David Diga Hernandez - The Structure of Hell

You need to know and understand your spiritual enemy. This is why we’re discussing the structure of the kingdom of hell. Before I begin, make sure you’re subscribed to Encounter TV on YouTube, and don’t forget to click that notification bell so that you don’t miss any new content from our channel. You can also follow us wherever you’re watching us. Now, before I describe the structure of the kingdom of hell, it is first and foremost important that you understand who truly has the ultimate rank and authority. So let’s look to the scripture: Ephesians chapter 1, verses 19-23. I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who believe in Him. This is the same mighty power that raised Christ from the dead and seated Him in the place of honor at God’s right hand in the heavenly realms. Now He is far above any ruler or authority or power or leader or anything else, not only in this world but also in the world to come. God has put all things under the authority of Christ and has made Him head over all things for the benefit of the church. The church is His body; it is made full and complete by Christ, who fills all things everywhere with Himself. No matter how powerful a demonic spirit is, it is important to remember that there is no spirit more powerful than the Holy Spirit. Now that we understand that, let’s take a look at the enemy’s influence and how his kingdom is structured. For that, we look to Ephesians chapter 2, verse 2: «Wherein, in time past, ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now works in the children of disobedience.» Notice that the scripture calls the enemy the prince of the power of the air, not the prince and the power of the air. In other words, his influence is in the air, and by that, the scripture means that his influence is within the earthly realm. The scripture says, «In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.» There are several different heavens; the Bible describes three. The first heaven is found in Genesis, Psalms 8:8, and James 5:18. This is Earth’s atmosphere or the sky. Next, we see the cosmos or the universe. This includes the sun, moon, and stars, referenced in Jeremiah chapter 8, verse 2, and Psalm chapter 8, verses 3 and 4. Then there is the third heaven, God’s dwelling place, referenced in Deuteronomy chapter 10, verse 14, and 2 Corinthians chapter 12, verses 1-4. So Jesus is the ruler of the heavenly realms; He has the highest seat of authority. Even though the enemy has some influence within the world, that doesn’t mean that he’s not still under God’s power. Ultimately, God has the highest jurisdiction, the highest authority, and the greatest level of power. So the enemy may have pockets of influence throughout the earth, but ultimately all things are under the umbrella of God’s power and authority. Satan may have some rule within the earth, but God has rule above it. Satan has influence in the subdominion of the earth, but only because man has surrendered that dominion. Now that we understand a little bit about Satan’s influence, let’s take a look at the structure of his kingdom. Ephesians chapter 6, verse 12 says this: «For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.» Here in Ephesians chapter 6, we see four things listed: principalities, powers, rulers of the darkness of this world, and spiritual wickedness in high places. Let’s first look at principalities. Contrary to popular belief, a principality is not a strong demon; in fact, a principality is a region—it’s a stronghold of the enemy in the earth, a region that is highly influenced by demonic power. So a principality is a place or region, and the demon in charge of this region is referred to as a prince demon. We see an example of this in Daniel chapter 10, verse 13: «But for 21 days, the spirit prince of the kingdom of Persia blocked my way. Then Michael, one of the archangels, came to help me, and I left him there with the spirit prince of the kingdom of Persia.» Notice here that hell is structured with princes. Satan is the prince of princes, but Jesus is the King of kings. He still has the higher power. Prince demons rule in regions, and those spiritual regions correlate to earthly regions. We see this again in Daniel 10:13; we see the spirit prince of the kingdom of Persia, which attaches this spirit prince to an earthly kingdom. Principalities correlate with earthly regions, so there are principalities assigned to nations, cities, states, provinces, and regions. Next, we see the term «powers.» Ephesians 2:2 says this: «Wherein, in time past, ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now works in the children of disobedience.» I read this verse at the top of the message, but this verse also sets the context for the term «powers.» This is also not a reference to a sentient demonic being, as we understand demons today; this is a reference to the chain of command, the structure, and the organization of hell itself. So «power» is a reference to the chain of command or the overall structure of hell, while a principality refers to a region. «Power» is the system; principalities are the regions. Just as we talk about government power, we’re discussing structures.