Pastors love to preach from Ephesians, where Paul weds rich theology and Christian living. But one of the most perplexing statements is “in the heavenly places,” which Paul repeats throughout the letter (1:3, 20; 2:6; 3:10; 6:12). Presented with this enigmatic phrase, pastors may wish they could ignore it.
Unlocking this expression requires us to square it within the context of Ephesians and in light of Paul’s theology. We’ll discover that Paul’s teaching on “the heavenly places” emphasizes Christ’s reign in heaven (1:20), a doctrine that has incredible implications for how believers have been blessed in Christ (1:3; 2:6) and how they should understand their role in waging spiritual warfare (3:10; 6:12).
Heavenly Blessing
At the beginning of Paul’s outburst of praise in Ephesians 1:3–14, he writes, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places” (1:3). The three prepositional phrases—“in Christ,” “with every spiritual blessing,” and “in the heavenly places”—prove essential for determining the passage’s meaning. The phrase “in Christ” highlights that believers have received blessing because they’re united to Christ through faith. The word “spiritual” in “every spiritual blessing” refers to the Holy Spirit.
The word ‘spiritual’ in ‘every spiritual blessing’ refers to the Holy Spirit.
The phrase “in the heavenly places” refers to the blessing’s source. The God of heaven has blessed Christians with every blessing of the Spirit through faith in Christ, but these blessings await their consummation when Christ returns.
In Ephesians 1:20, Paul writes that God “raised [Christ] from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places.” Jesus is the “firstfruits” of the resurrection (1 Cor. 15:20–23), and he reigns at God’s right hand “in the heavenly places” over the church and all evil powers (Eph. 1:20–23). Christ’s heavenly reign represents a significant step in uniting all things in heaven and has implications for God’s plan to make all things right on earth.
Seated with Christ in the Heavenly Places
In Ephesians 2:6, Paul writes that God “raised us up with [Christ] and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus.” The difficulty is that Christians are not physically seated with Christ in the heavenly places. From the passage’s context and Paul’s theological outlook, three important salvation realities can be deduced from this verse.
First, whereas Jesus has been bodily raised from the dead (1:20), Christians have been spiritually (of the Holy Spirit) raised from the dead (2:4–6). Newly created in Christ, believers walk in the good works God has prepared (2:10). Second, to be “seated with” Christ means believers already reign with Christ in important ways. Christians reign because sin is no longer their master (Rom. 6:14; Eph. 2:1–10) and because they’ll be raised from the dead at Jesus’s second coming (1 Cor. 15:20–58). Third, the bond believers have with Christ is so strong that there’s a real union with him “in the heavenly places.” Paul elsewhere teaches that Christians’ citizenship is in heaven (Phil. 3:20) and their lives are “hidden with Christ in God” (Col. 3:3).
The Christian’s spiritual resurrection, present reign, and union with Christ in heaven are present realities that will be consummated at Jesus’s return. Only then will Christians receive their glorified resurrection bodies and fully reign with Christ in the new creation where heaven and earth are one location.
The Christian’s spiritual resurrection, present reign, and union with Christ in heaven are present realities that will be consummated at Jesus’s return.
According to Paul, the church plays a pivotal role in passing on God’s revelation. The church reveals “the manifold wisdom of God . . . to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places” (Eph. 3:10). Gentiles are partakers in the gospel promises through Jesus Christ (3:3–6). The multiethnic church reveals this mystery of Christ to evil spiritual powers. While previously the nations of the world were largely outside God’s promises, now Christ’s gospel extends to Gentiles. The existence of the church, made up of believing Jews and Gentiles, reveals to the powers that they cannot prevent the spread of the gospel to the nations.
Spiritual Warfare with Evil Heavenly Powers
In the final passage of Ephesians, Paul emphasizes that Christians don’t battle against “flesh and blood” but against evil spiritual powers “in the heavenly places” (6:12). The difficulty is that most Christians reserve “heaven” for the place of God’s reign, not the abode of evil powers. Reflection on the Old Testament and on Christ’s work shed light on this verse.
The Old Testament reveals that Satan has access to God to falsely accuse believers of their righteous behavior (Job 1:6–12; Zech. 3:1–2) and that there’s spiritual warfare between angels and evil powers (Dan. 10:13–21). The New Testament teaches that a significant change has taken place: after Jesus’s ascension, Satan and his minions were cast out of heaven (Rev. 12:7–10). So, although evil powers are active in heaven (Eph. 6:12), Jesus’s reign at God’s right hand (1:20–23) means Satan’s ability to falsely accuse believers has been initially broken (Rom. 8:31–39; Rev. 12:7–12). They have lost an accuser and gained an advocate. Also, the evil powers cannot prevent the gospel’s spread to the nations (Eph. 3:10).
Paul’s teaching on “the heavenly places” in Ephesians reminds us of important truths. Jesus’s reign at God’s right hand in heaven is foundational for God’s purpose to make all things right in heaven and on earth (1:20–23). On account of their union with Christ, believers have been blessed with every blessing of the Spirit (1:3) and have been made alive in Christ (2:5) and seated with Christ in the heavenly places (2:6).
Additionally, Jesus’s rule over the evil powers is the reason the gospel extends to the nations, with the evil powers unable to prevent it (3:10). Until Christ’s return, Christians are in a battle with Satan and evil powers, but Jesus’s reign at God’s right hand means Christians fight from a position of victory and through Christ’s strength (6:10–20). The entire Christian life is spiritual warfare, and we must remember who our battle is against when we proclaim the gospel, fight against temptation, and live out our faith.