As born again believers, we have been delivered from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of light.
“Who has delivered us from the power of darkness, and has translated us into the kingdom of His dear Son: In whom [In Christ] we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness [remission] of sins (Colossians 1:13-14). Thank God we have been translated out of the kingdom of darkness.
One Bible translation says, "The Father has delivered us from the power of darkness. Our bodies are going to be translated one of these days, but our spirits have already been translated. Ephesians 2:1 states that you were dead in trespasses and sins, but when we're born again we are delivered from the power and the authority of darkness and we are translated into the Kingdom of God's dear Son.
Christians have been delivered from all of Satan's power and authority. We need to walk in the light of that. It's not that we are going to be delivered; we have already been delivered. We need to just accept that as a present reality and learn how to appropriate what already belongs to us. We should not be continually talking about the devil and what he is trying to do in our lives; we should be talking about what God has already provided for us in Christ.
Very often you will hear Christians say, "I'm praying for deliverance; I need to be delivered!" You want to be delivered from where when you are already in the kingdom of light? The Bible says "God has delivered us from the power and the authority of darkness" (Col. 1:13). The word "darkness" in that verse includes everything that Satan is and every weapon that Satan has.
"Darkness" includes the devil's kingdom and everything that goes along with it. If you know the spiritual blessings you have already been blessed within Christ which includes deliverance from Satan's ruler-ship and domain, you don't have to pray to get delivered from the devil. Believers don't have to pray for deliverance from the devil!
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Christians have power and authority over the devil now; they just need to appropriate this deliverance and walk in the light of it. Colossians 1:13 states that [God] has delivered us [or translated us]. The word "translate" here means to take out of one kingdom and put into another kingdom. God has taken us out of the kingdom of darkness; that means He's taken us out from under the authority of darkness; out of the power of darkness; and out of the control of darkness. If anything has power over you, it has authority over you. If anything has power over you, it rules and dominates you. But the believer is not to be ruled by demons, evil spirits, or anything to do with Satan's kingdom.
The believer cannot be ruled by demons and evil spirits unless he allows it. If believers can be ruled by Satan, then that means the Body of Christ can be ruled by demons and evil spirits. But Jesus is the Head of the Body, so Satan has no right to rule and dominate Jesus' Body! Every member of the Body of Christ has the same authority over Satan. Even if you feel that you are the least member of the Body of Christ.
The devil doesn't have any authority to rule over you because you have been delivered from his dominion and his authority. God in His great plan of redemption has already made every provision for you, and He has delivered you from Satan's dominion and He has given you dominion over all the hosts of darkness. We're talking about what already belongs to us as Christians.
Authority over the devil already belongs to you if you're in Christ. It's part of your inheritance in Christ. Very often Christians pray for things that are already theirs. Deliverance belongs to you. Deliverance from any habit or any problem belongs to you as a believer. Thank God, the Bible says that all spiritual blessings are ours now. The Father God in His great mercy and by His great plan of redemption has delivered us from the power, authority, rule, and the dominion of darkness.
I remember some years ago I had to go and meet a man of God who was very well known for “deliverance” so that I would get “rid of generational curses”. I didn’t have this revelation at that time. We have some ministers of the Gospel who specialise in delivering believers. If you get delivered from the kingdom of light where do you then go?
Let that register on your mind and heart that you need not go through deliverance if you are born again. God has already translated us into the Kingdom of His dear Son. Learn to walk in the light of that reality.
One of the things that I have come to appreciate is that there is not one single scripture in all the Bible (particularly in the New Testament because that's the Covenant we are under) that tells us to pray against the devil. "Furthermore," Jesus said, "there's not one single scripture, that tells the Church to pray that the Lord Jesus Christ, or that God the Father will do anything about the devil." To pray against the devil or to pray that the Lord Jesus Christ, will do something about the devil or God the Father will do something about the devil, is to waste your time. Most of us have wasted so much time expecting God to do what He has already given us authority to do.
In Matthew 28 :18 Jesus stated that, 'All power [or authority] is given unto me, in heaven and in earth. ' (v. 18). "Go you into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. These signs shall follow those who believe. "In My Name believers will exercise authority over the devil" (Mark 16:15-18). You couldn't very well cast out devils if you didn't have authority over them. Also, you couldn't cast out devils if you didn't exercise the authority you had already been given! Jesus delegated that authority to us, the Church.
Every writer of the New Testament who wrote a letter to the Church, told the believer to do something about the devil. The writers of the New Testament never told the Church to get someone else to pray for them about the devil." "For instance in his letter to the Church, Peter said, “Your adversary the devil walks about as a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour'" (1 Peter 5:8).
Peter told believers that they were to resist Satan steadfastly in the faith." Who is our adversary? The word "adversary" means an opponent, an enemy, or one arrayed against us. Our adversary is the devil. He is our opponent and our enemy. He is the one who is arrayed against us. And, remember, Satan is the god of this world so he's walking around down here on earth seeking whom he may devour. Peter wrote this verse to Christians. The devil is not seeking sinners to devour; he has already got the sinner. He is seeking Christians in order to devour them.
What are you and I going to do about the devil? God told the Church that we are to resist Satan. You couldn't resist him if you didn't have authority over him. God wouldn't ask you to do something that was impossible. Every believer has the same authority. You don’t need Papa to do that for you or your bishop.
We know that the Name of Jesus belongs to us, but we don't exercise our authority over the devil as we should. Paul was writing to the church at Ephesus, to believers, when he said, "Neither give place to the devil" (Eph. 4:27). What does that mean? That means the devil can't take any place in you unless you let him.
However, that also means he can take a place in your life if you let him. You could not keep Satan from taking a place in you unless you had authority over him. The Church has been remiss in taking authority over the devil.
Dr Doug Mamvura is a graduate of Charis Bible School. Feedback: drdoug@corporatemomentum.biz or Twitter @dougmamvura