Do False Gods Still Rule the Nations?

On November 20, 2025 By Tyler BoydIn Christian's Relationship to Government, Spiritual Warfare

For many Christians today, the phrase “false gods” immediately brings to mind imaginary deities – empty carvings of wood and stone. These are seen as the inventions of primitive cultures and products of human superstition and ignorance.

As the previous two articles in this series have demonstrated, these false gods are not mere human inventions, but real spiritual beings. Scripture continually presents them as powerful entities who exert genuine influence over regions, nations, and rulers.

While the Bible affirms again and again that there is only one true God, the LORD, the Creator and Sovereign over all, it does not deny the existence of other spiritual beings – some of whom have been falsely worshipped as gods. These beings are real, but they are created beings, and far beneath the LORD in power and glory. You can read those two articles here:

The Regional “gods” in the Old Testament

The story of King Solomon provides a clear example of where the Bible refers to these “gods.” Scripture tells us that Solomon loved many foreign women – Moabite, Ammonite, Edomite, Sidonian, and Hittite women. His decision to marry many of these foreign women was a direct violation of the LORD’s command:

You shall not enter into marriage with them, neither shall they with you, for surely they will turn away your heart after their gods.
1 Kings 11:2

And sure enough, Solomon’s heart was turned:

When Solomon was old his wives turned away his heart after other gods, and his heart was not wholly true to the LORD his God, as was the heart of David his father. For Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, and after Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites… Then Solomon built a high place for Chemosh the abomination of Moab, and for Molech the abomination of the Ammonites, on the mountain east of Jerusalem. And so he did for all his foreign wives, who made offerings and sacrificed to their gods.
1 Kings 11:5; 7-8

Observe a few important things here:

Each of these gods is specifically named – Ashtoreth, Milcom, Chemosh, Molech.
The text never mocks these gods as imaginary or fictional
Each of the gods mentioned is associated with specific nations and regions

The picture presented by this biblical text – a picture of different spiritual beings attributed to different people groups – is not simply a reference to an ancient pagan worldview. It reflects a reality described in the Bible itself.

In the book of Deuteronomy, Moses describes how the LORD divided the nations of the world.

When the Most High gave to the nations their inheritance,
when he divided mankind,
he fixed the borders of the peoples
according to the number of the sons of God.
But the LORD’s portion is his people,
Jacob his allotted heritage.
Deuteronomy 32:8-9

This passage tells us that the Most High assigned the nations under the authority of various sons of God. Throughout the Old Testament, the phrase “sons of God” consistently refers to spiritual beings or angels (Job 1:6; Psalm 29:1). Thus, the text teaches that God allotted authority over specific nations to specific spiritual beings, while reserving Israel as His own possession.

But just like the nations themselves rebelled against the LORD, so also did these “sons of God.” That’s why Psalm 82 describes the LORD standing in judgment over these corrupt divine rulers.

God has taken his place in the divine council;
in the midst of the gods (elohim) he holds judgment:
“How long will you judge unjustly
and show partiality to the wicked…
You are gods,
sons of the Most High, all of you;
nevertheless, like men you shall die
and fall like any prince.”
Arise, O God, judge the earth;
for you shall inherit all nations.”
Psalm 82:1-2; 6-8

Spiritual Rulers in the Book of Daniel

The book of Daniel offers one of the clearest pictures of these heavenly rulers. When Daniel prays for understanding, an angelic messenger is delayed in delivering God’s answer:

The prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty-one days, but Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me.
Daniel 10:13

Here the “prince of Persia” is clearly not a human ruler. It is a powerful spiritual being whose actions influence and are mirrored by the Persian empire. The angel Michael is described as “one of the chief princes,” – a heavenly counterpart fighting on behalf of Israel.

If we were to read the book of Daniel in the Septuagint – a Greek translation of the Old Testament used at the time of Christ and the apostles – we would see that both Michael and the Prince of Persia are described by the Greek word “archon,” meaning “ruler” or “authority.” This is significant, because this is the very word Paul later uses to describe the spiritual rulers and authorities that govern the present age of darkness.

“It is not a wisdom of this age or of the archon of this age, who are doomed to pass away” – 1 Corinthians 2:6
“The archon of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience” – Ephesians 2:2
“For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the archon, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness.” – Ephesians 6:12

Paul was carrying forward the same worldview described in Deuteronomy 32 and Daniel 10. These regional spiritual “arche” are real, and their influence is reflected in the rise and fall of earthly nations.

The “God of This World”

Jesus Himself used similar language when describing the devil. Three times in John’s account of the gospel, He calls Satan “the ruler (archon) of this world.”

“Now the archon of this world will be cast out” – John 12:31
“The archon of the world is coming” – John 14:30
“The archon of this world is judged” – John 16:11

During His temptation in the wilderness, Satan showed Jesus all the kingdoms of the world and claimed:

To you I will give all this authority and their glory, for it has been delivered to me, and I give it to whom I will.
Luke 4:6

It is noteworthy that Jesus never disputes Satan’s claim, but rather Luke presents this offer as a legitimate temptation. The implication is that Satan truly holds authority in this present world – authority that has been claimed by him through the rebellion of mankind.

The “god” of all Nations

This same idea appears all throughout the New Testament. Paul calls Satan “the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience.” (Ephesians 2:2).

He is also identified as “the god of this age” who blinds the minds of unbelievers:

In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ.
2 Corinthians 4:4

John likewise declares:

The whole world lies in the power of the evil one.
1 John 5:19

It would take some impressive hermeneutical gymnastics to avoid the clear conclusion: according to Scripture, Satan is the chief spiritual ruler of this present world system. Beneath him operate a host of rebellious spirits, sometimes referred to as his angels (Matthew 25:41; Revelation 12:7-9), and other times referred to as principalities and powers (Ephesians 1:20-21; 3:10; 6:12; Colossians 2:15). These are real, personal, heavenly beings who exercise real regional and cultural influence. Although these beings are destined for destruction (1 Corinthians 15:24), Scripture teaches that they do rule in this present age of darkness (1 Corinthians 2:6; Ephesians 2:2; 6:12).

If that is true, then it is not only ancient nations like Egypt, Moab, Canaan, Babylon, and Rome that were under such dominion. It means that every earthly nation today lies within his sphere of influence.

It means that:

Satan is the god of Russia.
Satan is the god of Japan.
Satan is the god of Nigeria.
Satan is the god of North Korea.
Satan is the god of the United States.

This worldview is not flattering to any earthly nation, but it is biblical. It reminds us that no worldly power, no matter how noble it may appear, is neutral. Every kingdom of man ultimately belongs to this present fallen order.

The Christian Response

If the nations of this world lie under the dominion of false gods, then Christians must be careful not to confuse patriotism with faithfulness to Christ.

We are citizens of another Kingdom – one not ruled by the god of this age, but by the Sovereign Lord of all creation. Therefore, as Revelation 18:4 declares,

Come out of her, my people,
lest you take part in her sins,
lest you share in her plagues.

Behind every throne stands a spiritual power, but above them all stands the LORD Most High, and His anointed King, Jesus – who is the Lord of lords and King of kings. His Kingdom cannot be shaken. The gods of the nations are real, but they are fallen and doomed for destruction. The LORD alone is God, and His Kingdom alone will stand forever.

The Holy Land, Part 4: Did Israel Get Replaced?

On May 25, 2025 By Tyler BoydIn Holy land

Read the previous parts of this series here:
The Holy Land, Part 1: What Does it Really Mean to be Holy?
The Holy Land, Part 2: Who or What is Israel?
The Holy Land, Part 3: The Spiritual Significance of the Land

The Return to the Promised Land

The Old Testament is filled with stories of Israel’s repeated unfaithfulness. Time and time again, the people of Israel abandoned his ways in favor of idolatry and the adoption of the corrupt practices of the surrounding nations. Eventually, their continual rebellion led to judgment: exile from the very land God had promised to them.

First, the ten northern tribes of Israel were conquered by the Assyrian Empire and were scattered. Later, the southern kingdom – Judah and Benjamin – fell to Babylon, and its people were also taken into captivity.

But exile was not the end of the story – neither for Israel nor for the promised land. During the Babylonian captivity, God sent prophets to speak messages of hope. On multiple occasions, they foretold a return to the land. But the return to the land would be different. God had plans to do something new.

For example, consider the prophecy found in Ezekiel 47:22-23. God commanded that when the people returned to the land, the sojourners living among them would receive an inheritance in the land alongside the Israelites. Sojourners were non-Israelites, or foreigners, living in the land of Israel.

You shall allot [the land] as an inheritance for yourselves and for the sojourners who reside among you and have children among you. They shall be to you as native-born children of Israel. With you they shall be allotted an inheritance among the tribes of Israel. In whatever tribe the sojourner resides, there you shall assign him his inheritance, declares the LORD GOD.

Think for a moment about how significant this is. God Himself declared that when the exile was over, foreigners would receive an inheritance alongside the Israelites. Once again we see that genetics and genealogy have nothing to do with God’s definition of Israel. The prophet Ezekiel anticipated that God was preparing the way for something far greater than a merely ethnic nation. He was showing that being Israel was never primarily about bloodline – it was about being part of God’s chosen family, however God ultimately decided to define that family.

The Vine Metaphor

Throughout the Old Testament, Israel is described as a vine planted in God’s land. The imagery is used repeatedly, and provides us with a vivid and powerful way to picture God’s purposes for His people.

For example, the psalmist in exile cried out, remembering how God had brought a vine out of Egypt and planted it in the land.

You brought a vine out of Egypt;
You drove out the nations and planted it.
You cleared the ground for it;
It took deep root and filled the land.
Psalm 80:8-9

Similarly, Hosea mourned, describing Israel as a vine offering its own fruit on altars to other gods.

Israel is a luxuriant vine
that yields its fruit.
The more his fruit increased,
the more altars he built;
as his country improved,
he improved his pillars.
Hosea 10:1

Isaiah used the metaphor to condemn Israel’s injustice, idolatry, and violence.

For the vineyard of the LORD of hosts
is the house of Israel,
and the men of Judah
are his pleasant planting
and he looked for justice,
but behold, bloodshed;
for righteousness,
but behold, an outcry!
Isaiah 5:7

Together with numerous other similar passages (Isaiah 27:2-6; Ezekiel 15:1-8; 17:1-10; 19:10-14; Jeremiah 2:21; 5:10; 12:11) these images all paint a vivid picture. The land is the vineyard, and the people of Israel are the vines. God planted Israel in His land, but the vine went wild. The vineyard was filled with bad fruit.

Jesus, building on this deeply rooted Old Testament imagery, used the vineyard metaphor to explain His own mission and identity.

I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does not bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned.
John 15:1-6

With this statement, Jesus reveals the true significance of the vineyard metaphor. He wasn’t redefining it – He was fulfilling it. God’s vineyard, that is, God’s “Holy Land” now has only one true vine: Jesus, the true and faithful Israel. And all who wish to be a part of God’s vineyard must now be branches in Him. Anyone not connected to Him is like a dead branch, destined for the fire. Jesus is now the only way to be connected to God’s people.

Paul and the Definition of Israel

Paul builds on this idea in Romans 11:19-21 explaining that:

Some natural branches (unbelieving Jews) were broken off
Wild branches (believing Gentiles) were grafted in.
The root (God’s covenant and promises) remains

According to Paul, the key question that identifies whether one is in God’s vine is not ancestry, but faith. In Galatians 3, Paul takes us even deeper. Abraham, the father of Israel, was considered righteous because of his faith. That means that the true children of Abraham are those who have faith in Christ. Paul writes:

Know then that it is those of faith who are the sons of Abraham. And the Scriptures, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying “In you shall all the nations be blessed.
Galatians 3:7-8

And then he goes further:

Christ redeemed us…so that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we might receive the promised Spirit through faith.
Galatians 3:13-14

The promise to Abraham was never meant to end with ethnic Israel. It was always meant to extend to all nations through Abraham’s true offspring – Jesus Christ (Galatians 3:16). As Paul affirms, “All the promises of God find their Yes in him” (2 Corinthians 1:20). In Christ, the good news declared to the fathers is fulfilled (Acts 13:32-33).

In Ephesians 2, Paul explains that in Christ, Jews and Gentiles are brought together to share a common citizenship in God’s kingdom (Ephesians 2:11-13, 19). Through the cross, Jesus has “created one new man in place of the two,” having destroyed the dividing wall of hostility between them (Ephesians 2:14-15).

Does This Mean God “Replaced” Israel with the Church?

Some modern evangelicals recoil at this idea, dismissing it as “Replacement Theology,” the notion that the church has replaced Israel as God’s true people. But a careful reading of Scripture shows that Israel was never replaced – it was fulfilled.

God didn’t scrap one plan for another. Rather, His plan has always been for a people defined by faith, not flesh. Israel hasn’t been replaced; Israel has been expanded. Jesus, the Jewish Messiah, has fulfilled the promises made to Abraham and has thrown open the gates of Israel to include all nations. In Him, the people of God are not defined by ethnicity or geography, but by faith in Christ. Far from replacing Israel, the church is the ultimate fulfillment of all that Israel was always meant to become.

Shortly after His death, resurrection, and ascension, Peter writes to Christians using language that was first spoken to Israel:

But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.
1 Peter 2:9

Why can Peter say this? Because Christ makes all the difference. Jesus is the true Israel. And all who are in Him – Jew or Gentile – are part of God’s true Israel.

Paul echoes this in Galatians 6:16, referring to the church as “the Israel of God.” How much clearer could he be?

All the promises – including the promise of land – are granted to those who belong to Christ.

What Became of the Holy Land?

The land that was promised to Israel was once at the heart of God’s activity – a land that belonged to God, a land Israel was given, exiled from, and promised restoration to. For generations, it played a central role in God’s redemptive plan for the world. But even as Israel dwelled in the land, the prophets spoke of something greater. Not only would Israel expand to include foreigners, but the day was coming when God’s glory would fill all the earth as the waters cover the sea (Habakkuk 2:14). And then came Christ – not to abolish God’s promises, but to fulfill them.

So we’re left asking: what became of sacred space? What happened to the land God once called His own? Did the Holy Land lose it’s holiness? Or did something far more radical take place?

That’s the question we turn to in the final part of this series.