The Spiritual Powers of Ephesians 6:10–18 in the Light of African Pentecostal Spirituality

Ephesians 6:10–18 remains one of the most important passages in the Pauline corpus that deals with the issue of spiritual warfare. Yet the referents of the spiritual powers remain somewhat unclear due to the differences in the continental world views of various interpreters. This article, in addition to reviewing some current hermeneutical approaches, suggests there is a shared understanding of the African Pentecostal world view of spirits with that of Eph 6:10–18. It cautions against an uncritical application of Paul's teaching.