Whenever something does not make sense in the bible,try to think outside what you know in your tangible existence as of the flesh that which appeals to anyone of the five senses.
"First was the Word, and the Word was God, and The Word was with God." We know that God is a spirit and The highest above ALL in status, therefore The Word is also Spirit, so it exists first as spirit before anything else. Which is why whatever you do in Heaven is done on earth i.e loosing and binding. Also he called man into being before he formed man in the dust (Gen 1 & 2).
Therefore lower here really means of a lower spiritual status, because we are part flesh, which is darkness, which is an enemy against the spirit. That is why we ought not to live according to the Flesh.
Angels are total spirit and are workers in The Kingdom and exist in a relm higher than our relm of Flesh and Blood. It doesn't mean that one is better than the next we just have a different purpose and have the gift of life, i.e. living flesh, from which pleasure is derived.
We are spirits with natural clothing,at least we suppose to know we are, then salvation will be a whole lot easier. The flesh has a mind of its own and will block off all spiritual senses which is why sin blocks us of from God as it thickens our skin. What is born of flesh is flesh, and what is born of spirit is spirit. Lower therefore means not total Spirit.