The believer's inheritance in Christ is the wisdom of God which was hidden throughout the ages until it was revealed through Jesus Christ. Grasping this truth and walking in the reality of God's inheritance is the key to taking our place and reigning as kings in this life.
The riches of our inheritance are revealed more fully in the book of Ephesians than in any other book of the Bible. Ephesians chapters 1 and 3 contain Spirit-inspired prayers that apply to believers everywhere, because they were given by the Holy Spirit to the Body of Christ.
As believers, we can pray these prayers for ourselves by putting "I," "me," and "my" where Paul says "you" and "your."
In these prayers, the Holy Spirit wants to reveal to believers "the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Jesus" (Eph. 1:17). What is the wisdom and knowledge God wants to reveal to the believer about Jesus Christ?
The Holy Spirit wants us to understand Jesus' complete victory over Satan in the triumph of the cross. He wants us to see what Jesus' seating on High really means to us and the rights and privileges we have in Christ. We are seated with Christ in heavenly places! And that position is one of authority, honor, and triumph—not one of failure, depression, and defeat. Through Christ, we have triumphed over Satan.
Believers have been ignorant of Satan's devices, and he has been able to take advantage of them. But the Spirit of God wants us to understand the authority we have in Christ.
We are no longer subject to Satan because we have been delivered from his dominion and authority (Col. 1:13). God wants the Body of Christ to know that we aren't a defeated Church—we are a triumphant Church. We are to reign in life through Jesus Christ because of our position of authority over the devil. When the eyes of our understanding are enlightened, we will stand in our place of authority as the triumphant Church upon the earth.
Dethroned Powers
Colossians 2:15 tells us that Satan and his evil hosts were spoiled, disarmed, stripped of their power, exposed, shattered, emptied, and defeated by our Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus made an open example of their complete and eternal defeat! He disarmed and stripped Satan of his authority and took the keys of death and hell from him (Rev. 1:18).
The Body of Christ needs the eyes of their understanding enlightened to understand Jesus' complete defeat of Satan. This is the wisdom of God that each believer needs to understand.
1 Corinthians 2:6–7
6 Howbeit we speak wisdom among them that are perfect [or mature]: yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of this world, that came to nought:
7 But we speak the wisdom of God. . . .
Verse 6 tells us that Satan has been dethroned. The wisdom of the mature or full-grown Christian whose understanding has been enlightened by the Holy Spirit is that Satan and all of his demon forces have already been dethroned and the believer has victory over him in Christ.
Dethroned is defined as "to remove from a throne or place of prominence: deposed." The word deposed means "to remove from office, position, or
authority, especially high office."
We are to reign in life through Jesus Christ
because of our position of authority
over the devil.
Satan was dethroned by Jesus Christ at the cross of Calvary and in His resurrection. The devil has been removed from his throne, his place of prominence, his place of authority, and from his high office. Jesus has already done this for every believer.
Satan no longer has authority over believers, unless they give him access or authority through lack of knowledge of God's Word, disobedience, or failure to exercise their rights in Christ.
Satan has been dethroned and stripped of his authority. This is the wisdom the Holy Spirit is trying to get across to the Body of Christ in the Spirit-inspired prayers in the Book of Ephesians.
The wisdom of God is that believers only need to stand in Jesus' victory over the devil because they are in Christ. Jesus' victory over the devil is their victory. That's why believers don't need to make war on an enemy that is already defeated. They simply have to enforce the victory already won for them.
Faith in Action
The Ephesians Prayers
Pray these prayers over yourself and your loved ones. Wherever you find you, your, or ye, replace it with I, me, my, or the name of your loved one.
Ephesians 1:16–23
16 [I] Cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers;
17 That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him:
18 The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,
19 And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power,
20 Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places,
21 Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come:
22 And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church,
23 Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.
Ephesians 3:14–21
14 For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
15 Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named,
16 That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man;
17 That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love,
18 May be able to comprehend with all saints what [is] the breadth, and length, and depth, and height;
19 And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.
20 Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,
21 Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.
As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath. But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. (Ephesians 2:1-7)
What are characteristics of true believers?
In Ephesians 1:19, Paul prays for believers to comprehend God’s great power at work in them. He then describes how this same power resurrected Christ from the dead and seated him in heavenly places, far above all rule and authority (Eph 1:20-21). God’s power in Christ conquered the grave and evil in Christ’s resurrection, ascension, and rule. This same power is at work in believers.
In Ephesians 2:1-7, Paul demonstrates how God’s power works in us by describing the believer’s past, present, and future. He describes what God’s power has done in our lives, what it is doing, and what it will do. Therefore, he is giving characteristics of true believers, those who have experienced God’s power.
This is one of the problems with the contemporary church. It is full of people who declare, “I know God,” and “I am a Christian.” But their lives bear no marks of his power—of a saving relationship with him.
If the power that raised Christ from the dead and seated him above all authorities is at work in us, there will be evidence. As we consider these characteristics of true believers, we must consider whether we possess them. For if the past and present reality of a true believer are not ours, we can be sure the future reality of a believer (mainly heaven) is not ours as well.
Christ said that in the last days many will declare, “Lord, Lord” but he will reply, “I never knew you.” (Matt 7:23). Are the characteristics of a true believer in your life? Have you experienced the incomparable power of God that is at work in those who believe (Eph 1:19)?
Big Questions: What are the characteristics of true believers—their past, present, and future? What applications should we take from these truths?
True Believers Were Delivered from Spiritual Death
As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, (Ephesians 2:1)
The first thing God’s power does in the life of every true believer is deliver him from death. Paul says, “As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins” (v.1). Since one of Paul’s major aims in this book is to teach the unification of Gentile and Jew in God’s church (cf. Eph 2:14-15), he often addresses one group, then the other. When he says “you” in verse 1, he is referring to the Gentiles. Before coming to Christ, the Gentiles were dead in their transgressions and sins. Then Paul includes the Jews as well in Ephesians 2:3, when he says, “All of us also lived among them at one time,” and “Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath.” This was not just a reality for the Gentiles, but for all mankind.
Before Christ, all are dead in their transgressions and sins.
Interpretation Question: What does Paul mean by mankind being “dead” in their transgressions and sins?
Obviously, he was not referring to physical death for they were all alive—reading or listening to this letter. He was referring to spiritual death. “Death” really just means separation. When a person dies, his body is separated from his spirit. But when a person dies spiritually, he is separated from God.
When Adam sinned in the Garden, the first thing he did was hide from God. Sin affected his relationship with God. Adam no longer desired to walk and talk with him in the Garden. In fact, he hid from God. Adam’s sin caused this desire to hide, and it is now in his offspring.
When Paul says “transgression,” he is referring to an action or thought “committed in open violation of a known law.”1 In the Garden, Adam committed a transgression when he broke the law God gave him. He also committed a “sin,” which means “to miss the mark.” This term was used of hunting with a bow and arrow.2 Adam missed the mark of God’s holiness (cf. Rom 3:23). When God created Adam and all mankind, he made them in the image of God (Gen 1:27). And this is what all mankind has missed—they have missed the mark of God’s holiness in thought, speech, and action. Therefore, all men are dead in their transgressions and sins. Romans 6:23says, “the wages of sin is death.” This is what transgressions and sins earned mankind—separation from God.
One characteristic of being dead is not responding to stimuli. If you play music to a corpse, it cannot hear it, feel it, or enjoy it, and therefore will not respond. A corpse cannot relate to someone because it is dead. This is the state of mankind spiritually. They are dead to God and the things of God. They cannot respond to God.
Paul says, “The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned” (1 Corinthians 2:14). The natural man cannot accept the things that come from the Spirit, nor can he understand them. It is impossible because they are spiritually discerned. Spiritually dead men cannot accept the Word of God; they cannot accept the worship of God. There is a natural antagonism towards the things of God.
What about other religions and how people seek other gods?
Scripture says this is actually a rejection of the true God. Since man will not accept the true God, they make up idols in their own image or the images of other creatures (Rom 1:21-23). But they will not seek the true God. They cannot. Romans 3:11-12 says, “there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God. All have turned away.”
This is the state of mankind—dead to God. They cannot understand God, have turned away from him, and won’t seek him. They are dead in transgressions and sins.
Interpretation Question: Does this mean that man can do no good?
Man is still made in the image of God, even though he is damaged by sin and has a fallen nature (Gen 9:6). Therefore, he has a tremendous capacity to do good, as he naturally reflects God. However, man can do nothing good that pleases God, nor can he contribute to his salvation. Romans 3:12 says, “there is no one who does good, not even one.” Even man’s righteous deeds are like filthy rags in God’s eyes (Isaiah 64:6). This is true because man’s works come from a wrong heart—a heart full of pride, selfish ambition, envy, and jealousy—a heart lacking love (cf. 1 Cor 13:1-3). This is often called the “depravity of man.”
In considering both man’s good works and man’s state of spiritual death, John MacArthur’s comments are helpful:
Man’s common state of sin has often been compared to a diverse group of people standing on the bank of a wide river, perhaps a mile across. Each of them is trying to jump to the other side. The little children and old people can jump only a few feet. The larger children and agile adults can jump several times that far. A few athletes can jump several times farther still. But none of them gets near the other side. Their degrees of success vary only in relation to each other. In relation to achieving the goal they are equal failures.
Throughout history people have varied greatly in their levels of human goodness and wickedness. But in relation to achieving God’s holiness they are equal failures. That is why the good, helpful, kind, considerate, self–giving person needs salvation as much as the multiple murderer on death row. The person who is a good parent, loving spouse, honest worker, and civic humanitarian needs Jesus Christ to save him from the eternal condemnation of hell as much as the skid row drunk or the heartless terrorist. They do not lead equally sinful lives, but they are equally in the state of sin, equally separated from God and from spiritual life.3
Warren Wiersbe adds:
All lost sinners are dead, and the only difference between one sinner and another is the state of decay. The lost derelict on skid row may be more decayed outwardly than the unsaved society leader, but both are dead in sin—and one corpse cannot be more dead than another! This means that our world is one vast graveyard, filled with people who are dead while they live (1 Tim. 5:6).4
This is the state of all believers before they come to Christ. We “were” dead in our transgressions and sins, and every true believer understands their sinful state before God, even as the Ephesians did. First John 1:8 says, “If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.” When John says the truth is not in us, he is probably referring to the gospel. Assurance of salvation is one of the themes of 1 John. He writes to those who believe in the Son of God so that they may know they have eternal life (1 John 5:13). Without recognition of our sin, depravity, and deadness to God, nobody can be saved. In order to understand the gospel—the good news—one must first understand the bad news—man’s spiritual death and need for a savior. If one does not recognize and accept it, he cannot be saved. He cannot trust in his good works, baptism, the prayers of the saints, etc., and be saved.
This is important to understand, for there are those who think they are without sin or that their sins aren’t that bad, and that they can be saved apart from grace. It was especially important for the Jews to hear this, for many Jews believed they could keep the law perfectly and thus merit salvation. Even the rich man who approached Christ believed he had kept the law, and therefore was kept from salvation—though he desired it (Matt 19:20).
True believers recognize their sin. Paul said he was the chief or worst of sinners (1 Tim 1:15). When Peter met Christ, he declared “I am a sinful man!” (Luke 5:8). Isaiah declared that he had unclean lips, and so did his people (Isaiah 6:5). True believers recognize their deadness in sin and call out to Christ. Without understanding this reality, one cannot be saved.
Have you called out to Christ for salvation? Romans 10:13 says, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
What are other characteristics of true believers?
Application Question: Briefly share your salvation story. How did you come to a conscious understanding of your sin and deadness before God so you could accept Christ?
True Believers Were Delivered from a Life of Disobedience
in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. (Ephesians 2:2-3)
Observation Question: What powers control and lead people into disobedience, as seen in verses 2-3?
Next, in verses 2-3, Paul describes how believers previously lived a lifestyle of disobedience. Ephesians 2:2 calls unbelievers “children of disobedience” (KJV). Before Christ, we followed the world, Satan, and the flesh into disobedience towards God. It is not that believers are no longer tempted by these three forces, because they are. However, true believers no longer follow these three forces as a lifestyle. A lifestyle of disobedience and captivity to these forces no longer characterizes them because of God’s power in salvation. First John 3:9-10 says this:
No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God’s seed remains in him; he cannot go on sinning, because he has been born of God. This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not a child of God; nor is anyone who does not love his brother.
A true believer no longer lives a lifestyle of disobedience by following these forces.
Now we will consider these three influences which control the lives of unbelievers and still tempt believers.
1. Before Christ, believers followed the ways of this world.
When Paul says “world,” he is not referring to the physical world but to the social value-system in the world, which is against God.5 The world is a system of thoughts and beliefs that contradict God and his Word. It is a system of groupthink, where everybody is expected to think the same. John Stott calls it “cultural bondage.”6 It includes how people view success, beauty, family, riches, power, and life in general.
The world is trying to conform everybody into the same image and draw people away from following God. Romans 12:2 says, “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.”
The world is trying to mold people into the same pattern. This shows up in many forms and ideologies. One of the major patterns in this world today is pluralism and relativism. It says, “You can believe anything you want to believe, and if it’s good for you it’s OK, as long as it doesn’t hurt anybody else.” The problem with this is that you lose absolutes. There is no real right or wrong—except for believing in absolute truth. Sexual immorality is OK. Homosexuality is OK. Adultery is OK. Divorce is acceptable. But anything that claims to be absolute truth is wrong. In a society like this, Christianity becomes more and more marginalized and persecuted because it teaches “absolutes.” One should not lie, steal, or cheat. Sexual immorality is wrong. Homosexuality is wrong. Christ is the only way to heaven. This claws at the world system and stirs it to anger because the world constantly aims to mold people, even believers, into its form.
However, those who have been truly saved, though still affected by the world, are not characterized by it. Again, Paul says, “you used to live [in disobedience] when you followed the ways of this world” (Eph 2:2). This means true believers no longer live according to the groupthink and cultural bondage of the world. They are different, and this will heap up persecution towards them. First Peter 4:3-4 says,
For you have spent enough time in the past doing what pagans choose to do—living in debauchery, lust, drunkenness, orgies, carousing and detestable idolatry. They think it strange that you do not plunge with them into the same flood of dissipation, and they heap abuse on you.
A true Christian will commonly find himself mocked, considered strange, or even persecuted. Others will say, “You don’t want to get drunk on the weekend.” “You don’t have sex before marriage.” “You won’t help us cheat on this test.” “You won’t lie.” “You don’t curse.” “What’s wrong with you?” Believers will continually be considered strange because they no longer follow the ways of this world. In fact, John said this reality is a test of true salvation. First John 2:15 says, “Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.”
When John says, “the love of the Father is not in him,” he is saying this person is not saved. He does not love God. In fact, assurance of salvation is the very theme of the book (cf. 1 John 5:13).
Are you still following the ways of this world? Or has God changed you? Those who are born again no longer follow the ways of this world. As Paul says in Galatians 6:14, “the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.”
2. Before Christ, believers followed the ways of the devil.
Not only did believers follow the way of the world before they knew Christ, but they also followed the ways of the devil. Paul said the Ephesians followed “the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient” (Eph 2:2). Now when Paul talks about “the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient,” he is not saying that every unbeliever is possessed. Scripture teaches that Satan is not omnipresent like God. He cannot be in more than one place at once. The way he works in unbelievers is by tempting them through the world system, demons, and the flesh to be disobedient to God.
Interpretation Question: What types of temptation does Satan use?
- Satan tempts people through lies.
In the first temptation, he lied to Eve, saying that if she ate of the tree she would be like God. He also implied that God lied to her and didn’t want the best for her. This is true of Satan’s work in the world system as well. It is a system built on lies. It says, “People must do this; they must do that; they must think this way; they must dress that way.” It is a system based on the lies of the devil.
- Satan tempts people through fear.
Scripture says he is a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour (1 Peter 5:8). Lions roar to provoke fear in their prey. Satan tempts through fear—fear of the future, fear of the past, fear of what other people think. Proverbs 29:25 says, “The fear of man is a snare.” Through fear Satan handicaps people and keeps them from following God and doing his will.
- Satan tempts people through the love of money and power.
When he tempted Jesus, he appeared to him and said, “If you bow down to me, I will give you all the kingdoms of this world” (Matt 4:9, paraphrase). This is exactly what the majority of the world is running after. They are seeking money and fame, and it keeps them away from following God. First Timothy 6:10 says, “For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.”
Certainly, there are many other ways the enemy tempts people including “the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life” (1 John 2:16, KJV).
Interpretation Question: What does Paul mean by the “ruler of the kingdom of the air”?
When Paul says this, he seems to be talking about something in the heavenly realms. Scripture teaches that Satan has innumerable demons following his bidding, and they have some type of rule in the heavenly realms. We get a clear picture of this in Daniel 10. Daniel, a Jewish administrator in Babylon, was fasting for three weeks, and during that time, he saw a vision of an angel. The angel told Daniel that he initially came to answer his prayer when he first prayed, but he was resisted by the Prince of Persia, referring to a demon ruling in that country (v. 13). The angel gave Daniel revelation, and then said he was leaving to fight with the Prince of Persia and that the Prince of Greece would come as well (v. 20).
Scripture teaches that Satan is the prince of this world (John 12:31) and the prince of demons (Matt 9:34). He works to control this world and the people in it, not only through the world system but through a hierarchy of demons. Their place of rule is the heavenly realms—the air.
Paul talks about this further in Ephesians 6:12 when he says, “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”
Before Christ, we were not only following the world, but we were following the influence of the devil through his demons.
3. Before Christ, believers followed the lusts and desires of the flesh.
The final way believers were controlled and influenced to disobey God is through the flesh. When Paul said the flesh, he is not referring to the body. The body itself is neutral—it can be used for good or bad. However, within our bodies, we have a “fallen nature” passed on from Adam. We have a nature full of lusts and desires for evil things. MacArthur says this about lusts and desires:
Epithumia (lusts) refers to strong inclinations and desires of every sort, not simply to sexual lust. Thelēma (desires) emphasizes strong will-fullness, wanting and seeking something with great diligence. As with trespasses and sins, lusts and desires are not given to show their distinctiveness but their commonness. They are used synonymously to represent fallen man’s complete orientation to his own selfish way.7
We lust for sex outside of marriage, for wealth and power, for excessive food and sleep, etc. However, if we are now following Christ, we are no longer controlled by these desires because the power and control of the flesh was broken by Christ. Romans 6:6-7 says, “For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin— because anyone who has died has been freed from sin.” These desires no longer control us, but they still tempt us and can become strongholds in our lives.
Application Question: How can a believer walk in daily victory over these forces?
Believers maintain this victory by battling. They battle to no longer be conformed to this world, but to be transformed by the renewing of their minds (Romans 12:2). They transform their minds by continually meditating on and practicing Scripture. They buffet their bodies and make them slaves through continual discipline (1 Cor 9:27). Paul says, “Discipline yourself unto godliness” (1 Tim 4:7). Through rigorous spiritual disciplines like meditating on Scripture, prayer, church fellowship, repentance and serving others, we control our flesh. Paul says, “Walk in the Spirit and you will not fulfill the lusts of the flesh” (Gal 5:16). Finally, we defeat the devil by relying on God’s power. Nothing in our flesh will work. Paul tells these believers to be strong in the Lord and his mighty power to stand against the devil. They must put on the full armor of God—a daily righteous lifestyle—to have victory (Eph 6:10-18).
Application Questions: In what ways did the world, Satan, and the flesh control your unregenerate life? In what ways have you experienced freedom from the control of these forces? In what ways do you still find yourself tempted by them?
True Believers Were Delivered from Wrath
Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath. (Ephesians 2:3b)
Next, Paul says the Ephesians were objects of wrath before they accepted Christ. When he says “we,” he includes the Jews with the Gentiles (v. 3). Though raised in the Jewish faith, they were objects of wrath before they were saved.
Interpretation Question: What does Paul mean when he calls unbelievers objects of wrath?
Objects of wrath could mean one of two things:
1. Unbelievers have a natural disposition towards “anger, malice, bitterness, and hot temper.”8
Before Christ, we are naturally prone towards anger and wrath to various degrees. This anger is demonstrated towards both God and man. Romans 8:7 says, “the sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so.” The natural man is hostile towards God, his Word, and many times also his people. Jesus says, “If the world hates you, remember it hated me first” (John 15:18). In fact, the end times will be characterized by hostility towards Christians. Matthew 24:9 says, “Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me.”
This is part of the reason John teaches that love for the brethren is a proof of salvation. “We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love our brothers. Anyone who does not love remains in death” (1 John 3:14). Paul himself knew this well. Before Christ, he persecuted believers—he arrested and even consented to their death. But after Christ, he loved the brothers and even willingly suffered for them.
But not only were we prone towards anger at God, his Word, and believers, but also people in general. Anger and unforgiveness often characterize our relationships with others and sometimes even our families. Some of the characteristics of the sin nature within us are hatred, discord, fits of rage, and dissensions (Gal 5:20). However, when we are saved and walking in the Holy Spirit, we show love, peace, and patience towards God and others.
Before Christ, people are antagonistic towards God and his Word, and often towards both believers and people in general. But in Christ, these same people are now the meek who will inherit the earth (Matt 5:5). We are the merciful who will receive mercy (Matt 5:7), and the peacemakers who will be called sons of God (Matt 5:9).
Application Questions: In what ways did wrath characterize you before Christ? How did Christ change you? How do you still struggle with a tendency towards anger?
2. Unbelievers are objects of God’s wrath.
Not only do unbelievers have a disposition towards wrath, but they are under the wrath of God. John 3:36says, “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on him.”
Because God is a holy God, he cannot look upon sin. Therefore, mankind—who is characterized by sin— is under his just wrath.
Interpretation Question: In what ways is the unbelieving world under the wrath of God?
This wrath is seen in at least two ways.
- The wrath of God is seen in God handing the world over to sin and disobedience and allowing mankind to reap the consequences of rebellion.
Romans 1:18 says, “The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness.”
Throughout the rest of Romans 1, Paul describes how the world has chosen not to acknowledge God, and therefore, he has handed them over to idolatry, sexual immorality, homosexuality, and all types of sin. Essentially, God says, “Fine, you don’t want to acknowledge me. Reap the consequences of your sin.”
When we look at the world, we see the wrath of God. His wrath is seen in his handing man over to his own devices. God allows people to turn away from him and reap the consequences: division in families, discord in relationships, wounds and sickness from sexual immorality, government corruption, etc. All these sins and consequences reflect God’s wrath on unbelievers. When people refuse to acknowledge him, God hands them over to sin and its consequences
- But ultimately, the wrath of God will be seen in eternal separation from him and judgment in hell.
Revelation 20:15 says, “If anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.”
In hell there will be various degrees of punishment based on the amount/degree of sin committed and one’s knowledge of God and his Word. The one who knew the Master’s will and was still disobedient will be beaten with many blows. But he who did not know shall be beaten with few blows (Lk 12:47-48). In either case, hell is a place where unbelievers bear God’s eternal wrath for their sins.
Application Question: In what ways do you see the wrath of God clearly displayed in society (cf. Rom 1:18-32)?
True Believers Have Experienced a Spiritual Resurrection
But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. (Ephesians 2:4-5)
In verse 4, there is a dramatic change in the direction of the passage. In verses 1-3, we see the depth of our sin and our depravity before Christ, and then in verse 4, we see God who saves us. Paul essentially says our salvation had nothing to do with us. Dead men and women can’t save themselves. It is totally a work of God based on his character. Paul doesn’t say that one day man decided to try harder; he says that God saved us.
Observation Question: What characteristics of God led him to save us?
1. God saved us because of his great love.
The word used for “love” here is agape in the Greek. It is a volitional love—an act of the will. God looked upon us as we were dead in sin and decided to bestow his love on us. One of the major characteristics of God is love. First John 4:8 simply says, “God is love.” It defines who he is. In fact, before he created man, he was not bored in heaven. He was living in a perfect love relationship with the Son and the Holy Spirit. His character is love.
John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (KJV).
John 15:13 says, “Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.” While in our sin, God loved us and moved to save us.
What other characteristics intrinsic to God’s nature led him to save us?
2. God saved us because of his mercy.
Mercy is “feelings of pity, compassion, affection, kindness. It is a desire to succor, to tenderly draw to oneself and to care for.”9
Because of his mercy, he withholds the wrath we deserve and provided a way for us to be saved through his Son, Jesus Christ.
3. God saved us because of his grace.
Mercy means he withholds the wrath we deserve. Grace means he gives us what we don’t deserve—unmerited favor. Salvation is a gift of grace. It means that we can do nothing to merit or earn it. It is nothing we can work for.
This is the fallacy of all the religions in the world: they teach that people can earn salvation. But the gospel tells us that we are not good enough to receive God’s favor. We are objects of God’s wrath because of our sin. Our only hope is grace—unmerited favor—which comes through Jesus Christ.
Ephesians 2:8-9 says, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.” No one can boast of their salvation, for even the ability to believe—faith—is a gift of God. We were too dead in our sin to believe, and therefore God gave us the grace to respond to him.
Interpretation Question: What does this new life—this spiritual resurrection—look like in the life of a believer?
In the same way that spiritually dead people are characterized by a lack of responsiveness to spiritual stimuli, spiritually alive people are characterized by responsiveness to spiritual stimuli. For example:
1. People who have been spiritually resurrected love God.
Instead of being hostile to God and Christ (Rom 8:7), these people love God and continually want to know him more. Consider these verses:
I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead. (Philippians 3:10-11)
As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God? My tears have been my food day and night, while men say to me all day long, “Where is your God?” (Psalm 42:1-3)
2. People who have been spiritually resurrected love the people of God.
First John 3:14 says, “We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love our brothers. Anyone who does not love remains in death.” True believers both love God and his people.
3. People who have been spiritually resurrected are drawn to prayer.
Romans 8:15 says, “For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, ‘Abba, Father.’” The Spirit of God draws us into intimacy and prayer with the Father.
4. People who have been spiritually resurrected study and obey the Word of God.
John 14:21 and 24 say this:
Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show myself to him. He who does not love me will not obey my teaching.
5. People who have been spiritually resurrected continually put to death sin in their lives.
Romans 8:13-14 says,
For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live, because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.
When Paul describes those who live according to the sinful nature, he is talking about unbelievers. However, those who by the Spirit put sin to death are those who are alive—they are sons of God.
Is there a continual decreasing of sin in your life? If you are saved, the Holy Spirit continually works in your life to convict you of sin, to help you hate it and overcome it. Believers are continually putting sin to death in their lives.
Praise God for saving us because of his love, mercy, and grace! Praise God for his power which gave us new life! Thank you, Lord! Amen.
Application Questions: In what ways are you continually experiencing the fruits of the spiritual resurrection in your life? How should a person respond if he is lacking these fruits?
True Believers Have Been United with Christ
But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. (Ephesians 2:4-7)
Another present reality of all believers is their unity with Christ. Paul mentions this reality throughout the epistle in many different ways. He begins the epistle with the greeting, “Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, To the saints in Ephesus, the faithful in Christ Jesus” (Ephesians 1:1). These believers were physically located in Ephesus, and at the same time spiritually located “in Christ Jesus.” He goes on to say how they have every spiritual blessing “in Christ” (v. 3). He says believers were chosen “in him” (v. 4). In verse 7, “in him” we have redemption through his blood and forgiveness of sins. Paul is enraptured with the theology of believers being in Christ, and we should be as well. This is what happened to us at salvation—we were spiritually united with Christ.
Observation Question: In what ways is our spiritual union with Christ reckoned in verses 4-7?
1. Believers were made alive with Christ in his resurrection (v. 4).
When Paul says, God “made us alive with Christ,” he is referring to our death and resurrection in Christ. When Christ died on the cross, God reckoned us as being with him. All our sins were with him on the cross. When he was put into the grave, we were with him. When he was resurrected, we were with him. Our sins and our old nature were left in the grave in order for us to live a new life in Christ. Paul focuses on this same reality when telling the Romans why they should no longer live in sin. Consider what he says in Romans 6:1-6:
What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. If we have been united with him like this in his death, we will certainly also be united with him in his resurrection. For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin
This is why we should no longer live as slaves to sin—because we died to it and were raised to live a new life with Christ.
2. Believers ascended with Christ to the heavenly realms and now are seated with him (v. 6).
Paul says, “And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus.” When Christ ascended to heaven (Acts 1), we ascended with him. He is now seated at the right hand of God, far above all rule and authority (including the demonic rule, Eph 1:20-21). This means we rule with him and also have authority over the enemy with him. This is our new position in Christ—whatever is his is ours.
Application
As an application, this union must continually identify us. Paul says this in Galatians 2:20, “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” Paul didn’t even see himself as living any more. Christ was living through him. It must be the same for us. We died with Christ and were resurrected and ascended with him. We are ruling with him in the heavenly realms. We are seated over all power and rule of the devil because of our union to our resurrected and ascended Lord.
This reality must grasp us, and it must become our identity, as it was Paul’s.
Application Question: How should our identity in Christ affect our daily lives? How can we become more consumed with this reality, even as Paul was?
True Believers Will Glorify God’s Grace in the Coming Ages
And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. (Ephesians 2:6-7)
Finally, we see the future of believers. Though they are presently seated and ruling with Christ in the heavenly realms, this reality will not be fully consummated until the redemption of our bodies at Christ’s second coming.
In the future, we will physically rule with Christ in the heavens and on earth. With that said, our ascension and ruling with Christ was not God’s ultimate purpose in our salvation. God’s ultimate purpose was to “show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus” (v. 7).
Our salvation and union with Christ will be a testimony to all throughout eternity. It will bring glory to God’s grace. Paul has been emphasizing God’s purpose to glorify his grace in salvation from early in chapter 1. He says this in verses 1:6, 12, 14:
to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. (Ephesians 1:6)
in order that we, who were the first to hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory. (Ephesians 1:12)
who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory. (Ephesians 1:14)
In fact, we see the angels and all the people in heaven glorifying God for his great salvation in Revelation 7:10-12:
And they cried out in a loud voice: “Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.” All the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures. They fell down on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, saying: “Amen! Praise and glory and wisdom and thanks and honor and power and strength be to our God for ever and ever. Amen!”
God’s grace in salvation will be our focus in worship throughout eternity. In fact, Paul shares how it was especially a part of God’s plan to demonstrate this grace and wisdom to the angels, who have never experienced God’s grace and mercy in salvation. Paul says this in Ephesians 3:10: “His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms.” First Peter 1:12 says the angels long to look into the gospel. They desire to understand it. We are their teachers now and throughout eternity. This is God’s ultimate purpose in salvation—the glory of God.
With that said, this should not just be our focus in heaven, but also on earth. God saved us to bring glory to himself. Therefore, this must be our constant endeavor. Paul said, “Whether you eat or drink, do all things to the glory of God” (1 Cor 10:31, paraphrase).
Are you living to glorify God on a daily basis?
Application Question: How has God been challenging you to bring glory to him in your daily endeavors?
Conclusion
As we consider Ephesians 2:1-7, we see characteristics of true believers. We see their past, their present, and their future. If we have not experienced the realities of true believers in our past and present, we can be sure that the future of true believers—heaven, ruling with Christ, and bringing glory to his grace—will not be our reality.
What are characteristics of true believers?
- True believers were delivered from spiritual death.
- True believers were delivered from a life of disobedience.
- True believers were delivered from wrath.
- True believers have experienced a spiritual resurrection.
- True believers have been united with Christ.
- True believers will glorify God’s grace in the coming ages.
I find then a law; that, when I would do good, evil is present with me. For I delight in the law of God after the inward man: but I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.” Romans 7:21–25
The lament of Romans 7:24 is the cry of no less than the great Apostle Paul, who groans, “O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?” He says that his situation makes him “wretched,” and sadly many Christians live in this condition day after day, and even year after year. The word wretched is translated from the Greek word talaiporos, which has the idea of bearing a trial and can be rendered “miserable.” But the question at the end of the lament does not go unanswered. Verse 25 begins, “I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord.” So no Christian needs to live in the wretched, miserable state described in Romans seven. He has a Deliverer, and it is Jesus Christ! This is clear from the context.
I clearly remember the first time I read Romans chapter seven as a believer. I was new in the faith and very new at reading the Bible. That day I was shocked that the words I found in verses 18 through 23 were actually in the Bible! They gave an exact description (it seemed to me) of my own unhappy experience as a Christian trying to live the Christian life. I just couldn’t do it with any consistency. What I did not want to do I did, and what I wanted to do for Christ I was somehow often unable to do. It was as if verse 24 were the conclusion of the chapter. Somehow I missed the impact of verse 25. Who shall deliver me from the power of my sinful human nature? Jesus will do it.
Romans 7:24 is about three-quarters of the way through the section of the book of Romans that teaches about our deliverance from the power of sin. Romans 1 through 5 explains in exquisite detail how Christ has delivered us from the penalty of our sin. Then Romans 6:1 through 8:15 (and perhaps through verse 27) reveals how Christ has also delivered us from the power of our sin. In Romans 8 we are taught the certainty of the eventual deliverance believers in Christ will have from the presence of sin (when we are glorified). So the context of Romans 7 indicates that we are not left to live and struggle in the wretched state described there. Christians can overcome sin.
When this Biblical truth is taught, sometimes good people worry that the doctrine of sinless perfection is being preached. This is not the case for Baptist fundamentalists. I do not know of any Baptist today who teaches the Wesleyan doctrine of sinless perfection. A. J. Gordon, the great Baptist preacher of the late nineteenth century, said appropriately that although he rejected sinless perfection, he did not advocate the opposite extreme. He wrote, “If we regard the doctrine of sinless perfection as a heresy, we regard contentment with sinful imperfection as a greater heresy” (emphasis his). The truth that Christ delivers us from our flesh and from sin is a clear Bible doctrine and does not mean that there is anyone on earth who actually never sins any more. This truth simply gives us the right approach to doing battle with the sin that so easily besets us.
The wretched state bemoaned in verse 24 arises from the conflict in a man’s life between two laws: the law of God (which is in his mind because he has learned it, and has been his delight ever since he was regenerated—verses 22 and 23) and the law of sin (which dwells in him, in his flesh, in the body he inherited from Adam—verses 17–20 and 23–24). The laws are contrary to each other and exert great influence on him all the time. One cannot be fulfilled without the other being violated, leaving the man frustrated, defeated, and wretched.
What he needs is deliverance from his own body. Somehow it is in the body that the sinful nature resulting from the fall of man has been passed down from Adam to each of us. Sin is in us, in our very body, in our flesh. We find ourselves in the predicament summarized at the very end of chapter 7: “So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.” What Christian does not know this predicament? What we need is deliverance from the flesh.
Throughout the Bible, we find that God is our Deliverer. Think about it. He delivered Noah from the flood, Jacob from the famine, Joseph from the prison, Israel from Egypt, David from the giant, the Hebrew children from the furnace, and Daniel from the lions. Deliverance is a great theme of the Bible, and God is the Deliverer. Jesus taught us to pray every day, “Deliver us from evil.” We need deliverance every day even from ourselves, from this body, which is a body of death. Thankfully, Jesus Christ has provided this deliverance for every person He has saved.
Salvation (deliverance) from the power of sin comes by two great works of Christ:
1. The Work of Christ on the Cross
This is what Romans 6 and about half of chapter 7 is about. When Christ died for us, we died with Him. When He rose again, we rose with Him to walk in newness of life. When we believe this truth (as mysterious as it is) and yield to God at the moment of temptation, we experience practical deliverance from sin.
Romans 6:14 says, “For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.” Twice in Romans 6, God says that believers in Christ are “free from sin” (see verses 18 and 22). We are not free of sin, but we definitely are free from sin. The chains are broken. “If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed” (John 8:36).
Trusting in Christ is the way to victory while trying harder is the way to defeat. Romans 7 opens by saying that we are free from the law through the sacrifice of Christ. The way of bondage through seeking to please God by measuring up to His standard is no longer the way of the Christian. He is free from both sin and the law, and by reckoning this to be true and by yielding to God instead of sin when temptation comes, he experiences deliverance (study Romans 6 and 7 again).
2. The Work of Christ in Sending Us the Holy Spirit
In Romans chapters one through seven the Spirit of God is only mentioned twice (in 1:4 and 5:5). Then in chapter eight, the Holy Spirit is named nineteen times! The Christian life is to be lived in the victory of Christ on the cross and through the power of the Spirit within us.
Jesus asked the Father to send us the Spirit in order to give us deliverance from our flesh and empower us to live holy lives (see John 14:15–17). Romans 8:2 says that this deliverance happens by one law overruling another: “For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.”
Jesus taught us that He would send the Holy Spirit to be our Comforter (helper) to aid us in obeying His commandments. By depending on His strength instead of our weakness, we can see our flesh overcome by the Spirit, and succeed in living right by His power! “This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh” (Galatians 5:16) really works! And it’s the only thing that does. If we try to live the Christian life by determination and self-discipline only, we will fail. But we will experience victory when we start depending on the Holy Spirit to supply that victory.
Overcoming is by faith alone, faith in Jesus Christ (1 John 5:3–4). Let’s recognize that victory over sin is to be had by the work of Christ. It is the victory described in Galatians 2:20 and we can have it today!
“I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.” Galatians 2:20
In God’s court we who were declared guilty of sin have been made innocent by the blood of Jesus, and it’s the holy and new covenant established by the LORD Himself that we have the authority to be declared innocent!
~ A testimony – we have the testimony of God’s own written Word as the spiritual authority on which we stand!
And other definitions besides:
~ An individual cited or appealed to as an expert on any given subject. And there is NO ONE more expert in the Word of God, than The WORD of GOD Incarnate!
~ The power to influence or command thought, opinion or behavior; such is the authority of God’s Word to influence our thought, behavior – even our opinions!
~ Freedom granted by one in authority; we who are the body of Christ, saved by the blood, redeemed by the LAMB of GOD, have been given spiritual liberty by the atonement made by Jesus, liberty from the enslavement of sin, freedom in our ability to know God, love and serve Him!
~ A person of command in government; we know that the government of God shall rest upon His shoulder (ISAIAH 9:6).
Authority can be transferred from the originated authority to others – this is known as deputizing. In Western films, the sheriff would need some assistance, so he will swear in some respectable men of integrity and they become deputies who have the same power to enforce the law as the Sheriff does.
There is a difference between authority and power:
Authority is sanctioned power legally granted to an individual to act on behalf of another.
Power needs no sanction or empowerment and can act independently of law; and by sheer force illegally seize government or institution to exert influence or even oppression over others (Compare a legally elected official sworn into office by law vs. a dictator who uses his army to seize power through military violence).
A traffic cop – He has the authority to walk into the middle of an intersection, hold up his hand, blow his whistle and stop traffic, and it doesn’t matter if it’s a Toyota or a tank! Everyone recognizes that he represents the law and that authority is granted to him by the government to enforce the law.
But just because he has the authority to do this, that police officer doesn’t possess the power to stop traffic. He couldn’t by his own power stop a tank, or even a Toyota (probably a tricycle...)!
We as believers, children of God, saints of the church of Jesus Christ possess no power of our own to wage war against Satan; we are absolutely no match whatsoever against him! But we have been ‘deputized’ by Deity'! We have been granted the authority of Christ, by Christ and this is what we will get into:
Some Old Testament examples:
God has granted authority to His followers to fulfill His Holy will and see it done in the world. The authority flows from the Sovereign power of God Almighty, the Creator and Owner of all things, thus He has legitimate right to do what He pleases with that which belongs to Him. Again, this empowerment is of God, not of us.
In the midst of a perverse and wicked generation, that mocked and jeered God’s righteous man, the LORD authorized Noah to build the ark and ministry of prophecy, preaching the message of repentance and coming judgment.
Ostracized and rejected from being a member of the Royal Court of the single Super Power of the world at that time, and driven to the barren, empty desert where he was a shepherd of sheep for FORTY YEARS (what a fall! – going from a person of rank, nobility and power to becoming a shepherd of sheep!) . . . the LORD authorized Moses to confront Pharaoh of Egypt as God’s own mouth to declare: “Let My people go!”
This singular prophet was seemingly left all alone with no other prophets to back him, Elijah went toe to toe with over 800 pagan priests of Ba’al and Ashtoreth – and by the authority of God invested in him, was able to call fire down from heaven (NOT an ancestor of mine - (remember my last name [wink]), showing that the LORD YHWH was the true God and was able to command the people of Israel to slay the pagan priests.
One more Old Testament Example:
Two immense armies faced each other off, but the enemy of Israel had a towering giant of a champion on their side that afflicted God’s people with icy, numb terror. And there was none to challenge Goliath who cursed Israel in the name of his false pagan gods.
David, just a young man at the time was so incensed and so offended for the name of the LORD his GOD that this “uncircumcised Philistine should defy the armies of the living God” that he alone was willing to challenge him!
By the authority of the LORD God, he laid low the giant with a single stone and his faith in GOD! David had the right perspective in spiritual warfare: he didn’t consider the huge sword, spear and shield of the enemy. He had a far more powerful weapon than these!
1 SAMUEL 17:45
45 Then said David to the Philistine, Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to thee in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied.
He was hot with righteous indignation: that’s the kind of anger we should exhibit against the power of the enemy: because he is a thief, a liar, a destroyer (JOHN 10:10a), one who longs for the ruin of God’s children!
Now we come to the Ultimate Authority!
Christ the LORD, the WORD Incarnate visited and astonished His people 2,000 years ago – both in His teaching (MATT 7:28-29) and His deeds and miracles (LUKE 4:36). The people wondered – could this be the Messiah (MATT 12:22-24)?
Being the Son of David, of the tribe of Judah, of the House of David, Jesus has the legal right and authority to the throne as King of Israel (the legal line through Joseph His step-father, and the blood line through His mother, Mary). He is eligible to assume that throne as the Messiah, the King of the nation of the Jews (ACTS 2:36)).
Being the Son of Man as well as the Son of God He also has the holy authority to rule and reign over mankind, Israel (LUKE 1:31-32); as well as heaven’s domain:
MATTHEW 28:18-20
18 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. 19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: 20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.
That word "therefore" is pivotal: it is BECAUSE all power is given to JESUS in heaven and Earth, that "therefore" we can and will go and infiltrate the kingdom of darkness in a Divinely inspired Rescue Op and free the slaves of sin, in bondage by Beelzebub!
During our most powerful and devastating trials and afflictions, when the enemy summons his entire arsenal of weapons against you – KNOW that the LORD will NEVER leave or forsake you! Like Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego – they were never alone in Nebuchadnessar’s furnace – the Son of GOD was with them, and the only thing of theirs that was destroyed were the cords that bound them.
Trials do that – they destroy flesh and allow the Spirit greater freedom in our lives: if we will only yield to the LORD’s will in the trial.
New Testament Examples of Spiritual Authority:
LUKE 10:16-20
16 He that heareth you heareth me; and he that despiseth you despiseth me; and he that despiseth me despiseth him that sent me. 17 And the seventy returned again with joy, saying, Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through thy name. 18 And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven. 19 Behold, I give unto you power* to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power** of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you. 20 Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven.
In these verses and the previous we see the act of deputizing by the LORD to His disciples.
Note what the LORD admonished His disciples here – not to rejoice so much that the demons are subjected to them (the lesser work of spiritual authority), but that their names are written in heaven (the greater work of atonement, without which there can BE no spiritual authority in the life of a believer!).
The LORD gives us “power . . .” – the first mention of the word power in the Greek here for power is *exousia – mastery, privilege, delegated authority, right, supernatural power.
The second mention of power, “over all the power of the enemy. . .” uses the Greek word **dunamis – ability to perform, physical power, force, might; this word can be used to describe either the power of God or the power of Satan.
The delegated authority, sanctioned and approved by God which He grants us, enables us to overcome the brute force and power of the enemy who is in rebellion against the authority of God.
We don’t come against the enemy in our own power with any expectation of stopping him, any more than that traffic cop could stop a tank by his own strength, right?
By the authority of God, we who are born of His Spirit have the privilege and authority according to Scripture, Who “gave [us] the power to become the sons of God” (JOHN 1:12-13) – the Greek word used here is also exousia.
For a comprehensive series on spiritual warfare, check out this TTUF series:
SPIRITUAL WARFARE And The ARMOR Of GOD
As children of the KING we are afforded access to the Holy Throne of the GOD of the Universe! Think about that access – we don’t have access to walk into NORAD or the PENTAGON. We don’t have the authority to walk into the OVAL OFFICE or go places that the POTUS goes, or the Queen of England or David Rockefeller or other people who are considered powerful in this world. NO!
We have far greater and higher accessin that we can with confidence approach the throne of God (HEB 4:16)! When we pray, we have the ear of the Almighty! He listens to us, who are His children. The body of Christ is the only group of people that can rightfully and truthfully make this claim!
Not only are we princes and princesses of the KING of Kings and LORD of Lords, we are also holy ambassadors FOR the KING! We are His lawful representatives and may speak on behalf of the KING when we conduct affairs of State in the Kingdom of God!
When one of our US ambassadors deals with a foreign government, he confers with the President who directs him what to do and what to say to the foreign government’s leaders, and what that ambassador says is authoritative, as though the President himself was standing there saying it!
We declare the coming Kingdom in the Name of the LORD in this foreign land of sin and rebellion that’s at enmity against GOD; and as His ambassadors we plead for them to be reconciled to the LORD – 2 COR 5:20. We declare the Gospel of the coming Kingdom, and based on people’s response to the Gospel we are authorized to declare them forgiven or not (JOHN 20:23).
Authority In Spiritual Warfare:
The armor of God in its entirety represents the very nature, the quality and character of the Person of Christ. For saints who are “in Christ” we are “in” this spiritual armor, much as a knight when he goes into battle, wears his armor.
IF WE ARE NOT WALKING IN THE SPIRIT, if we are not following Christ out of a heart of love, obedience and yielding, it’s the same as if we’re on the battlefield but missing crucial pieces of our armor!
This armor provides absolute protection against “all the power of the enemy”
In this armor, we are as impervious, as impenetrable, as invincible over the enemy as the LORD Jesus Christ Himself. Satan watched Jesus, scrutinized His behavior, weighed His Words, poked and prodded and searched for some sign of weakness, some fatal flaw in His Person. When the LORD confronted Satan during His 40 day fast and conquered (as well as at other times during His ministry) He defeated him with the Word of God, not just quoted, but obeyed! And that is the example we are to follow: not merely to quote Scripture and expect the enemy to flee. Your most carnal, sin-driven Christian can quote Scripture all day long - what power is there in merely reciting verses, though they are the Word of Truth?
Authority in potency is proportionate to how much a person is submitted to the authority of the Word, yielding to and walking in the Spirit.
Like Jesus, wholly submitted to the will of the Father, thus wholly authorized as the Son of man to send Satan sprawling in dejected, humiliated and incontestable defeat, when we are submitted to the truth of Scripture, growing in sanctification - to that same degree we are sanctified, the power of the Word places us under His authority and we have the victory over all the power of the enemy!
JAMES 4:6-7
6 But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble. 7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
The LORD Jesus declared, concerning the prince of this world and his devilish attempt:
JOHN 14:30
30 Hereafter I will not talk much with you: for the prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in me.
Essentially what the LORD was saying regarding Satan was “he got nuthin’ on Me!”
That is the quality of holiness and righteousness and truth in the LORDand being IN CHRIST, this is the same quality of this spiritual armor, the armor not of men or angels, but the very ARMOR of GOD! This is what we have to protect us while engaging the enemy in this battle for souls and for personal holiness!
HELMET of SALVATION:
Even the very name of JESUS means “Our God is salvation”! This helmet of salvation protects our minds, guards our thought life; this salvation brings sanctification and holy thinking, thinking like the LORD Jesus! This protects us from fiery darts and demonic intent to invade our thought life with evil and temptation.
2 CORINTHIANS 10:5
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;
PHILIPPIANS 2:5
5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:
This is putting on JESUS’ thinking cap, so we are in one accord with His ideas and intents.
BREASTPLATE of RIGHTEOUSNESS:
This covers the heart of the warrior from the accuser of the brethren – Satan who would bear witness to every sin and trespass that we commit against the LORD and condemn our hearts for it, bringing shame, fleeing and hiding from God. But it is Christ’s imputed righteousness granted to us in this breastplate.
JEREMIAH 23:6 says about our LORD that He is...
“The Lord Our Righteousness”.
The BELT of TRUTH:
The LORD and His WORD is Truth (PSALM 71:22; JOHN 17:17) – “truth” in the Greek is aletheuo; it’s a verb – an action word: to be true, to have integrity, where the truth we speak is also the truth that we do (“Walk the Talk!”). To deal truthfully/truly with others; speaking the truth in love (EPH 4:15). That this is the BELT of Truth, constraining the loins, speaks of having the carnal appetites submitted to the truth of God’s Word. Such appetites created by God are in godly order and not given over to the kinds of sinful conduct that Satan would lure us into. We walk in truth, subdue sins in our members (ROM 6:13; 1 COR 9:27), and grow in sanctification so our conduct matches with our doctrinal beliefs; to do otherwise is hypocrisy, which God hates!
The SHOES Shod with the PREPARATION of the GOSPEL of PEACE:
The LORD Jesus is indeed the Prince of Peace; granting to us peace with God (ROM 5:1) as well as the peace of God (PHIL 4:7-9).
The foundation of any soldier is their strong and stable footing; without this, they will not be able to gain the victory. Likewise if we are to experience spiritual victory, we must have a stable foundation: that stable foundation is the ROCK (1 COR 3:11), the LORD Jesus Himself, and His Gospel – if the Gospel is solid, and doctrinal learning based on it, is also solid, then such a warrior for Christ will remain standing securely – the enemy will not be able to topple him.
The SHIELD of FAITH:
The LORD is the Author and Finisher of our Faith (HEB 12:2). Faith is trust in, reliance upon, believing on the LORD and such trust and reliance upon Him will provide for us protection against the lies and deceptions of the enemy and assurance, peace and rest in the midst of life’s turmoil and uncertainties. Our faith is in the Word of God, the truth that’s revealed by it; it is a defense in our battle with the enemy who would shoot fiery (poisonous) darts (lances) that intend to afflict us with detrimental sin as a result of giving into temptation. The LORD Himself is the shield we place our faith in!
PSALM 5:12
12 For thou, Lord, wilt bless the righteous; with favor wilt thou compass him as with a shield.
The SWORD of the SPIRIT:
The LORD is of course the WORD of GOD Incarnate (REV 19:13-15); The WORD is this Sword we wield in our close quarters combat with our enemy (EPH 6:12).
This singular weapon of God’s Word of Truth against the enemy avails success and victory while in the hand of the Christian warrior who not only knows truth, but lives it out! Such a warrior will deftly and expertly decimate all the works of the enemy set against him and those around him.
***For more about spiritual warfare, check out William Gurnall’s book Christian in Complete Armor***
This spiritual authority, this precious resource that has been granted to every blood bought saint of God cannot be used for our own personal gratification, but for the exclusive GLORY and HOLY PURPOSES of the LORD!
This spiritual armor must be coupled together with the indwelling power of the HOLY SPIRIT – we’ve probably all seen the IRON MAN movie by now – Genius Tony Stark built himself a high-tech, prosthetic metal suit that protected him from any kind of fire power against him. But without a power source, it was just a hunk of high-tech metal. The power source he used was the arc-reactor, about the size of an apple.
Well we have far, far greater than that! We have the armor of God that can withstand, not bullets but Beelzebub (Satan)! – And as for power, we have the indwelling Holy Spirit – God Himself empowering this armor!
Authority as Priests of God –
In worship, in prayer, in ministry:
Worship – JOHN 4:24
24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.
It’s an awesome truth, that of all the 7.6 billion people in the world, among the literally thousands of religions that claim to worship ‘God’, the ONLY ones that God accepts worship from are those who worship Him in Spirit and Truth – and that is the church, comprised of a royal priesthood, a holy nation (1 PET 2:9).
Prayer – The prayers of the saints – who pray in the office of the royal priesthood are a sweet savor to the LORD: ROM 12:12 states that the church is authorized to be “instant in prayer” and to continue in such. Prayer must be “in Jesus Name” which is not a “power source” to be used indiscriminately, however we wish.
JOHN 14:13-14
13 And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it. (See also JOHN 15:16; 16:23-26).
When we pray in Jesus Name, that’s according to His reputation, His character, His nature, His attitude – when we truly pray “in Jesus Name” it’s a prayer that Jesus would say, “Amen” to; it’s a prayer that Jesus Himself would have prayed – because it’s according to the will of God!
1 JOHN 5:14-15
14 And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us:15 And if we know that he hears us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.
Is it God’s will that we get victory over self, sin, Satan and this sinister world? Is it God’s will that we’ll be set free from sinful bondage and spiritual oppression? Is it God’s will that we live holy, sanctified lives in service to the LORD and others (both saints and sinners)?
Our Prayers From the Father’s Perspective – As we pray in JESUS Name how are these prayers received by our Father Who presides over all of His creation from His glorious throne. He hears these prayers spoken by His children as though they were prayed by His Beloved Son Jesus Himself! That’s the kind of WEIGHT that our prayers carry to the Almighty!
It’s not until we’ll get to heaven that we will witness the kind of power and effectiveness our prayers have had! Perhaps we might have a slight twinge of regret that we didn’t pray more?
Ministry – priests under the Old Covenant offered up the sacrifice of animals in service to repentant sinners; under the New Covenant, out of response to the Blood of Christ shed for us, we offer up not animals, but ourselves – “living sacrifices” which is our reasonable service (ROM 12:1). We are the authorized Servants of the LORD! Our heart cry is, not our will LORD, but Yours be done!
The LORD has authorized us to preach the Gospel, to disciple believers, to wield authority over all the power of the enemy.
He has authorized us as ambassadors, priests and warriors – as well as prophets after a New Testament sort (1 COR 14:24-25; 29-32).
When we preach from the Word of God, or teach, or expound on those prophecies that reveal the end times and last days, we are “prophesying” – declaring God’s Word. There were many who, while they weren’t named prophets, nevertheless had a prophetic ministry: David Wilkerson was one, Keith Green was another, Rich Mullins yet another – and like the Old Testament prophets, the New Testament counterparts are rare, and that is because the canon of Scripture is complete. Yet in God’s mercy, though none may read the Scriptures, He sends forth a man who will speak it to the faces of the unrepentant – out of compassion for lost souls who are standing on the brink of eternal condemnation.
Where We Stand In The Authority of CHRIST –
In GENESIS 3:15 God declares that “seed of the woman” will “crush the head of the serpent”. Christ shall crush the enemy under His feet; we are all of us members of the body of Christ. We who are born of God’s Spirit called out of the world and into the body of Christ, baptized into Christ! In the body of Christ, some are hands, some are feet, or eyes, ears, hearts or mouths (I think I’m a mouth [a BIG mouth]!). But whatever member you are in the body of Christ, you are IN the body. This prophecy says that Christ’s foot shall crush the serpent, so Satan is under Christ’s body, therefore the victory Christ has over the enemy is also ourvictory –
ROMANS 16:20
20 And the God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen.
This is something we must always remember in our battles against the enemy: while there still may be battles to fight, the WAR WAS WON ALREADY By CHRIST on the CROSS!
The Anointing of the Holy Spirit –
JOHN 3:34-35
34 For he whom God hath sent speaketh the words of God: for God giveth not the Spirit by measure unto him. 35 The Father loveth the Son, and hath given all things into his hand.
In ISAIAH 61:1-3 it speaks of what the MESSIAH’s mission would be; what He would accomplish by the power of the Holy Spirit’s anointing. See also ISAIAH 35:6: In ISAIAH it was prophesied that the Messiah would heal the dumb so that they could speak. The word for “dumb” is “to bind up, to muzzle” – biblical scholars believe this to mean demonic possession, preventing the victim from speaking and revealing the demon’s name, which the Jewish exorcists required in order to expel it.
It was said, according to ISAIAH 35:6, that the Messiah would cast out these sort of demons – and Jesus did this at least twice that we know of (MATT 9:33; 12:22). The Father authorized the Son, as the Messiah, to accomplish these things.
This same anointing is upon us, His saints – but with a difference: Christ had no sin nature to get in the way of the Spirit’s work through Him, whereas we still have our sin nature, and to the degree that we are walking in the flesh, walking in sin, living unsanctified lives, to that same degree the Spirit of God is limited in how much He can use us.
We want to glorify God as much as possible, right? So, may this truth encourage us to pursue the LORD, beseeching Him to sanctify us, instilling holiness (“vivification”) as we intentionally go to the cross, and die to the sin nature (“mortification”) in greater and greater degrees! This will allow the Spirit of God to work powerfully and freely in us, unimpeded, His saints, and bring greater and greater glory to our LORD Jesus Christ!
See ROMANS 6th Chapter.
By doing so, we are vessels of honor, sanctified and acceptable for the Master’s use (2 TIM 2:21) for the preaching of the Gospel, for the discipling of the saints; for reading, understanding and applying the Word of God to walk in holiness and obedience; for engaging in the enemy’s forces and wreaking havoc in Satan’s domain: Christ’s Commando’s!
See the following to elaborate the above points:
There is therefore now no condemnation: The simple declaration of no condemnationcomes to those who are in Christ Jesus. Since God the Father does not condemn Jesus, neither can the Father condemn those who are in Jesus. They are not condemned, they will not be condemned, and they cannot be condemned.
i. Paul’s therefore is important. It means that what he says comes from a logical argument. It’s as if Paul begins, “I can prove what I say here.” This is what he proves: if we are one with Jesus and He is our head, we can’t be condemned. You can’t acquit the head and condemn the hand. You can’t drown the foot as long as the head is out of water. Joined to Him, we hear the verdict: “no condemnation.”
ii. In Christ: “This phrase imports, that there is a mystical and spiritual union betwixt Christ and believers. This is sometimes expressed by Christ being in them… and here by their being in Christ. Christ is in believers by His Spirit, and believers are in Christ by faith.” (Poole)
iii. The verdict is not “less condemnation.” That’s where many believe they are – thinking our standing has improved in Jesus. It has not been improved, it’s been completely transformed, changed to a status of no condemnation.
iv. We perhaps need to consider the flip side: If you are not in Jesus Christ, there is condemnation for you. “It is no pleasant task to us to have to speak of this matter; but who are we that we should ask for pleasant tasks? What God hath witnessed in Scripture is the sum and substance of what the Lord’s servants are to testify to the people. If you are not in Christ Jesus, and are walking after the flesh, you have not escaped from condemnation.” (Spurgeon)
b. No condemnation: This place of confidence and peace comes after the confusion and conflict that marked Romans 7. Now Paul looks to Jesus and he finds his standing in Him. But this chapter is more than just the answer to Romans 7; it ties together thoughts from the very beginning of the letter.
i. Romans 8 begins with no condemnation; it ends with no separation, and in between there is no defeat.
c. Who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit: These words are not found in the earliest ancient manuscripts of the Book of Romans and they do not agree with the flow of Paul’s context here. They were probably added by a copyist who either made a mistake or thought he could “help” Paul by adding these words from Romans 8:4.
i. While it is true that those who are in Christ should not and do not consistently walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit, this is not a condition for their status of no condemnation. Our position in Jesus Christ is the reason for our standing of no condemnation.
ii. “The most learned men assure us that it is no part of the original text. I cannot just now go into the reasons for this conclusion, but they are very good and solid. The oldest copies are without it, the versions do not sustain it, and the fathers who quoted abundance of Scripture do not quote this sentence.” (Spurgeon)
d. No condemnation: We receive this glorious declaration from God’s court. We receive it though we certainly deserve condemnation. We receive this standing because Jesus bore the condemnation we deserved and our identity is now in Him. As He is condemned no more, neither are we.
2. (2-4) The contrast between life in the Spirit and life in the flesh.
For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh, that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.
a. The law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death: The law of the sin and deathwas a strong and seemingly absolute law. Every sin we commit and every cemetery we see proves it. But the law of the Spirit of life in Christ is stronger still, and the law of the Spiritfrees us from the law of sin and death.
i. We are free from the law of sin. Though he inevitably does, the Christian does not have to sin, because he is freed from sin’s dominion. We are free from the law of death; death therefore no longer has any lasting power against the believer.
ii. Romans 8:1 tells us we are free from the guilt of sin. Romans 8:2 tells us we are free from the power of sin.
b. For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh: The law can do many things. It can guide us, teach us, and tell us about God’s character. But the law cannot give energy to our flesh; it can give us the standard, but it can’t give us the power to please God.
i. Morris, quoting Manson: “Moses’ law has right but not might; sin’s law has might but not right; the law of the Spirit has both right and might.”
ii. “The law is weak to us, because we are weak to it: the sun cannot give light to blind eye, not from any impotency in itself, but merely from the incapacity of the subject it shines upon.” (Poole)
c. In that it was weak through the flesh: The law is weak because it speaks to our flesh. It comes to fleshly men and speaks to them as fleshly men. But the work of the Spirit transforms us by the crucifixion of the old man and it imparts the new man – a principle higher than the flesh.
i. “A vine does not produce grapes by Act of Parliament; they are the fruit of the vine’s own life; so the conduct which conforms to the standard of the Kingdom is not produced by any demand, not even God’s, but is the fruit of that divine nature which God gives as the result of what he has done in and by Christ.” (Hooke)
d. What the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son: The law could not defeat sin; it could only detect sin. Only Jesus can defeat sin, and He did just that through His work on the cross.
e. By sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh: In order to defeat sin, Jesus had to identify with those bound by it, by coming in the likeness of sinful flesh. Under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, Paul carefully chose his words here, indicating that Jesus was not sinful flesh, but He identified with it entirely.
i. We could not say that Jesus came in sinful flesh, because He was sinless. We could not say that Jesus came in the likeness of flesh, because He really was human, not just like a human. But we can say that Jesus came in the likeness of sinful flesh because although He was human, He was not sinful in Himself.
ii. He condemned sin in the flesh: Sin was condemnedin the flesh of Jesus as He bore the condemnation we deserved. Since we are in Christ, the condemnation we deserve passes us over.
f. That the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us: Because Jesus fulfilled the righteous requirement of the law, and because we are in Christ, we fulfill the law. The law is fulfilled in us in regard to obedience, because Jesus’ righteousness stands for ours. The law is fulfilled in us in regard to punishment, because any punishment demanded by the law was poured out upon Jesus.
i. Paul does not say that wefulfill the righteous requirement of the law. He carefully says that the righteous requirement of the law is fulfilled in us. It isn’t fulfilled by us, but in us.
ii. Simply put, Jesus is our substitute. Jesus was treated as a sinner so we can be treated as righteous.
g. In us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit: The people who enjoy this are those who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. Their life is marked by obedience to the Holy Spirit, not by obedience to the flesh.
i. God wants the Spirit to rule over our flesh. When we allow the flesh to reign over the Spirit, we find ourselves bound by the sinful patterns and desperation that marked Paul’s life in his “Romans 7” struggle. Our walk – the pattern of our life – must be according to the Spirit, not according to the flesh.
ii. Walking in the Spiritmeans that the course, the direction, the progress of one’s life is directed by the Holy Spirit. It is continued and progressive motion.
iii. “Observe carefully that the flesh is there: he does not walk after it, but it is there. It is there, striving and warring, vexing and grieving, and it will be there till he is taken up into heaven. It is there as an alien and detested force, and not there so as to have dominion over him. He does not walk after it, nor practically obey it. He does not accept it as his guide, nor allow it to drive him into rebellion.” (Spurgeon)
3. (5-8) The futility of trying to please God in the flesh.
For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God.
a. Set their minds on the things of the flesh: Paul gives an easy way for us to determine if we walk in the Spirit or walk in the flesh – to simply see where our mind is set. The mind is the strategic battleground where the flesh and the Spirit fight.
i. We shouldn’t think those who set their minds on the things of the flesh are only notorious sinners. They may be noble people who have good intentions. Peter meant well when he told Jesus to avoid the cross, but Jesus responded to Peter with these strong words: you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men(Matthew 16:23).
b. For to be carnally minded is death: When our minds are set on the things of the flesh (carnally minded) we bring death into our lives. But walking in the Spirit brings life and peace.
i. We must, however, guard against a false spirituality and see that Paul means the flesh insofar as it is an instrument in our rebellion against God. Paul is not talking about normal physical and emotional needs we may think about, only the sinful gratification of those needs.
c. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: The flesh battles against God because it does not want to be crucified and surrendered to the Lord Jesus Christ. It does not want to live out Galatians 5:24: those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. In this battle to tame the flesh, the law is powerless.
i. Paul didn’t say that the carnal mind was at enmity with God – he put it even stronger than that. The carnal mind is enmity against God. “It is not black, but blackness; it is not at enmity, but enmity itself; it is not corrupt, but corruption; it is not rebellious, it is rebellion; it is not wicked, it is wickedness itself. The heart, though it be deceitful, is positively deceit; it is evil in the concrete, sin in the essence, it is the distillation, the quintessence of all things that are vile; it is not envious against God, it is envy; it is not at enmity, it is actual enmity.” (Spurgeon)
d. It is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be: We can try to do good in life without being subject to the law of God. We may hope to put God “in debt” to us by good works, thinking God owes us. But it doesn’t work. In the flesh we cannot please God, even if the flesh does religious things that are admired by men.
i. Newell on Romans 8:7: “Perhaps no one text of Scripture more completely sets forth the hideously lost state of man after the flesh.”
4. (9-11) Christians are empowered to live in the Spirit.
But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His. And if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.
a. But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you: Because the Holy Spirit is given to each believer when they are born again, every Christian has within themselves a principle higher and more powerful than the flesh.
i. “Many sincere people are yet spiritually under John the Baptist’s ministry of repentance. Their state is practically that of the struggle of Romans Seven, where neither Christ nor the Holy Spirit is mentioned, but only a quickened but undelivered soul in struggle under a sense of ‘duty,’ not a sense of full acceptance in Christ and sealing by the Holy Spirit.” (Newell)
b. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His: This means every believer has the Holy Spirit. It is a misnomer to divide Christians among the “Spirit-filled” and the “non-Spirit-filled.” If a person is not filled with the Holy Spirit, they are not a Christian at all.
i. However, many do miss out on living the Christian life in the constant fullness of the Spirit because they are not constantly being filled with the Holy Spirit as Paul commanded in Ephesians 5:18. They have no experience of what Jesus spoke about when He described rivers of living water flowing from the believer (John 7:37-39).
ii. How does one know that they have the Spirit? Ask these questions:
· Has the Spirit led you to Jesus?
· Has the Spirit put in you the desire to honor Jesus?
· Is the Spirit leading you to be more like Jesus?
· Is the Spirit at work in your heart?
c. And if the Spirit of Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin: Because Jesus lives in us, the old man (body) is dead, but the Spirit lives and reigns, and will live out His salvation even through our mortal bodies through resurrection.
i. Not only are we in Christ(Romans 8:1), but He also is in you, and because God cannot abide a sinful home, the body (old man) had to die when Jesus came in.
B. Our obligation: to live in the Spirit.
1. (12-13) Our debt is to the Spirit, not to the flesh.
Therefore, brethren, we are debtors; not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.
a. We are debtors – to the flesh, to live according to the flesh: The flesh (again, in the narrow sense of sinful flesh in rebellion against God) gave us nothing good. So we have no obligation to oblige or pamper it. Our debt is to the Lord, not to the flesh.
b. For if you live according to the flesh you will die: Paul constantly reminds us that living after the flesh ends in death. We need the reminder because we are often deceived into thinking that the flesh offers us life.
c. By the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body: When we put to death the deeds of the body (force the sinful flesh to submit to the Spirit), we must do it by the Spirit. Otherwise we will become like the Pharisees and spiritually proud.
i. Paul tells us that not only are we saved by the work of the Spirit, but we also must walk by the Spirit if we want to grow and pursue holiness in the Lord. We cannot be like some among the Galatians who thought they could beginin the Spirit but then find spiritual perfection through the flesh (Galatians 3:3).
2. (14-15) Living in the Spirit means living as a child of God.
For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.”
a. These are the sons of God: It is only fitting that the sons of God should be led by the Spirit of God. However, we should not think that being led by the Spiritis a pre-condition to being a son of God. Instead, we become sons first and then the Spirit of God leads us.
i. Paul didn’t say, “As many as go to church, these are the sons of God.” He didn’t say, “As many as read their Bibles, these are the sons of God.” He didn’t say, “As many as are patriotic Americans, these are the sons of God.” He didn’t say, “As many as take communion, these are the sons of God.” In this text, the test for sonship is whether or not a person is led by the Spirit of God.
ii. How does the Holy Spirit lead us?
· We are led by guidance.
· We are led by drawing.
· We are led by governing authority.
· We are led as we cooperate with the leading. “It does not say, ‘As many as are driven by the Spirit of God.’ No, the devil is a driver, and when he enters either into men or into hogs he drives them furiously. Remember how the whole herd ran violently down a steep place into the sea. Whenever you see a man fanatical and wild, whatever spirit is in him it is not the Spirit of Christ.” (Spurgeon)
iii. Where does the Holy Spirit lead us?
· He leads us to repentance.
· He leads us to think little of self and much of Jesus.
· He leads us into truth.
· He leads us into love.
· He leads us into holiness.
· He leads us into usefulness.
b. For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption: Living as a child of God means an intimate, joyful relationship with God, not like the bondage and fear demonstrated by the law. A child of God can have a relationship with God so close that they may cry out, Abba, Father! (Daddy!)
c. We cry out, “Abba, Father.” It is easy for us to think of Jesus relating to the Father with this joyful confidence, but we may think we are disqualified for it. However, remember that we are in Christ – we have the privilege of relating to the Father even as Jesus Christ does.
i. “In the Roman world of the first century AD an adopted son was a son deliberately chosen by his adoptive father to perpetuate his name and inherit his estate; he was no whit inferior in status to a son born in the ordinary course of nature.” (Bruce)
ii. Under Roman adoption, the life and standing of the adopted child changed completely. The adopted son lost all rights in his old family and gained all new rights in his new family; the old life of the adopted son was completely wiped out, with all debts being canceled, with nothing from his past counting against him any more.
3. (16) The evidence we are children of God: the testimony of the Holy Spirit.
The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God,
a. The Spirit Himself bears witness to our spirit that we are children of God: Plainly put, Paul says that those who are God’s children, born again by the Spirit of God, know their status because the Holy Spirit testifies to our spirit that this is so.
i. This is not to say that there are not those who wrongly think or assume they are God’s children apart from the Spirit’s testimony. There are also Christians whose heads are so foggy from spiritual attack that they begin to believe the lie that they are not God’s children after all. Nevertheless the witness of the Spirit is still there.
b. We are children of God: We don’t have to wonder if we are really Christians or not. God’s children know who they are.
i. Jewish law stated that at the mouth of two or three witnesses everything had to be established (Deuteronomy 17:6). There are two witnesses to our salvation: our own witness and the witness of the Spirit.
4. (17) The benefits and responsibilities of being God’s children.
And if children, then heirs; heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.
a. And if children, then heirs: Because we are in Christ, we have the privilege of relating to the Father as Jesus does. Therefore, we are heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ.
i. Being a child of God also means having an inheritance. In Luke 18:18 the rich young ruler asked Jesus, “what must I do to inherit?” But the rich young ruler missed the point because inheritance is not a matter of doing, it is a matter of being – of being in the right family.
b. If indeed we suffer with Him: Because we are in Christ, we are also called to share in His suffering. God’s children are not immune from trials and suffering.
c. If indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together: In fact, our sharing in present suffering is a condition of our future glorification. As far as God is concerned, it is all part of the same package of sonship, no matter how much our flesh may want to have the inheritance and the glory without the suffering.
C. Life in the Spirit makes us able to understand and endure suffering.
1. (18) Paul’s analysis of the present suffering and our future glory: they cannot be compared to each other.
For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.
a. For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared: Paul was not ignorant or blind to the sufferings of human existence; he experienced more of them than most any of us today. Yet he still considered that the future glory far outweighed the present sufferings.
b. The glory which shall be revealed in us: Without a heavenly hope, Paul considered the Christian life foolish and tragic (1 Corinthians 15:19). Yet in light of eternity it is the wisest and best choice anyone can make.
c. Revealed in us: This coming glory will not only be revealed tous, but it will actually be revealed in us.
i. God has put this glory into the believer right now. In heaven the glory will simply be revealed. “The glory will be revealed, not created. The implication is that it is already existent, but not apparent.” (Morris)
2. (19-22) All of creation is awaiting and anticipating this coming glory.
For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope; because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now.
a. The earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits: Paul considers that creation itself is eagerly awaiting the revealing of the sons of God. This is because the creation was subjected to futility on account of man’s sin, and will benefit from the ultimate redemption of men.
i. Isaiah 11:6-9 describes this redemption of creation in that day: The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, the leopard shall lie down with the young goat, the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them. The cow and the bear shall graze; their young ones shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. The nursing child shall play by the cobra’s hole, and the weaned child shall put his hand in the viper’s den. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain, for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the sea.
b. Him who subjected it in hope: Only God could subject creation in hope. This was not ultimately the work of either man or Satan.
c. The glorious liberty of the children of God: This benefits not only the children of God themselves, but also all of creation. Until that day, creation groans and labors with birth pangs.
d. The revealing of the sons of God: Certain groups with a “super-Christian” mentality take the idea of the revealing of the sons of God to say that all creation is waiting for their particular group of super-spiritual Christians to be revealed in an incredibly powerful fashion. This is a purely egotistical fantasy.
e. The whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now: “Creation is not undergoing death pangs… but birth pangs.” (Morris)
3. (23-25) We also groan and wait with perseverance for the coming glory.
Not only that, but we also who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body. For we were saved in this hope, but hope that is seen is not hope; for why does one still hope for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with perseverance.
a. Who have the firstfruits of the Spirit: This means we have a taste of the glory to come. Can we be faulted if we long for the fulfillment of what we have received in the firstfruits?
b. Eagerly waiting for the adoption: We are waiting for our adoption. Although there is a sense in which we are already adopted (Romans 8:15), there is also a sense in which we wait for the consummation of our adoption which will happen at the redemption of our body.
i. God does not ignore our physical bodies in His plan of redemption. His plan for these bodies is resurrection, when this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality(1 Corinthians 15:53).
c. We eagerly wait for it with perseverance: The fulfillment of our redemption is something still distant, yet we hope for it in faith and perseverance, trusting that God is faithful to His word and the promised glory will be a reality.
i. Morris on perseverance: “It is the attitude of the soldier who in the thick of battle is not dismayed but fights on stoutly whatever the difficulties.”
4. (26-27) God’s help through the Spirit is available to us now.
Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God.
a. Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses: When we are weak, and do not know exactly how we should pray, God Himself (through the Holy Spirit) helps by making intercession for us.
b. Groanings which cannot be uttered: This help from the Spirit may include praying with the spiritual gift of tongues (1 Corinthians 14:2, 14-15), but it is certainly not limited to praying in an unknown tongue.
i. The idea is simply of communication beyond our ability to express. The deep groanings within us cannot be articulated apart from the interceding work of the Holy Spirit.
ii. This, of course, is the purpose of the gift of tongues – to enable us to communicate with God in a manner that is not limited to our own knowledge or ability to articulate our heart before God. The purpose of tongues is not to prove that we are “filled with the Spirit” or to prove that we are especially spiritual.
c. According to the will of God: The Holy Spirit’s help in intercession is perfect because He searches the hearts of those whom He helps, and He is able to guide our prayers according to the will of God.
5. (28-30) God’s help is an enduring promise; He has the ability to work all things for good and to see us through to glorification.
And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.
a. And we know that all things work together for good: God’s sovereignty and ability to manage every aspect of our lives is demonstrated in the fact that all things work together for good to those who love God, though we must face the sufferings of this present time (Romans 8:18). God is able to make even those sufferings work together for our good and His good.
b. All things: God is able to work all things, not some things. He works them for good together, not in isolation. This promise is for those who love God in the Biblical understanding of love, and God manages the affairs of our life because we are called according to His purpose.
c. For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son: The eternal chain of God’s working is seen in the connection between foreknew, predestined, called, justified, and glorified. God didn’t begin a work in the Romans simply to abandon them in the midst of their present suffering.
i. “Paul is saying that God is the author of our salvation, and that from beginning to end. We are not to think that God can take action only when we graciously give him permission.” (Morris)
ii. “Of course I believe in predestination, since it’s plainly taught in the Scriptures. The doctrine could be assumed, even if the word was never explicitly used. It’s a thrilling truth that doesn’t upset me at all. The fact that He chose me and began a good work in me proves that He’ll continue to perform it. He wouldn’t bring me this far and then dump me.” (Smith)
d. To be conformed to the image of His Son: However, our participation in this eternal plan is essential, reflected in its goal: that we might be conformed to the image of His Son; and this is a process that God does with our cooperation, not something He just “does” to us.
e. That He might be the firstborn among many brethren: This is the reason for God’s plan. He adopts us into His family (Romans 8:15) for the purpose of making us like Jesus Christ, similar to Him in the perfection of His humanity.
D. The triumphant victory of the life in the Spirit.
1. (31) Paul begins his conclusion to this section: If God be for us, who can be against us?
What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?
a. If God is for us, who can be against us? If all we had were the first few chapters of the Book of Romans, some might believe that God was against us. Now that Paul has shown the lengths that God went to save man from His wrath and equip him for victory over sin and death, who can doubt that God is for us?
i. “Our weak hearts, prone to legalism and unbelief, receive these words with great difficulty: God is for us… They have failed Him; but He is for them. They are ignorant; but He is for them. They have not yet brought forth much fruit; but He is forthem.” (Newell)
ii. Most all men say or think that God is for them – terrorists commit horrible crimes thinking that God is for them. Nevertheless, the Holy Spirit guards this statement with an “if,” so we may know that just because a man thinks God is with him does not make it so. God is only for us if we are reconciled to Him through Jesus Christ.
b. Who can be against us?Likewise, despite the suffering Christians face, if God is for them, what does it matter if others are against them? One person plus God makes an unconquerable majority.
i. We certainly can be deceived into thinking that God is for us when He actually is not (as do cultists and those like them). Yet it cannot be denied that for those who are in Jesus Christ, God is for them!
2. (32) Evidence that God is for us: the gift of Jesus Christ.
He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?
a. He who did not spare His own Son: If the Father already gave His ultimate gift, how can we think that He won’t give us the smaller gifts?
3. (33-39) The security of the believer in God’s love.
Who shall bring a charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written:
“For Your sake we are killed all day long;
We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.”
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.
a. Who shall bring a charge against God’s elect? We are secure from every charge against us. If we are declared “not guilty” by the highest Judge, who can bring an additional charge?
b. Who is he who condemns?We are secure from all condemnation. If Jesus is our advocate, promoting our benefit, then who can condemn us?
c. More than conquerors through Him who loved us: No matter what our circumstances, none of the sufferings of this present time can separate us from the love of God. This makes us conquerors and more.
i. Earle on nakedness: “This term today suggests indecency on parade. Then it meant a lack of clothes simply because one had no ways or means of getting any.”
ii. Sword: This word implies execution. It is the only item on the list that Paul had not yet personally experienced (1 Corinthians 4:11, 15:30).
d. More than conquerors: How is the Christian more than a conqueror?
· He overcomes with a greater power, the power of Jesus.
· He overcomes with a greater motive, the glory of Jesus.
· He overcomes with a greater victory, losing nothing even in the battle.
· He overcomes with a greater love, conquering enemies with love and converting persecutors with patience.
e. Nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord: Nothing which appears to be good or nothing which appears to be evil can separate us from the love of God.
- only way we can have confidence in our authority over the enemy is to know and walk in the light of the written Word of God.
- God sent Jesus to the earth to redeem mankind and to restore to man his lost dominion and authority on this earth. And as man exercises the authority he has been given in Christ, he fulfills God’s plan and will upon the earth.
- Jesus explained to Kenneth Hagin that rulers of darkness also try to rule over believers who are not walking in the light of their redemption, or who don’t know or don’t exercise their rights and privileges in Christ. Jesus told me that according to His Word, believers are to take authority over these first three classes of demons: principalities, powers, and the rulers of the darkness of this world. He said that if we on earth will bind the operation of the first three classes of demons, according to His Word, He will deal with the fourth class of demons — spiritual wickedness in high places. He gave me Matthew 18:18 to substantiate this. MATTHEW 18:18 Whatsoever ye shall BIND ON EARTH shall be bound in heaven [the heavenlies]: and whatsoever ye shall LOOSE ON EARTH shall be loosed in heaven [the heavenlies]. We are to bind evil spirits in their operation against us in Jesus’ Name, based on the authority of God’s Word (Luke 10:19; Phil. 2:9, 10; Isa. 54:17; Rev. 12:11). That is what Matthew 18:18 means. As we stand in our authority in Christ and bind the operation of the first three classes of evil spirits here in the realm of earth, that stops them in their operation against us. When we do that, then Jesus said He will deal with the highest class of demons, spiritual wickedness ruling in the high places.
- Evil spirits will dominate believers, if they allow them to — by consent, ignorance, or disobedience. That’s the reason people, including believers, do certain things and don’t know why they do them.
- Walking in the light of God’s Word ensures protection against all of Satan’s evil hosts.
- As long as you are in your body, you will have the desires of the fleshly carnal nature and the unredeemed soul to control.And that is the realm where Satan tries to gain access to man.
- With my spirit, I contact the spiritual realm. With my soul, I contact the intellectual and emotional realm. With my body, I contact the physical realm.
- Keeping your body subject to your spirit is one of the primary ways you protect yourself against the enemy and actually it is one of your greatest defenses against Satan.
- Talk and dwell on the Word, not on your problems, and the devil won’t have much to work with in your life.
POWER AND AUTHORITY
Jesus succeeded in securing all power by going to the cross, dying a horrible death, suffering the penalty for sin, and defeating Satan in the pit of hell. He came to earth as a man for one reason: to re-capture the authority that Satan had stolen through Adam’s disobedience in the garden. Jesus was called the last Adam (1 Cor. 15:45). After securing that power and authority, He freely gave it over into the hands of those who would believe on Him–you and me.
It is not enough for us to simply accept Jesus’ work at Calvary. We are held responsible for much more. Jesus’ words in the 16th chapter of Mark were not intended for the early church alone. His words are just as vital and real today as when they were first spoken.
Jesus appeared to His disciples after His resurrection from the dead. His words to them form the basic foundation for the work of the New Testament church. It was at that time that He delegated the authority to carry out that work. Beginning in verse 15, Jesus said:
Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.
And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.
#2 – WE HAVE AUTHORITY TO PREACH THE GOSPEL
Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. Every born-again believer has the authority and responsibility to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ in this earth. If you can’t go, then you can send someone in your place.
And these signs shall follow them that believe….I want you to notice who is to do all these things: them that believe. The signs will follow the believers who act in faith and boldly speak in Jesus’ name. THEY shall cast out devils; THEY shall speak with new tongues; THEY shall lay hands on the sick, etc. The believer is the one with the power and authority to do these things.
Verse 20 says, They went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. God will confirm His Word, but first it has to be put forth. That is where you and I come in. God does not preach; He has given us the authority to do the preaching. God will not lay hands on the sick. He will bring the healing, but you and I as believers must lay hands on the sick by faith, believing that God will perform His Word.
#3 – WE HAVE AUTHORITY TO STAND AGAINST SATAN
One of the most vital areas of the believer’s authority is his power to successfully stand against Satan. Ephesians 4:27 says, Neither give place to the devil. In the sixth chapter of Ephesians, the Apostle Paul describes the armor that we as believers are to wear in combat against Satan. He explains each piece of that armor. It is the armor of God. But not once does he say that God will put the armor on you or that God will fight the devil for you. YOU is the understood subject of these verses. He says, “YOU be strong in the Lord. YOU put on the whole armor of God that YOU will be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. YOU take the whole armor of God that YOU may be able to withstand in the evil day; and having done all, YOU stand.” God has given you the power and the authority to stand against Satan and his destructive works. He has provided the armor, but it is your responsibility as a believer to put on that armor and stand against the devil. James 4:7 says, YOU resist the devil, and he will flee from YOU. The armor and the weapons are at your disposal. God is there with you to back His Word; but all is worthless unless you take your position of authority and assume the responsibility to use what He has provided. You have the power and the authority to take the Word of God, the name of Jesus, and the power of the Holy Spirit and run Satan out of your affairs. Don’t pray and ask God to fight Satan for you. You are the one in authority. Take your responsibility and speak directly to Satan yourself and stand your ground firmly. He will flee!
#4 – WE ARE SEATED WITH HIM IN HIGH AUTHORITY
In the first chapter of Ephesians, Paul prayed a prayer for the body of believers in Ephesus. One part of that prayer was that they know the exceeding greatness of his power to those who believe (Eph. 1:19). That exceeding great power is the same power that God used to raise Jesus from the dead and set Him at His own right hand in the heavenlies. Ephesians 1:21 tells us that Jesus is seated far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named.
The work God did in Jesus was supreme. He raised Jesus from the dead and set Him far above all other authority–not only in this world, but also in the heavenly world. Then verse 22 says that God has put ALL things under His feet and made Him head over the church which is His body. Where are the feet? They are in the body. As believers, we are part of His body and we are seated with Him in that highly exalted place of authority. Praise God! Look at Ephesians, chapter two:
And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins…Even when we were dead in sins, (God) hath quickened us together with Christ…And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus (Eph. 2:1,5,6).
We are seated together with Him. Where? Far above all principality and power and might and dominion. As a believer, you have accepted the substitutionary sacrifice of Jesus at Calvary. Therefore, you are a part of His body and are seated with Him in that heavenly place, equipped with the same power, the same authority that He has.
The great power that God worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead is the same creative power of God that worked in you to make you alive when you were dead in your trespasses and sins. The moment you made Jesus Christ the Lord of your life, that same power was exercised on your dead, unregenerate spirit, causing it to be reborn in the likeness of God Himself. Any man who is in Christ Jesus is a new creation: old things have passed away, all things are new, and all things are of God (2 Cor. 5:17).
“As believers, we are part of His body and we are seated with Him in that highly exalted place of authority.”
#5 – WE HAVE THE POWER OF GOD’S WORD TO EXERCISE OUR AUTHORITY
And the same day, when the even was come, he saith unto them, Let us pass over unto the other side.
And when they had sent away the multitude, they took him even as he was in the ship. And there were also with him other little ships. And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so that it was now full. And he was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow: and they awoke him, and say unto him, Master, carest thou not that we perish? And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.
And he said unto them, Why are you so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith? (Mark 4:35-40).
Jesus spoke the words, Let us pass over unto the other side, and there was enough power and authority in those words to accomplish the job. One thing I want you to notice is that Jesus did not take command of the ship to see that His words were carried out. He walked to the back of the boat and went to sleep. Jesus delegated the authority to His disciples and they accepted it. But when the storm came, they were filled with fear that the boat would sink. Jesus had to carry out the responsibility of authority that he had delegated to them by rebuking the wind and the sea.
“You have the power and the authority to take the Word of God, the name of Jesus, and the power of the Holy Spirit and run Satan out of your affairs.”
I want you to see the parallel here. You are the captain of your ship. You have control over your own life–your spirit, your soul, and your body. Jesus has delegated power, or authority over Satan to you as a believer. You are to give him no place in your life. You are born of the Spirit of God. You are filled with the Spirit of God. You have been given the Word of God. Those three elements are enough for you to carry out your spiritual authority here in the earth. You don’t need any more power. You have all the power necessary. You simply have to exercise your authority. Jesus has already done everything necessary to secure the authority and power over sin, sickness, demons, and fear. You have to employ the faith action to receive that authority and join forces with Him in this earth. You are the one to be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.
#6 – WE HAVE AUTHORITY TO ACT AS NEW CREATIONS
Hebrews 2:14 says, Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same. Jesus partook of flesh and blood, so that you could partake of spirit and life. For you to partake of that spirit and life, you must take the responsibility of standing in the place of authority as the new creation in Christ Jesus that you are. You are born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the Word of God (1 Pet. 1:23). It was the Word of Almighty God that was injected into your spirit man to bring about the new birth in your life. When the church was first beginning, Acts 12:24 described it as the Word growing and multiplying. The Word is in you, but you are the one who must be willing to allow it to work in you.
Ephesians 4:21-24 says, If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus: That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.
You are the one in authority. It is your responsibility to put off the old man–the unregenerate man that you were before you accepted Jesus. The Holy Spirit does the actual work in you, but you must make the decision to allow Him to do it. God has never forced His will on any person. YOU put off the old man. YOU use the Word of God to renew your mind. YOU put on the new man, which is created in righteousness and true holiness.
#7 – WE CAN MINISTER AND WALK FROM A POINT OF AUTHORITY
God’s power is in His Word. He is upholding all things by the word of His power (Heb. 1:3). You need to learn to minister and walk from a point of authority. In His earthly ministry, Jesus said such things as “Be thou made whole.” “Take up your bed and walk.” Then to a lame man Peter said in Acts 3:6, “In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk.” He too ministered and spoke from a point of authority.
“He came to earth as a man for one reason: to re-capture the authority that Satan had stolen through Adam’s disobedience in the garden.”
It’s time for you as a believer to begin to act that way. You have obtained an inheritance, and in that inheritance you have been given all authority. The God of the universe lives inside you! He lives and walks in you. Become God-inside-minded and you will begin to walk in this point of authority.
Keep right on building yourself up in your inheritance. You live in a world that is full of evil influences. Satan wants to see to it that you forget the reality of being born again. He wants to see to it that you never realize your place of authority in Christ Jesus, because if you do, that power you walk in makes you absolutely dangerous to him. He has no defense against you when you walk in the power of God’s Word.
When you see in the Word that you are in Christ Jesus, that you are in Him, then confess it with all of your heart. Then you will be strong, standing in a point of authority and operating in your inheritance in Him. As you do this, the power of God will always be available to work in your behalf. Praise God!
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