You may have heard of our “authority in Christ” being referenced many times without thinking too much about its meaning or benefit in our lives. We already know that in order to receive healing from God, we must exercise our faith and resist the devil. All who return to the Lord, repent of their sins and are born-again, through the Holy Spirit, they already have authority in the spiritual world. Only in Jesus do we have the authority, that is all the power we need, to act against the forces of evil and any of their attacks, including against our health, and we can defeat them.
Not all Christians know that they have spiritual authority and even less actually use it. Only when we know that we have spiritual authority, and we use it we can live as victors instead of victims. If we use our authority, resisting the devil in the Name of Jesus, as James 4:7 teaches us to do, he will flee from us and will no longer be able to dominate our lives. The term “flee” means to “run as in terror” and that should be really encouraging to us.
Spiritual authority is the power that God delegated to His children, because Jesus lives in our hearts through the Holy Spirit. If we use our authority, resisting the devil in the Name of Jesus, he will flee from us and will stop dominating our lives.
We have no real spiritual power in our own strength, but because Jesus lives in our hearts, through the Holy Spirit, we have the right to use God's power. The “Merriam - Webster Dictionary” defines “authority” mainly as “the power to influence or command, to make decisions and enforce rules and laws.”
Not all the versions of the Bible translate the Greek words used for “authority and power” properly, which are “exousia” and “dunamis.” Let's take a closer look at their use.
We find the Greek word for authority, “exousia,” used 102 times in the New Testament and it means “authority or the power to act.” According to “HELPS Word-studies,” it is ‘delegated power’ which refers to the “authority that God gives to His saints – authorizing them to act to the extent they are guided by faith.”
On the other hand, the Greek word “dunamis” is used 120 times in the New Testament and according to “HELPS Word-studies,” it is “'the ability to perform' for the believer, power to achieve by applying the Lord's inherent abilities. The 'power through God's ability' is needed in every aspect of life to really grow in sanctification (holiness) and preparation for heaven.”
There are significant differences between the two words “exousia” and “dunamis” - authority and power. None of us could resist the devil in our own strength, not even for a split second. Demonic power is infinitely greater than human physical strength, no matter how trained or powerful the one is who is seeking to resist it. We would have no chance, without the spiritual authority in Jesus Christ. Just as a policeman's own strength could never stop traffic, but because of the authority by which he stands, drivers stop at his signal. Too many Christians live without knowing that God has given them the authority to resist the attacks of the enemy and as a result, they live powerless lives and under the constant attack of the enemy. A weak Christian that fears the devil is no threat against the kingdom of darkness. God knows we have authority in Him and the devil knows it too. For sure, one cannot use what one doesn't know they have and the enemy takes full advantage of it. Jesus said in,
We are only able to receive spiritual truth as the Holy Spirit gives us revelation. Once we have believed that Jesus is the “Christ, the Son of the living God,” He starts to “build His church” inside of us and death no longer has the same effect. Christians that are born-again, by the Holy Spirit, never die spiritually. When our bodies die, only the physical perishes, and our spirits go to heaven. Through the new birth, we also receive the spiritual authority, referred in the verses above by Jesus as the “keys of the kingdom of heaven.” Because we have it, everything we “bind” or “loose” on earth will be “bound” or “loosed” in heaven. By using the authority in the Name of Jesus, we can conquer the power of the enemy.
Only by applying the biblical truth of what we know, are results produced. In the following verses we read how happy the disciples were, when they saw that even the demons obeyed them when they used their authority in the Name of Jesus.
In Jesus, we have all that it takes to live victorious lives, without becoming victims under the power of the evil one. Even so, Jesus says we should rejoice more in our salvation than in the fact that “the spirits are subject” to us. We have authority “over all the power of the enemy,” which means over depression, fear, anxiety and every other emotion, feeling or negative attitude.
When we know how much Jesus has won for us through His sacrifice and we live in obedience to the Lord, accessing and applying what we have in Jesus, without doubting our identity in Him, we can reign in life. Through Jesus, we are able to rise above bad circumstances and evil attacks so that we can see them from a godly perspective, instead of being crushed by them.
The devil has no power over Christians. Because Jesus defeated him at the cross, we defeated him too. Satan can only hurt us if we allow him to or if we give him the legal right to do so by sinning and not sincerely repenting and asking God to forgive us. All unforgiven sin is an open door to the enemy through which he can attack us until we repent. To demolish the stronghold (the open door), we need the help of the Holy Spirit to recognize the sin. Once we know what we did wrong and sincerely regret it, asking God to forgive us with all our hearts, then the devil no longer has the access. Deception is the devil's main weapon. If we believe his lies, we become his victims. Satan had no power over Adam and Eve, so he could not force them to sin. He has no power over us either.
It is up to us to recognize the lies he whispers into our minds or through other people, to lure us into sin. If we do not know what the Bible says on the matter, we can be easily deceived. The enemy's lies are extremely deceitful, and he may even use some truth mixed into them, just to be more credible. The closer we are to the Lord, the easier we will recognize the enemy's tricks and deception so that we will not fall into the evil one’s traps.
In the beginning, God gave mankind absolute authority over the earth and all that was upon it. When Adam and Eve rebelled against God and heeded the voice of Satan by eating from the forbidden fruit, as he told them to do, the authority they once had over the earth, now became the devil's. When God resurrected Jesus after He died on the cross, paying for all mankind's sins, Jesus defeated Satan and took the authority back from him. Since then, as Jesus has said, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth” (Matthew 28:18).
Right after Jesus said that He was given all authority in heaven and on earth, He then delegated the authority over the earth to His church. Jesus is the head of His church and we, all sincere, born-again Christians, are the true church, which is His body, here on earth.
Because God has given us the authority, when we do not use it, the price for us is expensive. The Lord has created us with free will and He never forces anyone to do what is right. Each person has the right to choose between good and evil in all the areas of life, including relationships, but many choose evil over what is right. If all people would stop cooperating with the devil, he would be completely powerless. Needless to say that there are Christians that fear more of the devil's power to hurt them, then of God's power to protect them. This happens because they do not know that through Jesus who lives in them, they have “full authority” over all the power of the enemy. It is up to us to desire to live pure lives for the Lord, so we can stand against all of the problems and attacks of the enemy, in the Name of Jesus.
Not only do we not have to be afraid of the evil spirits, but in the Name of Jesus we have the authority to cast them out from all those that are tormented by them and want to be free and also to heal any sickness or disease. This cannot be done through our own power or strength, but by the power of God that is backing up the authority that has been given to us.
Both apostles, Peter and James, showed us the connection between humility and having victory over the devil. Pride is a powerful and successful tool in the enemy's hands. It is easier to find people proud of allegedly being humble, than true humble people. We all fight against pride at times and we need to be careful to not to succumb to it on a daily basis. We are urged to resist the devil, to fight against his attacks and use the authority we have in Jesus Christ. As we all know, we cannot use what we don’t know we have or understand. Satan only has the power we allow him to have when we sin or believe his lies. The devil should be the one running in terror from Christians and not the other way around. I have heard so many say that we should not even say the devil's name out loud because he might hear us and come causing us trouble. This is a huge deception. It is time to know what the Bible says on this subject and act upon it, as winners in Christ Jesus.
God can only manifest His power in our lives, according to how much we allow the Holy Spirit to work through us. The Holy Spirit does not forcefully fill us or perform miracles through us. We must be willing vessels making ourselves available to Him. The effects of God's power are beyond our understanding. He can do infinitely more than we could ever ask for. There is no higher power in the whole universe! It is up to us to learn to trust the fact that God has already done everything necessary to provide for us all that we need. Through His sacrifice, death and resurrection, Jesus fulfilled every healing, restoration or need that we will ever have and we can receive them by faith. Since Jesus gave us authority over the earth, it is now up to us to choose whether we co-labor with Him or not, in order to obtain all He has already done for us.
God's Word is the truth! Whatever He speaks becomes spiritual law, which is the highest ranking and over-rules any law of the physical world. God honors the laws that He has given us through His Word. He is God and can do anything He wants but He always keeps His Word, representing His will in all aspects of life. In the beginning, He decided that man should have dominion and authority over the earth and all its creatures. Jesus says that “God is Spirit” (John 4:24a), and He is God. As we already know, when Adam and Eve sinned they lost their dominion and authority over to Satan. In order to get it back, God had to send His only Son. And because in Jesus there was no trace of sin, Satan had nothing on the Lord, just as Jesus said in John 14:30b, "the ruler of this world is coming, and he has nothing in Me.”
Through Jesus Christ, we are not only conquerors, we are more than that! Then why do we act like victims, when actually we are winners in Jesus? The apostle Paul continues by saying: "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 8:38-39).
Paul makes it so clear that nothing (no people, angels, demons or anything that exists) can separate us from the love of God that we receive through Jesus Christ.
There is such an important truth about angels in the above verses. They are “all ministering spirits sent forth to minister for those who will inherit salvation.” So God sends His angels to minister to us, His children, who will be saved! There is no reason for us to be afraid of anyone, not even demons, which are fallen angels, that believed and followed Satan, rebelling against God. You may say that demons are angels that serve the devil and he gives them power. We have to remember that not even their lord can stand against God's will and hurt us, so they cannot either. Nothing can surpass God's sovereignty and the laws that He has put in place.
If someone lives a life of iniquity, such as living in adultery, they cannot be a true child of God, no matter what they say. Maybe some people can be fooled, but God knows our hearts and all we do, think, or feel and nothing is hidden from Him. If we do not live for God, obeying His will, we are the slaves of the one we obey and we give the enemy the right to hurt us and we also empower his kingdom of darkness. The more people live for God, the more spiritual light there will be on earth and God's kingdom will expand. It is not God's fault that we live in a fallen world. Sin and the results of sin, which are death, crime, sickness, disease, catastrophes, pain, violence, poverty and all the evils of this world, are the direct result of the bad choices of mankind. It started in the Garden of Eden and has continued all throughout history until today. Man was created with free will and God respects the free will He has given us, without forcing us to choose what is right. Those who believe the lies of the enemy submit themselves to fears, worries, frustrations and more, as a result of his deception. If it continues to subdue our minds, it may turn into sickness. We all may become prisoners of the devil's inspired thoughts, that we multiply within ourselves, if we do not choose daily to do God's will and to renew our minds through God's Word. Satan cannot limit God's power and work in our lives. However, we can, by believing the enemy's lies as being the truth, instead of what God's Word says. We have to renew our minds so we will speak, think and act as God wants us to and only by doing so, will we become what He created us to be.
Only the knowledge of the truth sets us free from the dominion of the devil. Through Jesus we have a higher authority than Adam had at the beginning, because we are seated with Christ in heaven, at the right hand of God, the Father, which represents the position of authority (Ephesians 1:20).
Since Jesus came to live in our hearts, the blood of His sacrifice has washed all our sins away and Father God sees us pure and blameless, because we have the righteousness of Jesus. Why? Because God, in His fatherly love, prepared us to be adopted in Christ. “Before the foundation of the world” and of mankind, God foreknew and planned ahead, (Isaiah 46:10) and knows everything about every individual, He knows who will truly go to heaven for eternity and who will not. Every day we choose between good and evil, living to please God or not. If we choose Jesus with all our hearts, He gives us His authority to be able to overcome all the attacks of the evil one and live for heaven.
Jesus has redeemed us through His sacrifice, paying the penalty for our sins with His own life, while we were yet sinners. (You may read more in the article The Grace of God). We have received it all through His grace. Jesus has not only forgiven our sins, but He has also made available to us His wisdom and good judgment, revealing His will to every single one of us.
Jesus is the power in us. The authority that we have in the Lord does not depend on “how old” we are in Christ or our good works. It is the power of Jesus, who is living in us through the Holy Spirit and there is nothing we can add to or take away from it. However, if we do not know or realize that we have authority in Him, and use His power, then we cannot live our lives to the fullest.
Through Jesus we have been adopted into the heavenly Father's family and we can inherit the eternal life together with all its benefits. The seal of the Holy Spirit, that we have received through faith in Jesus, proves that we are the children of God.
We know that our spirit has been transformed and become anew, after we were born-again through the Holy Spirit. What a wonderful reconciliation with God! We have become temples in which God the Father and the Son live through the Holy Spirit. God chose to have His sinless Son, become sin for us. “The wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23) and Jesus paid the price in full. Through the repentance of our sins and by faith in Jesus we are forgiven and have received God's righteousness.
We all need the wisdom and revelation that only the Holy Spirit can provide, in order to see with our spiritual eyes and be able to understand what a wonderful hope God has prepared for us, what an amazing inheritance we have in Him and how unlimited God's power is that resurrected Jesus from the dead. It was not just a simple resurrection of a human being, it was the resurrection of the One who paid for all mankind's sins, from all the ages and Satan did all he could to stop Him from fulfilling the salvation ministry for the human race. But the power that resurrected Jesus cannot be defeated by anyone and this power is the Holy Spirit, and He is living in us! After He fulfilled His salvation ministry, Jesus was seated to rule “far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named.” Father God “put all things under His feet” and gave Him to be the “head over all things to the church,” and us, all born-again Christians from the church of all the ages, are His body and together with Him we are whole, because Jesus fulfills all that is missing for every single one of us to be perfect before God. And the Good News continues:
After we have learned the position of heavenly honor and authority in which Jesus is seated, we learn that Father God has resurrected us together with Him and “made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus.” Every one of us was dead in sin, but when we came to Jesus, God brought us to life, showing us His enormous love and unlimited grace, the favor that none of us deserves. Why did He do all this? Because “we are His workmanship created in Christ,” to fulfill the good works that He has prepared for every single one of us.
Through Jesus' sacrifice, Gentiles, those not born Jewish are reconciled with God, and are now a part of God's chosen people. All the promises of God for the Jewish people are for us too, because we are now equal in all things. Jews and Gentiles alike, all those who follow Jesus, are “one new man” in perfect unity and harmony.
So, if we were not sure we understood the meaning of the verses from Ephesians 2:13-16, the Holy Spirit led Paul to repeat that all born-again Jews and Gentiles, “have access by one Spirit to the Father” and are “fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God.” And when we received Jesus, God came to live in us, through the Holy Spirit. What more could we wish for? But there is more!
The church, all believers together with Jesus as our “head,” are called to use and benefit from God's wisdom, that we access through Jesus. In our “inner man of the heart” we have "the mind of Christ” (1 Corinthians 2:16b), which includes all His wisdom. By having faith in Jesus we are free indeed and we may get closer to God without fear, and even with boldness and holy reverence. What an honor and a privilege! What marvelous grace!
We may personalize and apply the Holy Spirit-inspired prayer of Paul, for ourselves and others. These verses reveal what extraordinary benefits are available to us in Christ Jesus. We are all God's creation and because of the unlimited power that comes from His presence, we find all the spiritual strength we need in our Lord. But we must desire to have fellowship with the Holy Spirit, for His presence to empower us because He never forces Himself on us.
Only if we have the power of the Holy Spirit, can we remain firm in our faith in Jesus and live for Him. The Holy Spirit helps us understand and know the fullness of Jesus' power and love, which cannot be understood by the human mind and logic. Only after we are “rooted and grounded” in Christ's love can we “be filled with all the fullness of God.” We can only love others in the measure by which we understand and receive God's love in our hearts.
As we already learned, Father God, seated Jesus “far above,” not only above, but in a much higher position than all power, might, dominion, principalities (demonic or human), so that there is nothing above Him and His Name has authority over every name. Jesus Christ is the Head of His church and God put all things under Jesus' feet. In Ephesians 5:30, we read that “we are members of His body, of His flesh and of His bones.” Because Jesus is the Head and we are the members of His church, His body, and we are seated in heavenly places with Him, it means that through Christ, all demonic powers are under our feet too.
In Romans 16:19-20, we read that by being “wise in what is good, and simple concerning evil, the God of peace will crush Satan under our feet shortly.”
What the Roman centurion said to Jesus, is a great example of “authority” for all of us:
The Roman centurion understood the way authority works. He knew that those under him had to obey his orders and they did. He recognized that Jesus had authority and power over evil spirits and sickness therefore they would have to obey the orders of Jesus. We too, need to realize that Jesus has given us His authority and that the power behind it is God's power and to use what He has given us.
While we lived without Jesus, the darkness had authority over each of us and the devil was ruling our lives, even if we did not realize it. But praise the Lord, He set us free from the power of the evil one and brought us into the Kingdom of Light. Jesus Christ, the Son of God is the “Light of the world.”
The traditions, customs and culture of this age have gone further and further from the truth of Scripture, being useful tools in the hands of the devil. Satan has thousands of years of experience in deceiving and tempting humans, and he knows what we like to hear and how to deceive us. We need to pay attention to what we allow into our lives, in what we think, what we consider when we make decisions and how we handle our everyday challenges. If our value system is not in one accord with the Scripture, it is time to change it and get in-line with what God's Word says. The Bible is the absolute truth and our standard. Only by living life, under the leadership of the Holy Spirit, can we live to please God and abide in Jesus until the end.
The Romans posted the crimes of each prisoner by their cell door. That document's purpose was to show why the person was incarcerated and would also include the penalty for their crimes. When Jesus cleared the record of all our sins, He canceled the rights of the enemy to accuse us in front of Father God and to hurt us. If we do not know that we are forgiven of every sin that we asked to be forgiven of, because it was “nailed to Jesus' cross” and He paid for it in our place, then the devil will be able to keep on deceiving us. Satan wants us to believe that we do not deserve anything good, that God cannot forgive or love us anymore and we will never amount to anything good, etc. When Jesus was resurrected from the dead, He defeated Satan and removed the power that the devil and his demons had over us. The enemy has power over all sinners who do not belong to God, because of their sins. We, as Christians, have had our sins washed away by Jesus' blood, and by living right we leave no “real bullets” for the enemy to use against us. He can only threaten us with an empty gun, that can make noise but cannot hurt anyone. But if we believe his lies and condemnation, we give him the bullets he needs and we end up hurt.
The truth is that we can fight against the lies of the enemy with the truth of God's Word. When the devil places thoughts in our minds that say we do not deserve to be loved or helped by God, because of things that we have done in the past, we must fight against the lies with the perfect truth from the above verses, declaring something in this manner: “Jesus destroyed all the sins that were recorded against me, by His sacrifice on the cross! I am forgiven through Jesus Christ that lives in my heart. Until God solves the problem I am fighting against, I choose to praise and worship Him, because He is worthy of all my praise, love and honor.”
God has the final word! No circumstances, no sicknesses, no trials, no men, no demons and not even ourselves have absolute power over our lives! No matter how hopeless any situation seems, if we choose to praise God for who He is and glorify Him for what He has done for us through Christ Jesus and we use the authority we have in the Lord resisting the devil, we will be victorious! Thank You Lord Jesus, through You we are “more than conquerors!”
The devil attacks us in many ways, but he has only one purpose: to destroy our lives and for us to end up with him in hell. But Jesus “who is in us is greater than” Satan and through the Lord who never stopped loving us we are “more than conquerors.” (1 John 4:4 and Romans 8:37).
As Christians we cannot be possessed by the devil, because we are possessed by Christ, but we might be "pressed," "oppressed" or "depressed". Possessed means “a: to seize and take control of; take into one's possession. b: to enter into and control firmly: dominate.” (according to “Meriam-Webster Dictionary”). Since Jesus Christ became the Lord of our lives, He is our Master and we cannot have two masters, as Jesus said. People who are not of the Lord, can only be of the enemy. Christians have the Holy Spirit in their born-again spirit and the devil has no access there. But our physical bodies, emotions and minds can be oppressed or influenced by the evil one. Jesus Christ can deliver us from any evil spirit that presses, oppresses, depresses, or influences us. All we need to do is to use the authority we have in His Name and proclaim the cleansing through the blood of the Lord of the effects and consequences of the demonic presence.
The word translated “oppressed” is "katadunasteuo" in the original Greek, and it means: "properly, powerfully bringing someone down (denying them the higher position or blessing they should enjoy), i.e. tyrannize; to dominate (treat harshly), overpowering someone (Souter).” (According to HELPS Word Studies).
These kinds of demonic influences can be the result of curses, generational sins committed by ancestors for which we did not pray to be freed of, or of various personal sins, unconfessed or consciously repeated. The causes can be multiple, but once we identify them, we must ask the Lord to forgive us and set us free. After deliverance we must live right, in obedience to the Lord and avoid any contacts or places where those demonic influences might pull us back into their dominion.
Not all Christians know that they have spiritual authority and even less actually use it. Only when we know that we have spiritual authority, and we use it we can live as victors instead of victims. If we use our authority, resisting the devil in the Name of Jesus, as James 4:7 teaches us to do, he will flee from us and will no longer be able to dominate our lives. The term “flee” means to “run as in terror” and that should be really encouraging to us.
Spiritual authority is the power that God delegated to His children, because Jesus lives in our hearts through the Holy Spirit. If we use our authority, resisting the devil in the Name of Jesus, he will flee from us and will stop dominating our lives.
We have no real spiritual power in our own strength, but because Jesus lives in our hearts, through the Holy Spirit, we have the right to use God's power. The “Merriam - Webster Dictionary” defines “authority” mainly as “the power to influence or command, to make decisions and enforce rules and laws.”
Not all the versions of the Bible translate the Greek words used for “authority and power” properly, which are “exousia” and “dunamis.” Let's take a closer look at their use.
- Luke 10:19 "Behold, I give you the authority [exousia] to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power [dunamis] of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you.”
- 2 Corinthians 10:8 So even if I boast somewhat freely about the authority [exousia] the Lord gave us for building you up rather than tearing you down, I will not be ashamed of it.
We find the Greek word for authority, “exousia,” used 102 times in the New Testament and it means “authority or the power to act.” According to “HELPS Word-studies,” it is ‘delegated power’ which refers to the “authority that God gives to His saints – authorizing them to act to the extent they are guided by faith.”
On the other hand, the Greek word “dunamis” is used 120 times in the New Testament and according to “HELPS Word-studies,” it is “'the ability to perform' for the believer, power to achieve by applying the Lord's inherent abilities. The 'power through God's ability' is needed in every aspect of life to really grow in sanctification (holiness) and preparation for heaven.”
There are significant differences between the two words “exousia” and “dunamis” - authority and power. None of us could resist the devil in our own strength, not even for a split second. Demonic power is infinitely greater than human physical strength, no matter how trained or powerful the one is who is seeking to resist it. We would have no chance, without the spiritual authority in Jesus Christ. Just as a policeman's own strength could never stop traffic, but because of the authority by which he stands, drivers stop at his signal. Too many Christians live without knowing that God has given them the authority to resist the attacks of the enemy and as a result, they live powerless lives and under the constant attack of the enemy. A weak Christian that fears the devil is no threat against the kingdom of darkness. God knows we have authority in Him and the devil knows it too. For sure, one cannot use what one doesn't know they have and the enemy takes full advantage of it. Jesus said in,
- Matthew 16:18-19 “And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”
We are only able to receive spiritual truth as the Holy Spirit gives us revelation. Once we have believed that Jesus is the “Christ, the Son of the living God,” He starts to “build His church” inside of us and death no longer has the same effect. Christians that are born-again, by the Holy Spirit, never die spiritually. When our bodies die, only the physical perishes, and our spirits go to heaven. Through the new birth, we also receive the spiritual authority, referred in the verses above by Jesus as the “keys of the kingdom of heaven.” Because we have it, everything we “bind” or “loose” on earth will be “bound” or “loosed” in heaven. By using the authority in the Name of Jesus, we can conquer the power of the enemy.
Only by applying the biblical truth of what we know, are results produced. In the following verses we read how happy the disciples were, when they saw that even the demons obeyed them when they used their authority in the Name of Jesus.
- Luke 10:17-20 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. Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven.”
In Jesus, we have all that it takes to live victorious lives, without becoming victims under the power of the evil one. Even so, Jesus says we should rejoice more in our salvation than in the fact that “the spirits are subject” to us. We have authority “over all the power of the enemy,” which means over depression, fear, anxiety and every other emotion, feeling or negative attitude.
- Romans 5:17 For if by the one man’s offense death reigned through the one, much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.
When we know how much Jesus has won for us through His sacrifice and we live in obedience to the Lord, accessing and applying what we have in Jesus, without doubting our identity in Him, we can reign in life. Through Jesus, we are able to rise above bad circumstances and evil attacks so that we can see them from a godly perspective, instead of being crushed by them.
- Isaiah 59:19b "... When the enemy comes in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord will lift up a standard against him.”
The devil has no power over Christians. Because Jesus defeated him at the cross, we defeated him too. Satan can only hurt us if we allow him to or if we give him the legal right to do so by sinning and not sincerely repenting and asking God to forgive us. All unforgiven sin is an open door to the enemy through which he can attack us until we repent. To demolish the stronghold (the open door), we need the help of the Holy Spirit to recognize the sin. Once we know what we did wrong and sincerely regret it, asking God to forgive us with all our hearts, then the devil no longer has the access. Deception is the devil's main weapon. If we believe his lies, we become his victims. Satan had no power over Adam and Eve, so he could not force them to sin. He has no power over us either.
It is up to us to recognize the lies he whispers into our minds or through other people, to lure us into sin. If we do not know what the Bible says on the matter, we can be easily deceived. The enemy's lies are extremely deceitful, and he may even use some truth mixed into them, just to be more credible. The closer we are to the Lord, the easier we will recognize the enemy's tricks and deception so that we will not fall into the evil one’s traps.
In the beginning, God gave mankind absolute authority over the earth and all that was upon it. When Adam and Eve rebelled against God and heeded the voice of Satan by eating from the forbidden fruit, as he told them to do, the authority they once had over the earth, now became the devil's. When God resurrected Jesus after He died on the cross, paying for all mankind's sins, Jesus defeated Satan and took the authority back from him. Since then, as Jesus has said, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth” (Matthew 28:18).
- Matthew 28:19-20 "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.”
Right after Jesus said that He was given all authority in heaven and on earth, He then delegated the authority over the earth to His church. Jesus is the head of His church and we, all sincere, born-again Christians, are the true church, which is His body, here on earth.
Because God has given us the authority, when we do not use it, the price for us is expensive. The Lord has created us with free will and He never forces anyone to do what is right. Each person has the right to choose between good and evil in all the areas of life, including relationships, but many choose evil over what is right. If all people would stop cooperating with the devil, he would be completely powerless. Needless to say that there are Christians that fear more of the devil's power to hurt them, then of God's power to protect them. This happens because they do not know that through Jesus who lives in them, they have “full authority” over all the power of the enemy. It is up to us to desire to live pure lives for the Lord, so we can stand against all of the problems and attacks of the enemy, in the Name of Jesus.
- Matthew 10:1 (AMP) Jesus summoned His twelve disciples and gave them authority and power over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every kind of disease and every kind of sickness.
Not only do we not have to be afraid of the evil spirits, but in the Name of Jesus we have the authority to cast them out from all those that are tormented by them and want to be free and also to heal any sickness or disease. This cannot be done through our own power or strength, but by the power of God that is backing up the authority that has been given to us.
- James 4:6-7 But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.
- 1 Peter 5:6-9 Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you. Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world.
Both apostles, Peter and James, showed us the connection between humility and having victory over the devil. Pride is a powerful and successful tool in the enemy's hands. It is easier to find people proud of allegedly being humble, than true humble people. We all fight against pride at times and we need to be careful to not to succumb to it on a daily basis. We are urged to resist the devil, to fight against his attacks and use the authority we have in Jesus Christ. As we all know, we cannot use what we don’t know we have or understand. Satan only has the power we allow him to have when we sin or believe his lies. The devil should be the one running in terror from Christians and not the other way around. I have heard so many say that we should not even say the devil's name out loud because he might hear us and come causing us trouble. This is a huge deception. It is time to know what the Bible says on this subject and act upon it, as winners in Christ Jesus.
- Ephesians 3:20 Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us...
God can only manifest His power in our lives, according to how much we allow the Holy Spirit to work through us. The Holy Spirit does not forcefully fill us or perform miracles through us. We must be willing vessels making ourselves available to Him. The effects of God's power are beyond our understanding. He can do infinitely more than we could ever ask for. There is no higher power in the whole universe! It is up to us to learn to trust the fact that God has already done everything necessary to provide for us all that we need. Through His sacrifice, death and resurrection, Jesus fulfilled every healing, restoration or need that we will ever have and we can receive them by faith. Since Jesus gave us authority over the earth, it is now up to us to choose whether we co-labor with Him or not, in order to obtain all He has already done for us.
- Hebrews 6:17-18Thus God, determining to show more abundantly to the heirs of promise the immutability of His counsel, confirmed it by an oath, that by two immutable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we might have strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold of the hope set before us.
God's Word is the truth! Whatever He speaks becomes spiritual law, which is the highest ranking and over-rules any law of the physical world. God honors the laws that He has given us through His Word. He is God and can do anything He wants but He always keeps His Word, representing His will in all aspects of life. In the beginning, He decided that man should have dominion and authority over the earth and all its creatures. Jesus says that “God is Spirit” (John 4:24a), and He is God. As we already know, when Adam and Eve sinned they lost their dominion and authority over to Satan. In order to get it back, God had to send His only Son. And because in Jesus there was no trace of sin, Satan had nothing on the Lord, just as Jesus said in John 14:30b, "the ruler of this world is coming, and he has nothing in Me.”
- Romans 8:37 Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him (Jesus) who loved us.
Through Jesus Christ, we are not only conquerors, we are more than that! Then why do we act like victims, when actually we are winners in Jesus? The apostle Paul continues by saying: "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 8:38-39).
Paul makes it so clear that nothing (no people, angels, demons or anything that exists) can separate us from the love of God that we receive through Jesus Christ.
- Hebrews 1:13-14 But to which of the angels has He ever said: “Sit at My right hand, till I make Your enemies Your footstool”? Are they not all ministering spirits sent forth to minister for those who will inherit salvation?
There is such an important truth about angels in the above verses. They are “all ministering spirits sent forth to minister for those who will inherit salvation.” So God sends His angels to minister to us, His children, who will be saved! There is no reason for us to be afraid of anyone, not even demons, which are fallen angels, that believed and followed Satan, rebelling against God. You may say that demons are angels that serve the devil and he gives them power. We have to remember that not even their lord can stand against God's will and hurt us, so they cannot either. Nothing can surpass God's sovereignty and the laws that He has put in place.
- Romans 6:16 (AMP) Do you not know that when you continually offer yourselves to someone to do his will, you are the slaves of the one whom you obey, either [slaves] of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness (right standing with God)?
If someone lives a life of iniquity, such as living in adultery, they cannot be a true child of God, no matter what they say. Maybe some people can be fooled, but God knows our hearts and all we do, think, or feel and nothing is hidden from Him. If we do not live for God, obeying His will, we are the slaves of the one we obey and we give the enemy the right to hurt us and we also empower his kingdom of darkness. The more people live for God, the more spiritual light there will be on earth and God's kingdom will expand. It is not God's fault that we live in a fallen world. Sin and the results of sin, which are death, crime, sickness, disease, catastrophes, pain, violence, poverty and all the evils of this world, are the direct result of the bad choices of mankind. It started in the Garden of Eden and has continued all throughout history until today. Man was created with free will and God respects the free will He has given us, without forcing us to choose what is right. Those who believe the lies of the enemy submit themselves to fears, worries, frustrations and more, as a result of his deception. If it continues to subdue our minds, it may turn into sickness. We all may become prisoners of the devil's inspired thoughts, that we multiply within ourselves, if we do not choose daily to do God's will and to renew our minds through God's Word. Satan cannot limit God's power and work in our lives. However, we can, by believing the enemy's lies as being the truth, instead of what God's Word says. We have to renew our minds so we will speak, think and act as God wants us to and only by doing so, will we become what He created us to be.
Only the knowledge of the truth sets us free from the dominion of the devil. Through Jesus we have a higher authority than Adam had at the beginning, because we are seated with Christ in heaven, at the right hand of God, the Father, which represents the position of authority (Ephesians 1:20).
- Ephesians 1:4-5 Just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will...
Since Jesus came to live in our hearts, the blood of His sacrifice has washed all our sins away and Father God sees us pure and blameless, because we have the righteousness of Jesus. Why? Because God, in His fatherly love, prepared us to be adopted in Christ. “Before the foundation of the world” and of mankind, God foreknew and planned ahead, (Isaiah 46:10) and knows everything about every individual, He knows who will truly go to heaven for eternity and who will not. Every day we choose between good and evil, living to please God or not. If we choose Jesus with all our hearts, He gives us His authority to be able to overcome all the attacks of the evil one and live for heaven.
- Ephesians 1:7-9 In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace which He made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence, having made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Himself...
Jesus has redeemed us through His sacrifice, paying the penalty for our sins with His own life, while we were yet sinners. (You may read more in the article The Grace of God). We have received it all through His grace. Jesus has not only forgiven our sins, but He has also made available to us His wisdom and good judgment, revealing His will to every single one of us.
- 1 John 4:2-4 By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world. 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.
Jesus is the power in us. The authority that we have in the Lord does not depend on “how old” we are in Christ or our good works. It is the power of Jesus, who is living in us through the Holy Spirit and there is nothing we can add to or take away from it. However, if we do not know or realize that we have authority in Him, and use His power, then we cannot live our lives to the fullest.
- Ephesians 1:11-13 In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will, that we who first trusted in Christ should be to the praise of His glory. In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise.
Through Jesus we have been adopted into the heavenly Father's family and we can inherit the eternal life together with all its benefits. The seal of the Holy Spirit, that we have received through faith in Jesus, proves that we are the children of God.
- 2 Corinthians 5:17-18,21 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation. For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
We know that our spirit has been transformed and become anew, after we were born-again through the Holy Spirit. What a wonderful reconciliation with God! We have become temples in which God the Father and the Son live through the Holy Spirit. God chose to have His sinless Son, become sin for us. “The wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23) and Jesus paid the price in full. Through the repentance of our sins and by faith in Jesus we are forgiven and have received God's righteousness.
- Ephesians 1:17-23 That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, 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, far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come. And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.”
We all need the wisdom and revelation that only the Holy Spirit can provide, in order to see with our spiritual eyes and be able to understand what a wonderful hope God has prepared for us, what an amazing inheritance we have in Him and how unlimited God's power is that resurrected Jesus from the dead. It was not just a simple resurrection of a human being, it was the resurrection of the One who paid for all mankind's sins, from all the ages and Satan did all he could to stop Him from fulfilling the salvation ministry for the human race. But the power that resurrected Jesus cannot be defeated by anyone and this power is the Holy Spirit, and He is living in us! After He fulfilled His salvation ministry, Jesus was seated to rule “far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named.” Father God “put all things under His feet” and gave Him to be the “head over all things to the church,” and us, all born-again Christians from the church of all the ages, are His body and together with Him we are whole, because Jesus fulfills all that is missing for every single one of us to be perfect before God. And the Good News continues:
- Ephesians 2:5-7,10 ...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, that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus... For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.
After we have learned the position of heavenly honor and authority in which Jesus is seated, we learn that Father God has resurrected us together with Him and “made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus.” Every one of us was dead in sin, but when we came to Jesus, God brought us to life, showing us His enormous love and unlimited grace, the favor that none of us deserves. Why did He do all this? Because “we are His workmanship created in Christ,” to fulfill the good works that He has prepared for every single one of us.
- Ephesians 2:13-16 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation, having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace, and that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity.
Through Jesus' sacrifice, Gentiles, those not born Jewish are reconciled with God, and are now a part of God's chosen people. All the promises of God for the Jewish people are for us too, because we are now equal in all things. Jews and Gentiles alike, all those who follow Jesus, are “one new man” in perfect unity and harmony.
- Ephesians 2:18-22 For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father. Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.
So, if we were not sure we understood the meaning of the verses from Ephesians 2:13-16, the Holy Spirit led Paul to repeat that all born-again Jews and Gentiles, “have access by one Spirit to the Father” and are “fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God.” And when we received Jesus, God came to live in us, through the Holy Spirit. What more could we wish for? But there is more!
- Ephesians 3:10-12 To the intent that now the manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the church to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places, according to the eternal purpose which He accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through faith in Him.
The church, all believers together with Jesus as our “head,” are called to use and benefit from God's wisdom, that we access through Jesus. In our “inner man of the heart” we have "the mind of Christ” (1 Corinthians 2:16b), which includes all His wisdom. By having faith in Jesus we are free indeed and we may get closer to God without fear, and even with boldness and holy reverence. What an honor and a privilege! What marvelous grace!
- Ephesians 3:14-19 For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height— to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
We may personalize and apply the Holy Spirit-inspired prayer of Paul, for ourselves and others. These verses reveal what extraordinary benefits are available to us in Christ Jesus. We are all God's creation and because of the unlimited power that comes from His presence, we find all the spiritual strength we need in our Lord. But we must desire to have fellowship with the Holy Spirit, for His presence to empower us because He never forces Himself on us.
Only if we have the power of the Holy Spirit, can we remain firm in our faith in Jesus and live for Him. The Holy Spirit helps us understand and know the fullness of Jesus' power and love, which cannot be understood by the human mind and logic. Only after we are “rooted and grounded” in Christ's love can we “be filled with all the fullness of God.” We can only love others in the measure by which we understand and receive God's love in our hearts.
- Ephesians 5:29-30 For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the church. For we are members of His body, of His flesh and of His bones.
As we already learned, Father God, seated Jesus “far above,” not only above, but in a much higher position than all power, might, dominion, principalities (demonic or human), so that there is nothing above Him and His Name has authority over every name. Jesus Christ is the Head of His church and God put all things under Jesus' feet. In Ephesians 5:30, we read that “we are members of His body, of His flesh and of His bones.” Because Jesus is the Head and we are the members of His church, His body, and we are seated in heavenly places with Him, it means that through Christ, all demonic powers are under our feet too.
In Romans 16:19-20, we read that by being “wise in what is good, and simple concerning evil, the God of peace will crush Satan under our feet shortly.”
What the Roman centurion said to Jesus, is a great example of “authority” for all of us:
- Luke 7:7-9 (NIV) “That is why I did not even consider myself worthy to come to you. But say the word, and my servant will be healed. For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and that one, ‘Come,’ and he comes. I say to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.” When Jesus heard this, He was amazed at him, and turning to the crowd following Him, He said, “I tell you, I have not found such great faith even in Israel.”
The Roman centurion understood the way authority works. He knew that those under him had to obey his orders and they did. He recognized that Jesus had authority and power over evil spirits and sickness therefore they would have to obey the orders of Jesus. We too, need to realize that Jesus has given us His authority and that the power behind it is God's power and to use what He has given us.
- Colossians 1:13 He [God] has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love...
While we lived without Jesus, the darkness had authority over each of us and the devil was ruling our lives, even if we did not realize it. But praise the Lord, He set us free from the power of the evil one and brought us into the Kingdom of Light. Jesus Christ, the Son of God is the “Light of the world.”
- Colossians 2:8-10 Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ. 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.
The traditions, customs and culture of this age have gone further and further from the truth of Scripture, being useful tools in the hands of the devil. Satan has thousands of years of experience in deceiving and tempting humans, and he knows what we like to hear and how to deceive us. We need to pay attention to what we allow into our lives, in what we think, what we consider when we make decisions and how we handle our everyday challenges. If our value system is not in one accord with the Scripture, it is time to change it and get in-line with what God's Word says. The Bible is the absolute truth and our standard. Only by living life, under the leadership of the Holy Spirit, can we live to please God and abide in Jesus until the end.
- Colossians 2:13-15 And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses, having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it.
The Romans posted the crimes of each prisoner by their cell door. That document's purpose was to show why the person was incarcerated and would also include the penalty for their crimes. When Jesus cleared the record of all our sins, He canceled the rights of the enemy to accuse us in front of Father God and to hurt us. If we do not know that we are forgiven of every sin that we asked to be forgiven of, because it was “nailed to Jesus' cross” and He paid for it in our place, then the devil will be able to keep on deceiving us. Satan wants us to believe that we do not deserve anything good, that God cannot forgive or love us anymore and we will never amount to anything good, etc. When Jesus was resurrected from the dead, He defeated Satan and removed the power that the devil and his demons had over us. The enemy has power over all sinners who do not belong to God, because of their sins. We, as Christians, have had our sins washed away by Jesus' blood, and by living right we leave no “real bullets” for the enemy to use against us. He can only threaten us with an empty gun, that can make noise but cannot hurt anyone. But if we believe his lies and condemnation, we give him the bullets he needs and we end up hurt.
The truth is that we can fight against the lies of the enemy with the truth of God's Word. When the devil places thoughts in our minds that say we do not deserve to be loved or helped by God, because of things that we have done in the past, we must fight against the lies with the perfect truth from the above verses, declaring something in this manner: “Jesus destroyed all the sins that were recorded against me, by His sacrifice on the cross! I am forgiven through Jesus Christ that lives in my heart. Until God solves the problem I am fighting against, I choose to praise and worship Him, because He is worthy of all my praise, love and honor.”
- Isaiah 54:15-17 "Indeed they shall surely assemble, but not because of Me. Whoever assembles against you shall fall for your sake. “Behold, I have created the blacksmith who blows the coals in the fire, who brings forth an instrument for his work; and I have created the spoiler to destroy. No weapon formed against you shall prosper, and every tongue which rises against you in judgment You shall condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is from Me, says the Lord.”
God has the final word! No circumstances, no sicknesses, no trials, no men, no demons and not even ourselves have absolute power over our lives! No matter how hopeless any situation seems, if we choose to praise God for who He is and glorify Him for what He has done for us through Christ Jesus and we use the authority we have in the Lord resisting the devil, we will be victorious! Thank You Lord Jesus, through You we are “more than conquerors!”
- Psalms 91:5-6, 9-16 "Because you have made the Lord, who is my refuge, even the Most High, your dwelling place, no evil shall befall you, nor shall any plague come near your dwelling; for He shall give His angels charge over you, to keep you in all your ways. In their hands they shall bear you up, lest you dash your foot against a stone. You shall tread upon the lion and the cobra, the young lion and the serpent you shall trample underfoot. “Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore I will deliver him; I will set him on high, because he has known My name. He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him and honor him. With long life I will satisfy him, and show him My salvation.”
The devil attacks us in many ways, but he has only one purpose: to destroy our lives and for us to end up with him in hell. But Jesus “who is in us is greater than” Satan and through the Lord who never stopped loving us we are “more than conquerors.” (1 John 4:4 and Romans 8:37).
As Christians we cannot be possessed by the devil, because we are possessed by Christ, but we might be "pressed," "oppressed" or "depressed". Possessed means “a: to seize and take control of; take into one's possession. b: to enter into and control firmly: dominate.” (according to “Meriam-Webster Dictionary”). Since Jesus Christ became the Lord of our lives, He is our Master and we cannot have two masters, as Jesus said. People who are not of the Lord, can only be of the enemy. Christians have the Holy Spirit in their born-again spirit and the devil has no access there. But our physical bodies, emotions and minds can be oppressed or influenced by the evil one. Jesus Christ can deliver us from any evil spirit that presses, oppresses, depresses, or influences us. All we need to do is to use the authority we have in His Name and proclaim the cleansing through the blood of the Lord of the effects and consequences of the demonic presence.
- Acts 10:38 ...how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.
The word translated “oppressed” is "katadunasteuo" in the original Greek, and it means: "properly, powerfully bringing someone down (denying them the higher position or blessing they should enjoy), i.e. tyrannize; to dominate (treat harshly), overpowering someone (Souter).” (According to HELPS Word Studies).
These kinds of demonic influences can be the result of curses, generational sins committed by ancestors for which we did not pray to be freed of, or of various personal sins, unconfessed or consciously repeated. The causes can be multiple, but once we identify them, we must ask the Lord to forgive us and set us free. After deliverance we must live right, in obedience to the Lord and avoid any contacts or places where those demonic influences might pull us back into their dominion.
"Because you have made the Lord, who is my refuge, even the Most High, your dwelling place, no evil shall befall you, nor shall any plague come near your dwelling; for He shall give His angels charge over you, to keep you in all your ways. In their hands they shall bear you up, lest you dash your foot against a stone. You shall tread upon the lion and the cobra, the young lion and the serpent you shall trample underfoot.
Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore I will deliver him; I will set him on high, because he has known My name. He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him and honor him. With long life I will satisfy him, and show him My salvation."
Psalms 91:9-16
Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore I will deliver him; I will set him on high, because he has known My name. He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him and honor him. With long life I will satisfy him, and show him My salvation."
Psalms 91:9-16
COMPANION ARTICLES
SPIRITUAL WARFARE
It is crucial to be always prepared, ready to fight, because there are no breaks in spiritual warfare.
SPIRITUAL WARFARE - BIBLE VERSES
Bible verses about spiritual warfare and having the victory in Jesus' name.
THE AUTHORITY OF THE BELIEVER - BIBLE VERSES
Bible verses about the authority of the believer and spiritual warfare.
THE WHOLE ARMOR OF GOD
We truly cannot wrestle the devil with anything less than the armor of God. The armor of a Roman soldier is used for analogy sake. The power & weaponry are of God.
OTHER ARTICLES ABOUT "PERSEVERANCE & STRENGTH"
BY YOUR PATIENCE POSSESS YOUR SOULS
Understanding the virtue, power and importance of "patience" and how to see it working more effectively in us for a more victorious life.
HOW TO KEEP JESUS AS LORD
Living to please God is the key to remaining in Jesus and He in us.
REJOICE IN THE LORD AND AGAIN I SAY REJOICE
Understanding the true meaning and power of rejoicing in the Lord.
THE POWER OF THE WORD OF GOD
What does it take to see the power of the Word of God working effectively in our lives?
WHERE DOES OUR STRENGTH AS CHRISTIANS COME FROM?
Do we really realize how much strength the Lord has for us & the many ways He strengthens us? Taking a closer look at God's provision for us is amazing.
MAIN MENU
Copyright © 2018 Carmen Pușcaș. May be used for personal study or instruction but shall not be copied and/or distributed in whole or part without permission or for financial profit.
SPIRITUAL WARFARE
It is crucial to be always prepared, ready to fight, because there are no breaks in spiritual warfare.
SPIRITUAL WARFARE - BIBLE VERSES
Bible verses about spiritual warfare and having the victory in Jesus' name.
THE AUTHORITY OF THE BELIEVER - BIBLE VERSES
Bible verses about the authority of the believer and spiritual warfare.
THE WHOLE ARMOR OF GOD
We truly cannot wrestle the devil with anything less than the armor of God. The armor of a Roman soldier is used for analogy sake. The power & weaponry are of God.
OTHER ARTICLES ABOUT "PERSEVERANCE & STRENGTH"
BY YOUR PATIENCE POSSESS YOUR SOULS
Understanding the virtue, power and importance of "patience" and how to see it working more effectively in us for a more victorious life.
HOW TO KEEP JESUS AS LORD
Living to please God is the key to remaining in Jesus and He in us.
REJOICE IN THE LORD AND AGAIN I SAY REJOICE
Understanding the true meaning and power of rejoicing in the Lord.
THE POWER OF THE WORD OF GOD
What does it take to see the power of the Word of God working effectively in our lives?
WHERE DOES OUR STRENGTH AS CHRISTIANS COME FROM?
Do we really realize how much strength the Lord has for us & the many ways He strengthens us? Taking a closer look at God's provision for us is amazing.
MAIN MENU
Copyright © 2018 Carmen Pușcaș. May be used for personal study or instruction but shall not be copied and/or distributed in whole or part without permission or for financial profit.