can know His indwelling by faith (Eph. 3: 17) and that in word and action we can

express Him. In chapter 4: 10 we are told that the Lord's ascension was in order that

"He might fill all things", that is the complete universe. The Body of Christ shows this in

miniature now as Christ's fullness, and in fact in this and in many other respects sets

forth the great goal of the ages when God shall be all in all (I Cor. 15: 28).

Sometimes the best way of explaining truth is by contrast, and in the chapter that

follows we have this in two ways. Twice Paul takes us back into the past, from two

different angles. First reminding us of our desperate condition as sinners lost and undone

and under the control of Satan, and second, as Gentiles we were distant outsiders, not

being members of the chosen race of Israel, the favoured nation who had all the divine

blessings showered upon them!  The words "in time past" introduce each of these

sections (verses 2 and 11). Verse 1 tells us that we have been made alive from spiritual

death caused by trespasses and sins. As to the translation "dead to trespasses and sin"

(along the line of Rom. 6: 2, 11) we do not enter here, as the explanation of the Greek

construction is too technical for these particular articles. The fact is that whichever way

the phrase is translated, it expresses truth.

Looking back to our lives before we were saved, we walked "according to the course

of this world", literally "the age of this world".  In Gal. 1: 4 the Apostle has already

described this age as being evil, and this is still true despite all the scientific advance in

knowledge and social improvement that has taken place. This age still rejects Christ,

Who is the Truth, and is therefore evil whatever its external appearance may be, though

one would have thought that, with the rampant sin and ungodliness that abounds

everywhere, with the mounting problems that result from this, such demonstration of the

truth of Paul's statement is not really necessary. But men are very loath to admit that this

present age is basically evil, and whether they admit it or not, the fact remains that the

evil world system dominates all the unsaved without exception. That means that the

educated, refined person who is unsaved is just as much under its control as the

profligate. Satan does not mind people living good lives, according to human standards,

as long as they do not come into living touch with the Lord Jesus Christ.

The reason for the present age being evil is made clear by the Apostle's next

statement, "according to the prince of the power of the air", or put more clearly "the ruler

of the authority of the air". This is none other than Satan whom the Lord described as the

"prince (ruler) of this world" (John 12: 31; 14: 30; 16: 11). Through man's sin he has

temporarily got control of the affairs of the world and he now energizes (works in) all the

sons of disobedience although they do not recognize this power which is unfelt and

therefore unknown to them. Such power is indeed mighty to have such a wide influence,

and is in utter contrast to the tremendous resurrection power which energized (worked in)

Christ, when He was raised from the dead. Satan has control of the aerial regions for the

moment, and when this is seen to be a fact, man's invention of the aeroplane, instead of

being a blessing ultimately becomes a great danger. At the end of this age, Satan's last

desperate throw to gain world worship, is to hand over to his earthly representative, the

wild Beast of Rev. 13: 2, all his power and authority, which must include this control of

the air. He who controls the air, controls the world. No wonder at this juncture, it is said