GOD'S EVERLASTING LOVE For I am persuaded that neither . . . principalities nor powers . . .shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." – Tomorrow:
"Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written: 'For Your sake we are killed all day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.' Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities 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." (Romans 8:35-39, NKJV)
PRINCIPALITIES and POWERS
The unseen world has a sort of hierarchy. All personalities in the realm of the spiritual world are not the same. On the side of righteousness, for example, there are not only angels, but "arch angels" (1 Thess 4:16; Jude 9), cherubim (Gen 3:24; Ezek 10:3), seraphim (Isa 6:2,6), and four living creatures (Rev 4:6-8). There are also "principalities" among this mighty and holy host (Eph 3:10; Col 1:16). All of these are for us, not against us. These are NOT the "principalities," however, of reference.
There are evil "principalities" powerful spirits that have dominion over regions. While we are not provided a lot of information about them, sufficient is revealed to make us glory in Divine protection. Were we given to actually behold the forces that are aligned against us, our hearts would fail because of fear.
The Testimony of Daniel
We are exposed to three of these "principalities" in the book of Daniel. In the first year of the reign of Darius the Mede, Daniel "understood by books" that the Babylonian captivity was about to come to an end (Dan 9:2). The books are said to be those of Jeremiah, in which the captivity was specified to be seventy years in duration (Jer 25:11,12; 29:10). Daniel set himself at once to pray about this matter.
Some time later, during the third year of the reign of Cyrus king of Persia, a message was revealed to Daniel. The message concerned a great conflict that would occur in the unseen realms. Daniel understood the message, beginning a vigil of mourning that lasted three full weeks. During that entire period, he ate no tasty food. No meat or wine touched his lips, and he put no refreshing ointments on his body (10:1-3).
Following this twenty-one day vigil, a heavenly messenger appeared to Daniel. He informed the prophet that as soon as Daniel had begun to pray, he had been dispatched from heaven in response, to bring an answer to him. However, a spiritual power had confronted and detained him in battle for twenty-one days. His words concerning this occasion are certainly arresting. "But the prince of the kingdom of Persia 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 of Persia" (10:13, NJKV).
It is staggering to consider the magnitude of the opposing power this mighty and holy angel confronted. Angels, we know, have no difficulty in their confrontations with mortal men. A single angel slew 185,000 of Sennacherib's army in a single evening, with no difficulty whatsoever (2 Kgs 19:35). Yet, "the prince of Persia" successful detained this angel for twenty-one days! Not only that, "Michael, one of the chief princes" came to "help" him, thereby freeing him to bring the message to Daniel!
That was not even the end of the matter. After delivering his message, the angel said to Daniel, "And now I must return to fight with the prince of Persia; and when I have gone forth, indeed the prince of Greece will come" (10:20).
Here Daniel was told of three spiritual princes. One was "Michael," who was holy. The other two were opposing forces who were apparently seeking the continued removal of Israel from their land. We know that one of Michael's chief responsibilities is the people of Israel (Dan 12:1). He stands for them.
This record provides an explanation for the overthrow of the kingdom of Persia and the consequent dominance of the Grecian empire. It was not mere military power that overthrew Persia, even though historians may imagine that to be the case. There was a wicked "principality" over Persia, as well as one over "Greece." Considering them within the framework of the government of God, they were the real governors of those nations.
When the angel of the Lord came to Daniel with a message from heaven, it appears as though "the prince of Persia" knew the intent of the message, and thus sought to stop it from being delivered. It would, after all, announce his own demise. Later, another "principality," "the prince of Greece," would overthrow "the prince of Persia." That overthrow was evidenced in the fall of Persia and the rise of Greece to military and political prominence.
We have no doubt witnessed a similar deposing of spiritual forces in our time. The fall of Japan, Germany, and the Soviet Union was not the result of military strength or political expertise. Those falls took place in the higher realms.
Now the question before us is whether or not these "principalities" can drive a wedge between the redeemed and the Redeemer! Can they push us beyond the perimeter of the love of God? Emphatically, they cannot! That is the persuasion of faith, and it is founded upon unalterable reality.
The fact that they cannot separate us from the love of God is not owing to their weakness, but to the greatness of God's salvation, and the pressing nature of His remarkable love.
These "principalities" have all been plundered by the Lord Jesus. The plundering occurred in His atoning death. As it is written, "And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in it" (Col 2:15). Other translations say He "disarmed" the principalities and powers. They were not, however, annihilated or rendered extinct, as some erroneously suppose.
We Now Wrestle Against Them
These "principalities and powers," who once detained mighty angels, are now engaged by the saints of the most high God. It is written, "For we wrestle 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" (Eph 6:12). The spoiling of them by Jesus, therefore, does not mean they have been utterly removed. Rather, they have been so disarmed that we can now struggle against them for the freedom and enlightenment of the people.
To be sure, they cannot separate us from the love of God. However, the love of God can separate us from their malicious intents! How good it would be to have a revival of awareness in this area. Oh, that men would not only see the magnitude of the real foes we face, but that they are impotent to turn God against us, or separate from His love, upon which we depend!
PRAYER POINT: Father, in the name of Jesus, I thank You that Your love is so effective in keeping me that all of the powers of the enemy are impotent to nullify it.