The Prince of the Power of the Air

Kathy — Let’s follow history beyond Goliath into the Middle Ages, (400AD to 1500AD).  A guy with a complaint could start a fight and set the rules of engagement just by throwing a gauntlet (a heavy-duty glove) at someone’s feet.  Under the sway of that age, you were then obligated to rules of engagement that required you to get a pole and a horse and risk your life in a joust!  Supposedly that was all in the name of honor and dignity, though it sounds a bit more like pride and stupidity.  For hundreds of years after jousting, there were duels from 1500-1900.  This time, if a man slapped you in the face with a glove, you were obligated by the rules of engagement to risk dying or killing someone!  Who made that Koolaid?  Of course, the culture of that age made it the way of the world.  When you consider the huge span of years in history, it begs the question: how does a foolish and destructive paradigm stay so consistent throughout different cultures over a span of centuries?  The answer is not complex.  We know who has been the consistent negative effect on cultures and we know who has mastered taking advantage of human nature,  the prince of the power of the air.  Eph. 2:2 says – you walked habitually following the course and fashion under the sway of the present age, following the prince of the power of the air. You were under the control of the demon spirit that is constantly at work.  No matter what century, what culture, the same prince of the power of the air is constantly at work in every age and he uses the same methods.