The Fall
We have not sufficiently understood the meaning of the Fall. It was not only Adam and Eve, but very creation itself that was affected by the Fall. The Fall was the most significant tragedy, the greatest collapse, and the greatest catastrophe in the history of creation. The Fall brought the entire creation into corruption, including the angelic realm. These fallen angels, under the leadership of Satan, still maintain their governmental places. They were designed and created in the realm over the earth to aid and abet the redemptive work of God in the earth, by bringing a certain kind of order through their influence. It was to be a benign influence in accordance with the purposes of God, that men would have an atmosphere hospitable to finding God, to knowing Him, and to coming into His salvation. Though they were intended as a benign influence in the aiding of God in His purposes, they have now, in their rebellion against the purposes of their Creator, taken unto themselves their own purposes. Their ruler Satan seeks to be deified, and to turn the loyalties and attention of men unto himself, and to establish his own values contrary to God's, and thus turn men away from God. They have taken their governmental place, and used it for themselves to become the gods of this world.
We can see it, for example, in race and nation. God created races and nations, but not to become idolatries as things in themselves. This was clearly revealed in the Nazi time, when the nation Germany became elevated above God. There were principalities and powers playing upon nationality to bring the worship and attention of men to themselves. The very German theologians, who would not consider this subject, had to experience these powers in the paganism, the violence, and the death that characterized Nazi Germany. When those powers broke through, they turned the loyalties of men to themselves, in the name of race and nation. They established a new order that was a perverse, antichrist distortion.
Someone has wisely said that Germany lost World War II, but the same powers of darkness that precipitated it remain unchallenged to this day. The Nazi regime was defeated militarily, but the spirit powers, who expressed themselves through that nation to the virtual destruction of the civilized world, prevail still. The same spirits hover over that nation¾and all nations¾waiting for the conditions again by which they can come and manifest themselves, even to the turning of a nation to the most satanic purposes. We would be foolish and naive to continue in a willful ignorance of these realities.
We have no idea of the influence of the principalities and powers. Nazism took hold, not in some primitive nation, but in the most eminent and prominent civilization of all nations. What is more, it took as little as ten years. They went 'too far' and revealed themselves, not being satisfied merely to exert their influence invisibly, but took captive the whole organ of state. If we fail to understand what the Nazi phenomenon means, we will continue in an ignorance that for us will be tragic. What took place in Nazi Germany was a preview of Last Days' antichrist reality. The things that have been veiled and concealed are being unveiled and revealed in open antagonism against God. We are coming to the final showdown in which the principalities and powers will be seeking complete domination over this cosmos at the end of the age. God has created this governmental realm to sustain creation, but the powers of the air function today in opposition to what was divinely and originally assigned them. They behave as though they were the ultimate ground and reason for being. They gave to themselves a power beyond God's intention, namely, to be seen as something ultimate. And they have taken the things that God intended as ultimate and made them to be irrelevant, like for example, eternity. They have turned the whole value system the wrong way up. When the apostles came into the world, they turned the world upside-down. They brought back the original and Divine perspective for creation, which had been lost, because the whole of creation and nations had come under this demonic order. They were reversing the true values for which God gave the creation.
You say, "Just how influential are these spirit powers?" They were sufficiently influential to crucify Christ:
Yet we do speak wisdom among those who are mature; a wisdom, however, not of this age, nor of the rulers of this age, who are passing away; but we speak God's wisdom in a mystery, the hidden wisdom, which God predestined before the ages to our glory; the wisdom which none of the rulers of this age has understood; for if they had understood it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. (1 Corinthians 2:6-8)
Paul is not speaking here of Pontius Pilate, or even the Sanhedrin, but the 'rulers of this age.' They are the principalities and powers of the air, who are invisible and super-terrestrial (beyond the earth), and who operate through worldly and earthly authorities¾though they be ignorant of their influence. They expressed their rule through Pontius Pilate, and through the Sanhedrin. In other words, they expressed themselves through the very best of religious and civil government. Roman law and authority was considered to be the epitome of civilized law. Much of present day legal jurisprudence is derived from Roman law. The Roman law and Jewish religion, that is to say, the 'best' of both worlds, conspired together to crucify the Lord of glory. But they themselves were inspired by the rulers of this age. If the powers had understood the wisdom of God, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. They acted out of their own wisdom, and it is a wisdom that employs force, intimidation and threat of death. The powers are characteristically cynical and unbelieving, profoundly egotistical and vain. Though God says they will meet defeat, they do not believe it about themselves. They act with a presumption and arrogance contrary to what God says concerning their fate and destiny.
But you (Satan) said in your heart, "I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God, and I will sit on the mount of assembly in the recesses of the north. I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High." (Isaiah 14:13-14)
And God answers,
Nevertheless you will be thrust down to Sheol, to the recesses of the pit. (Isaiah 14:15)
That presumption and that arrogance are at the heart of the character of the powers of darkness. The whole fallen angelic realm has the character of Satan himself, and will suffer the eternal fate with Satan in the Lake of Fire. They know, but they do not know, so to speak, because had they known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. But it was a hidden wisdom in the intention of God. In being slain from the foundations of the world, the Lord already, in His marvelous wisdom, foresaw and ordained that His Son would come and die, but it was a hidden wisdom that the powers could not see, though they are cunning. We are told to be aware of the wiles of the devil. He is cunning, crafty ,and very clever. He was once the anointed cherub and angel of light, having a remarkable brilliance, but it will yet be his undoing, because his character contradicts his gift. That is also the undoing of any of us when our character is not in keeping with our gifting or our calling.
(Katz, Apostolic Foundations, from chapter 3, "Apostolic Realities: The Principalities and Powers of the Air")