The Powers That Be: Demonic Influence and Redemption

Aug 30, 2026

Devotional

Day 1: The Spiral of Good, Fallen, and Redeemable Powers

Systems of power—governments, churches, corporations—carry a divine spark twisted by human brokenness. Like a spiral, they have an inner spiritual core and outer material structures meant to serve human flourishing. Yet these systems often warp into self-serving forces, oppressing the very people they were designed to protect. The call is not to idolize, demonize, or fixate on reforming them, but to hold all three truths: their original goodness, present brokenness, and potential redemption. This tension invites us to engage with discernment rather than cynicism or blind allegiance. [01:07:49]

“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.” (Ephesians 6:12, NIV)

Reflection: Where have you seen a system (political, religious, or social) reflect both its God-given purpose and its corrupted reality? How might you honor its original intent while resisting its harm?

Day 2: Stupidity as Surrendered Independence

Stupidity is not ignorance, but the surrender of moral autonomy to oppressive systems. Like those under Nazi rule or plantation slavery, people trade critical thought for slogans and safety, becoming tools of the very powers that dehumanize them. This spiritual numbness silences the inner unease God designed to warn against evil. To resist stupidity is to reclaim the courage to question, even when it costs comfort or belonging. [01:22:01]

“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.” (Romans 12:2, NIV)

Reflection: When have you prioritized fitting into a group’s ideology over listening to your conscience? What one step could help you reclaim holy curiosity today?

Day 3: The Church’s Dangerous Vocation

God’s wisdom is not for pews but for principalities. The church exists to confront corrupt powers—governments, markets, ideologies—with the disruptive news of Christ’s lordship. Like Moses before Pharaoh or Stephen before religious leaders, this means naming oppression while pointing systems back to their creational purpose: serving life, not exploiting it. Silence is compliance; prophetic action is nonnegotiable. [01:25:54]

“His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms.” (Ephesians 3:10, NIV)

Reflection: What system in your community needs to hear “let my people go”? How can your voice or actions declare God’s better story this week?

Day 4: From Complicity to Courageous Responsibility

Romans 13’s call to submit to governing authorities is not a blank check. When systems abandon their role as “God’s servants for your good,” resistance becomes holy. This looks like Rosa Parks sitting, Bonhoeffer plotting, or ordinary believers challenging unjust policies. Responsibility means weighing consequences but refusing to let fear veto obedience. [01:14:36]

“Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” (Romans 12:21, NIV)

Reflection: Where have you tolerated a “lesser evil” to avoid conflict? What small act of courage could shift a situation toward redemption?

Day 5: Reversing the Spiral Through Relentless Love

The spiral of corruption begins with God’s good design, fractures through human sin, but can be rewound through Christ-centered defiance. Like a remnant rebuilding a broken city, believers inject grace into systems by feeding the hungry, housing the marginalized, and forgiving enemies. This subversion relies not on force but the stubborn persistence of love. [01:30:00]

“Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves.” (Romans 12:9-10, NIV)

Reflection: What corrupt pattern in your workplace, family, or culture could you begin to reverse through daily, ordinary acts of integrity?

Sermon Summary

The powers that be are not just some big horned puppeteer guy controlling random politicians. Paul’s language of rulers and authorities points to realities that are both spiritual and material. Ephesians 6 names the powers as spiritual forces in heavenly realms, while Romans 13 names those same powers in governing structures on earth. The powers are the inner spirit and outer structure of human systems like families, churches, corporations, and nations.

Colossians insists that the powers were created in Christ, through Christ, and for Christ. The powers are therefore good by creation, but Ephesians also names powers that have become dark and evil. The powers must be held as good, fallen, and redeemable all at the same time. Idolatry happens when a government, church, or system gets treated as fully good, while cynicism happens when something God made gets treated as only evil.

Romans 13 gives the powers their function: they are God’s servants for humanity’s good. A ruler or authority that refuses the general welfare and begins serving its own interests has become diseased and demonic. Babel, Babylon, Rome, slave-trading America, Nazi Germany, and every other oppressive order show the same pattern: human beings build foolishness upon God’s good creation and call it normal. The church itself must not escape this diagnosis, because the church is also a power that remains good, fallen, and in need of redemption.

Bonhoeffer’s theory of stupidity names the way rising power steals inner independence. Stupidity does not mean lacking intelligence; it means surrendering morality, critical thought, conscience, and voice to slogans and catchwords. The powers make people into mindless tools, capable of evil while unable to see evil for what it is. Contempt toward people caught in that spell repeats the same error, because nothing despised in another person is foreign to the human heart.

Ephesians 3 gives the church its vocation: the manifold wisdom of God must be made known to the rulers and authorities. The church must say, like Moses, “Let my people go”; like the Hebrew boys, “We will not worship your gods”; and like Bonhoeffer, “No.” Romans 12 supplies the shape of that resistance through sincere love, hospitality, solidarity, peace, and overcoming evil with good. The remnant must move toward the corrupted parts of every power and call them back to God’s original good intent, until systems begin serving human flourishing and the kingdom starts building around them.

Key Takeaways

1. Powers are good, fallen, redeemable. The powers cannot be safely reduced to either heroes or enemies. Governments, churches, businesses, and families carry God-given purposes, yet every one of them can become bent inward and begin serving itself. Christian discernment holds creation, fall, and redemption together without turning any human system into an idol. [70:36]
2. Demonic systems abandon human flourishing. Romans 13 does not hand blank-check loyalty to every authority. Authority serves God when it seeks the collective good, protects the vulnerable, and makes room for human thriving. Power becomes demonic when it treats people as expendable material for its own survival, profit, control, or image. [74:36]
3. Stupidity forfeits inner independence. Bonhoeffer’s warning is not mainly about intellect or education. Stupidity takes hold when slogans replace discernment and loyalty to a rising power silences conscience. Faithfulness requires refusing to sell divine freedom, moral vision, and critical thought for the comfort of belonging. [83:37]
4. The church must speak kingdom wisdom. Ephesians 3 gives the church more than a private religious assignment. The church exists to make God’s vast wisdom known to rulers and authorities, including powers that have lost their way. That calling requires responsible action, not blind compliance, fear-driven silence, or contempt for neighbors. [85:54]
5. Evil is overcome through concrete good. Romans 12 places spiritual warfare inside actual human life: hospitality, generosity, peace, prayer, and care for those in need. Resistance to demonic power does not mirror the power’s cruelty or hunger for domination. The Holy Spirit forms a people whose goodness confronts evil and calls broken systems back toward their original vocation.

## [88:37]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[56:33] - The Powers That Be
[57:18] - Tragedy and Demonic Influence
[60:20] - Beyond the Puppet Master Picture
[61:28] - Angels, Nations, and Churches
[64:26] - Powers as Spiritual Realities
[65:11] - Powers as Material Realities
[67:49] - Created Good Through Christ
[69:15] - Good, Fallen, and Redeemable
[72:59] - When Authority Becomes Demonic
[77:47] - The Church and the Powers
[82:01] - Bonhoeffer’s Theory of Stupidity
[85:28] - The Church’s Responsibility
[88:07] - Overcome Evil With Good
[90:00] - Calling Powers Back to God’s Goodness
[91:44] - A Call to Responsible Action

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading

Ephesians 3:10
“His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms, according to his eternal purpose that he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
[01:25:54]

Romans 13:1-4
“Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. Consequently, whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves. For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and you will be commended. For the one in authority is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for rulers do not bear the sword for no reason. They are God’s servants, agents of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer.”
[01:14:36]

Ephesians 6:12
“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.”
[01:04:38]

Colossians 1:15-17
“The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.”
[01:07:49]

Romans 12:9-21
“Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality. Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited. Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord. On the contrary: “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”
[01:28:37]

Observation questions

In Colossians 1:15-17, what words does Paul use to describe where rulers, authorities, and powers came from, and who they belong to? [01:08:03]
Ephesians 6:12 says the struggle is not against “flesh and blood.” What kinds of enemies does Paul name instead, and where does he say they operate?
According to Romans 13:4, what is the intended purpose of an authority? What phrase gives a clear measure for whether authority is doing its job? [01:14:30]
In Romans 12:9-21, what specific actions does Paul name that move believers away from revenge and toward overcoming evil with good? [01:28:42]

Interpretation questions

If rulers and authorities were created through Christ and for Christ, but Ephesians 6 also speaks of dark spiritual forces, how can a government, church, business, or family be both good by creation and fallen in practice? [01:10:16]
Romans 13 calls authority God’s servant “for your good.” What might it look like when a governing authority serves the general welfare, and what signs show that it has begun serving its own power, image, profit, or survival instead? [01:14:36]
Bonhoeffer described “stupidity” as losing inner independence rather than lacking intelligence. How can slogans, group loyalty, fear, or the desire to belong make a person unable to recognize evil clearly? [01:23:12]
Ephesians 3:10 gives the church the task of making God’s wisdom known to rulers and authorities. What is the difference between faithfully speaking kingdom truth to a broken system and simply attacking people who are part of that system? [01:26:18]

Application questions

Think about the powers that shape your everyday life: family, workplace, school, church, neighborhood, media, or government. Where do you see something that is still good and worth honoring, but also clearly fallen and in need of redemption? [01:11:58]
Is there a human system you have been tempted to treat as completely good—something you defend no matter what? Or have you treated a system as completely evil and beyond hope? What would it look like to hold together its goodness, fallenness, and possibility of redemption?
Where are you most vulnerable to surrendering your inner independence—through social media, political talk, workplace pressure, religious culture, fear of conflict, or the need to fit in? What could help you keep your conscience, moral clarity, and voice rooted in Christ? [01:24:12]
When you see people who seem captured by slogans or loyalty to a power, do you feel contempt toward them? What might change if you remembered that the same human weakness exists in every heart, including your own? [01:24:23]
Romans 12 calls believers to sincere love, hospitality, generosity, blessing enemies, and peace. Which one of these practices could become a concrete way for you to resist evil this week—especially in a relationship where anger, division, or resentment has taken root? [01:29:19]
Where might God be inviting you to become a responsible voice rather than remaining silent, cynical, or afraid? This may involve a need in your neighborhood, unfairness at work or school, care for people without housing, or a concern within the church. What is one faithful next step you could take? [01:33:51]
Overcoming evil with good does not mean pretending evil is harmless. What would it look like for you to name what is wrong clearly while still refusing revenge, cruelty, dehumanizing language, or hatred? [01:29:40]

Sermon Clips

70s

#NotEnslaved

“Church, I shouldn't have to say that we are not called to be enslaved to the powers that be. I can't say this enough. We are not called to be enslaved to the powers that be. An interesting thing about this enough is that revelation shows us that the church is also caught up in this power. So as we're trying not to be caught up in in in in, you know, the powers being oppressed by the the powers of government and all these sort of things, we are also a power in ourself that is also fallen, that is also good, and that also needs to be redeemed over and over and over again. But we are not called to be enslaved to the powers that be, for Paul tells us that the powers were created to be God's servants for our collective good, for humanity's collective good. And when they don't, or to put it in simple terms, when the powers become demonic, we must be that voice calling them back to their original vocation of serving general human welfare.”

46s

#ResistUnjustPower

“This is the function. This is the function of the powers. If a ruler, a government, an authority, or power is not a servant of God for humanity's good, then we are just in our rebellion against it. Why? Because such a power has now become demonic and has strayed away from its original intent, God's original intent for it, for humanity, which was for human thriving. We love Bonhoeffer, and he rebelled against the powers that be. We love Martin Luther King, and he rebelled against the powers that be. We love Saint Paul, and he rebelled against the powers that be. We love Jesus, and he rebelled against the powers that be.”

31s

#FaithInAction

“This is spiritual warfare against the powers that be. And the reality is that spiritual warfare against the powers that be isn't just some invisible warfare. It's not just us struggling against, you know, the big horned puppeteer guy in the sky. That's a part of it. I do I do genuinely believe that it is a massive part of it, and we'll get to that eventually. But it also plays out in real life. It also looks like, Rosa Parks sitting on the back of that bus. It also looks like Bonhoeffer saying, no. Right?”

46s

#PowersAreRedeemable

“Reexamining this, we can see that these same powers that Paul just said are good, he's now telling us are dark and evil. So how can this be? Can, are are the are the powers intrinsically evil, are they inherently good? Or are they somewhere there's some weird spectrum of good and evil, and they're just kinda landed somewhere on there. Well, Walter Wink would say that none of the above are correct. Instead, what he would say is that good and evil, to varying degrees, are a a I'm sorry. That the powers are good and evil to varying degrees, and they are capable of improvement all at the same time. So my assertion this morning is this, the powers are all at the same time good, fallen, and redeemable.”

23s

#UndoDemonicSystems

“I can't say this enough. In partnership with Satan himself, we have built foolishness upon God's good creation, be that of government or of order or of church or of economic systems, and rendered them demonic in the sight of not only God, but also in due time, the rest of humanity.”

32s

#LoveNotContempt

“My second call is to those who may feel contempt towards their neighbor. You get on social media and you see people you don't agree with, or you see people who you think that you you heard that Bonhopper quote and you're just thinking of people. You think of people in your family and all these sorts of things. As you hear me talk today, you're fine, you're looking for a scapegoat to blame everything I'm talking about on. I want to remind you of what Bonhopper said, nothing of which you despise in another is foreign to yourself. Today is a good day to ask for forgiveness and to move forward in deeper unity. And lastly,”

45s

#InnerOuterPowers

“So the structure of these powers is this, they are both, the powers are both at the same time spiritual and material realities in a way that they manifest themselves. The powers are good, the powers are fallen, and the powers must be redeemed all at the same time. My simple definition for what we just worked through is this. The powers are the inner spirit and outer structure of any human system, be that family, church, corporation, or nation, that has persisted long enough to develop its own roles, patterns, and self perpetuating identity capable of shaping the people within it as much as being shaped by them, either for good or for ill intent.”

44s

#PatternOfCorruption

“This habit of powers becoming, demonically dominated is no new story. The Nazis were not the first demonic governmental power, nor was slave trading America the first demonically influenced society. This is a pattern. We see it in Babel to Sodom and Gomorrah, to Israel, as God split seas for them, and yet still they sway away. Still, they refuse to worship God. We see this in the inception of old Babylon and Neo Babylon. We see it in the Greeks. We see it to the Romans, to the Mandinkas, to the French, to the German, to the English, and yes, to the Americans over and over again in partnership with Satan himself.”

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