And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing,
in whose case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving so that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.
Ephesians 2:2
And you were dead in your trespasses and sins,
in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience.
To say 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; only God does this. 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) and has allowed Satan to operate with an agenda. When the Bible says Satan has power over the world, it must be made clear that God has given him domain over unbelievers alone. 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).
In Ezekiel 28:10, we first read a description of the human prince of Tyre, a powerful man who—in the human sphere—was the absolute leader over this "New York" of the ancient world. But Ezekiel then shifts his focus to the real "power behind the throne"—the behind-the-scenes king of this pagan city-state. Notice, "Son of man, take up a lamentation for the king of Tyre, and say to him, ‘Thus says the Lord God: "You were the seal of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty. You were in Eden, the garden of God; every precious stone was your covering: the sardius, topaz, and diamond, beryl, onyx, and jasper, sapphire, turquoise, and emerald with gold. The workmanship of your timbrels and pipes was prepared for you on the day you were created’" (vv. 12–13). Here we find a personality who existed millennia before Tyre—in the "Garden of Eden"! Yet this personality was a created being (v. 15), not a member of the God Family.
In this way, Ezekiel reveals that Satan was the ultimate ruler of this Gentile city-state.
When Jesus was taken up to be tempted by Satan, and Satan offered to give Jesus all the kingdoms of the earth if Jesus would only worship him, not once did Jesus dispute that Satan was, indeed, the ruler of these nations.
So while there are individuals, those who know Christ, over whom Satan has no control, he does rule over every one else, and over human governments.
Excellent points.
Thx.