UNDERSTANDING YOUR AUTHORITY
Ephesians 2:1-2:7
He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil. 1Jn 3:8 KJV
Eph 2:1-7 KJV And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; 2 Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: 3 Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others. 4 But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, 5 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) 6 And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: 7 That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.
Col 2:6-17 KJV As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him: 7 Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving. 8 Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ. 9 For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. 10 And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power: 11 In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ: 12 Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead. 13 And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses; 14 Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross; 15 And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it. 16 Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days: 17 Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.
Review questions:
What is the most precious commodity that is an ever constant factor before the Father?
Where was Christ’s Blood offered up? So just how valuable is the Blood of Christ to us?
What is required take to see God? (Pursue, persecute holiness)
Is holiness made up of a series of do’s and don’ts? So what is holiness?
What did God give to man in the beginning?
What did man do with what Gad gave him?
What did Christ come to do about what man had done?
Did Christ succeed in His purpose? So what now?
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“…that he might destroy the works of the devil.”
The Greek word luō literally means to loosen, dissolve, break up. This is what Christ did…He untied and loosed the binding power the devil had over us. Christ unraveled it all leaving the devil with loose empty threads in his hands. The victims are gone! Where?
WHAT IS MY PRESENT POSITION IN RELATION TO THE FATHER?
Historically Christ was crucified a little over 2000 years ago. We however, who have only been recently on the earth, relative to that event, are reported to be quickened TOGETHER WITH Christ! This is because the death of Christ is an eternal present before the Father even before time ever existed, but was manifested in time and history once. When I believe the gospel of Christ’s death, burial and resurrection I am seen by the Father in Christ, made alive with Him! It may have happened at a certain time in a historical perspective but with the Father it is an eternally settled issue!
We need to see ourselves as God sees us. Many effectively are neutralized when they allow the enemy to fill their minds with thoughts of defeat and helplessness and unbelief.
WHAT IS MY PRESENT POSITION IN RELATION TO CHRIST?
I am IN Christ! Where HE is I am! Where He went I went in Him. Where He goes I go! Where He is now that’s where I am! In the heavenlies far above ALL principality, might, dominion and every name that is named in this world and the next!
We need to realize that the unraveling of the enemy power has already been accomplished by Christ. We engage the enemy based on that vital truth.
Every time we confront the enemy it is based on the fact that his authority over you has been stripped and you have authority over him by the blood of Jesus and in Jesus Name.
WHAT IS MY POSITION IN RELATION TO CHRIST AS HEAD OF THE CHURCH?
I am a member of His Body…the Church! The body is whole only when connected to the Head! The members of the body work in harmony when each member yield to the ONE HEAD and are controlled by that ONE HEAD. Read 1 Corinthians 12
1 Now about the gifts of the Spirit, brothers and sisters, I do not want you to be uninformed.
2 You know that when you were pagans, somehow or other you were influenced and led astray to mute idols.
3 Therefore I want you to know that no one who is speaking by the Spirit of God says, “Jesus be cursed,” and no one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit.
Eph 4:11-16 KJV And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; 12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: 13 Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ: 14 That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; 15 But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ: 16 From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.
Col 2:19 KJV And not holding the Head, from which all the body by joints and bands having nourishment ministered, and knit together, increaseth with the increase of God.
WHAT IS MY RESPONSE IN RELATION TO MY POSITION?
As believers we need to do just that BELIEVE! BELIEVE ALL that God has said about us never once doubting or questioning His declared truth!
All heaven has public knowledge of the enemy's defeat and jubilantly exclaim over it. The enemy still seeks to hide it from the earth and many times is allowed to succeed even by believers. Imagine it! The Son of God in the place of the dead! Light in the place of darkness.
Life in the place of death! Truth confronting lie. God against the devil. The outcome is never in doubt. Might and mayhem wreaks havoc and makes the devil's authority over become nothing. My plea of the Blood of Jesus releases my faith in Him and his completed work. What Jesus did was a complete work of redemption. We need not add or take away from it. It remains established forever. We simply rest in confidence on this solid bedrock fact and resist every effort of the enemy to draw us away from that victory to a place where his attack will effectively neutralize us.
Some of us have never experienced compete victory in Christ, NOT because He is ineffective. He CERTAINLY IS NOT! We have failed to achieve the victory because satanic strongholds planted in our pre-conversion life have been allowed to remain and fester. The enemy has busily occupied himself fortifying these strongholds and sources of attacks stealthily and has purposely allowed us to believe they do not exist. The devil is never contented with just a toehold. The toehold becomes a foothold which progressively becomes a stronghold. Even the devil believes in “one one dutty build dam”
He has also deceived us into thinking that some of these fixtures are actually spiritually beneficial to us and has continued to feed us with error laden mixtures. We really need to pull these down:
For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: 4 (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) 5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ; 6 And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled. . 2Co 10:3-6 KJV
How is he able to neutralize a believer?
Spiritual gaps and holes in our lives by which the enemy enters, are made by us when we fail to guard our lives, minds and thoughts etc.
Remember the mind is the principal area he seeks to attack twisting our thoughts suggestively until we tie ourselves up in unbelief and actually believing in our unbelief!
This war is not over until it's over at the coming of the Lord. It's a lifelong commitment to God's purposes in and for your life. It has no retirement in this life but we fight and stand and fight and stand and having done all to stand.
Become skilful in the use of your God given weapons!
It is pointless having weapons and not know how to use them. In order to avoid defeat and be effective warriors we not only need to have weapons, we MUST know HOW to use them properly. A deadly weapon in the hands of the unskilled is a threat not just to enemies but also self and friends. Skill in handling is therefore necessary.
Heb 5:12-14 KJV For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat. 13 For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe. 14 But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.
Eph 4:1-7 KJV I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called, 2 With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love; 3 Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4 There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; 5 One Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all. 7 But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ
