S. Michael Houdmann Supporter Got Questions Ministries

"And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons ...

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February 07 2014 • 0 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report

Jeffrey Johnson Supporter

What does it mean that Satan is the prince of the power of the air (Ephesians 2:2)?

In Ephesians 2:2, calling Satan the "prince of the power of the air" means he is the ruler of a domain of invisible, evil spiritual forces that influence the world's fallen systems, philosophies, and human disobedience. This title highlights his limited, temporary authority to influence human behaviour from the spiritual realm (the "air") until final judgment.

The "Air" (Spiritual Realm): "The air" likely refers to the invisible, intermediate spiritual realm between heaven and earth where Satan and his fallen angels are active, or to a pervasive, unseen influence surrounding humanity, akin to the air itself.

Limited Authority: Despite his influence, Satan is not sovereign. His power is restricted by God and defeated by Jesus Christ. 

By calling him the prince of the air, Paul suggests that Satan's influence is not distant or localised in a "hell" deep underground; rather, it is all around us, like the very atmosphere we breathe.

The purpose of Paul mentioning this is usually to highlight the change in a believer's life. He argues that while people were once "breathing in" this spiritual atmosphere of disobedience, they have been "made alive" in Christ and are no longer subjects of that prince. 

Paul uses the literal air, or atmosphere, to illustrate how the spirit, or dominant attitude, of selfishness and disobedience permeates the world today. Paul uses similar language at 1Co 2:12 in referring to "the spirit of the world." Just as literal air is everywhere, ready to be breathed in, so "the spirit of the world" is always present. It exerts "authority," or power, over most of humanity. The power of this dominant mental attitude lies in its appeal to the sinful flesh, its subtlety, its relentlessness and, like air, its pervasiveness. Those who are alienated from God and who pursue a course contrary to God's will are here called "the sons of disobedience."

The Scriptures tell us: "We received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is from God." (1 Cor. 2:12) What is "the spirit of the world"? It is the same spirit as that mentioned in Ephesians 2:2, "wherein ye once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the powers of the air, of the spirit that now worketh in the sons of disobedience."

This "air" is the world's spirit, or mental attitude, and it surrounds us like literal air. It is everywhere. It is often manifested in the 'no one is going to tell me what to do' or 'fight for your rights' attitude of so many people today. They constitute "the sons of disobedience" of Satan's world.

How is the spirit of the world like the air, and where does its authority lie? "The spirit of the world"​—the spirit of independence and disobedience—​is as pervasive as the air we breathe. (1 Cor. 2:12) Its authority, or power, lies in its persuasiveness, persistence, and relentlessness.

Satan the Devil, "the ruler of the authority of the air," has, you might say, infected the whole world with the spirit of disobedience. He was doing so in the first century, and he has been doing so even more intensely since being cast out of heaven.

Since we live in the world, we cannot entirely avoid exposure to these things. So we are acting wisely if we hook up to a spiritual fresh-air supply. We fill our spiritual lungs, as it were, by regular meeting attendance, personal study, Christian activity and association, and prayer. In this way, if any of Satan's air leaks into our spiritual lungs, God's spirit strengthens us to reject it.​—Psalm 17:1-3; Proverbs 9:9; 13:20; 19:20; 22:17.

7 days ago • 0 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report