Dear John,

Greetings in the LORD. Can you please comment about the believers position in Christ seated in the heavenlies (Eph 2:6) and the perspective of abiding in that position? I am familiar with the identification truths, but this one (Eph 2:6) seems to be elusive to most. I am hungry to learn and grow more and thought that you might be able to help me.

Thank you in Christ,
Philip

Hello Philip,

Thanks for this question and wonderful truth to discuss! You are right that some understand identification with Christ in His death and resurrection, but fail to understand the significance of identification with Christ in His enthronement. For many, it sounds too good to be true. But it is true!

Ephesians 1:19-21 declares God displayed His mighty power when He raised Christ from the dead and set Him at His own right hand in heavenly places far above the enemy. Then Ephesians 2:6 states, “And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ.” Amazing!

The phrase “heavenly places,” referred to by some as “the heavenlies,” is translated in Ephesian 6 as “high places” wherein dwell spiritual hosts of wickedness (Eph. 6:12). It speaks of the spirit-realm or spiritual realm. But in that realm, Christ is seated at the Father’s right hand—the throne, which conveys authority—far above all enemy spirits.

At salvation, the Holy Spirit places you in Christ. When you were placed into Christ, you were placed into His history. This includes His death and resurrection (Romans 6) and His enthronement (Eph. 1-2). We must let the truth of identification with Christ sink into our understanding.

We are in Christ. Therefore, in Him, we are far above the enemy—as far above the powers of darkness as Christ is! This position is throne-seat authority.

Christ in you is the provision to deal with the physical realm of the world and the flesh. You in Christ is the provision to deal with the devil. Just as we are privileged to take by faith the reality of Christ in us and then act with the power of His imparted life, we are also privileged to take by faith the reality of us in Him and then act with the authority of His enthroned life.

For example, when hit with the fiery darts of wrong thoughts or dark moods out of the spiritual realm (you will know this because the trigger of temptation is not apparent in the physical realm), just claim your position in Christ far above the enemy. Exercise Christ’s authority against the enemy, saying something like, “I claim my union with Jesus, and I reject that thought/mood.” The shield of faith thus lifted will extinguish the fiery dart. This is submitting yourself to God and resisting the devil so that he must flee (James 4:7).

In addition, this throne seat in Christ provides us the means to go on the offensive and pull down strongholds of the enemy’s lies that keep people from seeing the glorious light of the gospel (2 Cor. 10:4; cf. 4:4).

John

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