Powers angels are influential spirits that make up the 6th choir of angels. They are primarily known to be an army of warrior angels who serve God and help protect us from evil spirits. Principalities and powers are mentioned in several New Testament Bible verses.
Powers Angels Lesson #1
Christ has authority over the powers angels.
The exercise of His great might, which He (God) worked in Christ, raising Him from the dead and seating Him at His right hand in the heavens, far above every principality, authority, power, and dominion, and every name that is named not only in this age but also in the one to come. Ephesians 1:19b-21
Christ is the Center of the Angelic World
In the Catholic faith, Christ is the center of the angelic world. Whether it be principalities, powers, or even St. Michael, they are His angels, and they serve Him.
Angels of the Lord, bless the Lord, praise and exalt him above all forever. Daniel 3:58
Christ demonstrated His various levels of authority as the Son of God in the Gospel: His authority to teach, heal, exorcise, instruct, etc. When Christ ascended into heaven after His resurrection, God gave Him authority over the entire cosmos.
In His right hand Christ held seven stars. A sharp two-edged sword came out of his mouth, and His face shone like the sun at its brightest. Revelation 1:16
The seven stars represent Christ’s dominion over the cosmos and the angelic powers.
“A first-century reader might have thought of the stars as representing heavenly powers that influence earthly events.” Source: Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture: Revelation by Peter S. Williamson
Powers Angels Lesson #2
The powers help protect humanity from demons.
Through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers subject to him. 1 Peter 3:21b-22
The Good Powers Angels Serve Christ
The powers and the other choirs of angels and spirits are servants of the Lord. In His goodness, Christ instructs the good powers to protect us from the evil spirits who seek to destroy us. The role of protection is the primary office of the powers.
“In St. Gregory’s interpretation, the names of the angelic orders tell us what they do. For example, the Angels announce little things, Archangels the greatest of the mysteries; Virtues work miracles; the Powers repel demons; the Principalities rule the good spirits; and so on.” Source: World Invisible, the Catholic Doctrine of the Angels, by John Saward
The Powers Angels Protect Us from Evil
The powers angels continue to protect us from our ancient enemy, the devil.
“It is written that the Powers have, as it were, a kind of masculine and unshakable courage in all their activities. They look to that transcendent power which is the source of all power. It is also said that they are assigned to fight evil and defeat the plans of Satan.” Source: Angels and Devils by Joan Carrol Cruz
The Powers Angels Are Known to Have Influence
The powers carry out Christ’s commands to protect us the same way servants would carry out a good king’s commands. It has also been said through ancient Jewish sources that the angelic powers govern the world and the torah of Moses.
“The Jewish belief that the various nations of the world are under the power and guidance of angelic beings, both good and evil, was extremely significant to ancient Jewish sources, and its relevance should not go unnoticed.” Source: Paul a New Covenant Jew, by Brant Pitre, Michael Barber and John Kincaid
Christ Controls All Aspects of Spiritual Warfare
It is reassuring to know in our Catholic faith Christ has risen above the spirits, and He has complete authority over them. Exorcists have taught that Christ controls every aspect of spiritual warfare, even down to the minutia. Consider this example of the good powers being sent by God to assist afflicted souls in need of liberation.
“A particularly gifted individual told us that we have at least one angel from the angelic ranks of Powers at each of our exorcism sessions. Of the nine choirs of angels, the Powers are of the middle rank, higher than guardian angels, and they “order how what has been commanded [by God] … be carried out by others” including protecting from evil spirits. She said we have had up to eight angelic Powers present in a single session, depending on the size of the demonic cohort.” Source: Msgr. Stephen Rossetti
Catholic Devotions to the Angels Are Essential
Considering the ample protection they provide us from evil, despite our sins, we should consider a devotional prayer to the powers in thanksgiving for their protection. I would like to think they rejoice when we pray the Angelus and recite the rosary. Also, living a holy Catholic life and should help them to protect us.
“We ought to perform frequent devotions in honor of these Powers of Heaven, that they may overturn and destroy all the might and miserable plotting of hell.” Source: Devotion to the Nine Choirs of Angels, Abbe Boudon.
Powers Angels Lesson #3
There are both good and evil powers angels.
For our struggle is not with flesh and blood but with the principalities, with the powers, with the world rulers of this present darkness, with the evil spirits in the heavens. Ephesians 6:12
The Struggle for the Church is Spiritual
This well known verse of St. Paul basically confirms that we are in spiritual warfare. The good powers seek to battle for the glory of God and protect us, while the evil powers, knowing they have lost the battle to Christ, are hostile towards God and us who are baptized in Christ. We seek refuge in Christ from the attacks of the evil spirts.
Christ’s reign is still under attack by the evil powers, even though they have been defeated definitively by Christ’s Passover. Source: CCC 671
St. Paul tells us in 2 Corinthians that those who believe in Jesus as the Son of God and are baptized are a new creation “In Christ.” Those of us who faithfully live in Christ are no longer under the dominion of these deceitful spirits, although we still have to contend with them as they seek to tempt and influence us through the various levels:
- Culture
- Media
- Leadership
- Technology
- Family
- Mind
Live a Holy Catholic Life in Christ
It is important to stay strong for the Lord with a daily prayer regimen at set times, living a holy Catholic life, frequenting the sacraments of Confession and the Eucharist, and performing good deeds according to our vocational calling in life.
But the one who perseveres to the end will be saved. Matthew 24:13
When we align ourselves with the angels, praying and persevering for the kingdom of God, we know in faith the good powers are battling for us in our spiritual warfare.
“Because we are part of the Church Militant, we are in a spiritual warfare and this spiritual warfare requires that we recognize, as St. Paul teaches us, “For our wrestling is not against flesh and blood; but against principalities and powers, against the rulers of the world of this darkness, against the spirits of wickedness in the high places.” (Ephesians 6:12). Source: Deliverance Prayers for Use by the Laity by Fr. Chad Ripperger, Exorcist
More About the Powers Angels
The Mass
The powers are mentioned during the Liturgy of the Eucharist at the Mass:
“And so, with all the powers of heaven we worship you constantly on earth, while, with all the Church, as one voice we acclaim: Holy, Holy, Holy Lord God of hosts.…”
The Te Deum Hymn
The powers are mentioned in prayers of praise such as the Te Deum:
You are God, we praise you: You are the Lord: we acclaim you; You are the eternal Father: All creation worships you. To you all angels, all the powers of heaven, Cherubim and Seraphim, sing in endless praise: Holy, holy, holy, Lord God of power and might, Heaven and earth are full of your glory.
The Carmelite Invocation
The Carmelite Invocation is a deliverance prayer from the evil powers.
Come Holy Spirit with Thy seven-fold gifts and anoint us with Thy divine light, wisdom and power. Come Lord Jesus Christ and anoint us with Thy Precious Blood, freeing us from every snare and stronghold of the principalities and powers of darkness…
The Powers Verses in the New Testament Bible
The powers, like the principalities, are often mentioned together in several verses in the New Testament. The powers are also mentioned numerous times in the Old Testament as “hosts,” such as the Lord of hosts, God’s army of mighty warrior angels.
| # | Greek | Verse | Theme |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | dynamis | Romans 8:38 | God’s love |
| 2 | dynamis | 1 Corinthians 15:24 | Christ’s victory |
| 3 | dynamis | Ephesians 1:21 | Christ’s authority |
| 4 | exousia | Ephesians 6:12 | Spiritual warfare |
| 5 | exousia | Colossians 1:16 | Christ and creation |
| 6 | exousia | Colossians 2:10 | Fullness in Christ |
| 7 | exousia | Colossians 2:15 | Victory march |
| 8 | dynamis | 1 Peter 3:22 | Christ’s enthronement |
| 9 | dynamis | 2 Thessalonians 1:7 | Mighty angels |
