Our Redemption “in Christ” Detailed to the Ephesians Volume 11

Paul reminds the Ephesians of their previous spiritual Condition

Ephesians 2:2-3 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

Perhaps it is the Holy Spirit’s desire to give these Ephesians a verbal reminder of the awful and dreadful state or condition they were in prior to hearing and believing the Gospel of Christ that leads the Apostle Paul in his detailed description of human nature apart from Him. It is in this letter (none of Paul’s other letters) that we find him writing these words, “And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.” (Ephesians 4:30). What would grieve Him more than when these Ephesians or we today allow our flesh or old nature, the world, and the devil to control our thoughts, attitudes, and ultimately our behavior? With this in mind we find the Apostle Paul describing the deadness of their spiritual condition by first saying “ye walked according to the course of this world” (Ephesians 2:2). The English phrase “ye walked” is translated by the Greek word peripateo meaning to live or behave in a certain manner. The English word course is translated by the Greek word aion meaning an age; by extension perpetuity (also the past); but is often used to denote the present world, with its cares, temptations, and desires; and here denotes particularly the people of this world. In other words, before their conversion to Christ sin and living in sin was their normal behavior following after and as a companion the other lost people of the world system or kosmos (the moral arrangement or order) set in place by the devil.

Paul is reminding them that only the Grace of God has now made a distinction between them and those still caught up under the control of the world system designed by the devil. Speaking of the devil Paul refers to him here as the “prince of the power of the air” (Ephesians 2:2). The English word prince Paul uses here is translated by the Greek word archon meaning to be first in rank or rule. The Jews at that time believed that the air or atmosphere was inhabited by evil spirits or demons and they referred to their master or ruler as Beelzebub another name for the devil (Luke 11:15). Even our Lord, Master, and Savoir Jesus Christ referred to the devil using this same word when He said, “About judgment, because the ruler (evil genius, prince) of this world [Satan] is judged {and} condemned {and} sentence already is passed upon him.” (John 16:11). The writers of the Expositor’s Bible Commentary wrote this to describe the unwholesome atmosphere of sin powered by the devil, “The air is impregnated with the infection of sin; its germs float about us constantly, and wherever they find lodgment they set up their deadly fever. Sin is the malarial poison native to our soil; it is an epidemic that runs its course through the entire ‘age of this world.’”

Paul declares the devil to be “the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience” (Ephesians 2:2). The English phrase “now worketh” is translated by two Greek words, the first is nun meaning present and immediate and the second is energeo meaning to be active, effectual, and mighty in working power. In other words, the devil is right now actively working mightily to blind the unbeliever in lies and keep them from receiving forgiveness of sins and new life in Christ Jesus our Lord as Paul declared in this manner to the Thessalonian believers, “Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.” (2 Thessalonians 2:9-10) and also as Paul declared in this manner to the Corinthian believers, “But if our Gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious Gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.” (2 Corinthians 4:3-4).

Paul includes himself with these Ephesian believers in being blinded by the “prince of the power of the air” (Ephesians 2:2) just as they were, and Paul goes on to declare that this spiritual blindness was our conversation. This English phrase “had our conversation” is translated by the Greek word anastrepho meaning an intense repetition with the implication to busy oneself with living in a certain manner. In other words, before the Gospel took root into our hearts or inner person, these Ephesians, Paul, and we today all lived under the control of the “prince of the power of the air” (Ephesians 2:2) and Paul testified to this course of his with these words written to the Galatian believers, “You have heard of my earlier career {and} former manner of life in the Jewish religion (Judaism), how I persecuted {and} abused the Church of God furiously {and} extensively, and [with fanatical zeal did my best] to make havoc of it {and} destroy it.” (Galatians 1:13).

Paul declares that they and he and we today lived in “the lusts of our flesh” (Ephesians 2:3). The English word lust is translated by the Greek word epithumia which means a longing or desire for that which is forbidden. This is what I wrote in my Book entitled, “Silent Assassins of the Soul: Finding Freedom from Sexual Impurity through the Lord Jesus Christ, A Guide for Men and Women in the Enemy’s Crosshairs”, “That is what happened to our nature as a result of Adam’s disobedience. We are now born with a longing and craving for all the things that God hates. Before we know Christ personally we are helpless against such strong cravings and lusts. The first part of a story Luke recorded in Acts Chapter 3 is a primary example of our helpless condition because of Adam’s sin: Acts 3:2 (AMP): “When a certain man crippled from his birth was being carried along, who was laid each day at that gate of the temple [which is] called Beautiful, so that he might beg for charitable gifts from those who entered the temple.” This man represents every man and woman on earth, past and present. Our souls are crippled from our conception and birth in the earthly realm.”

“‘The sons of disobedience’ must needs be ‘children of wrath.’ All sin, whether in nature or practice, is the object of God’s fixed displeasure. It cannot be matter of indifference to our Father in Heaven that His human children are disobedient toward Himself. Children of His favor or anger we are each one of us, and at every moment. We ‘keep His commandments, and abide in His love’; or we do not keep them, and are excluded. It is His smile or frown that makes the sunshine or the gloom of our inner life. How strange that men should argue that God’s love forbids His Wrath! It is, in truth, the cause of it. I could neither love nor fear a God who did not care enough about me to be angry with me when I sin. If my child does willful wrong, if by some act of greed or passion he imperils his moral future and destroys the peace and well-being of the house, shall I not be grieved with him, with an anger proportioned to the love I bear him? How much more shall your Heavenly Father how much more justly and wisely and mercifully! St. Paul feels no contradiction between the words of verse 3 and those that follow. The same God whose wrath burns against the sons of disobedience while they so continue, is ‘rich in mercy’ and ‘loved us even when we were dead in our trespasses!’ He pities evil men, and to save them spared not His Son from death; but Almighty God, the Father of glory, hates and loathes the evil that is in them, and has determined that if they will not let it go they shall perish with it.” Expositor’s Bible Commentary

“He intentionally breaks off the construction, substituting “and we were” for “and being,” to mark emphatically his and their past state by nature, as contrasted with their present state by grace. Not merely is it, we had our way of life fulfilling our fleshly desires, and so being children of wrath; but we were by nature originally “children of wrath,” and so consequently had our way of life fulfilling our fleshly desires. “Nature,” in Greek, implies that which has grown in us as the peculiarity of our being, growing with our growth, and strengthening with our strength, as distinguished from that which has been wrought on us by mere external influences: what is inherent, not acquired (Job 14:4; Psalm 51:5). An incidental proof of the doctrine of original sin.” JFB Commentary

If you do not know the Lord Jesus Christ and His amazing healing power, pray this from your heart to the Lord Jesus Christ (you speaking directly to Him), Dear Lord Jesus, I confess to You that I am a sinner and I need Your forgiveness. I believe You shed Your Blood and died for my sins. I believe that You rose from the dead proving that You alone are God. I repent of my sins. I want to turn from my sins. I ask You Dear Lord Jesus to come into my heart and take control of my life. I want You to be my Lord, Savior, and my God. Amen...


Sincerely in Christ,


Clifford D. Tate, Sr.

Author of “Silent Assassins of the Soul - Are you Broken by Pornography and Masturbation? You can be Restored by the Lord Jesus Christ and brought into Deliverance, Freedom, and Victory! A Guide for Men and Women in the Enemy’s Crosshairs” e-book available now @ Amazon Kindle, @ Apple I Bookstore for IPod, Barnes and Noble for Nook, Reader Store for Sony Reade, Kobo, Copia, Gardners, Baker and Taylor, and eBookPie…