Weird Stuff in the Bible

Demonology: The Hierarchy of Satan’s Kingdom in Ephesians 6
Ephesians 6

Introduction
Most Christians don’t realize this: not every thought you have is your own thought. Some of them are the thoughts of the Pneumatikos. What are the Pneumatikos? They’re those things Paul warned us about in Ephesians 6:12.
Once of the most famous New Testament verses. You’ve heard it. I’ve heard it. We’ve all heard it.
Ephesians 6:12 says (in the ESV)
For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.
We’ve read that. We’ve heard sermons on it. We’ve understood it- or, we think we do. We understand that this is talking about spiritual warfare. Satan’s army.
But what exactly are the rulers? What specifically are the authorities? Or cosmic powers? Or spiritual forces of evil?
These names might sound like the bad guys in an episode of Power Rangers. But what do all these phrases mean?
These terms refer to the hierarchy of power, or the ranks in the devil’s kingdom. Just like our military might have generals, captains, lieutenants, and infantry, the devil also has an organized militia. They take orders. There’s a chain of command. And if you listen all the way through today, you’ll understand this verse deeper than ever before, and you’ll have a much clearer understanding of how Satan’s kingdom operates.
There are demonic minions who operate at a very low level. There are principalities who operate at a very high level. And there is a prince of darkness at the very very top. (And it was not Ozzy Osbourne.)
I did find Ozzy Osbourne to be weird. But even more-so, I find Satan’s kingdom to be weird, and I’d like to know everything about it that we can find in the Bible.
And if you want to learn that, too, turn to Ephesians 6, and let’s get weird.
[theme music]

Get me to the greek
Welcome to Weird Stuff in the Bible, where we explore scripture passages that are bizarre, perplexing or just plain weird. This is Luke Taylor, and today we’re going to be talking about the hierarchy of power within Satan’s Kingdom AND how it functions.
And today’s lesson is going to be in two parts. First we’re going to define our terms, and then in the second half of today’s episode, we’ll explain how it functions.
So let’s start with some Greek definitions. And I want to go with the Greek today because if you read Ephesians 6:12 in different translations, it’s going to give you different words for these different ranks, and this gets real confusing real quick.
The ESV Said
For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.
So it gave us rulers, authorities, cosmic powers and spiritual forces of evil. The NIV is pretty similar.
It says
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.
So it also gave us rulers and authorities. Instead of saying cosmic powers, it said “powers of this dark world.” But pretty similar list.
However, most of us probably learned this verse first in the King James or the New King James.
which says it this way:
For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.
So the New King James gave us principalities first, then powers, then rulers of the darkness, and then spiritual hosts of wickedness. Where this gets really confusing is in the ESV, it had authorities second and powers third. In the NKJV, it had powers second and rulers third. The ESV and NIV had rulers first; the NKJV had rulers in the third place.
Now, why the switcheroo- are they operating off different manuscripts? It’s the same way in their original sources. Does the order matter? Yes it does. So why the switch? It’s because these terms are a little harder to translate into our English; there’s a little more flexibility in how they’re translated, especially on those two terms in the middle.
So I’m not going to focus on the English words today. I think it would be more fruitful if I teach you the Greek words. I don’t think this will be hard for you to pick up. Let’s learn the Greek words and their definitions, and then we don’t have to get so hung up on whether “rank 2” or “rank 3” should be translated as a power, or whether rank 1 is an authority or if that’s rank 3. Let’s just use the original Greek for this.

Arche
So let’s start with the first one, which the NKJV calls a principality. This is the top dog in the demonic hierarchy. The leadership class; top of the food chain.
In the Greek, this word is “arche” (ar-khay). (It’s one of those phlegmy words in the Greek where you got to get a little kkkkkkkhhhhh in your throat to say it right.) It looks like archay; it’s spelled a-r-c-h-e. Arche.
Here’s a way to remember this. If you remember from our studies on Daniel 10, there was this fallen angel mentioned who was the “prince” of Persia. If you remember, an angel- I think it was Gabriel- came to deliver a message to Daniel. Daniel had been praying and fasting for 21 days. When the angel arrived, he said this:
Daniel 10:12-13
The prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty-one days, but Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I was left there with the kings of Persia,
So this angel who came to deliver a message to Daniel said he was held up by the prince of Persia. Daniel was IN Persia at this time, so basically, the prince or principality over that region was this fallen angel who didn’t want Daniel to receive this message, so the principality held things up in the spiritual atmosphere- or as we dove into last week, the heavenly realms.
Then the verse said that Michael, a chief prince, came to help. We also learn in the book of Jude that Michael is not just any angel; he is an archangel. In the Greek it’s archaggelos.
I don’t speak Greek, but I can see what it plainly is from the English transliterations. It’s just a compound word. It’s the Greek word Arche which means “the top dog” and the Greek word aggelos which means “angel,” and it’s put them together. Arche-angel. Archangel.
The principality who is in charge of the territory of Greece is an Arche. Michael is a good version of an Arche. But Ephesians 6 is warning us about the bad versions of it.
I would say that the beings known as the Sons of God or Watchers might be Arches. Here’s what I’m pretty sure about: beings who are known as gods in the Bible who have idols made to worship them are probably these Arche spirits.
And if there are any archangels who fell and joined Satan’s rebellion, these would surely be Arches, too.
So if you just remember that “Arche” means “top dog” or elite like archangel, then that will help you remember what an Arche spirit is.

Exousia
The second type of spirit Ephesians 6 warns us about is called an Exousia in the Greek. (Ex - ooo - SEE - uh). This is the weirdest word you’ll learn today. E-x-o-u-s-i-a. Exousia.
I called it a second type of spirit, but I’m actually not sure that this necessarily is a spirit. I looked at every single time this word Exousia appears in the Greek New Testament (which was 103 times) and I can’t find anywhere that a specific spirit is called an Exousia. But the definition generally means power and authority.
Most of the time, Exousia refers to human authority. For example, when Pilate tells Jesus in
John 19:10-11
10 “Do You not know that I have power (exousia) to crucify You, and power to release You?”
11 Jesus answered, “You could have no power (exousia) at all against Me unless it had been given you from above. Therefore the one who delivered Me to you has the greater sin.”
So it can refer to human governmental power, but there is also a spiritual government, and from what I understand, Exousia refers to a principality’s authority or dominion. For example,
Colossians 1:16
For by Him (which is Jesus) all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers.
So we have two pairs there: thrones and dominions, as well as principalities and powers. So think about the first pair: a throne is a specific place of authority. The place where the king sits. The person who sits on the throne is the king. And everywhere that he is king of is his dominion. So the word throne refers to the person; the word dominion refers to the reach of his rule. Like we said in the previous episode, the president has his seat in the Oval Office, but his dominion is over the whole United States of America.
The second half of that phrase says “principalities or powers.” The principality is the spiritual person. The power is the reach of his authority or dominion. That’s what this word Exousia refers to.
So I don’t think it’s actually talking about a specific spirit in this second word Exousia. I think it’s talking about the dominion of the Arche, or principality.
It’s not just the reach of his dominion, but the limits of his power. An evil spirit has limitations placed on it. What we’ll learn in the second part of today’s lesson is that higher spirits- or even we humans- can set the limits of these dark spiritual powers.
Revelation 6:8
And I looked, and behold, a pale horse! And its rider's name was Death, and Hades followed him. And they were given authority (Exousia) over a fourth of the earth, to kill with sword and with famine and with pestilence and by wild beasts of the earth.
I’m not going to go too deep into eschatology today, but look at how this word is used. The fourth horseman of the apocalypse will be given Exousia or authority to kill a fourth of the people on planet earth. That’s the power he’s been given, but also the limit of his power. He cannot kill one-fourth of the population plus one. There’s a line drawn right there; he has rights to kill up to one-fourth of the people on the planet.
Another judgment of Revelation talks about these weird locust creatures that come out.
Revelation 9:3
Then from the smoke came locusts on the earth, and they were given power like the power (exousia) of scorpions of the earth.
So they were given this ability to sting people. BUT, they could not kill people. There’s a limit placed on their rights.
Revelation 9:10
They have tails and stings like scorpions, and their power to hurt people for five months is in their tails.
They can only hurt people, but they are not given rights to kill them. Spiritual beings have power, but there is a strict limit placed on them. They can only go where they are legally allowed to go and do what they’re legally allowed to do. That’s what Exousia means. It’s the legal limits of the authority of a evil spirit.
Earlier in Ephesians 2:2, it said Satan is “the prince of the power of the air.” The Archon of the Exousia of the air. The air is where he has some legal rights in the heavenly realm. Where his servants battle God’s angels.

kosmokrator
The next item on the list from Ephesians 6:12 is my favorite Greek word today: Kosmokrator. (Cosmo - cray - tor) This word is another compound word. Kosmo, which means world; and krator or kratos, which means dominator.
This is translated as “rulers of the darkness of this world” in the King James. The ESV rendered it “the cosmic powers over this present darkness.” This comes from that word Kosmokrator.
Frank Peretti also wrote that famous book “This Present Darkness” based off this, which is a fictional depiction of spiritual warfare. I read that book as a kid; I don’t think I finished it but it was very influential to my understanding of demonic forces. I need to read it again before endorsing it but I think it got a lot of things right. Anyway, “cosmic powers” or “powers of this dark world” are Kosmokrator.
And I just think Kosmokrator is a fun word to say. It sounds like a space ship or superweapon in Star Wars. “Bring out the Kosmokrator. Unleash the World Dominators.”
So a kosmokrator is a spirit who seeks control over the world. Who seeks domination. And not just necessarily the world, but a person. Kosmokrators want to control people. To demonize them. To create strongholds. When we talk about someone being possessed and that a demon is speaking through someone, I believe that’s a situation where a kosmokrator has got in there.
To explain how this happens, I’m gonna go ahead and talk about the fourth category in Ephesians 6:12, and then we’ll come back to kosmokrators as we talk about how they function.

Pneumatikos
So the last thing we’ll look at today is the spiritual forces of evil in the ESV, or “spiritual hosts of wickedness” in the NKJV. This is the Greek word Pneumatikos. (That’s another fun word to say.) (noo - mah - TEE - koss)
Kind of a compound word again; pneuma- means spirit. The study of the Holy Spirit is called Pneumatology, for example. Pneuma means spirit, and tikos means “pertaining to.” So it’s not really a compound word; tikos is more of a suffix.
Pneumatikos refers to the lowest class of evil spirit. Spirits of infirmity and sickness. Spirits of temptation. These are the “grunts.” We started at the top. We talked about principalities which are the big dogs. These are the bottom of the totem pole. What we normally mean when we say “demons” or “unclean spirits."
Most of the time, pneumatikos is translated “spiritual” and refers to things which are of the Holy Spirit. But in Ephesians 6:12, it’s talking about spirits of wickedness. I would say most demons are probably just pneumatikos. Low-level evil spirits.
Still dangerous. The Greek words in Ephesians 6:12 say they are malicious and depraved. That’s why they’re spiritual forces of wickedness.
So we still have a bit of time for today; let’s talk about how Satan’s kingdom operates.

How Satan’s Kingdom functions
Again, we covered these Greek terms today:
Arche, or principalities; the evil spirits in charge.
Exousia- the limits of an Arche’s power
Kosmokrators- those who want domination in the world
Pneumatikos- the low-level evil spirits who tempt and afflict humans
Let’s talk about the organization of Satan’s kingdom now. If you remember from a couple of weeks ago, we discussed Satan’s agenda in the Garden of Eden- and it’s the same agenda today. Satan and his spirits seek domination of planet earth. They seek it in three areas: over your eternity, keeping you from heaven; over your life, which means you’ll still deal with them for the rest of your earthly life even after you’re saved. And over physical space or territory on planet earth. They want the dominion of man, and they achieve legal rights to our dominion through sin. (If you don’t know what I’m talking about, go back and listen to that episode from two weeks back- and also listen next week because I’ll also go into that subject some more).
Here is how they attack. It starts with the pneumatikos. It starts at the bottom. It starts in your life. You are tempted to sin.
Let’s say someone upsets you. Your cousin Jimmy asks you to loan him $50 and says he’ll pay you back by the end of the month. Well, the end of the month comes and your cousin hasn’t said anything. You get a little irritated. You hear a voice in your head: “that cousin Jimmy, so selfish, he’s forgotten all about paying you back. He doesn’t care about you.” And you get by fine because you’re doing OK without that $50, but then a few more weeks go by and that voice keeps bringing it back to your attention: “that selfish Jimmy. Look at all that stuff he’s buying instead of paying you back. Look at all those times he ate out without repaying you.” And the anger keeps building. Another month goes by, Jimmy still hasn’t said anything. And you’re like, I don’t really need the $50. But that voice in your head goes, “No, it’s the principle of the matter!”
You see, anger is natural. But this Pneumatikos spirit knows how to really stir the pot and keep bringing it around to your mind. You see, that anger has created an open door into your mind. And the enemy is using it as an entry point to plant his thoughts in your head. This is why Ephesians warns us
In chapter 4, verses 26-27
26 “In your anger do not sin”: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, 27 and do not give the devil a foothold.
(That’s how the NIV puts it and I usually don’t like the NIV but as I’ve been studying Ephesians, I think the NIV is my favorite on this book)
If you’re angry, you give the devil a foothold. A way for these Pneumatikos to stick their foot in the door, and handle for them to grab on and speak to you and drop their thoughts into your head. And once they’ve grabbed on, they won’t leave until you break off the handle.
I don’t think most Christians realize that a lot of thoughts we think are not our own thoughts. They are the thoughts of the Pneumatikos, and that’s why II Corinthians tells us to take every thought captive. Because if we keep letting Pneumatikos control our thoughts, here’s what happens. It makes room for a Kosmokrator to step in.
Key point: The function of a Pneumatikos is to create a legal right for a Kosmokrator to have authority in your life. I know we’ve covered a lot today, but that’s something you probably want to write down if you want to understand how Satan’s kingdom operates.
Broadly speaking, when we sin, we give the devil authority in our lives. Specifically, Pneumatikos- the spiritual forces of wickedness- are trying to get us to sin bad enough or to such a degree that it allows a Kosmokrator spirit to have Exousia in our life. When you have a Kosmokrator, the enemy has a lot more control over you. This kosmokrator will have a lot of influence in your life.
To go back to anger as an example: we all get mad. We all give in to anger from time to time. You might yell at your spouse or yell at your kids. That’s normal. Not saying it’s right, but it’s pretty typical to give into anger from time to time; and hopefully you go back and apologize afterwards.
But some people have anger issues. They fly off the handle really quickly. You have to walk on eggshells around them. You never know what can set them off. They’ve got a short fuse. They struggle with controlling their anger. They’re always mad about something. Maybe that’s you. Maybe you know you’re just a generally angry person and you don’t know how to get over it.
That sounds like a Kosmokrator has established itself in your life. It’s dominating you. It’s a more powerful spirit, so that’s why it’s a more powerful temptation for you (or you feel like you have a weakness in that area). You might even feel like you aren’t in control of yourself; that something else is taking over you when you get mad. I think that’s a Kosmokrator- a dominator. They are spirits of control.
Pornography is probably the most common example of this nowadays. So many men- and I’m even hearing women- are addicted to it. How does it happen? It starts with a seductive spirit of a Pneumatikos trying to get you to visit one of those websites. If you give in to the temptation, it’ll be easier the next time, because now it’s established a legal right- and open door- right into your mind to tempt you again. And if you keep doing that enough times, eventually a Kosmokrator gains domination over you, and now you're addicted. It’s very hard to quit. That’s how these spirits operate and get so much control and domination over you. Again, the word for this is stronghold. That stronghold needs torn down and that Kosmokrator’s influence broken for someone to be free.

How to Repent
So, I have some more to say on this subject because I didn’t get to principalities today. I have so much I could say on principalities. Like, next time, I really wanted to do an episode on I Corinthians 6:3 about how we will judge angels, but I think I may need to hold off on that a couple weeks because there are a few more episodes I’d like to do about the spiritual mechanics in Satan’s kingdom.
Perhaps when I get all done with this series in a few weeks, I could like hop on Youtube for a couple hours and just go over ALL of this stuff again, put all the pieces together so that we understand ALL of it. If you’d like to see that, just let me know.
weirdstuffintheBible@gmail.com.
Or visit the website: WeirdStuffInTheBible.com
In closing, I just want to say, if you’re concerned about Kosmokrators or that you’ve given these Pneumatikos a legal right to oppress you in your life, you might be saying: how do I get them out?
The answer to that is repentance of the specific sin that let them in. You go to God and you say, God, I repent for my actions that first time I committed that sin and every time after. If you have a pornography problem, maybe you go back to that first time you watched pornography and didn’t look away- the first time you lost control of your anger- whatever the issue is that you’re trying to get victory in- and you say Lord, I repent of that specific thing. If any spirit got a foothold in my life from that moment on, I ask you to send it away and set me free by the blood of Jesus.
And if the Lord brings any other memories to your mind associated with that behavior, just confess them and repent of them. If you’re a child of God, that’s really all it takes. Repentance removes the legal right that that spirit has over you. And then ask God to bind that spirit and send it away. And don’t give it another right to return.
And you will especially recognize those strongholds in your life because they are the places where you just can’t seem to find freedom. Addictive behaviors, patterns of sin you can’t break. Ask the Lord to take you back to where it all began. Where did that legal right get established in your life. Tell the Lord, “I know I’ve repented of my sins before in a general sense, but Lord, show me if there’s a specific one I need to go back to.” And don’t worry that it’s something you’ve forgotten, because the Lord can bring it to remembrance. He’ll do it, because He wants you to be free even more than you do. And if it’s something that significant, it’s probably stuck in your head.
Guys, this is HOW we do Ephesians 6:12. This is how we wrestle in the spiritual realm and declare the manifold wisdom of God in the heavenly realms. You tell these spirits they have been disarmed, they are bound, and they no longer have legal rights to your life.
And that’s a good place to leave things this week in a personal sense. Next week, I want to go deeper into how Satan’s kingdom functions and talk about how a principality can become established over a region.
I know a lot of this sounds strange, but a lot of this was more clear and obvious to Paul’s original audience. You know that phrase “it’s all Greek to me”? Well, it was all Greek to them, too, but they actually spoke Greek. We actually have to learn these terms so we can understand what Paul’s talking about.
And over time, the church has lost or downplayed some of the supernatural elements of our faith. We have a language barrier to some of these issues. And so wrestling with evil spirits sounds weird.
The Bible is not weird. WE are weird, because we don’t know about Arches and Exousias and Kosmokrators and Pneumatikos. But now we do. Thanks for listening, God bless you for sticking around until the end, and we’ll see you next time on Weird Stuff in the Bible.