Ephesians 6 – Demonic Hierarchy?

I present what follows as a Bible study of the terms in question that any student of God’s Word could do themselves.

• Ephesians 6:12 – For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities [archē: ar-khay‘, (chief, first)], against powers [exousia: ex-oo-see’-ah, (authority, jurisdiction, ability)], against the rulers [kosmokratōr: kos-mok-rat’-ore; (lord of the world, prince of this age)] of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts [pneumatikos: pnyoo-mat-ik-os‘; (relating to the human spirit, belonging to a being higher than man, belonging to the Divine Spirit)] of wickedness in the heavenly places. NKJV

 

Archē

Archē is a term that essentially means “chief”, or “first”, as in the first in a series of things or persons. Contextually, it certainly seems that Paul is referencing demonic entities here, as we were told previously that our struggle is not against flesh and blood. The word is a plural noun; thus, it is most definitely referring to more than one spiritual being. However, is this a title for the rank of said entities, as generally assumed, or is it a recognition that they are the chief source of our cosmic, spiritual struggle because of their placement in heaven and their cosmic rebellion, which preceded and abetted the fall of man?Elsewhere in the New Testament, the term is used to denote first things.

 

• Matthew 19:4,8 – And He answered and said to them, “Have you not read that He who made them at the beginning [archē] ‘made them male and female,’… He said to them, “Moses, because of the hardness of your hearts, permitted you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning [archē] it was not so.
• Mark 13:8 – For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be earthquakes in various places, and there will be famines and troubles. These are the beginnings [archē] of sorrows.
• Revelation 1:8 – “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning [archē] and the End,” says the Lord, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”

 

Obviously, archē can be pointing to something that is first in existence, in order, or even causative. All those designations would make sense in the context of Ephesians 6. Angelic beings, wherever and whenever they first came into creation, came before humans, and certainly the fallen angels – those who rebelled against God with Satan – are at the root of all sorts of mayhem that manifests. It was specifically a fallen Satan that was instrumental in affecting the fall of Adam and Eve in the Garden. The use of the term here strongly indicates that Paul is directly referencing their class, at least as it pertains to them being heavenly actors, which is distinguished from those who are earth-bound. Whatever they are, they are above and distinct from humans. They have positional authority of some sort. The use of archē elsewhere makes this clear.

• Luke 12:11 – “Now when they bring you to the synagogues and magistrates [archē] and authorities [exousia], do not worry about how or what you should answer, or what you should say.
• Luke 20:20 – So they watched Him, and sent spies who pretended to be righteous, that they might seize on His words, in order to deliver Him to the power [archē] and the authority [exousia] of the governor.
• Titus 3:1 – Remind them to be subject to rulers [archē] and authorities [exousia], to obey, to be ready for every good work…

These Scriptures illustrate that archē is not a term used exclusively for supernatural beings but is often employed of human authority. However, it is a term that applies to positional authority, an office or status. This is true of its use when referencing the supernatural as well.

• Ephesians 1:19-21 – …and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality [archē] and power [exousia] and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come.
• Ephesians 3:9-10 – …and to make all see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the ages has been hidden in God who created all things through Jesus Christ; to the intent that now the manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the church to the principalities [archē] and powers [exousia] in the heavenly places…
• Colossians 2:9-10, 15 – For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality [archē] and power… Having disarmed principalities [archē] and powers [exousia], He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it.

Without any question, Paul declares that our spiritual struggle is not with human beings but first and foremost against definite, identifiable, powers in the heavenlies. The question that must be answered then is, does archē refer to specific ranks of angels, or is this a catch-all term being applied to any demonic entity within the spiritual realm? Considering that it can be translated as “chief”, it is possible that Paul might have rank in mind. That view would be predicated on whether the next term used, exousia, or the other words in the list are indicative of a different and lesser standing of demonic authority than that encapsulated within the use of archē. If not, then the word is most likely being used to reference the idea that all spiritual struggles have their starting point, or first cause, from these demonic authorities.

So, is exousia a classification of a particular type of evil spiritual entity? In answering this, it is helpful that there are many times where both archē and exousia appear together in context. This happens in Luke 12:11, Luke 20:20, and Titus 3:1, as shown previously. Luke 12 is discussing the magistrates archē of the synagogues. This would have been the rabbinical leaders, or Pharisees in the historical setting. They exercised total authority within their communities and acted like magistrates. They were the chief leaders of the Jewish people at the time. So, then who are the other “authorities” that are seemingly being addressed by exousia? Are there more than the rabbis in view here? Not likely, but it seems that way at first glance.

You have the same conundrum presenting itself, but this time to a single individual, in Luke 20. This actually helps us decipher what is being said. There is clearly not more than one entity in view. It’s only the governor. You see, though exousia can be translated as “authority” in English, the use is not to reference an entity, but a jurisdiction. In other words, an archē can possess exousia. The reverse is not true. This is probably why every time the two are used together, exousia follows archē. The governor in Luke 20, as an archē, has the right to exercise specific, and bounded exousia in his province of authority. So, you could rephrase what the Pharisees wanted to accomplish regarding Jesus as they wanted to hand Him over “to the “office” and the “jurisdiction” of the governor.” The same idea is seen in Titus 3.

Another Scripture that really shows this truth is in Colossians.

 

• Colossians 1:16-17 – For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities [archē] or powers [exousia]. All things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist.

 

Paul is simultaneously discussing both the physical and spiritual as part of the created order. He juxtaposes heaven with earth, visible with invisible, then thrones and dominions with archē and exousia. Thrones is a positional term and dominion is a jurisdictional term, here used for earthly rulers. For the juxtaposition that Paul is making to be carried to its logical conclusion, archē must then be positional for spiritual entities and exousia jurisdictional.

Before moving on to look further at exousia in the context of Ephesians 6, I want to point out that archē  is never used as a standalone designator for angelic beings who are still serving the Lord. Though it is used as a general term for any spiritual being, it is also used specifically for demonic spiritual forces in the New Testament. This is clear from its usage in Ephesians 6, but elsewhere it seems to be used to distinguish the demonic spiritual entities from other angels [angelos].

• Romans 8:38-39 – For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels [angelos] nor principalities [archē] nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

 

This does not mean that demonic entities are not called angels, for indeed they are in several places. And that is not surprising for that is what demons are. They are fallen, rebellious angels.

• Matthew 25:41 – “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels [angelos].
• Jude 1:6 – And the angels [angelos] who did not keep their proper domain [archē], but left their own abode, He has reserved in everlasting chains under darkness for the judgment of the great day…

 

Matthew 25 references the infamous third of the angels that followed Satan in his rebellion against God’s authority. Jude 1 is specifically addressing the small subset that left their positional authority in heaven to come and marry human women. Since evil spirits can properly be called angels then, when both obedient angels and fallen ones are being addressed in the same sentence, it seems archē is used to designate the demonic ones. Of course, Romans 8 could simply be referencing the archē on the earth in opposition to God as juxtaposed with fallen angels who are also opposing Him in the heavens, and it would fit the context.

You have a similar confusion of the usage of archē in 1 Corinthians.

• 1 Corinthians 15:23-26 – But each one in his own order: Christ the first fruits, afterward those who are Christ’s at His coming. Then comes the end, when He delivers the kingdom to God the Father, when He puts an end to all rule [archē] and all authority [exousia] and power. For He must reign till He has put all enemies under His feet. The last enemy that will be destroyed is death.

 

This Scripture is referencing the Second Coming of Christ and His millennial reign upon the earth. When that occurs, Satan will be bound (Revelation 20:1-4), and it can only be assumed his angels are either judged or imprisoned along with him. They certainly aren’t at liberty anymore. However, the archē here could just as well be concerning the rulership of evil men as that of demonic entities, and there is really no way to know from the text. It could be either or even both because certainly, both will be dealt with at the time.

From all the passages we have studied, it is clear that archē is a positional term and can be used specifically for evil supernatural beings. It is not indicative of a ranking of specific chieftains within a supposed army of demonic hosts. Rather, it is a general term for the heavenly beings describing their positional authority viz a viz earth, and as such, they are the root cause of the spiritual problems that manifest in this life.

 

Exousia

In the discussion surrounding the difference between archē and exousia, it was established that exousia is a term for jurisdictional authority of an entity, whether human or not. A few Scriptures were already examined to prove this, but I will list a few more here to further establish the fact.

• Matthew 8:8-9 – The centurion answered and said, “Lord, I am not worthy that You should come under my roof. But only speak a word, and my servant will be healed. For I also am a man under authority [exousia], having soldiers under me. And I say to this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes; and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”
• Matthew 9:6 – But that you may know that the Son of Man has power [exousia] on earth to forgive sins”—then He said to the paralytic, “Arise, take up your bed, and go to your house.”
• John 5:25-27 – Most assuredly, I say to you, the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God; and those who hear will live. For as the Father has life in Himself, so He has granted the Son to have life in Himself, and has given Him authority [exousia] to execute judgment also, because He is the Son of Man.
• Acts 9:14 – And here he has authority [exousia] from the chief priests to bind all who call on Your name.”
• Romans 13:1-3 – Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities [exousia]. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God. Therefore, whoever resists the authority [exousia] resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves. For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to evil. Do you want to be unafraid of the authority [exousia]? Do what is good, and you will have praise from the same.

 

Exousia is certainly not a term that is specific to the spiritual world. However, Paul is seemingly using it in Ephesians 6 to specifically address the jurisdictional authority of the demonic realm. This is an authority that clearly goes beyond just the spiritual dimension and extends in some way into this world.

• Luke 4:5-7 – Then the devil, taking Him up on a high mountain, showed Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. And the devil said to Him, “All this authority [exousia] I will give You, and their glory; for this has been delivered to me, and I give it to whomever I wish. Therefore, if You will worship before me, all will be Yours.”
• Revelation 13:2 – Now the beast which I saw was like a leopard, his feet were like the feet of a bear, and his mouth like the mouth of a lion. The dragon gave him his power, his throne, and great authority [exousia].

 

Satan clearly had some sort of jurisdictional authority over the kingdoms of the earth since he could offer it to Jesus, otherwise the temptation would not have been valid. This authority is referenced throughout the NT, even after the resurrection, but only with regards to the devil himself, indicating that he has some sort of positional authority as well that was given him, from creation, and this allows him certain liberties in the earth, and it is still his to this day.

• Acts 26:27-28 – I will deliver you from the Jewish people, as well as from the Gentiles, to whom I now send you, to open their eyes, in order to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power [exousia] of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in Me.’
• Ephesians 2:2 – …in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power [exousia] of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience…
• Colossians 1:12-13 – …giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light. He has delivered us from the power [exousia] of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love…

Whatever Satan’s exousia, it exists even to this day and is operative in the earth. This exousia extends to the fallen angels under the authority of the Devil, and though limited in scope, is still very real, maintained primarily through deception that specifically plays on the lusts of men to get them to do what they want. To engage in spiritual battle, the believer in Christ must understand not just the kind of exousia that Satan and his angels possess, where they have legitimate access to act in other words (where sin is rampant and unrepentant), but the exousia which regards Jesus and which they too possess in Him. This is what Paul is driving at when using the term in Ephesians 6. It is not a hierarchical term for a lower-level demonic entity.

 

Kosmokratōr

 

Within the biblical text, this term is only used in Ephesians 6. It appears nowhere else. From the context, it seems that Paul specifically has in mind demonic spiritual forces when using the term. However, the word is used of human beings, especially of emperor gods in the Greco-Roman age. So, the term itself is not unique to spiritual beings, though it is a term of divinity, and certainly its use here doesn’t denote some sort of positional authority, which could be implied from just this biblical usage. Kosmokratōr  could well be a term applied to human beings of high stature who are under the influence of demonic control, or those humans who have put themselves on the level of being gods themselves, and as such, direct, spiritual opponents of God, or, and this is most likely what Paul has in view considering the contextual appearance of the term here, it is referring to evil angelic beings that are directly engaged in spiritual warfare against the authority of God by advancing godless government in the earth through human leaders who have subjected themselves to them.

It is men who rule on the earth, not devils. Nowhere in Scripture do you have angels or demons shown as ruling here in a physical capacity; that is, they take a form and set-up thrones and kingdoms. This is because the dominion of the terrestrial world was effectively given to Adam in Genesis 1, and through him to all other men. It also has to do with the temporal nature of those who are exercising power on earth. You must possess human flesh to govern on the earth, and angels and demons obviously do not have temporal bodies.

The only time the Bible speaks of angelic beings taking on permanent, earthly bodies is Genesis 6, and it did not end well for those who did this. Hence, it is only those who are flesh and blood that can rule and reign on the earth. They can be influenced by spiritual forces for sure, but it is men who are acting with authority on the terrestrial plane, and it is they who are judged by God for their deeds in that capacity.

 

However, Satan is said to have some sort of jurisdictional authority in this time-space continuum. The temptation of Christ in Luke 4 makes that clear. There, the “kingdoms of the inhabited earth” [oikoumenē], are described as being under Satan’s power at the time of Jesus’ appearing. Matthew 4 indicates that this authority that Satan possessed went beyond just the terrestrial, extending to the very universe itself, as he is said to have shown Jesus the “kingdoms of the world”, or universe [kosmos], and offered them to Him if He would but bow down and worship Satan. There are many other references dealt with elsewhere that state the Devil is indeed ruler [archōn] of this world [kosmos] still, but his access to the earth [oikoumenē] seems to have been severely limited by the finished work of Christ on the Cross.

• Matthew 28:18 – And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth [gē].

 

Jesus specifically stated that all the earth was under His exousia, jurisdictional authority, following His resurrection. Gē is a term that applies to all land on the earth. Conversely, oikoumenē refers to only inhabited land. Obviously then, oikoumenē is covered by the scope of the term gē, and thus, Jesus is declaring that His power is over the whole earth, restoring what Adam has lost. It is clear that Satan is no longer operating with the same authority he possessed before his defeat at the Cross, but he is nevertheless an archōn operating in some capacity in the kosmos.

If Satan and his angels are being attested to by the term archē earlier in the text when referencing the principalities then it seems inconceivable that they are once more being referenced here with kosmokratōr, unless of course this term is regarding a specific, demonic entity, or entities, below that of the archē thus, establishing a sort of hierarchy within the demonic spiritual realm, On the other hand, the term could be used to describe a specific role or function of the archē within the cosmos. Since the term does not appear anywhere else in Scripture, appeal must be made to outside source material for its usage. I am reticent to do this because, although it is a good academic approach to understanding terms, outside sources should never form the basis for biblical theology. Scripture alone should suffice for that, as it is Scripture alone that is Holy Spirit breathed and thus the only thing that is certain to keep us from going astray.

When looking into secular texts, it is surprising to find that the term kosmokratōr is one that most academics seems to apply solely to a classification of “the gods”, thus exclusionary of men, within Greek cosmology. I say this is surprising because there are plenty of historical examples of its usage of men by men! This seems to be completely left out of the discussion surrounding the Greek understanding of the cosmos by scholars.

Since at least the second century AD, kosmokratōr was used to denote the planets as the rulers of the cosmos and was, at the same time, used as a synonym for archōn. The planets formed the lower grouping of a class of gods to the ancient Greeks, according to Plato, with daimōn (demons) beneath them. Hermetic theology out of Alexandria, Egypt presented the planetary powers as ruling authorities that governed and administrated the affairs of men. To them, the planets were the “heavens”, or spiritual realm, and different therefore from the earth, where men live. These planetary governors, or kosmokratōrs, were depicted as administering mankind’s fate. The Platonic tradition considered the stars, planets, and the moon to be visible gods, beneath whom existed hosts of other daimōn, with these bridging the gap between mankind and those gods.

This cosmology shifted somewhat in the Christian era. The word kosmokratōr was used as a designator for the God of the OT by Marcion, an early Christian heretic, and also came to be used as a technical term for the “ruler of this world” (defined as Satan in the NT) by the Gnostics. Since Gnostics separated the physical from the spiritual entirely, their understanding of the cosmos was somewhat different than most others in the Christianized, Greco-Roman world. They particularly began to refer to exousia,  kosmokratōrs, archōns, when referencing spiritual beings rather than the planets, which was markedly different from other religious writers and philosophical thinkers of that day. They still referenced the planets, but their archōns were presented as material mirrors of their spiritual counterparts rather than the planetary entities themselves.

No matter the secular ancient cosmology being referenced, it would seem, kosmokratōr was a term referencing a hierarchical entity in the cosmic order. Yet, even then, in the cosmological understanding, this hierarchy is between material and immaterial gods. With Iamblichus, a Syrian Neoplatonist philosopher from the 3^rd Century, this cosmological hierarchy only morphed slightly in the Christian era, when the “gods” were replaced with Christian hierarchical terms. The immaterial gods of Plato became the archangels. The material gods, these kosmokratōrs and archōns, were the lower angels. They embraced matter, presiding over it, and were responsible for its ordering and the phenomena that arise within it, whereas the immaterial gods, or archangels, are exempt from the constraints of matter, rising above it.

Because of the close association of the kosmokratōrs with the material, scholars disagree as to whether the term kosmokratōr applies solely to the heavenly sphere which contained the planets and moon, or if it applies as well to archōns on the earth in the Platonic/NeoPlatonic cosmology. These earthbound  archōns were among the gods of ancient Greece and they specifically interacted with the earth. It was believed by some that the term archōn applied only to beings beneath the kosmokratōrs of traditional Platonic thought but were to be clearly distinguished from the daimōn. The later Christianized cosmologies also separate kosmokratōrs from daimōn, as distinct and above them, though the use of  archōn for the angelic beings seems to have fallen into disuse. Interestingly, in the Christianized, Greco-Roman understanding, daimōn could be either evil or good, whereas kosmokratōrs appear wholly benevolent in these cosmologies, since they were the angels.

From what has been presented, it should be clear that appealing to an academic understanding of the usage of kosmokratōr is not much help in pinning down what Paul is saying in Ephesians 6, when it comes to determining whether he is referencing demonic hierarchies. Platonic thought that connected the term to planets as a designator for the gods of the heavens ruling over earth is of little help. Yes, it could be said that the term is clearly being used only of supernatural beings in ancient Grecian cosmology. However, these gods, even those considered entirely heavenly in nature, were all anthropomorphic, and often had sexual liaisons with humans on earth.

The lines between the Greek gods and man were often blurred, and certainly those gods involved themselves actively on the earth, and many are classified by scholars as falling under the archōn designation. However, all the major gods of the Greek Pantheon, no matter where they resided, would have fallen within the designation of kosmokratōr, even these earthly archōns. So, appealing to kosmokratōr to determine the hierarchy of the gods is futile.

The main difference between the Platonic cosmology and the Christianized understanding of the neo-Platonic view, was that the “gods” became angels, though the old hierarchy of terms was preserved. In the neo-Platonic worldview, kosmokratōrs were decidedly not of the earth, though they governed it. Yet, in this Christianized cosmology, the kosmokratōrs are always good beings. The gods of ancient Greece certainly were not so, but the general, Christian understanding of angels was that the term applied to benevolent spiritual beings, in counter-distinction to the demons, and thus this benevolence was passed on to the heavenly kosmokratōrs of ancient Greeks. However, this view doesn’t work with Paul’s usage, because he is clearly using the term, not of benevolent beings, but of evil ones.

When considering where and when the struggle against the kosmokratōrs of Ephesians 6 is taking place, and when considering the historical usage of kosmokratōr within both Grecian and Roman history, it becomes clear what Paul is trying to convey. The kosmokratōrs in Ephesians 6 are described as being “of the darkness of this age [aiōn].” This is a term that is used for a particular period of time, or epoch. As such, anything contained within the period under consideration, whether the earth, or the universe itself, could be in view. Aiōn does not designate a specific place, but an age. Hence, whatever the  kosmokratōrs are, they are wreaking their havoc in the present time.

• Luke 16:8 – The master commended the dishonest manager for his shrewdness. For the sons of this world [aiōn] are more shrewd in dealing with their own generation than the sons of light.
• Luke 18:30 – …who will not receive many times more in this time [aiōn], and in the age to come eternal life.”

 

Since Paul begins Ephesians 6:12 by expressly stating that our spiritual struggle is not against flesh and blood it might be assumed that human entities are decidedly not under consideration with the use of the term kosmokratōrs. However, this would prove too quick a judgement. Considering that Paul has already mentioned the spiritual entities that Christians are warring again using the general term archē it makes little sense to use what is essentially a synonym for that same term later. Remember, kosmokratōr and archōn were considered synonymous terms by many within discussions of the hierarchy of spiritual beings in Paul’s day. An archōn refers to one of noble character and bearing, as of a ruler. It comes from the verb archō, which means to lead or be the chief. Obviously, these terms are related to the word archē which we have already shown means “the first in a series of things or persons.” Thus, archōn, when applied to an individual, refers to one who is first in order of importance or power.

It is easy to see why archōn and kosmokratōr were used interchangeably for the beings who were in the heavens. The “gods” (angels) were indeed seen as the chief rulers in the affairs of man by the Greco-Roman world. Kosmokratōrs were in fact a type of archōn. Men, not just in grand offices, but in seemingly insignificant stations, could be archōns.

• Luke 8:41 – And behold, there came a man named Jairus, and he was a ruler [archōn] of the synagogue. And he fell down at Jesus’ feet and begged Him to come to his house…
• Matthew 9:18 – While He spoke these things to them, behold, a ruler [archōn] came and worshiped Him, saying, “My daughter has just died, but come and lay Your hand on her and she will live.”

 

Yet, the term is also used of Satan, and the position of authority he holds over the devils.

• Mark 3:22 – And the scribes who came down from Jerusalem said, “He has Beelzebub,” and, “By the ruler [archōn] of the demons He casts out demons.”

 

Satan is an archōn but, he is also most certainly a kosmokratōr. But a simple archōn of a synagogue would in no way be considered a kosmokratōr, as the term literally means “master of the world or universe”. However, as shall be shown, the term can be applied to very specific human archōns. It seems likely then that part of the reason Paul used kosmokratōr instead of archōn at this juncture in the text was to not only clearly illustrate that he had some specific activity of non-terrestrial beings in mind, but to do so while also not creating any confusion which might arise by using archōn since he had essentially used the same word in archē  earlier. The specific thing that Paul’s use of kosmokratōr seems to be pointing to is that Christians are fighting the spiritual forces that manifest in the human government of nations and empires.

This fits perfectly with the historical use of the term as applied specifically to Grecian kings, and Roman emperors. The most famous person who applied the specific term to himself was Alexander the Great.  According to Aristobulus, as recorded in Arrian of Nicomedia’s Anabasis, the king wanted to be regarded as “lord of all” [kosmokratōr] following his conquests. Considering that his own father, Philip, had sought to be equal with the gods, and his own considerable accomplishments, it is not surprising at all that Alexander would declare himself a living god. As he marched across the known earth, conquering kingdom after kingdom, his ascendancy in the cosmic hierarchy grew to match his earthly exploits. By the time he died, he had gone from being a crown prince to the king of Macedonia, to the king of Asia, to the son of Zeus, to justice incarnated, to the avatar of Vishnu, and finally to invincible god!

It is not too bizarre to think that Alexander would claim such a title as kosmokratōr for himself as the Persian kings he had conquered assumed similarly connotative titles like “king of all countries” and “king in this great earth far and wide” for themselves. One notable event that illustrates the divine stature in which Alexander had come to consider himself occurred at a banquet he held at Bactra. He claimed the patronage of Dionysus along with other gods and heroes and specifically said that Dionysus resided within him. So, when the time came to toast this agathos daimon, his companion spirit, and pour out libations to Dionysus, the celebrants saluted Alexander rather than the hearth and altar of Dionysus, as they would have done for a normal toast. This established the idea that Alexander was indeed seen as a living god by his entourage.

Although Alexander the Great was not the first human to receive divine honors, his self-deification set an example for Hellenistic kings that followed, and this history would eventually extend to the later Roman emperors and other rulers. In keeping with this designation, several posthumous portraits present Alexander as kosmokratōr, “ruler of the universe”.

Alexander’s immediate successors, the Diadochi, followed Alexander’s lead, not only by acknowledging his deity but in making themselves gods as well. The Ptolemies of Egypt and the Seleucids claimed godhood as long as their empires lasted. The Roman magistrates who conquered the Greek world were fitted into this burgeoning tradition. Examples abound, should one wish to look. What is true is that Romans tended to shy away from embracing deification in the early years, though there were those who did so with relish.

However, Roman reticence to being proclaimed living gods took a decided turn with Julius Ceasar. He was, in fact, the first Roman to declare himself a god. Caesar could claim personal ties to the Roman gods, both by descent and by office. He was from the gens Julia, whose members claimed descent from the goddess Venus. In his eulogy for his aunt Julia, Caesar implied descent from the ancient kings of Rome, and so from Mars. By connecting himself to the planetary gods, he was specifically linking himself to the kosmokratōrs. As he continued to gain military ascendancy over his enemies and after witnessing the way he had been received in the Eastern Mediterranean as a god and savior, he returned to Rome determined to establish himself as a living god, going against all Roman tradition.

When the news of his final victory, at the battle of Munda, reached Rome, the Parilia, the games commemorating the founding of the city, were to be held the next day. In a truly novel turn of events, they were rededicated to Caesar, as if he were the founder of Rome itself. Statues were set up to “Caesar’s Liberty”, and to Caesar himself, as “unconquered god.” He was accorded a house at public expense, which was built like a temple, and his image was paraded with those of the gods. Like the Grecian kings, his portrait was put on the coins. This marked the first time a living man had appeared on Roman coinage. Later, he was called parens patriae (father of the fatherland), and legal oaths were taken by his genius (a companion spirit like the agathos daimon of the Greeks). The month Quinctilis was renamed July, in his honor (much like June was named for the goddess Juno). Finally, a special priest, a flamen, was ordained for him. To be served by a flamen ranked Caesar not only as divine, but as an equal of Quirinus, Jupiter, and Mars, the chief kosmokratōrs of the Roman Pantheon.

Under Augustus Caesar, who followed Julius, the foundations for what is now known as “imperial cult” worship were laid, with oaths being sworn in his name, with his own image as witness. After Augustus, the only new cults to Roman officials were those connected to the Imperial household. However, it seems that most Roman emperors were content to be thought of as gods while men, only to then be declared divine and worshipped as a god after their death. This changed with Nero, the emperor who took Paul’s life, according to Christian tradition.

The historian Tacitus reports that to acquiesce to Nero’s wishes, the Senate proposed the dedication of a temple to Nero as a living god. This was taken as ominous by Tacitus, portending Nero’s untimely death, since these divine honors were to be paid an emperor only after he died. This then suggests that there was still an internal struggle between the Roman and Grecian understanding of the divine king. The Greeks did not consider the dead to be gods. They only deified living rulers.

Whatever the tension, it seems the Grecian understanding won out in time, at least with some, because by the late 2^nd century AD, Roman emperors were openly declaring themselves to be living kosmokratōrs. For example, the Roman emperor Caracalla, who ruled jointly with Septimus Sevirus from 198 to 211 AD, appeared on his coins as “Sarapis Kosmokratōr,” where Sarapis was the name of Caracalla’s patron god.

By the time of the Apostle Paul then, there is ample evidence to suggest that the Roman emperors were claiming to be living gods, claiming to be saviors of the world, claiming to have created the known world in their image and thus, were “masters of the world”, kosmokratōrs. Since, as with Julius Ceasar and Alexander the Great, the deity that was claimed came from the companion spirits (genius) within them, and which motivated their actions, contemporary Greco-Roman thought was that rulers and authorities were, in fact, controlled, or possessed by spiritual entities. To the Christian mind these would have been demonic beings. The greatest biblical example of such a person, the Antichrist, though appearing after Paul, aligns perfectly with this understanding. Revelation describes him as being both possessed by an unclean spirit (16:13) and operating under the power of Satan (13:2). The Antichrist then, will be the final and greatest, earthly kosmokrator, in the guise of Alexander the Great.

Thus, though kosmokratōr is a term that is used of spiritual beings, it seems its usage in Ephesians 6 is a tangential reference to the wicked spiritual entities that are behind humans of high rank acting on the earth, in this aiōn, in a capacity that opposes the kingdom of God rather than a kind of hierarchical rank within the demonic world. Specifically, it might have in view men who are so full of themselves, and their lust for power and control, that they are possessed of devils and used in the advancement of Satan’s agenda against that of the Lord specifically in the realm of human government.

Such a usage of the term kosmokratōr seems to find a perfect OT match in the princes of Persia and Greece, as described in Daniel.

• Daniel 10:13 – But the prince [śar] of the kingdom of Persia [Pāras] withstood me twenty-one days; and behold, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I had been left alone there with the kings [meleḵ] of Persia [Pāras].
• Daniel 10:20-21 – Then he said, “Do you know why I have come to you? And now I must return to fight with the prince [śar] of Persia; and when I have gone forth, indeed the prince [śar] of Greece [Yāvān] will come. But I will tell you what is noted in the Scripture of Truth. (No one upholds me against these, except Michael your prince [śar].

 

The word śar means “chieftain, prince, or ruler” and comes from the verb śārar meaning “to have power over, to lord it over.” It often refers specifically to patron-angelic beings in the OT, which is clearly what is going on in Daniel 10. However, like its Greek equivalent archōn, it can also be used of human leaders.

• Genesis 12:15 – The princes [śar] of Pharaoh also saw her and commended her to Pharaoh. And the woman was taken to Pharaoh’s house.
• Genesis 39:22 – And the keeper [śar] of the prison committed to Joseph’s hand all the prisoners who were in the prison; whatever they did there, it was his doing.

 

Thus, the śar of both Persia and Greece is a wicked, angelic being that is operating over and through the earthly kingdoms of Persia and Greece through the pagan kings that sit on those earthly thrones, and as such, they are opposing the will of God in an effort to keep it from being accomplished.

There is another term, along with its related roots, that is used to convey a similar connection between an earthly ruler and a spiritual overlord which is also translated “prince” in the OT. Nāḡîḏ  means “a leader” and is often translated as “captain” or “commander”. The term comes from nāḡaḏ meaning “to be conspicuous, be declared.” Thus, nāḡîḏ is referencing a position of authority that has been declared publicly. It seems to be a term that implies conferred authority, as opposed to simply referencing positional authority, as with śar. A nāḡîḏ definitely has someone or something above them, whereas a śar may not. This idea relates to this discussion because there are passages that connect the rulers of the nations, including Israel, to the spiritual entity that is behind them.

For example, all of the anointed kings of Israel were referred to by the Lord, as His nāḡîḏ. This makes sense, since He Himself is King over Israel, and will physically reign on the throne of Israel when Messiah, Jesus, returns to earth. The people of Israel may have wanted to be like every other nation in appointing a king, but God wasn’t about to remove Himself entirely from the throne that is rightfully His just to suit their fancy.

• 1 Samuel 9:16 – “Tomorrow about this time I will send you a man from the land of Benjamin, and you shall anoint him commander [nāḡîḏ] over My people Israel, that he may save My people from the hand of the Philistines; for I have looked upon My people, because their cry has come to Me.”
• 2 Samuel 7:8 – Now therefore, thus shall you say to My servant David, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts: “I took you from the sheepfold, from following the sheep, to be ruler [nāḡîḏ] over My people, over Israel.
• 2 Kings 20:5 – “Return and tell Hezekiah the leader [nāḡîḏ] of My people, ‘Thus says the Lord, the God of David your father: “I have heard your prayer, I have seen your tears; surely, I will heal you. On the third day you shall go up to the house of the Lord.

 

Intriguingly, and suited to this discussion, is that some of the ancient kings seem to be referred to as being nāḡîḏ who are seemingly under the control of other, greater “kings” [meleḵ]. Ezekiel 28, and the polemic against the prince of Tyre is a prime example of this. This is one of the primary passages that contains what many scholars feel is a direct reference to Satan.

• Ezekiel 28:2 – “Son of man, say to the prince [nāḡîḏ] of Tyre, ‘Thus says the Lord God: “Because your heart is lifted up, and you say, ‘I am a god [‘ēl], I sit in the seat of gods [‘ĕlōhîm], in the midst of the seas,’ yet you are a man, and not a god [‘ēl], though you set your heart as the heart of a god [‘ĕlōhîm]…

 

In the middle of this message to the prince of Tyre, the Lord God suddenly speaks out against the king of Tyre.

• Ezekiel 28:11-15 – Moreover the word of the Lord came to me, saying, “Son of man, take up a lamentation for the king [meleḵ] of Tyre, and say to him, ‘Thus says the Lord God: “You were the seal of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty. You were in Eden, the garden of God; every precious stone was your covering: the sardius, topaz, and diamond, beryl, onyx, and jasper, sapphire, turquoise, and emerald with gold. The workmanship of your timbrels and pipes was prepared for you on the day you were created. “You were the anointed cherub who covers; I established you; you were on the holy mountain of God; you walked back and forth in the midst of fiery stones. You were perfect in your ways from the day you were created, till iniquity was found in you.

There are many scholars who say that this is not a reference to Satan, and thus the use of meleḵ here is just a reinforcement of the polemic against the nāḡîḏ of Tyre. However, these arguments do not have any way of explaining how, or even why, God would tell a man he was an anointed cherub, living in the garden of Eden, and walking around on the stones of fire which are before the throne of God! Therefore, the best way of staying true to the text, though this is not without difficulties, is to accept that God is specifically speaking to the power that is behind the pomposity of the nāḡîḏ of Tyre that would cause him to declare himself, a mere man, to be God. As the Lord was, and will forever be, the Meleḵ of Israel, so, Satan, as archōn of the kingdom of darkness, can be the  meleḵ behind a human nāḡîḏ. This will certainly be true of the Antichrist, and certainly makes sense here.

If this idea that OT human nāḡîḏ are being ruled by, and working for, superior spiritual meleḵ is accurate, it then would be a perfect parallel to the idea of a human archōn working in concert with a celestial  kosmokratōr as clearly seen in Greek thought. It seems that this is indeed what Paul has in mind when using the term kosmokratōr in Ephesians 6. The term is not so much a classification of demonic entities as it is describing a particular function that these spiritual rulers are performing – governing against the purposes of God, in concert with and through demon-possessed human leaders, in the earth, to thwart the will of God and persecute His people in this age.

 

Pneumatikos

The final term, pneumatikos, in Paul’s alleged hierarchy of terminology is the only one of the four that is entirely related to the spiritual world. Thankfully, since this term appears far more often than kosmokratōr its meaning in Ephesians 6 can be elucidated from the scriptures alone, just as was done with archē and exousia. Though pneumatikos is a term that is only used for things related to the spirit, this does not mean that it MUST refer to demonic entities or even that it MOSTLY does. It is a descriptive word, since it is an adjective. Hence, in the context of Ephesians 6, it is describing the kind or kinds of “wickedness” that we are battling against and not a particular evil being. All sin that manifests on the earth has a spiritual root to it that cannot be seen, and this is what Paul is getting at here. He is NOT referring to some category of the spiritually wicked, which is how most biblical scholars seem to treat the text.

Note how various English translations of the text deal with this term.

 

“…against spiritual hosts [pneumatikos] of wickedness in the heavenly places.” NKJV

“…against the spiritual forces [pneumatikos] of wickedness in the heavenly places.” NASB

“… against the spiritual forces [pneumatikos] of evil in the heavenly realms.” NIV

“… against the spiritual forces [pneumatikos] of evil in the heavenly places.” ESV

“… against spiritual [pneumatikos] wickedness in high places.” KJV

 

The NKJV and NASB let the reader know that “hosts, and forces” are interpolated into the English translation, and do not appear in the Greek. This is done because the Greek usage of pneumatikos is plural in Ephesians 6. The translators then are making sense of the text either based upon their best understanding or their underlying theology. However, note how the KJV translates the text. By doing this it does make the text read slightly differently, and certainly gets rid of the idea that a hierarchy within the demonic realm is being suggested by Paul with the phrase. Yet, it is not satisfactory in that it hides the fact, to the English reader, that the plural form of the Greek is being used by the Apostle.

The translation of the same word in the same tense in 1 Corinthians 2 provides a possible solution, if one is not wed theologically to the idea that Paul is laying out some sort of hierarchy of demonology in Ephesians 6.

• 1 Corinthians 2:13-15 – These things we also speak, not in words which man’s wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things [pneumatikos] with spiritual [pneumatikos]. But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. But he who is spiritual [pneumatikos] judges all things, yet he himself is rightly judged by no one.

 

In verse 13, you have both a plural form and a singular form of pneumatikos one right after the other. To distinguish for the reader, the translators added “things” into the text. This was done only for purposes of indicating the tense difference. It changed nothing from the theological truth that the text is conveying. Pneumatikos is an adjective, not a noun. Grammatically speaking, the noun, or thought, that it is referencing are the things of the spirit, or what has been given us by God, which is captured in the use of English “things”, another interpolation, at the beginning of verse 13. Why it is plural, I am not certain, as I am not a Greek scholar. Plural adjectives do not exist in English.

With this understanding, a better reading of this portion of Ephesians 6, that kept the proper tense form of the words used and did no violence to the text, would be this interpolation of the KJV text.

“… against spiritual things [pneumatikos] of wickedness in high places.”

 

Of course, this reading means that rather than appealing to some sort of low-level of demonic “forces” or “hosts” Paul is making reference to spiritual things generally, whether words, ideas, and actions in the heavenly sphere. Obviously, this means that spiritual entities could be the authors of such, and could even be in view, but they don’t have to be. Nothing in the context, whether before or after in Paul’s dissertation makes it likely that the apostle is referring to beings at all with his use of pneumatikos. In fact, most often, when pneumatikos is used in Scripture, it is with reference to humans engaging in the Spirit, not non-human entities. Here are a few examples:

• Romans 1:11 – For I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual [pneumatikos] gift, so that you may be established…
• Romans 15:27 – It pleased them indeed, and they are their debtors. For if the Gentiles have been partakers of their spiritual [pneumatikos] things, their duty is also to minister to them in material things.
• Galatians 6:1 – Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual [pneumatikos] restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted.
• 1 Peter 2:5 – …you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual [pneumatikos] house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
• Romans 7:14 – For we know that the law is spiritual [pneumatikos], but I am carnal, sold under sin.

 

The last example Scripture connects pneumatikos to the law as a descriptor. It is impossible for a man to reason out faith or figure out God and His ways intellectually. Reason alone will never lead one into understanding the things of God. You cannot understand the law of God apart from being born again by the Holy Spirit, because it requires spiritual awakening. This is true of all the things of God. However, there is a false spiritual side that people can and do engage in with the aid of Satan and demons, or under their influence. This is spiritual wickedness. Just as man can think spiritually blessed thoughts and ideas that transcend just our carnal appetites, he can engage in and access spiritually cursed things. We are, after all, first and foremost spirit beings.

Either way, when done, one is engaging in the heavenly space, or high places. Most certainly, this means you can open yourself up to control by demons and even Satan himself, and Paul certainly has this in view. Our minds, our hearts, our mouths, and our bodies are the instruments through which we engage in the spiritual plane, not just this physical space. It can be for good or ill. Our ignorance of this will cause us to not properly watch and handle with care what we think, what we give ourselves to, what we say, and what we do. This tracks with the entire tenor of the message of the Apostle in his letter. Hence, Paul is certainly connecting  pneumatikos to spiritual forces of evil that operate upon and through people, to encourage spiritual wickedness, but in no way can this be viewed as a hierarchical term for specific, low-level demonic entities.

 

Final Thoughts on Ephesians 6

From this study, it has been conclusively shown that Ephesians 6:12 does not provide a schematic of a complex, structure of various kinds of demonic entities. In fact, there is only one category of demonic entity that is specifically mentioned, the archē. These principalities are the fallen angels. All of them. It includes Satan. He is an angel after all. We know this from Scripture.

• Revelation 12:3-4,7,9 – And another sign appeared in heaven: behold, a great, fiery red dragon having seven heads and ten horns, and seven diadems on his heads. His tail drew a third of the stars of heaven and threw them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was ready to give birth, to devour her Child as soon as it was born… And war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought with the dragon; and the dragon and his angels fought… So, the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.
• Matthew 25:41 – “Then He will also say to those on the left hand, ‘Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels…”
• Luke 11:15,18 – But some of them said, “He casts out demons by Beelzebub, the ruler [archōn] of the demons.” … If Satan also is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand? Because you say I cast out demons by Beelzebub.
• Matthew 4:1 – Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.

 

There is much that could be said from these passages, but for the sake of this study only a few will be made note of: Satan has angels under his authority; since this “casting out” of heaven takes place at the end of the age, all of them are currently operating in the spiritual realm; Satan is also the archōn, or chief, of the demons; Satan is himself the Devil and has other devils under his authority; Satan then is the archōn of all the other fallen angelic archē called devils, or demons. That is the end of the demonic hierarchy. There is nothing else.

These evil entities operate within certain jurisdictionally authorized plains of exousia within the spiritual dimension. This is connected to and extends into the earthly sphere mainly through the specific exousia that Satan has to act in the cosmos and on the earth. This was an exousia he was created with, and something that even non-fallen angels acknowledge.

• Jude 1:9 – Yet Michael the archangel, in contending with the devil, when he disputed about the body of Moses, dared not bring against him a reviling accusation, but said, “The Lord rebuke you!”

 

Though Satan is totally corrupted by his sin, and beyond any kind of redemption, Michael didn’t see fit to point this out, or act like he could use that to drive off the devil. Rather, he pointed to the positional authority of someone higher, the Lord, in telling Satan to back off! In other words, he did not assume an authority unto himself to deal with Satan, which implicitly recognized an existing positional authority of Satan’s that existed in the created order. And we know that this positional authority related somehow to an exousia which gave Satan access to and a role in the earth. It is why he was in the Garden of Eden, not by accident, but by design. It is also why he, and no other demonic entity, is described as being the ruler of the world.

Yet, his exousia was somehow extended after the fall of man. This is because of man’s sin nature that enslaves him to lusts. Satan manipulates this to gain control of man through the fear of death. He is a thief after all, and this theft of man’s exousia, by getting them to willingly yield to his influence, is a major part of how he operates. It is a false exousia that is easily broken in Christ, but Satan is not totally banished from his access because he has the legal right to be active on the earth. The demons who follow him are simply doing what he does, in smaller measure, but always at his command, because they do not possess the same exousia. All efforts are to thwart the will of God in the earth, and to destroy mankind.

One of the main ways this work manifests itself is through godless men and women in position of earthly authority. Specifically, Paul had in mind men who have become so deluded with their earthly successes that they actually think they are gods! These are the kosmokratōrs. They are demon-possessed human beings of great power and influence who are being used to fight against the kingdom of God in the earth. The focus is not so much on the men in question, who are merely vessels, rather, the focus is on the evil entities behind the men, like the prince of Persia or prince of Greece.

The chief efforts of Satan and his other archē is in corrupting the hearts and minds of mankind completely so that their thoughts, their words, their affections, and their actions are set only on evil continually, just as in the days of Noah. These then are the pneumatikos that have effect in heavenly places. Just as faith and obedience motivate God’s angels to fight on our behalf (Psalm 91), so our doubts, sin and disobedience strengthen and animate the demonic in the heavenlies.

With all of this in view and considering that the word translated as “against” literally means, “to the advantage of; at, near, by; to, towards, with, with regard to”, this famous passage of Paul could be translated in the following manner.

• Ephesians 6:12 – For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against heavenly principalities, with jurisdictional authorities, focused on the rulers of the darkness of this age, regarding spiritual things of wickedness in the heavenly places.