Is Satan the god of this World?
What does scripture mean by the statement that Satan is the god of this world? Many preachers state that Satan is in control of this world. Some carry it to the extreme and claim that God has no rights in the earth and needs permission to work. We know this could not be true because God declares in Psalm:
Psalm 24:1 A Psalm of David. The earth is the LORD's, and all its fullness, The world and those who dwell therein.
And again in Psalm 89:
11 The heavens are Yours, the earth also is Yours; The world and all its fullness, You have founded them.
It is often taught that dominion was given to Adam and when Adam fell, the devil gained control of the earth. Of course this could not be true because dominion does not equal ownership. When Adam fell, God came and clothed them. God drove man out of the Garden of Eden. God judged the world with the flood. God drove the wicked inhabitants out of the Promised Land. When Israel became wicked, God drove them out. Throughout the Old Testament we see that God is very much in control. God even raised up wicked kings to judge His people. In the Daniel 4 we are told:
35 All the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing; He does according to His will in the army of heaven And among the inhabitants of the earth. No one can restrain His hand Or say to Him, "What have You done?"
In the book of Job, it is Satan that repeatedly asks God for permission to afflict Job. God allowed Job to be tested, but God told Satan what he could do and what he could not do. Satan needed permission, not God. How can Satan be the god of this world if God is in control? In this study I hope to clarify the confusion that often surrounds this topic.
Let’s examine to word ‘world’.
To understand the scriptures, we often need to dig into the Greek or Hebrew
text to understand the original meaning. This is especially true when it comes
to clarifying clouded issues. As we will see, what is cloudy will be very clear
once we apply ourselves to a little bit of study. All of the great teachers and
preachers of the past applied themselves to searching out the truth by seeking
out the intended meanings of words. For general study, our English translation
is more than adequate, but when the original meaning is unclear, the only way to
dig out the truth is to dig into the text. To understand what scripture means
when it calls the devil the god of this world, we need to do more than look our
English translation; we need to dig into the text behind the translation. We
will look at two primary Greek words that the KJV translates into the word
‘world’. There are four words translated into the word world, but there are two
which apply to this subject. These Greek words are ‘aion’ and ‘kosmos’. Just
knowing that four different Greek words are translated into ‘world’ tells us
that there is more to this study than would appear at first glance.
Aion
‘Aion’ (pronounced ahee-ohn) literally means a period of time. This can be
translated as world. Here is an example:
KJV Romans 12:2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
What does it mean ‘not to be conformed to this world’? The word is the Greek word ‘aion’. To understand this, let’s compare to several passages. I used the KJV to make this illustration, but following passages will be from the NKJV translation.
Matthew 13:49 "So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come forth, separate the wicked from among the just,
Matthew 28:20 "teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Amen.
Ephesians 1:21 far above all principality and power and might and
dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in
that which is to come.
20 which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated
Him at His right hand in the heavenly places,
Titus 2:12 teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age,
These passages make it clear that there is a time or an age in which we live in that applies to these passages. This present world is based on a system that is at war with God. We are not talking about the physical earth. As we will see shortly, the physical world is identified by a completely different word. This world is a limited time of rebellion against God. Satan may be the god of this world, but not the god of this earth. This does not mean that Satan is a god, it means that he is worshipped by the world as a god. Most of the world does not knowingly worship Satan, they are deceived. Look at 2 Corinthians 4:
4 whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them.
Satan may be their god (or the one they worship), but he is not a god. The Bible clearly identifies Satan as an angel. When the world rejects the truth, they will be blinded by Satan. He will do anything within his grasp to keep his followers from seeing the glory of Christ in the hope that they will never be persuaded to turn to the truth. Before Satan can blind anyone, there must first be a rejection of the truth. Look at 2 Thessalonians 2:
11 And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they
should believe the lie,
12 that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had
pleasure in unrighteousness.
People don’t reject the truth because they are blind; they are blinded because they have rejected the truth. God allows us to go down the path we love. If we love the truth, God will reveal Himself to us. If we choose the world or its religions over the truth, God will allow Satan to blind us. However, the choice has already been made. The decision can be reversed, but not without turning from the world and to the truth. As long as a person loves the world, they will remain blind.
By observing the original text, the word ‘aion’ indicates that this world is only a period of time. Satan may have the power of influence among those who have rejected the truth, but he does not own them or the world. We have been commanded to be transformed with a mind committed to Christ and not to be conformed to this present age that is in rebellion against God. Those who choose Christ have the promise Jesus gave, "I am with you until the end of the age". Satan has no power over the person who belongs to Christ. His time is limited because this age is passing by rapidly. This is why the Bible says that Satan has great fury because he knows he has but a short time.
Anything can be our god. All we have to do is submit our allegiance to it. The world in submission to the god of this age does not make Satan a superpower against God; it only means that those under him have submitted to him and given him power over their lives. When we see Satan called the god of this world, remember what word we are using. It is the word ‘Aion’ which refers to this present age in which we live it. There is a specific time allowed to choose God or choose the world system that is in rebellion against God. Even in rebellion, God’s purpose and plan are being fulfilled in the world. Satan is not in control, nor does he own anything. He does have power over those who have knowingly or unknowingly submitted themselves to him by rejecting the truth and loving sin. Even so, God is ultimately in control. God uses the good and the wicked to accomplish His purposes.
Kosmos
Kosmos is usually translated into the English word ‘world’. The Bible makes a
clear distinction between the physical world and the world system – or age of
rebellion. Kosmos means the physical world. Kosmos can be used to identify the
earth, universe or arrangement of stars. The context identifies which of these
is being referenced. Look at these passages that refer to the world or Kosmos:
Matthew 5:14 You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden.
John 1:29 The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, "Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!
John 8:23 And He said to them, "You are from beneath; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world.
When we accept Christ as our Savior and become a child of God, we are born into God’s kingdom. We leave the world (aion), but we don’t leave the world (kosmos). God takes us out of the world system that is in rebellion against God, but He commands us to remain a light to the world that continues to call others into His salvation. We leave the world system, but not the world in which we live. This helps us understand how to draw a distinction between separation and outreach. We live separate lives, but we never quit reaching out to those who remain in the aion. He is the light of the world and when we become a child of God, we become lights of the world that others will see when they hear His call and look for the truth.
Satan is never called the god of the kosmos. He is only called the god of the aion. When we examine these two words, we can see that there is a clear distinction.
In Conclusion
There are two other words translated into ‘world’ that I should mention. The
word ‘chronos’ means time. This is where we get our word ‘chronology’. In the
KJV, this word is translated into ‘world’ in 2 Timothy 1:
9 Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began
1 Peter 1:20 translated the same word as ‘times’:
Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world[kronos], but was manifest in these last times [chronos] for you
Same word, but translated two different ways. It doesn’t directly apply to our study, but it bears mentioning for the sake of thoroughness.
The other word is ‘oikoumene’. Oikoumene means the inhabited earth. Two examples are:
Romans 10:18 But I say, have they not heard? Yes indeed: "Their sound has gone out to all the earth, And their words to the ends of the world."
Luke 4:5 Then the devil, taking Him up on a high mountain, showed Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time.
If we put it all together, can we possibly draw the conclusion that God is on the outside looking in? Let’s look at it together:
Do not be conformed to this world[aion], but be transformed...at the end of this age, the angels will separate the wicked from the just. Teach others what I have commanded you and be confident because I am with you until the end of the age. We should live godly in this present age for the kosmos is passing away and all the lust in it. The devil, who is the god of this age, has blinded those who do not believe so that they cannot see the glory of Christ. Jesus is the Lamb of God that takes away the sins of the world. You are the light of the kosmos, which has been set on a hill so the light cannot be hidden. Your calling was foreordained before the foundation of the world [kosmos], but was made manifest to you in these last times. You were called by grace and not by your works according to His purpose and was given before world [chronos] began. His word has gone throughout the inhabited earth. You are the light to reflect and point those who leave the world [aion] to the cross of Jesus Christ.
Instead of seeing God on the outside looking in and Satan running the show, we see that Satan is desperately trying to blind the world from seeing that the system he thrives in is already defeated. God is on the inside leading people out. We are the conduits of God’s grace and the lights that beacon in the dark. We are soldiers behind enemy lines equipped to obtain the promise that the strongest gates of hell can’t prevail against us because it is God who opens every door. Our command is simple. Uphold the truth, which lights the way to Christ. The truth is that Jesus triumphed over the devil and sin on the cross. God is and always has been in control but has allowed Satan to blind those who want to believe a lie. Satan can reach those who love the lie, but we are lights to those who are seeking the truth. We are in the world, but not in the world system. We are more than conquerors because Jesus indwells the hearts of every believer and will be with us until the end of this age.
Eddie Snipes
Exchanged Life Outreach
http://www.exchangedlife.com
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