EPHESIANS: The Evil Prince

EPHESIANS Number 19:
The Evil Prince

Ephesians 2:2–3 (KJV 1900)
The Apostle is reminding us of who we were before we were re-created and baptized into Christ Jesus. We were dead to God in our trespasses and sins. In Ephesians 2:2-3 he goes on, saying, “Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.” (KJV 1900)

In the past we, like everyone else, lived the way this world thinks we should live. We lived the way the old serpent from the garden thinks we should live.

Here he is called the prince of the power of the air, and the spirit that works in the children of disobedience and wrath. This phrase should not be taken to refer only to that old snake Satan. 1 Timothy 4:1 tells us of “seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils” (KJV 1900). Paul uses a singular noun for “power” and “spirit” because he is referring to Satan as the prince of the entire group of evil spirit beings. Luke 4:33–34 helps us see this. It tells us that “in the synagogue there was a man, which had a spirit of an unclean devil, and cried out with a loud voice, saying, ‘Let us alone; what have we to do with thee, thou Jesus of Nazareth? art thou come to destroy us? I know thee who thou art; the Holy One of God.’” (KJV 1900)

The Jamieson, Fausset, Brown Commentary * says, and I am paraphrasing for clarity, “The power” is used collectively for the “powers of the air.” In the same way, “the spirit”, is used collectively. The passage is speaking of the aggregate of the “seducing spirits” (we just discussed these in reference to 1 Timothy 4:1) which “work now. They still work. They do not work merely “in time past” as in our case. They still work in “the sons of disobedience.” This is a Hebraism, a Hebrew way of expressing an idea. It means, people who are not merely by accident disobedient, but who are essentially sons of disobedience itself, and of which Satan is here declared to be “the prince.”

The commentary continues, “The Greek sentence structure does not allow “the spirit” to refer to Satan, “the prince” himself, but to “the powers of the air” of which he is prince. The powers of the air are the embodiment of that evil “spirit” which is the ruling principle of unbelievers, as opposed to the spirit of the children of God.
<End paraphrased quotation>

It is very important that we recognize what scripture teaches with regard to our enemy. 1 John 5:18 tells us that the evil one does not touch those who are in Christ. That does not mean that he does not or cannot tempt us. Indeed, we are told in 2 Corinthians 11:13–15 “For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming [the word here means to pretend to be something they are not] themselves into the apostles of Christ. And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into [again, pretending, or presenting themselves as] an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.” (KJV 1900)

I am not presenting this to indicate in any way that we should mistrust everyone or to instill worry or fear into anyone about whether or not they may become misguided by false teachers. Holy Spirit lives in every saint and He leads us into the truth. He will not allow us to be led astray without warning us and urging us back toward the path He has laid out.

What I am saying is that many things that seem good to us are used by the enemy and his minions. They are perverted, twisted, and distorted. Their initial presentation will usually look very good, pleasing, even godly.

I am also pointing out that while our enemy can affect our thinking, what we see, and what we hear, he cannot touch us. No matter what he does, we remain safely encrypted with Christ in God.

Every day we see and hear things the world wants to promote. We are bombarded with ideas the world would like to foist upon us. We hear of intractable problems and dark predictions about our future. All these things should be red flags. They come from the earthy mindset of those who remain as we once were. Without hope and without God in the world.

* Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset, and David Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible, (Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 1997), 2:344.