Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out. (John 12:31)
Satan, also known as the accuser and our adversary, acts and operates as the god of this world’s system. Jesus called him the prince of the world. Those titles don’t mean that Satan has ultimate control or authority. However, Satan is the mastermind behind the world's messed-up systems and the chaos and pain we see around us. He uses the authority Adam gave him to multiply darkness and death on the earth.
Some Christian mistakenly say things like, “Well, God is in charge and in control of everything.” They don’t understand that Satan is the god of this world (2 Corinthians 4:4). Our God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, gave authority to Adam, but when he chose to obey the serpent instead of God, he sold his authority to the devil; that’s when he became the false prince of this world. Understanding this changes everything. It helps us see that when bad stuff happens, it's not God throwing lightning bolts at us or orchestrating tragedies to teach us a lesson.
God is not in charge of this world the way most think He is. He owns the entire world and the fullness thereof, but He has given authority and responsibility to us as human beings. We, who are in Christ Jesus, have authority and dominion, but we must take it. When believers don’t operate in their authority and dominion, the enemy takes what he can and manipulates and harms others with the system of the world he runs.
The enemy is the god of this world’s system, but he is not god over believers in Jesus. We have been redeemed from his destruction and power. We’re not powerless in the face of the prince of this world. Through Jesus, we've been given authority over all the works of the enemy. The devil has a temporary title as prince of this world, but Jesus is the King of kings and He shall reign forever and ever!
Practical Application
One of the most effective ways to combat the schemes of the enemy is to pray in the Spirit. When you pray in the Spirit, you tap into the power of God and the enemy cannot understand you or stop you. Pray in the Spirit every day and defeat the schemes of the enemy.