“Look, I have given you authority over all the power of the enemy, and you can walk among snakes and scorpions and crush them. Nothing will injure you.” Luke 10:19
Dear People Who Keep Company with God,
A pastor stood before his congregation and shared with them that he had gone into an occult bookstore. He picked up a book of spells. He flipped through it and thought it was interesting enough to share with his church. He purchased the book and brought it to church the following Sunday. When it was time for him to preach, he stood before the people and told them about the book and said, “I am going to read you some of these spells today.” The looks on the people’s faces were shock and horror. They thought the pastor had lost his mind. He went on and explained that he really didn’t go into an occult bookstore and buy a book of spells. It was just his journal in his hand. Then he told them, “Some of you came into a partnership with fear. You got really afraid that if I was to actually read an occult spell or incantation that some supernatural dark power would be released upon us.” When I heard the story, I understood why the congregation was horrified. I would have felt the same way. The story made me realize that I, too, sometimes seem to have more faith in Satan’s authority and power than in God’s.
The Bible tells us that Satan is indeed a prince, a ruler of this world (Ephesian 2:2). He is called the “god of this world” (2 Corinthians 4:4). He has the power to back up his kingdom. In Matthew 4, when Jesus faced off with the devil in the wilderness, He never argued with Satan’s claim to power, but Jesus made it clear that Satan does not have legal authority over us. He has jurisdiction over the world system and those who are a part of it. Although we are in the world, we are not of the world. Colossians 1:12 says, “He has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of his dear Son.” Satan is behind much the world’s trouble; however, he should not be dominating any of us. We have authority over him. One of the overlooked things about the Great Commission is that Jesus said, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, (you) go…” (Matthew 28:18-19). He told us to go. Are we mistakenly waiting on God to do something when He has already conferred His authority to the Church and told us to go use it?
The Gospel of Mark’s version of the Great Commission tells us He has given us His Name, and there is power in the Name of Jesus (Mark 16:17-18). The devil won’t argue with you about the Name of Jesus because he’s terrified of that Name. God wants us to have more faith in His Name than the devil’s lying signs and wonders. In our battle against the enemy and his forces, know that Jesus has conquered them. “He disarmed the spiritual rulers and authorities. He shamed them publicly by his victory over them on the cross. (Colossians 2:15) We’re above them and have authority over them. “The church is to display the manifold wisdom of God to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places.” (Ephesians 3:10) Many problems exist in our world because the Church permits them. We’re the ones who are supposed to do something about them. We shouldn’t wait on a move of God or divine intervention for things to change. Jesus’ victory already belongs to us, and we are to make sure the enemy knows it by acting in His Name.
Many Blessings, BW