The Fallen Principalities and Powers

Paul writes in Ephesians 6:12 that the Christian's wrestling 'is not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.' The same Greek words — archai and exousiai — are used in Colossians 1:16 for angelic orders that Christ created and rules. The same words appear in Ephesians 6 as opponents. The doctrine is straightforward: some of these orders have fallen, and the gospel announces their defeat.

Colossians 2:15 is the central text. Paul writes that on the Cross, Christ 'spoiled principalities and powers, [and] made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.' The Greek verb thriambeuō is the technical word for the Roman triumphal procession — the public parade in which a victorious general displayed his conquered enemies to the city. Paul takes that image and applies it to the Cross. What looked like Christ's defeat was in fact the public defeat of the fallen principalities. The Cross is the triumph; the fallen orders are the captives being paraded.

Patristic theology — especially Athanasius, Irenaeus, and later Gustaf Aulén's recovery of the Christus Victor model in the twentieth century — placed this defeat at the heart of the atonement. The death of Christ was not only the payment for sin but the public unbinding of the powers that had held humanity captive. The Resurrection seals the victory. The principalities and powers still operate within the world, but their dominion is broken. They contest a kingdom that is no longer theirs.

Eschatologically, Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 15:24–25 that Christ 'must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet,' and that at the end he will deliver up the Kingdom to the Father, 'when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power.' Every ruler, every authority, every power — including the fallen ones — will be subjected to the Lordship of Christ. The end is not in doubt.