The Gospel of JohnThe Prince Of This World

John 14:27 “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.
28 Ye have heard how I said unto you, I go away, and come again unto you. If ye loved me, ye would rejoice, because I said, I go unto the Father: for my Father is greater than I.
29 And now I have told you before it come to pass, that, when it is come to pass, ye might believe.
30 Hereafter I will not talk much with you: for the prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in me.
31 But that the world may know that I love the Father; and as the Father gave me commandment, even so I do. Arise, let us go hence.”

1. The Prince Of The World
2. The Prince Of Tyrus
3. The Prince Of The Devils
4. The Prince Of The Power Of The Air
5. The God Of This World
6. The Prince Of Life

1. The Prince Of The World

Here we go! Jesus Christ is repeating again in verse twenty-seven what HE has already said earlier in verse one.

 [Anytime the Spirit of God repeats something [a command, a warning, a judgment or a promise] in this BOOK [The King James Bible], it is of special importance to the Believer in Jesus Christ.]

Now, let us read verse twenty-seven again. “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” [John 14:27]

Let not your heart be troubled! Nor let your heart be afraid!

Jesus Christ is telling HIS disciples [which includes all of us believers living in these days], that TROUBLE is soon coming [if it is not already here], and therefore, when it comes, “let not your heart be troubled.”

The promise HE makes to HIS disciples [and to us] is that HE would give PEACE to them [and to us].

This PEACE would keep their hearts [and not only them in that day, but for all of those who are believers throughout the CHURCH AGE] from being troubled. It is the same peace that GOD gives that passes all our understanding, just as it says in Philippians chapter four, verse six and seven.

Let me read from there: “Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” [Philippians 4:7]

It is important for us as believers in Jesus Christ to remember HIS promise of the peace of GOD, keeping our hearts and our minds [of the true Christians].

What is more, this is the very same PEACE that will KEEP our hearts from the onslaught of the enemy.

Now, who is our enemy? This is a good question! In verse thirty, the Lord Jesus Christ identifies someone who is coming. Verse thirty: “Hereafter I will not talk much with you: for the prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in me.”

This someone, who is coming, is our personal enemy.

Something else about this enemy! This someone is a PRINCE. This “prince” was ready to come into play on earth. He was waiting for Jesus Christ to make HIS departure from this earth … to be seated at the right hand of the FATHER in Heaven.

By the way, that is where Jesus Christ is now! The Scripture for this is in Ephesians chapter one, verse twenty: “Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places.” [Ephesians 1:20]

Now, there is something else about this “prince” that we can learn. This PRINCE is of this world … and he has “nothing in” Jesus Christ. This “nothing in” means only one thing, and here it is. This particular “prince” is in OPPOSITION to GOD.

 Furthermore, he OPPOSES the SON of GOD, Jesus Christ, WHO is GOD manifest in the flesh.

Now, here is my question for you. Just who is this PRINCE?

We need to find out who he is. Amen!

Turn in our Bibles to Ezekiel chapter twenty-eight to see the Prince of Tyrus.

2. The Prince Of Tyrus

Verse two: “Son of man, say unto the prince of Tyrus, Thus saith the Lord God; Because thine heart is lifted up, and thou hast said, I am a God, I sit in the seat of God, in the midst of the seas; yet thou art a man, and not God, though thou set thine heart as the heart of God.”

We have here the judgment of GOD. This “prince” said:

• I am a God

• I sit in the seat of God

Yet this prince is not God, but a man.

Now, go down the page to verse twelve, and we will start from there, and read to verse sixteen.

Are you ready? “Son of man, take up a lamentation upon the king of Tyrus, and say unto him, thus saith the Lord God; Thou sealest up the sum, full of wisdom, and perfect in beauty. Thou hast been in Eden the garden of God; every precious stone was thy covering, the sardius, topaz, and the diamond, the Beryl, the onyx, and the jasper, the sapphire, the emerald, and the carbuncle, and gold: the workmanship of thy tabrets and of thy pipes was prepared in thee in the day that thou wast created.”

Note something here. He [the King of Tyrus] was in the garden of God. He was in Eden when the first man and the first woman were there! Who is he … this prince and king?

Let me read more in this passage: “Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth; and I have set thee so: thou wast upon the holy mountain of God; thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire. Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee.”

Now we are starting to see something. This prince was once one of the cherubim! He was the anointed cherub. He was anointed to cover the throne of God.

Furthermore, we see that there were originally five cherubim. We can establish this as a fact by looking earlier in this same book [of Ezekiel chapter ten, verse ten]. Verse ten shows that there were only four of the cherubim left.

 “And as for their appearances, they four had one likeness, as if a wheel had been in the midst of a wheel.”

 [In the BIBLE, the CHERUBIM are also called, LIVING CREATURES or BEASTS. They are called “living creatures” here in Ezekiel, and they are called “beasts” in Revelation chapter four, verse six.] Check it out!

Now, let’s continue reading here in chapter twenty-eight.

Ready? “By the multitude of thy merchandise they have filled the midst of thee with violence, and thou hast sinned: therefore I will cast thee as profane out of the mountain of God: and I will destroy thee, O covering cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire.

Thine heart was lifted up because of thy beauty, thou hast corrupted thy wisdom by reason of thy brightness: I will cast thee to the ground, I will lay thee before kings, that they may behold thee.” [Ezekiel 28:12-17]

This is what we have established so far. This Prince of Tyrus, this King of Tyrus, was in the garden of Eden [at least once], and originally he was one of five cherubim, whose mission was to be the “covering cherub” over the throne of GOD.

3. The Prince Of The Devils

This “prince of this world,” who “has nothing” in Jesus Christ, is shown also, in Matthew chapter nine, verse thirty-four, that he is “the prince of the devils.”

Turn in your Bible to there. “But the Pharisees said, He casteth out devils through the prince of the devils.” [Mathew 9:34]

We are getting closer to our goal of making a positive identification of who the “prince of this world” is.

Whoever it is, He has nothing in Jesus Christ.

By the way, this “prince of this world” is also, a prince over something else.

4. The Prince Of The Power Of The Air

Turn to Ephesians chapter two, verse two, to see another view of this prince. “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 2:2]

According to this verse, this is the prince, “the prince of the power of the air,” that we all [as sinners] were in LOCK STEP with when we were born into this world.

Let me tell you something. Rebels congregate with THE ULTIMATE REBEL! There ought to be no surprise here.

5. The god Of This World

For the last view of this prince, I want you to turn to Second Corinthians chapter four, verse four: “In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.” [2 Corinthians 4:4]

What a shocker this is.

The “god” of this world is none other than the DEVIL. He is the same one shown to be the DRAGON in [Revelation 12:9] “And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.”

Here we go! The “prince of this world” is positively identified in the BOOK as SATAN.

SATAN is:

• The Prince Of The World
• The Prince Of Tyrus
• The Prince Of The Devils
• The Prince Of The Power Of The Air
• The God Of This World

6. The Prince Of Life

[Acts 3:15] “And killed the Prince of life, whom God hath raised from the dead; whereof we are witnesses.”

Satan has nothing in Jesus Christ. In fact Satan instigated the killing of someone else, WHO is called “the Prince of life.”

He was the one lurking in the shadows when men killed “the Prince of life.”

The Prince of life is Jesus Christ. Isn’t that something?

• Satan is a prince. [small case]

• Jesus Christ is THE PRINCE.
 
Satan is an IMITATOR of the GENUINE.

Do you understand this?

Beware my friend.

This is the prince of this world … and he has “nothing in” in Jesus Christ.

Remember, this “prince” is in OPPOSITION to GOD.

He OPPOSES the SON of GOD, Jesus Christ, WHO was GOD manifest in the flesh.

Remember this “prince” hates you, therefore:

“Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.

For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;

And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace.

Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.

And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:

Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints.” [Ephesians 6:11-18]