弗六12　因我们并不是与血肉之人摔跤，乃是与那些执政的、掌权的、管辖这黑暗世界的、以及诸天界里那邪恶的属灵势力摔跤。

　　启十二9　大龙就被摔下去，它是那古蛇，名叫魔鬼，又叫撒但，是迷惑普天下的，它被摔在地上，它的使者也一同被摔下去。
　　但以理在但以理七至九章看见了一些异象之后，又在十一至十二章看见关于以色列定命的异象。然而，在这个关于以色列之定命的异象之前，十章先给我们看见物质世界背后的属灵世界。我们要认识神的经纶，并认识在神的经纶里，基督是神行动的中心与普及，就需要看见物质事物背后的属灵事物。……我们在外面所看见的是物质的世界，但在物质世界的背后乃是属灵的世界（但以理书生命读经，一〇七页）。

　　Eph. 6:12 For our wrestling is not against blood and flesh but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the world-rulers of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenlies.

　　Rev. 12:9 And the great dragon was cast down, the ancient serpent, he who is called the Devil and Satan, he who deceives the whole inhabited earth; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast down with him.

　　After the visions seen by Daniel in Daniel 7 through 9, Daniel saw the vision concerning the destiny of Israel. However, before we are told of the vision Daniel saw concerning Israel's destiny in chapter 11, chapter 10 shows us the spiritual world behind the physical. For us to know God's economy and to know that in God's economy Christ is the centrality and universality of God's move, we need to see the spiritual things behind the physical.

　　What we see outwardly is the physical world, but behind the physical world is the spiritual. (Life-study of Daniel, p. 91)

　　但以理在……祷告〔二十一日〕时，空中进行着二灵之间的属灵争斗；一灵属于撒但，另一灵属于神。二者在争战，因为受差的天使（可能是加百列），受神差遣去回应但以理的祷告。米迦勒来帮助受差的天使。就如天使长米迦勒在犹大书九节那里争战；照样，他在但以理书这里也来争战。我们需要看见一个重点，就是在景物的背后正进行着属灵的争斗，这争斗不是物质的眼睛所看得见的（但以理书生命读经，一一四页）。
　　我们知道拦阻福音的，不是外面的环境，乃是撒但。我们知道霸占人，叫人不爱主的，不是人情，不是世界，也不是肉体，乃是撒但黑暗的权势。我们也知道召会中的紊乱、纷争、冷落、败坏，原因也都不在别的，乃在撒但。所以我们就不去对付那些表面的事，而是借着升天的地位与权柄，来对付这在一切事背后作祟的，也就是在大地上掌权的黑暗权势，好把神的国带下来（生命的经历，四四八页）。
　　我有负担让大家都看见启示录十二章的异象。……这是个大异象，关乎整个宇宙所发生的事。异象中的妇人，代表从创世记三章人堕落以来神的子民。这妇人不只代表神的子民，也代表神自己。在妇人面前的龙，象征神的仇敌。多少世纪以来，妇人与蛇（就是龙）之间争战不断。
　　属世的人只能看到表面显明的事物，就如商业、政治、工业、教育、战争等。你若问他们这一切事情的意义，他们会说不知道。他们只知道受教育是为着将来能有好的职业，过好的生活。对于宇宙中发生的事情，他们没有异象，但我们却十分清楚。这妇人象征神的子民，也代表神。从积极一面看，妻子总是代表丈夫的。……若有一个正确代表〔丈夫〕的妻子，那是何等美好。这表征我们这些神的子民，乃是神的妻子，要适当的代表祂。神是独一的丈夫，我们是祂唯一的妻子，来代表祂。可是神有一个仇敌，这仇敌起初是一条小蛇，至终却变成一条大龙，如今面对着我们。你若没有看见这异象，就是瞎眼，不知道在地上或在宇宙中所发生的事。赞美主！这不仅是教育、工业、商业、外交等问题，乃是神的子民与神的仇敌争战的问题。这场战争已经进行了许多世纪，到今天还在激烈地进行着（启示录生命读经，五二〇至五二一页）。
　　参读：但以理书生命读经，第十五篇；创世记生命读经，第七篇。

　　While Daniel was praying for [twenty-one] days, a spiritual struggle was taking place in the air between two spirits, one belonging to Satan and the other belonging to God. They were fighting because the sent angelic messenger (he might have been Gabriel) had been sent by God in answer to Daniel's prayer. Michael came to help the sent angelic messenger. Just as the archangel Michael fought in Jude 9, so he came in to fight here in Daniel. The crucial point we need to see is that behind the scene a spiritual struggle, a struggle not seen with physical eyes, was taking place. (Life-study of Daniel, p. 96)

　　We know that what hinders the gospel is not the outward environment but Satan. We know that what usurps men and causes them not to love the Lord is neither human ties, nor the world, nor the flesh, but the satanic power of darkness. We know also that the reason for all the confusion, striving, indifference, and corruption in the church is naught else but Satan. Therefore, we do not deal with things that appear on the surface, but, through the position and authority of ascension, we deal with the power of darkness that schemes behind these things and reigns on the earth. (The Experience of Life, p. 371)

　　I am burdened that we would all see the vision in Revelation chapter 12....It is a great vision regarding what is taking place in the entire universe.

　　The woman in this vision has been representing the people of God since the fall of man in Genesis 3. The woman not only represents God's people but also God Himself. In front of the woman is a dragon signifying God's enemy. Throughout the centuries, the war has been between the woman and the serpent, the dragon.

　　The worldly people can see only the obvious outward things: commerce, politics, industry, education, war. If you ask them the meaning of all this, they would say that they do not know. They only know to obtain an education so that they may have a good job to earn a good living. They do not have the vision of what is taking place in the universe. But we see clearly what is going on. A woman symbolizes God's people and represents God. In a positive sense, the wife always represents her husband....It is wonderful to have a wife to represent you in a good way. This signifies that we, the people of God, are His wife and that we need to represent Him adequately. God is the unique husband, and we, the unique wife, represent Him. But God has an enemy. First, this enemy was a little serpent. Eventually, however, it became a great dragon who is now in front of us. If you do not have this vision, you will be blind, not knowing what is taking place on earth or in the universe. Praise the Lord that it is not simply a matter of education, industry, commerce, diplomacy, etc., but a matter of warfare between the people of God and God's enemy. This war has been raging throughout the centuries, and it is still raging today. (Life-study of Revelation, pp. 447-448)

　　Further Reading: Life-study of Daniel, msg. 15; Life-study of Genesis, msg. 7