Ephesians 2:2: “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:”

The Bible talks about “the course,” also known as “the race” or the “walk of life”. It has courses that one chooses to take and not to walk in. 

What did you do in your past life? In your past life ,you were walking according to the course of this world. You were walking in this world in your ways, in your sin, in your iniquities. 

The prince of the power of the air

“According to the price of the power of the air”- Notice it is speaking of the devil. When an unsaved believer was walking according to the course of this world, they followed the lust of their flesh. It could be riches, pleasure, fame, sexual, etc. But all these they were doing in their past life was according to the prince of the power of the air. That is talking about Satan. 

Why is Satan referred to prince of the power of the air? 

The answer is in Mark 4. The birds fly over the air. They have control over the air. The Bible says Satan is likened to that. So, above us, the atmosphere is Satan’s domain and territory. 

Mark 2:2: “And it came to pass, as he sowed, some fell by the way side, and the fowls of the air came and devoured it up.”

In the parable of the sower, Jesus talks about the birds of the air that eat the seeds, the word of God. God calls those birds of the air Satan. “The way side” is the course of this world, and the birds take it. That matches with Ephesians 2:2. 

Mark 4:15: “And these are they by the way side, where the word is sown; but when they have heard, Satan cometh immediately, and taketh away the word that was sown in their hearts.”

Satan is known to be the prince of the power of the air. That brings us some questions. It says “power” and “air.” If you will take that more literally, then it brings up a scary thought. Then think about any power that you can think about in air wise. What are the powers over our atmosphere today? Radio, the Internet, 5G, TV waves. You must realize that Satan’s domain and territory are in the air above.

Well, can we really say that Satan is all over that? The Bible says, “by their fruits you shall know them.” Look at the fruits of technology. Is it mostly good or bad? There are some good things that God can use out of it but most of it is bad. We are a TV-minded generation. Where did you learn that language, dressing, behavior, liberal doctrine from? It is from the TV!

Scientifically speaking, when we are looking at technology waves, it is not like satanic powers are inside it or something like that! The context of Ephesians 2 is spiritual. When we are looking at the context of “powers of the air”, it is about the spiritual fruits of it. It is mostly bad. It is as mentioned, Satan’s territory, his domain.

Children of disobedience

If you are walking according to the course of this world, you are according to the will of Satan! “The spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience.” When you are walking according to the course of this world, it is working amongst lost people (unsaved people) called children of disobedience. 

Why? That is because they disobey God. Based on what? Disobedience at the garden of Eden, where everyone inherited that sinful nature. That disobedience from Adam and Eve is why they are called children of disobedience. 

Here are some pointers to summarize:

  • Children of disobedience refer to lost people.
  • Lost people “walk according to the course of this world” which is riches, fame, pleasure, lust etc.
  • Walking in the course of this world is the will of Satan.

Possessed by the Holy Spirit or Satan’s spirit?

That means that everybody was once demon-possessed before they got saved. But aren’t you filled and possessed by the Holy Spirit when you go according to His mighty power as mentioned in Ephesians 1? So, either a person is filled with the Spirit of God and controlled by God, or filled with the Spirit of Satan and controlled by him.

When Christians do their Christian walk, they should do it according to the Holy Spirit. But many Christians chose to go back to their natural man state again. Every saved believer has two states: two substances, the holy Spirit and the fleshy nature. 

Do you choose to walk the course of the Holy Spirit or in the course of the flesh? One path is demon possession, and the other path is Holy Spirit filling. That shows that a Christian can be demon-possessed.

Galatians 5:16: “This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.”