Authority in Christ
What is the authority of the regenerate believer that is born-again in Christ?
Authority
An exceptionally important relationship we can exercise is our authority as a believer. This is an authority we exercise within the spiritual realm, the domain of spiritual beings such as angels and demons. It can only be exercised through prayer.
Jesus mentioned this authority in Luke 10 when He told the disciples: "Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you" (v. 19).
This authority empowers us to gain victory over the enemy in spiritual warfare.
It is the authority through which we bind, loose, and release God's creative power into the earth. This kind of authority brings heaven's will onto the planet. Jesus won this authority through His death on the cross, and He delegated it back to us, His disciples.
When Was Spiritual Authority Lost?
The problem arose when sin came into the earth through Adam's disobedience in the Garden of Eden.
Consequently, as a result of Adam’s sin, man's spiritual authority was handed over to Satan. It was as this point that Satan then became the god of this world and to this day still holds earthly kingdoms in his hand. We see this clearly in Luke 4:5-7 when Satan tempted Jesus in the wilderness:
❤️ Luke 4:5-7 NASBS ❤️
[5] And he led Him up and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. [6] And the devil said to Him, "I will give You all this domain and its glory; for it has been handed over to me, and I give it to whomever I wish. [7] Therefore if You worship before me, it shall all be Yours."
If you continue reading the passage, you'll see that Jesus didn't dispute those words. What Satan offered was an actual temptation. Jesus knew He'd have to shed His blood to legally purchase the authority Satan flaunted in His face.
There was no easy way out. Jesus would have to go to the cross.
When Adam sinned against God in the Garden of Eden, he opened the door to the curse. Adam's fall gave Satan authority in the natural world, and he introduced spiritual death, sin, sickness, poverty, wars, and every kind of wickedness. The enemy came to steal, kill, and destroy humanity in every possible way. It was all unleashed into the earth the day Adam sinned.
God’s Solution for Our Sin
Thankfully, God had a solution! He had a plan of redemption that would transfer all spiritual power and authority back to Jesus through what we call the finished work of the cross. Jesus willingly submitted Himself to the horrible pains of death. He took the punishment for every sin ever committed. He actually became a curse for us when He laid down His life and died (Gal. 3:13).
❤️ Galatians 3:13 NASBS ❤️
[13] Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us-for it is written, "Cursed IS EVERYONE WHO HANGS ON a TREE"-
Then on the third day, when the Holy Spirit rushed into hell and raised Jesus from the dead, Jesus disarmed Satan and destroyed his works. Our Lord paraded Satan and his cohorts in the spiritual realm as vanquished foes. God gave His Son the name that is above every name, and all spiritual authority was bestowed upon Jesus.
Then Jesus did an amazing thing: He turned around and handed that authority back to us!
He paid the price with His own blood to reclaim the authority mankind lost through sin, and then gave that authority to every person who would receive Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.
To this day, when we use our God-given authority, we enforce this powerful victory. This was God's plan of salvation! (See Mark 16:17, John 3:8, and Colossians 2:15.)
❤️ Mark 16:15-18 NASBS ❤️
[15] And He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. [16] He who has believed and has been baptized shall be saved; but he who has disbelieved shall be condemned. [17] These signs will accompany those who have believed: in My name they will cast out demons, they will speak with new tongues; [18] they will pick up serpents, and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover."
❤️ John 3:5-8 NASBS ❤️
[5] Jesus answered, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. [6] That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. [7] Do not be amazed that I said to you, 'You must be born again.' [8] The wind blows where it wishes and you hear the sound of it, but do not know where it comes from and where it is going; so is everyone who is born of the Spirit."
[NOTE - John 3:5 born of water and the Spirit. Jesus referred not to literal water here but to the need for “cleansing” (e.g., Eze 36:24–27). When water is used figuratively in the OT, it habitually refers to renewal or spiritual cleansing, especially when used in conjunction with “spirit” (Nu 19:17–19; Ps 51:9, 10; Is 32:15; 44:3–5; 55:1–3; Jer 2:13; Joel 2:28, 29). Thus, Jesus made reference to the spiritual washing or purification of the soul, accomplished by the Holy Spirit through the Word of God at the moment of salvation (cf. Eph 5:26; Tit 3:5), required for belonging to His kingdom.]
❤️ Colossians 2:14-15 NASBS ❤️
[14] having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. [15] When He had disarmed the rulers and authorities, He made a public display of them, having triumphed over them through Him.
Canceled Sin Debt
As we read Colossians 2:14-15 — Col 2:14 we see that God canceled out the certificate of debt that we owed for our sin. This refers to the handwritten certificate of debt by which a debtor acknowledged his indebtedness.
All people (Ro 3:23) owe God an unpayable debt for violating His law (Gal 3:10; Jas 2:10; cf. Mt 18:23–27), and are thus under sentence of death (Ro 6:23).
Paul graphically compares God’s forgiveness of believers’ sins to wiping ink off a parchment.
Through Christ’s sacrificial death on the cross, God has totally erased our certificate of indebtedness and made our forgiveness complete. nailed it to the cross. This is another metaphor for forgiveness.
The list of the crimes of a crucified criminal was nailed to the cross with that criminal to declare the violations he was being punished for (as in the case of Jesus, as noted in Mt 27:37). Believers’ sins were all put to Christ’s account, nailed to His cross as He paid the penalty in their place for them all, thus satisfying the just wrath of God against crimes requiring punishment in full.
Col 2:15 had disarmed. In yet another element of the cross work, Paul tells that the cross spelled the ultimate doom of Satan and his evil host of fallen angels (cf. Ge 3:15; Jn 12:31; 16:11; Heb 2:14). rulers and authorities.
Let’s review Col 1:16 for some additional background.
❤️Colossians 1:16 NASBS ❤️
[16] For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities-all things have been created through Him and for Him.
As we look at Col 1:16 we notice the reference to “thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities.” Cf. 2:15; Ro 8:38; Eph 1:21; 3:10; 6:12; 1Pe 3:22; Jude 6. These are various categories of angels whom Christ created and rules over. Consider also that there is no comment regarding whether they are holy or fallen, since He is Lord of both groups.
Christ over Angels
The false teachers had incorporated into their heresy the worship of angels (see Col 2:18), including the lie that Jesus was one of them, merely a spirit created by God and inferior to Him.
Paul understood this false teaching and rejected it forcefully, while also making it clear that angels, whatever their rank, whether holy or fallen, are mere creatures, and their Creator is none other than the preeminent One, the Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
The purpose of his catalog of angelic ranks is to show the immeasurable superiority of Christ over any being the false teachers might suggest. all things have been created through Him and for Him. Cf. Ro 11:33–36. See Jn 1:3; Heb 1:2. As God, Jesus created the material and spiritual universe for His pleasure and glory.
Glorious Triumph
Continuing from Col 2:15 — While His body was dead, His living, divine spirit actually went to the abode of demons and announced His triumph over sin, Satan, death, and hell.
See 1Pe 3:18, 19. made a public display … triumphed over them.
❤️ 1 Peter 3:18-22 NASBS ❤️
[18] For Christ also died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, so that He might bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit; [19] in which also He went and made proclamation to the spirits now in prison, [20] who once were disobedient, when the patience of God kept waiting in the days of Noah, during the construction of the ark, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were brought safely through the water. [21] Corresponding to that, baptism now saves you-not the removal of dirt from the flesh, but an appeal to God for a good conscience-through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, [22] who is at the right hand of God, having gone into heaven, after angels and authorities and powers had been subjected to Him.
As we examine 1 Pe 3:18-22 we can note several points. First in 1Pe 3:18 we see the passage “For Christ also died.” Peter wished to encourage his readers in their suffering by again reminding them that even Christ suffered unjustly because it was God’s will (referenced in the previous v. 17). Ultimately, however, Christ was marvelously triumphant to the point of being exalted to the right hand of God while all of those demon beings who were behind His suffering were made forever subject to Him (referenced in v. 22).
God also caused Peter’s suffering readers to triumph. for sins once for all. Under the Old Covenant, the Jewish people offered sacrifice after sacrifice, and then repeated it all the next year, especially at the Passover. But Christ’s one sacrifice for sins was of such perpetual validity that it was sufficient for all and would never need to be repeated (see Heb 7:27; 9:26–28).
Next we notice the passage we see in verse 18 “the just for the unjust.” This is another statement that articulates the sinlessness of Jesus (cf. Heb 7:26) and of His substitutionary and vicarious atonement. He, who personally never sinned and had no sin nature, took the place of sinners (cf. 2:24; 2Co 5:21).
In so doing, Christ satisfied God’s just penalty for sin required by the law and opened the way to God for all who repentantly believe (cf. Jn 14:6; Ac 4:12). bring us to God. In this life spiritually, and in the next life, wholly (cf. Mk 15:38).
The next phrase we see in verse 18 is “put to death in the flesh.” A violent physical execution that terminated His earthly life (cf. Heb 5:7). alive in the Spirit.This is not a reference to the Holy Spirit, but to Jesus’ true inner life, His own spirit. Contrasted with His flesh (humanness) which was dead for 3 days, His spirit (deity) was alive, lit. “in spirit” (cf. Lk 23:46).
The Proclamation
In verse 1Pe 3:19 we notice the phrase “made proclamation.” This is a very exciting and important declaration in God’s word. What this is referring to is the important activity that occurred between Christ’s death and His resurrection. During this time, Jesus Christ’s living spirit went to the location of the demon spirits bound in the abyss and proclaimed the very powerful triumphant news that, in spite of His death, He had triumphed over them (see Col 2:14, 15). spirits now in prison. This refers to fallen angels (demons), who were permanently bound because of heinous wickedness. The demons who are not so bound resist such a sentence (cf. Lk 8:31). In the end, they will all be sent to the eternal lake of fire (Mt 25:41; Rev 20:10).
Noah and the Ark
In verse 1Pe 3:20 we see the phrase “disobedient … in the days of Noah.” Peter further explains that the abyss is inhabited by bound demons who have been there since the time of Noah, and who were sent there because they severely overstepped the bounds of God’s tolerance with their wickedness.
The demons of Noah’s day were running riot through the earth, filling the world with their wicked, vile, anti-God activity, including sexual sin, so that even 120 years of Noah’s preaching, while the ark was being built, could not convince any of the human race beyond the 8 people in Noah’s family to believe in God (see 2Pe 2:4, 5; Jude 6, 7; cf. Ge 6:1–8). Thus God bound these demons permanently in the abyss until their final sentencing.
Next, at the end of 1Pe 3:20 take note of the phrase “safely through the water.” Those who are referenced had been rescued in spite of the water not because of the water. Here, water was the agent of God’s judgment not the means of salvation (see Ac 2:38).
Victory
The picture is that of a victorious Roman general parading his defeated enemies through the streets of Rome (see 2Co 2:14–16).
❤️ 2 Corinthians 2:14-16 NASBS ❤️
[14] But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and manifests through us the sweet aroma of the knowledge of Him in every place. [15] For we are a fragrance of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing; [16] to the one an aroma from death to death, to the other an aroma from life to life. And who is adequate for these things?
Christ won the victory over the demon forces on the cross, where their efforts to halt God’s redemptive plan were ultimately defeated. For more on that triumphant imagery, again, see 2Co 2:14–16 above and consider this.
Imagery of Roman Military Victory
Paul drew from the imagery of the official and exalted Roman ceremony called the Triumph, in which a victorious general was honored with a festive, ceremonial parade through the streets of Rome. First, Paul gave thanks for being led by a sovereign God at all times (cf. 1Ti 1:17); and second, for the promised victory in Jesus Christ (cf. Mt 16:18; Ro 8:37; Rev 6:2). manifests … the sweet aroma of the knowledge of Him. Paul was also grateful for the privilege of being used as an influence for Christ (cf. Ro 10:14, 15) wherever he went. The imagery comes from the strong, sweet smell of incense from censers in the Triumph parade, which, along with the fragrance of crushed flowers strewn under horses’ hooves, produced a powerful aroma that filled the city. By analogy, every believer is transformed and called by the Lord to be an influence for His gospel throughout the world.
When we further examine 2 Cor 2:15 we see “a fragrance of Christ to God” Note that Paul was further thankful for the privilege of pleasing God. Continuing his analogy, Paul pictured God as the emperor at the end of the Triumph who also smells the pervasive fragrance and is pleased with the victorious efforts it represents. Wherever God’s servant is faithful and is an influence for the gospel, God is pleased (cf. 5:9; Mt 25:21).
As we enter passage 2 Cor 2:16 we encounter the phrase “an aroma from death … life.” Paul used the style of Hebrew superlatives to emphasize the twofold effect of gospel preaching.
To some, the message brings eternal life and ultimate glorification.
To others, it is a stumbling stone of offense that brings eternal death (cf. 1Pe 2:6–8).
Next at the end of 2 Cor 2:16 we notice the phrase: “adequate for these things”. No one in his own strength is adequate or competent to serve God in the ways and with the power that Paul has been describing (cf. 3:5; 1Co 15:10; Gal 2:20; Eph 1:19; 3:20; Php 2:13; Col 1:29). It is ONLY through the power in Christ - in the name of Jesus - in the “authority” of Christ through His blood.
Do not forget that Satan is currently still god of this world
In this current time continuum, Satan is the god of this world. He still governs the fallen belief system that pervades the earth today.
There is still sin in the world, and there is still wickedness, darkness, and spiritual death. This is why people need to accept Jesus as Lord and come into the kingdom of God; it's so the power of darkness can be broken off their lives.
Individuals Born Again in Christ
Once you become born again, you regain your spiritual authority.
Jesus took that authority from Satan with the intention of giving it back to you. He doesn't need that authority in heaven. He endured the cross so you could be saved and walk in spiritual authority over the devil here on earth.
The moment you put your trust in Him, you become a new creation in Christ Jesus. At that point, you have authority in Christ to exercise dominion over the devil and all the works of darkness.
Jesus said "these signs will follow those who believe" and then described the power of the gospel.
Jesus ensured that you could be more than a conqueror.
And this is why the Great Commission applies to those who have been born again in Christ as Savior, Redeemer, King, and LORD.
With the authority given to you when you were born again, you have the power to cast out demons, speak with new tongues, take up serpents (evil spirits), and lay hands on the sick.
The miraculous works of Jesus in His earthly ministry are the same works you can do today as a born-again believer!
❤️❤️❤️