Presented at the Symposium "Distinctively Christian, Distinctly Mongolian"
in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, on March 12, 2003
By Dr. Gailyn Van Rheenen
What is the nature of spiritual powers in Scripture? What is
the relationship of Satan to these powers? What is the difference between
animistic and Christian understanding of power? These are some of the
lessons that we will investigate in this lecture.
The Nature of the Powers
The Bible describes how God’s people struggled with animistic
powers. In the Old Testament the Israelites, because of proximity, were
forced to choose between the God of Israel and the gods of the nations.
Baalism, an agricultural fertility cult of the Canaanites, was especially
appealing to the Israelites. The Gospels describe a struggle between Jesus
and the demonic world. In the Pauline epistles the Christian battle is
against principalities and powers (Eph. 6:12) and the elementary principles
of the world (Col. 2:8, 20). The Bible student is forced to develop some
rationale for explaining these various terminologies for the powers in
Scripture.
The Bible depicts the powers as personal spiritual beings
actively impacting the socio-economic and political structures of
societies. These powers have established their own rules and regulations
that pull cultures away from God. The "elementary principles" (stoicheia)
of Pauline writings (Gal. 4:3; Col. 2:8, 20) are an example of this.
Stoicheia are literally the rudimentary principles, the ABCs of
culture. These are the directives through which the powers have established
control of the customs, laws, and institutions of society. Thus in
Colossians and Galatians the stoicheia are illustrated by legalistic
observances of the law, worship of angels, and returning to pre-Christian
animistic practices. Stoicheia within these contexts are the demonic
contortions of human society. The powers have invaded the very fabric of
society. Paradoxically the powers can even invade Christian religion and
religious institutions. Richard Foster writes:
Power can be an extremely destructive thing in any context,
but in the service of religion it is downright diabolical. Religious power
can destroy in a way that no other power can. Power corrupts, and absolute
power corrupts absolutely, and this is especially true of religion . . . .
When we are convinced that what we are doing is identical with the kingdom
of God, anyone who opposes us must be wrong.
(Foster 1985, 178)
I contend that that, although they take different forms and
manifest themselves in different cultural ways, the essence of these powers
is the same in all ages. They are not merely socio-economic systems that
have rebelled against God, but personal spiritual powers opposed to the very
being of God. Although the names of powers who oppose God vary in different
biblical contexts, their origin and essence are one.
Powers: The Colossian Perspective
The book of Colossians describes the powers as created beings
(Read Col. 1:15-20). They were created by Christ to be under his
sovereignty: "For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on
earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or
authorities; all things were created by him and for him. He is before all
things, and in him all things hold together" (Col. 1:16-17). The purpose of
the passage is to show that all powers were created to be in a dependent
relationship with Christ. As things created "by him and for him," they were
to be Christ's servants--instruments of his sovereignty. "Fullness,
completeness" dwells in Christ alone (Col. 1:19; 2:9). The passage implies
that fullness does not dwell in powers that desire to be independent of
their Creator. The supremacy of Christ is therefore declared in relation to
the creation of the powers.
These powers did not originate as foes of God but were
created to live under his sovereignty. In Colossians Paul infers that at
some point there was a cosmic rebellion against Christ and his sovereignty.
The powers forsook their allegiance to Christ and became independent. They
broke with God's sovereignty to establish their own. Their motivation seems
to come from Satan, under whose dominion they had fallen. As part of
Satan’s work, the lawless one seeks to exalt himself over God--to take "his
seat in the temple of God, displaying himself as being God" (2 Thess. 2:4).
Instead of pointing to God, Satan and his powers accepted the idolatrous
worship of humans, "which exalted them to a divine and absolute status" (Caird
1967, 48). When humans worshipped idols, they were exalting what was
"secondary and derivative into a position of absolute worth" (Caird 1967,
9). The church father Origen wrote,
According to our belief, it is true of all demons that they
were not demons originally, but they became so in departing from the true
way; so that the name 'demons' is given to those beings who have fallen away
from God. Accordingly those who worship God must not serve demons.
(Against Celsus VII. 69)
The issue at stake was one of glory. A created being saw the
glory of God and desired to usurp that glory.
Paul in Colossians assumed that the reader understood that
the powers have rebelled against God and therefore must be reconciled to
Christ. He emphasized that "all things," implying all powers, were "held
together" in a system with Christ as their head (1:16-17). But the
rebellion of the powers led God to send Christ in order to reconcile "all
things to himself" (1:20), as in the beginning, so that all "fullness"
dwells in him alone (1:19). God reconciled "all things" to himself through
Jesus on the cross. In this event Christ disarmed the powers, made a public
display of them, and triumphed over them (Col. 2:15). By defeating the
powers in his death and accepting headship over those who believe, Jesus
became "head over all rule and authority."
The powers are now alienated from God and oppose him. They
now desire to estrange believers from the love of God (Rom. 8:38). They
hold the non-believer in bondage (Gal. 4:3). They bind people to their
rules (Col. 2:20). They control the lives of the ungodly (Eph. 2:2).
Powers: Aligned with Satan
These powers who oppose God have become part of the dominion
of the kingdom of Satan. O'Brien writes, "Despite the variety in
nomenclature, the overall picture is the same: a variety of evil forces
under a unified head" (1984, 137; Green 1981, 82). When demons were cast
out, Jesus could say, "I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven" (Luke
10:17-18). The "devil's schemes" are connected to the Christian's struggle
against the powers (Eph. 6:11-12). Jesus was accused of casting out demons
by Beelzebub, the ruler of demons (Matt. 12:22-28). Satan has become the
god of this world (1 John 4:4; 5:19) working in the sons of disobedience
(Eph. 2:2) with legions of spiritual powers following him.
The Bible assumes that the powers are personal spiritual
entities. They are not merely non-personal, alienated structures of
society. Many biblical names for the powers--lords, gods, princes, demons,
devils, unclean spirits, evil spirits--have personal connotations. Names for
Satan--the evil one, the accuser, the destroyer, the adversary, the
enemy--also infer a personality.
The personal nature of spiritual beings is illustrated by
Christ's delivering those possessed by demons. When Jesus healed the
demon-possessed man who was blind and dumb, he was confronting personal
spiritual power (Matt. 12:22-29). The first miracle of Jesus recorded in
Luke's gospel was the cleansing of an unclean man in Capernaum (Read Luke
4:31-37). This spirit was also personal. First, the spirit cried out to
Jesus, and he responded. This was not an institutional manifestation of the
evils of the world, but a personal spirit speaking to Jesus. Second, the
demon differentiated between himself and one he possessed by using the first
person plural pronoun "us" when he cried out, "What do you want with us,
Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us?" The terminologies
in this account suggest that the demons are evil spiritual beings. According
to Ferguson,
[Their] spiritual nature . . . permits them to enter a human
person. Once more we notice that the demon had his own distinct
personality. He was different from the person in whom he dwelled and was
able to control the person he possessed to the extent of throwing him down.
(1984, 6)
These powers are "beings of intellect and will, which can
speak and be spoken to" and are "capable of purposeful activity" (Schlier
1964, 18).
Powers: Diffused into the Structures of Culture
While these powers are personal in nature they also diffuse
into human cultures. They have the power to invade human beliefs systems,
cultural institutions, and governmental structures and to obscure their
origin. Consequently, people of God will fall away not only because of the
overt working of "deceitful spirits" but also because of obscure "doctrines
of demons" that radiate from their work and become a part of human
strictures (1 Tim. 4:1). For example, when Jesus confronted the traditions
of the Pharisees, he was confronting the power of Satan ingrained in Jewish
tradition (Matt. 15:1-20). A most apparent example of this is the great
dragon, called the devil and Satan (Rev. 12:9). This dragon gives authority
to the beast, who represents earthly powers who carry out the will of the
dragon (Rev. 13:2), for example, Emperor Domitian performing Satan's desires
by persecuting Christians in the Roman Empire. Even today the beasts of the
great dragon perform his work in the world.
The stoicheia, the cultural building blocks of
traditional society, were the regulations of the powers which bound those
not in Christ (Gal. 4:3; Col. 2:8, 20). Schlier writes that the powers
"conceal themselves in the world and in the everyday life of mankind. They
withdraw from sight into the men, elements, and institutions through which
they make their power felt" (1964, 29). This is the meaning of Paul's
statement "We . . . were held in bondage under the elementary things of the
world" (Gal. 4:3). These rules which bound the non-believer might be those
of the Jewish law or pagan beliefs prevalent in their various localities.
The Colossian heresy was similar to that in Galatia. The Colossians were
allowing the "elementary principles of the world" to displace Christ as the
mediator between God and man (MacGregor 1954, 22). The Colossians should
have escaped their control. Paul inquired, "If you have died with Christ to
the elementary principles of the world, why do you submit" to their decrees?
(Col. 2:8, 20). The Colossians were still tied to the old demonic system
although they considered themselves to be in Christ. Personal spiritual
powers had become systemic.
Apocryphal literature speaks of the powers as angels who have
fallen away from God (2 Enoch 29:4; Jubilees 10). Jude likely builds on
this tradition when he speaks of angels leaving their "proper abode" (vs.
6), alluding to their proper "domain" under the sovereignty of God. These
angels fell away from God when they sinned, and some have already been cast
into hell (2 Pet. 2:4). Thus Jesus could speak of the place "prepared for
the devil and his angels" (Matt. 25:41).
Caird does not differentiate between angels and the gods of
the nations, which are spoken of throughout the Old Testament. He believes
that they are angelic beings "to whom God had delegated some measure of his
own authority" (Caird 1967, 48). Their worship became the source of
idolatry in the Old Testament when the nations and even God's elect people
chose to serve such powers rather than Yahweh. A variant reading of
Deuteronomy 32:8b-9 says that God "set the boundaries of the peoples
according to the number of the sons of God, for the Lord's portion is
his people; Jacob is the allotment of His inheritance." According to this
interpretation, angels were placed over all the nations, but Israel was
God's special inheritance over which he ruled without any intermediary.
These angels were never to be worshipped but only to serve as messengers of
God. The cosmic rebellion against God occurred when these "angels of the
nations" desired to be worshipped rather than allow all praises to be
directed to God. This cosmic rebellion is depicted in Daniel. The angel of
God was delayed from coming to Daniel because he was fighting with the
angelic prince of Persia and must return to continue the fight and also
fight the prince of Greece (Dan.10:20-21). They are referred to as the
"princes of the nations" in Isaiah 41-46 and 48 (Wink 1984, 26-35). The
worship of these beings became the source of idolatry in the Old Testament
when the nations and God's own people chose to serve such powers rather than
Creator God. The powers therefore are beings who forsook the sovereignty of
God and accepted the worship of those whom they were sent to serve. Despite
their original state, they have now aligned themselves with Satan and must
be resisted by faithful Christians (Eph. 6:12).
Powers that were originally beneficent have become
malevolent. Once they sang the praises of Creator God and existed under his
sovereignty; they now desire control and power apart from God without giving
him recognition as their Creator. They once were ministering servants of
the people of God; they now desire to be their gods. Because they forsook
the sovereignty of God, they have become participants of the kingdom of
Satan.
Affirming Christian Identify in an Animistic Context
How do Christian evangelists respond when people of God
revert to pagan ways while also desiring to follow the way of God? Such
split-level allegiance is very common in contexts in which people are coming
to God from non-Christian religions. For instance, children are sick, and
mothers fear for their lives. A wedding is about to occur and parents of
the bride and groom desire traditional blessings for the marriage. People
fear because a man dies at an early age and the cause is unknown.
Businessmen become concerned when all of their plans do not proceed as
expected. In such situations Christians are tempted to return to the
resources of their traditional religions.
The task of Christian ministers in these contexts is to find
theological and ministry models, based upon Scripture yet fitting for these
contexts. Stated differently, the doing of missions leads to the formation
of theology. Some years ago systematic theologian Martin Kahler wrote the
often-quoted statement that mission is “the mother of theology.” Theology,
said Kahler, developed as "an accompanying manifestation of the Christian
message." Christian leaders, like Paul, put pen to paper in order to
address tangible, contemporary issues in communities of faith. "They wrote
in the context of an 'emergency situation', of a church which, because of
its missionary encounter with the world, was forced to theologize"
([1908] 1971, 189-90; cf. Bosch 1991, 16). In other words, theology was
done in missional contexts in response to missional questions as
Christian ministers planted new churches and nurtured existing churches to
maturity.
One example of such contextual theology is Paul's writing to
the Ephesians. Paul assumes in his letter that new Christians understand
the nature of spiritual powers within their context but have not been
completely freed from their control. Ephesus itself was a center of cultic
activity where animistic practices and beliefs were flourishing. The city
was known for the Ephesia Grammata, the "Ephesian letters" thought to
be laden with magical power to ward off demons and employed "either as
written amulets or spoken charms" (Arnold 1989, 15-16). Artemis was
worshipped as a supreme deity of unsurpassed power--a god who descended
directly from heaven (Acts 19:35). This goddess was called upon to protect
followers from malevolent powers and "to raise the dead, heal the sick, and
protect the city" (Arnold 1989, 20-22, 39). Magic was frequently used in
the cult of Artemis: "In many instances there seems to be little or no
difference between calling upon Artemis to accomplish a certain task and
utilizing a `magical' formula" (Arnold 1989, 24). Astrology was also
intertwined with the worship of Artemis. In New Testament times the angels
were typically associated with the planets and the stars, which were thought
to control earthly fate. However, Artemis was pictured as the master of
these astral forces because "the signs of the zodiac were prominently
displayed around the neck of the cultic image" (Arnold 1989, 28). Demons
were everywhere thought to exist and were immensely feared. The book of
Ephesians, therefore, describes how Paul responds to converts who have
questions and continuing fears about malevolent spiritual forces (Arnold
1989).
The Powers in Pauline Perspective
In the Pauline epistles the principalities and powers are
described by terms heaped one upon another in a series. Paul writes, "Our
struggle is . . . against the rulers, against the authorities, against the
powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil" (Eph.
6:12; cf. Eph. 1:21; Col. 1:16; Rom. 8:38). These lists should not be
regarded as precise descriptions of a hierarchy of spiritual beings but as
interchangeable synonyms (Schlier 1964, 14-16). The series, moreover,
indicates that spiritual powers cannot be described by one name. The powers
of Satan have become diffused and appear in various manifestations (Wink
1984, 13-34).
Wink's comprehensive study of the various terms shows that
"75 per cent of the time terms such as arche and archon
(organizational power), exousia (authority), dynamis (power),
and thronos (thrones) refer to human institutions" (Hiebert 1987,
109). Such terms as arche and archon are used exclusively for
power in human structures while dynamis is typically used in relation
to personal spiritual powers. These powers are described as:
divine but human, not only personified but structural, not
only demons and kings but the world atmosphere and power invested in
institutions, laws, traditions and rituals as well, for it is the
cumulative, totalizing effect of all these taken together that creates the
sense of bondage to a "dominion of darkness."
(Wink 1984, 85)
The purposes of these lists, therefore, is to be
comprehensive. These terminologies are broader than "demons" or "gods"
because they include the structural, institutional inroads made by personal
spiritual powers as well as personal spiritual beings themselves
In the letters of Paul, as well as in the Gospels, the powers
are pictured as functioning under the authority of Satan. Ephesians 6:11-12
describe the relationship between Satan and the powers: Christians are to
"stand against the devil's schemes" because they struggle against the
powers. Satan is the "prince of the power of the air, the prince that is
now working in the sons of disobedience" (Eph. 2:2). Their purpose is to
use the desires of the flesh and mind to alienate man from God (Eph.
2:1-3). These powers are under Satan and serve him in his realm.
"In the Heavenly Realms"
In Ephesians Paul employs the phrase "in the heavenly realms"
(ta epourania) as a theological metaphor to describe the place of
Christians in relation to spiritual powers. The phrase occurs five times in
the book (Eph. 1:3, 20; 2:6; 3:10; 6:12). It serves as a unique formula for
the book and has the same meaning throughout (Lincoln 1973, 469). While
other books of the New Testament mention the heavenly father, the heavenly
son, heavenly men and women, the heavenly Jerusalem, and the heavenly
kingdom, the distinctive phrase ta epourania ("in the heavenly
realms") appears only in Ephesians (Barth 1974, 78).
Blessings in the Heavenly Realms.
The Christians at Ephesus were told that they had been blessed "in the
heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ" (Read Eph. 1:3).
This first use of the phrase "in the heavenly realms" (ta epourania)
signifies a spiritual realm. Believers now have all spiritual blessings in
the heavenly realms while still living on the earth. The heavenlies have
invaded the earthlies in such a way that "the riches of God's grace" have
been "lavished on" those who believe while they are still in the earthly
realm (Eph. 1:7-8).
Christ Exalted into the Heavenly Realms.
The second use of the phrase "in the heavenly realms" refers to Christ's
exaltation and enthronement: God has raised Christ "from the dead and
seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms" (Read Eph. 1:20-21).
This exaltation is a central theme of Ephesians. Christ is shown to be "not
only a risen, living Savior, but an exalted, reigning Lord who is sovereign
over all" (Penner 1983, 18). During Christ’s life the principalities and
powers opposed him, even plotted his death (1 Cor. 2:8). Christ put himself
under their power in order to break their control (Powell 1963, 168;
MacGregor 1954, 23). He became human in order to break the power of death,
which Satan had used to hold humanity in his grasp. He rendered "powerless
him who had the power of death, that is, the devil" (Heb. 2:14).
Christ's death exalted him to a place of sovereignty in the
heavenly realms seated at the right hand of God "far above all rule
and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given" (Eph.
1:20-21). "Far above" (Eph. 1:21) refers to the authority of Christ
over the principalities and powers. Because Christ is seated in the
heavenly realms "far above" the powers, the powers have no authority
over him or over those "who believe" (1:19). Christ is sovereign because of
his place in the heavenly realms!
The issue is authority. The exalted Christ is head over "every
thing" (NIV) or "all things" (RSV) for the church, which
is "the fullness of him who fills everything in every way" (Eph.
1:22-23). Markus Barth rightly equates "all things" with the enemies
of God, i.e., the powers who stand in opposition to him (1974, 179).
Because Christ dwells in the heavenly realms and because these powers were
created for him and by him (Col. 1:15-18), he is sovereign over them. The
term "fullness" implies that Christ’s power cannot be assumed by any other
power. Christ is the "fullness of Deity" and therefore must be given our
full allegiance (Col. 1:19; 2:9).
The Believers' Exaltation into the Heavenly Realms.
The third use of the phrase "in the heavenly realms" refers to the
believer's exaltation and enthronement (Read Eph. 2:1-6). Believers
previously subject to the powers (Eph. 2:1-3) have been raised by God and
seated "with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus" (Eph. 2:4-6). Thus
Christ's own exaltation and enthronement into the heavenly realms (Eph.
1:20) is compared to the believer's exaltation and enthronement (Eph. 2:6).
Psalm 110:1, cited in Ephesians 1:20 regarding Christ’s exaltation to God’s
right hand, is used in Ephesians 2:6 in relation to the believer's
exaltation. The verbs, which are in the past tense in this verse, show that
believers now dwell in the heavenly realms because of Christ's exaltation.
Allen says, "What God, who is the principal actor in both passages, has
accomplished in Christ, he has accomplished for believers" (1986, 104).
Because Christians are raised with him, they share in his authority.
Christians must then live in the heavenly realms where homage
and praise are given to God and to God alone. No longer are they to
manipulate spirits by magic and ritual. Exalted with Christ into the
heavenly realms, they live above the principalities and powers. By living
above the powers, they will walk through life with peace, without fear.
Their position of authority in the heavenly realms protects them from being
overwhelmed by spiritual powers.
God's Wisdom Made Known in the Heavenly Realms.
The fourth use of "in the heavenly realms” concerns making known God’s
manifold wisdom to the powers (Read Eph. 3:10). The context of this verse
(Eph. 3:10) is concerned with the unity of the church (Eph. 3:4-13). When
the powers saw the unified church, that both Jews and Gentiles were
worshipping together, they realized that their dominion had been broken.
The unified church, by being an "example to all creation," by letting "God's
light shine" (Barth 1974, 365), makes known the wisdom of God to spiritual
powers, who are looking on. The unity of the body of Christ is a
"proclamation, a sign, a token to the Powers that their unbroken dominion
has come to an end" (Berkhof 1977, 51). The church actively "preaches" (euangelisasthai)
to "the Gentiles the unfathomable riches of Christ" (Eph. 3:8), but the
wisdom of God is only passively "made known" (gnoristhei) to the
principalities and powers (Eph. 3:10). As created beings the principalities
and powers do not have total understanding. They peer in amazement as they
see God’s cosmic design being played out in the church.
Cosmic Warfare in the Heavenly Realms.
Paul's theological framework of spiritual power is completed
with the comic warfare passage of Ephesians 6:10-18. This passage first
provides encouragement to the Ephesian Christians to "stand" faithful
despite the devil's designs. The imperative command "stand" is used three
times in the passage. Christians are told to "put on the full armor of God
so that they can take their stand against the devil's schemes" (v.
11). The Ephesians were also told to "put on the full armor of God" to that
they "may be able to stand [their] ground" when times of immense
temptations, or "the day of evil" comes (v. 13). Finally, Christians were
commanded to "Stand firm" by arming themselves for spiritual warfare (v.
14). In each instance the word "stand" is in the plural and literally means
to "stand shoulder to shoulder." The term infers that the church as a
community of faith must stand together to ward off the onslaughts of Satan
and to march forward into battle.
Second, the passage identifies the enemy--Satan.
Christians consequently must stand against " the devil's schemes" (v. 11).
Satan's power, however, is manifested in the principalities and powers (v.
12). Most of these are personal spiritual powers, Satan’s surrogates who
carry on his work. Other powers represent the forces that have become
ingrained in the cultural fabric, i.e., the infiltration of evil into laws,
customs, and institutions of culture. This passage documents Satan’s
relationship to the powers, that they were devised by him and are part of
his schemes.
Third, the passage prepares Christians for spiritual
warfare. Paul acknowledges the reality of spiritual warfare and calls
on servants of God to recognize and prepare for it. The military metaphor
enables contemporary Christians who have never perceived the spiritual realm
to open their eyes to spiritual realities. The passage also encourages
Christians from an animistic heritage not to forsake God during times of
everyday problems and return to their traditional religions. Because of the
temptations of Satan and struggles with his powers, all Christians must
equip themselves for spiritual warfare. This concept may be troubling for
nominal Christians, who possibly come to Christ for reasons of
self-promotion or self-benefit and do not recognize the reality of the
spiritual struggle.
Paul also lists the armaments needed for spiritual warfare.
These are the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness,
feet shod with the gospel of peace, the shield of faith, the
helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the
Word of God (vs. 14-16). Prayer, a communication with God that
continually nurtures the soul, is also necessary (vs. 18-20).
These weapons should not be thought of as merely defensive.
"Stand" in verses 11 and 14 has "the sense of drawing up a military
formation for combat" (Wink 1984, 87). The words call to mind the Roman
army, one of the most vicious killing machines in the history of the world.
The equipment described was not merely for standing defensively in one place
but for advancing against the enemy. Paul was most likely referring to the
Roman wedge, "an effective V-shaped formation that made full use of a
specially designed, elongated shield with which a soldier covered two-thirds
of his own body and one-third of his comrade to the left. This ingenious
arrangement forced soldiers to work together for mutual protection and
attack" (Foster 1985, 192-193). It was "the most efficient and terrifying
military formation known up to that time and for some thousand years after"
(Wink 1984, 5).
In this offensive battle against the principalities and
powers Christians are advised to stand "shoulder to shoulder" with "shields
overlapping." The plural is used throughout the paragraph because the
whole church is called to take up arms and join the battle against
spiritual powers aligned with Satan.
Using phrases from this passage, we can define spiritual
warfare as "standing with God in prayer against the principalities and
power to defeat Satan through truth, righteousness, the gospel of peace,
faith, salvation, and the word of God."
The military metaphor of this passage helps us to picture the
reality that Satan and his forces are at war with the church. The church,
therefore, is instructed to "put on the full armor of God" to resist the
principalities and powers. The church, who dwells in "the heavenly realms,"
has allowed Satan to invade its realm because of sin and reversion. The
church is now called to displace the principalities and powers. Christ must
be declared sovereign because he is "head over all things to the church, . .
. the fullness of Him who fills all in all" (Eph. 1:22-23). Christians,
then, are called to come under the sovereignty of God and to give homage to
him. Because they sit with Christ “in the heavenly realms”, they no longer
use magic and ritual to manipulate spirits and gods.
A Theology of Power
The book of Ephesians also helps us define how we should view
power. Because God is the creator of the world, he is all-powerful. The
world is his, and we are merely sheep of his pasture (Ps. 100:3). He also
listens to our prayers and is concerned about us. Thus God heard when the
Israelites groaned in their slavery and cried out to him. God then "looked
upon the Israelites and was concerned about them" (Ex. 2:23-25). Moses
praised God by saying, "Who among the gods is like you, O Lord? Who is like
you--majestic in holiness, awesome in glory, working wonders?" (Ex. 15:11).
God’s ultimate power in his world cannot be denied.
Paradoxically, God's power is frequently manifest in
weakness. For example, God was with Joseph despite the fact that he was
sold into Egyptian captivity, was imprisoned unjustly, and was forgotten by
those who promised help. Only in retrospect were God's purposes and power
evident. Joseph thus testified to his brothers that they "intended to harm"
him, but "God intended it for good" (Gen. 45:6-7; 50:20). Likewise, Paul
suffered a "thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment [him]" (2
Cor. 12:7). God allowed this so that Paul would not become overly conceited
because of his many revelations (2 Cor. 12:1-7). Paul prayed that the thorn
be removed. The answer, however, was not healing but the understanding that
"when I am weak, then I am strong" (2 Cor. 12:10). The ultimate example of
strength in weakness is the incarnation of Jesus Christ, his response to
Satan's temptations for earthly power, and his sacrificial death for our
sins.
God’s power is not always apparent in a world largely
controlled by Satan (1 John 5:19). Followers of God ask, “Why do you hide
your face?” (Ps. 44) or “God, my Rock, why have you forgotten me?” (Ps.
42). Christians participating in the sufferings of Christ (1 Peter. 4:13)
cry out in anguish, pleading for God in intervene (Re. 6:9-11). During
these times of suffering, however, Christians must stand in faith,
acknowledging God’s ultimate sovereignty.
God’s power is greater than Satan’s in both quantity and
quality. Satan’s power is debasing—contorting the disobedient who follow
the cravings of their own sinful nature (Eph. 2:3). God’s power, based on
his great love, raises believers above these earthly cravings into heavenly
realms (Eph. 2:4-6). Paul’s prayer in Ephesians 3:14-21 interweaves God’s
power with his great love. Arnold writes, “Christ… roots and establishes
the believer in his own love and strengthens the believer to follow the
pattern of that love (3:16-17).” He succinctly contrasts Christian
perspectives of power and love with pagan Ephesian perspectives: “In magic,
many of the recipes and spells were used for the purpose of gaining
advantage over people—winning a chariot race, attracting a lover, winning at
dice, etc. God’s power enables the believer to love after the pattern of
Christ. The seemingly impossible demands of this kind of love require
divine enablement in order for them to be fulfilled” (1989, 100).
Humans frequently misuse the power of God and contort it for
their own selfish, egocentric purposes. The Willowbank Report says, “Power
in human hands is always dangerous. We have to mind the recurring theme of
Paul’s two letters to the Corinthians—that God’s power, seen in the cross of
Christ, operates through human weakness (e.g., 1 Cor. 1:18-2:5; 2 Cor. 4:7;
12:9, 10). Worldly people worship power; Christians who have it know its
perils” (Stott and Coote, 1980, 327). The power of God must never be used
to give glory to human personalities or human institutions. Ultimate power
is of God, and its use in defeating Satan must give glory only to God.
Reducing Christianity to power significantly distorts the
Christian message. God’s power must always be seen in a broad
eschatological framework: God, who has already defeated Satan through the
death and resurrection of Christ, will consummate his work at the end of
time. Currently believers stand between the times: Christ has come and will
return at the end of time.
These theological perspectives on power should guide the
Christian’s understanding of both prayer and spiritual warfare. Prayer
should not be viewed as a power tool but as relating to God, the source of
all power. The difference between the two is significant. If prayer is
understood as power, Christians will diligently seek power words or rituals
rather than personally relating to a sovereign God and waiting for him to
act in his own time. These understandings also help us comprehend the
nature of spiritual warfare. Spiritual warfare is not about fighting Satan;
he has been defeated by the sacrificial death and triumphal resurrection of
Jesus Christ. Spiritual warfare is standing firm in Christ’s mighty power.
It is accepting God’s victory through Christ by faith and allowing God’s
redemptive power to work through Christ.
Conclusion
In this presentation I have affirmed the reality of spiritual
power. Cosmic powers have rebelled against God and set up a dominion in
opposition to him. Their spiritual power, although originally personal in
nature, has developed systemic roots within the laws, customs, and
institutions of our nations. Thus we continually pray, "Your kingdom come,
your will be done on earth as it is in heaven" (Matt. 6:10).
God's power is guided by love. Paul wrote, "I pray that you,
being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the
saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ,
and to know this love that surpasses knowledge--that you may be filled to
the measure of all the fullness of God" (Eph. 3:17-19).
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