Be Strong in the Lord

Ephesians 6 and the Christian Life of Strength

Lord bless you this morning and may you receive the preaching of his word if you can. Please turn to Ephesians chapter 6 and Stand when you have the reading. I should have kept you standing since we were standing up for Jesus.

But please do stand when you have the reading starting in Ephesians Chapter 6 verse 10. Hear ye this morning the word of the Lord. Finally be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.

For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood But against the rulers against the authorities against the cosmic powers over this present darkness Against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.

Therefore take up the whole armor of God that you may be able to withstand in that evil day having done all to stand firm stand therefore having fastened on the belt of truth having put on the breastplate of righteousness and As shoes for your feet having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace in all circumstances.

Take up the shield of faith With which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one and Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God. Praying at all times in the Spirit which all prayer with all prayer and supplication to that end keep alert of all perseverance making supplication for the Saints and Also for me the words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel.

For which I am an ambassador in chains that I may declare it boldly as I ought to speak. Amen, may God bless reading his word. You may be seated Father we do come before you this morning praying that you would impart to us the great gift of thy Holy Spirit to be able to comprehend the greatness of the challenges that lay ahead of us as Christians.

There our life is indeed a war and there's an enemy out for us. May we see the need that we have of you Lord. The need to be strong in you to be fastened in you to be rooted and established in you so that we may have all that we need to be ready on that great day when temptation arises and Also ready on that great day when we stand before you may we stand approved in Jesus in your name.

We pray Lord. Amen. Brethren, the Word of God starts off in Ephesians chapter 6 verse 10. Our main verses will be verses 10 through 12 for today's preaching. But there's an admonition that the Apostle Paul opens up with remember that As Paul's been going through this letter Really starting in chapter 5.

He talks about the newness of life that is unique to the Christian experience. That the Christian is indeed a new creation a new creature. The Christian is the one who has put his faith in Jesus Christ.

Who has now bound his life to Christ's life who is now identified in his law in Christ's life His his death his burial and his resurrection and that we in fact are the children of God through faith in Jesus Christ.

He then begins to show how the gospel infiltrates every aspect of the Christian life. How the gospel is indeed for all of life. The gospel isn't just for Sundays the gospel isn't just for Church services or when we come together as Christians, but indeed the gospel has implication for all of life.

He goes on to describe the importance of Living out the Christian life in regard to the context of brothers and sisters in a church. How we are to treat to each other treat one another how we are to put off the old self and the old Practices and put on the new self.

Then it goes on to say how it is that these This new creature this new Heart that Christ has given how that affects us in our most intimate relationships including that of a husband and a wife a Wives are to submit to their husbands and how husbands are to love and lead their their wives as Christ loves and leads the church.

Chapter 6 verses 1 through 4 Paul brings out the importance of the gospel in rearing our children in Being gospel centered parents, but also gospel centered children who hear and receive the instruction From our parents and that parents be those who are worthy of emulating and be worthy of bringing forth the gospel To their children so they may not provoke them to anger.

But instead to bring them up in the joy discipline and instruction of the Lord. Verses 5 through 9 Paul focuses on the relationship between a servant a slave and his master today's context. That would be rightfully an employer employee Relationship and how we are to serve even under dire circumstances.

That the Christian life isn't about one's personal game, but instead being a selfless servant first and foremost of Jesus Christ. So Paul takes all these ideas and he wraps them up in verse 10 by saying finally in Conclusion after all these things have been heard.

Finally take what I say now and be strong in the Lord. The Christian life requires Strength, let me tell you something being a Christian is hard. It's not easy. Being a Christian is probably the most difficult thing a person can do.

Why? Why is it so difficult to be a Christian? Have you seen the world we live in a world that celebrates in a World that celebrates confusion and chaos a world that is in itself devolving into more and more confusion and chaos and Yet here we stand as Christians saying no, there's a standard.

Here's the Word of God. It's also difficult. Because the Christian life is not that of a worldly hedonist where the world celebrates confesses and encourages people to do as they will. For people to live as they please.

That there's no guardrails to life that you can do and be whatever you want to be. Whenever you want to be and if anyone tells you otherwise. Then you shame them and you tell them that you're that they're a bigot and that they're a monstrosity amongst civilized culture and.

Yet here we are as Christians in need of strength to live Godly in a godless world. The world is increasing in its ungodliness. It's increasing in its hatred for truth its hatred for the things of God.

Therefore we are to stand firm strong in the Lord. This is a call by the Apostle Paul to the people of God for perseverance. Because you will need strength. You will need strength to be a Christian in this dark and wicked world.

Especially in a place like this Silicon Valley Santa Clara County the Bay Area. This is probably the seat of ungodliness in many respects. This is a place where we import not just technology. Not just big fortune 500 companies, but we import culture influence wealth in the ancient world.

There are many seats of powers and Jesus when speaking to the one of the seven churches says I know where you live. I know where you are where Satan's throne dwells. I often wonder to myself where would Satan's throne be today and I can't say for certainty.

No one can but I would certainly put Silicon Valley up there on the list of places where Satan's throne may indeed dwell. Because Satan's throne is where his influence is strongest and where his influence is important to the most places as possible.

And here we are in the midst of a godless culture in the godless world. And the Apostle Paul affirms and Finally concludes this thought by saying that we must be strong. Not try to be strong not maybe be strong be strong in the Lord.

Be strong. All of us find areas of strength that. That we may even draw strength from. Many of us may draw strength from our families rightfully. So many of us may draw strength from the relationship between our spouse.

Maybe some of us draw strength from a relationship with someone in the church. All great places to draw strength from. Sometimes even we may draw strength from our own selves thinking that we and ourselves are sufficient to draw strength from and that if I am sufficient to be the one to provide strength for myself in all circumstances.

That would be folly. That would be foolish. Where's the fountain of our strength? From where can we and should we draw our strength from? Clearly it isn't the Lord. The Lord is the fountain of all strength.

You know when you were young and we're energetic and we're strong. I remember what it's like to be 16 17 18. Back in those days. I can go to Burking and eat like five whoppers and not gain a pound. I just look at a whopper now and I feel the pounds starting to accumulate.

You know, it's it life changes your strength your vitality begins to slow down it begins to change and alter and when you're young You feel like oh, this is what's life's gonna be like forever. It's always gonna be this good.

It's always gonna be this easy and yet as we grow older and I'm not that old yet. So don't you don't hear misunderstand me but I'm getting old enough where I'm starting to see the effects of the fall and My own life and the weaknesses of my own flesh the the things that I once could do I could no longer do and yet Here is the call for us.

The call is not to look into oneself for strength. It's not to look within One's own strategy or capabilities, but rather we ought to draw strength in the Lord Jesus Christ and the strength of his might.

I want you to write this in there in closing Paul affirms that we Must find our strength in the Lord. And the reason why this is so essential brethren is because we are indeed if I haven't made this clear ready we are in a conflict and The conflict isn't just with the culture.

The conflict isn't just with maybe other religious groups. The conflict isn't only just with our politics. But the conflict that we are in is a cosmic one. It is a cosmic conflict. Life is not easy in this fallen world.

Job chapter 7 verse 1 the ASV reads. Is there not a warfare to man upon the earth? And are not his days like the days of hireling? Job 7 1 the ideas is life is hard life is difficult. Many trials and tribulations.

It's like living life as a slave as a hireling. The man's days on earth are like warfare and Indeed, this is especially true for the Christian. Your life in this world is indeed a warfare. You are in a constant fight whether you recognize it or not whether you accept it or not.

You are in a battlefield. Look at the culture and how it infiltrates people's minds. For instance. We have things in this country called billboards and Billboards usually are to grab your attention while you're driving and some of the most prominent billboards You'll see are things having to do somewhat with human depravity.

You have this nice scenery of a beach nice cool glass of beer and that is to invoke in you a desire To be not where you are stuck in traffic on the 101 but instead to be there on the beach. To be thinking of being somewhere else being transported that that that that that succulent Drink there.

It's going to fulfill in me a desire and it's gonna make me feel good. You see how subtle? the enemy is for women. Can't go down a aisle on the grocery store about seeing these magazines of a unrealistic body type and Oftentimes young women especially in this world in this culture see those those those Unrealistic body types of other women and begin to feel themselves that they are inadequate and I need to be like this.

I need to look like that in order for me to be desirable. Another sly way the enemy Infiltrates the heart and the mind to alter oneself and to find strength in things that do not offer true and lasting strength.

For the war that we are in instead. The enemy is very cunning and he will put things whether it be advertisement all Advertisements essentially are the same they are to make you feel inadequate without the item they are selling.

So whatever it is that they're selling whether it be the new iPhone or there be you know Corona beer all these things are meant to make you feel if you do not have this in your life you are missing something and From these things you may draw great joy pleasure and maybe even strength.

Life is indeed a constant struggle to battle to war. We can't go to the grocery store even without being confronted with the Implications and the slyness of Satan the devil. Life in this sinful world is difficult and has many many challenges and we must indeed contend with the flesh with the world and With an unseen enemy who is bent on destroying the remnant of God's people even the seed of Jesus Christ the church.

We are in a fight for holiness. The culture of the world is unholy doesn't look at holiness as something that is to be admired or to be Practiced but instead they practice all sorts of ungodliness. Look at Romans 1 you read Romans 1.

You look at the world that we're in today. We are living in a Romans 1 culture people giving themselves over to their own desires on to their own destruction and yet Ours is a life. Ours is a battle for holiness.

I want you to write that in the last part there. Closing Paul affirms that we must find our strength in the Lord to fight the battles of life and holiness. As pastor Josh opened up the service this morning from Psalm 121.

When we lift our eyes up to the heavens from where shall my help come. From where? Will my strength come. You may ask yourself that question often because even as a Christian. It would be wrong for you to assume that just because you're a Christian just because you've received Jesus Christ one time a long time.

Ago that that is sufficient for the daily battle of life. Rather ours is a constant search for strength in Christ. You can turn to Isaiah 40 and examine with me this beautiful passage. Not to steal any thunder from pastor calling when he preaches on this in the coming weeks but enough in Isaiah chapter 40.

Starting in verse 25 here ye the word of the Lord from the prophet Isaiah to whom then will you compare me? That I should be like him says the Holy One. Lift up your eyes on high and see who created these.

He who brings out their host by number. Calling them all by name by the greatness of his might and because he is strong in power. Not one is missing. What the Lord Yahweh Jehovah is doing in this text?

He is demonstrating his grandeur his greatness and his ability to bring strength to his people. He begins by saying to whom will you compare me. God is not to be compared with any other Creature he is unlike anyone or anything you've ever encountered.

He is holy. Totally separate from this world and from the cosmos that we reside in he is indeed Great and greatly to be praised and so different so great. So exalted is this one that he can say lift up your eyes on high and see who created these here in.

In Sunnyvale and in Santa Clara County, it's kind of hard at nighttime to look up and and see the stars. It's not like where I grew up in Wisconsin where or where I lived in Wisconsin previously where I can go to my backyard and look up actually all the stars and their Grandeur and their beauty here.

All I see is planes. I thought is that a shooting star? No, that's a plane and there's a bunch of planes in the sky and you can't really tell the stars apart. Very well here but yet the implication is this when you lift up your eyes and you see the magnificence of his creation the grandeur of space the grandeur of the stars.

You ask yourself who created these and. The answer is the Lord. It is he who brings out their host by number. There are so many stars in this galaxy. Not even the best scientists can discover or put a number on exactly how many stars there are in the universe.

Yet God knows. God not only knows he created them. He fixed them in their appointed places. He brought out their glory and their host for our eyes to see and it is this very same God Who by his greatness and the greatness of his might calls them all by name.

Beloved. If you are in a time in your life where you are in need of strength. No one be comforted by this. God knows you he knows you by name. And he knows his stars and the host of the heavens that he has made.

Nothing is too hard for him because he is strong in power. He's strong. So strong that now even one of his hosts are missing. He goes on to say in verse 28 of Isaiah 40. Have you not known? Have you not heard?

The Lord is the everlasting God the creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary. His understanding is unsearchable. Here beloved is where we can draw our strength. There is a fountain for us to draw strength for the battle ahead that doesn't run dry.

Doesn't grow old or withers away. But instead there is a sure anchor for our soul here in Yahweh in Jehovah God the everlasting God the creator of the ends of the earth because he does not grow faint nor does he grow weary but you.

Beloved you do grow faint you do grow weary. You are in need of that fountain of strength that fountain that is other than yourself. That even goes beyond the things that you draw strength from in your family in your relationships and your children.

Those are all great motivating factors. But our true strength to be the father that God desires us to be to be the husband that God desires us to be to be the friend the Spouse the the individual the Christian who God wants us to be we draw that strength ultimately from the everlasting God.

From him. Verse 29 says he gives power to the faint. If you're growing faint beloved know that he can give and offers you power even now. Into him who has no might he increases strength. Even you shall faint and be weary and young men shall fall exhausted.

But they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength. They shall mount up like wings like eagles. They shall run not be weary. They shall walk and not faint brethren. The call to a Christian is one of perseverance and it requires the strength that only God can provide.

Find your strength find your very being and substance in the Everlasting God who does not grow faint or weary and indeed shall empower even youth young men. Old men young women old women to do the work that he's a portion for us to do.

So that we may be mounted up on the wings like eagles and run and not be weary. Paul put it this way that our life as Christians. It's like a race. It's like a marathon and what awaits for us on the other side of that marathon of life is a crown unfading of glory in order to run.

You must find strength. You must be well conditioned spiritually conditioned and you find that spiritual conditioning in the gospel of Jesus Christ the gospel Is our fountain? The gospel says this You and I are not strong.

You and I are not capable of Becoming righteous before a holy and a righteous God that we have fallen short of the mark that we have sinned every one of us and we've all gone our own ways and Yet God and his infinite love his mercy Has made a way for us to be made right?

Through the ransom sacrifice of his son Jesus Christ whose sin is a Propitiation for this for for For God is our sins are now been purified through the propitiation that God has made through Jesus Christ.

It is through his offering and it's through his shed blood that you and I can have everlasting life and we go to the cross. Knowing that Christ is no longer on that cross. He's now risen ascended to the right hand of the Father and We draw strength from him who is ascended above all power authority and every dominion and every name that can be named.

Not only in this age, but also in the age to come. The Lord is our everlasting strength. Amen. Therefore find your strength for life for holiness in him. Because again, there is an enemy we can turn back to Ephesians chapter 6.

There is an enemy against us Who desires to wreak havoc against not only the world but the remnant of God's people the seed of Jesus Christ. And it says in Ephesians chapter 6 verse 11 put on the whole armor of God that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.

We are in a fight brethren and our enemy is the devil Satan the devil the word Satan and devil Mean accuser and it means deceiver. We have one who is an accuser of the brethren. We see this early on in Scripture even in the first.

What likely is the first written book of the Bible the book of Job and Job chapter 1 and 2 you see Satan? Coming in amongst the people the children are the host of heaven and he begins to bring an accusation against God's servant his elect Job and The charges is I bet you God that if you Allowed me to put a finger on this man's lively livelihood even his even his own life He would curse you.

He's the accuser. He's the accuser. Which is why we see in Revelation chapter 12 when this great conflict emerged in heaven between Michael the archangel and the host of Satan's army and Satan was hurled down to the earth.

What did the angels of heaven? Proclaim they said praise God hallelujah because the accuser of the brethren has been cast down. The accuser has been cast down. Which is why now for Christians Paul can rightly say in Romans chapter 8 verse 1.

Therefore there is now no Condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. Later on in chapter 8. He says for who can bring an accusation against his elect. Who can bring an accusation? The devil is indeed the accuser.

He is indeed the deceiver yet for those who are in Christ his Accusations fall on deaf ears because we received the perfect offering for sin and so when the accusations come There stands the righteous one Jesus Christ who stands on your behalf imparting his righteousness to you imputing his righteousness to you and therefore the father can say He is justified.

He has been made free and your accusations O devil will fall on deaf ears. Yet though our righteous standing before God through justification is Made certain through the blood of Christ We still contend with he who is the accuser and we still contend with he who is the deceiver and his Wicked schemes are Meant to lead us away from the fountain of strength that is found in Jesus Christ.

Therefore Paul gives the warning. He says put on the whole armor of God. That you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil once you write that in there our defense against the schemes. Or the devil schemes is what.

What's our defense brethren what must we put on not just one time but daily. It's the armor of God. It's the armor that God provides. Next week. We'll go into deeper Session as to what that armor entails and and what that means and the implications it has for the Christian life.

But truly God has given us a means By which we can stand firm against our spiritual foe even Satan the devil and That is the armor of God or the full armor of God so that we may be able to stand against the devil.

Now, let me tell you something, you know, this the devil is more powerful than you. He knows more than you. He's been around longer than you. There's no way you can outwit him. No way you can overpower him.

He is more powerful than you. Then in what way then? Does the scripture say that we can stand against the schemes of the devil? How is it then that James could say also that if you resist the devil he will what?

Flee. Well, what's interesting is that dota devil ontologically as a spiritual being is more powerful. The wiser has more knowledge than us we have something that he doesn't and It's the spirit of the living God.

It's a spirit of Christ. Living in you. That is what makes you strong. That is what gives you power. That is what it means to put on the whole armor of God is to be in Christ found in him. Not having a righteousness of your own but having a righteousness that comes through faith in Jesus that this Leads to the new man the new creation.

Putting on the whole armor of God every day knowing that every day is indeed a battle. And what does it mean to put on the whole armor of God? Well, let me just let you know practically what some of these things look like it means reading the Word of God daily.

Because if you're not reading God's Word, which is the sword of the Spirit you will fall short in your battle against the enemy. It's like going to war without proper weaponry. You will go out and you will die.

Because your enemy will overpower you. It also means that we pray. We pray regularly. That prayer becomes such a reflex and our walk with Jesus. That when temptation rears its head our response isn't to contemplate but instead to pray.

That that's our reflex as a Christian people not to contemplate the temptation not to entertain it. But instead to run to Jesus in prayer. It also means it has implications for us as a church family as a church.

How are we doing in that regard? I? Think this is a church that has a phenomenal high view of the Word of God. I Really do. I think we have a very high view of God's Word. And I think we're a church that is attempting to be serious about prayer.

But we're only attempting it. I don't think we've arrived there yet. One of the graces that the Lord has given the church is the ability to pray and they gather together. And I want to encourage you by way of reminder every Sunday when we gather in the Lord's Day.

We come that only for the preaching the proclamation of his word in the morning. But we also should ought to have in our hearts the the momentum and the desire to stay and be in prayer with one another.

Our church we have a service not only at 11, but we have one at 2 and at 2 o 'clock. We have one of the pastors coming brings you the preaching of God's Word. Declares to you the word and then we pray based off of the things that were preached.

And we pray in relation to those things and we've noticed over the last several months. We've been waning in that area. We've noticed that over the last several months. We've seen less and less people attend that service.

Now we don't say this to your shame. But if you're shamed by it, then maybe that's the spirit communicating something to you. But we say this to spur you on to good works. To spur you to desire prayer in your life and in the context of God's people because if it is true That outside these walls is a war a war for your heart a war for your mind a war for your soul.

Then how is it that we can just so casually leave the doors of this church and not be ready and armed with prayer? We ought to make it our aim. Not have a legalistic center or because we have to but because we want to.

That we're growing in the Christian character and we're growing in holiness. Therefore we desire these things. We ought to desire to be together in prayer and let me be honest with you. Sometimes it's hard.

Sunday can be a long day. Does she after a nice lunch? Can be difficult to stick around and pray. But this is where Perseverance comes in. This is where spiritual discipline comes in. You beloved are in need of spiritual perseverance and discipline.

And these are not things that just come naturally or just come by osmosis. These are things that must be built up in the Christian life. So we encourage you come not only for the proclamation of the gospel.

Come not only for the preaching of God's Word on Sunday morning. But also stay and be a part of the fellowship the life of the church and pray with us. So that we can stand firm against the schemes of the devil having put on the full armor of God.

Amen. We should take this seriously because as it says in Ephesians 6 verse 12 now it says for we do not wrestle against flesh and blood. This is important brethren. Our Resistance to the natural things isn't just with flesh and blood.

It's not just a person that's in front of you or who cut you off in the highway. That's not the extent of our warfare. It goes further than that deeper than that the extent of our warfare is Spiritual.

Notice where again it says verse 12. We do not wrestle against flesh and blood but against the rulers against the authorities. Against the cosmic powers over this present darkness against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.

Notice the extent of our warfare. It isn't like just land or sea or sky our warfare entails the cosmos. That's our warfare. That's the extent of Christian warfare. Of Spiritual warfare it is indeed a cosmic one.

Not just against flesh and blood. Why don't you write this in our conflict? Is that merely with man? Now man may oftentimes be the face of our conflict whether we're having a conflict of someone in person social media or in our politics we tend to put faces as labels of our conflict.

If you're a Democrat then bad Trump. If you're a if you're a you're a Democrat a Republican then it's bad Biden. And We put faces to the conflicts and yet our conflict is far greater than these things.

Ours is with unseen cosmic powers with rulers and authorities. With the unseen forces of darkness what you write that in there as well our conflict is not merely with man both unspoke the unseen forces of darkness.

That's what we're up against. That's what you're up against. Don't you forget for a second? What you're up against? It's when you forget. When you allow these things to fade to the back of your mind that you begin to lose sight of you your enemy is that type of Proclivity would not serve you well in a battlefield.

But it was ever served in the military or been serving overseas. You know that one must be alert at all times and so ought to be the Christian spiritually ready alert. For the battle that may be ahead.

I want to give you some more information on to the intricacies of These rulers and principalities and cosmic powers that are mentioned here because it's always very peculiar. Paul in particular Often uses these terms.

Uses it in first in Colossians chapter 1 verse 15 to 18 in reference to the dominion of Christ. Saying this of Jesus Christ that he's a image of the invisible God the firstborn over all creation for by him all things were created.

In heaven on earth whether visible or invisible whether they be thrones dominions rulers Principalities all things were made by him and for him and he is before all things. And in him all things hold together and consist.

Paul uses the term about Christ being the creator of the rulers powers. Principalities, I always wondered when I was younger reading the Bible what those things actually meant because it just seemed kind of out of place.

What do you mean that Christ? Okay? I can wrap my mind around Christ being the creator of all things, but what does it mean that he create rulers? Authorities. Powers principalities these all seem to be synonyms of the same thing almost and to some degree they actually are.

Paul then goes on elsewhere here in chapter 6 of Ephesians using that same language, but now identifying these as our foes again spiritual forces of darkness that are rulers authorities principalities.

Who are these? What are these? I would submit to you that these are spiritual beings. Once you write this in there last bullet point the rulers principalities and cosmic powers are spiritual beings and structures.

These are spiritual beings and structures. Not just spiritual beings, but structures behind the spiritual beings. When you look at the complexity of government today for instance. Government is not just made up of a few governments actually pretty big and complex in America.

We've got a really big government and there's different departments and there's different agencies and they all serve different functions. Well, God has a kingdom a kingdom is Liking on to a government.

I will use that term in regard to the kingdom of God. Isaiah chapter 9 that on to the Sun will be given this government and the kingdom will be upon his shoulders and God's government is also complex.

There's complexity to God's government. There's structures and there's powerful beings that are in this governmental structure of God's kingdom Christ being ultimately the king of God's kingdom and we not only will be subjects of the kingdom but we will also be heirs of the kingdom of Christ and.

Yet these rulers principalities cosmic powers as identified by the Apostle Paul seem to be Spiritual governmental structures beings and powers that are under the influence of Satan the devil. Once you put that under in there as well.

The rulers principalities and cosmic powers are spiritual beings under the dominion of Satan. How do we know this? Let's take a quick survey of Ephesians. If you join me, please in Ephesians chapter 1 and Let's see how Paul uses these very terms elsewhere in the same book in Ephesians chapter 1 starting in verse 20.

That he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places. So we're talking about Christ being exalted to the right hand of the Father in heavenly places rule authority saying far above all rule and authority and power Dominion and above every name that is named not only in this age, but also in the one to come.

Notice Christ in the heavenly places is above all rulers authorities powers Principalities it is to say that Jesus Christ is supremely Lord over all the governmental Structures of the earth and of heaven itself.

He is the king. He's the king. How else does Paul use this Terminology or some of the terminology that we've seen here so far. Look at Ephesians chapter 2 verse 2. It says in which you once walked following the course of this world following the Prince to ruler of the power of the air.

The spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience knows how Paul later on in Ephesians chapter 6 talks about the Principalities and the powers in the heavenly places. Paul says those who are under the dominion of the of the Prince of the power of the air.