Al Fin: "Cowboy Commentary", aka "Eat your veggies" The Flag banner is posted in order to defy those who would make patriotic symbols illegal or disreputable.
Sunday, July 19, 2026
Notes from Underground: Dostoevsky
7/19/26:
But no. I'm not reading the book. I'm reading the online SparkNotes. No time, you see. Unlike Underground Man, I still have to work for a living. I begin with a bit of lightheartedness in spite of all the craziness surrounding us. Hopefully, I may find something interesting about this so I can write about it.
The Underground Man is a rather tortured person. I do not relate to that. Even if I am put in front of a firing squad, I won't be reduced to self-pity. Even if the world is wrong, it won't upset my inner peace. So screw it!
Update I:
I found something in common with Underground Man. He considers himself a man of thought. So do I. But he has trouble doing anything with his thoughts. So do I.
And so I read on.
Update II:
Underground Man has not started or finished anything, and believes he is intelligent because of that. A rationalization for failure.
Another observation: a bit about progressivism's belief that a man doesn't know his own true interests. That gets to the heart of it. The progressives believe they know your own best interests better than you do yourself. Megalomania.
Update III:
Underground Man believes that man is inherently irrational. As for me, I don't care if that is true or not. In any case, I will follow reason even if it is irrational. Try figuring that out.
Update IV:
The nature of modern life, which is a culture of interdependency. One's work is not directly one's own-- alienation. This reminded me of my post about machines. Ultimately, we may become totally dependent upon machines.
Update V:
It is getting painful. Underground Man is rather bookish. I think that may be true of me too. Underground Man is ineffectual in society. Yeah, me too. Sigh.
Update VI:
The Underground Man abuses people he considers is beneath him. Sounds like the Chick fil A guy.
Update VII:
Underground Man realizes he's at the bottom of the heap, and it is killing him. Yep.
Update VIII:
Underground Man is shut into his underground forever. He cannot escape. An allegorical tale that is about the rest of us?
Let's not be tortured by the left. We can do that for ourselves.
8/4/12: The original post begins below:
This began as a type of joke. With the craziness of the left descending upon us all, it seemed as if the conservatives would have to go Underground. Voila! The idea to read the book was born. So, that is what I'm doing.But no. I'm not reading the book. I'm reading the online SparkNotes. No time, you see. Unlike Underground Man, I still have to work for a living. I begin with a bit of lightheartedness in spite of all the craziness surrounding us. Hopefully, I may find something interesting about this so I can write about it.
The Underground Man is a rather tortured person. I do not relate to that. Even if I am put in front of a firing squad, I won't be reduced to self-pity. Even if the world is wrong, it won't upset my inner peace. So screw it!
Update I:
I found something in common with Underground Man. He considers himself a man of thought. So do I. But he has trouble doing anything with his thoughts. So do I.
And so I read on.
Update II:
Underground Man has not started or finished anything, and believes he is intelligent because of that. A rationalization for failure.
Another observation: a bit about progressivism's belief that a man doesn't know his own true interests. That gets to the heart of it. The progressives believe they know your own best interests better than you do yourself. Megalomania.
Update III:
Underground Man believes that man is inherently irrational. As for me, I don't care if that is true or not. In any case, I will follow reason even if it is irrational. Try figuring that out.
Update IV:
The nature of modern life, which is a culture of interdependency. One's work is not directly one's own-- alienation. This reminded me of my post about machines. Ultimately, we may become totally dependent upon machines.
Update V:
It is getting painful. Underground Man is rather bookish. I think that may be true of me too. Underground Man is ineffectual in society. Yeah, me too. Sigh.
Update VI:
The Underground Man abuses people he considers is beneath him. Sounds like the Chick fil A guy.
Update VII:
Underground Man realizes he's at the bottom of the heap, and it is killing him. Yep.
Update VIII:
Underground Man is shut into his underground forever. He cannot escape. An allegorical tale that is about the rest of us?
The other half of the story
Trump's election bombshell is only half the story.
— Promethean Action (@PrometheanActn) July 18, 2026
While Trump exposed the election cover-up, Rubio & Bessent revealed the Empire's other lever: killing the builders who threaten it. As @sjkokinda explains, they want to either "rig the ballot, or remove the builder." pic.twitter.com/eD2pbDJtp0
If the commies are shoosting, why not shoot back????
Powers and Principalities (AI Chat)
1. Please discuss the parts in the New Testament about princes and principalities
A briefing on the New Testament teaching concerning principalities and powers.
The Greek Terms
The relevant Greek words are:
- Archē (principality, rule, beginning). Used for angelic beings holding rank and authority, both holy and fallen.
- Exousia (authority, power). Refers to delegated jurisdiction.
- Dynamis (power, might). Raw capacity, often associated with miraculous or spiritual force.
- Kosmokrator (world ruler). Used once, in Ephesians 6:12, for the dark spiritual forces governing the present age.
These terms appear in clusters, especially in Paul's prison epistles. They describe a structured hierarchy of spiritual beings that exercise jurisdiction over nations, institutions, and the present world order.
Key Passages and Their Meaning
Colossians 1:16 -- "For by Him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities -- all things were created through Him and for Him."
Christ is the Creator and sustainer of the spiritual hierarchy. All ranks of being, including the powers that would later rebel, were made through Him and for His purposes. There is no independent realm of darkness. Even the fallen powers exist within His sovereign permission.
Colossians 2:14-15 -- "He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in Him."
This is the central passage on the defeat of the powers. At the cross, Christ stripped them of their weaponry -- the legal accusation of the law that stood against us. They were not annihilated, but they were disarmed. Their authority to accuse and condemn was broken. The "open shame" refers to the public display of their powerlessness at the resurrection and ascension.
Ephesians 1:20-21 -- Christ is seated "far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come."
Christ's session at the Father's right hand is the definitive statement of cosmic hierarchy. Whatever authority earthly or spiritual powers may claim, they are under His feet. This is not future hope but present reality.
Ephesians 6:12 -- "We do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places."
This reframes the Christian struggle. Our real enemies are not human opponents or political institutions as such. The visible conflicts of the age are surface manifestations of a deeper spiritual war. The "heavenly places" here refers not to God's throne room but to the spiritual atmosphere where these powers operate -- the realm of ideas, cultural norms, and institutional spirits.
Ephesians 3:10 -- "The manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places through the church."
The Church itself is a display case for divine wisdom before the watching powers. As Jew and Gentile are reconciled into one body, the powers witness God's plan unfolding. The Church does not merely fight the powers; it demonstrates their confusion and obsolescence.
Romans 8:38-39 -- "Neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God."
The powers are included in the comprehensive list of things that cannot separate believers from God's love. Even if the principalities rage, they are powerless against the elect.
1 Corinthians 15:24 -- "Then comes the end, when He delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power."
The full abolition of the powers comes at the consummation. The cross won the decisive victory. The present age sees the mopping up. The end will see the complete removal of all rebellious authority structures.
Traditional Interpretation (Catholic, Orthodox, Protestant)
The dominant reading has been that these are fallen angelic beings with territorial jurisdiction. They are personal, intelligent, and malevolent. They operate behind pagan religions, corrupt governments, and idolatrous cultures. The early Church understood the struggle against Rome not as ethnic warfare but as spiritual warfare against the powers that animated the empire. This view continued through Augustine, Aquinas, Luther, and Calvin. It is the standard Christian reading.
Preterist Interpretation (the view I hold)
Much of the language about principalities and powers in the New Testament must be read in its first century context. The "rulers and authorities" that Christ disarmed and shamed at Colossians 2:15 included the demonic hierarchy behind the Jewish and Roman institutions that had persecuted the Church. The "present darkness" of Ephesians 6 referred to the passing age of the Old Covenant order.
The destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70 was the visible judgment on those powers. The temple system, the Sanhedrin, the high priesthood, the Mosaic civil order that had rejected Christ and persecuted His followers -- these were abolished. The "rulers of this age" who crucified the Lord of glory (1 Corinthians 2:8) were the Herodian and Roman authorities animated by spiritual darkness. Their judgment came within that generation.
This does not mean the powers have no present reality. It means the decisive victory was complete. The powers that remain are a defeated rear guard. The Great Commission is the mopping up operation.
Practical Implications
Do not be distracted by flesh and blood enemies. The people you oppose in politics and culture are not the real enemy. They are captives of the powers.
Do not fear the powers. They are disarmed. Their primary weapon was accusation, and that weapon is broken. They can rage but they cannot condemn.
Do not worship the powers. Do not attribute ultimate reality to the state, the corporation, the media apparatus, or any human institution. These things are vehicles that the powers can ride, but they are not the powers themselves. And they are all under the feet of Christ.
Do engage the powers through the Church. Ephesians 3:10 says the Church makes known the wisdom of God to them. The primary mode of warfare is not political organizing but the faithful preaching of the gospel, the administration of the sacraments, the formation of holy families, and the building of counter-cultural Christian communities that demonstrate a different order of existence.
The last word on principalities and powers is this: Christ is King. Whatever dark hierarchy rages against His people, He has already triumphed. The war is won. We are fighting through to the peace.
What does Ephesians 6:12 say about these powers?
2. Ephesians 6:12 states:
"For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places."
The verse performs several functions:
It redefines the enemy. The Christian's primary struggle is not with human opponents -- not pagans, not Roman officials, not Jews who reject Christ, not political adversaries. Those are proxies. The real enemy is a spiritual hierarchy operating behind visible institutions.
It describes a layered hierarchy. Four terms are stacked: rulers (archas), authorities (exousias), cosmic powers (kosmokratoras) of this darkness, spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. This suggests a structured, organized kingdom of darkness with different ranks and jurisdictions. Not a chaotic mob but a disciplined hostile intelligence.
It locates the battlefield in "heavenly places." This phrase in Ephesians (en tois epouraniois) refers to the spiritual atmosphere -- the realm of ideas, cultural assumptions, religious systems, and institutional spirits. The battle is not fought with weapons of this world but with truth, righteousness, faith, and prayer (the armor described immediately after).
It denies the ultimate reality of visible power. Rome looked unstoppable. The temple system looked divinely ordained. But Paul says these are mere flesh and blood. The real conflict is with the spiritual entities that drive them. This relativizes all earthly power and frees the Christian from fear of human authorities.
It implies the defeat of these powers is already accomplished. The verse comes in a letter that earlier stated Christ is seated "far above all rule and authority" (Ephesians 1:21) and that He "disarmed the rulers and authorities" (Colossians 2:15). We wrestle, but we wrestle from victory, not for victory.
Ephesians 6:12 is the New Testament's clearest warning against mistaking the visible world for the real one. The enemy wears human faces, but he is not human.
What is the 'armor of God' mentioned afterwards?
3. The armor of God is given in Ephesians 6:13-17, immediately after the warning about the powers. The passage lists six pieces, plus prayer as the context for the whole.
Ephesians 6:13-17 -- "Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God."
The armor is drawn from Roman military equipment, familiar to Paul's audience. Each piece corresponds to an aspect of Christian defense and readiness.
Belt of Truth -- The belt held the soldier's equipment together. Truth is the foundational integrity that keeps everything else in place. This is not merely factual accuracy but personal alignment with the reality of God's revelation. A soldier without a belt is disorganized and vulnerable. A Christian without truth has no foundation for resistance.
Breastplate of Righteousness -- The breastplate protected the vital organs. Righteousness here is not self-righteousness or moral perfection but the imputed righteousness of Christ received by faith (Philippians 3:9) and the practical righteousness of obedience that flows from it. The evil one's accusations bounce off this piece. It protects the heart against condemnation.
Shoes of the Gospel of Peace -- Roman soldiers wore sturdy sandals with cleats for traction in battle. The gospel of peace gives the Christian stable footing even on chaotic ground. The peace referenced is not the absence of conflict but the peace with God won by Christ (Romans 5:1). A soldier who cannot stand cannot fight. The gospel anchors you.
Shield of Faith -- The Roman scutum was a large curved shield, often soaked in water before battle to extinguish flaming arrows. Faith is the trusting reliance on God's promises that quenches the lies, temptations, accusations, and deceptions hurled by the enemy. The "flaming darts" include doubt, despair, fear, and false doctrine. Faith extinguishes them before they reach you.
Helmet of Salvation -- The helmet protected the head, the seat of the mind and will. Salvation is the assurance of deliverance that protects your thinking. When you know you are saved and secure in Christ, the enemy cannot destroy your hope or confuse your purpose. A soldier whose head is compromised cannot fight intelligently.
Sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God -- This is the only offensive weapon. Everything else is defensive. The Word of God is not a general concept but the specific, spoken revelation of God wielded by the Spirit. Christ used it against Satan in the wilderness (Matthew 4:1-11). The sword is used for both parrying attacks and striking against falsehood. It is sharp, precise, and living (Hebrews 4:12).
Prayer (verses 18-20) -- The armor is put on and used through prayer. "Praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication." Prayer is the atmosphere in which the armor functions. Without it, the armor is just inert equipment.
The pattern is clear: the armor is entirely about receiving and trusting what God has already provided. It is not about mustering your own strength. You do not manufacture truth, righteousness, peace, faith, salvation, or the Word. You put them on. The battle is the Lord's. Your job is to stand.
4. What does each piece of armor represent?
Each piece symbolizes a specific spiritual reality provided by God for the believer's defense and offense:
- Belt of truth — Integrity and alignment with God's revealed reality. It holds everything else together.
- Breastplate of righteousness — The imputed righteousness of Christ protecting the heart from accusation and guilt.
- Shoes of the gospel of peace — Stable footing grounded in the peace won by Christ, enabling you to stand and move in the chaos of spiritual conflict.
- Shield of faith — Trust in God's promises that extinguishes every lying accusation, temptation, and fear the enemy throws.
- Helmet of salvation — The assurance of your deliverance, protecting your mind from despair, confusion, and hopelessness.
- Sword of the Spirit — The Word of God, the only offensive weapon, wielded by the Spirit to tear down falsehoods and strike against the enemy's lies.
These are not natural virtues you produce. They are realities given in Christ that you put on by faith. The armor is simply Christ Himself applied to every vulnerable point.
5. How do I practically 'put on' this armor?
Putting on the armor is not a ritual or a visualization exercise. It is a matter of conscious, daily decisions to align yourself with what God has already given you in Christ. Here is how each piece translates into practice:
Belt of truth -- Start your day by refreshing your mind on what is actually real. Read Scripture. Remind yourself that God's Word is true and the world's lies are false. When a temptation to deceive or be deceived arises, choose the truth even when it costs you. Practice honesty in small things. Reject the narratives the world presses on you.
Breastplate of righteousness -- When the enemy accuses you of sin, agree with the accusation but do not stay there. Immediately remind yourself that Christ's righteousness is credited to you. You are not fighting to earn God's favor; you are fighting from a position of already having it. Confess your sins quickly, receive absolution, and move on. Refuse to wallow in guilt or shame. The breastplate is not your own moral performance but Christ's perfect record given to you.
Shoes of the gospel of peace -- Cultivate a settled peace with God. This means staying current in confession, not holding onto resentment, and resting in the finished work of Christ. When circumstances are chaotic, recall that your ultimate standing is secure. You are not fighting for peace; you are fighting from peace. This steadiness keeps you from being knocked off balance by bad news or conflict.
Shield of faith -- When a flaming dart comes -- a sudden fear, a lustful thought, a surge of doubt, a bitter memory -- do not try to reason with it or analyze it. Raise the shield. Say out loud what God has promised. Quote Scripture directly against the attack. "It is written." The shield is active trust, not passive belief. You use it by rejecting the lie and embracing the promise in that moment.
Helmet of salvation -- Protect your mind with the certain hope of your final salvation. When you are tempted to despair about the future, the state of the nation, or your own failings, recall that you are sealed for the day of redemption. The outcome is certain. The helmet is the settled assurance that nothing can separate you from the love of God. Meditate on that until it becomes instinctive.
Sword of the Spirit -- Know the Scriptures well enough to wield them. Memorize key passages. Use the Word offensively: when you encounter false teaching, error, or demonic influence, speak the truth of God's Word directly into it. This is not quoting verses at people but speaking with authority from the text. The sword is the only weapon that advances. Use it against the lies in your own heart and against the lies in the culture.
The setting: prayer -- Do all of this in conscious dependence on God. "Putting on" the armor is not a self-help technique. It is asking God to clothe you with what He has provided and then acting in obedience. A brief morning prayer: "Lord, I put on the truth of Your Word. I receive the righteousness of Christ. I stand in the peace of the gospel. I take up faith against every lie. I claim the hope of salvation. I open Your Word as my sword. Keep me standing today."
The armor is put on by faith and maintained by habit. You do not feel it working. You simply do it, and over time it becomes the posture of your soul.
6. What about the shield and sword?
The shield of faith and the sword of the Spirit are the two most active pieces of the armor. The first four pieces are largely defensive posture. The shield and sword are the weapons you use in real time when the attack comes.
The Shield of Faith
The Roman scutum was a large curved shield, about four feet tall and two and a half feet wide, designed to cover the entire body. It was not a small buckler for parrying. It was a移动 wall. Soldiers would lock them together to form a testudo, a tortoise formation that could withstand heavy missile fire.
Paul says this shield extinguishes the flaming darts of the evil one. Flaming arrows were designed to lodge in an enemy's shield and set it on fire. The scutum was often covered in leather and soaked in water before battle so that the arrows would hiss and die on contact.
Here is what that looks like practically:
The flaming darts are the sudden, specific attacks that come in the moment. A memory of past sin that triggers condemnation. A word from a colleague that sparks rage. A lustful image that appears unbidden. A piece of bad news that floods you with anxiety. A theological doubt that rises in your mind during worship. These are darts. They are meant to get past your general defenses and find a chink.
You raise the shield of faith by immediately turning to God's promise that addresses that specific dart. If the dart is condemnation, you recall Romans 8:1 -- "There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus." If the dart is fear, you recall 2 Timothy 1:7 -- "God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control." If the dart is lust, you recall 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 -- "You are not your own, you were bought with a price."
You do not argue with the dart. You do not analyze it. You do not try to figure out where it came from. You simply raise the shield by declaring the corresponding promise. The dart hits the promise and goes out. This must become instinctive, and it only becomes instinctive through repeated practice.
Faith is not a feeling. It is the active trust that God's Word is truer than what you see, feel, or experience in that moment. The shield is always available. You have to raise it.
The Sword of the Spirit
The sword is the only offensive piece. Everything else helps you stand and survive. The sword helps you advance and defeat.
The sword is "the Word of God." The Greek word is rhema, not logos. Logos is the Word in its totality, the entire body of divine revelation. Rhema is a specific utterance, a particular word spoken for a particular occasion. The sword is not the Bible sitting on your shelf. The sword is the Bible wielded in the moment against a specific target.
Christ modeled this in the wilderness (Matthew 4:1-11). Satan attacked Him three times. Each time Christ responded with "It is written," quoting Deuteronomy from memory. He did not argue philosophically. He did not reason with the devil. He did not try to understand the devil's perspective. He simply wielded the rhema that applied to each temptation.
Here is the practical application:
You cannot wield a sword you do not know. You must be saturated in Scripture so that the Holy Spirit can bring the right word to mind in the moment of attack. This means daily reading, meditation, and memorization. It means hiding the Word in your heart (Psalm 119:11).
When a temptation comes, you do not rely on your own reasoning. You speak the relevant Scripture aloud or in your mind. When you encounter false teaching, you do not correct it with your own opinions. You correct it from the text. When you are ministering to someone in bondage, you do not offer your own wisdom. You offer the Word that speaks to their condition.
The sword is also used defensively. It cuts down lies before they take root. It parries false doctrine. But its primary purpose is offense: advancing the kingdom, tearing down strongholds (2 Corinthians 10:4-5), and making disciples.
A soldier who does not know his sword is a casualty waiting to happen. A soldier who knows his sword and refuses to use it is a coward. The Word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword (Hebrews 4:12). It will do the work. But you have to draw it and swing it.
7.How do I use the sword of the Spirit?
Using the sword of the Spirit means taking the written Word of God and applying it directly to a specific target in real time. It is not the same as reading Scripture devotionally or studying it academically. It is the active, intentional use of the Bible as a weapon.
Here is how you do it.
Know the sword before the battle.
You cannot draw a weapon you do not carry. Daily Scripture reading, meditation, and memorization stock the sheath. The Holy Spirit brings rhema to mind, but He typically works with what you have put in. If you have not stored the Word, there is nothing for the Spirit to bring. Psalm 119:11 -- "I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you." Memorize key passages: the Ten Commandments, the Sermon on the Mount, Romans 6-8, Ephesians 1-3, the armor passage, the great commission. Know the text well enough to recall it under pressure.
Identify the target.
The sword is not for show. It is for striking specific lies. You must identify what you are cutting. Is it a lie about God? A lie about yourself? A temptation? A false teaching? A demonic accusation? You cannot swing at nothing. When a thought or impulse or fear arises, pause and name it. "That is a lie." "That is a temptation." "That is a spirit of fear." Then choose the text that directly addresses it.
Wield the rhema that matches the moment.
Christ in the wilderness did not quote random Scripture. He quoted Deuteronomy in response to each specific temptation. You must do the same. Here are some common targets with their corresponding texts:
- Fear or anxiety -- "Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand" (Isaiah 41:10). "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God" (Philippians 4:6).
- Condemnation or guilt -- "There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus" (Romans 8:1). "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (1 John 1:9).
- Lust or impurity -- "Flee from sexual immorality" (1 Corinthians 6:18). "But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires" (Romans 13:14).
- Pride or self-reliance -- "God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble" (James 4:6). "Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord" (1 Corinthians 1:31).
- Doubt or unbelief -- "Jesus said to him, 'If you can! All things are possible for one who believes'" (Mark 9:23). "He who promised is faithful" (Hebrews 10:23).
- Anger or bitterness -- "Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger" (Ephesians 4:26). "Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice" (Ephesians 4:31).
- Despair or hopelessness -- "We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair" (2 Corinthians 4:8). "I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world" (John 16:33).
Speak it aloud.
There is power in the spoken word. The sword is not a concept you think about. It is a weapon you speak. Say the Scripture out loud. Your own ears hear it. The enemy hears it. Your faith is reinforced by the sound of God's Word in your own voice. Christ spoke aloud to Satan. You should do the same.
Do not argue. Declare.
You are not trying to persuade the enemy or the lying thought. You are not reasoning with it. You are not asking it to leave politely. You are cutting it down with the authority of God's Word. Declare the truth. Let the Word do the work. Hebrews 4:12 says the Word is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and spirit. Your job is to wield it. God's job is to make it effective.
Use the sword offensively in ministry.
The sword is not just for your own battles. It is for tearing down strongholds in others. When you counsel someone, do not give your opinion. Give the Word. When you preach, do not offer your insights. Preach the text. When you confront false teaching, do not debate philosophy. Use the Scripture. The sword advances the kingdom. Every time you speak the Word into a situation, you are swinging the sword.
Daily practice.
Make this a habit. When you wake up, arm yourself with a specific passage for the day. When you encounter a trial, immediately reach for the sword. Over time it becomes second nature. A soldier who has trained with his sword for years does not think about the mechanics of drawing and swinging. He simply does it. The same must be true of the Christian and the Word.
The sword of the Spirit is the most powerful weapon in the universe. It created the heavens and the earth. It sustains all things. It will judge the living and the dead. And it has been placed in your hands. Use it.
A briefing on the New Testament teaching concerning principalities and powers.
The Greek Terms
The relevant Greek words are:
- Archē (principality, rule, beginning). Used for angelic beings holding rank and authority, both holy and fallen.
- Exousia (authority, power). Refers to delegated jurisdiction.
- Dynamis (power, might). Raw capacity, often associated with miraculous or spiritual force.
- Kosmokrator (world ruler). Used once, in Ephesians 6:12, for the dark spiritual forces governing the present age.
These terms appear in clusters, especially in Paul's prison epistles. They describe a structured hierarchy of spiritual beings that exercise jurisdiction over nations, institutions, and the present world order.
Key Passages and Their Meaning
Colossians 1:16 -- "For by Him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities -- all things were created through Him and for Him."
Christ is the Creator and sustainer of the spiritual hierarchy. All ranks of being, including the powers that would later rebel, were made through Him and for His purposes. There is no independent realm of darkness. Even the fallen powers exist within His sovereign permission.
Colossians 2:14-15 -- "He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in Him."
This is the central passage on the defeat of the powers. At the cross, Christ stripped them of their weaponry -- the legal accusation of the law that stood against us. They were not annihilated, but they were disarmed. Their authority to accuse and condemn was broken. The "open shame" refers to the public display of their powerlessness at the resurrection and ascension.
Ephesians 1:20-21 -- Christ is seated "far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come."
Christ's session at the Father's right hand is the definitive statement of cosmic hierarchy. Whatever authority earthly or spiritual powers may claim, they are under His feet. This is not future hope but present reality.
Ephesians 6:12 -- "We do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places."
This reframes the Christian struggle. Our real enemies are not human opponents or political institutions as such. The visible conflicts of the age are surface manifestations of a deeper spiritual war. The "heavenly places" here refers not to God's throne room but to the spiritual atmosphere where these powers operate -- the realm of ideas, cultural norms, and institutional spirits.
Ephesians 3:10 -- "The manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places through the church."
The Church itself is a display case for divine wisdom before the watching powers. As Jew and Gentile are reconciled into one body, the powers witness God's plan unfolding. The Church does not merely fight the powers; it demonstrates their confusion and obsolescence.
Romans 8:38-39 -- "Neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God."
The powers are included in the comprehensive list of things that cannot separate believers from God's love. Even if the principalities rage, they are powerless against the elect.
1 Corinthians 15:24 -- "Then comes the end, when He delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power."
The full abolition of the powers comes at the consummation. The cross won the decisive victory. The present age sees the mopping up. The end will see the complete removal of all rebellious authority structures.
Traditional Interpretation (Catholic, Orthodox, Protestant)
The dominant reading has been that these are fallen angelic beings with territorial jurisdiction. They are personal, intelligent, and malevolent. They operate behind pagan religions, corrupt governments, and idolatrous cultures. The early Church understood the struggle against Rome not as ethnic warfare but as spiritual warfare against the powers that animated the empire. This view continued through Augustine, Aquinas, Luther, and Calvin. It is the standard Christian reading.
Preterist Interpretation (the view I hold)
Much of the language about principalities and powers in the New Testament must be read in its first century context. The "rulers and authorities" that Christ disarmed and shamed at Colossians 2:15 included the demonic hierarchy behind the Jewish and Roman institutions that had persecuted the Church. The "present darkness" of Ephesians 6 referred to the passing age of the Old Covenant order.
The destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70 was the visible judgment on those powers. The temple system, the Sanhedrin, the high priesthood, the Mosaic civil order that had rejected Christ and persecuted His followers -- these were abolished. The "rulers of this age" who crucified the Lord of glory (1 Corinthians 2:8) were the Herodian and Roman authorities animated by spiritual darkness. Their judgment came within that generation.
This does not mean the powers have no present reality. It means the decisive victory was complete. The powers that remain are a defeated rear guard. The Great Commission is the mopping up operation.
Practical Implications
Do not be distracted by flesh and blood enemies. The people you oppose in politics and culture are not the real enemy. They are captives of the powers.
Do not fear the powers. They are disarmed. Their primary weapon was accusation, and that weapon is broken. They can rage but they cannot condemn.
Do not worship the powers. Do not attribute ultimate reality to the state, the corporation, the media apparatus, or any human institution. These things are vehicles that the powers can ride, but they are not the powers themselves. And they are all under the feet of Christ.
Do engage the powers through the Church. Ephesians 3:10 says the Church makes known the wisdom of God to them. The primary mode of warfare is not political organizing but the faithful preaching of the gospel, the administration of the sacraments, the formation of holy families, and the building of counter-cultural Christian communities that demonstrate a different order of existence.
The last word on principalities and powers is this: Christ is King. Whatever dark hierarchy rages against His people, He has already triumphed. The war is won. We are fighting through to the peace.
What does Ephesians 6:12 say about these powers?
2. Ephesians 6:12 states:
"For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places."
The verse performs several functions:
It redefines the enemy. The Christian's primary struggle is not with human opponents -- not pagans, not Roman officials, not Jews who reject Christ, not political adversaries. Those are proxies. The real enemy is a spiritual hierarchy operating behind visible institutions.
It describes a layered hierarchy. Four terms are stacked: rulers (archas), authorities (exousias), cosmic powers (kosmokratoras) of this darkness, spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. This suggests a structured, organized kingdom of darkness with different ranks and jurisdictions. Not a chaotic mob but a disciplined hostile intelligence.
It locates the battlefield in "heavenly places." This phrase in Ephesians (en tois epouraniois) refers to the spiritual atmosphere -- the realm of ideas, cultural assumptions, religious systems, and institutional spirits. The battle is not fought with weapons of this world but with truth, righteousness, faith, and prayer (the armor described immediately after).
It denies the ultimate reality of visible power. Rome looked unstoppable. The temple system looked divinely ordained. But Paul says these are mere flesh and blood. The real conflict is with the spiritual entities that drive them. This relativizes all earthly power and frees the Christian from fear of human authorities.
It implies the defeat of these powers is already accomplished. The verse comes in a letter that earlier stated Christ is seated "far above all rule and authority" (Ephesians 1:21) and that He "disarmed the rulers and authorities" (Colossians 2:15). We wrestle, but we wrestle from victory, not for victory.
Ephesians 6:12 is the New Testament's clearest warning against mistaking the visible world for the real one. The enemy wears human faces, but he is not human.
What is the 'armor of God' mentioned afterwards?
3. The armor of God is given in Ephesians 6:13-17, immediately after the warning about the powers. The passage lists six pieces, plus prayer as the context for the whole.
Ephesians 6:13-17 -- "Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God."
The armor is drawn from Roman military equipment, familiar to Paul's audience. Each piece corresponds to an aspect of Christian defense and readiness.
Belt of Truth -- The belt held the soldier's equipment together. Truth is the foundational integrity that keeps everything else in place. This is not merely factual accuracy but personal alignment with the reality of God's revelation. A soldier without a belt is disorganized and vulnerable. A Christian without truth has no foundation for resistance.
Breastplate of Righteousness -- The breastplate protected the vital organs. Righteousness here is not self-righteousness or moral perfection but the imputed righteousness of Christ received by faith (Philippians 3:9) and the practical righteousness of obedience that flows from it. The evil one's accusations bounce off this piece. It protects the heart against condemnation.
Shoes of the Gospel of Peace -- Roman soldiers wore sturdy sandals with cleats for traction in battle. The gospel of peace gives the Christian stable footing even on chaotic ground. The peace referenced is not the absence of conflict but the peace with God won by Christ (Romans 5:1). A soldier who cannot stand cannot fight. The gospel anchors you.
Shield of Faith -- The Roman scutum was a large curved shield, often soaked in water before battle to extinguish flaming arrows. Faith is the trusting reliance on God's promises that quenches the lies, temptations, accusations, and deceptions hurled by the enemy. The "flaming darts" include doubt, despair, fear, and false doctrine. Faith extinguishes them before they reach you.
Helmet of Salvation -- The helmet protected the head, the seat of the mind and will. Salvation is the assurance of deliverance that protects your thinking. When you know you are saved and secure in Christ, the enemy cannot destroy your hope or confuse your purpose. A soldier whose head is compromised cannot fight intelligently.
Sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God -- This is the only offensive weapon. Everything else is defensive. The Word of God is not a general concept but the specific, spoken revelation of God wielded by the Spirit. Christ used it against Satan in the wilderness (Matthew 4:1-11). The sword is used for both parrying attacks and striking against falsehood. It is sharp, precise, and living (Hebrews 4:12).
Prayer (verses 18-20) -- The armor is put on and used through prayer. "Praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication." Prayer is the atmosphere in which the armor functions. Without it, the armor is just inert equipment.
The pattern is clear: the armor is entirely about receiving and trusting what God has already provided. It is not about mustering your own strength. You do not manufacture truth, righteousness, peace, faith, salvation, or the Word. You put them on. The battle is the Lord's. Your job is to stand.
4. What does each piece of armor represent?
Each piece symbolizes a specific spiritual reality provided by God for the believer's defense and offense:
- Belt of truth — Integrity and alignment with God's revealed reality. It holds everything else together.
- Breastplate of righteousness — The imputed righteousness of Christ protecting the heart from accusation and guilt.
- Shoes of the gospel of peace — Stable footing grounded in the peace won by Christ, enabling you to stand and move in the chaos of spiritual conflict.
- Shield of faith — Trust in God's promises that extinguishes every lying accusation, temptation, and fear the enemy throws.
- Helmet of salvation — The assurance of your deliverance, protecting your mind from despair, confusion, and hopelessness.
- Sword of the Spirit — The Word of God, the only offensive weapon, wielded by the Spirit to tear down falsehoods and strike against the enemy's lies.
These are not natural virtues you produce. They are realities given in Christ that you put on by faith. The armor is simply Christ Himself applied to every vulnerable point.
5. How do I practically 'put on' this armor?
Putting on the armor is not a ritual or a visualization exercise. It is a matter of conscious, daily decisions to align yourself with what God has already given you in Christ. Here is how each piece translates into practice:
Belt of truth -- Start your day by refreshing your mind on what is actually real. Read Scripture. Remind yourself that God's Word is true and the world's lies are false. When a temptation to deceive or be deceived arises, choose the truth even when it costs you. Practice honesty in small things. Reject the narratives the world presses on you.
Breastplate of righteousness -- When the enemy accuses you of sin, agree with the accusation but do not stay there. Immediately remind yourself that Christ's righteousness is credited to you. You are not fighting to earn God's favor; you are fighting from a position of already having it. Confess your sins quickly, receive absolution, and move on. Refuse to wallow in guilt or shame. The breastplate is not your own moral performance but Christ's perfect record given to you.
Shoes of the gospel of peace -- Cultivate a settled peace with God. This means staying current in confession, not holding onto resentment, and resting in the finished work of Christ. When circumstances are chaotic, recall that your ultimate standing is secure. You are not fighting for peace; you are fighting from peace. This steadiness keeps you from being knocked off balance by bad news or conflict.
Shield of faith -- When a flaming dart comes -- a sudden fear, a lustful thought, a surge of doubt, a bitter memory -- do not try to reason with it or analyze it. Raise the shield. Say out loud what God has promised. Quote Scripture directly against the attack. "It is written." The shield is active trust, not passive belief. You use it by rejecting the lie and embracing the promise in that moment.
Helmet of salvation -- Protect your mind with the certain hope of your final salvation. When you are tempted to despair about the future, the state of the nation, or your own failings, recall that you are sealed for the day of redemption. The outcome is certain. The helmet is the settled assurance that nothing can separate you from the love of God. Meditate on that until it becomes instinctive.
Sword of the Spirit -- Know the Scriptures well enough to wield them. Memorize key passages. Use the Word offensively: when you encounter false teaching, error, or demonic influence, speak the truth of God's Word directly into it. This is not quoting verses at people but speaking with authority from the text. The sword is the only weapon that advances. Use it against the lies in your own heart and against the lies in the culture.
The setting: prayer -- Do all of this in conscious dependence on God. "Putting on" the armor is not a self-help technique. It is asking God to clothe you with what He has provided and then acting in obedience. A brief morning prayer: "Lord, I put on the truth of Your Word. I receive the righteousness of Christ. I stand in the peace of the gospel. I take up faith against every lie. I claim the hope of salvation. I open Your Word as my sword. Keep me standing today."
The armor is put on by faith and maintained by habit. You do not feel it working. You simply do it, and over time it becomes the posture of your soul.
6. What about the shield and sword?
The shield of faith and the sword of the Spirit are the two most active pieces of the armor. The first four pieces are largely defensive posture. The shield and sword are the weapons you use in real time when the attack comes.
The Shield of Faith
The Roman scutum was a large curved shield, about four feet tall and two and a half feet wide, designed to cover the entire body. It was not a small buckler for parrying. It was a移动 wall. Soldiers would lock them together to form a testudo, a tortoise formation that could withstand heavy missile fire.
Paul says this shield extinguishes the flaming darts of the evil one. Flaming arrows were designed to lodge in an enemy's shield and set it on fire. The scutum was often covered in leather and soaked in water before battle so that the arrows would hiss and die on contact.
Here is what that looks like practically:
The flaming darts are the sudden, specific attacks that come in the moment. A memory of past sin that triggers condemnation. A word from a colleague that sparks rage. A lustful image that appears unbidden. A piece of bad news that floods you with anxiety. A theological doubt that rises in your mind during worship. These are darts. They are meant to get past your general defenses and find a chink.
You raise the shield of faith by immediately turning to God's promise that addresses that specific dart. If the dart is condemnation, you recall Romans 8:1 -- "There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus." If the dart is fear, you recall 2 Timothy 1:7 -- "God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control." If the dart is lust, you recall 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 -- "You are not your own, you were bought with a price."
You do not argue with the dart. You do not analyze it. You do not try to figure out where it came from. You simply raise the shield by declaring the corresponding promise. The dart hits the promise and goes out. This must become instinctive, and it only becomes instinctive through repeated practice.
Faith is not a feeling. It is the active trust that God's Word is truer than what you see, feel, or experience in that moment. The shield is always available. You have to raise it.
The Sword of the Spirit
The sword is the only offensive piece. Everything else helps you stand and survive. The sword helps you advance and defeat.
The sword is "the Word of God." The Greek word is rhema, not logos. Logos is the Word in its totality, the entire body of divine revelation. Rhema is a specific utterance, a particular word spoken for a particular occasion. The sword is not the Bible sitting on your shelf. The sword is the Bible wielded in the moment against a specific target.
Christ modeled this in the wilderness (Matthew 4:1-11). Satan attacked Him three times. Each time Christ responded with "It is written," quoting Deuteronomy from memory. He did not argue philosophically. He did not reason with the devil. He did not try to understand the devil's perspective. He simply wielded the rhema that applied to each temptation.
Here is the practical application:
You cannot wield a sword you do not know. You must be saturated in Scripture so that the Holy Spirit can bring the right word to mind in the moment of attack. This means daily reading, meditation, and memorization. It means hiding the Word in your heart (Psalm 119:11).
When a temptation comes, you do not rely on your own reasoning. You speak the relevant Scripture aloud or in your mind. When you encounter false teaching, you do not correct it with your own opinions. You correct it from the text. When you are ministering to someone in bondage, you do not offer your own wisdom. You offer the Word that speaks to their condition.
The sword is also used defensively. It cuts down lies before they take root. It parries false doctrine. But its primary purpose is offense: advancing the kingdom, tearing down strongholds (2 Corinthians 10:4-5), and making disciples.
A soldier who does not know his sword is a casualty waiting to happen. A soldier who knows his sword and refuses to use it is a coward. The Word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword (Hebrews 4:12). It will do the work. But you have to draw it and swing it.
7.How do I use the sword of the Spirit?
Using the sword of the Spirit means taking the written Word of God and applying it directly to a specific target in real time. It is not the same as reading Scripture devotionally or studying it academically. It is the active, intentional use of the Bible as a weapon.
Here is how you do it.
Know the sword before the battle.
You cannot draw a weapon you do not carry. Daily Scripture reading, meditation, and memorization stock the sheath. The Holy Spirit brings rhema to mind, but He typically works with what you have put in. If you have not stored the Word, there is nothing for the Spirit to bring. Psalm 119:11 -- "I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you." Memorize key passages: the Ten Commandments, the Sermon on the Mount, Romans 6-8, Ephesians 1-3, the armor passage, the great commission. Know the text well enough to recall it under pressure.
Identify the target.
The sword is not for show. It is for striking specific lies. You must identify what you are cutting. Is it a lie about God? A lie about yourself? A temptation? A false teaching? A demonic accusation? You cannot swing at nothing. When a thought or impulse or fear arises, pause and name it. "That is a lie." "That is a temptation." "That is a spirit of fear." Then choose the text that directly addresses it.
Wield the rhema that matches the moment.
Christ in the wilderness did not quote random Scripture. He quoted Deuteronomy in response to each specific temptation. You must do the same. Here are some common targets with their corresponding texts:
- Fear or anxiety -- "Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand" (Isaiah 41:10). "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God" (Philippians 4:6).
- Condemnation or guilt -- "There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus" (Romans 8:1). "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (1 John 1:9).
- Lust or impurity -- "Flee from sexual immorality" (1 Corinthians 6:18). "But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires" (Romans 13:14).
- Pride or self-reliance -- "God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble" (James 4:6). "Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord" (1 Corinthians 1:31).
- Doubt or unbelief -- "Jesus said to him, 'If you can! All things are possible for one who believes'" (Mark 9:23). "He who promised is faithful" (Hebrews 10:23).
- Anger or bitterness -- "Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger" (Ephesians 4:26). "Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice" (Ephesians 4:31).
- Despair or hopelessness -- "We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair" (2 Corinthians 4:8). "I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world" (John 16:33).
Speak it aloud.
There is power in the spoken word. The sword is not a concept you think about. It is a weapon you speak. Say the Scripture out loud. Your own ears hear it. The enemy hears it. Your faith is reinforced by the sound of God's Word in your own voice. Christ spoke aloud to Satan. You should do the same.
Do not argue. Declare.
You are not trying to persuade the enemy or the lying thought. You are not reasoning with it. You are not asking it to leave politely. You are cutting it down with the authority of God's Word. Declare the truth. Let the Word do the work. Hebrews 4:12 says the Word is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and spirit. Your job is to wield it. God's job is to make it effective.
Use the sword offensively in ministry.
The sword is not just for your own battles. It is for tearing down strongholds in others. When you counsel someone, do not give your opinion. Give the Word. When you preach, do not offer your insights. Preach the text. When you confront false teaching, do not debate philosophy. Use the Scripture. The sword advances the kingdom. Every time you speak the Word into a situation, you are swinging the sword.
Daily practice.
Make this a habit. When you wake up, arm yourself with a specific passage for the day. When you encounter a trial, immediately reach for the sword. Over time it becomes second nature. A soldier who has trained with his sword for years does not think about the mechanics of drawing and swinging. He simply does it. The same must be true of the Christian and the Word.
The sword of the Spirit is the most powerful weapon in the universe. It created the heavens and the earth. It sustains all things. It will judge the living and the dead. And it has been placed in your hands. Use it.
Saturday, July 18, 2026
Elysium ---- Movie Review ( revisited )
7/18/26:
Now this movie is on Tubi. No need to pay to see it! Whatever anyone pays for it, they've paid too much. What a dreary concept. The creators of this had a very pessimisstic view, but a touching faith that things could get better... somehow.
You can analyze the crap out of this movie if you want. It's like all movies... a bad guy and a good guy. In this movie, the good guy wins. People like it when the good guy wins. Why not? Who wants the bad guys to win, eh? The bad guys do. But they don't really believe that they're bad, you see. What makes for a conflict is an argument about what is good and what is bad. Somebody has to be right, or so it would seem.
Whatever I wrote about it before won't matter though. If people knew and understood what they should do, and if people did the right things, then we'd have perfect lives. That's rather profound if you think about it. It implies that there is a good and there is a bad, and that you need to follow the good. The trouble is stupidity. I"ve tried to deal with that concept previously, but there's the problem. People insist upon doing what they're doing, and that breeds conflict, which breeds suffering.
You can't fix what's inside people's heads. Or can you? Can you end stupidity? Stupidity is nothing more than enforced ignorance. If you KNEW, then you wouldn't be ignorant anymore. Certain people want others to be ignorant though. They've become attached to what they believe is true. But there's not much excuse for ignorance as long as there's freedom to find the truth. When others try to prevent the discovery of truth, this must mean that the enforcers know that they're wrong. And that would have to be evil.
Ignorance is enforced, so that stupidity can reign. Try wrapping your head around that one.
Updated,
6.18.19:
It's amazing. I just rented this flick yet again. Why keep coming back to it? Unfortunately, the flick seems to demonstrate something active in the culture right now. It may explain the attempted coup.
The Marxist paradigm requires class conflict. Thus it requires an oppressor and the oppressed. This movie is based upon that paradigm. It is rather unfortunate that so many people fall for it. Not only that they fall for it, but those who should know better, don't seem to know any better themselves.
The movie had a coup in it, you see. These people may end up attempting a violent coup here, in this country, in the real world. One of these days, there will be an attempt. That is assuming that they don't succeed in a peaceful coup.
3.14.16:
I just watched the video and I have reconsidered my review here. Yes, there is possibility of people who would and do mistreat their fellow human beings. But that doesn't jibe with vast material progress that is depicted in the film. Instead of what's in this flick, you would get the decay of a civilization, not unlike Rome. As Rome didn't spin off another civilization that became even more advanced and "privileged", neither would any other civilization that mistreats a significant segment of its own population be capable of spinning off something better. It would destroy itself first, as Rome did.
This is what I've been trying to warn people about for the longest time here. If the powers that be won't allow basic material progress, and punishes anybody for coming up with an invention that would enhance human well being, it cannot continue for long.
The powers that be today are holding back the progress of humanity. They are doing it on the misguided notion that is depicted in the flick. The notion is that the resources of Earth can be depleted.
Those who think Earth's resources can be depleted do not understand basic concepts in science. Matter is not destroyed when you use it. It is simply put into another chemical state. That state is not permanent, as any chemical bond can be broken. You only have to supply sufficient energy to it.
Once the bonds are broken, they can be reassembled into useful items again. In other words, with sufficient energy, you can recycle everything an unlimited amount of times.
The trick is the energy. Where would you get it? Why from nuclear energy. Nuclear energy is a million times more powerful than chemical energy. It is easily seen then, that the altered chemical bonds mentioned can be restored to useful function with the enormous energy from the atom.
The problem is that the powers that be have decided that we cannot have nuclear energy. By taking this position, they are holding back the progress of humanity.
They'll say that they are doing it because radioactivity is dangerous. It's dangerous only if mishandled. Lots of things are that way. If everything that was potentially dangerous were to be banned, we would have to live at a much lower standard of living.
Ironically, the powers that be are the ones posing as our benefactors, but they are our oppressors. They are like the people of Elysium in this flick. They'll pose as good people, who bring us such ideas that are presented in this flick, but are evil instead because they are the same people who ban something like nuclear energy that would benefit mankind. I think the flick is such a pose, and it fools many.
The original review follows:
I went to see the movie last night at the IMAX on the west side of Houston.
The theater was about half full and there was a smattering of applause at the end. Some people seemed to like it.
As for me, it seemed to be entertaining, with plenty of action and things that go boom. If you accept the premises of the movie, you can enjoy it. If you don't, the movie looks rather flawed.
The main premise is that there can be such a place as this space station called "Elysium", at the same time that the Earth is really bad shape. For to construct such a place would require a technical competence far beyond anything that we have now. If such competence existed, why could it not be used to solve Earth's problems? It is that premise, that such competence would NOT be used for the greater benefit of humanity, that is the major premise of the movie. If you accept that, you can like this movie. If you don't, there's no doggone way that you can like this movie.
It has been said that the movie reflects our present more than it predicts the future. I would agree. It is basically a rather ignoble view of humanity that is offensive here. That there is something righteous and good about being poor, and something evil about being rich. That, by being rich, you can only take from others, or withhold from others, and not contribute something of worth for your prosperity. The movie doesn't even demonstrate that, it just presumes that people are that way. Again, I would agree that there are some people like that, but I would hope that it doesn't define humanity. For if it does, nothing like the technological marvel that is Elysium could ever be possible anyway. Why? Why invent something if you can steal it?
So, my verdict is this: If you want to be entertained, go see it. If you want to be informed, there are better ways to spend your time.
After watching this movie yet again, it struck me how the movie is tugging at your heart strings. You want everything to be all right, so you root for the pinkos. It's like a fairy tale--everybody lives happily ever after.
The movie is said to be about today, not the future. Of course it is. It is the socialist viewpoint versus the capitalist viewpoint. The good guys in this movie are the socialists. The capitalists are the bad guys.
The main difference between the two systems is economic. Do you know what economics is? It is the "dismal science". It is dismal because it is about the rationing of scarce goods. There's just so many good things, and not enough to go around. How do you divvy it up?
The socialist model requires an authority to divvy it up. The capitalist system uses a market system that divvies it up according to a price. Those who can pay can receive the goodies.
This seems unfair to those types who'd prefer a way to get those goodies for themselves.
That's the heart of the entire argument. Who gets to divvy up the goodies? In the socialist system, merit has nothing to do it. Invariably, it gets to be whose closest to the power structure that does the divvying up. In that case, it is who you know as opposed
to what you know.
I think that is why socialism doesn't work. When merit leaves the system, there is less
merit. Less merit means fewer goodies. In a capitalist system, you need to know what you
are doing. In a socialist system, you need only to please those in charge. Those in charge may not know what they're doing. They are more concerned about staying on the top of
the political heap.
Only poor and ignorant people's fall into the trap of socialism. That's why the left wants to always dumb down the population. A society of morons won't know any better.
Now this movie is on Tubi. No need to pay to see it! Whatever anyone pays for it, they've paid too much. What a dreary concept. The creators of this had a very pessimisstic view, but a touching faith that things could get better... somehow.
You can analyze the crap out of this movie if you want. It's like all movies... a bad guy and a good guy. In this movie, the good guy wins. People like it when the good guy wins. Why not? Who wants the bad guys to win, eh? The bad guys do. But they don't really believe that they're bad, you see. What makes for a conflict is an argument about what is good and what is bad. Somebody has to be right, or so it would seem.
Whatever I wrote about it before won't matter though. If people knew and understood what they should do, and if people did the right things, then we'd have perfect lives. That's rather profound if you think about it. It implies that there is a good and there is a bad, and that you need to follow the good. The trouble is stupidity. I"ve tried to deal with that concept previously, but there's the problem. People insist upon doing what they're doing, and that breeds conflict, which breeds suffering.
You can't fix what's inside people's heads. Or can you? Can you end stupidity? Stupidity is nothing more than enforced ignorance. If you KNEW, then you wouldn't be ignorant anymore. Certain people want others to be ignorant though. They've become attached to what they believe is true. But there's not much excuse for ignorance as long as there's freedom to find the truth. When others try to prevent the discovery of truth, this must mean that the enforcers know that they're wrong. And that would have to be evil.
Ignorance is enforced, so that stupidity can reign. Try wrapping your head around that one.
Updated,
6.18.19:
It's amazing. I just rented this flick yet again. Why keep coming back to it? Unfortunately, the flick seems to demonstrate something active in the culture right now. It may explain the attempted coup.
The Marxist paradigm requires class conflict. Thus it requires an oppressor and the oppressed. This movie is based upon that paradigm. It is rather unfortunate that so many people fall for it. Not only that they fall for it, but those who should know better, don't seem to know any better themselves.
The movie had a coup in it, you see. These people may end up attempting a violent coup here, in this country, in the real world. One of these days, there will be an attempt. That is assuming that they don't succeed in a peaceful coup.
3.14.16:
I just watched the video and I have reconsidered my review here. Yes, there is possibility of people who would and do mistreat their fellow human beings. But that doesn't jibe with vast material progress that is depicted in the film. Instead of what's in this flick, you would get the decay of a civilization, not unlike Rome. As Rome didn't spin off another civilization that became even more advanced and "privileged", neither would any other civilization that mistreats a significant segment of its own population be capable of spinning off something better. It would destroy itself first, as Rome did.
This is what I've been trying to warn people about for the longest time here. If the powers that be won't allow basic material progress, and punishes anybody for coming up with an invention that would enhance human well being, it cannot continue for long.
The powers that be today are holding back the progress of humanity. They are doing it on the misguided notion that is depicted in the flick. The notion is that the resources of Earth can be depleted.
Those who think Earth's resources can be depleted do not understand basic concepts in science. Matter is not destroyed when you use it. It is simply put into another chemical state. That state is not permanent, as any chemical bond can be broken. You only have to supply sufficient energy to it.
Once the bonds are broken, they can be reassembled into useful items again. In other words, with sufficient energy, you can recycle everything an unlimited amount of times.
The trick is the energy. Where would you get it? Why from nuclear energy. Nuclear energy is a million times more powerful than chemical energy. It is easily seen then, that the altered chemical bonds mentioned can be restored to useful function with the enormous energy from the atom.
The problem is that the powers that be have decided that we cannot have nuclear energy. By taking this position, they are holding back the progress of humanity.
They'll say that they are doing it because radioactivity is dangerous. It's dangerous only if mishandled. Lots of things are that way. If everything that was potentially dangerous were to be banned, we would have to live at a much lower standard of living.
Ironically, the powers that be are the ones posing as our benefactors, but they are our oppressors. They are like the people of Elysium in this flick. They'll pose as good people, who bring us such ideas that are presented in this flick, but are evil instead because they are the same people who ban something like nuclear energy that would benefit mankind. I think the flick is such a pose, and it fools many.
The original review follows:
I went to see the movie last night at the IMAX on the west side of Houston.
The theater was about half full and there was a smattering of applause at the end. Some people seemed to like it.
As for me, it seemed to be entertaining, with plenty of action and things that go boom. If you accept the premises of the movie, you can enjoy it. If you don't, the movie looks rather flawed.
The main premise is that there can be such a place as this space station called "Elysium", at the same time that the Earth is really bad shape. For to construct such a place would require a technical competence far beyond anything that we have now. If such competence existed, why could it not be used to solve Earth's problems? It is that premise, that such competence would NOT be used for the greater benefit of humanity, that is the major premise of the movie. If you accept that, you can like this movie. If you don't, there's no doggone way that you can like this movie.
It has been said that the movie reflects our present more than it predicts the future. I would agree. It is basically a rather ignoble view of humanity that is offensive here. That there is something righteous and good about being poor, and something evil about being rich. That, by being rich, you can only take from others, or withhold from others, and not contribute something of worth for your prosperity. The movie doesn't even demonstrate that, it just presumes that people are that way. Again, I would agree that there are some people like that, but I would hope that it doesn't define humanity. For if it does, nothing like the technological marvel that is Elysium could ever be possible anyway. Why? Why invent something if you can steal it?
So, my verdict is this: If you want to be entertained, go see it. If you want to be informed, there are better ways to spend your time.
Bongino on Trump's speech
Imo, it's about a commie revolution. It's a war against America waged by communists. No doubt in my mind about this.
Friday, July 17, 2026
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