Ephesians 2:1-3 And you were dead in the trespasses and sins (2) in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience– (3) among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.
After the Apostle Paul writes about our inheritance and hope in Christ in chapter one, we see chapter two starts much differently. It’s a reminder of who we are without Christ. Paul writes that we all are born dead people. Not people who are on the verge of dying because of sin, but already dead because of our rebellion against God. Our former way of walking, according to the ways of the world, is a reminder that we are dead men and women. We walk in the spirit of the air that is in all of the sons of disobedience. This is obviously a reference to Satan. Without Christ, we are being controlled by the will of the evil one, yet having the full responsibility for our disobedience. Living sinful, unrepentant lives is a clear indication that one is walking in the ways of the world and not in the Spirit of the Living God.
Indulging in the desires of the flesh and the mind is to give into temptations that we enjoy so much in our sin. When our flesh desires these things it sets our spirit against God. Galatians 5:15-21 says the deeds of the flesh are immorality, impurity, drunkenness, sensuality, anger and so forth. These things keep us from inheriting the kingdom of God. Being children of wrath we are subject to the wrath, or judgement, of God which includes eternal punishment in hell for our disobedience against God. In His perfect justice God gives us warning that He will follow through on His wrath. (Joh_3:36) No one is exempt because no one is without sin. But there is hope…
Tomorrow, beginning with verse 4, we will see that God loves you and me too much to leave us children of wrath. In Christ there is hope.