How to Quit Losing & Start Winning

By. A.L. Gill

 

EASTER Part 2spiritual_authority

Lesson Seven: Authority Restored to Mankind


WORK OF JESUS COMPLETE!

The work of Jesus was, and is, complete! When God created Adam and Eve, He gave them the authority to rule this earth. Through sin, they lost this authority to Satan. Then Jesus, the perfect man, the Last Adam, walked on this earth in every manner that God had created man to do. Jesus had taken the sins of all mankind on Himself and died on the cross paying the penalty for that sin.

He had suffered death for all mankind. He had delivered those sins to the depths of the pit and then the power of God Himself had come on Jesus. He defeated Satan and all the demons at the gates of hell. Jesus took back the keys of authority.

Jesus took back everything Satan had stolen from mankind. Everything God had created Adam and Eve to be and to have had been reclaimed and given back to mankind by Jesus.

When Jesus first spoke of the church that He would build, He said:

Mat 16:18b,19 On this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.

 Jesus in Heaven

The writer of the book of Hebrews gives us the position of Jesus today.

Heb 10:12,13 But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God; From henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool.

Jesus is seated at the right hand of the Father.

David also foretold the present day position of Jesus.

Psa 110:1 The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool.

David prophesied that Jesus would be seated at the right hand of the Father.

 

Jesus Is Waiting

Both David and the writer of the book of Hebrews told us that Jesus is doing more than sitting at the right hand of the Father. Jesus is waiting for His enemies to be made His footstool.

Who is going to make His enemies His footstool? Jesus is waiting for the redeemed of the Lord to discover their restored authority and to demonstrate that Satan is a defeated foe. The work of Jesus is complete! He is waiting for His enemies to be made His footstool. It is the work of the believers to put Satan in his place. The believers must put Satan and his demons under the feet of Jesus.

Jesus has done everything He was supposed to do. Now the responsibility is ours. We are His body on this earth. We are His hands, His legs, His feet. We are the ones that are to rule our world today.

 


PRAYER OF PAUL

The apostle Paul prayed an important, powerful prayer for all the saints. His prayer covered the position of Jesus at the right hand of the Father, our position, our power and our responsibilities.

Eph 1:18-23 The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,  And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power,  Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places,  Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named,not only in this world, but also in that which is to come:  And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church,  Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.

 Position of Jesus

According to the apostle Paul,

  • Jesus is raised from the dead
  • Seated at right hand in heavenly places
  • Far above all principality, power, might and dominion
  • Above every title that can be given
  • All things are under His feet
  • Appointed to be the head

Jesus is far above all demonic powers. Jesus is far above every title that can be given, or will ever be given. All things are under the feet of Jesus.

Standard of Power

There are two standards of power. One in the Old Testament and another in the New Testament.

In the Old Testament the standard of power was the parting of the Red Sea.

In the New Testament the standard of power was and still is, the power of the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Paul wrote:

Eph 1:19 According to the working of his mighty power, Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead,

 Position of Believers

The apostle Paul prayed that believers would be enlightened; that they would know:

  • The hope of His calling
  • The riches of the glory of His inheritance
  • Exceeding greatness of His power
  • We are His body
  • We are the fullness of Him

We are to have knowledge of the riches of the glory of His inheritance and of the exceeding greatness His power for us who believe. We are to operate in the same great power that raised Jesus from the dead!

 


FULLNESS OF HIM

Paul prayed for “the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.”

If we, His church, are fulfilling a void or emptiness in the Son of God, when did this emptiness occur? Perhaps this emptiness goes back to the time Lucifer, the anointed cherub who covers, was cast out of heaven with the angels who followed him in his rebellion.

Eze 28:14 Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth; and I have set thee so: thou wast upon the holy mountain of God; thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire.

Angelic Leadership

As there is a trinity in the Godhead, there also appeared to be a trinity in the leadership of the angels. There were Michael, Lucifer and Gabriel.

 

One-Third

When Lucifer rebelled, it was said that “his angels” were cast out with him.

Rev 12:7-9  And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven.  And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.

The angels that were described as Satan’s angels and were cast down to the earth with him, comprised one-third of all the angels of heaven.

Rev 12:4 And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth:

 

–Michael

Michael was the only one referred to as an archangel.

Jude 1:9 Yet Michael the archangel, 

It was Michael and “his angels” that were the warrior angels which fought against Satan, “the dragon and his

angels.”

Rev 12:7-9  And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon and his angels fought,

Perhaps as the archangel, Michael and a third of the angels under his command, minister to the Father.

 

–Gabriel

Perhaps Gabriel, who always appears as the messenger angel, and a third of the angels under his command, minister to the Holy Spirit.He appeared to Zechariah, to give him the message that his wife Elizabeth would bear a son who would be “filled with the Holy Spirit even from birth.”

Luk 1:19 And the angel answering said unto him, I am Gabriel, that stand in the presence of God; and am sent to speak unto thee, and to shew thee these glad tidings.

Gabriel also appeared to a virgin named Mary.

Luk 1:30,31,35 And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God.  And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS.

Mary asked, “How can this be … since I do not know a man?”

And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.

Gabriel revealed the work of the Holy Spirit.

 

–Lucifer

Could it be then, that Lucifer and his angels ministered to the Son of God?

Lucifer ministered as the covering cherub, and he was depicted by the covering cherubs who were on each side of the Mercy Seat. He was right beside the throne of God. As we have seen, the covering was a ministry of praise and worship.

When, suddenly in his rebellion, Lucifer and all of his angels were cast out of heaven, how was this void to be filled?

Did the Father ask Michael and Gabriel to reassign some of their angels to fill this void in ministering to the Son? We have no record of that happening. Could it be that God had a better plan when He created mankind in His image, to be worshippers of Him, to be seated with Him in heavenly places, to be at His side and to rule and reign with Him through all eternity?

 

Void Is Filled

Men and women, created in God’s image, can only be complete and fulfilled as the Creator once again breathes Himself into them at the moment of salvation. He fills the emptiness in lives with Himself. Now His body is to fulfil the emptiness in Him by giving themselves to Him in a ministry of praise and worship.

In the beginning, there was only one ministry, the ministry of praise and worship. When that ceased, many other ministries became necessary – the ministries of healing, deliverance, reconciliation, restoration and others.

Could it be that as the ministry of praise and worship is restored to the church, these other ministries will no longer be as necessary within the body of Christ as they are today?

As we spend more and more time ministering in praise and worship of God, we will discover that there is a decreasing need for healing or deliverance or other ministries in our lives.

We are important to God! We are to be fulfilling to Him. We are to minister to Him in praise and worship. By so doing, we as His body become the “fullness of Him who fills all in all.”

Eph 1:22,23 And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.

Worship1

 

As we praise and worship God, we are not only fulfilling the former function of Lucifer and his angels, we are demonstrating the fact that they are defeated and have no more place in heaven. We are humiliating them and putting them under our feet. As we dance before the Lord, we are crushing Satan into defeat by the very action of our feet.

 

 


WHAT THIS MEANS TO US

By the work of Jesus on the cross and by the events that followed, Satan has been defeated! Every demon has been defeated! Jesus defeated them and brought them to nothing! He made a big “zero” out of them.

  • Why are we letting Satan defeat us now?
  • Why are we letting him take our homes from us, our cities, our nations?
  • Why are we letting him put disease on us?
  • Why are we accepting poverty?

The answer is that we must study and know what we have been given in Jesus Christ. We must discover our restored authority.

 

We Are Delivered!

When the apostle Paul wrote to the Colossians, he said we have been:

  • Delivered
  • Translated
  • Redeemed
  • Forgiven

Col 1:13,14  Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:  In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:

 Kingdom Is Here

What is the kingdom of the Son?

When Jesus taught the disciples to pray, He prayed these Words:

Mat 6:10 Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.

The kingdom of God is not something out in the future. It is here now. We have been delivered from the dominion of darkness and brought into the kingdom of the Son through redemption and the forgiveness of our sins.

With the knowledge of our restored authority, we can become forceful men and women who will have an important part in forcefully advancing the kingdom of heaven on this earth.

Mat 11:12 And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force.

Paul continued with a wonderful description of Jesus.

Col 1:15-18 Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature: For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: And he is before all things, and by him all things consist. And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.

 

Jesus Our Head

Jesus:

  • Is the image of God
  • Creator of all things
  • Was before all things
  • Holds all things together
  • Is the head of the body, the church
  • Is the beginning, firstborn from among the dead.

Jesus is our head. We are His body. His body is made up of all believers. As His body, we are described as having already been rescued from Satan’s dominion and translated into a brand new kingdom where we will reign in dominion with Jesus, the Son of God. We are described as being redeemed and completely forgiven from all sins.

The head of the body, Jesus, is in heaven. The rest of His body, including His feet, is on earth. It is on earth that man must fulfill his function of absolute dominion. It is here that we must forcibly advance the kingdom of God by effective spiritual warfare.

 


SATAN’S POSITION

Under Jesus’ Feet

God placed Satan under Jesus’ feet and appointed Jesus to be the head over everything concerning the church.

Eph 1:22 And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church,

Under Our Feet

Rom 16:20 And the God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly.

To be under one’s feet is a picture of being totally conquered, defeated and subdued. It is a picture of absolute authority and dominion.

Gen 3:15 And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.

Under Our Authority

Satan is under Jesus’ feet because Jesus completely defeated him and ascended far above him and all of his demons. Satan and his demons are now to be put under our feet as we discover our restored authority and begin to use that authority on earth.

Trampled Upon

Luke gives us a clear picture of Satan’s position. He is to be trampled under our feet. We are also promised that nothing shall in any way hurt us.

Luk 10:19 Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you.

Mankind having been rescued, brought in, redeemed, forgiven and completely restored to God’s image on earth, is now to trample Satan under his feet and demonstrate that he is a defeated enemy.

When Isaiah described the end of Satan, he referred to his being as one trodden under foot.

Isa 14:18-20 All the kings of the nations, even all of them, lie in glory, every one in his own house.  But thou art cast out of thy grave like an abominable branch, and as the raiment of those that are slain, thrust through with a sword, that go down to the stones of the pit; as a carcase trodden under feet. Thou shalt not be joined with them in burial, because thou hast destroyed thy land, and slain thy people: the seed of evildoers shall never be named.

 


CHAIN OF COMMAND

When Jesus ascended back to His Father, He laid aside His rights as the Son of Man and took back upon Himself all of His rights as the Son of God.

Man’s Rights on Earth

As God, He no longer exercises dominion on earth because, here, He gave all dominion to man.

It is man who must put Satan under his feet on the earth as he was created to do.

The prophet Isaiah gave us a wonderful, encouraging prophecy.

  • In righteousness you will be established
  • Oppression will be far from you
  • You have nothing to fear
  • Terror will not come near you
  • If anyone attacks you, they will surrender
  • No weapon formed against you will prosper
  • You will refute every tongue that comes against you

Isa 54:14-17 In righteousness shalt thou be established: thou shalt be far from oppression; for thou shalt not fear: and from terror; for it shall not come near thee. Behold, they shall surely gather together, but not by me: whosoever shall gather together against thee shall fall for thy sake. Behold, I have created the smith that bloweth the coals in the fire, and that bringeth forth an instrument for his work; and I have created the waster to destroy. No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is of me, saith the LORD.

Our heritage is something that belongs to us by right of birth.

Isaiah prophesied–

This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord!

  


QUESTIONS FOR REVIEW

  1. If all things are under the feet of Jesus, why are the devil and demon powers still able to continue their evil work on this earth?
  1. Why is God allowing Satan to continue his evil on earth after Jesus has defeated Him by His death on the cross and by His resurrection?
  1. What changes are necessary in your life if you are to walk in your restored authority – to demonstrate that Satan is a defeated enemy?

See Authority Lesson Six: From the Cross to the Throne