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:
I hate watching horror films, but the few I’ve seen all tend to have the same message: Satan is behind evil. Those films delight in showing the ugliness and terror of wickedness, which is why I avoid them. But they often make the same point Paul mentions in this verse: the devil is hard at work influencing our world.
Paul continues the description he began in the previous verse of the Ephesians’ lives before they trusted Christ. He doesn’t mince his words. He bluntly says they were ruled by sin, which affected everything they did. Let’s look at this verse more closely.
The first word, “wherein,” refers back to the sin and transgressions mentioned in verse one. The term “walk” means “to live or to order your behavior.” Paul is saying that the Ephesians used to organize their lives around sin, which influenced every part of their existence.
Paul goes on to explain what persuaded them to live this way. The word “according to” implies “to be in conformity with.” The term “course” basically means “age,” but in this context Paul uses it to refer to the whole system of thought of a particular era. In other words, he’s saying that the philosophies, thoughts, opinions, and principles of every age, along with the whole evil world system, dominate men and women, leading them to order their lives according to sin.
Unfortunately, Paul doesn’t end here. Something far more sinister than our own evil thoughts and desires is influencing and controlling our world. Paul calls him the “prince of the power of the air.” We can easily guess he’s talking about Satan, but why such a strange title? That’s because he’s describing exactly who the devil is. The Greek word for “prince” means “the first in rank, a ruler.” The term “power” can also be translated as “someone who has authority, a magistrate.” In this context, he is referring to demons. Paul goes on to explain where this rule is exercised: the “air,” meaning our earthly atmosphere. Satan is the leader of all the demonic authorities on our planet. His kingdom is where human beings live.
In other words, Paul paints a bleak picture of Satan and his demons exercising power over and influencing those who are disobedient to God. The word “disobedience” implies stubbornness and rebellion.
To summarize, Paul makes it clear that our world is heavily influenced by Satan and his demons. This began in the Garden of Eden, when the devil deceived Eve into disobeying God, and has continued to this day. Peter, in his letter, describes him as a roaring lion seeking someone to devour. (1) Those who deny the existence of Satan or minimize his power become easy prey.
(1) 1 Peter 5:8