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Sons of Disobedience

"in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now works in the children of disobedience;"1

There is a spirit that works in the sons of disobedience, in times past we were among them and had conversation with them, Paul writes.2 This conversation means abiding, the same concept of influence we see in Psalms, but now we see at work spirits.3 Living is by implication, we were once like them in disobedience, a spirit, according to the prince of the power of the air, according to the course of this world, conforming to its desires, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and mind. Disobedient to the things of God, children of the carnal, of the flesh, guided by a spirit of disobedience, we sought the desires of the flesh. We were children of wrath, which means desire, violent passion, by implication punishment: - anger, indignation, vengeance, wrath.4


The opposite of the spirit of disobedience is a spirit of obedience but we do not see this explicitly used in the Bible. Why? because we have free will, would not a spirit of obedience interfere with our free will? What we are given Paul writes is a Spirit of Adoption, "For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, Abba! Father!"6 This is a powerful statement, it says I know the Father, I have been adopted as a child, and I do not have a spirit of fear but a Spirit of Sonship. Adoption is through Faith in His Son and by Grace (God's unconditional love, favor, and merit towards me.) We see this in Israel, despised at birth she was adopted by God.5

A child is born with a spirit of disobedience and as John writes a spiritual child knows the Father and his sins have been forgiven. This word for forgiven is from "away from" and "to throw." God truly cast our sins into the sea, he doesn't hold sin against me, this is grace, His greatest commandment is that I love Him, with all my heart, mind, soul, and strength. He establishes His love for me, I grow my roots deep in this love. This spirit of disobedience is replaced with a Spirit of Adoption, which naturally will work out obedience in me, by my own free will, because I love Him, and because I love Him I will follow His commandment. This is a learned behavior to walk in His Spirit.

 We are to obey the “law of Christ,” which is a law of love.7  Jesus stated the greatest commands of all: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the prophets hang on these two commandments” (Matthew 22:36–40).

Who are the sons of disobedience? those who do not have the Spirit of Christ. The lines are being drawn in the sand, you are In Christ or you are anti-Christ. The spirit of anti-Christ are those who do not believe that Jesus came in the flesh, that He is the Son of God. Period. How do we distinguish In Christ and anti-Christ, it is by the spirit that controls them, the Spirit of God testifies that we are His children. "The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him."6 This refinement teaches us to live in the Spirit.

"For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God."7 Who are sons of God? those who have and are led by the Spirit of God. They either have the Spirit of God within them or they are controlled by the spirit of the prince of the power of the air. They can call themselves the children of God, lay claim to once being or to some future promise but at present if they are not in Christ they are enemies of the Gospel, as Paul writes, therefore anti-Christ. 

 "By, this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God; and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God; this is the spirit of the anti-Christ,"7

The Spirit of God confesses Jesus is Christ, Messiah, Lord.8 The Bible says if they deny the Son, they are not of the Father.9 "If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in them and they in God."10  If they love the Father they will love the Son also.11 "He is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that which is of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter; and his praise is not from men, but from God."12 This is the dividing line in the sand, only those in Christ have the Spirit of God in them, whatever we believe about what happens after the "time of the gentiles" is fulfilled it is irrelevant as to who have the Spirit of God, which spirit we are to allow to influence us.

The Spirit of God is of Liberty. "Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom." All in all Liberty is being replaced with a spirit of fear, authority, and control. Such is setting itself up for the anti-Christ, a spirit of bondage. In Christ, we have a Spirit of Life.13 The battle is being waged in the heavenlies and there are only two sides, in Christ and anti-Christ. Some want to justify in the name of security, taking away Liberty, thank God for those who stand against this authority. In Christ means the Spirit of God dwells in us, and we have this common bond, and testimony. Those without Christ are controlled by the spirit of bondage, disobedience, desires of the Carnal, and the prince of the power of the air. 

 We are not to seek ungodly counsel, not to be influenced by those not of God, and those not of God do not have the Spirit of God in them, this is what the Bible says. The Spirit of God is not of fear, hatred, wrath, nor of the spirit that controls the sons of disobedience but it is of power, love, and self-control. These are critical times, to follow spirits of this world would not be wise and prudent. We need to wield the double edged sword of Spirit and Truth, without both we will not be able to discern the sons of disobedience from the sons of God, the latter having a Spirit of Adoption, in which we cry Abba Father!

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