The Incredible Human Potential PDF - Church of God Faithful Flock

154 THE INCREDIBLE HUMAN POTENTIALcording to the PRINCE OF THE POWER OF THE AIR. In 11 Corinthians4:4 Satan is called the god of this world, who has blinded theminds of those who do not believe in Christ and His truth. NoTthat they inherited this spiritual blindness - but that Satanblinded those living in that generation directly.And in Ephesians 2 Satan is referred to as the PRINCE OF THEPOWER OF THE AIR! Notice the word POWER- the POWER oftheair. Then it calls him the SPIRIT (being) that NOW - the time whenthey were living - actually was WORKING IN those of the worldwho were not obedient - that is, the world in general. The Phii­Iips translation in modero English renders this: "You [then]drifted along in the stream of this world's ideas of living, andobeyed its unseen ruler [who is still operating in those who do notrespond to the truth ofGod]."Emphatically this shows Satan is the UNSEEN one who, unrealizedby the people, is actually swaying their minds, leadingthem in what 1 term the "GET" way.The Phillips translation continues (verse 3): "We all Iivedlike that in the past, and followed the impulses and imaginationsof our evil nature ... like everyone else." This "nature" has beenacquired from Satan. It was not inherited from our parents. It wasnot created in us by God. That which has become habitual andtherefore natural becomes a NATURE within us.Such nature IS NOT hereditary, but an acquired characteristic.This very passage shows the AUTHOR of this "nature" to be Satan,NOT Goo. The next words in the Phillips translation are: "beingunder the wrath of God by na tu re." It would make no sense at allfor God's wrath to be on US BECAUSE OF WHAT Goo PUT WITHINus. Adam was NOT created with this "EVIL nature." Adam acquiredit from Satan. Lucifer (Satan) was created PERFECT. He acquiredit by false reasoning. These Ephesians, in their generation,had acquired it from Satan. But now, IN CHRIST, through Hisgrace, Christ had given them LIFE, who were spiritually dead becauseof this acquired evil nature.But how about the converted Christian? His spirit (mind),Iike all others, is tuned on Satan's wavelength. The same tendency,justas if this evil nature were inherent in him from birth, ispresent. Satan has been injecting it since early childhood. But the