Demons and the believer

[mizpeh]

Originally Posted by Esaias

Titus 3:1 Put them in mind to be subject to principalities and powers, to obey magistrates, to be ready to every good work,

Esaias, I should have filtered my response to you. I have high regard and respect for your knowledge of the bible, your intelligence, and sincere love of God.


BUT not every time we read "principalities, powers" does it necessarily refer to human powers.

Have you read "God at War" by Greg Boyd?

In chapter 10, beginning on page 270, Boyd presents "The New Testament's conception of the Demonic Realm". First he gives NT references to Satan, then:

"The many references to lesser demonic figures follow the same pattern. As in the Gospels, they are often referred to simply as demons (Rom 8:38; 1 Cor 10:20-21; 1 Tim 4:1; Jas 2:19; Rev 9:20, 16:14; 18:2). Other times they are referred to as messengers or angels (Rom 8:38; 1 Cor 6:3; 11:10?; 2 Cor 12:7; Gal 1:8; Col 2:18; 1 Pet 3:22; Jude 6; Rev 12:7,9).

Still other times, especially in Paul, we find superhuman beings, some good and some evil, referred to in more esoteric apocalyptic terminology. Hence Paul sometimes refers to what appear to be high-level angelic beings as archai or archontes("rulers" or "principalities", Rom 8:38; 1 Cor 2:6, 8; 15:24; Eph 1:21; 3:10; 6:12; Col 1:16; 2:10, 15), and to still other classes of heavenly beings with the terms kyriotetos ("dominions," Eph 1:21, Col 1:16), kosmokratores("cosmic powers," Eph 6:12), thronoi("thrones," Col 1:16) and pneumatika ("spiritual forces," Eph 6:12). Finally, he is in all probability referring to something akin to "angels of nature" with the phrase stoicheia tou kosmou ("elemental spirits of the universe," Col 2:8, 20; Gal 4:3, 8-9)."