While it is nice to have friends in high places, as seen below, God's people have foes in high places!

“For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. “(Eph. 6:12).

The Greek word for “high” here is epouranios, elsewhere translated “heavenly,” “celestial,” and “in heaven.” Only here is it translated “high places,” a phrase that is elsewhere always found in the Old Testament, where it was associated with the worship of the false god Baal (Num. 22:41; Jer. 19:5; 32:35), idolatry (2 Chron. 14:3).

That’s why it angered God when Israel allowed these ‘high places’ to exist in the midst of their land (Psa. 78:58). He was pleased when they were removed idolatry (II Kings 18:1-4) and displeased when they were not removed (II Kings 12:3; 14:4; 15:4, 35).

As strange as it may sound, Jehovah was often worshipped in these high places in the worship of idols (II Kings 17:32; II Chron. 33:17)! If that sounds familiar, it is because fusing the worship of God with idolatry is a device Satan as used for centuries during the Dark Ages in the church of Rome to deceive and corrupted the people. We see this even today during our own age of “the dispensation of the grace of God.” Even in today’s neo-evangelical churches we have such mixture being foisted upon the believers from the pulpit, corrupting the pure word of God.

This pollution of worship was still going strong when our King James Authorized Version was translated, and it might be why the translators rendered the Greek ‘epouranios’ as “high places” in our text. They may have perceived that while the “spiritual wickedness” they wrestled was the host of fallen angels in heavenly places, the sphere of operation of these wicked spirits on earth was in the Roman church whose towering cathedrals reminded them of the “high places” where God was worshipped … with idols in Israel.

Again today;

“For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against Spiritual Wickedness In High Places.” (Ephesians 6:12 (KJV)

In Daniel’s day, a wicked angel ‘spirit’ wrestled with the angel Gabriel sent from God, trying to keep the message from God from getting through to Daniel, a man of God, (Dan. 10:10-14). Read the verses and see how that Gabriel was withstood for 21-day until Michael the Archangel of the Lord came to assist.

Similarly, during the Reformation period, the Protestant Reformers wrestled with wicked spirits who tried to keep the recently unveiled message of God’s Word of truth from the people of God… by using the brute strength of the Roman church that burned them at the stake, then confining and hiding His Words of truth to the Latin language that few could read.

Ultimately the Reformers wrestled and overcame them by translating the Bible into the languages of the people, German, English, and so on.

Today those same wicked spirits still strive to keep the message of God’s Word of truth from God's people, and the message of Paul's distinctive apostleship that brings us the truth that is for today.

And how do these wicked spirits do that?

Lucifer already largely possesses those who indulge in heinous gross sin, so his fallen angels work to usurp and corrupt the men who preach and teach in the pulpits. So, just as politics is obviously corrupted, so is religion, manmade and man-governed religion. Just consider these facts and Scriptures.

- Why are modern Bibles corrupted with missing words and verses, adding wat is not in the received Greek Text, and otherwise they alter the Holy text (E.g., AMP, NIV, NASB, ESV, NKJV).

- Why are today’s Bible Schools teaching false doctrine, teaching a leavened mixture, mixing lies of traditionalism, with the fine flour of the truth. They often usurp what belongs to Israel saying it is for us today; teaching ‘replacement theology’ as though the church today replaces Irael.

- Why are local assemblies (churches) organized in a way that the “hireling” pastors must answers to a church board for what he preaches, boards that usually are made up of less than spiritual men and women? Many pastors are fired and otherwise aborted for straying from denominational guidelines to teach pure Bible truth. So, most maintain ‘religious tradition, rites, and rituals’ even if it does contradict and undermine the pure Bible truth for today’s “dispensation of the grace of God.”

“But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.” Matthew 15:9

Jesus of Nazareth in His day said of the religious Pharisees of Israel; “Making The Word Of God Of None Effect Through Your Tradition, which ye have delivered: and many such like things do ye.” Mark 7:13 (KJV)

Jeremiah said of Israel’s religious leaders; “The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests bear rule by their means; and [yet] my people love to have it so: and what will ye do in the end thereof? “Jeremiah 5:31 (KJV)

Tradition is the empty corpse of what may even have tied to some truth at one time… maintained after its time has already passed. We don’t live in the past, rather we live in the “but now” of Christ literally alive in the believer’s “spirit of man.”

“If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.” 1 Corinthians 3:17 (KJV)

You, “To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery [secret] among the Gentiles; which is CHRIST IN YOU, THE HOPE OF [eternal] GLORY:” Colossians ^{1:27 (KJV)}

The once Christian culture in the USA and Western Nations has been almost totally corrupted, as Paul prophesied;

“This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. ² For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, ³ Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, ⁴ Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;

⁵ Having a form of godliness [outwardly], but denying the power thereof: from such turn away. ⁶ For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts, ⁷ Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. ⁸ Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood [opposed] Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith.” 2 Timothy 3:1-8 (KJV)

“[Christ] Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father:” Galatians 1:4 (KJV)

The vast majority of the ‘religious’ folks today are content with the outer empty “form of godliness” (v5), rather than stand against evil and for the truth of God’s word that is for today. But how can they stand for what they don’t know of the Scriptures today?

“For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, ¹²  Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;” Titus 2:11-12 (KJV)