The god of this world is Satan.
Les Feldick teaches that Satan is the god of this world and has been ever since Adam lost his dominion in the garden. Scripture calls him 'the god of this world' in 2 Corinthians 4:4 and shows him offering Jesus the kingdoms of the world in Matthew 4:8-9.
2 Corinthians 4:4 — This verse uses the exact title 'the god of this world' and describes his blinding of the minds of them which believe not.
Matthew 4:8-9 — This records the devil offering Jesus all the kingdoms of the world, showing he claimed they were his to give.
Genesis 1:28 — This establishes the original God-given dominion that Les says Adam lost to Satan through sin.
The phrase 'god of this world' appears in 2 Corinthians 4:4, where it says this god '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.' Scripture also records that God originally gave mankind dominion: 'Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea...' (Genesis 1:28). In Matthew 4:8-9, the devil takes Jesus to an exceeding high mountain, shows Him all the kingdoms of the world, and offers them to Him, saying, 'All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me.' 1 John 5:19 adds, 'the whole world lieth in wickedness.'
Les Feldick teaches without hesitation that Satan is the god of this world. He connects this title to Genesis 1:28, where Adam was told to have dominion. Adam was meant to rule under God, but when he sinned, he lost that commission and Satan took it up. From that time on, Les says, Satan has been the god of this world, ruling the nations and prompting everything mankind accomplishes. Les points to Matthew 4 as proof: when Satan offered Jesus the kingdoms of the world, they were genuinely his to give. Les also teaches from 2 Corinthians 4 that Satan is the one who blinds the lost from seeing the gospel. He warns that Satan is no cartoon figure; he is a powerful being who appears as an angel of light. At the same time, Satan is not absolute: he operates under God's sovereign authority, held in check by divine 'checks and balances,' and one day Christ will defeat him and rule with total, glorious power. Les also sees Revelation 5's sealed scroll as the 'mortgage' Satan has held on planet earth since Adam's fall.
In 2 Corinthians 4:4, the Bible speaks of 'the god of this world' who has blinded the minds of those who do not believe. The title, as Les teaches, refers to Satan. The same verse shows his activity is opposed to the gospel of Christ, 'who is the image of God.'
Genesis 1:28 records God's commission to Adam and Eve: 'Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion...' Les explains that Adam was intended to have total dominion under God. When Adam sinned, he lost that role, and Satan took it for himself. From then on, Satan has been the god of this world.
In Matthew 4:8-9, the devil showed Jesus all the kingdoms of the world and their glory and said, 'All these things will I give thee.' Les comments, 'The kingdoms were his to give. Don't think for a minute they weren't.' He says this is because Satan has been head of the nations since Adam left the garden.
Les teaches that Satan is indeed the god of this world and is 'in control,' but he is under the sovereign God. He says Satan is held in check by God's checks and balances and can only do so much. One day Christ will defeat him and rule with absolute and glorious power.
Who Can Open the Scroll? Daniel 7 & Revelation 5 Explained
All right, now that's the picture here. Jesus comes before God the Father and the question is, Who can pay this mortgage? And now look what it says. Verse 6, And I beheld, and lo, in the midst of the throne, and of the four beasts. Now again, that word is simply living creatures, angelic beings.
Satan as the God of This World
Les states plainly that Satan is the god of this world and says everything mankind accomplishes has been prompted by Satan, pointing to Matthew 4 as proof.
The Kingdoms Were His to Give
Les says Satan has the world in his lap tonight and that the kingdoms Jesus was offered were genuinely Satan's to give.
Satan's Rule Since Eden
Les ties Satan's title to his position as head of the nations since Adam left the garden and calls attention to 2 Corinthians 4:3-4.
Satan's Identity in 2 Corinthians 4
Les identifies 'the god of this world' in 2 Corinthians 4:4 as Satan and warns he is a powerful being who disguises himself as an angel of light.
Adam's Lost Dominion
Les traces Satan's rule back to Adam's original dominion in Genesis 1:28; when Adam sinned he lost it and Satan picked it up.
Revelation 5's Mortgage
Les says the scroll in Revelation 5 is the mortgage Satan has held on planet earth since Adam fell.
Satan Under God's Sovereignty
Les clarifies that though Satan is the god of this world, his power is held in check by God and will one day be completely replaced by Christ's kingdom.
Genesis 1:28: And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.
This is the original command to have dominion, which Les says Adam lost to Satan through sin.
Matthew 4:8: Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them;
Satan shows Jesus the kingdoms of the world, demonstrating his claim to own them.
Matthew 4:9: And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me.
Satan's offer shows he viewed these kingdoms as his to give.
2 Corinthians 4:3: But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost:
The gospel is hidden from the lost, setting up the reason in the next verse.
2 Corinthians 4:4: 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.
This verse explicitly uses the title 'the god of this world' and describes his blinding work.
1 John 5:19: And we know that we are of God, and the whole world lieth in wickedness.
Confirms that the whole world system is under the wicked one's influence.
The god of this world is Satan. 2 Corinthians 4:4 says this god has blinded the minds of them which believe not. Les teaches that Satan has held this role ever since Adam lost his dominion in the garden.
Yes, according to Les. In Matthew 4:8-9, the devil claimed to possess the world's kingdoms, and Les says they were 'his to give.' This was because Satan had been head of the nations since Adam left the garden.
Les says Satan is the god of this world even now, and the world lies in the lap of the wicked one. However, Satan is under God's sovereign authority; he is held in check and will one day be defeated by Christ, who will rule the earth.
Watch the Teaching: Who Can Open the Scroll? Daniel 7 & Revelation 5 Explained