Emotions … the demons’ playground

This started off as an entry in the E’s for my Deliverance Dictionary. But like Topsy, it “just growed.” And that’s appropriate, because emotions are such a vital and necessary aspect of our lives. How bleak life would be without joy, wonder, excitement, or even sadness and grief. The capacity to feel is one of those special gifts God has given to human beings created in his image.

That, of course, is the very reason why Satan is focused on turning our emotional capacity against our Maker. Satan cannot create, but he can corrupt. And the gift of emotions is corrupted in at least three distinct ways.

• Satan deceives us into imagining that our emotions are so powerful that they must determine our choices.
• Satan deceives us into believing that our emotions are so shameful that they must be repressed..
• Satan deceives us into assuming that our emotions must be expressed if we’re to be “honest” with others.

Let’s look at each of these three lies of Satan. And then let’s ask the question, how much of our trouble with emotions is demonic?

Emotions are so powerful they must determine our choices

Esther feels anxious whenever she leaves the house. Sometimes the anxiety flares up into full-fledged panic attacks. She constantly worries about what other people think of her, and will change outfits a dozen times before a social engagement, finding some tiny flaw in first this outfit and then that. When friends or family try to encourage her, she tells them they just don’t understand how she feels. She doesn’t want to be the way she is. She doesn’t enjoy anxiety, or those times when her heart beats so fast she’s afraid it will burst. But Esther knows she just can’t help it. She can’t control her emotions, as much as she’d love to. Her emotions control her.

James has a similar problem, but with temper. Ever since he was a kid he’s had a temper. If someone cuts him off on the highway, he just seems to go berserk. Once he even jumped out of his car, grabbed a tire iron from the trunk, and beat dents in an offender’s fender. What bothers James now that he’s married is that his wife keeps doing little things that made him mad. So far all he’s done is to yell at her, but several times he’s almost hit her. He can see that she’s becoming afraid of him. And he’s afraid of himself. “I’m just an angry person,” he told her after the latest incident. “I really love you, but I just can’t help myself.”

This idea that our emotions control us and we can’t help ourselves is one of Satan’s lies. God created us in his image, with a mind and a will as well as with emotions. It’s clear that in cases like those of Esther and James. that mind, will, and emotions are out of balance. This is especially true since Esther and James are both Christians. Scripture says to Esther, “God is not give us a spirit of fear, but of power and love and self-control.” 2 Timothy 1:7). And to James Scripture says, “In your anger do not sin: (Eph.4:26). Our emotions are real enough. But our emotions are not to control us.

No reasonable person can challenge the power of emotions, or doubt the grip that they may gain on an individual’s life. But to believe that we must behave as our emotions dictate is to believe a lie, and to find ourselves in bondage. When the Bible says it is for freedom that Christ has set us free, one of those freedoms is freedom of the dictates of emotion so that we might joyfully choose to live our lives in submission to Christ, not to our feelings.

Emotions are so shameful they must be repressed

There’s no doubt that some of our emotions are a cause of shame. And it’s hard to know what to do with such feelings.
Dan has buried his anger at his father for ignoring him when he was a child. And his father did ignore him. Dan’s dad was an alcoholic, Dan’s resentment is constructed on a numberless heap of broken promises and disappointments. As an adult Dan has come to understand that his father, now a Christian and active AA member, couldn’t help himself in those days. But Dan often thinks, ‘Why couldn’t he have changed earlier?” Dan even finds himself resenting God for saving his father too late. Too late to avoid the hurts he experienced as a little boy. But Dan is a Christian. He believes that the resentment he feels toward his dad and the anger that wells up now and then against God are wrong. So he stuffs them down every time, denying their existence and yet filled with shame.

It’s a lot like the way James feels when someone talks about anger. He’d be mortified if his pastor had any idea of the way he treated his wife sometimes. Or of that desire to let it out and simply hit her. That’s something he won’t ever let himself think about. And something he certainly won’t admit to anyone else.

King David must have felt like this after his affair with Bathsheba and the success of his plot to see her husband Uriah killed in battle. David shares those feelings in Psalm 32.

When I kept silent, my bones wasted away
through my groaning all day long.
For day and night your had was heavy upon me;
My strength was sapped as in the heat of summer.
Psalm 32:3

Repressing our emotions never brings freedom, but keeps us in bondage. We have to bring even the most shameful things out into the open and deal with them.

Emotions must be expressed honestly

Carol has no problem with repressed emotions. She simply expresses everything she thinks and feels. After all, we are supposed to be honest with people. And Carol is brutally honest.
Like the time the pastor’s wife wore that dress to Carol’s daughter’s wedding. It was cut soooo low. Well, it wouldn’t have been too low for Carol to wear, but she wasn’t the pastor’s wife. Pastor’s wives are supposed to set a better example for the young people. Carol couldn’t wait to tell her how shocked and disappointed she was that a pastor’s wife would show up in something like that.
James has been thinking about something he heard a counselor say on TV about our emotions. Something that made sense. The way to get rid of a negative emotion is to express it. Like, if you’re angry, don’t try to stay calm. Just yell. It would be wrong to hit someone, of course. But by yelling the counselor said you “discharge” your anger. Then you’re over it, and no one will get hurt.

The trouble for both Carol and James is that Scripture calls on
Christians to “speak the truth in love,” and to “be kind and compassionate to one another.” We are to express “only what is helpful for building others up” (Eph. 4:29,32). The fact is that Carol’s “honesty” comes close to malice, and James angry shouts are hardly designed to build up those at whom he yells..

Truth vs Lie

The tragic fact is that too many Christians buy Satan’s lies about their emotions, and too few understand the truth expressed in God’s promise of transformation through trust in Christ. Just read a passage like Ephesians 4:17-32 or Colossians 3:1-17 and you have a clear picture of the emotional life that God intends to provide for his own. That life is not the life that Esther, James, Dan or Carol are experiencing.

Where do we go for help?

There are many offers of help around these days. Psychiatrists offer pills to help us control anxiety and avoid panic attacks. Courts decree anger management courses for those with tempers. Counselors promise to help us get to the roots of our problems, and hold out the prospect of change through understanding. Others promise change through behavior modification; still others suggest yoga and contemplation.
Let’s be honest and admit that pills, counseling, behavior modification, and even anger management can help a person deal with his or her emotions. But these techniques can’t resolve the problems.
Most in helping professions tend to deal with people piecemeal. Doctors see illnesses as physical problems. Counselors see emotional disturbances as psychological problems. Too often pastors see them simply as spiritual problems. In fact each of these areas is intimately linked to the other, so that emotional problems spill over into and have an impact on our health and our spiritual lives. Similarly our health has an impact on our emotions and spiritual life. And the spiritual can have a powerful impact on our health and our emotions.

It would be foolish for a person like Esther or Dan not to seek help from counselors. Finding the roots of anxiety or anger, which frequently lie in childhood experiences, can make a contribution to healing. But while understanding helps, healing is something much more, and different in character. Healing is essentially spiritual, and only God can truly heal the wounded heart.

Wounded by lies

Satan’s strategy is to note our reaction to emotional trauma, and then to craft the lie that will keep us in emotional bondage. For some, it’s the lie we are the helpless victims of our emotions and have no choice but to live as our emotions dictate. Esther has believed this lie. She feels helpless, and whenever her heart begins to beat faster and beads of sweat break out on her forehead she surrenders to her fears.
For some the lie is that our emotions are so shameful that we dare share them with no one. Emotions are suppressed, forced deep down lest they reveal something about us that will make us unacceptable to others.

For some, emotions are confused with reality. What we feel is assumed to be true. Contempt for what others say or do spills over into condemning words or withering looks, and we self-righteously assume the mantle of judges of our fellow humans. “Well, that’s how i feel about it” is justification for the most harmful words.

Satan loves these lies. And demons actively resist attempts to help anyone who has believed them learn and live by the truth. And what is the truth?

• Our feelings our real, but we are free to act despite and even against them. As we make godly choices our feelings will change.
• Our feelings may be shameful, but God loves, forgives, and accepts us anyway. Our acceptance by God and by others does not require repressing our feelings.
• Our feelings are real, but are not to be equated with truth. Nor do they justify treating others with contempt instead of respect.

The road to healing
Healing the emotions calls for a very special ministry, in which we identify the sources of emotional problems, invite God to share those terrifying moments with us and affirm his love and presence. Healing calls for forgiving those who have hurt us, forgiving God for permitting our pain, confessing the sin involved in our reactions to those experiences, accepting God’s forgiveness, and forgiving ourselves.
Often this process calls for the help and guidance of a deliverance minister. For those with serious emotional scars and severe emotional problems it is almost certain that demons will have attached themselves, and will battle against anyone in search of healing. This is why emotional healing [deep healing, prayer healing, whatever it is called] will often involve encountering demons and casting them out.
But even without deliverance ministry there is a place where we can begin. That place is acknowledging our emotions and expressing them honestly to the Lord. Esther can and should tell God all about her fears. Dan can and should bring his anger to the Lord. God’s love is unconditional. He knows our deepest secrets and loves us anyway. Whatever our situation, however deep is our distress, God has an answer. David puts it this way in Psalm 142
I cry aloud unto the Lord,
I lift up my voice to Lord for mercy.
I pour out my complaint before him;
Before him I tell all my trouble.
When my spirit grows faint within me
It is you who know my way.

God does know.

He understands.
And he can and will free us from bondage to our emotions.

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“Biblical” demonology?

Just what is “biblical demonology” anyway? That’s a good question, given the emergence of fascination with the paranormal, with occult religions and with witchcraft. So, since it’s a good question, it deserves an answer. Let’s start by characterizing those fascinating areas I just mentioned.

The Paranormal
“Paranormal” is a term generally applied to unexplained phenomenon. The appearance of apparitions (ghosts?), extra sensory perception, precognition, out of body experiences, “far seeing,” premonitions, and many other experiences are stuffed into this broad category.

There are a variety of explanations offered for such phenomena, with each category often having its own list of possible causes. For example, at least five theories have been advanced for reported experiences of ghosts. And every other category of paranormal phenomenon seems to have its own cluster of possible explanations.

Occult Religions

A new pagan movement intent on recovering pre-Christian nature-based religions is exploding in the West. There are over a hundred occult or neopagan religions, ranging from Wicca to Odinism. They have in common a focus on and a reverence for nature, along with a common view of a spirit world populated by gods, goddesses and a variety of other spirit beings. In some of these religious “paths” spirit beings are worshipped; in nearly all paths they are honored. None of the occult religions view themselves as exclusive; and their practitioners almost universally accept the “truth” of the beliefs of those taking other similar paths.

Witchcraft and sorcery

The growing interest in witchcraft and sorcery is reflected in the practices of Wicca and other occult religions, as well as in the practice of occult arts by those who are not “religious.” The search for guidance from tarot card readings, palmistry, astrology, and Ouija boards, as well as the use of spells for protection or for the manipulation of circumstances or other persons, is increasingly common. The practitioner of Magick may or may not attribute the effectiveness of his efforts to influence events to supernatural beings.

Demons

Each of these three areas of interest has a link to demonology. Demons are one of the possible explanations offered for most paranormal phenomena. Many people are convinced that demons are active in neopagan religions, and that any efficacy witchcraft may have can be attributed to demons. But these links do not define demonology.

By definition “demonology” is “the study of demons.” This is a broad definition, and tells us nothing about possible sources of information on demons. “Biblical demonology” is far more specific, and puts the focus squarely on Scripture as the information source. And this leads me to the main point of this post.

The Bible specifically links demons to pagan religions and to occult practices such as witchcraft, sorcery and the rest. So, biblical demonology provides a basis for critiquing these two movements, their lack of truth value, and the dangers of involvement in them.

Yet biblical demonology does not provide information which enables us to evaluate paranormal experiences. Biblical demonology provides no significant help in answering such questions as, “What are those ghosts people report seeing?” or “How do premonitions work?” Paranormal researchers offer evidence that humans really have experienced these and other unexplained phenomena. But even if we accept that evidence, biblical demonology provides no basis for explaining the phenomena.

To put it bluntly, to attribute such phenomena to demons is speculative at best. And such speculation distracts us from the real purpose of studying biblical demonology.

Why biblical demonology?

Scripture reveals the existence of s spirit world populated by God’s angels and by demons who follow Satan. These represent two competing kingdoms, one of light and the other of darkness, and these two kingdoms impinge on us and our world. Scripture portrays the dark kingdom and unveils the strategies Satan and his followers use to hold human in bondage. The Scriptures also paint Christ as Victor over the forces of evil in this dark world, and hands us the spiritual weapons we need to share in his victory.

Satan binds. Jesus frees. And the reason we study biblical demonology is to understand Satan’s ways that we might lead others to the freedom Christ won for us on the Cross.

Don’t be surprised, then, if this blog ignores the paranormal questions that pique our curiosity. Don’t look for ghost stories or for speculation about ESP and precognition. Do however look for studies of Satan’s ways and God’s remedies. Do look for the theme of freedom. You’ll find it in almost every post, whether it’s a study of a Bible passage, a plan for a support group meeting, or a reminder that I’m available to conduct a FREEDOM WORKSHOP in your neck of the woods.

Biblical demonology, rightly understood, ignores speculation about what has not been revealed to focus on breaking loose from Satan’s snares, to live in the glorious freedom Jesus Christ provides.

Hitch Hiking Demons

I’ve written it before, and here I go again. “Demon possession” is a really unfortunate translation of a Greek term that is better rendered “demonized” or “has a demon.”

What’s wrong with “demon possession”?

First, demons almost never gain “control” of a person, as control implices submerging the individual’s will or acting through that persons body against the individual’s will. Demons might like to have that kind of control. But humans don’t surrender their freedom of choice that easily.

When Satan manipulated Eve and then Adam into rebelling against God, I suspect he imagined that humans would align themselves with him and his purposes, just as the angels who followed him in the Great Rebellion had done. But that didn’t happen. In stating the consequences of Satan’s effort to enlist humans, the Creator told Satan he would put “enmity” between Satan and the woman’s seed. Yes, some do commit to Satan. But for most of us there’s a healthy suspicion of Satan and a reluctance to trust him which keeps humankind from total submission. We’re no more ready to commit to Satan than we are to God. We humans just naturally want to go our own way rather than submit to either God or Satan. And thus “enmity,” a deep seated suspicion and underlying hostility to the supernatural that makes us hesitant to commit ourselves totally to the Creator, also protects us from domination by the Evil One. We certainly can be and are influenced by Satan’s minions. But controlled? Seldom.

Second, the phrase “demon possession” is unfortunate in that it seems to release us from any responsibility for demonic influences in our lives. While we humans are undoubtedly vulnerable to Satan’s schemes, and often are victims of choices made by others, there seems always to be some level of personal responsibility when demons establish a foothold in our lives. This doesn’t mean that we make an intentional choice to let demons in. But I would argue that there is always some responsibility on our part for the entry and/or continued presence of evil spirits in our lives.

For both these reasons, speaking of and picturing demonic activity as “possession” is unfortunate. Personally, I prefer to speak of demons as “hitch hikers.”

Hitch-hiking in the 30s

When I was a kid the 1930’s [OK, so I’m old!]. one fun thing I could do was to “hitch hike.” In those days cars had running boards. These were six inch wide strips along each side of the car that a person would step on to enter the vehicle. But, if dad rolled the car window down, a kid like me could also ride on a running board, holding tight to the frame of open widow. That was fun! I was outside the moving vehicle, as the wind seemed to whip my hair!

Of course, dad never drove very fast while I was out there. But it was still exciting, and I called it hitch-hiking.

I think “hitch-hiking” is a much more accurate picture of demonization than “possession.” Somehow we’ve rolled down a window that’s give demons a place to grab hold, and they’ve jumped aboard. They’re holding on tight, feet curled around the running board, eager to make as much trouble for us as possible. And they’re enjoying the ride.

A better image of reality

I like the “hitch-hiker” image a lot better than the “possession” image. There’s no question of demonic control. For all intents and purposes they’re clinging to our outside. Sure, they might reach inside the window and tug on the steering wheel. They might even cause an accident or two. But control? No.

For another thing, the possession image makes it seem that demons are so tightly fused with us that they’re almost impossible to get rid of. But it’s not difficult to picture a hitch-hiking demon being given a good shove and landing in a heap alongside the road. That’s a pretty accurate picture too. When commanded to leave in Jesus’ name, demons are expelled. It doesn’t even take the shouting or posturing we sometimes see on TV! Just, “Git, demon!” And off the demon tumbles.

I like the image for another reason, too. If my dad kept the window of the car rolled up, so there was no place for me to hold on, there was no way I could stay on that running board. If you and I keep our figurative windows rolled up, there’s no way for demons to gain access to our lives either. And, spiritually speaking, we can keep those windows rolled up by confessing our sins, by extending forgiveness to those who hurt us, and in other ways that are clearly taught in the New Testament. Especially things that Ephesians deals with, that I cover in my FREEDOM WORKSHOP [Plug!].

Not So Scary

That’s right. Talk of “demon possession” is scary. Who wants to picture being “possessed” by a demon. But picture a demon hitch-hiking, and the scary goes away. One push from Jesus and that demon tumbles off, to be left along the highway. And then we roll up our windows, making sure there’s no place in our lives for a demon to get a grip.

And we continue on our way.
Demon-free.

Name Tags for Evil Spirits

The adult Sunday School class my wife and I attend has adopted the helpful practice of providing name tags. After the first service every Sunday we head for our classroom, and dutifully pin on our name tags. I suspect most folks there know us by now. But it’s a nice practice, and really helpful to a person like me who has always had trouble remembering names.

I can’t help thinking, though, that it would be nice if Satan’s demons came equipped with name tags. That’s because most folks in deliverance ministry really want to know the names evil spirits are equipped with.

Are demons named in Scripture?

That’s an interesting question. In Bible times evil spirits wore names like “the Baal of Peor,” or the Dagon (the fish-god of the Philistines) or Ra (the sun-god of the Egyptians). We know this because the Old Testament states that sacrifices made to pagan deities were actually made to demons ( ).

If you look at Jewish literature of the two centuries before Christ, you’ll find those writings are filled with the supposed names of not only demons but also of angels. And the assumption is that if you call on a god or an angel by his name you have a much better chance of gaining his attention and getting something you want. Actually, if you look at the neo-pagan religions that are growing so rapidly in the United States and the West, you find the same phenomenon. Call the deity a pagan worships Goddess or Green Man [as they do], it’s still a name adopted as a “front” for a demon.

But we don’t find evil spirits named in this way in the Gospels, or the epistles. And those in deliverance ministry who have spoken with and expelled demons don’t use either a demon’s “front” name or personal name. Instead deliverance literature refers to evil spirits by their function. And deliverance ministers cast them out using “functional” names. For instance, an evil spirit that feeds on anger and causes rage is called “spirit of anger.” And an evil spirit that fastens on a person with a rebellious spirit and exaggerates that trait would typically be addressed as “spirit of rebellion.” Do these spirits have personal names? Almost certainly. Each evil spirit is an individual, just as much an individual being as the angel Gabriel or the fallen angel now known as Satan [a functional name that means “accuser”!) who was once known as Lucifer.

What it seems to boil down to is that if demons and evil spirits have personal names (and I expect they do), we don’t have any way to know what those names are. And we have no need to know them!

How did Jesus name-tag demons?

If anyone would have known the personal names of demons it would have been Jesus. But there is no record of Jesus ever addressing an evil spirit by its personal name. Instead when Jesus cast out a demon he either addressed it as “evil spirit” (Mark 5:8) or by a specific function, as “you deaf and mute spirit: (Mark 9:25). In either case the demons knew perfectly well who Jesus was commanding. And they were forced to obey him.

It seems just as unnecessary for us to know or use the personal names of demons. While demons still masquerade as the deities of those who are lost, what’s important to believers is how we experience them. An evil spirit who is tasked with creating self-hatred is, for all intents and purposes, the demon self-hatred. When addressed by his function, the demon knows who we’re speaking to. And when such a demon is commanded in Jesus’ name to leave an individual, the demon knows very well that he must obey.

Why then should we name-tag demons?

Name-tagging demons is really more for our sakes than to let demons know we’re speaking to them. One way we are alerted to the presence of demons is by their behavior. Yes, maybe we’ve always had a temper. But when we find ourselves constantly loosing control of our temper, and becoming furious at the least slight or opposition, it’s probably wise to wonder if a “demon anger” has attached itself to our temper. Yes, we may be especially vulnerable to a particular temptation. But if we find ourselves unable to think of anything else, and compulsively fixated on our temptation, we should ask ourselves whether a “demon lust” (or whatever the temptation is) may be present.

Understanding that demons are name-tagged by their function is an important tool we can use in diagnosing a demonic presence, as well as in challenging a demon to reveal its presence as we prepare to cast it out.

By diagnosing and naming problems with which we struggle we have clues to the possible influence of evil spirits in our lives, or in the lives of others.
So feel free to pin name tags on demons. They won’t like it. They’d rather remain unrecognized. The trouble for them is that they reveal both their presence and the functional “name” every time the act to influence us. We just need to be alert. It’s true that our sin nature is sufficient cause of even the most blatant of sins and dysfunctional behaviors. But it’s also true that the sins and behaviors with which we struggle the most may indicate a demonic presence, and that part of God’s solution for us may involve deliverance.

Principalities and Powers #15

The fifteenth and last in a series of studies of demons in Paul’s epistles.

The Apostle Paul uses the “principalities and powers” vocabulary of his day when refereeing to demons in his New Testament letters. The evil spirits in Satan’s kingdom are referred to by titles, such as principality, power, authority, ruler, dominion, etc.

The emphasis in Paul’s epistles is squarely on the vastly superior power of Jesus, The people of the first century were in awe of the demonic powers. Yet Paul portrays them as forced to bend the knee to Jesus, who bears a name [title], “Lord,” that is above every name (Philippians 2:10,11). Since Jesus is exalted to a place “far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given,” the Christian has no need to fear Satan or his underlings.

This consistent emphasis in Paul’s letters is clearly intended to strengthen and encourage believers living in a society which both feared and revered the powers, (gods, goddesses, spirits, ghosts, and other disembodied beings) and which shared the culture’s view of the supernatural. It is significant that Paul ignores many details about the spirit world that were the subject of active speculation in his day as in ours. A helpful summary of some of the issues Paul does not address is found in Clinton E. Arnold’s book, Powers of Darkness (InterVarsity). These include the origin of demons, their names, their ranks, their specific assignments, and their relationship to territories.

Unanswered questions

The origin of demons. In first century Judaism there were two theories concerning the origin of demons. The first viewed demons as angels who fell with Satan when that great angel rebelled against God (Isaiah 14; Ezekiel 29). The second theory proposed that demons were the spirits of the Nephelim, a half-himan, half-demon race produced by the union of the “sons of God” (fallen angels) and human woman (Genesis 6). Paul nowhere alludes to either theory nor propounds another. Paul seems content to focus on the fact that evil spirits exist, and are a threat to believer and unbeliever alike. The speculation of those fascinated by demons seems to hold no interest for Paul, who is far more intent on instructing believers on Satan’s schemes and how to counter them.

The names of demons. Popular Jewish religious writings available in Paul’s day emphasized providing personal names for demons. Apart from a single reference (2 Core 6:15), Paul lumps demons together by their generic “power” name. This may very well have been intentional, as those engaged in occult practices believed it was essential to know the name of any supernatural being on whom they called. By incorporating the name in a spell or incantation they believed they could move or manipulate a being to act on their behalf. For Paul, and for us, the only name on which to call is that of Jesus. And, as Jesus is “far above” all demons, his is the only name a Christian need to know.

The rank of demons The Jews speculated about which order of supernatural beings was more powerful. Do authorities outrank powers? Where do dominions and principalities fit in? One of the earliest players of this game was the author of the Jewish work, The Testament of Adam, Christians too have played and still play at ranking the orders of spirit beings. Paul totally ignores the question. What’s important for Paul is that there are hosts of spirit beings intent on harming believers, and that Christ provides the resources we need to deal with them.

The assignments of specific demons. Along with the intense interest in providing demons with names, Jewish writings focused on identifying their assignments. If one knew the name of a demon and the specific authority that demon had over humans—for instance, the ability to cause headaches—then one could appeal to a specific angel who was equipped to thwart that demon. Again, this approach, common in Jewish writings of the day as well as in pagan writings, has no parallel in Paul’s letters. It makes no difference which demon launches which demonic attack. Jesus has authority over all demons, and Jesus has given believers authority to cast out demons in his name.

Demonic territories. The Old Testament book of Daniel makes it clear that some powerful demons have territorial authority. Thus Daniel writes of the Prince of Persia, clearly indicating a demon who is charged with seeing that Satan’s agenda is carried out in that nation (Daniel 10:13). Yet Paul never mentions a demonic “prince of Ephesus” or “prince of Rome” in his writings. Nor does Paul encourage believers to confront territorial demons per se. They, like every other kind of demon, of whatever rank, are subject to Jesus. Whatever demons do, believers equipped with authority provided by the Lord are able to confront and to overcome them.

Should we try to Fill the Gaps?

We humans are blessed [or cursed?] with curiosity. We have a desire to know, to learn, to find out. One of the questions those of us who study demonology should consider is, “Should we even try to fill the gaps left by Scripture’s silence?” Some do make this effort, usually drawing on testimony from demons they are casting out, a questionable source at best..

Nowhere does Paul set out to write a treatise on demons. Paul writes as a pastor to his flock, and he deals with demons when [and only when] they are relevant to matters he’s dealing with. This does not mean that Paul doesn’t know the origin and nature of demons, for instance. The origin simply wasn’t relevant to any of his pastoral concerns. And, as far as origins is concerned, there are relevant passages of Scripture to which we can go. [In an upcoming post I’ll deal with this issue.]

When it comes to the personal names of demons and the ranks of the various
powers, Scripture is silent. In such cases speculation seems to have no valid purpose other than to satisfy curiosity. And, to be blunt, satisfying curiosity should be of low priority. Especially when God’s Word is silent on a matter.

There is one other area in which Paul makes no direct statement, but which is hinted at in Scripture, and on which deliverance ministers universally agree. Demons today can be identified by function. That is, demons can addressed not by a personal name but by the nature of the attack they mount on their human victims. For instance, anyone in deliverance ministry will tell you that there are demons who cause fear, whom they address by the name. “demon fear.” In deliverance literature we read of clusters of such demons, such as “demon panic,” “demon terror,” or even “demon fear of failure,” “demon fear of rejection,” etc. Those in deliverance ministry agree that it’s helpful to learn the identity of any demons present, and to cast them out by name [function]..

In a new series which I’ll launch next issue I’ll explore this question of the functional names of demons, and look at the biblical evidence for the common conviction that this is the way we are to deal with demons today.

Conclusion

Demons are mentioned frequently in Paul’s letters, although seldom by that name. Paul uses the common vocabulary of the first century and identifies demons as powers, principalities, rulers, authorities, etc. Paul’s references to the evil spirit beings who range themselves against God and attack human beings are found in passages where his intent is pastoral, rather a discussion of demons per se. Paul wants us to understand how demons operate, and how believers can protect themselves against demons. He also wants us to grasp the wonderful truth that Jesus is far superior to demons; so superior that Christians need not fear Satan or his followers.

There are a number of questions about evil spirits that Paul simply does not deal with in his epistles. Some of these questions are speculative, and thus should have low priority for Christians. Some questions have practical implications. But one of the questions Paul does not deal with directly has great practical implications for deliverance ministry today. That question, “How do we address demons who have taken up residence in human victims?” is something we will look at in a future series on “addressing demons by name.”

Principalities and Powers #14

The fourteenth in a series of studies of demons in Paul’s epistles.

What I am saying is that as long as the heir is a child, he is no different from a slave, although he owns the whole estate. He is subject to guardians and trustees until the time set by his father. So also, when we were children, we were in slavery under the basic principles of the world. But when the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law, to redeem those under law, that we might receive the full rights of sons. Because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba, Father.” So you are no longer a slave, but a son; and since you are a son, God has made you also an heir.
Formerly, when you did not know God, you were slaves to those who by nature are not gods. But now that you know God–or rather are known by God–how is it that you are turning back to those weak and miserable principles? Do you wish to be enslaved by them all over again? You are observing special days and months and seasons and years! I fear for you, that somehow I have wasted my efforts on you.
Galatians 4:1-9

Background

At first glance, you might wonder why I included this passage in a study of references in Paul’s letters to demons. The reason both for the confusion and for my choice is Paul’s use here of the Greek term, stoichcia. The term is used only four times in Paul’s letters, twice here and twice in Colossians, and has a wide range of meaning. In the first century stoichcia was used both to refer to spirit beings and to basic or foundational principles. Translators of our English versions do not agree on which use is intended here. Thus the
NIV takes it one way and translates stoichcia as “the basic principles of the world,” as does the NASB, which renders it “elementary principles of the world.” On the other hand, the RSV and the NEB take it as a reference to personal spirit beings, and translate stoichia “the elemental spirits of the universe,” while the TEV agrees and translates, “the ruling spirits of the universe.”

I believe there is a better case for understanding Paul’s reference to the stoichcia in a personal rather than impersonal way. And that the flow of Paul’s argument makes this meaning clear.

Galatians

The little book of Galatians is rightly viewed as a polemic against those who would rob the Gospel of Grace, first by insisting that works are necessary for salvation, and second by insisting that works provide the basis for the believer’s continuing access to God. Paul argues that human effort has nothing to do with salvation, and that human effort has nothing to do with spirituality. Both salvation and spirituality are rooted in personal relationship with Jesus Christ; a relationship that is possible only through a faith response to the divine Promise. To shift the focus of Christianity away from relationship distorts the Gospel itself, and cuts the believer off from the power that the Holy Spirit provides for holy living.

For Jewish Christians the problem was that they had grown up thinking of Law as the key to relationship with God. And they had taken commitment to keeping the Law in all its details as the measure of spirituality. Hellenistic Christians, who had grown up in a different religious tradition, had a different problem. Most of the non-Jewish Christians of the first century viewed spirituality in a dramatically different context. The spiritual person was sensitive to the spirit world, and showed due respect to the gods and goddesses by setting aside moments and days for ritual and worship.

In the present passage Paul speaks to believers from both traditions, and makes an argument that applies to both.

Observations

“as long as the heir is a child” In Roman law an underage child had no personal rights. In fact, it was normal for a Roman father to place the child under the supervision of a paidagog, who was himself a slave. Thus the situation of an underage child was that of a slave to a slave!

This, Paul argues was the condition of the Jew under the Law. But a non-Jew was a slave to demons, “to those who by nature are not gods.”

“God sent his Son, .. . . that we might receive the full rights of sons.” From the beginning God, who created human beings in his image and likeness, viewed us as his children. But we were errant children, who went astray. So God placed the Jews under the Law as paidagog, and the Jew became a slave to the Law. He permitted the rest of human kind to experience the consequences of their rebellion, and so mankind fell into the hands of Satan and his demons, who masqueraded as deities.

But now Christ has come, and both Jew and non-Jew are emancipated. In Christ both have been granted the full rights of sons. Now the Jew is freed from domination by the Law, and the non-Jew is freed from domination by demons. What Paul yearns for is that the new believers in Galatia might experience what it means to live as a son, in intimate personal relationship with the Father, relating directly to him.

“God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts . . . . So you are no longer a slave, but a son.” The Holy Spirit who has been given to believers is the living link between us and God. And the Spirit is a direct link. The Jew no longer needs to approach God through the Law. And the non-Jews no longer need attempt to approach God as he did before, through ritual observance.

In just a little Paul will develop this further, and show that the Holy Spirit is the key to a transformed life and true spirituality. “Walk in the Spirit,” Paul will exhort us, and he will describe the new life believers in Christ can experience. But in this present passage Paul is concerned with making a single point. The old ways in which these new Christians once approached salvation and spirituality are to be abandoned. Totally. Neither way succeeded in the past. And neither Law nor “religion” will work now.

“How is it that you are turning back to those weak and miserable principles? Do you wish to be enslaved by them all over again? For the non-Jew, turning back to worship organized around ritual and the observance of special days and seasons is tantamount to placing himself under the domination of the stoichcia who had enslaved them. Rather than a sign of spirituality, such observances are a pathway leading to further domination by demons.

Conclusion

In this Galatians passage Paul uses stoichia in a distinctly personal sense. The spirit beings, demons, who had masqueraded as deities, had imposed a false notion of spirituality on non-Jews. But as Christians, Jew and non-Jew alike are now in a relationship with God that is like the relationship of a child who has become an adult and has been acknowledged to be a son. That child is no longer a slave of slaves. He is free. And he has a direct, personal relationship God the Father.

The glorious message of Galatians is that we are sons. We are freed from our old slaveries and equipped to live as God’s heirs in this sinful world. Because of and through our personal relationship with God, the Holy Spirit will serve as God’s living voice to guide us. And he will empower us to live God’s kind of life in this world. No longer slaves, we are truly free.

Reader Questions Answered

A demondope service

Question

I have a question with regards to our own awareness of demonic activity and or (oppression, possession , influence ) in our own present age. Reading the Gospels I am impressed by the fact that demonic activity ect was (it seems) common knowledge, easily recognized by the uneducated poor, not even questioned by the Pharisee’s or Sadducees. Can the same be said today? It seems to me there is a certain amount of confusion, hesitation, and a need to explore other physical, or psychological explanations other than demonic activity. Why the discrepancy between the Gospel account’s and our own present? Do you think there is a discrepancy? If so why is this so? Even among the Gentiles (in the Gospels) this awareness seems to exist apart from the Jewish community. Such as when Jesus cast the demons into the herd of pigs. The Gentiles did not question (it seems) what had happened to the herd of pigs. It was accepted the pig threw themselves off the cliff because of the demons entering them? Is this a valid observation?

Answer

This is a very good question. The answer is complex, but I’ll try to simplify as much as I can.

1. The Gospels report a period of what I call “open conflict” in the invisible war between God and Satan, angels and demons. There was a public, power confrontation between demons and Jesus. Two other biblical periods of open conflict have taken place: the Exodus, where plagues served as judgments on the demon-gods of Egypt, and the time of Elijah/Elisha, during which 21 public miracles are recorded. But most of the biblical era was not marked by this kind of open, public conflict between God and Satanic forces. So we should not take the events recorded in the Gospels to portray the way that either demons or God “normally” works.

2. The epistles say a lot about demonic forces, using the vocabulary of the first century Mediterranean world . . . referring to demons as powers, principalities, rulers, authorities, etc. Paul’s letters also speak of Satan’s “schemes” or “strategies,” picturing more subtle attacks than we see in the Gospels.

3. These two sources help us see something that CS Lewis pointed out. Satan is equally served if (1) a society is well aware of his powers and so terrified that they submit to him, or (2) a society is unaware of his activities and ascribes natural causes to the bondage into which he brings human beings.

In some parts of the world today Satan is feared, and witchdoctors and sorcerers are relied on for their ability to influence demons to curse or to heal. In our part of the world Satan is viewed as a myth, and the impact of demons on peoples’ lives is ascribed to natural physical or psychological causes.

4. The situation is further confused by the fact that demon’s “hitch hike” on normal problems and exacerbate them. For instance, suppose a person has a hot temper. That character flaw gives a demon an entry point, and it can then intensify the anger so it becomes rage. [We see this in Genesis, where Cain, already furious with Able, takes him out into a field intending to harm him, and “then Satan entered into him,” creating a rage that led to Able’s murder.] Compare the recent case of Yeardly Love’s beating to death by her boy friend, who’s history shows an anger problem!]

Usually it’s not a case of “demonization OR psychological problem”, but rather “demonization AND psychological problem.”

That’s why it’s important for anyone in a deliverance ministry to realize that there will be underlying problems which provided demons with access and a continuing grip on a person that must be dealt with. We can expel (exorcise) the demons without solving the underlying problems, and unless we help with the underlying problems that person will continue to be vulnerable to demonic influences.

5. Which brings me to the FREEDOM WORKSHOP which I now give most of my time to presenting. Working from the Book of Ephesians which describes how to “put on the armor of God,” I show how demons operate in our lives today . . . and how we can find freedom from their influence.

I just completed a Workshop at Dayspring Fellowship in Durham, NC, this past Friday and Saturday. The folks there have put up an audio of the workshop on their website. If you want a fuller explanation, you will find some 6 hours of content at

http://idayspring.com/index,php?option=com_content&view=article&id=210&Itemid=61

Or I’d be delighted to come to your city and church and conduct a FREEDOM WORKSHOP there.

Principalities and Powers, #13

The thirteenth in a study of demons in Paul’s epistles

“And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.” (Colossians 2:15).

Background

Colossians presents the Gospel against the background of an emerging heresy that was rooted in a particular view of the universe. Apparently many in the city of Colosse bought into the idea that, in order to reconcile the belief that God is good with the presence of evil in the world, it was necessary to make a sharp distinction between spirit and matter. God is good, and God is spirit. So that which is “spiritual”—understood as immaterial and invisible—must also be good. And since evil is resident in matter, this group of people who were later called Gnostics, assumed that our physical bodies and our lives in the world are necessarily tainted by evil.

It seemed to these Colossians that it followed logically that God, who is both good and spirit, must isolate himself completely from the evil material universe. Thus God could not have created the material universe. Nor could God have entered the creation as a true human being, for human beings have an “evil” material dimension as well as a “good” spiritual aspect. To have taken on humanity God would have had to bond with the material, and as the truly good could never unite with the wholly evil, incarnation seemed to these people utterly impossible.

The Apostle Paul contradicts this abstract, philosophically reasoned set of beliefs. For one thing, there are evil spirit beings, those very principalities and powers that the ancient world feared. So spirit can not be “good by definition.” For another, God did create the universe. And God did enter the universe he created as a true human being. What’s more, the incarnate God died bodily on the cross, was resurrected bodily, and even now is at the right hand of the Father, eternally bonding in the person of Jesus Christ both God and human being.

It is in the context of these conflicting views of the universe that Paul focuses our attention on the cross, and asserts that in the cross Jesus disarmed the “powers and authorities” and triumphed over them.

Observations

“principalities and authorities” The terms “principality” and “authority” are two of thirteen different “power” terms in the Epistles used to identify supernatural beings that the people of the first century believed occupied the spirit world. These terms might be applied to a pagan god or goddess, or to any other spirit being, such as a demon or a ghost or demi-god [half human, half deity}. In the first century these supernatural beings were generally feared, for the populace firmly believed that beings in the spirit world controlled what happened in this world. Spirit beings determined whether humans would be sick or well, poor of wealthy, unlucky or lucky. So principalities and authorities were held in awe, and people were desperate to placate or to influence them.

“having disarmed” The exciting message of the Gospel is that Jesus Christ has “disarmed” the enemy in the spirit world. The image is drawn from military life. When a foe was defeated it was forced to surrender every sword, every spear, every knife blade, every blunt object, with which it might harm the victor. The weapons were surrendered, or they were torn from the unwilling hands of the defeated but still hostile enemy.
The principalities and powers, Satan’s demons all, would not surrender voluntarily. So Jesus disarmed them! The weapons they wielded against a helpless humanity were torn from their hands at Calvary by a triumphant Christ!

“he made a public spectacle of them” When a Roman general defeated a stubborn foe the Senate might vote him a triumph. So honored, the general led a procession through the city of Rome itself. The victorious general rode in a chariot, cheered by admiring crowds. He was trailed by the defeated foe, who stumbled after him in chains, forced to endure the jeers and insults of the mob.
This is the image that Paul draws of the principalities and powers who once terrorized humankind. Jesus has triumphed. Satan and all his demons are now exposed as powerless, having been disarmed by the Lord. And we are invited to envision Satan’s hordes as, powerless now, they trail after the Savior, heads bowed, the objects of our jeers and our contempt.

“triumphing over them by the cross” How did Jesus triumph over Satan? In the most amazing manner. Not by power, with flashing lightening bolt as thunders pealed. Jesus triumphed by dying like some criminal on a Roman cross.

The writer of Hebrews explains it for us. Jesus chose to share our humanity “so that by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death—that is the devil—and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death” (Hebrews 2:14,15). It was our mortality that gave Satan his power over us. We lived in fear of what might come, knowing how vulnerable each of us was and how helpless before the specter of our own approaching death. Then, in his death, Jesus ripped that power from Satan’s hand, revealing that what lies ahead for us is life, and that eternal!

With the power of death torn from his hands by the death of Jesus, Satan and his demons truly are disarmed. Satan is a defeated foe. Freed from the fear of death we are released from Satan’s grasp. There is nothing now that Satan or his demons can do to harm us. For all the demons’ posturing, for all their threats, demons know all they can do is try to bluff those who do not realize who they are in Christ, or who fail to grasp the truth Paul states so clearly. Jesus truly has disarmed the powers and the authorities. Today they cringe when we see them as they are; powerless, disarmed, dragged unwillingly along behind the triumphant Jesus who lifts high his cross.

Conclusion

So many in Christ’s church today shy away from the subject of demons. They would rather pretend that evil spiritual forces do not exist. It seems dangerous to acknowledge the reality of evil spirits or explore the harm demons may do to believers. These Christians seem to feel that if we ignore demons, they may ignore us. But the good news of the Gospel is that Christ has triumphed. He has disarmed the evil forces that we so foolishly fear. In spiritual warfare the outcome is no longer in doubt. Because Christ has disarmed the forces of evil, we have already won! All we need to do is understand the enemy, take our stand against him, and he will flee.

Who…or What…are Demons, Anyway?

The apostle Paul pictures the “heavenly realms” as the abode of spirit beings. These rulers, authorities and “powers of this dark world” are the “spiritual forces of evil” against which believers must stand (Eph. 6:12). And the Gospels are filled with references to demons who infect humans and cause various illnesses and difficulties. Clearly demons exist. But nowhere in the New Testament are we told exactly what these spirit beings are, or where they came from.

Two theories

In first century Judaism there were two prevalent theories. The first was built on Isaiah 14 and Ezekiel 28, which were understood to describe the transformation of the angel Lucifer into the Prince of Darkness, Satan. According to this theory, the demons and evil spirits which all ancient peoples believed populate the spirit world, were angels who had followed Satan in his great rebellion against the Creator.

The second theory was built on the Genesis 6 reference to Nephilim, who were the offspring of the “sons of God,” understood as angels, and human women. According to this second theory, demons are the disembodied spirits of these half-breeds who died in the subsequent Genesis Flood.

No other theories were offered then, or later. While in the first century the ghosts of humans were supposed to remain nearby for a time, and often supposed to harm the living, this was a pagan theory and not common in Judaism or early Christianity.

We’re left, then, if we wish to be biblical in our search for the identity of evil spirits, to ask whether either of these ancient theories has additional support in Scripture. We very quickly discover that the second theory is given no additional support beyond the Genesis 6 story from which it is drawn. But the theory that demons are fallen angels—angels who sinned with Satan when he fell—does have considerable New Testament support.

Six lines of evidence

1. Evidence that some angels fell with Satan

A statement in Revelation 12 pictures Satan as an enormous red dragon and refers to his tail sweeping “a third of the stars out of the sky and flinging them to earth (v.3). As angels are sometimes referred to in the OT as “stars” (cf. JOB 38:7), this reference is often taken as evidence that a third of the angels God created followed Satan in his rebellion. This interpretation is commonly supported by Rev. 12:7, which describes “the dragon and his angels” at war with Michael and God’s angels in heaven. A similar reference to “the devil and his angels” is found in Matthew 25:4.

2. Evidence from parallel expressions

The devil “and his angels” are linked in Matthew 25:41 and Revelation 12:7. A parallel expression is found in Matthew 12:24, where reference is made to “Bellzebub [a name for Satan] and his demons.” In these expressions “angels” and “demons” are parallel, and thus arguably the same.

3. Evidence from parallel activities

The Bible pictures demons as seeking to enter and control individuals (Matthew 17:14-18; Luke 11:14,15), something which Satan also does (Luke 22:3; John 3:2). In the same way evil angels are seen joining Satan to war against God, just as are demons (Mark 9:17-26; Revelation 9:1-11).

4. Evidence from essential being

Angels are called “spirits” in Psalm 14:4; Hebrews 1:14). Demons are also called “spirits” (see Matthew 8:15; Luke 19:17).

5. Evidence from personhood

Both angels and demons are referred to by personal pronouns, indicating that both are persons (Luke 8:28, etc.). While members of a class, both angels and demons are revealed to be individuals.

6. Evidence of personhood

Like angels, demons can communicate with us and are pictured as having emotions, intelligence, and other marks of personhood (Luke 8:31, etc.) As above, angels and demons are each pictured as individuals in Scripture.

Conclusion

While any one of these lines of evidence might be challenged, it’s difficult to imagine that six distinct lines of evidence which support the same conclusion, are likely to lead to an erroneous conclusion. In short, there is enough Scriptural evidence to conclude with some confidence that the demons of the Gospels and the powers of the Epistles are in fact angels who rebelled against God

While we can say this with some confidence, whether our conclusion is right or wrong has little impact on biblical demonology. Whatever their origins, there clearly are supernatural beings who are engaged with Satan in an invisible war against God and human kind. The good news is that Satan and his followers are defeated foes, and that as we follow Scriptures guidelines we can meet, and defeat them today.

Principalities and Powers, #12

The twelth in a series of studies on demons in Paul’s epistles.

“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?” (Col. 1:16)

Background

Colossians is often described as a Christological [Christ focused] epistle. Most commentators also believe that it was written to combat incipient Gnosticism. In later centuries Gnosticism emerged as a fully developed philosophy which featured a well defined view of God and the universe. Paul’s teaching in Colossians seems to directly confront the central beliefs of the Gnostic system.

Gnostics held that God is pure spirit, and that only spirit is good. On the other hand, the material universe is evil. Surely the Good God could not have created the Evil Material Universe. It followed that Christ could not be God come in the flesh. Either the man Christ Jesus was not God, or the God revealed in Christ was an apparition rather than a true human.

The Apostle Paul confronts these characteristic Gnostic beliefs directly, and in the paragraph in which this verse is embedded Paul presents Jesus as the “image of the invisible God,” a phrase that first century readers understood to assert that Jesus is the visible expression of God and is himself God. Paul goes on to claim that Jesus not only is God expressed in flesh (cf 1:19-22) but that he is also the creator of the visible and invisible universe. The Christian has a dramatically different view of reality from that espoused by the Gnostic.

Observations

“By him were all things created.” In the Gnostic system God, who is pure spirit, could have nothing to do with the material creation. How then was the material universe to be explained? The Gnostic postulated a series of “emanations” [spirit beings] standing between God and the material universe. Those closest to God were the purest, the most “spiritual” and thus the most “good.” But each rank in the series of angels was less spiritual, until finally, in the lowest rank of angels, stood one who was the creator of the evil material universe.

To this view Paul says, No. “By him were all things created.” Jesus Christ, God himself, is the creator, not some imagined low ranking spirit being. And though he did not, Paul might have quoted Genesis here, and repeated the verdict of the creator who viewed his work and announced, “it was good.”

“things in heaven and things on earth.” With this phrase Paul further clarifies the issue. The Gnostic could accept the idea that God created the things in heaven, for in that view heaven is spiritual and therefore good by definition. But no Gnostic could imagine that God created both “things in heaven and things on earth.” Since the material to the Gnostic was intrinsically evil, God could not be the creator of things on earth.

“both visible and invisible” The Gnostic system featured a thoroughgoing dualism. On one side of an chasm stood the invisible; heaven, spirit, and good. On the opposite side stood the visible; earth, flesh, and evil. God stood on the one side only. As the ultimate good and pure spirit, he is by necessity limited to the spirit side of the chasm. But Paul insists that the Gnostic is wrong. God, in the Person of Jesus Christ, is the creator of all things.

“whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities” With this phrase Paul shocks his readers. Among the invisible things God created are thrones, powers, rulers and authorities!
On the one hand one might argue that the spirit beings in view here are God’s own angels. But we’ve seen that the “powers” vocabulary was used in the first century to identify those spirit beings the Gospels, and we today, call demons. Is Paul ascribing the creation of the demonic forces ranged against God’s own people to God’s creative act?

“all things were created by him and for him” Again Paul asserts that “all things” were created by Christ. But here he adds they were created “for him.” The creation in all its complexity is not only the work of God, it has been designed to serve his purposes. “By him, and for him” reminds us that all that has been, all that is, and all that will be will ultimately bring glory to God.

The problem of Evil

The Gnostics developed their system in large part to resolve the problem of evil. Surely a Good God could not be the originator of Evil. Where then did Evil come from? Perhaps even more challenging, How can a good God permit Evil to exist in His universe? The Gnostic answer is a strict dualism. God is Good. But God is pure Spirit. He has nothing to do with the material universe, and it is in this universe that Evil has its home. God did not create it. He does not govern its operations. And he surely did not enter it as a human being.
Paul confronts the Gnostic solution boldly and directly. There is no chasm isolating God from the material universe. God takes responsibility for the creation of all things—even those spirits who are now evil and are dedicated to thwarting his purposes, who torment the human beings whom he loves.

There is a solution to the problem of evil. But that solution is not found in futile attempts to protect God’s reputation by robbing him of the credit for Creation.

“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?” (Col. 1:16)