Satan: Who are the principalities and powers?
Despite the confusion and even unbelief about this creature and his attributes, Satan is alive and active in the world today. But it is ONLY in the Bible that we can learn the truth about him. So much of what’s said about him simply isn’t true. All this just goes to show how very successful he’s been in deceiving so many people.
I have another article about Satan on this website that I hope you’ll take the time to read and even study. In fact, here’s the link to it—
Satan: What are the basics about him?
The phrase principalities and powers occur six times in the Bible, always in the King James Version or similar ones. Other versions translate it in other ways such as “rulers and authorities,” “forces and authorities,” and “rulers and powers.” Altogether it adds up to the fact that these “angels” in the Bible that in this case are best called “demons” have tremendous powers and influence over certain people and world affairs. The heart of what they do is to hinder the work of those who are truly God’s people, those who’ve believed in the Lord Jesus Christ as their one and only Savior.
Acts 4:10-12
10 Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole.
11 This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner.
12 Neither is there salvation IN ANY OTHER: for there is NONE OTHER name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved. [Emphasis added]
Jesus made known His identity as the God/man Messiah and as someone worthy of their faith in many ways and statements throughout the time of His earthly ministry.
John 14:6
6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. [Emphasis added]
It is this truth of all truths that Satan works to blind people to understanding and accepting.
2 Corinthians 4:3-4
3 But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost:
4 In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them. [Emphasis added]
The first mention of principalities and powers in the Bible is in Paul’s letter to believers in Rome.
Romans 8:37-39
37 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.
38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,
39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. [Emphasis added]
What a wonderful and highly encouraging statement that is! Strategically EVERY believer is a victor. We all sin from time to time but those are all sins for which Christ died paying the full penalty for them when He was on the cross of Calvary.
2 Corinthians 5:19-21
19 To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.
20 Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, BE ye reconciled to God.
This FULL reconciliation between God and someone occurs when they personally accept His provision for their salvation.
21 For he [God the Father] hath made him [Jesus Christ] to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. [Emphasis added]
The verse right before this is to point out that every believer is now “in the ministry,” not just some of us. This is because we’re all personal representatives of His. The key is to work to know how to do that well and to get on with it daily.
2 Corinthians 5:18
18 And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; [Emphasis added]
These verses are all about the victory Christ has won for us over all these evil forces that work against us. We are “more than conquerors” because no force can now win out over us. Read this wonderful truth and please let it sink in to your thinking!
Again, Romans 8:37-39
37 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.
It says WE ARE! Not we will be or we hope to be! We are already conquerors in that most important way we ever could be.
38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,
39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. [Emphasis added]
There’s no way we could possibly be in a more secure situation than that! But you’ll find many churchgoers who are very insecure about their salvation. They’ll say they want to be saved or that they hope to be saved, but oh so few will say I KNOW I’m saved. And where is it that they get this thinking? It is because they’ve believed they have to DO something or some combination of things to earn salvation. They’re concerned that they’ve not come up to God’s standard and His requirement for their salvation. This is the situation even in a place like America where there are so many churches. The truth about this seems to be so scarce. A big part of the problem is that people confuse God’s message to Israel with ours today which requires no works at all on our part for the attainment of salvation. The words of Scripture are so plain about this.
Ephesians 2:8-9
8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
9 Not of works, lest any man should boast. [Emphasis added]
Could this be stated any plainer? And even though it shouldn’t be necessary, our apostle Paul says this multiple times in his writings. Here are two more examples of this—
Romans 4:4-5
4 Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt.
5 But to him that WORKETH NOT not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, HIS FAITH is counted for righteousness. [Emphasis added]
Titus 3:5
5 Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; [Emphasis added]
And that “washing of regeneration” is not water baptism. It represents a work of the Holy Spirit in the one believing the gospel message.
1 Corinthians 12:13
13 For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit. [Emphasis added]
There are other statements in Paul’s writings about principalities and powers. They all provide us with more information about them.
In this next verse we find that it was Jesus Christ who created these principalities and powers.
Colossians 1:16-17
16 For by him [Jesus Christ being the antecedent] were ALL things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:
17 And he is before all things, and by him all things consist [SUNISTEMI = cohere or hold together]. [Emphasis added]
Here we have a clear statement that it is God who is the Creator and Ruler over all creation, even those in the angelic realm who have rebelled against Him. Like us, He gave them free will. He didn’t have to, but He did. But whatever power they exert, they are not out of the ultimate control of our God. Despite their free will and their expressed rebellion against Him, He even uses them to bring about His perfect plan. There are numerous examples of this in Scripture. One of my personal favorites is this one where Jacob’s son Joseph makes this gracious statement to his evil brothers even after they had treated him so badly—
Genesis 50:20
20 But as for you, ye thought evil against me; BUT God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive. [Emphasis added]
Another strong statement about this principle is this one that’s written by the great prophet Daniel—
Daniel 4:34-35
34 And at the end of the days I Nebuchadnezzar lifted up mine eyes unto heaven, and mine understanding returned unto me, and I blessed the most High, and I praised and honoured him that liveth for ever, whose dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom is from generation to generation:
35 And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing: and he doeth according to his will in the army of heaven [speaking angels and demons], and among the inhabitants of the earth [speaking of all people]: and none can stay his hand, or say unto him, What doest thou? [Emphasis added]
And then there are still other passages that speak of this—
Isaiah 46:9-10
9 Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me,
10 Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure: [Emphasis added]
Then in his letter to the Colossians the apostle Paul gives us more about all this. He uses the triumphal entries of Roman generals after their conquests in foreign lands to illustrate this point.
Colossians 2:15
15 And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it. [Emphasis added]
This was Christ’s victory at the cross. Note what he says in the preceding verses to this statement!
Colossians 2:13-14
13 And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses;
And WHEN was this forgiveness provided? In other words, when was this debt paid? Did He do it when you believed and accepted it? NO! We’re told here and elsewhere that He did it at the time of the cross of Christ, long before any of us were even born. Here he tells us exactly what was accomplished there.
14 Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross; [Emphasis added]
We find this same thing stated by Paul in his second letter to the Corinthians.
2 Corinthians 5:19
19 To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. [Emphasis added]
The sins were all imputed or credited to Christ on the cross, not to us. It is only when a person accepts this fact that salvation is then immediately and permanently provided for them. It is no wonder then why we should not fear these principalities and powers. They strategically lost the conflict at the cross. The final mop up on this victory will occur at a later time. But Christ has won, and we now share in His victory.
Romans 5:10-11
10 For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.
11 And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement [KATALLAGE = reconciliation]. [Emphasis added]
Verse eleven is one of those verses that makes it clear that one’s reconciliation with God is not complete to provide salvation until it is “received” by faith. It is unfortunate that some people believe that ultimately everyone without exception is going to Heaven. Christ certainly provided a way of salvation for everyone but until it is “received” or accepted, salvation does not occur. For more information about this atoning work of Christ, please see my article about it—
Atonement: In what sense did Christ atone for our sins?
Another important place we find these same “principalities and powers” discussed is in Paul’s letter to the Ephesians. Here he presents the one clear weapon we have available to win in this conflict—
Ephesians 6:11-13
11 Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
12 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.
13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. [Emphasis added]
Here again we are reminded of our need for the divine operating assets God has provided for us to be victorious in this spiritual warfare. There are defense armaments in this but the one offensive asset we have is the Word of God. This is presented toward the end of this wonderful passage.
Ephesians 6:13-17
13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
14 Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;
15 And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;
16 Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.
17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: [Emphasis added]
Yes, it is the Word of God that we must learn. By doing this and by faithfully making the applications we can be victorious. But every believer who is ignorant of these things will certainly be a casualty in the Christian life. They can’t lose their salvation, but they will certainly miss out on many eternal blessings that could have been theirs to enjoy forever. There are many articles and videos linked to this website that will help you with all that. Here are the names of a few of those articles.
Jesus Christ: What will you say to Him when you meet Him?
Ignorance: Could this be the primary problem?
Rewards: For what will God wish to reward you in eternity?
As we conclude this study on the “principalities and powers,” we also see this same terminology used for good angels, not just those who have rebelled against God that we speak of as demons. Here’s one example of this—
Ephesians 3:8-11
8 Unto me [Paul], who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ;
9 And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ:
For information about this “fellowship of the mystery,” please see my article about it—
Mystery: What is the fellowship of the Mystery?
10 To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold [POLUPOIKILOS = much varied] wisdom of God,
11 According to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord: [Emphasis added]
Here in verse ten, we have a statement about the church, the members of the body of Christ of which we are a part today, and how we’ve been given the opportunity to make known the manifold wisdom of God. This means that angels, both holy and unholy, witness the glory of God and the preeminence of Christ above all creatures. Yes, we have the opportunity to showcase how wonderful God is before all angels, both elect and fallen. His love, His grace, and much more are all sights for them to behold. It all just goes to show how worthy God is of our worship.
Ephesians 1:21-23
21 Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come:
22 And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church,
23 Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all. [Emphasis added]
This last little phrase in verse twenty-three says Christ completely fills every aspect of existence, encompassing everything and leaving no space unfilled; essentially, it signifies absolute and total pervasiveness across all things. What a wonderful Savior we have!
Then we have the final reference to principalities and powers—
Titus 3:1
1 Put them in mind to be subject to principalities and powers, to obey magistrates, to be ready to every good work, [Emphasis added]
Here it refers to the governmental authorities God has placed over us for our protection and welfare. There’s a real sense in which they are God’s representatives on earth, and submission to Him involves our submission to them. Those who rebel against earthly authorities are rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring temporal judgment on themselves.
Romans 13:1-5
1 Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God.
2 Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation.
3 For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same:
4 For he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil.
5 Wherefore ye must needs be subject, not only for wrath [the threat of punishment], but also for conscience sake. [Emphasis added]
