The Believer's Authority Part 2

We are responsible to submit to G.o.d and resist the devil. (James 4:7.) Our thoughts, emotions, words, and actions are either giving place to G.o.d or giving place to the devil. (Eph. 4:27.) We need to recognize the spiritual dynamics happening all around us.

I'm amazed how many people don't a.s.sociate their actions with the results they're experiencing. They totally miss the correlation and don't have a clue how Satan is destroying them. While living a life in opposition to G.o.d, they come up to me and say, "I just don't understand why the devil is after me."

"ARE YOU MARRIED?"

One time I had a man in our church come out to shoe my horse. While he was doing that, we began talking and he kept referring to his "girlfriend." I'd seen him at church with this woman and thought she was his wife. However, the way he kept talking about his girlfriend led me to believe they weren't married. So finally, I just asked him, "Are you married?"

He answered, "Oh no. We're just living together. We've had so many friends that have married and divorced that we think it's wise to live together for a while and see if we should get married or not. It's been about six months now."

Immediately, I asked, "I thought you said you were a Christian?"

"Well, I am. I was born again four months ago."

"Don't you realize that living together is contrary to G.o.d's Word?"

This guy was a brand-new believer and totally ignorant of the Scriptures. "You mean G.o.d says something about just living with a person before you get married?"

So I started sharing the Word with him. After a little while, he said, "Well, we love each other and we're going to get married. So it'll be okay."

I had to explain to him, "It doesn't matter what's going to happen in the future. Right now you are living in a way that exempts you from G.o.d's power. You have yielded yourself to Satan and have violated G.o.d's Word. By doing so, you have released demonic power in your life. The devil is just having a heyday with you!"

FOLLOW G.o.d'S INSTRUCTIONS.

As we continued talking, he began to open up his heart. Usually it takes thirty minutes to shoe a horse, but this one took three hours. He was just soaking it up. This brother changed his mind, moved out, and they straightened up their act.

When you disobey G.o.d, you open up a door to the devil. Now, contrary to what religion says, G.o.d still loves you. He's not mad at you, but He wants better for you. By violating G.o.d's instructions in His Word and obeying the l.u.s.t of your flesh, you've thrown open a door to the devil. Satan will come in, eat your lunch, and pop the bag!

If you don't want that, you may need to change your mind and adjust your actions. We're in a spiritual battle, and you can't afford the luxury of just ignoring the instructions G.o.d has given you.

Chapter 5.

Unconditional Authority In the previous chapters, I've established that we are in a battle. This isn't something that only some people experience or that will come to us in the future. We are facing a spiritual battle right now, every day. So, we need to define who our enemy is and reveal what power he has.

In almost forty years of being a Christian and actively studying G.o.d's Word, I've come across several different opinions about where Satan came from and how he got his power. I've heard all kinds of messages on this subject and, in my personal study, I've read many different commentaries, study Bibles, and books. However, in the midst of these different variations, a dominant doctrine has emerged in popular theology. This widely held understanding says that G.o.d created a powerful, beautiful, G.o.dly angel named "Lucifer." (Isa. 14:12.) This Lucifer was "the anointed cherub that covereth" on G.o.d's holy mountain. (Ezek. 28:14.) Many people believe that he had musical instruments-pipes and tambourines-built into his body. (Ezek. 28:13.) Lucifer was perfect in all his ways. (Ezek. 28:15.) In spite of that, he became prideful, turned into Satan, and rebelled against G.o.d.

At this point, popular theology also says that Satan convinced one-third of the angels to follow him in rebellion. Together, they attempted to overthrow G.o.d, were defeated, and were then all cast down to the earth. They base this premise upon Revelation 12:4, which is the only scripture in the entire Bible that even makes reference to this. Basing a major doctrine on a single pa.s.sage of scripture, especially one so full of symbolism, is not good Bible interpretation.

CHILD ABUSE?.

Some people take this even further, saying that Satan ruled over a pre-Adamic civilization once he was thrown down from heaven to earth. They argue that G.o.d brought a cataclysmic judgment upon the devil and his kingdom, and that the earth was completely destroyed in between Genesis 1:1 ("G.o.d created the heaven and the earth") and 1:2 ("The earth was without form, and void"). They propose that Genesis 1:2 is actually the re-creation. Finis Dake, through the extensive notes in his study Bible and commentary, really popularized this theory. This is where many people who teach this point of view today-either directly or indirectly-received their information.

They also say that Satan and his demons came from this pre-Adamic civilization. Once Adam and Eve were created, G.o.d allowed Satan- with all of his evilness and corruption-into the Garden of Eden so that man would have a choice between good and evil. That's like saying, "G.o.d took His man and put him in the garden with this evil, wild beast just to tempt them and see how they would do."

Most people don't really give serious thought to why things are the way they are. Like life, they just deal with the Bible on a surface level. Have you ever pondered the question, "If G.o.d is a good and loving G.o.d, then why did He allow Satan to come into the garden and tempt Adam and Eve?" That's comparable to letting your two-year-old child go out in the backyard to play, knowing full well that a hungry lion or bear-something that could literally destroy them-is lurking in the bushes. We'd consider that irresponsible. In the natural realm, we'd take kids away from a parent who didn't take care of and protect their children any better than that. A parent who would knowingly and willingly expose their children to such a dangerous predator-if caught-would be arrested, convicted, and thrown in jail on charges of child abuse. Yet, this popular theology insinuates that our heavenly Father turned Satan loose in the Garden of Eden to tempt Adam and Eve.

I don't believe that's the way it happened at all. Now, the Bible doesn't totally explain why G.o.d did what He did with man and-Satan, but I believe there are clues. And it's these clues that have led me to some totally different conclusions than what are popularly believed.

MINISTERING SPIRITS.

G.o.d sent Lucifer-His top angel-down to earth to minister to Adam and Eve. Lucifer hadn't transgressed against G.o.d-and become Satan-yet. He was a G.o.dly angel in the Garden of Eden on special a.s.signment from the Lord Himself.

Are they [angels] not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation? HEBREWS 1:14 Angels are all sent to minister to us. G.o.d didn't send Lucifer to the earth to tempt Adam and Eve, but to serve them and minister to them. He came to the garden on a divine mission. However, once there, he transgressed.

Isaiah 14 and Ezekiel 28 provide us with the vast majority of the Old Testament information that we have about this angel called Lucifer who became Satan. In both pa.s.sages, the prophet began by addressing a physical person (the king of Babylon-Isa. 14:4; and the king of Tyrus-Ezek. 28:12). Nevertheless, it becomes obvious through the prophet's words (Isa. 14:12; Ezek. 28:13) that the demonic power behind that physical person is really who's being addressed.

SUBTLE SWITCH.

In the New Testament, Jesus did the same thing when He turned to Peter and said: Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of G.o.d, but those that be of men.

MATTHEW 16:23.

He was addressing the demonic power operating through the physical human being.

Keep this in mind, and watch for the subtle switch, as we begin looking at this pa.s.sage of scripture.

Moreover the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, Son of man, take up a lamentation upon the king of Tyrus [a physical human being], and say unto him.

EZEKIEL 28:11,12.

LUCIFER'S TRANSGRESSION.

Now this next section is clearly speaking to the demonic personality-Satan himself-who was operating through this physical human being. It's obvious because of what the next few verses say.

Thou hast been in Eden the garden of G.o.d; every precious stone was thy covering, the sardius, topaz, and the diamond, the beryl, the onyx, and the jasper, the sapphire, the emerald, and the carbuncle, and gold: the workmans.h.i.+p of thy tabrets and of thy pipes was prepared in thee in the day that thou wast created. Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth; and I have set thee so: thou wast upon the holy mountain of G.o.d; thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire. Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee.

EZEKIEL 28:13-15.

This is describing Lucifer, specifically in the Garden of Eden. Notice how it's describing him still in a sinless state. G.o.d sent Lucifer-the most honored, and respected angel He created- down to the Garden of Eden to be a servant to mankind.

Lucifer's transgression against G.o.d came in the Garden of Eden. It's described in Genesis 3 when he entered into the snake and used this serpent to speak to Eve and tempt her. Then he persuaded both Eve and Adam to eat of the forbidden fruit. That's when Lucifer transgressed against G.o.d.

Revelation 12:3-4, where the dragon took one-third of the stars and threw them to the earth, is a flimsy basis for saying that Satan took one-third of the angels and rebelled against G.o.d. The devil wouldn't have won if he had 100 percent of the angels, much less only one-third. There's no way Satan could even come close to winning a direct confrontation with G.o.d.

NO RESTRICTIONS.

Lucifer came to the earth as an anointed angel on a divine a.s.signment to minister to Adam and Eve. However, he saw something in them that he didn't have. As an angel, his power and authority was conditional (my supposition). But Adam and Eve had been given unconditional power and authority over this earth. We see this where G.o.d created Adam and Eve, in the creation story of Genesis 1.

G.o.d said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion [power and authority] over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. So G.o.d created man in his own image, in the image of G.o.d created he him; male and female created he them. And G.o.d blessed them, and G.o.d said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.

GENESIS 1:26-28.

When G.o.d created man, He spoke and gave them dominion- power and authority-over all the earth. Notice that there were no restrictions placed on this. G.o.d didn't say to them, "Now as long as you follow My leading and do what I want you to do, I'll let you have dominion over the earth." No, G.o.d placed zero qualifications on this dominion that He gave to mankind.

G.o.d'S INTEGRITY.

Once G.o.d speaks, it's done. He never goes back on His Word.

My covenant will I not break, nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips.

PSALM 89:34.

According to Hebrews 6:18, it is "impossible for G.o.d to lie" because: G.o.d is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?

NUMBERS 23:19.

The integrity of G.o.d's Word is what makes the universe exist and hold together. G.o.d upholds "all things by the word of his power" (Heb. 1:3).

G.o.d will not violate what He has said. So when He told Adam and Eve, "You have dominion; you have power and authority over this earth; you rule it and subdue it; it's under your control," He meant it. G.o.d gave them dominion over this earth.

BOUND BY HIS WORD.

Of course, the Lord never meant for man to use that power and authority in the way that we did. He didn't mean for us to just turn it over to Satan. However, because of G.o.d's own integrity, once we did yield that dominion over to the devil, G.o.d couldn't just say, "Time out. King's X. This isn't what I intended. Stop. We're going to do this all over again. I take back this authority. You can't run the earth anymore." That's what we would tend to do if someone abused the privilege we gave them. But that's not how He is. G.o.d was bound by His own Word.

Think of it. G.o.d has magnified His Word above His name.

Thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name. PSALM 138:2 At the name of Jesus-the name which is above all names- every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that He is Lord. (Phil. 2:9-11.) "The name of the Lord is a strong tower" (Prov. 18:10), yet the Word of G.o.d is magnified even above the name of Jesus.

Knowing G.o.d as he did, Lucifer's antennae went up when he heard the Lord say to Adam and Eve, "You have dominion" without any restrictions or qualifications. That got the top angel's attention because he knew that the G.o.d-given authority that he operated in was conditional (again, my supposition). If Lucifer were to disobey G.o.d, this divine power that had been delegated to him would have instantly been taken away. He had no ability to use the power that G.o.d had given him to fight against G.o.d. There was no chance of Lucifer directly rebelling at G.o.d. But perhaps he could rebel if somehow he could get a hold of that unconditional power and authority that had been given to man.

I admit that some of these things aren't clearly spelled out in Scripture. We may indeed be b.u.mping up against some things that are beyond our ability to know.

The secret things belong unto the LORD our G.o.d: but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children for ever.

DEUTERONOMY 29:29.

G.o.d hasn't revealed every single thing to us. Yet, from what I do know of G.o.d's nature, character, and Word, the evidence points strongly in this direction.

AN OPPORTUNITY.

The Bible reveals that angels also have a free will.

G.o.d spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to h.e.l.l, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment.

2 PETER 2:4.

Although angels have a free will, there's no reason to believe that their power and authority is unconditional like Adam and Eve's. Therefore, if any angels got out of line, G.o.d could, in a sense, just fire them. He could cancel and recall the power and authority He had given them, and they'd be absolutely defeated.

In light of this, there's no way Satan and one-third of the angels could charge G.o.d on His throne, who still retained two-thirds of the angels. However, Lucifer saw an opportunity with the unconditional authority over the earth that G.o.d had given to mankind.

Chapter 6.

G.o.d Of This World The Lord made Adam and Eve the G.o.ds of this world.

I have said, Ye are G.o.ds; and all of you are children of the most High.

PSALM 82:6.

In context, this was G.o.d creating man and saying to him, "You are G.o.ds." This isn't "G.o.ds" in the sense of divinity, but "G.o.ds" in the sense of rulers.h.i.+p. We were given dominion-power and authority- over the earth. Since it was ours to rule and reign, we were G.o.ds over this earth.

The heaven, even the heavens, are the LORD's: but the earth hath he given to the children of men.

PSALM 115:16.

G.o.d literally gave the earth to mankind. The Creator gave us the power and authority to rule over this earth as if we were the creator. We weren't the Creator, but that's how much dominion He gave us.

"I WILL..."

I believe that when Lucifer-still the sinless, perfect angel of G.o.d in the garden sent to minister to Adam and Eve-saw the unconditional authority over the earth that G.o.d had given to man, he recognized an opportunity. Isaiah 14 reveals his thought process.

O Lucifer, son of the morning...thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of G.o.d: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds: I will be like the most High.

ISAIAH 14:12-14.

Lucifer envied G.o.d. He wasn't content with being the top angel. He was jealous and wanted G.o.d's position, but he couldn't just take that place with the delegated power he had been given. If he would have rebelled, that power would have instantly been taken away and he would have been destroyed. However, he saw an opportunity with man because G.o.d had given Adam and Eve something that He'd never given to the angels-an unconditional, no reservations or qualifications, no strings attached authority over the earth. Lucifer saw that if he could get Adam and Eve to yield to him and rebel against G.o.d, then he could become the new "G.o.d" of this world. (2 Cor. 4:4.) Even though the Bible hadn't been written down yet, Lucifer knew that the Word of G.o.d was settled from the beginning (Ps. 119:89), and that the Lord never changes. (Mal. 3:6.) Therefore, creation has always operated under G.o.d's unchangeable spiritual laws, which include: Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?

ROMANS 6:16.

Understanding how G.o.d's kingdom works, Lucifer knew that if he could trick Adam and Eve into yielding to and obeying him, then he could become their master. Then he could take the power and authority that had been given to mankind and use it to begin thwarting the kingdom of G.o.d and start receiving the praise, adoration, and glory that he desired. That's how it happened.

TAKEN HOSTAGE.

When someone robs a bank, they sometimes take a hostage. A bank usually has all kinds of powerful security-locks, alarms, vaults, cameras, and armed guards. One person with a gun isn't really sufficient to go in and overpower all of that security. In spite of this, if the thief grabs a hostage and puts a gun to the hostage's head, the thief knows his or her demands will be met. The people who run the bank aren't willing to see a hostage killed just to protect some money. So, one person with a gun and six bullets can challenge the far greater force of multiple guards with automatic weapons and several cartridges each. Technically, the thief shouldn't be able to overpower the security. But with a hostage, the thief is able to get away with the robbery.

Satan knew he couldn't overpower G.o.d in a direct confrontation. However, he saw how G.o.d gave Adam and Eve an unconditional authority. If they of their own free will yielded to him, they would also transfer that authority over to him as well.

As Creator and owner, G.o.d could have come down and wiped out the world. He could have destroyed Adam and Eve, the devil, and all of the angels that rebelled. As Creator, He had the right to do that and start over. Yet, to intervene in the affairs of this world like that would have violated His Word. He had given the dominion over this earth to Adam and Eve. He had given the power and authority to rule over this world to physical human beings. If G.o.d would have intervened, He would have violated His Word, and the entire universe would have self-destructed because it's held together by the integrity of His Word. (Heb. 1:3.) For G.o.d to maintain His integrity and stand by what He had previously said-"You have dominion"-He had to give Adam and Eve their freedom. If they wanted to yield their authority and power over the earth to Satan, then technically it was their right to do so. G.o.d would have been unjust to come down here, destroy Satan, say, "Adam and Eve, don't do this again," and then redeem them. He couldn't do that and still be faithful to the Word He had spoken over them. They had a choice.

Lucifer saw how much G.o.d loved Adam and Eve. He met with them every day in the cool of the evening. (Gen. 3:8.) After creating the whole universe-billions and billions of galaxies, stars, and planets-G.o.d was bound to have other things to do, yet He spent time with Adam and Eve every single day. So Satan gambled that G.o.d wouldn't come down and wipe out this creation that He'd made.

SATAN NEEDS SUBMISSION.

Satan was using Adam and Eve as hostages to hide behind, saying, "G.o.d, they gave me this authority. It was their choice. I didn't force them." Satan didn't come as a mammoth and put his foot on Eve's head. He didn't come and overpower them. The devil came with deception, and they willingly yielded to him. This is where his transgression took place-in the Garden of Eden. He used them like a hostage, saying, "G.o.d, if You want to do anything to me, you'll have to destroy Adam and Eve too. They did this of their own free will."

Due to G.o.d's great love for mankind, Satan was allowed to become G.o.d of this world. Instead of wiping us out and starting this whole thing over, G.o.d allowed what we did to stand. We are the ones who made Satan. We are the ones who enabled Lucifer to leave his position in heaven, come into a fallen state, and rule the earth as Satan-the G.o.d of this world.

We were originally intended to be G.o.ds-absolute rulers-over this world. But mankind gave their dominion-authority and power-to Lucifer. So G.o.d created Lucifer, but Adam and Eve made Satan. They didn't create Satan in the sense that G.o.d had already created Lucifer as an angelic being. Adam and Eve made Satan who he was by giving him their power and authority.