Christ is the visible image of the invisible God. He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation, for through him God created everything in the heavenly realms and on earth. He made the things we can’t see—such as thrones, kingdoms, rulers and authorities in the unseen world. Everything was created through him and for him. Colossians 1:15-16
Who is running this world? Presidents, prime ministers, kings?
This world is not what it should be or what it was created to be. Because what we see isn’t all that there is. We live in the visible world but there’s an invisible world that affects us all.
“The running of the world—the world in rebellion to God—is not merely in the hands of presidents, prime ministers, and kings,” explains one writer. “This world is equally governed by the angelic rulers of a heavenly assembly, world-rulers of … darkness.” Although they were created by and for Jesus, these beings rebelled—and have been “actively working against God’s good intentions for his creation, including humanity.”[1]
Here’s what Scripture says: “Christ is the visible image of the invisible God. He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation, for through him God created everything in the heavenly realms and on earth. He made the things we can’t see—such as thrones, kingdoms, rulers and authorities in the unseen world. Everything was created through him and for him” (Colossians 1:15-16).
Today these beings temporarily affect rulers, governments and people. But if you’re a follower of Jesus, Scripture says, “He has set you free from the spiritual powers of this world” (Colossians 2:20).
The Bible explains that Jesus “ … disarmed the spiritual rulers and authorities. He shamed them publicly by his victory over them on the cross” (Colossians 2:15). Their final days are coming, when Jesus “will remove the cloud of doom, the shadow of death that hangs over the earth.” “‘Look, He will say, ‘I am making everything new!’” (Isaiah 24:21-23, 25:7, Revelation 21:5). Who is running the world? Jesus is. And that extends to the tiniest detail of your life.
[1] Paauw, Glenn. Jesus’ Victory over the Powers (Powers and Principalities Pt. 5). Institute For Bible Reading, 6 September 2022, instituteforbiblereading.org/jesus-victory-over-the-powers-powers-and-principalities-5/.
