Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, (6) who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, (7) but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. (8) And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. (9) Therefore God has also highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, (10) that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, (11) and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

The letter to the Philippians was written by the apostle Paul. Our verses teach the doctrine that Jesus added genuine humanity to His eternal deity. His deity was not diminished or laid aside but rather veiled during His earthly ministry; to save us from our sins. The main idea is always of our Lord Jesus Christ as mediator between man and God. Christ laid aside His outward glory – not His deity – He was God in a human body. Christ Jesus was voluntary in His incarnation. He assumed a sinless but finite humanity, being in the form of a man in the reality of His existence in this world while the true nature of God describes Christ’s essential and eternal nature as God. His voluntary fashion as of the true nature of man was the manifestation of Himself to the world in all the weakness of humanity. Outward fashion was all that men could see. His atoning death was the completion of the obedience of His life on the cross. Therefore God highly exalted Him and gave Him the name which is above every name.

In the name of Him who is at once God and man Paul tells his readers that “every knee is to bow” in direct worship to Him – and here denotes worship to Christ, not through Him. The word Lord here means worship paid is worship done to God. The acknowledgment of the glory of Christ is the acknowledgment of glory of the Father as source of deity manifested perfectly in Him. Proper exaltation was of His human nature though in conjunction with His divine nature. His name which is above every name will be confessed as Lord. The Kingdom of Christ reaches to the heavens and the earth – all creatures in each, angels as well as men, dead as well as living. Whatever honor and respect is paid to Christ resounds to the honor of the Father. In the ultimate reality of Christ’s exaltation and lordship believers bow willingly before Jesus. Unbelievers will bow against their wills but they will bow. Under the earth Satan and the demonic forces WILL bow. To honor Christ is to honor the Father because Jesus is God.

Ultimately we shall see Him as He is and the faithful shall be like Him. Every knee must bow at the name of Jesus – even infernal beings, yet this does not make them saved beings. This passage does not teach that all the lost will be saved.