Rulers, Authorities, and the Powers of This Dark World
The rulers and authorities are spiritual forces that govern the world with real power and authority. They are strong beings who carry out the commands of the prince of the power of the air, the devil. They exercise real authority within the spirit, value systems, and worldviews that reject and rebel against the rule of God.
Where does the tendency of people to ignore or deliberately avoid spiritual reality come from? The world and many religions employ every means to instill the belief that “life should be peaceful, without conflict or struggle.” However, Scripture clearly teaches that the Church is engaged in a spiritual battle that must be fought.
The world insists that psychology, therapy, counseling, and education can improve humanity. Yet they are ignorant of the root cause behind sin. Satan and his demons stir up battles of flesh and blood among people, ultimately working to destroy God, oppose the Church, and lead sinners to ruin.
Thus, the Church must be able to accurately discern their identity and activities. Satan rules over his agents—“rulers, authorities, and the powers of this dark world”—through whom he exercises dominion over the earth.
The “dark world” refers to a world structured by a spirit and values that refuse to submit to God and openly oppose His rule. The ruler of this world entices humanity to rebel against God and leads them to worship themselves instead.
They are darkened in their understanding (Ephesians 4:18). You were once darkness (Ephesians 5:8).
The Bible defines the world under Satan’s domain as “darkness.” It is ignorant of God and His kingdom but is highly sensitive to sin and worldly values.
When we examine culture, politics, education systems, economic principles, and even good traditions, we find that they are influenced by the spirit and values of darkness. Satan uses literature, media, and the Internet to spread immorality, violence, and a secular worldview.
There are unseen forces of darkness that manipulate people and events in the world. Yet the Church is in the world but not of the world. We are established as the light of the world and are called to fight against the powers behind it.
Our battle is not against visible circumstances or people. The Church must put on the full armor of God, be armed with the Word and prayer, and continue to fight by faith. For Satan prowls like a roaring lion, seeking any opportunity to devour.
》Prayer Point
1. While living in the world, we enjoy many benefits from political ideologies, authorities, educational values and mindsets, economic principles, traditions, worldviews, culture, and mass media, striving for success in these areas. However, how terrifying it would be if we were living under the manipulation of Satan, who stands behind all these things, leading us to disobey and oppose God’s Word and the Bible. Let us pray that we and our church may clearly see and recognize through the truth of the gospel that the rulers, authorities, and powers of this dark world are governed by Satan. Therefore, let us resolve that even when Satan deceives, tempts, or oppresses us harshly, we will not fear but stand firmly on the side of the truth of the gospel, obeying God alone without compromise.
4 You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God? Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.
7 Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. (James 4:4,7,NIV)
》Scripture Prayer
(Ephesians 6:10–18,NIV) 10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.
11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.
12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.
13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.
14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place,
15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.
16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.
17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.
(Colossians 2:12–15,NIV) 12 having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through your faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead.
13 When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins,
14 having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross.
15 And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.
》Pray that the Word may become the Conclusion.
1. God established the Church in this world with Jesus Christ as its head. He gave the Church everything needed to overcome the world, fully equipping it with the armor of God from head to toe. While Satan controls the most powerful forces of this world and seeks to deceive sinners and drag them into hell, let us decide that we and our church will boldly proclaim the gospel of the cross and fight through prayer.
2. Throughout thousands of years of human history, what has been revealed through power, wealth, military strength, philosophy, ideologies, morality, and cultural influence has ultimately been deception and death for sinners. Jesus Christ, in order to save such sinners, died on the cross, crucifying sinners’ flesh, lusts, and covetousness. Those who are crucified with Christ live in the world but are dead to it. When Satan attacks the church with worldly values and standards, let us pray that we will stand as a church that boasts only in the cross, relying solely on it to defeat Satan.
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