These were the spirits of those who had disobeyed long before, when God was being patient while Noah built the ark. Only a few people, eight in all, were saved from the flood in the ark.
God didn’t spare the world’s ungodly people long ago. He brought the flood on them. But Noah preached about the right way to live, and God kept him safe along with seven other people.
By faith Noah, out of great respect for God, built an ark to save his family after God warned him about things that could not yet be seen. By doing this Noah showed the world that it was guilty, but he was considered right with God because of his faith.
Remember that while our Lord is waiting patiently to return, people are being saved. Our dear brother Paul also wrote to you about this with the wisdom that God gave him.