OVERCOMING IN LIFE (2)

“In which you once walked according to the course of this WORLD, according to the prince of the POWER of the air…” – Ephesians 2: 2a

In OVERCOMING IN LIFE by GOD’S WORD, Believers daily encounter the World, the Devil, and the Flesh: “And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, in which you once walked according to the course of this WORLD, according to the prince of the POWER of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our FLESH, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others” (Eph.2: 1-3a). Here Paul revealed the three formidable forces that completely enslaved humanity prior to our knowing Jesus, and which we must continually rebel against, overcome, and exercise dominion over, in the course of our growth in holiness – the world, the flesh, and the Devil.

Paul reminded the Ephesian Believers of their condition before knowing Christ (v.1). He didn’t intend for them to dwell on past sins in order to wallow in guilt or to revel in nostalgia. Instead, the apostle wanted to draw a contrast between life apart from Christ and life in Christ so as to magnify the Grace and Power of God in Salvation. In further describing life outside of Jesus, Paul painted the bleakest of pictures for unredeemed sinners (vv.2-3). We were spiritually dead apart from Christ, but still capable of transgressing that which is holy (vv. 2–3)

“The course of this world” refers to the ways of culture and society that oppose the Lord and His Kingdom principles. Contemporary ungodly trends in the world include: materialism – greed for accumulation of worldly possessions, consumerism – the insatiable and overpowering desire for instant gratification, naturalism, idolatry and more. These ruled all of our passions but are now defeated in Christ: “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world” (Jh.16:33). John posed the rhetorical question in his first epistle: “Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?” (1 Jh.5:5). No longer our ruler, the world still appeals to our flesh, so we must maintain our guard and not fall back into bondage.

In ancient times, the term air often referred to the spiritual realm of angels and demons. Therefore, “the prince of the power of the air” refers to the Devil – Satan (v.2). This rebel and fallen angel leads all that opposes God, stirs up trouble all over the world, and even endeavours to infiltrate and disturb the church. Believers are admonished to “give no place to the devil” (Eph.4:27). Rather, we are commanded: “Therefore submit to God. RESIST the DEVIL and he will flee from you” (Jam.4:7). The Devil is cunning and fierce but easily put to flight when we resist him by the Spirit, because Jesus has already triumphed over him: “And He said to them, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven” (Lk.10:18); “Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it” (Col.2:15).

The “LUSTS of the FLESH” are the soul’s unholy passions and sensual desires (v.3). The flesh doesn’t refer to the physical body, which in its corporeal form is not in itself wicked. God created all things good, including our bodies (Gen.1:31). The flesh speaks of the fallen human nature, which Christ has subdued. It is a resilient foe, however, that must be mortified daily. By the Power of the Indwelling Spirit of God, we can deny and overcome the sins that seem the most appealing to our flesh: “Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its LUSTS…For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace” (Rom.6: 12-14). We are God’s “workmanship, created in Christ Jesus” (v.10). The Grace and Power for Overcoming in Life is our portion in Christ!