[VB048 Podcast Notes]

Ephesians 2:1-10

Chapter 1 emphasized our possessions (riches) in Christ; and we will see that chapter 2 emphasizes our position in Christ. Your position determines your possessions and authority. For example; regardless of where the President of the United States may be physically, his position, where he is seated, (as the man who sits in the White House) – gives him power and authority. So it is with the Christian. Regardless of where we might be physically (Paul was a prisoner when he wrote this letter), we have power and authority in the spiritual realm because of our position in Christ.

We Are Raised and Seated With Christ (2:1-10)

What we were (vv. 1-3).

Verse 1 begins by saying we, “were dead in trespasses and sins.” Now keep in mind, in the Bible death is “separation.” Death does not mean to cease to exist. Humans are spiritual – spirits are eternal. Physical death is when the spirit (and soul) is separated from the body. God is Spirit, so spiritual death is separation from God. If death meant that people ceased to exist, there would be no resurrections.

[2:1] And you [He made alive,] who were dead in trespasses and sins,

Sinners are dead spiritually. That is, the inner man is dead to spiritual things and cannot respond to them.

Death is certain, and the separation it causes is certain. We exist eternally in heaven or hell depending on the decision we’ve made for Jesus Christ while alive on earth.

[2:2] 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,

Sinners are not only dead, they are enslaved by the world and live for its pleasure and fashions. Sinners (and carnal Christians) think they are doing their own thing. Wrong! They are being manipulated and led by the god of this world. They are not doing their own thing; they are doing the devil’s thing – they are conformed to the world. The kosmos is the satanically organized system that hates all that is godly (cf. Jn. 15:18,23).

Here Satan is called “the prince of the power of the air.” He is the prince of the demons who are the power of the air. Earth’s atmosphere is full of evil spirits. The devil has directed some demon spirits to earth, to find a body to inhabit. They need an earth body to operate through while on earth and in the world system.

We were a people who lived according to the plan of the world. The devil, a.k.a., “prince of the power of the air” dictates how society and global culture is shaped – working it out through those who are dead to Christ.

Unbelievers are in bondage to Satan, who is at work in their lives. This does not necessarily mean that he makes them all drunkards or murderers. No, his usual scheme is to give people false security through self-righteousness, though they are unrighteous and spiritually dead. Jesus called the Pharisees “children of the devil” (Jn. 8:44), yet they were religious upstanding citizens.

Don’t be deceived by the idea that, “good people go to heaven and bad people go to hell.” No one has entered heaven because they were “basically good.” Jesus is the only way (Jn. 14:6). You must say yes to Him and be born again (Jn. 3:3,7).

[2:3] 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.

We are born by nature children of wrath. When we reject Christ knowingly after reaching an age of accountability, we become sons of disobedience by choice.

All humans start out under three curses;

Verse 1, under sin and it’s wages – death, Verse 2, under the world system and ruler – the devil. Verse 3, under the lust of the flesh and a self-centered mind.

The meaning for, "just as the others" is given in another letter of Paul’s, “...as others who have no hope,” (1Thes. 4:13).