Ephesians 1:21
Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come: Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come:
God raised Christ from the dead and seated Him at His own right hand in heaven, far above every principality and power and might and dominion and every name that is named both in this world and in the world to come, putting all things under His feet and giving Him to be head over all things to the church which is His body. He was exalted to that place because He humbled Himself, bearing humanity's weaknesses in a sinless life and offering Himself as a holy sacrifice, and after His great atonement the Father crowned Him with glory and honor as heir of all things. That honor and acceptance extends to all who receive Him and are united to Him in love, who are accepted in the Beloved, loved as God loves His Son, redeemed through His blood with forgiveness of sins, and made heirs with Him to share in His glorification. The same power that raised Him will raise His church at His second coming and glorify it with Him above every principality and power and name, and it will be fully seen in His final coronation before the whole universe when rebellion is defeated and God's justice is vindicated. Yielding the will to Christ and putting it on His side in faith joins a person to that supreme power, so that God takes possession of the will and works a complete change in the life, giving strength from above to remain steadfast, overcome temptation, and have no need to fear Satan's power.
Christ Exalted Above All
God raised Christ from the dead and seated Him at His own right hand in the heavenly places, far above every principality and power and might and dominion and every name that is named, both in this world and in that which is to come. That working of God's mighty power is the exceeding greatness of His power toward those who believe, given to be known through the spirit of wisdom and revelation in knowing Him, with enlightened eyes of understanding to know the hope of His calling and the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints. The risen Christ lifted high above every rule and authority and every rank of dominion in the present age and the age to come is set forth as part of the privileges of the Christian and of God's purpose for believers. All things are put under His feet and He is given to be head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.
His rule is absolute in heaven and on earth, over both the present world and the world to come, and all principalities and powers are subject to Him even in His humiliation. He was exalted because He humbled Himself, becoming a holy sacrifice and bearing humanity's weaknesses while living a sinless life. After His great atonement the Father seated the crucified Christ at His right hand and crowned Him with glory and honor, exalting Him far above every principality and power. Through suffering and conflict He gained His great inheritance as heir of all things and equal with God Himself, with the kingdoms of heaven and of earth.
The risen Jesus claimed this position when He met His disciples after His resurrection, pointing them away from Himself personally to the importance of His position. As One above all powers and principalities with ample authority over heaven and earth He issued the great commission to His chosen disciples to teach all nations, with assurance of His continuing presence. The verse will be fulfilled in Christ's final coronation before the whole universe, when after the great sacrifice of the Father and Son for man has been clearly presented, rebellion is finally defeated, God's justice is vindicated and the truth about Satan's opposition is made plain, and the hour comes for Christ to occupy His rightful position glorified above every power and name. That final exaltation is His reward because for the joy set before Him of bringing many sons to glory He endured the cross and despised the shame.
Though His sorrow and shame were inconceivably great, His joy and glory are greater as He looks upon the redeemed renewed in His own image, every heart bearing the perfect impress of the divine and every face reflecting the likeness of their King. Beholding in them the result of the travail of His soul He is satisfied, and declares before the assembled righteous and wicked that they are the purchase of His blood for whom He suffered and died that they might dwell in His presence through eternal ages, while praise ascends from the white-robed ones about the throne.
Believers Share His Exaltation
The verse stands as the climax of Paul's prayer that the Father of glory would give the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, with enlightened eyes of understanding to know the hope of His calling, the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and the exceeding greatness of His power toward those who believe. That power is the working of God's mighty power which raised Christ from the dead and set Him at His own right hand in the heavenly places, far above every principality and power and might and dominion and every name that is named, not only in this world but also in that which is to come, with all things put under His feet and Christ given to be head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all. To know this exaltation is part of the privileges of the Christian, and the Lord desires those connected with His work to seek Him with the whole heart, for He will be to them a present help in every time of need.
This exaltation proves that every human being is of consequence with God, chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world to be holy and without blame, predestinated to the adoption of children by Jesus Christ, made accepted in the Beloved, redeemed through His blood with forgiveness of sins according to the riches of His grace, given wisdom and knowledge of the mystery of His will to gather together in one all things in heaven and earth in Christ in the fulness of times, and given an inheritance to the praise of His glory. The Father's honor and acceptance of Christ after His atoning sacrifice extend to those who receive Him and are united to Him in love, so that they are accepted in the Beloved, covered by His righteousness, loved as God loves His Son, made heirs with Him, share in His suffering, are interested in His glorification, and overcome as He overcame. His position far above every created authority and every name proves His sufficiency as great High Priest and Advocate and as tender, earnest, interested Shepherd. Trusting in Him gives power above all human power, and obeying Him in all things gives faith and courage and patience and love, while studying the Saviour's life gives constantly increasing knowledge of His power and of human weakness, cultivates every Christian virtue, and exposes sin in all its terrible deformity.
The same power that raised Christ will raise His church at His second coming and glorify it with Him above every principality and power and name in this world and in the heavenly courts. The saints raised when Christ rose were trophies of His victory over death and the grave and a symbol of the final resurrection of the righteous. He ascended to heaven to plead for humanity so that people may be raised to sit with Him in the heavenly places above those powers, having been exalted because He humbled Himself, becoming a holy sacrifice and bearing humanity's weaknesses while living a sinless life. The verse gives assurance of acceptance and holds a divine promise to be claimed in all its depth and fulness, and claiming it builds faith in the power of God so that believers do not lean on the arm of the law or trust in worldly powers.
Power For Daily Victory
Christ's power stands far above every principality and power, and yielding the will to Him and controlling it to His side joins a person to that power and hides the life with Christ in God, giving strength from above to remain steadfast. When the will is put on Christ's side in faith and cooperates with God's will, God immediately takes possession of that will and works in the person to will and to do of His good pleasure. Through that union the whole nature comes under the control of His Spirit, even the thoughts are brought into subjection to Him, and the life is hid with Christ in God. That alliance gives strength from God that holds fast to His strength, works an entire change in the life, and makes possible new light, even the light of living faith.
The same alliance makes possible a new life, even the life of faith, for overcoming temptation, and makes possible the elevating of the self in cooperation with the Spirit instead of despair, slavery to doubt and old habits, and being ruled by untrustworthy impulses, emotions, and associates through whom Satan works to ensnare and destroy. The will must cooperate with God's will and not with the will of such associates, and constant surrender enables this new life of faith. Christ is above every power, including Satan's, and His sustaining arm supports all who trust in Him, so there is no need to fear Satan's power but to receive Christ's light and let it shine to the world. He is the center for understanding the working of God's Spirit and what He Himself is, and His power changes people through conversion.
His supreme position and God's mighty power, worked in Christ when God raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His own right hand in the heavenly places far above all rule and authority and power and dominion and every name named both in this world and in that to come, give reason to depend wholly on God and to serve humbly rather than become exalted. The Lord desires those connected with His work to seek Him with the whole heart, and He will be to them a present help in every time of need. The verse gives assurance of acceptance and holds a divine promise to be claimed in all its depth and fullness, and claiming it builds faith in the power of God so as not to lean on the arm of the law or trust in worldly powers. In the first chapter of Ephesians is shown the Lord's order for doing His work: the work must be kept in proportion, with no lessening of zeal, fervor, or energy in saving souls ready to perish, yet without consuming all time and means in one line of work while the vineyard as a whole is neglected, lest disproportion sway the work into wrong lines.