In this text the apostle Paul describes Satan first as a “prince” with power, because he has authentic power in the world (1 John 5:19). This power has been given him by God (Luke 4:6). Satan has power over some illnesses (Luke 13:16; 2 Corinthians 12:7—it’s unknown if Paul’s “thorn” was an illness or something else). In some sense, Satan has power over death (Hebrew 2:14). The reason Satan is called a prince rather than a king is that there is only one King—Jesus the Christ (1 Timothy 6:15).

1. What is "the power of the air" of which
Satan is the prince (Eph. 2:2)?
“And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; Wherein
in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the
prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of
disobedience:” Ephesians 2:1–2
In this text the apostle Paul describes Satan first as a “prince” with
power, because he has authentic power in the world (1 John 5:19). This
power has been given him by God (Luke 4:6). Satan has power over
some illnesses (Luke 13:16; 2 Corinthians 12:7—it’s unknown if Paul’s
“thorn” was an illness or something else). In some sense, Satan has
power over death (Hebrew 2:14). The reason Satan is called a prince
rather than a king is that there is only one King—Jesus the Christ (1
Timothy 6:15).
Satan also has power over some people. The “sons of disobedience”
referred to in Ephesians 2:2 are those who have not trusted Christ the
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2. Lord and Savior (cf. Acts 26:18; 2 Corinthians 4:4; Revelation 13:12).
The demons are also under the rule of Satan (Matthew 12:24), and one
of his titles is “prince of demons” (Matthew 9:34). Satan has a
kingdom (Matthew 12:26) and a throne (Revelation 2:13). Satan is
called a prince because he is a ruler and possesses power to manifest
evil in the world through influencing people and commanding
demons.
“The air” in Ephesians 2:2 refers to the invisible realm above the earth
where Satan and his demons move and exist. This space, of course, is
the location of the earth’s atmosphere or “air.” In Ephesians 6:12, Paul
writes, “We do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the
rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this
present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly
places.” This evil realm called the “air” could be an actual locality, but
it could also be synonymous with the “world” of John 12:31. This
whole world is Satan’s domain (Matthew 4:8–9).
Although Satan has power and authority in the current world system
in which we exist, his power is limited, always under the sovereign
control of God (Job 1:12), and it is temporary (Romans 16:20). God has
not revealed all of the why’s and when’s concerning Satan’s rule, but
He has made it clear that there is only one way to escape the power of
Satan’s dominion, and that is through His Son, Jesus (Acts 26:18;
Colossians 1:13–14). It is Jesus who, speaking of the impending cross,
declared: “Now the prince of this world will be driven out” (John
12:31).
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