Standing On The Rock

In His final instruction to His disciples as recorded in Mathew's Gospel, Jesus said, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth." (Matthew 28:18) Why would He say this? He did not need authority, He always had it. Why then was it given to Him now that He was leaving the earth and returning to heaven? It was given to Him because He is the Head of the church, the first born from the dead. (Colossians 1:18) All the authority that was given to Him was for the benefit of the church, His Body. (1 Corinthians 12:27)

Through the meritorious work of Jesus in His mission to completely redeem man, He stripped Satan of the authority that was given to him by Adam, (Luke 4:5-6). He destroyed him who had the power of death, that is the devil. (Hebrews 2:14) He took from Satan the keys of death and hell. (Revelation 1:18) He delegated His authority to believers through using His name (Mark 16:17-18) Most believers have not come to fully understand the authority that has been given to them through Jesus Christ, neither have they accepted the authority that is rightfully theirs by virtue of being born again. Let us look at one of the most compelling events in the Bible that reveals the various aspects of authority.

"Now when Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to Him, pleading with Him, saying, “Lord, my servant is lying at home paralyzed, dreadfully tormented.” And Jesus said to him, “I will come and heal him.” The centurion answered and said, “Lord, I am not worthy that You should come under my roof. But only speak a word, and my servant will be healed. For I also am a man under authority, having soldiers under me. And I say to this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes; and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.” When Jesus heard it, He marveled, and said to those who followed, “Assuredly, I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel! And I say to you that many will come from east and west, and sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. But the sons of the kingdom will be cast out into outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” Then Jesus said to the centurion, “Go your way; and as you have believed, so let it be done for you.” And his servant was healed that same hour." (Matthew 8:5-13)

First, we need to keep in mind that this man was a Gentile, furthermore a Roman Centurion. He was not a Covenant partner with God. He was not a Jew and was considered an outcast in his day. He had no legal grounds to come to Jesus, because He had come to share the Gospel with the Jews (Matthew 15:24) Even when Jesus sent His disciples to preach, He said, "Do not go into the way of the Gentiles, and do not enter a city of the Samaritans. But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel." (Matthew 10:5-6)  Although this man was not included in the Covenant, Jesus said, "I will come and heal your servant." The centurion knew the relationship between Jew and Gentile an concluded that he was not worthy for Jesus to come to his house and suggests an alternative plan, "...only speak a word, and my servant will be healed."  

This statement from the centurion suggesting that Jesus heal another way reveals something that most believers fail to grasp concerning the will, nature, character, purpose and plan of God. To think that after the Lord says "I will come and heal him" this man who was not in Covenant with God say in a sense, "no I have a different or better plan" is almost unbelievable because Jesus could have said no to this mans alternative plan. What we should take away from this is how the Father responds to faith. Gods responses to a believers faith, not based their abilities or intellectual knowledge of God's Word, but believers "being fully convinced that what God has promised He is also able to perform." (Romans 4:21) The centurion must have observed Jesus' dealing with sickness and disease and had no trouble suggesting an alternative plan. 

Let's look at what the centurion says now after offering Jesus his alternative plan,  "For I also am a man under authority, having soldiers under me. And I say to this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes; and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it." Again, it is apparent that the centurion has observed Jesus in His dealing with sickness and disease. In a sense the centurion is saying, "Jesus, I am also a man under authority and I know how things work. You do not have to come to my house. I see that you have authority over sickness and disease who are subject to you. In the same way, I have authority over men who are subject to me. I only have to speak a word to these men and I know my command will be carried out. All you have to do is speak a Word and I know your command will be carried out also." This is faith in action. As a matter of fact, Jesus states that this mans understanding of authority is equated to having great faith. Jesus finally tells the centurion, "Go your way; and as you have believed, so let it be done for you.” Understanding and walking in authority like this centurion, is the same in God's eyes as having great faith. The results for this mans actions, "And his servant was healed that same hour."

We are in a time like no other. We must become people who understand and walk in the authority that is rightfully ours through Jesus Christ. The Apostle Paul tells us, "For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age,  against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places." (Ephesians 6:12) The word wrestle is used figuratively here to give the idea of the spiritual conflict engaged by believers. However, it also akin to another Greek word which means to "sway." Remember, Jesus has "disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them." (Colossians 2:15) Therefore, believers are to "stand" in the position of authority in the Name of Jesus to uphold and enforce what Jesus has accomplished, because the principalities and powers are at work trying to "sway" believers from faith and their position of authority. This is why the Apostle Paul says, "having done all, to stand. Stand..." (Ephesians 6:13-14) 

Paul finishes his exhortation with, "And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; (Ephesians 6:17) Believers are to get God's Word into their recreated spirit by speaking it. (Romans 10:8, 17) As they do this, it releases power. "God has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds; who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power..." (Hebrews 1:2-3) God's Word is His power. Look what the people around Jesus said concerning the Words that He spoke, "And so it was, when Jesus had ended these sayings, that the people were astonished at His teaching, for He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes." (Matthew 7:28-29)

Believers can and should stand in their legal position of authority. Jesus delegated His authority to His church, to every believer. The Apostle Paul tells us, "God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." (Philippians 2:9-11) Paul also tells us, "For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled." (2 Corinthians 10:4-6) So, let us stand in the face of darkness knowing that the Word of God, the Name of Jesus and the power of the Holy Spirit in us carries more authority than anything or anyone in all creation, because our weapons are mighty in God. They are backed by God Himself. So, let us never forget, "...If God is for us, who can be against us?" (Romans 8:31)

A Good, Good Father (Part 2)

Now that God had placed Adam in the garden, gave him authority, specific direction and even a companion, a wife that was comparable, that is, equivalent in quality, we will begin to discover the actual root of the bad things that afflict mankind. We continue, "Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said to the woman, "Has God indeed said, 'You shall not eat of every tree of the garden'?" And the woman said to the serpent, "We may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden; but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, 'You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die.'" Then the serpent said to the woman, "You will not surely die. For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil." (Genesis 3:1-5)

One of the unique attributes that God had given to mankind was the freedom of choice. Adam was a spirit with a soul encased within a body. His spirit was perfect because as we saw, God breathed His Spirit into him. Due to this, his soul and body (flesh) were under full submission to his spirit. We do not know at this point in scripture why Satan chose to whet the appetite of the woman with his deception, but his false truth claims cause her soul to reason between two claims of truth, God's and Satan's. Next, we see her response to Satan's words. "So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate." (Genesis 3:6)

Unfortunately for mankind she chose wrong, but that is not the whole of it. Notice that when the woman ate of the forbidden tree she also gave it to her husband "with her" and he ate. Against some popular teaching that says Adam was not around when his wife was being seduced is not an accurate account. In fact he was "with her" and watch the entire deceptive work of Satan unfold and did nothing to prevent it. Remember, he had the authority, not Satan, and did not use it against Satan's attack. Think about it, all he had to do was to speak and Satan would have had to obey. He could have said, "Satan get off the earth and never return" and that would have been the end of it forever. However, he chose to disobey the command of the LORD and by this act of disobedience, forfeited his God given rights and authority to Satan. (Luke 4:5-6) Now instead of Satan being under mans authority man was now under Satan's authority. Man not only gave up his authority but also his connection with God because he was now spiritually dead. God is Spirit and relates to mankind in spirit. (John 4:24)

With Satan in charge of mans affairs, so to speak, let's look at what the Bible reveals as his nature. He is adversary, hater, opponent, enemy, accuser, slanderer, whisperer, enchanter, beguiler, tempter, liar, thief, murderer, do we get the point? His activities are to slander God to man and man to God; oppose God's ministers; pervert the Word of God and hold man captive through oppression, deception, possession, torments, vexing and buffeting. Because man is spiritual dead, Satan manifests these things through the soul (mind, will and emotions) and the body (the flesh). Even though there is much more evidence in the Bible that bad things do not come from God, we could actually stop here and logically conclude that all the bad things on earth are the result of the fall of man, that is, the destructive nature of sin and Satan. Adam's lack of keeping his focus on the Creator and using the authority that he was given, caused him to fall prey to the creation and become a slave to sin and Satan, who was now his new master.

Unfortunately, many believer's today fail in the same way. They have been taught that God let's bad things happen to them which paints a false picture of who God truly is. Christ has restored man and in that restoration has given him authority once again. By faith in Christ, man is no longer a slave to sin and Satan (Romans 6:14) and yet many time believers fall prey by allowing their soul and body, the very place where Satan makes his attack, to rule over them, rather than exercising their recreated spirit where the believer has the power to overcome the soul, body, sin and Satan. Jesus paid the price for man's disobedience (Romans 5:17-21), He defeated Satan (Colossians 2:15) and has given the believer authority over Satan (Matthew 28:18, Mark 16:17-18, Luke 10:19, 24:49). It is a lack of faith and poor teaching concerning God's will, nature, character, purpose and plan that promotes this unbiblical doctrine in the church.

Think about it. If sin and Satan are the product of all evil and Christ has saved humanity from these very things, then why would God still allow bad things to happen to His children? (Romans 8:16-17) He wouldn't! Bad things are still the product of sins destructive nature and the wickedness of Satan as it was in the beginning of man's history. However the good news is, Christ has delivered man from all of these things. (Isaiah 43:25, 53:4-6; Romans 6:14; 2 Corinthians 5:17, 21; Galatians 3:13; Ephesians 2:11-13; 2 Thessalonians 3:3; these are but a few Scripture concerning this) However, we must keep in mind that man still has the right to chose concerning these matters. It comes down to choosing to place faith in the Truth of God's Word, not the false truth claims of faithless teachers and the deceptive lies of Satan.

Remember, Satan came with his claims of truth in the garden that opposed the real Truth of God. His tactics and the destructive nature of sin have not changed. Believers must have an active faith in God's Word. The Apostle Paul tells us, "I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me." (Galatians 2:20) It is only through faith in Christ and the integrity of God's Word that believers will truly know that our Heavenly Father is a good, good Father.

Fishing Sometimes Means Casting

Although John the Baptist did not perform any miracles, his message of the Kingdom of Heaven (Kingdom of God), moved in the hearts of the people. Jesus tells us,  "And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force." (Matthew 11:12) There was a pressing to see the manifestation of the Kingdom of God. We also see, that after the forty days of temptation of our Lord in the desert, Matthew records, "From that time Jesus began to preach and to say, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." (Matthew 4:17) Both John and Jesus were the only ones of that time revealing the Kingdom of God. The Holy Spirit through the Apostle Paul tells us, "For the kingdom of God is not in word but in power." (1 Corinthians 4:20) Although miracles, signs and wonders are the main manifestation of the kingdom of God, our focus will be on using the power or authority to deal with demons. 

The scriptures reveal Jesus and the early church believers releasing God's power and authority as they preached and presented the Kingdom. An example of this is found in the ministry of Jesus, "Then they sailed to the country of the Gadarenes, which is opposite Galilee. And when He stepped out on the land, there met Him a certain man from the city who had demons for a long time. And he wore no clothes, nor did he live in a house but in the tombs. When he saw Jesus, he cried out, fell down before Him, and with a loud voice said, “What have I to do with You, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg You, do not torment me!” For He had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. For it had often seized him, and he was kept under guard, bound with chains and shackles; and he broke the bonds and was driven by the demon into the wilderness. Jesus asked him, saying, “What is your name?” And he said, “Legion,” because many demons had entered him. And they begged Him that He would not command them to go out into the abyss. Now a herd of many swine was feeding there on the mountain. So they begged Him that He would permit them to enter them. And He permitted them. Then the demons went out of the man and entered the swine, and the herd ran violently down the steep place into the lake and drowned." (Luke 8:26-33) 

Take notice, "When he (the man who had demons) saw Jesus, he cried out, fell down before Him, and with a loud voice said, “What have I to do with You, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg You, do not torment me! (verse 28) and Now a herd of many swine was feeding there on the mountain. So they begged Him that He would permit them to enter them. And He permitted them." (Verse 32) Because the demons in the man recognized Jesus, and started the confrontation, Jesus was able to simply used His authority to defuse the situation which freed the man. We find a similar situation in the ministry of the Apostle Paul, "Now it happened, as we went to prayer, that a certain slave girl possessed with a spirit of divination met us, who brought her masters much profit by fortune-telling. This girl followed Paul and us, and cried out, saying, “These men are the servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to us the way of salvation.” And this she did for many days. But Paul, greatly annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.” And he came out that very hour." (Acts 16:16-18)

Notice, that Paul and Silas went to prayer and the demon possessed girl approached them and followed them around for many days. At first glance, you would think that this possessed girl was promoting Paul and Silas's ministry. However, this was not the case. We see that Paul, greatly annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.” And he came out that very hour." As we see, the demon in the girl started the confrontation against Paul, the believer. Like we saw with Jesus, Paul simply used his authority, spoke to the spirit and cast it out. In both instances, Jesus with the Gadarene demoniac and Paul with the girl who had a spirit of divination, the demons manifested and began the confrontation. Jesus and Paul had the authority to put an end to it. Think about it this way. If the demonized man had seen Jesus and the demonized girl had seen Paul and did not manifest or confront them, there may not have been a confrontation and the possibility exists that neither of them would had been delivered from demons.

Next, we will look at a situation where a demon was silent, non-confrontational. "Now Jesus was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath. And behold, there was a woman who had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bent over and could in no way raise herself up. But when Jesus saw her, He called her to Him and said to her, “Woman, you are loosed from your infirmity.” And He laid His hands on her, and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God. But the ruler of the synagogue answered with indignation, because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath; and he said to the crowd, “There are six days on which men ought to work; therefore come and be healed on them, and not on the Sabbath day.” The Lord then answered him and said, “Hypocrite! Does not each one of you on the Sabbath loose his ox or donkey from the stall, and lead it away to water it? So ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has bound—think of it—for eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath?” And when He said these things, all His adversaries were put to shame; and all the multitude rejoiced for all the glorious things that were done by Him." (Luke 13:10-17)

Of course we see a typical response of religious leaders with their doctrines of man. Here they ridicule Jesus for healing on the Sabbath. Jesus responds, "So ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has bound, think of it, for eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath?" We see that this woman had been bound by Satan, the source of all sickness and disease. However, the woman never asked Jesus to heal her, nor did the spirit of infirmity that held her say anything to Jesus or cause a commotion, yet Jesus saw her and released her from Satan’s grip. So, did Jesus over step His realm of authority? Absolutely not! She was in a house of God, a synagogue. Jesus had the authority and simply used it to free the woman. You better believe that if the gift of discerning of spirits is operating or a demon manifests in a church service of any kind, whether the church building, small group meeting in a house, or any place where two or more are gathered in Jesus’ name, the believe or believers have the authority and need to exercise it.

I am not trying to be critical or condescending in any way, but when was the last time, if ever, you received training in what to do if a demon manifests in a church gathering? What I am getting at, is, today, most believers, including church leaders would not know what to do if a demon manifested. Unfortunately, many church leaders and most believers have bought into modern psychiatry and all the intellectual reasoning, thereby labeling a person having a demon manifestation with some kind of phobia or mental breakdown. When reading the gospels, people would come to Jesus and say things like, "My son or daughter has a demon." I find this interesting because these people were not born again. They did not have the Holy Spirit dwelling in them. They were not given the various gifts of the Holy Spirit and yet they recognized what the problem really was. I say this not for believers to be demon conscience but to be God inside minded, knowing their identity, position, and authority in Christ and as ambassadors of the Kingdom of God.

So, sometimes when we are fishing for the souls of people, that is, preaching the gospel of the Kingdom, we may need to cast out demons, but always remember, "For the kingdom of God is not in word but in power." (1 Corinthians 4:20) and also remember, if you are born again then "You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world." (1 John 4:4) Grace and peace be with you...

Faith and Authority

I believe one of the greatest examples of faith, authority, the power of words, but, moreover the immense power of God's Word by an individual, in the New Testament, are seen in this passage of scripture. "Now when Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to Him, pleading with Him, saying, “Lord, my servant is lying at home paralyzed, dreadfully tormented.” And Jesus said to him, “I will come and heal him.” The centurion answered and said, “Lord, I am not worthy that You should come under my roof. But only speak a word, and my servant will be healed. For I also am a man under authority, having soldiers under me. And I say to this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes; and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.” When Jesus heard it, He marveled, and said to those who followed, “Assuredly, I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel!" (Matthew 8:5-10)

Notice, the centurion says to Jesus, only speak a word, and my servant will be healed. Although not the main point, the centurion recognizes the power of words. He also recognizes that like himself, Jesus is also a man under authority but with authority. It’s clear the centurion was not struggling with his identity or his position as a Roman centurion, therefore he knew his authority. Listen to his understanding of authority, “I say to this one, Go, and he goes; and to another, Come, and he comes; and to my servant, Do this, and he does it.” As far as we know, these words were coming from the mouth of a pagan. It goes on and says, that Jesus marveled, He was amazed at the centurions comprehension and understanding of authority and He equated his understanding and use of authority with having great faith. So in a sense, we can say of this centurion, he knew who he was to the Roman empire; he knew what the Roman empire was to him; and how his superiors truly saw him.

So, by releasing our faith by acting on God’s Word believers can stand with confidence in their authority through Christ. Smith Wigglesworth said, "I am not moved by what I see. I am not moved by what I feel. I am moved only by what I believe.” The Apostle Paul tells us, "Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil." (Ephesians 6:10-11) First, believers must be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might, not their own might. Second, believers must continually be arrayed with the spiritual armor of God as we stand against the wiles of the devil in our daily lives. We must understand that the devil will do everything in his power to keep believers from coming into the knowledge of their authority over him. I believe that the devil expends more effort working against believers trying to keep them from the revelation of their true and legal identification, position and authority in and through Christ than anything else.

Another important point is that believers need to understand that there are limits concerning their authority. For example, believers do have authority over Satan and his forces if these forces try to come against them in their own life or the lives of their immediate family, loved ones and where others have given them authority. They will be free from the enemy because they have the right to exercise their authority over him in these areas. However, that does not mean that they can go around casting devils out of everyone they meet. Look at what Jesus says to the 70 disciples, "Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you." (Luke 10:19) and what the Apostle James tells us, "Therefore, submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you." (James 4:7) Notice, these scriptures do not say that the devil will flee from everyone you come in contact with, it says he will flee from you or where you have authority.

When I am in public I know that I have authority. When I ask someone if I can pray for them and they give me their permission, then they have given me the authority, but if they do not give me permission, I can certainly pray for them, but I cannot exercise the authority against their will. The only exception to this is if a demonized person tries to come aggressively against me or those whom have given me authority, then I can use my God given authority to stop the aggression. We will look at this as revealed in the scriptures through the ministries of Jesus and the Apostle Paul another time. So, until then, let us stand in faith and the authority that we have been given over darkness, in Jesus Name.

Demon Chasers

Based on the following scriptures we will see that after Jesus ascended to heaven and sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on High, He delegated or transferred His authority to the church. "The Father has put all things under Christ’s feet and has appointed Him the universal and supreme Head of the church [a headship exercised throughout the church], Which is His body, the fullness of Him Who fills all in all [for in that body lives the full measure of Christ Who makes everything complete, and Who fills everything everywhere with Himself]." (Ephesians 1:22-23 AMP) "But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus." (Ephesians 2:4-6) "For we are members of His body, of His flesh and of His bones." (Ephesians 5:30) "For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power." (Colossians 2:9-10)

Jesus is the supreme head of the church; we sit with Him on His throne of triumph; we are members of His body; the fullness of the Godhead dwells in Him; we are complete in Him; all believers have received His abundance of grace and truth. If all authority has been given to Him in heaven and earth, which it has, and we are His body, which we are, then it stands to reason that everything He is, we are, which agrees with the Word, "…because as He is, so are we in this world.” (1 John 4:17) To take this a little further, Jesus says, "I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing." (John 15:5) and, "But he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him." (1 Corinthians 6: 17) We have oneness with Christ. I am not making light of the cross, yes, we need to come to the cross for salvation, but we are not to remain there. We need to preach and teach the cross to the unsaved but to the believer we need to preach and teach that the throne is where the believer is, not the cross. The throne is the seat of authority and triumph, not the cross.

Believers exercising their authority hangs on their revelation of knowing God's immense power, "and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places." (Ephesians 1: 19-20) and, "God raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus." (Ephesians 2:6) Notice that not only is Christ seated at the right hand of the Father, which is the highest place of authority, He sits there far above all the powers. Believers sit with Christ also far above all the powers in the same seat of authority. It is revelation of these truths, not intellectual knowledge that will give believers the assured confidence in their authority.

Before we go any further, think about this. Where God's knowledge and revelation is obscure, the devil will establish a stronghold. The strongholds could be fear, doubt, unbelief, disobedience, believing a lie and rejecting truth and so on. The devil does not want believers to know their authority. The very thing that Adam could have used to defeat the Satan in the garden, his authority over creation, was the very thing that Satan went after and unfortunately was able to have Adam relinquish.

Next, notice from the above scripture in Ephesians, "...the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe…" This does not simply refer to God’s power in regeneration, but as the entire series of His acts of power toward Christians from the moment they become born again until they are received in glory. Scripture reveals, "The demons cried out, Let us alone! What have we to do with You, Jesus of Nazareth? Did You come to destroy us? I know who You are, the Holy One of God!" (Mark 1:24) and "Then some of the itinerant Jewish exorcists took it upon themselves to call the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits…And the evil spirit answered and said, “Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are you? (Acts 19:13, 15) Notice, the demons recognize not only Jesus’ authority but also Paul’s and every believer who know without question, that all authority is in Jesus and we sit with Him on His throne of authority.

Believer have the authority to uphold and enforce the victory over Satan and all his forces that Jesus accomplished, because we have the authority as well as a mandate to do so, "And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.” (Mark 16:17-18) The Church is not to pray to God the Father about what to do with the devil. The Church is to exercise the authority that belongs to it as we see here in Mark 16:17-18. Of course this must come by revelation of our authority and not by-way-of intellectual knowledge. It is obvious that the itinerant Jewish exorcists were not born again and therefore limited and could only use the intellectual knowledge they had in their attempt to cast out demons which failed.

To live and operate in the authority that is vested in every believer through Christ, has absolutely nothing to do with how long a person has been saved. The least member of the Body of Christ has just as much authority over the devil as anyone else. The reality is, unless believers stand on God’s Word and know without doubt, fear, unbelief, and without a sense of unworthiness, shame, guilt, condemnation and or inferiority and do something about the devil, nothing will be done in many areas of their life and the lives of others who seek deliverance. So, let us rise up in our generation, infiltrate the culture and bring the power of God down on the works of darkness, setting the captives free in the wonderful Name of Jesus. Amen?

Delegated Authority

For believers to stand in the authority of God and use the delegated authority he or she has been freely given, they must first know and understand these highly important aspects. First, fully comprehend God’s authority and second, believers must know who they are Christ; who Christ is in them and how the Father truly sees them. Why are these so important? Knowing these things and operating in them will eliminate, doubt, fear, unbelief, shame, guilt, condemnation, inferiority and disobedience and in turn manifests in the believer the same attributes that we see in Abraham.

We see recorded in Romans, "Abraham did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform." (Romans 4:20-21) Notice, Abraham was "fully convinced." Like Abraham, believers must come to know God’s will, which is His Word, and by it, exercise the kind of faith that prevents doubt, fear, unbelief, etc., to find place. The Apostle Paul tells us, "do not give place to the devil." (Ephesians 4:27) and, "lest Satan should take advantage of us; for we are not ignorant of his devices." (2 Corinthians 2:11) Say this with me; "In the Name of Jesus, I will not give place to the devil, therefore, Satan will not take advantage of me, for I am not ignorant of his schemes."

Next, concerning believer’s authority; it is the delegated power and legal right vested in them by the Holy Spirit to uphold, enforce and further Jesus' ministry when He walked the earth as the Son of Man. Jesus tells us, "And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover." (Mark 16:17-18) We also see, "Then Jesus called His twelve disciples together and gave them power and authority over all demons, and to cure diseases." (Luke 9:1) "Then the seventy returned with joy, saying, Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name. And He said to them, I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you." (Luke 10:17-19) and, "Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high." (Luke 24:49)

Believers need to realize that we have been given the authority over Satan, and all his evil forces. However, consider this. Do we honestly believe that the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ has any less authority today than the disciples had during Jesus' ministry on earth as the Son of Man as revealed in the Gospels? Do we honestly believe that the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ has any less authority today than the early church had? Do we honestly believe that although Jesus defeat Satan and all his evil forces that somehow they simply packed up and went away? Believers who think this way tend to describe the church and believers as everything other than victorious and triumphant. Simply put, the value of every believer’s authority rests on two things. One, knowing that God himself is the power behind the believer’s authority; Two, applying faith to number one. Believers will never understand their authority with the intellect; it only comes by revelation. You must believe and then act by faith.

In grasping this, believers then understand that the devil and his forces are obliged to recognize our authority. Now we see the truth in Romans 5:17 when it says, believers “reign as kings in life through the one Man Jesus Christ." Believer’s who thoroughly understand that it is the power of God backing them, can exercise their authority and face the enemy fearlessly on any and every front. "And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen. (Matthew 28:18-20) Jesus is always with us through the Holy Spirit who was given to us to uphold, enforce and continue the ministry of Jesus. So, let us by faith take the authority that we have by the Holy Spirit through the Name of Jesus and go, setting the captives free. 

The Controversy of the Universe

Looking again at the authority of God, we need to take a deeper look at what the Bible records concern it. So, let's begin in Isaiah 14:12-15, the fall of Lucifer and Ezekiel 28:13-17, the account of the king of Tyre. We start with Isaiah, “How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How you are cut down to the ground, you who weakened the nations! For you have said in your heart: I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will also sit on the mount of the congregation on the farthest sides of the north; I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Most High. Yet you shall be brought down to Sheol, to the lowest depths of the Pit." (Isaiah 14:12-15)  Next, we move to Ezekiel. 

"You were in Eden, the garden of God; Every precious stone was your covering: The sardius, topaz, and diamond, beryl, onyx, and jasper, sapphire, turquoise, and emerald with gold. The workmanship of your timbrels and pipes was prepared for you on the day you were created. You were the anointed cherub who covers; I established you; You were on the holy mountain of God; You walked back and forth in the midst of fiery stones. You were perfect in your ways from the day you were created, till iniquity was found in you. By the abundance of your trading you became filled with violence within, and you sinned; Therefore I cast you as a profane thing out of the mountain of God; and I destroyed you, O covering cherub, from the midst of the fiery stones. Your heart was lifted up because of your beauty; You corrupted your wisdom for the sake of your splendor; I cast you to the ground, I laid you before kings, that they might gaze at you." (Ezekiel 28:13-17) (Note: in this account, the law of double reference is used for Lucifer. That is, scripture having a double meaning, using one thing but referring to another)

Now let us look closely at what has transpired. Isaiah 14:12-15 deals with, Lucifer, now Satan, violating God’s authority while Ezekiel 28:13-17 emphasizes his trespassing against God's holiness. To offend God's authority is a rebellion far more serious than that of offending God's holiness. Offending God’s holiness or sinning is a matter of conduct, whereas offending God’s authority is a matter of principle. Jesus tells us, "Therefore I say to you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven men. Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him, either in this age or in the age to come." (Matthew 12:31-32)

In context with this passage, Jesus cast out demons by the authority vested in Him through the Holy Spirit. The Pharisees rejected this and said that Jesus’ authority was through Beelzebub, that is Satan. The first part of this passage is sin against God’s Holiness, the latter is rebellion against God’s authority. So, Isaiah’s report is Satan's intent of setting his throne above the throne of God thereby violating God's authority. It was not the act of sinning that caused Satan's fall, it was his act of rebellion against God’s authority. It was rebellion which God condemned. Now we understand why Samuel says, "For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry." (1 Samuel 15:23) Rebellion and Satan are synonymous.

The controversy of the universe is centered on who has the authority. Although believers have the authority over Satan and all of his forces, any conflict that we may have with Satan is the direct result of our attributing all authority to God; therefore Satan’s approach to believers is the same as it was in the Garden of Eden. He makes his appeal to the flesh, that is, the five senses, especially the mind, will and emotions, trying to turn believers from the truth, one being, that all authority has been given to Jesus in heaven and earth. Please remember this, Satan is not afraid of believers who preach God’s Word. His greatest fear is those who understand and are completely subject to God’s authority.

God has purposed to manifest His authority to the world through the church, through each and every believer. He uses His power to maintain His authority, therefore, His authority is the hardest thing to come up against. Notice how the crowd responded to Jesus as He taught, "Then they were all amazed, so that they questioned among themselves, saying, “What is this? What new doctrine is this? For with authority He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey Him." (Mark 1:27) Due to the believers oneness with Christ (John 15:5) we too must know and operate in the same authority as Jesus did during His earth walk as the Son of man. So, before a believer can understand and properly use God’s delegated authority, he or she must fully comprehend and be subject to God's authority. Grace and Peace be with you...

God's Authority

Once believers have a solid understanding of their identification and position in Christ, they will then know that they can stand in the Father presence without guilt, condemnation, unworthiness, shame or inferiority as well as stand and face Satan and his evil forces as triumphant victors; as more than conquerors. Once a believers knows these things, then they will understand and know the authority that has been given them to uphold and enforce what the Father accomplished through Christ. With this revelation knowledge believers will no long confess failure, weakness, doubt, fear or unbelief, but humbly stand by grace through faith in the power of His might in the face of any circumstance no matter how small or large it may seem.

The writer of Hebrews tells us, "Let us hold fast the confession of our faith without wavering, for He who promised is faithful." (Hebrews 10:23) Therefore, living in the light of what God’s Word reveals as the believers new and true identification, position and authority, we see that it is based upon their faith in the integrity of God’s Word or put another way, not simply knowing facts about God, but  knowing God Himself. To know God is to know His will and to know His will is to know His Word for they are one and the same. The Apostle Paul tells us, "Abraham did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform." (Romans 4:20-21)

In other words, Abraham completely apprehended the will of God. To Him, there was no question concerning God’s will. There are two things that arise from this; First, Abraham's faith prevented doubt, fear and unbelief to find place; second, this caused Abraham to be completely obedient to God. There can be no doubt, fear, unbelief and especially disobedience where true authority exists. Paul also tells us, "Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God. Therefore whoever resists (or rebels against) the authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves. For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to evil. Do you want to be unafraid of the authority? Do what is good, and you will have praise from the same. For he is God’s minister to you for good. But if you do evil, be afraid; for he does not bear the sword in vain; for he is God’s minister, an avenger to execute wrath on him who practices evil." (Romans 13:1-4)

So, what is authority? It is God’s sovereign right to give commands, make decisions, have jurisdiction, have control, to take charge, or to rule over that which opposes or is contrary to His Will, that is, His Word. God’s throne is established on His authority, therefore, all of His acts issue from His throne. All physical laws of the universe are maintained by His authority; "God in these last days has spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds; who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power…" (Hebrews 1:2-3) God’s Word is His power from which emanates His authority. God's authority represents God Himself and His power is revealed by His acts. Look at the peoples response to Jesus teachings, "...for Jesus taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes." (Matthew 7:29)

God alone is authority in all things. As we saw in Romans 13, all the authorities of the earth are instituted by God. Because God’s authority is such a tremendous thing in the universe, we need to understand that absolutely nothing overshadows it. Therefore, it is imperative for us who desire to serve God and build His kingdom, to know the authority of God and what it means to the church and every believer. Until next time, the grace of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ be with you...

Vanquishers in Heavenly Places

The Holy Spirit through the Apostle Paul gives us some wonderful insight concerning believers, "Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come,  nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 8:37-39) What Paul is telling us is the Body of Christ, every believer, is more than a conqueror over all the power of the enemy because we are in Christ. For some believers and even church leaders, it’s time to move beyond the cross where believer are told week after week to come to the cross because they are nothing more than sinners saved by grace. The fact is, all believers WERE sinners save by grace, but now are the righteousness of God in Christ. (2 Corinthians 5:21) Of course we came to the cross when we were saved, and we should never forget the tremendous divine exchange that took place there, but now it’s time to sit on the throne in Christ where we can rule and reign in life with Him. (Romans 5:17)

Paul also tells us, "And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church." (Ephesians 1:22) This scripture refers back to the previous verses and is saying that all things, principalities, powers, thrones, or dominions, Satan himself are all under subjection to the Lord Jesus Christ and because we are in Christ, they are also subject to us in His Name. We are Christ's body on the earth, so all these things have been put under our feet also. This is why Satan cannot rule over any believer unless the believer gives their consent, whether by choice or through ignorance. Jesus tells us, "Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you." (Luke 10:19) Jesus in using the terms "scorpions" and "serpents" is speaking figuratively as a type of demonic powers. Jesus was actually saying, "I give you authority to tread upon devils, demons, evil spirits and over all the power of the enemy. And because of the authority in My Name, none of the power of the enemy can harm you." The believer who is ful1y conscious of their position in Christ will understand the divine authority behind him, his authority in Christ and can face the enemy without fear.

Keep in mind, that you do not have any power in and of yourself, but our authority is in Christ. We see this played out in the believers in the early church. "Now it happened, as we went to prayer, that a certain slave girl possessed with a spirit of divination met us, who brought her masters much profit by fortune-telling. This girl followed Paul and us, and cried out, saying, These men are the servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to us the way of salvation. And this she did for many days. But Paul, greatly annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her. And he came out that very hour." (Acts 16:16-18) In contrast to this, we see, "Now God worked unusual miracles by the hands of Paul, so that even handkerchiefs or aprons were brought from his body to the sick, and the diseases left them and the evil spirits went out of them. Then some of the itinerant Jewish exorcists took it upon themselves to call the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits, saying, “We exorcise you by the Jesus whom Paul preaches.” Also there were seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, who did so. And the evil spirit answered and said, “Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are you?” Then the man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them, overpowered them, and prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded." (Acts 19:11-16)

In the above passages we see the Apostle Paul was able to use his authority in Christ to cast out a demon due to one thing. Remember, it was he who said, "Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us." He knew who he was in Christ and his knowledge of this opened the door for the Lord to work unusual miracles by his hands. On the other hand the seven sons of Sceva did not have the authority in Christ and were overwhelmed by the very demon they were trying to cast out. It is when believers absolutely know who they are in Christ, who Christ is in them and how the Father truly sees them that the realm of the supernatural, the things in heaven, manifests on earth. Why? The Conqueror Himself, Jesus Christ, has made every believer "more that a conqueror." PTL. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all...

Sit Down and Enjoy

The Holy Spirit through the Apostle Paul tells us, "Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth,  and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." (Philippians 2:5-11)

After Jesus was raised from the dead, God the Father highly exalted Him to the highest position of honor at His right hand and was given the Name which is above every name. The inference here is that there was a name known in heaven, unknown elsewhere and this name was kept to be awarded to someone who should merit it. It was Jesus who was given the Name above every name. God not only gave Jesus a Name which is above every name, but at the Name of Jesus every being in three worlds, heaven, earth, and hell, must bow and confess the Lordship of Jesus Christ. Due to the mighty name given to Jesus, every believer has the legal right to use the His name, "And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name…" (Mark 16:17) "Most assuredly, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in My name…" (John 16:23)

Paul tells us, "But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus." (Ephesians 2:4-6) Our seating and reigning with Christ in heavenly places is a position of authority, honor, and triumph, not weakness, failure, and defeat. As a believer, your seating with Christ is part of your inheritance now. The believer is seated with Christ now. God has already raised you up together and made you sit in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. Our position as believers is one of joint-seating with Christ in heavenly places. We may not always stand on this due to our circumstance, nevertheless it is our position. If believers want to rise above their circumstances, we must by faith take advantage of our position in Christ.

Another version of the Bible says it this way, "But God, being rich in mercy, because of the intense love which He bestowed on us, caused us, dead though we were through our offenses, to live with Christ--it is by grace that you have been saved raised us with Him from the dead, and enthroned us with Him in the heavenly realms as being in Christ Jesus, in order that, by His goodness to us in Christ Jesus, He might display in the Ages to come the transcendent riches of His grace." (Ephesians 2:4-7 WEY) Notice, God enthroned us with Jesus in the heavenly realms. Does that sound like a Church that's defeated and is still having to do battle to gain mastery over Satan? Absolutely not. The Church of the Lord Jesus Christ stands triumphant because we are partakers, we share with Christ in His victory over Satan.

Paul also tells us, "For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God." (Colossians 3:3) The Body of Christ, in Christ, is connected to the head. Jesus is the Head of His Body, the Church. If Jesus the Head triumphed over the devil, is the Body of Christ to be any less triumphant since we are in Christ? Of course not! It is our legal right to enjoy our joint-seating with Christ in heavenly places in a position of authority and triumph. "The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God,  and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ..." (Romans 8:16-17) The believer's position and seating in Christ is a fact. It has already happened. That position was attained for us through our Lord Jesus Christ. Now, all we have to do is enjoy the rights and
privileges that already belong to us as joint-heirs with Christ.

"It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm…" (Galatians 5:1) Unless the eyes of our understanding are enlightened to see what we truly possess in this life, then talk of freedom in Christ becomes just that, talk. Believers cannot possess if they do not know what belongs to them. This is why Paul tells us to renew our mind. (Romans 12:2) The un-renewed mind has convinced many believers into thinking that they are helpless against the devil and are always subject to defeat and failure. Even some of the songs that believers sing, new and old, proclaim that we do not have much in this life, but when we all get to heaven, what a glorious time awaits us. Yes, believers have a glorious future to look forward to, but the Holy Spirit wants us to know the glorious present we possess right now because of our position in Christ. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all...

Setting the Captives Free

I believe one of the greatest needs in the church today is believers receiving a pure revelation of God's Word as to, Who they are in Christ; Who Christ is in them and how the Father truly sees them. In other words, believers must come to truly know and believe what it means to be a new creation in Christ, that is, their new identification in Christ. Once believers have a solid understanding of their identification in Christ, they will then know that they can stand in the Father presence without guilt, condemnation, unworthiness, shame or inferiority as well as stand and face Satan and his evil forces as triumphant victors; as more than conquerors. They will come to know the authority that has been given them to uphold and enforce what the Father accomplished through Christ.

With this revelation knowledge believers will no long confess failure, weakness, doubt, fear or unbelief, but humbly stand by grace through faith in the power of His might in the face of any circumstance no matter how large or small it may seem. The Holy Spirit through the writer of Hebrews tells us, "Let us hold fast the confession of our faith without wavering, for He who promised is faithful." (Hebrews 10:23) Therefore, living in the light of what God’s Word reveals as the believers new and true identification, we see that it is based upon their faith in the integrity of God’s Word or put another way, not simply knowing facts about God, but  knowing God Himself. To know God is to know His will, and to know His will is to know His Word for they are one and the same. (John 1:1; 1 John 5:7)

One of the greatest examples of an ordinary man who flat out believed God was Abraham, "Abraham did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform." (Romans 4:20-21) Keep in mind that Abraham did not have God's Word written in what we call the Bible available to him, but, we see in this scripture that Abraham completely apprehended the will of God. There was no question concerning God’s will. Two things arise from this; First, Abraham's faith prevented doubt, fear and unbelief to find place; second, this caused Abraham to be completely obedient to God. Therefore, when believers truly apprehend their identity with Christ, doubt, fear and unbelief fade away, obedience is normal and exercising true authority exists. So, what is the authority that every believer has the right to in Christ?

It is God’s sovereign right to give commands, make decisions, have jurisdiction, have control, to take charge, or to rule over that which opposes or is contrary to His Will, that is His Word. God’s throne is established on His authority, therefore, all of His acts issue from His throne. All physical laws of the universe are maintained by His authority. We see this revealed in Hebrews, "God in these last days has spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds; who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power." (Hebrews 1:2-3) God’s Word is His power from which emanates His authority. Therefore, God's authority represents God Himself and His power is revealed by His acts, "Then God said...and it was so." (Genesis 1)

We also see God's authority released through the earth ministry of Jesus as the Son of Man, "for Jesus taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes." (Matthew 7:29) God alone is authority in al1 things. We also see this revealed in the affairs of man on earth, "...For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God.." (Romans 13:1) Here we see that all the authorities of the earth are instituted by God. Because God’s authority is such a tremendous thing in the universe, we need to understand that absolutely nothing overshadows it. Therefore it is imperative for us who desire to serve God to know the authority of God. Why?

For the sake of time, I am not going to read the account of Lucifer’s fall in Isaiah 14 or the account of the king of Tyre (the law of double reference used for Lucifer) in Ezekiel 28 but will comment on the accounts. Isaiah 14:12-15 deals with Satan violating God’s authority while Ezekiel 28:13-17 emphasizes his trespassing against God's holiness. To offend God's authority is a rebellion far more serious than that of offending God's holiness. Offending God’s holiness or sinning is a matter of conduct, whereas offending God’s authority is a matter of principle. Jesus said it this way, "Therefore I say to you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven men. Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him, either in this age or in the age to come." (Matthew 12:31-32 )

In context with this passage, Jesus was casting out demons by the authority vested in Him through the Holy Spirit. The Pharisees rejected this and said that Jesus’ authority was through Beelzebub, that is Satan. The first part of the passage above is sin against God’s Holiness the latter is rebellion against God’s authority. So, Isaiah reports that is Satan's intent of setting his throne above the throne of God was a violation against God's authority. So, it was not the act of sinning that caused Satan's fall, it was his act of rebellion against God’s authority. It was rebellion which God condemned. This brings us to the controversy of the universe. Who has the authority? Although believers have the authority over Satan and all of his forces, any conflict that we may have with Satan is the direct result of our attributing all authority to God. With this in mind, we can look back to the Garden of Eden and see Satan’s approach to the first man and woman and see that Satan's attack on believers is the same as it was in the Garden of Eden. He makes his appeal to the flesh, that is, the five senses, trying to turn believers from the truth that all authority has been given to Jesus in heaven and earth, which has been given to the church, all believers.  (Mark 16:17-18; Ephesians 1:22-23)

With that said, let us remember this. Satan is not afraid of believers who preach God’s Word. His greatest fear is those who are completely subject to God’s authority. God has purposed to manifest His authority to the world through the church, through each and every believer. God uses His power to maintain His authority, therefore, His authority is the hardest thing to come up against. So, as long as we continue living on planet earth, let us humbly remember, as members of the Body of Christ, we can exercise our authority in Christ in the same manner as He did, "For with authority He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey Him." (Mark 1:27) In doing so, we are setting the captives free through the authority vested in us by Jesus Himself.

Laboring More Than All

Labor Day, the first Monday in September, was created by the labor movement in the United States and is dedicated to the social and economic achievements of American workers. It constitutes a yearly national tribute to the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of our country. The first Labor Day holiday was celebrated on Tuesday, September 5, 1882, in New York City, in accordance with the plans of the Central Labor Union. In 1884 the first Monday in September was selected as the holiday, as originally proposed by the Central Labor Union. The idea spread with the growth of labor organizations, and in 1885 Labor Day was celebrated in many industrial centers throughout the United States. In 1887 Oregon became the first state of the United States to make Labor Day an official public holiday. By the time it became an official federal holiday in 1894, thirty U.S. states officially celebrated Labor Day. Today, all the States, the District of Columbia, and the United States territories have made Labor Day a legal holiday.

Man was created to labor in some form. Prior to man's fall we see, "Then the Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to tend and keep it." (Genesis 2:15) The word "tend" or "dress" (KJV) comes from several Hebrew words meaning, to labor; do work; to work for another; serve another by labor; to make oneself a servant; to be led or enticed to serve. The word "keep" means, to have charge of; to guard; keep watch; protect; observe. We also see in creation, another aspect of mans labors, "Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” (Genesis 1:26-28) Man was to show his fruitfulness, become numerous, make subservient and rule over creation.  

With these things in mind, believers must understand that God's plan for man has not changed. The only thing that changed, on man's part, was selling out his God given purpose, to God's enemy, Satan. The laboring that Adam would now do would be, "In toil you shall eat...In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread." (Genesis 3:17-19) Adam's labors would be by his own strength, in toil, sorrow, pain and hardship. This would be his lot in life. This did not fall on Adam alone, but as the federal representative of all mankind, this would also fall upon all the peoples of the earth. Although man's labors would be by his own strength and abilities, the call upon him had not changed in the mind of God. Believers are called to labor, not just in the market place to acquire finances, but moreover, for Jesus the King and the expansion of His Kingdom. In other words, believers are to labor; do work; to make oneself a servant; to have charge of; to guard; keep watch; protect; observe and to rule over. We see this in the life of Jesus throughout the gospels. Jesus set the example and then gave a command to the disciples and for all who would believe in Him. This is expressed through what we call "The Great Commission." 

Jesus tells us, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." (Matthew 28:18-20) The authority of Christ is the ability or strength with which one is endued, which he either possesses or exercises as well as, the power of rule. Now of course we know that Jesus has the power and authority; He has the ability or strength to exercise and rule, but what about the believer? The Holy Spirit speaking through the Apostle Paul tells us,"And He (God the Father) has put all things under His (Jesus Christ) feet and has appointed Him the universal and supreme Head of the church [a headship exercised throughout the church], Which is His body, the fullness of Him Who fills all in all [for in that body lives the full measure of Him Who makes everything complete, and Who fills everything everywhere with Himself]." (Ephesians 1:22-23 AMPC)

As we can see, God's power and authority is working in Christ and therefore through the church, which is His body. However, this is not upon our strength or ability, but through two most wonderful things, by grace through faith. (Ephesians 2:8) The Apostle Paul in his labors for Christ tell us, "But by the grace (the unmerited favor and blessing) of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not [found to be] for nothing (fruitless and without effect). In fact, I worked harder than all of them [the apostles], though it was not really I, but the grace (the unmerited favor and blessing) of God which was with me." (1 Corinthians 15:10 AMPC) This is how the church, every believe is to labor; do work; to make oneself a servant; to have charge of; to guard; keep watch; protect; observe and to rule over. It is through the grace of God. One of the best biblical definitions of grace is, "[Not in your own strength] for it is God Who is all the while effectually at work in you [energizing and creating in you the power and desire], both to will and to work for His good pleasure and satisfaction and delight." (Philippians 2:13 AMPC)  

The grace of God is available to every believer who desires to receive it and act upon the call, the labors, in which we are called. Every believe has been freely given the wonderful ability and strength of God, from God, "Yet grace (God’s unmerited favor) was given to each of us individually [not indiscriminately, but in different ways] in proportion to the measure of Christ’s [rich and bounteous] gift." (Ephesians 4:7 AMPC) Even though Adam brought to mankind all of our labors through our own strength and abilities, we see, "For if because of one man’s (Adam) trespass (lapse, offense) death reigned through that one, much more surely will those who receive [God’s] overflowing grace (unmerited favor) and the free gift of righteousness [putting them into right standing with Himself] reign as kings in life through the one Man Jesus Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One)." (Romans 5:17 AMPC) WOW!!! 

Even though we may celebrate Labor Day in the natural as the social and economic achievements of American workers, we believers celebrate the tremendous, stupendous, achievements that the Father worked in Christ. Through Christ and the grace of God, man is completely restored to his legal and rightful place. Man is restored to the place that the Father had originally intended for him, which Adam had forfeited. So, let us keep in mind the very thing that the Apostle Paul said about himself, as it also applies to every believer, "I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me." (Galatians 2:20) Therefore, "I (we, every believer) have strength for all things in Christ Who empowers me [I am ready for anything and equal to anything through Him Who infuses inner strength into me; I am self-sufficient in Christ’s sufficiency]." (Philippians 4:13 AMPC) Thank you for your still amazing grace, LORD...