THE KING’S BUSINESS
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original it is “authority,” not “power” nor “powers.” Evidently the reason why the American revisers render it “powers” is to bring out the comprehensive thought of the word “authority,” but it would have been better to have rendered it literally. The thought is that there is a realm of power of evil headed up under one prince, the Devil. The walk of unregenerate men is according to him. It is hardly necessary to say that this, as well as much else in the Scripture, clearly means that there is a personal Devil (cf. ch. 6:12; 1 Peter 5:8; Matt. 13:39). The seat of authority of the Devil at the present time is “the air” (cf; Luke 8:5, 12, R. y .) . The earth ,is the present abode of man, the air (i. e., the atmospheric envelope of the earth) is the sphere of activity of the evil spirits (headed up under Satan) that beset men who dwell on the earth that is surrounded by this atmospheric envelope. But these evil spirits have also access to heaven for the present (Eph. 6:12; Job 1:6). To say that the Devil rules the storms because he is the prince of the authority of the' air, is not only to press language beyond what it will bear, but also to contradict plain Bible teaching (Ps. 107:24-29). The Devil may have a limited power in the matter of atmos pheric disturbances (Job 1 :8-12, 19), but back of all God rules the weather. The Devil is not only “prince of the authority of the air,” he is also “prince” of the spirit that now worketh in the sons of disobedi ence” (R. V.), The “spirit” in this verse does not mean merely one evil spirit, but the whole body of evil spirits, of whom Satan is the prince (cf. 1 Tim. 4:1; 1 John 4:1). As God dwells in and works in His children “to will and to work for His good pleasure”, (Phil. 2:13), even so Satan and the'evil spirits under him dwell in unbelievers to work for their good pleasure (cf. Luke 22:3;-John 13:2, 27; Acts 5:3; 2 Thess. 2 :9). Either God or the Devil dwells in and controls each one of us. The only way to escape the Devil’s control is by submitting unreservedly to God’s control. All unregenerate individuals are called “sons of disobedience,” i. e., their whole
conduct is characterized by disobedience to God, resistance to His word and to His spirit.?!. The word here translated “diso bedience” is sometimes translated “unbe lief (cf. Rom. 11:30, 32; Heb. 4:6, 14) and is so translated in this passage in the Latin Versions. The word really has in it the thought of both unbelief and disobedience. It means literally unpersuadedness, which, of course, includes both unbelief (i. e., resistance to God’s truth in thought) and disobedience (resistance to God’s truth in action). Tuesday, June 25 . Eph. 2 : 3 . , In this verse Paul puts himself (and all others who aré now Christians) as regards their former life, in the same class with those who are still “sons of disobedience.” Every one of us once lived among them in the desires of the flesh (see R. V.). The word translated “had our conversation” in the Authorized Version, and “lived” in the Revised Version, means literally “moved up and down,” “engaged in the activities of life.” . The manner of life which we all begin is “in the lusts of our flesh.” The word rendered “lusts” here in the Author ized, Revised, and American Revised Ver sions, does not have the exact shade of meaning that we now ordinarily attach to the word “lusts.” It means strong desires, and of course, easily runs over into the word lusts as we now commonly use it. Our manner of life is not only “in the strong desires of our flesh,” but also-“among” the “sons of disobedience.” This manner of life we pursue until we are “quickened,” i. e., made alive unto a new life by God’s gracious power (born again, John 3,:3). In this state into which we are all born, and in which we all walk until- we are born again, we do “the desires (rather, the wills) of the flesh (i. e., our lower physical nature which is under the control of sin) and of the mind (literally, thoughts, i. e., our own thoughts rather than God’s).” In true repentance we not only renounce lusts and evil: ways, but thoughts as well, and take God’s thoughts ifistead of, our own. (Isa. 55:7). In that unregenerate state
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