The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.
2 Corinthians 4:4
The phrase “god of this world” (or “god of this age”) indicates that Satan is the major influence on the ideals, opinions, goals, hopes and views of the majority of people. His influence also encompasses the world’s philosophies, education, and commerce. The thoughts, ideas, speculations and false religions of the world are under his control and have sprung from his lies and deceptions.
Satan is also called the “prince of the power of the air” in Ephesians 2:2. He is the “ruler of this world” in John 12:31. These titles and many more signify Satan’s capabilities. To say, for example, that Satan is the “prince of the power of the air” is to signify that in some way he rules over the world and the people in it.
This is not to say that he rules the world completely; God is still sovereign. But it does mean that God, in His infinite wisdom, has allowed Satan to operate in this world within the boundaries God has set for him. When the Bible says Satan has power over the world, we must remember that God has given him domain over unbelievers only. Believers are no longer under the rule of Satan (Colossians 1:13). Unbelievers, on the other hand, are caught “in the snare of the devil” (2 Timothy 2:26), lie in the “power of the evil one” (1 John 5:19), and are in bondage to Satan (Ephesians 2:2).
So, when the Bible says that Satan is the “god of this world,” it is not saying that he has ultimate authority. It is conveying the idea that Satan rules over the unbelieving world in a specific way. In 2 Corinthians 4:4, the unbeliever follows Satan’s agenda: “The god of this world has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ.” Satan’s scheme includes promoting false philosophies in the world—philosophies that blind the unbeliever to the truth of the Gospel. Satan’s philosophies are the fortresses in which people are imprisoned, and they must be set free by Christ.
An example of one such false philosophy is the belief that man can earn God’s favor by a certain act or acts. In almost every false religion, meriting God’s favor or earning eternal life is a predominant theme. Earning salvation by works, however, is contrary to biblical revelation. Man cannot work to earn God’s favor; eternal life is a free gift (see Ephesians 2:8-9). And that free gift is available through Jesus Christ and Him alone (John 3:16; 14:6). You may ask why mankind does not simply receive the free gift of salvation (John 1:12). The answer is that Satan—the god of this world—has tempted mankind to follow his pride instead. Satan sets the agenda, the unbelieving world follows, and mankind continues to be deceived. It is no wonder that Scripture calls Satan a liar (John 8:44).
SOURCE: gotQuestions?org
The following is an excerpt from Chip Ingram’s book The Invisible War pp 38-39
Because salvation involves our minds and the way we see things, we tend to think that the knowledge of God is an intellectual issue. But it is more than that – it’s a spiritual and moral issue. The god of this world has a master strategy to blind the minds of people so that they will not be able to grasp the truth. That’s why intercessory prayer is so crucial – there’s a vital relationship between acceptance of the gospel and the invisible war. Again, I don’t know exactly how it works, and I won’t even pretend that I can fully explain it, but the truth of this conflict flows right out of the New Testament text. There’s a connection between people praying and the ability of those for whom they pray to see. When people are coming to Christ, I can guarantee you that somewhere, somehow, someone believes in prayer – and is actually doing it, not just talking about it.
Jesus knew the battle was real. When he was in agony in the Garden of Gethsemane the night before his crucifixion, he was tempted to quit. When life got hard, he never put on a superhero cape and forgot about being a man. He was fully God, but he was also fully man, and the Bible tells us he was tempted in every way like we are. That means he was tempted with lust, with anger, with depression, with envy, and with a false belief that people probably wouldn’t accept his sacrifice, so why bother. He agonized to the point of sweating drops of blood.
What did Jesus do to overcome this battle? He prayed. His three closest friends were there with him, and the one thing he asked them to do was to pray. He had a need in his life, he was in the heat of spiritual conflict, and his greatest resource was prayer. Earlier that night he had told Peter that Satan had requested to sift him like wheat. “But I have prayed for you,” Jesus said (Luke 22:31-32). We might wonder why Jesus, being God incarnate, didn’t just speak a word and make the enemy go away. But we have to remember that one of the reasons he came was to model for us what it means to walk in complete dependence on the Father in the power of the Holy Spirit. So on the night when he was fighting his greatest battle, and Peter, one of his friends, was the target of the enemy’s attack, Jesus demonstrated the solution for us. He prayed – a lot.
There is a visible and an invisible world that intersect, and we live in the intersection. A cosmic conflict is raging, and it has eternal implications. The souls of men and women, of little boys and girls, of people of every nationality and color and language all over the planet are at stake. The enemy seeks to blind us all to the truth, to dull our souls and ruin our lives. That’s what spiritual warfare is all about.
Related Topics:
What does it mean that Satan is prince of the power of the air (Ephesians 2:2)?
Why did Satan think he could defeat God?
Does Satan have to get God’s permission before he can attack us?
Why doesn’t God give the fallen angels a chance to repent?
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