ASK NEARLY ANY MEMBER of the collective Sabbatarian churches of God as to who the god or ruler of this world might be, and he will tell you without hesitation or equivocation, that it is "Satan" or the Devil.  Ask the same individual to corroborate his response and he will probably turn to one particular scripture in the KJV Bible especially that mentions the "god of this world."  This person will probably not mention other Bible versions.  If you press him on this point, he may come up with two or three other passages that obliquely refer to the "ruler" of this world or "air."  But there is only one single and primary scripture in any of the Bible versions that comes right out and names the god of this world as the Devil.  In the King James Version of the Bible, only one seemingly direct reference exists upon which the doctrine of Satan's rule resides; one passage.  The KJV does not name the particular god that the writer had in mind, yet it does say "world."  The passage in question is 2Cor.4:4.  This particularKJV rendering regarding the word "world" can also be found in both the Revised Standard Version (RSV) and the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) of the Bible.  Most other versions and translations have rightly changed the word "world" to "age" (cf. NAB, NKJV). The name "Satan" occurs 55 times in the NKJV, the version used throughout this study unless otherwise noted.  Another name for Satan is the Devil; used 34 times.

Certainly, most of those who insist that "Satan is the ruler of this world" will probably admit, intellectually, if pressured, that the word "world" should rather be translated "age" and that God is the "ultimate" ruler. Emotionally, however, many still cling to old ingrained church teachings and have become devoted to manmade tradition.  They continue inexplicably to treat their main proof-text as though the passage really does mean "the whole earth" —and they are not fooling around; they are dead serious, and seriously wrong.

One reason that people cling to the irrational "Supremacy of Satan" doctrine is that if they were to change it, they would also have to change their view on the Kingdom of God.  They believe and teach that God has a "hands off" policy in the world, does not intervene in this world's affairs, that Jesus only brought a "witness and warning" message, that Jesus did not have salvation of the world in mind, and that he did not establish the KOG on earth in the first century. All this flies in the face of even mediocre Bible study.  Their view certainly denies clear and compelling biblical evidence to the contrary.

Irrespective of facts, the notion that the Devil is the god and ruler of the earth (the entire planet) has become dogma within many Christian denominations and within virtually every Sabbath keeping church of God congregation and fellowship of my experience.  This errant and foolish belief (along with others) is now nearly unalterably entrenched in the minds of many that profess to know and live by biblical principles and God's revelation.  I do not question the sincerity of people who hold this view.  I question their logic, understanding, rationale, and vision.  Blindness has indeed come upon some of the people of God, spiritual Israel.

The sad part is that when minds become like granite and are not pliable, intellectual pride builds and further closes off divine revelation in a sort of hardening and constricting of one's mental and rational arteries.  Closed minds are festering, musty, and dying minds of people who refuse to allow fresh air and light to enter.

What's wrong with adopting a worldview that places the Devil on the "throne" of earth?

The statement that the Devil is ruler of the world strongly implies and suggests that no one else is ruler of the world.  Thus, the supporters of this concept hold that Satan is supreme--that he is preeminent and reigns far above any other, and that he, above all, is sovereign--whether they admit it or not.  No one else, therefore, can be, or is, ruler of earth.  This foolhardy worldview absolutely denies the sovereignty of God the Father and his son Jesus the Christ, and, in addition, it is antithetical to what God reveals in the Bible regarding the present heavenly and earthly rule of Christ.  It is incompatible with scripture and it denies Christ.  (Continued...)