2 Corinthians 4:1-6
Therefore, since we have this ministry, as we received mercy, we do not lose heart, 2 but we have renounced the things hidden because of shame, not walking in craftiness or adulterating the word of God, but by the manifestation of truth commending ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God. 3 And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, 4 in whose case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving so that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. 5 For we do not preach ourselves but Christ Jesus as Lord, and ourselves as your bond-servants for Jesus’ sake. 6 For God, who said, “Light shall shine out of darkness,” is the One who has shone in our hearts to give the Light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.

In the recent discussion around this verse has sparked an interesting debate and each of us must check our presuppositions. So, in the lack of doing such is were poor criticism arise. The debate is around who is the “god of this age”. It could be Satan or it could be Yahweh. This conversation has broken out and it isn’t very clear that everyone is being rational. Here are criticism each launch at each other:

“God would never do that.”

The issue with this is it has God in the pre-commitment box. The Jews didn’t think God would send the Messiah as a sacrifice for sins and look how that turned out. The reason this objector present this is based off a theology in which God wishes to save all men and with the moral intuition that it is wrong to prevent people from believing is the presupposition. The issue with that, of course, is that Jesus himself does acts to prevent individuals from believing(Matt 13:10-17, Mark 4:11-12, Luke 8:10, John 12:38-40, Rom 11:10-18). God doesn’t force individuals against their wills to not believe.

“Do we really wish to attribute to Satan that power?”

It isn’t a matter of what power we wish to attribute to Satan, but what Paul attributes to Satan. He is known as a deceiver and is enraged at his defeat. The same Gospel that has God blinding people also has Satan leading them astray(Luke 8:1-15).

“You are doing this because of Calvinism.”

Calvinism is consistent with both readings. God can both harden people’s hearts and therefore continue his purposes. Or that Satan has been given the ability to lead people astray. The issue is how is giving Satan that ability over the hearts and minds of people consistent with Freewill theism? Especially, when God could stop it at any time.

My Bible has a lower case ‘g’ for God in 1 Cor. 4:4. It must be Satan because the ‘g’ is lower case.

The issue in the debate is whether the term “god of this age” is a referent for God or a god. The reason the ‘g’ is lower case in your translation is that the translators think it means Satan. That is a decision of a translator. The question being asked is “Was the translator correct?”. To simply refer back to the translators is to beg the question.

The argument for it being Satan will go like this:

“ἐν οἷς ὁ θεὸς τοῦ αἰῶνος τούτου ἐτύφλωσεν τὰ νοήματα τῶν ἀπίστων. “In their case, the god of this age has blinded the minds of those unbelievers.” Here Paul makes it clear that the reason for the “veiledness” of the gospel in the case of those who are perishing (v. 3) is not the gospel itself (it brings enlightenment, v. 4b), nor himself as its agent, but the activity of Satan in blinding their minds to the truth of the gospel.
ἐν οἷς refers back to ἐν τοῖς ἀπολλυμένοις and may be epexegetic (“to those who are perishing … that is, to those …”) or resumptive (“in whose case,” “In their case,” Goodspeed, RSV, NRSV).47 ὁ θεὸς τοῦ αἰῶνος is a unique biblical expression and refers not to God the Father (as [ὁ] θεός generally does in the NT), but to Satan.49
As a Christian rabbi, Paul divided time into two ages or aeons: “this age” (ὁ αἰὼν οὗτος, ha‘ôlām hazzeh) and “the age to come” (ὁ αἰὼν ὁ μέλλων/ἐρχόμενος, ha‘ôlām habbāʾ; cf. Eph. 1:21). “This age,” which Paul also describes as “this present evil age” (Gal. 1:4), will end with the arrival of the Day of the Lord (1 Thess. 5:2; 2 Thess. 2:2), which is “the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ” (2 Thess. 2:1; cf. 1 Cor. 1:8; 2 Cor. 1:14; Phil. 1:6). “The age to come” will see the consummation of the kingdom of God (1 Cor. 15:23–28; Eph. 5:5; 1 Thess. 2:12; 2 Tim. 4:1), which involves the eradication of evil and the transformation of God’s children (Rom. 8:19–23). Such dualism as is found in Paul is temporal and ethical, not material or metaphysical.
The genitive τοῦ αἰῶνος τούτου may be classified as (1) epexegetic: “their god, which is this age” (cf. Phil 3:19), (2) relational: “the god who operates during this age,” (3) objective: “the god who rules over this age” (cf. ὁ ἄρχων τοῦ κόσμου, John 12:31), or (4) possessive: “the one whom the unbelievers of this age (= οἱ ἄπιστοι) have as their god.” In the case of (1), ὁ θεός = “this age,” the whole world-system as opposed to God (= the Johannine ὁ κόσμος); in the case of (2)- (4), ὁ θεός = Satan. The use of ἄρχων (“ruler”) in reference to Satan in both Paul (Eph. 2:2) and John (John 12:31; 14:30; 16:11) supports option (3).”

Harris, M. J. (2005). The Second Epistle to the Corinthians: a commentary on the Greek text (pp. 327–328). Grand Rapids, MI; Milton Keynes, UK: W.B. Eerdmans Pub. Co.; Paternoster Press.

The other interpretation is based on the idea that Satan has been bound (assuming amillennialism) and that verse 6 shows God as the agent causing belief. Paul references back to Genesis and takes the imagery of God creating light as what causes one to see the truth. That we believe as a matter of Divine initiative. Paul is aware of Divine Judgement (Romans 9:6-24, Romans 11:10-18).

The weaknesses of these thoughts are in my mind. The first response is dependent on a specific view dealing with a major eschatological debate. If you don’t read the Book of Revelation that way, then the argument loses weight. The issue also arises that the penetrating ability of God to turn the hearts of men doesn’t entail he is the sole agent in “hardening” and “Blinding” could occur via demonic activity.

A very appealing way to read it as that the “god of this age” is Satan working in the limitations that God allows. This being that God uses Satan in his plan to accomplish his purposes.
However, it must be remembered that Satan can carry out such a function only with divine permission, and the blindness of mind which he is allowed to impose can at any time be penetrated by a blaze of light if God so wills.

Kruse, C. G. (1987). 2 Corinthians: an introduction and commentary (Vol. 8, p. 104). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.

I quoted something D. A. Carson said to lay out my point “You could say the devil did it. Or you could say God did it. Which one is truer? …
They’re equally true. Which one is more fundamental?”

Further reading:
https://triablogue.blogspot.com/2017/09/the-god-of-this-world.html