Dan Mohler said, “Jesus didn’t die because you have sin. He died because you have destiny.” The truth is, the devil stole man’s destiny from him in the Garden of Eden. But when darkness became our common enemy, Jesus came to forgive all sin and restore what was lost.
In Luke 10:17-19, the bible says seventy disciples returned from ministering to the people and with joy, said to Jesus, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name.” And He said to them, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. 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.”
In other words, Jesus knew He was about to give His disciples (including us) the best gift ever— AUTHORITY. Let’s look at this. First of all, Satan is hardly mentioned in the Old Testament until Jesus began calling him and his demons out, which is why He responded the way He did to the disciples… “you aint’ seen nothing yet!”
Secondly, Jesus spoke of the kingdom of God 54 times in Matthew alone (a total 158 in the New Testament). He would often say, “Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” This is important. The word kingdom in the Greek means royal dominion, reign, power, and authority. But notice Jesus said the kingdom was “at hand” which meant it was about to be here, at the door (so get ready).
Actually, God’s Word had been trying to get people ready for centuries. The Psalmist asked, “What is man that You are mindful of him, and the son of man that You visit him? For You have made him a little lower than the angels, and You have crowned him with glory and honor. You have made him to have dominion over the works of Your hands; You have put all things under his feet” (Psalm 8:4-6).
This is a legitimate question: why is man a big deal to God?
Two things to note here as well. The reference to angels in the above verse is actually the Hebrew word Elohim, which is the name for God. The word dominion means “kingdom” or to rule or reign. So the psalmist basically answered his own question. He knew God made Adam a little lower than Himself and gave him dominion over the earth. Genesis 1:26 says, “Then God said, ‘Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them [all men] have dominion…'”
In other words, God created man just like He did the animals, according to “its kind.” The New Living Translation says, “like ourselves.” The word image means resemblance (not necessarily physical appearance). It means to have the same nature as another. The word sin can be defined as rebellion, and this helps us understand that sin basically means to rebel against our created nature (how we were originally made). It’s not “natural” for you and I to sin (it’s against our created nature).
So we know God created Adam (Genesis 2:7) and breathed His life into him. 2 Corinthians 4:7 says, “But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us.” The treasure we carry within us is the breath of Almighty God (His power and excellence). And of course earthen vessels is a reference to our bodies (our dirt suit); that which keeps us planted on the earth. Because remember, to be absent from the body is to be outta here (2 Corinthians 5:8)!
God originally designed us to rule the earth and reveal HIM. God desired to establish a kingdom on earth with a nation of kings. Psalm 115:16 says, “The heaven, even the heavens are the Lord’s; but the earth He has given to the children of men.” So where is God? He is in Heaven (the glories). Where is man? On the earth. This is why Jesus prayed, “Our Father, who are in Heaven (not earth), hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom (rule and authority) come, thy will be done ON EARTH as it is in heaven…” (Matthew 6:9-10, emphasis added).
In the Garden, Satan deceived Eve into eating the forbidden fruit. Adam ate too and sin was birthed. God found them hiding and said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you that you should not eat?” (Genesis 3:11). And then God talks to all FOUR culprits (not three, as we have maybe misunderstood).
First, He says to the serpent: “Because you have done this, you are cursed more than all cattle, and more than every beast of the field; on your belly you shall go and you shall eat dust all the days of your life” (Genesis 3:14). Then God addresses Satan before addressing Eve and lastly, Adam.
To Satan, God says, “And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel” (verse 15). The reason I highlight these conversations is because the SERPENT and SATAN are not the same.
Do you remember when Jesus said to Peter, “Get behind me Satan” (Matthew 16:23)? Jesus looked through Peter to the real culprit doing the influencing in that moment. And this is what God did too. He spoke to the serpent and then looked through the serpent to the real culprit (Satan).
Satan is not human. He doesn’t have a body. He was an angel that was cast out. He is an evil spirit-being. God is also a Spirit. He is the King of righteousness and He gave authority to mankind when He said,“Let them have dominion…”
God forewarned Satan what was coming… “And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel.” Satan didn’t know exactly how it would happen but he knew God doesn’t lie.
Jesus came to fix some things (right the wrongs).
Jesus knew in advance what He was going to do. He knew the plan of God. Jesus didn’t just come to simply save us from sin. He came to RESTORE AUTHORITY! God’s plan was for us to walk in such excellence (exposing Him) that the world around us would have to say, “God must have done that!” or after we’ve left, “God was here!” The problem however, is that after the fall of Adam, the world (under the influence of Satan) has taught man to be mediocre and average compared to God’s originally created man.
Satan has had two agendas: keep people in the dark about their authority, and/or make them religious. In other words, if the devil can’t keep you from becoming a Christian, he’ll make you a religious one– until you learn the truth of your righteousness in Christ and the authority that God intended for you to have in the earth.
Sickness doesn’t have to have authority over you. Poverty doesn’t have to have authority over you. Broken relationships don’t have to define your existence. God has always had a better plan for our lives than all that! My prayer is that we will see and understand God’s Word like never before– and use our authority to defeat our common enemy.
