Let’s Start Here
In the beginning the earth was given to man. Gen. 1:26-28. “And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.”
David acknowledges this in Psa 8:4-8 and also the writer of Hebrews in Heb 2:6.
Who was given the charge of the earth?
Man was to subdue the earth, not to submit to it. Psa. 115:16 “The heaven, even the heavens are the Lord’s: but the earth He hath given to the children of men”. If things on the earth got out of line, he was to bring them back in. Adam was to take authority over the earth and run it the way God wanted. He was the god of this world just as Satan was called “the god of this world” when he usurped it from Adam. 2Co. 4:4 “In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.” Why didn't God just do it Himself? Look at notes Eze 37:4.
Man was designed to live forever. Every cell in your body mostly re-creates itself every 7-15 years. Adam had the opportunity to eat of the tree of life and live forever but he chose instead the tree of the knowledge of "good and evil" which actually means "blessings and calamity". In the Hebrew the word evil is pronounced rah, raw-aw meaning adversity, affliction, bad, calamity, grief, distress, evil, exceedingly great harm, and hurt or trouble. God told him in Gen. 2:17 But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil Gen. 3:22, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die”. Yes, you will gain knowledge, the knowledge of calamity. Boy, that was a dumb choice! Now we know Adam didn't die bodily, he died spiritually.
Now it is our Job
Now, we are to take care of the Earth as God intended for Adam to do. Adam was made in the exact likeness of God: a duplication to look like Him (image) and to act like Him (likeness). So, he was well qualified until he fell. We, who are born again Christians, are supposed to take care of it through Jesus because He is the one who bought back the earth. Jesus said in Mat. 28:18 “And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. ” As Adam was well qualified by God, so are we well qualified by Jesus. He has told us that we have all power over all power of the enemy Luk.10:19 “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.” Mat.18:18-19 “ Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven.” These are but a few of the powerful verses stating who we are when we are in Christ.
Satan seduced Eve and convinced her that she would be like God knowing good and evil. Gen. 3:1 “Now the serpent was more subtle than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden? And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die. (It seems to me that Adam was so adamant about her not eating the fruit that he told her to not even touch it) And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil. And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.” Eve was experiencing the sin of 1Jn. 2:16 “ For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh (The tree was good for food), and the lust of the eyes (Pleasant to the eyes), and the pride of life (A tree to be desired to make one wise), is not of the Father, but is of the world. ”
Eve was so excited about being as a God, she didn’t pay any attention to the part about knowing calamity. Adam already knew how to speak blessings, he only learned cursings. Eve thought about what the Devil had said, then when she was convinced, she wanted to taste the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Not wanting to be alone in this, she seduced Adam and he ate also. He chose to listen to his wife and not to God. That was willful disobedience. If he had chosen to resist Eve he knew that she would die and he didn’t want to lose her. If he had just thought, God could have made him another Eve. So now, the world comes under the control of Satan and sin starts its evil trek through the ages.
God drives them from the garden
God drove them from the garden and the tree of life. Gen. 3:24 “So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubim, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life.” Satan wanted Adam to go straight to the tree of life and eat. If he had, everyone would live forever under the curse. Every evil person throughout all history would be alive today: Genghis Kahn, Caligula, Marquis De Sade, Nero, Hitler and etc. This would literally be “hell on earth”. Our “everlasting life” would be one of pain and disease. This would have been the ultimate slap in God’s face. Because of God’s mercy he cut our time short so that we wouldn’t have to live under this curse for long. He also provided a Savior to save us from this curse so that it wouldn’t be forever.
Satan, being a spirit being, had to operate through a living body in order to communicate with Eve. We see evidence of this when we look at all the people in the Bible who were evil. Also, the Demons don’t want to roam without a body Mat. 8:31 “So the devils besought him, saying, If thou cast us out, suffer us to go away into the herd of swine.” Mat. 12:43 “When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest, and findeth none. Then he saith, I will return into my house from whence I came out; and when he is come, he findeth it empty, swept, and garnished. Then goeth he, and taketh with himself seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter in and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first. Even so shall it be also unto this wicked generation.” Since the snake was more crafty or subtle than any other beast, Satan chose a snake. The Bible says that “Now the serpent was more subtle than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made.” Gen. 3:1. Spirits can’t operate independently of man. They must work through a physical body, otherwise this world would be destroyed in a moment of time. Adam turned over the authority of the earth to Satan. By disobeying God, he bowed his knee to Satan. Authority that God gave man was now in the control of a spirit being (Satan).
In order to understand Spiritual Authority you must understand that when God decrees a thing He will never go back on that decree! Num. 23:19 "for God is not a man that He should lie; neither the son of man that He should repent: hath He said, and shall He not do it? or hath He spoken, and shall He not make it good?" He has said that the earth belongs to man therefore He will not usurp that authority but He will use man to do His bidding on the earth. Don’t write this off as heresy until you finish the study. Why didn’t God just come down and subdue Satan? Answer: Because he will not usurp authority on the earth the way Satan did. Why does He tell us to pray always? Why did Jesus tell us to pray to the Father in His name? I hope to answer all of these in this teaching.
Authority had to be restored to man according to Psa. 115:16. God did not create the world to have it remain in sin for all eternity, He created it so that He could fellowship with man. He had to create a way for man to buy back the earth from Satan, so, God implanted His Spirit Seed into a woman so that she might give birth to His Son. Joh. 1:1-3 "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by Him; and without Him was not anything made that was made." The Word left His throne to become a man so that He might buy back the earth legally. Php. 2:5-8 “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross”. He was of no earthly father but of His Heavenly Father. His role was not only to buy back the earth for mankind but to provide a sacrifice that would cleanse man of his sin so that he might inherit eternal life.
The parable of the sheepfold
The tenth chapter of John represents the authority over the earth. The sheepfold is the world and you must come into it through the door (natural birth). Joh. 10:1-6 “ Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. But he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out. And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice. And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers". This parable spake Jesus unto them: but they understood not what things they were which he spake unto them.” Then in Joh.10:7,9 He says “I am the door”. I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture. Jesus entered the sheepfold by the door (Natural birth) and then by His death and resurrection He became the door to everlasting life. This is the second birth or the second door. Nicodemus was told this. “John 3:3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” Adam and Jesus entered by the door (birth) but Satan came in another way.
The scribes and the pharisees asked two questions 1) by what authority, and 2) who gave you this authority to do such things? Mar. 11:28-33 “By what authority doest thou these things? And who gave thee this authority to do these things? And Jesus answered and said unto them, I will also ask of you one question, and answer me, and I will tell you by what authority I do these things. The baptism of John, was it from heaven, or of men? Answer me. And they reasoned with themselves, saying, If we shall say, From heaven; he will say, Why then did ye not believe him? But if we shall say, Of men; they feared the people: for all men counted John was a prophet indeed. And they answered and said unto Jesus. We cannot tell. And Jesus answering saith unto them, Neither do I tell you by what authority I do these things.” Jesus asked them one question that would have answered both of theirs. If they said that his baptism was from heaven then they would have to acknowledge Jesus as the Son of God. Joh. 1:29-30 “The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world. This is he of whom I said, After me cometh a man which is preferred before me: for he was before me.” Jesus’ authority came by being born a man and His anointing or enabling came from God.
The God of This World
We have seen that Adam was the god of this world and then Satan took it away by coercion. When Jesus was tempted in the wilderness by Satan He was told in Luke 4:5 “And the devil, taking him up into a high mountain, showed unto him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. And the devil said unto him, All this power will I give thee, and the glory of them: for that is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it. He was god (prince, ruler, magistrate) of the world so it was his to give Jesus. We are supposed to be gods of this world Psa. 82:1. The word for God or Gods is 'ĕlôhîym (el-o-heem' Plural of H433; gods in the ordinary sense; but specifically used (in the plural thus, especially with the article) of the supreme God; occasionally applied by way of deference to magistrates; and sometimes as a superlative: - angels, X exceeding, God (gods) (-dess, -ly), X (very) great, judges, X mighty), this is the same word used for God. This is nothing to get puffed up about it is simply to understand our responsibility. We’re not deified, just responsible! Paul said in 1Co. 8:5-6 “For though there be that are called gods, whether in heaven or in earth, (as there be gods many, and lords many,) But to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him. Here in 1 Cor. the word is theos (theh'-os Of uncertain affinity; a deity, especially (with G3588) the supreme Divinity; figuratively a magistrate; by Hebraism very: - X exceeding, God, god [-ly],
When Adam forfeited the earth to Satan, the earth had to be redeemed by sacrifice. The sacrifice had to be a human being and one without sin. God gave the earth to the sons of men as was covered before not a spirit being so it had to be taken back as God intended. Since a blood sacrifice had to be made Heb 9:22. There was only one ever that could meet these requirements, Jesus the Christ. Now that Jesus regained the authority over the earth Satan is no longer called the god of this world he then is called the Prince of the power of the air Eph. 2:2 “Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:” He no longer rules the earth, he is now in the air around the earth. Because of Jesus’ obedience to God, all power in heaven and earth was given to Him. Mat. 28:18 “And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.” Now, we can rule through the name of Jesus. Joh. 16:23 “And in that day ye shall ask me nothing. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you.” Joh. 14:12 “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.” When Jesus said, “It is finished”, He meant just that. He had finished His work on earth and commissioned us to take it from there. The problem with Christianity today is, we don’t know who we are and what power we have in the name of Jesus!
We have been made Kings & Priests
Did you ever wonder who the kings were in Rev. 1:5-6? It is us! He made us kings and priests through His blood. “And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. ”
1Co. 6:2-3 “ Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world? And if the world shall be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters? Know ye not that we shall judge angels? How much more things that pertain to this life? How would a just God entrust the governing of Earth to people who don’t know who they are and what power they possess?
Rev. 5:10 “And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.” A Priest is to operate in the spiritual office while the King is to operate in the judicial office. A King/Priest would make just decisions according to the Word of God.
Rev. 2:26-27 “And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations: And he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received of my Father.”
Paul said in Rom. 5:17 “For if by one man’s offense death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.)” The amplified says, “Reign as kings in life through the one Jesus Christ”.
We are seated together with Christ Eph. 2:6 “And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:” What are we seated on and who sits there? We are seated on the throne with Christ.
We have been given authority through His name. Jesus was given all authority in heaven and earth, and He gave us His Name! He said, “Now, you go in my name. You cast out demons. You heal the sick. You raise the dead”. Mar. 16:15-18. The power is not ours it is Jesus’ power through a righteous vessel. A worldly example would be if a billionaire gave you a Power of Attorney to use his name. You would be able to go anywhere and buy anything for you would be doing it in the name of the billionaire!
Understanding Jesus’ authority for us
Hos. 4:6 “My people are destroyed for lack (of a working) knowledge” (of who they are in Christ and how to operate as He operated).
Mat. 16:19 Speaks of binding and loosing. Binding and loosing what? The amplified says, “we can bind on earth whatever is unlawful in heaven (sickness, poverty, etc.), and loose what is lawful in heaven (health, joy, etc.).
When Jesus taught His disciples how to pray He said, “Thy will be done ON EARTH AS IT IS IN HEAVEN”. How is it in heaven?
The power of God is where? IN us, even in our Mouth, just as it was in Jesus’. Rom. 10:8 and read Rom. 10:10.
Jesus spoke to the fig tree Mar. 11:14 “ And Jesus answered and said unto it, No man eat fruit of thee hereafter forever. And his disciples heard it.” And the tree died!
Jesus spoke to the wind and the rain Mar. 4:39 “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.”
What are we supposed to do?
Jesus always spoke the truth (results), never the fact (the way things were). He said: “Ye are the light of the world”Joh. 8:12. Were they then? “Ye are the salt of the earth” Mat. 5:13. Were they then? Jesus told them “As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world” Joh. 9:5. Then he left the world to us to continue what He did with the power of His Holy Spirit. Joh. 17:18 “As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world”. We, as His body, are to do things in the same manner and fashion and even greater things than He did Joh. 14:12 “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.”
God gives us this authority for His use. We should always ask the Lord what He wants us to do and then we have the power to do it. Just as Jesus said “I do nothing but what the Father tells me”. Joh. 5:19. We should do likewise; find what the Father wants and then do it. The disciples wanted to use this power but it was from their own spirit and not from the Lord. They said in Luk. 9:54 “And when his disciples James and John saw this, they said, Lord, wilt thou that we command fire to come down from heaven, and consume them, even as Elias did? They had started understanding who they were in Christ even though they were misguided. Jesus didn’t say, “you’re not able to do that”, He simply rebuked them for wanting to use it the wrong way. How many today are doing the same things. They want the power but don’t go to the Lord first to see what He wants done with it. Joh. 17:6 “I have manifested thy name unto them”. He made God’s names visible to the world and these are but a few:
Jehovah God - “The covenant making God”
Adonai-Jehovah — The Lord our Sovereign
El-Elyon — The Lord Most High
El-Olam — The Everlasting God
El-Shaddai — The God Who is Sufficient
Jehovah-Elohim — The Eternal Creator
Jehovah-Jireh — The Lord our Provider
Jehovah-Nissi — The Lord our Banner
Jehovah-Ropheka — The Lord our Healer
Jehovah-Shalom — The Lord our Peace
Jehovah-Tsidkenu — The Lord our Righteousness
Jehovah-Mekaddishkem — The Lord our Sanctifier
Jehovah-Sabaoth — The Lord of Hosts
Jehovah-Shammah — The Lord is Present
Jehovah-Rohi — The Lord our Shepherd
Jehovah-Hoseenu — The Lord our Maker
Jehovah-Eloheenu — The Lord our God
Jesus saved, healed delivered, provided.
What was Jesus’ Purpose On Earth? 1Jn. 3:8 “For this purpose the Son of God was manifested that He might destroy the works of the devil”. This is our purpose also. Joh. 17:24 “Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given Me, be with Me where I am. .” Where was He? He was standing in spiritual law above all principalities, power, might, and dominion. He was above the world system, not bothered by the economic collapse or famine or disease. “They will be with Me where I am; that they may behold My glory, which thou hast given Me”. Grasp this truth... Col. 1:27 “To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory”.
Let’s Examine The Clues
After Christ became glorified, He did no healings or miracles. Why? Because He was once again a spirit being and not flesh and blood as we are. Lev. 17:11 says “The life of the flesh is in the blood:”. Remember, a spirit needs a human body to work through.
In other words, Jesus says to us, “If you will let me use your body, I’ll let you use My ability”. Satan uses evil people to do his work on earth, and, Jesus uses saved people to do His work on earth. That is why we don’t war against flesh and blood, because they are just being controlled by evil forces that we have authority over. WE ARE JESUS’ BODY ON EARTH. He says, “if you will represent Me on earth, I ,will represent you in heaven”. 1 John 2:1 “ My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:” Rom 8:34 “Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.”
Take your place among the few, by spending quality time with the Master, that have found the key to victorious living and power that comes through the blood of Jesus.
In the beginning the earth was given to man. Gen. 1:26-28. “And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.”
David acknowledges this in Psa 8:4-8 and also the writer of Hebrews in Heb 2:6.
Who was given the charge of the earth?
Man was to subdue the earth, not to submit to it. Psa. 115:16 “The heaven, even the heavens are the Lord’s: but the earth He hath given to the children of men”. If things on the earth got out of line, he was to bring them back in. Adam was to take authority over the earth and run it the way God wanted. He was the god of this world just as Satan was called “the god of this world” when he usurped it from Adam. 2Co. 4:4 “In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.” Why didn't God just do it Himself? Look at notes Eze 37:4.
Man was designed to live forever. Every cell in your body mostly re-creates itself every 7-15 years. Adam had the opportunity to eat of the tree of life and live forever but he chose instead the tree of the knowledge of "good and evil" which actually means "blessings and calamity". In the Hebrew the word evil is pronounced rah, raw-aw meaning adversity, affliction, bad, calamity, grief, distress, evil, exceedingly great harm, and hurt or trouble. God told him in Gen. 2:17 But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil Gen. 3:22, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die”. Yes, you will gain knowledge, the knowledge of calamity. Boy, that was a dumb choice! Now we know Adam didn't die bodily, he died spiritually.
Now it is our Job
Now, we are to take care of the Earth as God intended for Adam to do. Adam was made in the exact likeness of God: a duplication to look like Him (image) and to act like Him (likeness). So, he was well qualified until he fell. We, who are born again Christians, are supposed to take care of it through Jesus because He is the one who bought back the earth. Jesus said in Mat. 28:18 “And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. ” As Adam was well qualified by God, so are we well qualified by Jesus. He has told us that we have all power over all power of the enemy Luk.10:19 “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.” Mat.18:18-19 “ Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven.” These are but a few of the powerful verses stating who we are when we are in Christ.
Satan seduced Eve and convinced her that she would be like God knowing good and evil. Gen. 3:1 “Now the serpent was more subtle than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden? And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die. (It seems to me that Adam was so adamant about her not eating the fruit that he told her to not even touch it) And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil. And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.” Eve was experiencing the sin of 1Jn. 2:16 “ For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh (The tree was good for food), and the lust of the eyes (Pleasant to the eyes), and the pride of life (A tree to be desired to make one wise), is not of the Father, but is of the world. ”
Eve was so excited about being as a God, she didn’t pay any attention to the part about knowing calamity. Adam already knew how to speak blessings, he only learned cursings. Eve thought about what the Devil had said, then when she was convinced, she wanted to taste the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Not wanting to be alone in this, she seduced Adam and he ate also. He chose to listen to his wife and not to God. That was willful disobedience. If he had chosen to resist Eve he knew that she would die and he didn’t want to lose her. If he had just thought, God could have made him another Eve. So now, the world comes under the control of Satan and sin starts its evil trek through the ages.
God drives them from the garden
God drove them from the garden and the tree of life. Gen. 3:24 “So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubim, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life.” Satan wanted Adam to go straight to the tree of life and eat. If he had, everyone would live forever under the curse. Every evil person throughout all history would be alive today: Genghis Kahn, Caligula, Marquis De Sade, Nero, Hitler and etc. This would literally be “hell on earth”. Our “everlasting life” would be one of pain and disease. This would have been the ultimate slap in God’s face. Because of God’s mercy he cut our time short so that we wouldn’t have to live under this curse for long. He also provided a Savior to save us from this curse so that it wouldn’t be forever.
Satan, being a spirit being, had to operate through a living body in order to communicate with Eve. We see evidence of this when we look at all the people in the Bible who were evil. Also, the Demons don’t want to roam without a body Mat. 8:31 “So the devils besought him, saying, If thou cast us out, suffer us to go away into the herd of swine.” Mat. 12:43 “When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest, and findeth none. Then he saith, I will return into my house from whence I came out; and when he is come, he findeth it empty, swept, and garnished. Then goeth he, and taketh with himself seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter in and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first. Even so shall it be also unto this wicked generation.” Since the snake was more crafty or subtle than any other beast, Satan chose a snake. The Bible says that “Now the serpent was more subtle than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made.” Gen. 3:1. Spirits can’t operate independently of man. They must work through a physical body, otherwise this world would be destroyed in a moment of time. Adam turned over the authority of the earth to Satan. By disobeying God, he bowed his knee to Satan. Authority that God gave man was now in the control of a spirit being (Satan).
In order to understand Spiritual Authority you must understand that when God decrees a thing He will never go back on that decree! Num. 23:19 "for God is not a man that He should lie; neither the son of man that He should repent: hath He said, and shall He not do it? or hath He spoken, and shall He not make it good?" He has said that the earth belongs to man therefore He will not usurp that authority but He will use man to do His bidding on the earth. Don’t write this off as heresy until you finish the study. Why didn’t God just come down and subdue Satan? Answer: Because he will not usurp authority on the earth the way Satan did. Why does He tell us to pray always? Why did Jesus tell us to pray to the Father in His name? I hope to answer all of these in this teaching.
Authority had to be restored to man according to Psa. 115:16. God did not create the world to have it remain in sin for all eternity, He created it so that He could fellowship with man. He had to create a way for man to buy back the earth from Satan, so, God implanted His Spirit Seed into a woman so that she might give birth to His Son. Joh. 1:1-3 "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by Him; and without Him was not anything made that was made." The Word left His throne to become a man so that He might buy back the earth legally. Php. 2:5-8 “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross”. He was of no earthly father but of His Heavenly Father. His role was not only to buy back the earth for mankind but to provide a sacrifice that would cleanse man of his sin so that he might inherit eternal life.
The parable of the sheepfold
The tenth chapter of John represents the authority over the earth. The sheepfold is the world and you must come into it through the door (natural birth). Joh. 10:1-6 “ Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. But he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out. And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice. And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers". This parable spake Jesus unto them: but they understood not what things they were which he spake unto them.” Then in Joh.10:7,9 He says “I am the door”. I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture. Jesus entered the sheepfold by the door (Natural birth) and then by His death and resurrection He became the door to everlasting life. This is the second birth or the second door. Nicodemus was told this. “John 3:3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” Adam and Jesus entered by the door (birth) but Satan came in another way.
The scribes and the pharisees asked two questions 1) by what authority, and 2) who gave you this authority to do such things? Mar. 11:28-33 “By what authority doest thou these things? And who gave thee this authority to do these things? And Jesus answered and said unto them, I will also ask of you one question, and answer me, and I will tell you by what authority I do these things. The baptism of John, was it from heaven, or of men? Answer me. And they reasoned with themselves, saying, If we shall say, From heaven; he will say, Why then did ye not believe him? But if we shall say, Of men; they feared the people: for all men counted John was a prophet indeed. And they answered and said unto Jesus. We cannot tell. And Jesus answering saith unto them, Neither do I tell you by what authority I do these things.” Jesus asked them one question that would have answered both of theirs. If they said that his baptism was from heaven then they would have to acknowledge Jesus as the Son of God. Joh. 1:29-30 “The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world. This is he of whom I said, After me cometh a man which is preferred before me: for he was before me.” Jesus’ authority came by being born a man and His anointing or enabling came from God.
The God of This World
We have seen that Adam was the god of this world and then Satan took it away by coercion. When Jesus was tempted in the wilderness by Satan He was told in Luke 4:5 “And the devil, taking him up into a high mountain, showed unto him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. And the devil said unto him, All this power will I give thee, and the glory of them: for that is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it. He was god (prince, ruler, magistrate) of the world so it was his to give Jesus. We are supposed to be gods of this world Psa. 82:1. The word for God or Gods is 'ĕlôhîym (el-o-heem' Plural of H433; gods in the ordinary sense; but specifically used (in the plural thus, especially with the article) of the supreme God; occasionally applied by way of deference to magistrates; and sometimes as a superlative: - angels, X exceeding, God (gods) (-dess, -ly), X (very) great, judges, X mighty), this is the same word used for God. This is nothing to get puffed up about it is simply to understand our responsibility. We’re not deified, just responsible! Paul said in 1Co. 8:5-6 “For though there be that are called gods, whether in heaven or in earth, (as there be gods many, and lords many,) But to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him. Here in 1 Cor. the word is theos (theh'-os Of uncertain affinity; a deity, especially (with G3588) the supreme Divinity; figuratively a magistrate; by Hebraism very: - X exceeding, God, god [-ly],
When Adam forfeited the earth to Satan, the earth had to be redeemed by sacrifice. The sacrifice had to be a human being and one without sin. God gave the earth to the sons of men as was covered before not a spirit being so it had to be taken back as God intended. Since a blood sacrifice had to be made Heb 9:22. There was only one ever that could meet these requirements, Jesus the Christ. Now that Jesus regained the authority over the earth Satan is no longer called the god of this world he then is called the Prince of the power of the air Eph. 2:2 “Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:” He no longer rules the earth, he is now in the air around the earth. Because of Jesus’ obedience to God, all power in heaven and earth was given to Him. Mat. 28:18 “And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.” Now, we can rule through the name of Jesus. Joh. 16:23 “And in that day ye shall ask me nothing. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you.” Joh. 14:12 “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.” When Jesus said, “It is finished”, He meant just that. He had finished His work on earth and commissioned us to take it from there. The problem with Christianity today is, we don’t know who we are and what power we have in the name of Jesus!
We have been made Kings & Priests
Did you ever wonder who the kings were in Rev. 1:5-6? It is us! He made us kings and priests through His blood. “And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. ”
1Co. 6:2-3 “ Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world? And if the world shall be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters? Know ye not that we shall judge angels? How much more things that pertain to this life? How would a just God entrust the governing of Earth to people who don’t know who they are and what power they possess?
Rev. 5:10 “And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.” A Priest is to operate in the spiritual office while the King is to operate in the judicial office. A King/Priest would make just decisions according to the Word of God.
Rev. 2:26-27 “And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations: And he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received of my Father.”
Paul said in Rom. 5:17 “For if by one man’s offense death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.)” The amplified says, “Reign as kings in life through the one Jesus Christ”.
We are seated together with Christ Eph. 2:6 “And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:” What are we seated on and who sits there? We are seated on the throne with Christ.
We have been given authority through His name. Jesus was given all authority in heaven and earth, and He gave us His Name! He said, “Now, you go in my name. You cast out demons. You heal the sick. You raise the dead”. Mar. 16:15-18. The power is not ours it is Jesus’ power through a righteous vessel. A worldly example would be if a billionaire gave you a Power of Attorney to use his name. You would be able to go anywhere and buy anything for you would be doing it in the name of the billionaire!
Understanding Jesus’ authority for us
Hos. 4:6 “My people are destroyed for lack (of a working) knowledge” (of who they are in Christ and how to operate as He operated).
Mat. 16:19 Speaks of binding and loosing. Binding and loosing what? The amplified says, “we can bind on earth whatever is unlawful in heaven (sickness, poverty, etc.), and loose what is lawful in heaven (health, joy, etc.).
When Jesus taught His disciples how to pray He said, “Thy will be done ON EARTH AS IT IS IN HEAVEN”. How is it in heaven?
The power of God is where? IN us, even in our Mouth, just as it was in Jesus’. Rom. 10:8 and read Rom. 10:10.
Jesus spoke to the fig tree Mar. 11:14 “ And Jesus answered and said unto it, No man eat fruit of thee hereafter forever. And his disciples heard it.” And the tree died!
Jesus spoke to the wind and the rain Mar. 4:39 “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.”
What are we supposed to do?
Jesus always spoke the truth (results), never the fact (the way things were). He said: “Ye are the light of the world”Joh. 8:12. Were they then? “Ye are the salt of the earth” Mat. 5:13. Were they then? Jesus told them “As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world” Joh. 9:5. Then he left the world to us to continue what He did with the power of His Holy Spirit. Joh. 17:18 “As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world”. We, as His body, are to do things in the same manner and fashion and even greater things than He did Joh. 14:12 “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.”
God gives us this authority for His use. We should always ask the Lord what He wants us to do and then we have the power to do it. Just as Jesus said “I do nothing but what the Father tells me”. Joh. 5:19. We should do likewise; find what the Father wants and then do it. The disciples wanted to use this power but it was from their own spirit and not from the Lord. They said in Luk. 9:54 “And when his disciples James and John saw this, they said, Lord, wilt thou that we command fire to come down from heaven, and consume them, even as Elias did? They had started understanding who they were in Christ even though they were misguided. Jesus didn’t say, “you’re not able to do that”, He simply rebuked them for wanting to use it the wrong way. How many today are doing the same things. They want the power but don’t go to the Lord first to see what He wants done with it. Joh. 17:6 “I have manifested thy name unto them”. He made God’s names visible to the world and these are but a few:
Jehovah God - “The covenant making God”
Adonai-Jehovah — The Lord our Sovereign
El-Elyon — The Lord Most High
El-Olam — The Everlasting God
El-Shaddai — The God Who is Sufficient
Jehovah-Elohim — The Eternal Creator
Jehovah-Jireh — The Lord our Provider
Jehovah-Nissi — The Lord our Banner
Jehovah-Ropheka — The Lord our Healer
Jehovah-Shalom — The Lord our Peace
Jehovah-Tsidkenu — The Lord our Righteousness
Jehovah-Mekaddishkem — The Lord our Sanctifier
Jehovah-Sabaoth — The Lord of Hosts
Jehovah-Shammah — The Lord is Present
Jehovah-Rohi — The Lord our Shepherd
Jehovah-Hoseenu — The Lord our Maker
Jehovah-Eloheenu — The Lord our God
Jesus saved, healed delivered, provided.
What was Jesus’ Purpose On Earth? 1Jn. 3:8 “For this purpose the Son of God was manifested that He might destroy the works of the devil”. This is our purpose also. Joh. 17:24 “Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given Me, be with Me where I am. .” Where was He? He was standing in spiritual law above all principalities, power, might, and dominion. He was above the world system, not bothered by the economic collapse or famine or disease. “They will be with Me where I am; that they may behold My glory, which thou hast given Me”. Grasp this truth... Col. 1:27 “To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory”.
Let’s Examine The Clues
After Christ became glorified, He did no healings or miracles. Why? Because He was once again a spirit being and not flesh and blood as we are. Lev. 17:11 says “The life of the flesh is in the blood:”. Remember, a spirit needs a human body to work through.
In other words, Jesus says to us, “If you will let me use your body, I’ll let you use My ability”. Satan uses evil people to do his work on earth, and, Jesus uses saved people to do His work on earth. That is why we don’t war against flesh and blood, because they are just being controlled by evil forces that we have authority over. WE ARE JESUS’ BODY ON EARTH. He says, “if you will represent Me on earth, I ,will represent you in heaven”. 1 John 2:1 “ My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:” Rom 8:34 “Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.”
Take your place among the few, by spending quality time with the Master, that have found the key to victorious living and power that comes through the blood of Jesus.