A Nugget from New Life Network
Scripture for the Day (July 31, 2018)
And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: Among whom also we all had our conversation (conduct) in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others. (Ephesians 2:1-3)
As I was reading Ephesians today the term “children of wrath” jumped out at me so I started doing some study on exactly what the Apostle Paul was talking about here. Most Bible translations relate this particular wrath to the wrath of God. In other words, because of our sin we are under the wrath of God. But I don’t think it means that at all.
The Greek word used for wrath in this verse is “orge” and yes it is where we get our English word orgy from. It denotes a behavior pattern of violent passion, anger, and vengeance. It has nothing to do with God’s behavior, but everything to do with human behavior. It is also significant that the word wrath is used here in the context of “children of wrath”. Do you remember when you were a child? How did we solve arguments as a child? We threw fits. We screamed at each other. We fought with each other. We displayed all sorts of wrath. That is what children do. But at some point it’s time to grow up.
When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things. (1 Corinthians 13:11)
It is also noteworthy that Paul described the origin of this behavior. Paul said it came from the prince of the power of the air. That is Satan, the devil. It is a spirit and it’s not a good spirit. Unless you were born saved, and none of us were, you know the spirit Paul is talking about. We all worked with that spirit to some extent or another and we currently see it displayed in living color on our news programs and political stages each and every day. Not good!!!
Now, what’s the answer to this demonic spirit? Let’s see what the Word of God says:
And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you. (Ephesians 4:30-32)
But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth. Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds; And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him: (Colossians 3:8-10)
The answer is to be born-again and even then you will have to fight this demon. But when you are born-again, you have help from the Holy Spirit. As you renew your mind with the Word of God you will see the futility of operating in the flesh. You will also be in a position to pray for those that are still controlled by this demonic force and it seems there is no lack today of those that need our prayers.
