YOU ARE NOT UNDER THE EVIL ONE

“We know that God’s children do not make a practice of sinning, for God’s Son holds them securely, and the evil one cannot touch him.” (1 John 5:18 NLT)

 

God created man in His own image to exercise dominion and manage the affairs of the earth (Gen. 1:28).

 

The Psalmist testifies to this truth.

 

Psalms 115:16 – NKJV

16 The heaven, even the heavens, are the LORD’S; But the earth He has given to the children of men.

 

God created man as a ruler, crowned him with glory and honour, and gave him unlimited authority over all the works of His hands.

 

Psalms 8:3-6 – NKJV

 3 When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, The moon and the stars, which You have ordained,

 4 What is man that You are mindful of him, And the son of man that You visit him?

 5 For You have made him a little lower than the angels, And You have crowned him with glory and honor.

 6 You have made him to have dominion over the works of Your hands; You have put all things under his feet.

 

God did not intend for man to reign on earth for a limited time; rather, God intended for man to reign forever on earth over all the works of His hands. Sadly, as a result of man’s yielding voluntary to Satan by disobeying God’s commandment man became a lawful slave to the devil.
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When you yield to temptation to sin, you are actually yielding to Satan, the author of sin!

 

The Scripture amply testifies to this truth.

 

Romans 6:16 – NKJV

16 Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one’s slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness?

 

1 John 3:8 – NKJV

 8 He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil.

 

John 8: 34-36 – NKJV

 34 Jesus answered them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin.

 35 “And a slave does not abide in the house forever, but a son abides forever.

 36 “Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.

 

As a consequence of the first man’s disobedience to God, Satan usurped man’s position and dominion over the earth and established himself as “the god, prince or ruler of this world.” Since then the devil has reigned freely or unhindered in the world until the first coming of Jesus Christ into the world.
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While tempting Jesus the devil took Him up on a high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time, boasting, “All this authority I will give You, and their glory; for this has been delivered to me, and I give it to whomever I wish.” (Luke 4:6 NKJV).

 

It was Adam who gave the devil the authority to operate on earth!

 

Before triumphing over the devil through the Cross, the Lord Jesus recognized the devil as “the ruler of this world.”

 

Shortly before His crucifixion, the Lord Jesus said to His disciples, “I will no longer talk much with you, for the ruler of this world is coming, and he has nothing in Me.” (John 14:30 NKJV).

 

“Now is the judgment of this world; now the ruler of this world will be cast out.” (John 12:31 NKJV).

 

However, one of the primary purposes of Christ coming into the world is to judge and vanquish the devil and take from him the dominion he usurped from man.

 

Through His death and resurrection, the Lord Jesus Christ has completely judged the devil, triumphed over him, vanquished him and stripped him of the authority or dominion Adam gave him to operate unhindered on earth (John 16:11, Col. 2:15).

 

The Scripture testifies to this truth.

 

Hebrews 2:14-15 – NKJV

 14 Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil,

 15 and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.

 

Hallelujah!

 

Having judged, defeated and vanquished the devil through His death and resurrection, all authority in heaven and on earth now belongs only to the Lord Jesus Christ (Matt. 28:18).

 

Apostle Paul attests to this truth.

 

Philippians 2:9-11 – NKJV

 9 Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name,

 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth,

 11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

 

Christ’s complete and permanent victory over the devil (the ruler of this world) is the victory of the entire mankind over the devil. The dominion of Satan over mankind has been shattered by the Lord Jesus Christ.
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However, it is only those who believe in Jesus Christ and surrender to His Lordship that share in His victory and authority over the devil. Anyone who rejects Jesus Christ as his Lord and Saviour is still under the dominion of the devil.

 

John the Beloved testifies to this truth.

 

1 John 5:19 – NKJV

19 We know that we are of God, and the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one.

                                                                                                  

Although the devil has been completely judged, defeated or vanquished by the Lord Jesus Christ, yet he is still permitted for a limited time to reign as the ruler or god over the world (the ungodly multitude, the whole mass of men alienated from God and therefore hostile to the cause of Christ).

 

All those who are not under the authority or Lordship of Jesus Christ are still walking “according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience.” (Eph. 2:2 NKJV).

 

No one can serve two masters or lords. It is either you have Jesus Christ as your Master or you have the devil as your master.

 

The believers in Christ are no longer under the authority, control and influence of the devil. The Scripture affirms that God has “delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love.” (Col. 1:13 NKJV).

 

If you are born again through faith in Jesus Christ and His redemptive work, you are no longer under the sway or influence of the devil, the god of this world, even though you are still living in the world.

 

The Lord Jesus said of His disciples, “They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.” (John 17:16 NKJV).

 

The born-again believers are now kings and priests to God and are fully empowered to reign freely or unhindered on earth (Rev. 1:6, 5:10).

 

Although living in the world, the believers have been raised up together with Christ and made to sit together in the heavenly in Christ Jesus “far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come.” (Eph. 1:21 NKJV).

 

Therefore, as a believer, you now have unlimited authority over the devil.

 

The Lord Jesus said, “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.” (Luke 10:19 NKJV).

 

While the world (the ungodly multitude and their affairs) is still under the authority, dominion or influence of the devil (the evil one), the believers in Christ need not to fear the devil, for he has no authority or right over them. (John 17:15).

 

The Scripture clearly states this truth.

 

1 John 5:18 – NLT

18 We know that God’s children do not make a practice of sinning, for God’s Son holds them securely, and the evil one cannot touch him.

 

Sadly, many believers today are not walking in the spiritual understanding that they are no longer under the power, control, or influence of the devil (the evil one) and that God keeps them so that the evil one in the world cannot touch them.

 

Beloved, though you are no longer under the sway of the evil one, yet you must recognize that the devil still reigns as the god or ruler over the world (the mass of ungodly men and their affairs).

 

The devil’s reign over the world will continue until Christ’s second return to establish His literal Kingdom on earth, then the devil will be bound and cast into the lake of fire and brimstone to be tormented forever and ever (Rev. 20:10).

 

Then, it will be declared with loud voices in heaven, saying, “The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!” (Rev. 11:15 NKJV). Hallelujah!

 

What are the spiritual implications of the world still lying under the influence of the devil?

 

Find out in the next piece!

 

 

Prayer: My Dear Heavenly Father, I praise You for placing me in Christ where the evil one cannot touch me. Dear Holy Spirit, teach and help me to walk everyday in this spiritual truth and understanding, in Jesus’ name. Amen.