Authority # 5
These Vs. tell us that we were raised w/ Christ. We were all dead in our sins & w/out hope, before Jesus. Someone had to come & pay t price for our salvation, but that someone had to be a sinless someone, other wise we would be doomed for judgement. But Jesus came & paid t price.
I. T Bible says that before Jesus, Satan had t power of death. We were doomed to death, hell, & t grave.
A. HEB 2:14 But Satan no longer has t power of death, Jesus conquered him.
1. REV 1:18 Jesus took t keys away from t devil.
a. Keys belong to t one in authority.
2. We need to remember that physical death is not of God; it is of t enemy.
a. Death is still an enemy.
b. T Bible says it is t last enemy that will be put underfoot.
c. That day is coming, but you don't have your new body yet.
3. 1COR 15:52-55 This is talking about our physical bodies, there is coming a day when there will be no more death.
a. But right now spiritual death has been done away w/ for t Christian who is serving God.
b. Satan no longer has power over us.
B. COL 2:15 That means VICTORY.
II. EPH 6:10-11
A. T believer must continually be arrayed w/ spiritual armor.
1. When you begin to put on your armor in your Christian walk, T Devil will do everything in his power to keep you from coming into this knowledge of authority over him.
a. He'll fight you more over this subject than any other.
b. After you gain t knowledge of your spiritual authority, he'll oppose you & try to steal it from you.
c. There will be test, & unfortunately some will fail.
d. T devil wants you to throw up your hands & say t authority of t believer doesn't work, I quit.
2. Saying that t authority of t believer doesn't work, is to call God a liar.
a. If it doesn't work, than I'm not working it.
b. If it doesn't work, than I'm doing something wrong. NOT GOD.
c. God's word is true, & His word works, if we put it to work properly.
B. Now we see that t enemy wants to stop our authority over him, but how are we going to remain undefeated?
1.We have to take advantage of t spiritual armor that has been provided for us.
2. T believer must continually be wearing his armor.
3. Let's go back to EPH 6:10-17. T different parts of this armor symbolize spiritual attitudes t believer must maintain. Wearing this armor you will not only be protected, but also victorious.
a. 1st there is t GIRDLE OF TRUTH, which represents a clear understanding of God's Word.
i. Like t soldier's belt, it holds t rest of t armor in place.
b. 2nd is t BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS. This has a twofold application: Jesus is our righteousness, & we put Him on 1st. It also shows our obedience to t Word of God. Living right, holy life before Him.
c. 3rd, our FEET are SHOD w/ t PREPARATION of t GOSPEL OF PEACE. This is faithfulness in proclaiming t Word of God. At different times t Good News, or t Gospel is called t Gospel of peace.
d. 4th is t SHIELD OF FAITH. A shield is a covering for t entire body. This represents our complete safety under t blood of Christ, where no power of t enemy can penetrate.
e. 5th is t HELMET OF SALVATION, (1TH 5:8) Put on for a helmet, the hope of salvation. (KJV) T HOPE OF SALVATION is t only helmet able to protect t head in these days from turning from t Truth.
i. There is so much going on, T days are like that of Sodom & Gomorrah, people are getting off t Truth into error, big named ministers are falling.
ii. We need t HOPE OF SALVATION.
iii. It's interesting that Paul used t HELMET here, T word `salvation' comes from t Greek word `sozo' which one of it's meanings is soundness of mind.
Vi. It's t HOPE OF SALVATION that will keep your mind sound.
f. 6th is t SWORD OF THE SPIRIT, which is t WORD OF GOD.
i. This shows that t WORD OF GOD is to be used offensively, just like a sword is an offensive weapon, so is t Word of God.
III. EPH 6:18
A. Do you see why t prayer fight doesn't work many times?
1. It's because we don't have on t armor.
2. We are ready for t prayer fight when we have t armor on.
a. Praying in t spirit gets t job done.