Title: The Spiritual Authority of the Saints
Contents
Text: James 4:6-10
God is the authority. There is no authority in heaven and heaven greater than God. If all authority is relative, God's authority is absolute authority. Even the angels of heaven are under God's rule, and no one in this world is under God's rule. There is an authority that opposes this authority of God, and that is the authority of the air, the authority of the devil.
We who believe in Jesus can resist the devil, but there are times when we hesitate because we do not know properly. So what exactly do we not know?
1. First of all, we do not understand the nature of the devil well and do not know its existence.
Originally, the devil does not reveal his identity because he is a force of injustice, darkness, and evil. People try to hide and cover up their identity with self-denial such as ‘Where is the devil? Therefore, if we clearly know and reveal our identity, our members will have an advantage in the spiritual battle.
2. We make the mistake of overestimating the power of the devil.
The devil has power, but he is not omnipotent like God. That is why the text commands “oppose the devil”. Originally, the power of the devil was absolute in this world. Because all who live in this world have sinned, they belong to the devil, who has sinned from the beginning (1 John 3:8), and have no choice but to be controlled by the devil (John 8:34). But now, Jesus came to this world with the authority of heaven and destroyed the works of the devil (1 John 3:8). After Christ died on the cross and was resurrected, the devil became the judged ruler of the world (John 16:11). From this point on, the devil has been working by deceiving and deceiving people.
what the devil does
(1) It is alienating.
It divides between God and people, between servants of the Lord and saints, between saints and saints, between husband and wife, between brothers, and between neighbors, forming factions and divisions. But the work of the Holy Spirit unites us. That is why Ephesians 4:3-5 exhorts. “Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit, for there is one body, and one Spirit… called to one hope, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God.”
(2) Lies.
John 8:44 says, “He is a liar and the father of lies.” It says, “Those who lie will have their part in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone” (Revelation 21:8). But the devil is so deceitful and arrogant that he disguises himself as an angel of light.
Beyond that, the devil makes you sick, makes you fail, makes you resent, makes you frustrated, and manipulates suicide, including murder. It also leads believers to go to hell by turning them away from God. This world is a dark place where the devil works. So Jesus came to this earth as a light (John 1:8-9).
Ephesians 5:8 says, “You were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord; walk as children of light.” If you become a child of light, you can resist the devil. 1 John 1:5 “God is light, and in him there is no darkness at all.”
In John 1:21, “To all who received Jesus, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God… As we said, we have the authority of children of God, so we must thoroughly lead a life of faith so that we do not dwell in sin again or be controlled by the devil. This is the legal status enjoyed by the saints.
From now on, we acknowledge the existence of the devil, but we must not acknowledge the power of the sphere as if it were absolute. Only the authority of Jesus Christ must be acknowledged. This is because only Jesus has the authority to forgive sins and to become a child of God. To believe this is faith. Only with this faith can we be free from sin, be healed of disease, resist the devil's schemes, and overcome temptation.
Those who believe in Jesus after the resurrection of Jesus Christ are those who have “the kingship of the kingdom of God.” Although we live on this earth, we are the envoys of the kingdom of heaven, and we have the status and rights of children of God.