whatever happened first no longer matters. God counts from the start of our acceptance of Him!

Jesus gave us a new beginning. It trumps our failings. Our shortcomings. Our mistakes. The ways we were first taught. In Him, we have the pen to rewrite our story. It doesn’t matter what your beginning looks like. What matters is that you get a fresh start with God. Ask Him for a clean slate, and see who comes out on top of that wrestling match! The Bible tells us that He is not a man that He should lie (Numbers 23:19). It’s not that He doesn’t lie. It’s that He can’t. It’s impossible. If His word says it, you can bank on it!

Ready to win the match?

Xoxo