What are principalities and powers?

The status of those who hold the first place, as rulers among men, Titus 3:1; but the word especially refers to the spiritual high powers in the unseen world, whether good or bad. They were created by the Lord, and He is head of them all. Col. 1:16; Col. 2:10. Some fell from the position of trust given them: they kept not their first estate or principality. Jude 6. Others contend against the heavenly position of the saints. Eph. 6:12. The Lord 'spoiled' principalities on the cross, Col. 2:15; and at His resurrection He was exalted by God far above all such created powers. Eph. 1:21; Eph. 3:10.

The conflict, then, is against Satan and his hosts, whatever the instrument used. Principalities and powers are spiritual beings in a position of rule with power to carry out their will. They may be good or evil beings; here they are evil beings, and their wickedness would seem to take a twofold direction. In reference to the world they are the rulers of the darkness of this world; in reference to Christians they are the “spiritual power of wickedness in the heavenlies”. The world is in darkness, in ignorance of God, and these spiritual beings rule and direct the darkness of paganism, philosophy, science falsely so-called, and infidelity, as well as the superstitions, corruptions and modernism of Christendom. The Christian is brought into the light, and blessed with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places. The opposition to the Christian takes, then, a religious character by spiritual beings who seek to rob him of the truth of his heavenly calling, beguile him into a path that is a denial of the truth, or into conduct that is inconsistent with it.

These enemies are thus characterised; they are principalities and powers — beings possessing an energy of evil which has its source in a will that has mastery over those who do not know how to resist it; they have also strength to carry it out. Their energy they have from God, the will that uses it comes from themselves; they have forsaken God; the spring of their actions is in their own will. In this respect it is a source of action independent of God, and the energy and the qualities which they have from God are the instruments of that will — a will which has no bridle except from outside itself. They are principalities and powers. There are good ones; but in them the will is only to do that which God wills, and to employ in His service the strength they have received from Him.

Ans.—The term seems to include all, both evil and good potentates. It would seem that as Satan has not yet been cast out of heaven, he has still his rank. Thus Michael the archangel does not rail against him (Jude 9).

He is certainly the leader of a vast host of wicked spirits spoken of as principalities and authorities in Ephesians 6:12, but we know little of them. We do know, however, that all these vast and inconceivable powers were created by and for Him who is our Lord. Principalities and powers are spoken of as good and evil.

That power has elevated Him to the place of supremacy at God's right hand in the heavenlies, far above all principality, authority, power and dominion, and every name named (v.21). Principalities and powers (or authorities) are seen in chapter 6:12 to refer to the spiritual realm, angelic beings -- in that case evil in nature -- but chapter 1:21 includes all spirit beings, good or evil. Such exaltation is true both in this age - and in the coming age of the millennial kingdom. As Man the Lord Jesus is exalted above all creation, and will be until at the end of the Millennium when He delivers up the kingdom to God the Father (1 Cor.15:24).

The conflicts of God's people are according to the nature of their calling. When Jehovah owned a people in the flesh, they fought in His name against fleshly adversaries. Israel was led to battle after quite a different manner from the Church. It is because our calling is a heavenly one, that the scene of our conflict is laid there. "Wicked spirits in heavenly places" are appreciable as antagonists to those only who by faith have present access into heaven. Our heritage is there; and there, consequently, the adversary as yet disputes our right. In the present enumeration of our enemies, we have to distinguish between the rulers of the darkness of this world, and the efforts of spiritual wickednesses in heavenly places. Satan has no rule there. He and his angels are not yet definitively banished from the heavens. They are permitted still to infest them, until the decisive moment comes for the open manifestation of the kingdom of God and the power of His Christ. But he, whose presence as the accuser of the brethren (Rev. 12:7-11) in heaven is endured yet a little while, is the ruling power in the world. As opposed to Christ, the true Light of the world, he is styled the ruler of its darkness. In the preceding verse the devil, in his unity, is shown to be an adversary; as was also the case in chap. 2:2, where we have had him described, in his working, as the prince of the power of the air. In the present passage, the doctrine of Satanic power is stated distributively, adverse agencies and energies being enumerated, all of which are to be referred to that one pre-eminent power of evil, of whose existence and working we have such abundant testimony in the word of God. Accordingly, separate mention is made of principalities, powers, and spiritualities of wickedness. They stand thus in evil contrast to those other principalities and powers whose abiding seat is in the heavens, and who learn with joyful admiration the manifold riches of the Divine wisdom, as witnesses of the present work of God in the salvation of His Church.

In the first place, it must be observed that "the prince of the kingdom of Persia" is an angel; for Michael, termed in the same verse "one of the chief princes," and in Daniel 12. "the great prince" in connection with Israel, is known, on the authority of Jude, to be the archangel. If so, inasmuch as this "prince" of Persia is seen here acting in opposition to the mind of God, he is a bad angel, in fact, one of Satan's princes.. This will help us to understand what we find often mentioned in the New Testament, viz., that there are good principalities and powers (Eph. 1:21; Col. 1:16, Col. 2:10; 1 Peter 3:22), and bad principalities and powers (Rom. 8:38; Eph. 6:12, etc.). It would seem, therefore, that Satan has imitated the kingdom of God,* and formed his gradations of rank and power according to the divine model. Having therefore seen that God had appointed the archangel Michael to watch over the interests of Israel in His providential government, Satan sent one of his angels to care for his interests in Persia, which at this time held the sovereignty of the earth, and consequently to frustrate, wherever possible, the activities of God upon the earth. In how far this mode of operation may continue during the day of grace we are not distinctly informed. We do find, however, that the Lord, during His sojourn on the earth, referred to the angels of little children, that Peter was delivered from prison through the instrumentality of an angel, that angels are "sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation and it is plain from Daniel 12 that Michael's office continues to the end. And in regard to evil spirits or angels, we learn from Ephesians that their activities and energy are ceaseless (see Eph. 2:2; Eph. 6:12) against the children of God. Moreover Paul, in writing to the Thessalonians says expressly, "Wherefore we would have come unto you, even I Paul, once and again; but Satan hindered us" (1 Thess. 2:18). We have, therefore, to count, when walking in God's ways and doing His will, upon the incessant and malevolent opposition of the Evil One through his emissaries; and it is to our loss when we forget this character of the enemy of God and of our souls, for we forget with it our need of being clothed with the panoply of God, and of constant vigilance against Satan's devices.

Fleshly weapons or armor in this warfare are useless, for the conflict is against principalities, authorities and rulers, spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenlies (v.11). Principalities refers to dignities, in this case demonic, whom we must never treat with contempt (Jude 8, 9), but firmly stand against them. Authorities are the authorities of darkness. They have no authority over believers, though that authority which they hold over unbelievers, is cruel tyranny, keeping great numbers of people in subjection, and they use such people to attempt to force their authority on believers. False cults that use the method of brain-washing are adept at pressing people into conformity with their wicked teachings, so that once they are trapped, they become virtual slaves of Satan. We must be on guard therefore to refuse such evil authority. Rulers have to do with administration. Satan has his organization of evil forces that is not to be lightly regarded, and he uses people for his evil purposes, to contest every inch of the way in which a believer seeks to enter into and enjoy his proper possessions in heavenly places. These possessions that Satan seeks to keep us from enjoying are the vital truths of Scripture which cannot be learned except by spiritual means (1 Cor.2:13), and are held in daily practice only by using the whole armor of God.

100 The rulers of the darkness of this world are Satan and his angels. The darkness of the world is ignorance of God, who is light. Conflict of Satan is not characteristic of the wilderness. If there is anything of the kind, it is an attempt to go up and get beaten. They might have gone in at Kadesh Barnea, but they did not; and when they found how foolish they were, they attempted and were beaten altogether.