{"id":10833,"date":"2024-06-14T09:52:16","date_gmt":"2024-06-14T13:52:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/christnewstoday\/?p=10833"},"modified":"2024-06-14T09:52:16","modified_gmt":"2024-06-14T13:52:16","slug":"john-piper-shares-why-satan-is-called-the-prince-of-the-power-of-the-air","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/christnewstoday\/2024\/06\/john-piper-shares-why-satan-is-called-the-prince-of-the-power-of-the-air.html","title":{"rendered":"John Piper Shares Why Satan is Called ‘The Prince of the Power of the Air’"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"john
Ligonier Ministries\/YouTube<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Theologian John Piper recently discussed the title given to the devil as \u201cthe prince of the power of the air,\u201d explaining that the name doesn\u2019t mean that Satan is omnipotent. In an episode of \u201cAsk Pastor John,\u201d Piper was asked about Ephesians 2:2, which describes Satan as \u201cthe prince of the power of the air.\u201d Piper noted that while many scholars are unsure why Satan is called \u201cthe prince of the power of the air,\u201d there were \u201cpointers\u201d in Scripture to help understand this term.<\/p>\n

Piper said, \u201cIt would be unwise to put too much emphasis on what I\u2019m about to say because even though it\u2019s important \u2014 it\u2019s in the Bible \u2014 it\u2019s not nearly as important as other clear things, I think, even in these verses and elsewhere in the New Testament.\u201d He further explained that \u201cthe fact that Satan has some measure of authority in the air does not imply that he\u2019s omnipresent or omniscient,\u201d but added that \u201che has many unclean spirits, demons, at his disposal, and they are deployed all over the world in the air.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Bible teacher added that \u201cthe air is simply what Paul and people in his time called the space above the Earth, and they had no scientific awareness of how high the air went,\u201d so the word \u201cair\u201d in the verse was \u201cjust a general statement about the sphere of our life.\u201d Regarding the term \u201cprince of the power,\u201d Piper believes this means \u201cruler of authority,\u201d saying that \u201cSatan\u2019s rule in the power of the air, or in the lower air of the heavens, is not supreme.\u201d Piper cited\u00a02 Corinthians 4:4<\/a>, which describes the devil as \u201cthe god of this world\u201d who \u201cblinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the Gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.\u201d<\/p>\n