This conversation reminds me of something that happened when I was at a summer martial arts camp at a resort many years ago. Our master instructor had a canoe on the lake, and myself and a couple of other students saw some other folks attempt to use it so, of course, we went up to them and let them know that the canoe belonged to Master Frank and not the resort. They seemed confused by the term, and when Master Frank came over and spoke to them, he explained that the term “Master” was a title of rank in martial art, and the guy retorted with, “Oh, I wondered because the only master I know is Jesus Christ.”
i swear I did a mental face palm.
That was one of the first instances I can recall of people not understanding the difference between a title of rank and a term that denotes something having power and control over them. It’s the same word but a completely different context.
I call King Paimon king, not because he is above me, but because that is his rank and title. I look at it the same way as I do martial arts. The title denotes a skill and knowledge I do not yet have, and so I have no problems with using it, but am not subservient to it.
When one king visits another, he still calls him king.
Lord is another title of rank, that is often used in a subservient way, especially when referring to “Lord Jesus Christ,” or “Lord Lucifer,” (as far as I am aware, Lucifer’s actual title and rank is that of Emperor, which is far above that of a lord), both figures a lot of people choose to hand their power over to.
I have never been religious, and I never had to escape Christian indoctrination so I still have my reasoning intact. I know when I call my martial arts instructor master, it is honouring his rank and the years of effort it required, not giving him power over my life, and it is the same with spirits. I will honour their rank within the hierarchy but I do not bend my knee to them.