Home »
Man was created to reign and rule, have dominion and authority. It was the blessing of God upon Adam and Eve, that they may be be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth. And It was the original intended purpose of God, when He created man, in His own image. [Genesis 1:28] And, though he lost it all, deceived by the serpent’s cunning, from Him whose promises can never be thwarted, swiftly came the promise of redemption, unimaginably high though the pain of it was going to be. [Genesis 3:15] You and I will never ever know how much it cost to see our sin upon that Cross, are the words of the song that say it so aptly. A foreshadowing of it was seen in God’s provision of a sacrificial ram, in the place of Isaac, the son of promise, at Mount Moriah.
It was what led to Abraham, the patriarch, perceive what lay in the distant future, even as he experienced the Sovereign Lord as his Jehovah Jireh or Provider, to declare that ‘On the Mountain it shall be provided, or taken care of’. [Genesis 22:14] The sinless Lamb of God, Lord Jesus, who was born into this world, to take away the sins of the whole world, gave up His life willingly, in the place of you and I, as an atoning sacrifice for the sins of the whole world, on the Cross of Mount Calvary, was it’s fulfillment. It is the new covenant with Lord Jesus being it’s Mediator, that we are privileged to be partakers of now.
And, what has been provided on Mount Calvary?
The blessing of God has been provided, for every heart that believes and puts his trust in the finished work of the Lord on the Cross. The Blood of the Lamb now makes the vilest sinner clean. Redemption from sin, and freedom from the curse of the law, to receive the blessing of Abraham, that you may receive the promised Holy Spirit by faith, is the wondrous and overwhelming provision that comes to you through the sacrifice of the Lord on the Cross. Thus; sin and curse has been dealt with by the Redeemer and Savior, who has also trampled on the evil one, on the Cross, disarming principalities and powers in order to deal with the authority that the devil had over you and I. Christ triumphed over the dark forces of the realm of darkness, as the apostle Paul describes the spiritual aspects of Christ’s crucifixion and death.
CROSS – the triumph of Christ :
A glorious triumph is what the Lord Jesus, has purchased for you and I, through His death on the Cross of Calvary. For, it was the blessing of God, that gave dominion to man, in his creation. But, deceived by the lie of the devil, Adam, who was created to have dominion and authority, came under authority instead. It is why, generations down the line, man even now, is riddled with unhealthy fears, and addictions. It could be even an addiction to affirmation, that stems from a fear of rejection. And today, studying how it all came about would be a profitable exercise, for still, the tactic of the enemy remains the same.
Deception and persuasion :
The devil’s conversation with Eve was characterized by his deceptive craftiness, that cunningly planted the seed of doubt in the mind of Eve, to question the words of God, in saying, ‘Did God really say so?’. And then he progressed to question even the very nature of God, by casting a doubt concerning His motive in forbidding them from eating of the tree of good and evil, by saying, ‘ You will be like God’. [Genesis 3:1-6] Thus unbelief and disobedience were the two characteristics that personified the fall of man, in losing his God given authority. And it is true in the lives of people even today, as they end up being led into slavery to the devil, a deeply disturbing scenario, that would lead one to mourn, and not be joyful.
But, the knowledge of the truth of the Cross can lead you to celebrate this day; one that is acknowledged as ‘Good Friday’, all across the earth. It is good, because Lord Jesus rose again on the third day. And the authority that Adam lost to the devil, Christ has regained by His death and through His resurrection. The enemy can be overcome, though he may try to entangle you with his wily craftiness, to lead you to sin, for the wages of sin is death.
Deception and disobedience :
The devil was hurled down from heaven; and he desires to pull you down too. It is invariably his hidden agenda, when he comes to you with his dubious suggestions, that are outwardly attractive, but inwardly destructive, and would ultimately lead you to disobedience that is rebellious sin, that results in you being taken captive by the devil, in order to do his will. But it is not the will of God, whose desire is always for your good, as the word of God declares, “And that they may come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil, having been taken captive by him to do his will”. [2 Timothy 2:26]
The deception of the devil, lies in him making one think wrongly, that one is in control of one’s life, and all that is connected to it, when the truth is quite the opposite. And like the prodigal son, it is in becoming aware of the error of one’s ways, or in coming to one’s senses, that freedom and deliverance becomes possible. He thought he had it all; until he ultimately ended up in a pig sty ! And he came to his senses, to know that he needed to turn around, and return to his father’s house. And in any person’s life, the devil’s will, when he enters in to take him captive, is to steal, kill or destroy. It was not God’s intended purpose in creating man, though.
Dominion, and not, domination :
God blesses you with dominion, and authority in His Name. The devil though comes in with the express purpose of domination; one that has two sides to it, manipulation and intimidation. With God it is not domination, but a demonstration of who He is that He displays for the world to see, in and through your life. The Lord, the Master of all creation, was never a dominating dictator. He washed the feet of His disciples, demonstrating the heart of God, and godly leadership that is epitomized by service and humility. The world philosophy o the other hand, one that preaches a higher and lower class in society, or a gender discrimination, where a vulnerable group of people find themselves exploited and unjustly treated comes from the devil.
It is how he brings the one who is disobedient and ignorant of the majestic plan of God concerning him, under his control, and into slavery, needing the redemptive work of the Cross to be set free. For, it is as the apostle Peter writes, describing false teachers, a man is a slave of whatever that is which controls him. While they promise them liberty, they themselves are slaves of corruption, for by whom a person is overcome, by him also he is brought into bondage. [2 Peter 1:19]
Reclaiming your authority :
Unbelief and disobedience was what saw the first Adam’s authority relinquished, only to end up as a slave, under the control of satan. Adam failed as a representative of you and I. But by His obedience unto the Father, when the second Adam, Lord Jesus bled and died on the Cross, He won. And in Him, you too win. It is the reason why it is a ‘Good Friday’, a day acknowledging the immeasurable goodness of God to man, through His Son, Jesus Christ.
From the prophecy to it’s fulfillment :
What went on to become the victorious Cross, and the empty tomb, began with the word of prophecy from God, when Adam and Eve succumbed to the lie of satan to lose their godly authority. He spoke the purpose of the Cross to the one who had deceptively gained authority, He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel. [Genesis 3:15] His head, signifying his power and authority, was going to be crushed by Christ on the Cross, and it is why you and I can walk now in the promise that we will always be the head, having authority, and never the tail, or in subjection to the devil. It is possible as Paul has described in his epistle to the Colossians.
Sin dealt with :
And you being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses. [Colossians 2:13] Now the Blood of Christ cleanses us from all unrighteousness.
The requirements of the law fulfilled :
Having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the Cross. [vs 14] The demands of the law, as a payment for our sin, and the consequences of disobedience of it, has been dealt with. For all the Old Testament sacrifices, as a payment for sin, were a shadow of the reality that was the one perfect sacrifice of Christ, who in His obedience to the will of His Father, submitted Himself to death, even death on the Cross, perfecting forever all those who came to Him in faith. Christ Jesus came to fulfill the law.
The devil defeated :
Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it. [vs 15] Lastly, He dealt with the one who had power over sin and death, by rendering him powerless, through the Cross, triumphing over him through it.
Appropriating the triumph of Christ :
The victory of the Cross was accomplished two thousand years ago. But it is powerfully vibrant and real even today. For, whatever has been accomplished by Christ on the Cross is appropriated by His resurrection. He is alive today. He is the Risen Lord. And He is living in you now. He will never leave or forsake you. And it is how you have power and authority over the enemy. It is the very reason, Christ became flesh and blood, as the writer to the Hebrews explains, Inasmuch then as children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil; And release those who through fear of death, were all their lifetime subject to bondage. [Hebrews 2:14,15]
The devil rendered powerless :
Through the Cross, the Lord overcame death, and the one who had power over death, the devil. Why was it necessary? Sin pulls you down, and the wages of sin is death. Therefore, if death, that is separation from God needed to be overcome, sin needed to be dealt with. Christ dealt with sin on the Cross, by becoming the One perfect sacrifice. And He overcame death, by dying and rising up again, to be alive forevermore. Thus it is the Savior who dealt with sin and death on the Cross, who is now living in you, giving you authority over death and Hades, in and through Him. His words to the apostle John, are victoriously clear, ‘I am He who lives, and was dead and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Death and Hades’. [Revelation 1:18] Therefore today, when the Christian dies, he is under the authority of God, not separated from Him. To be absent in the body is to be present with the Lord.
And, the devil has no authority over you. For, what he usurped from Adam, because of his disobedience, has been nullified, through Christ who has paid it all, to be given the Name above every other Name, and is now seated at the Father’s right hand in dominion and victory. The Cross speaks freedom from being under the control of the devil, to operate in the authority of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. It is the Great Commission, that bids you to go! And in His authority!
HE has ALL authority :
And Jesus came and spoke to them saying, ‘All authority has been given to Me, in heaven and earth. Go therefore….’ [Matthew 28:18,19] You are going in His authority. And the significance of it is that, if Lord Jesus has authority, so do you. You can drive out demons in His authority. It could appear to be unbelievable; and It is why the seventy returned surprised and overwhelmed on seeing that the demons were subject to them in His Name. [Luke 10:17] But then again, the seven sons of Sceva tried to do it, and frighteningly failed!. [Acts 19:13-16] It is knowing the truth, knowing the One who is the Truth, that gives you His authority, as you receive it from Him in faith.
And He said to them, ‘I saw satan fall like lightening from heaven. Behold, I give you authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you’. [Luke 10:18,19] A thousand may fall at your side, And ten thousand at your right hand; But it shall not come near you. [Psalm 91:7] For you can cast away anything that the devil tries to throw at you, in His Name, in His authority that is now in you. You are no longer under the domination of the devil. But, it is a demonstration of God’s goodness in you, that has set you free. Your chains are gone; for sin’s shackles that bound you, have been broken. God has raised you, to be seated with Him in the heavenly realms.
The Redeemer has spoken! :
You have been redeemed by the Blood of the Lamb, from being a slave of the devil, to being a child of God forever. May the triumph of Christ be imprinted in your heart this day, that you may reign and rule in Him, every day of your life, so that the Father may be glorified. In the Name of Christ Jesus Amen.
