Battling in HIs Authority
Battling in His Authority
“But rise and stand on your feet; for I have appeared to you for this purpose, to make you a minister and a witness both of the things which you have seen and of the things which I will yet reveal to you. I will deliver you from the Jewish people, as well as from the Gentiles, to whom I now send you, to open their eyes, in order to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in Me.’” (Acts 26:16-18)
We are engaged in a battle…a battle for the souls of people. A battle on who will command our lives and who we will choose to submit to. It is a power struggle that must be resolved through faith.
When Paul heard these words, he changed sides on the battlefield. He was previously acting in the authority of the leaders of his Jewish faith but he was about to come face to face with the risen Messiah who has been given “All authority on heaven and earth.”
On the one hand, the battle has already been won. Jesus claimed the victory when He acted as the perfect representative to the human race by living a sinless life and defeating sin, death, and the devil. Where Adam and all human afterward failed, Jesus succeeded.
On the other hand, there is a battle on whether we will RECEIVE or REJECT the full outcome of Christ’s victory by believing in who Jesus is and what He has accomplished for us through His death and resurrection.
For all of who have believed and received Christ, we are more than conquerors who loved us and gave Himself for us. We are also His ambassadors to help people in the very areas where the battle lines are drawn. This is why Paul would later encourage the brethren to "fight the good fight of faith."
Many people think they have more control than they really do. People act like they have the power to change the course of the world but they cannot even change themselves. Pilate thought that he had the power to crucify or release Jesus, but Jesus settled this power struggle very quickly saying, “You could have no power at all against Me unless it had been given you from above” (John 19:11).
One thing is for sure when it comes to power, we have only as much as God chooses to give to us and we never have more power than Jesus. God has given us His Son and the grace to respond to His power and until we do so we are under the power of the enemy of our souls whether we realize it or not.
The Apostle John reminds the believers that, “We know that we are of God, and the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one” (1 John 5:18).
The Apostle Paul thought that his religious zeal and devotion to the Law was his obedient service to God…but he found himself on the wrong side of a war that left him persecuting Christ and His bride. He was in need of repentance and faith toward this same Jesus that he had previously rejected. But when he saw and heard the resurrected Christ, his surrender was his victory.
The same is true for all of us today. We must daily surrender to win the battle of faith.
The very one who persecuted and opposed Christians became the one the greatest proponents of and sufferers for Christ who planted more churches and reached more souls than anyone else in his entire generation.
When Jesus met Paul on the road to Damascus, He rerouted Paul’s purpose and revealed what the battle of souls is all about. When Paul gave his testimony, he revealed what we are battling for.
Here are the three KEY TRUTHS that was covered in his testimony and our battle:
1. The faith to have our eyes opened so that we can see and believe spiritual truth.
2. The freedom to be delivered from the power of Satan to God’s power.
3. The forgiveness of sins and an inheritance with God’s saved and sanctified people.
This is what we need to be praying into when we engage in the Lord's battle: the faith, freedom, and forgiveness of others through the gospel of Jesus Christ.
The Apostle Paul encouraged the believers in his prayers and letters declaring, "He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins”
When we lose our rights to ourselves and come under the full power of Christ, we become whole people once again. Our whole spirit, soul, and body can be sanctified until we come to see the radiant face of our Lord Jesus.
Sin destroys relationships. When we make room for sin, the devil gains ground in our lives and he seeks to rob of the blessing in our vertical relationship with God and in our relationships with others. Therefore, when we put on the full armor of God and are "battle ready", we are able to help others have restored relationship with God and others as we carry out the ministry of reconciliation.
“For it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell, and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross.” (Col. 1:19-20)
KEY QUESTIONS for reflection and discussion:
1. How are presently aware of the battle that is taking place for souls around you?
2. What hardships have you recently endured as a soldier of Jesus Christ and how have you learned to overcome the enemy? (See Revelation 12:11).
3. Share about how you personally seen the connection with sin and how it damages relationships, whether in your own life or in the lives of others.
“But rise and stand on your feet; for I have appeared to you for this purpose, to make you a minister and a witness both of the things which you have seen and of the things which I will yet reveal to you. I will deliver you from the Jewish people, as well as from the Gentiles, to whom I now send you, to open their eyes, in order to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in Me.’” (Acts 26:16-18)
We are engaged in a battle…a battle for the souls of people. A battle on who will command our lives and who we will choose to submit to. It is a power struggle that must be resolved through faith.
When Paul heard these words, he changed sides on the battlefield. He was previously acting in the authority of the leaders of his Jewish faith but he was about to come face to face with the risen Messiah who has been given “All authority on heaven and earth.”
On the one hand, the battle has already been won. Jesus claimed the victory when He acted as the perfect representative to the human race by living a sinless life and defeating sin, death, and the devil. Where Adam and all human afterward failed, Jesus succeeded.
On the other hand, there is a battle on whether we will RECEIVE or REJECT the full outcome of Christ’s victory by believing in who Jesus is and what He has accomplished for us through His death and resurrection.
For all of who have believed and received Christ, we are more than conquerors who loved us and gave Himself for us. We are also His ambassadors to help people in the very areas where the battle lines are drawn. This is why Paul would later encourage the brethren to "fight the good fight of faith."
Many people think they have more control than they really do. People act like they have the power to change the course of the world but they cannot even change themselves. Pilate thought that he had the power to crucify or release Jesus, but Jesus settled this power struggle very quickly saying, “You could have no power at all against Me unless it had been given you from above” (John 19:11).
One thing is for sure when it comes to power, we have only as much as God chooses to give to us and we never have more power than Jesus. God has given us His Son and the grace to respond to His power and until we do so we are under the power of the enemy of our souls whether we realize it or not.
The Apostle John reminds the believers that, “We know that we are of God, and the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one” (1 John 5:18).
The Apostle Paul thought that his religious zeal and devotion to the Law was his obedient service to God…but he found himself on the wrong side of a war that left him persecuting Christ and His bride. He was in need of repentance and faith toward this same Jesus that he had previously rejected. But when he saw and heard the resurrected Christ, his surrender was his victory.
The same is true for all of us today. We must daily surrender to win the battle of faith.
The very one who persecuted and opposed Christians became the one the greatest proponents of and sufferers for Christ who planted more churches and reached more souls than anyone else in his entire generation.
When Jesus met Paul on the road to Damascus, He rerouted Paul’s purpose and revealed what the battle of souls is all about. When Paul gave his testimony, he revealed what we are battling for.
Here are the three KEY TRUTHS that was covered in his testimony and our battle:
1. The faith to have our eyes opened so that we can see and believe spiritual truth.
2. The freedom to be delivered from the power of Satan to God’s power.
3. The forgiveness of sins and an inheritance with God’s saved and sanctified people.
This is what we need to be praying into when we engage in the Lord's battle: the faith, freedom, and forgiveness of others through the gospel of Jesus Christ.
The Apostle Paul encouraged the believers in his prayers and letters declaring, "He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins”
When we lose our rights to ourselves and come under the full power of Christ, we become whole people once again. Our whole spirit, soul, and body can be sanctified until we come to see the radiant face of our Lord Jesus.
Sin destroys relationships. When we make room for sin, the devil gains ground in our lives and he seeks to rob of the blessing in our vertical relationship with God and in our relationships with others. Therefore, when we put on the full armor of God and are "battle ready", we are able to help others have restored relationship with God and others as we carry out the ministry of reconciliation.
“For it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell, and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross.” (Col. 1:19-20)
KEY QUESTIONS for reflection and discussion:
1. How are presently aware of the battle that is taking place for souls around you?
2. What hardships have you recently endured as a soldier of Jesus Christ and how have you learned to overcome the enemy? (See Revelation 12:11).
3. Share about how you personally seen the connection with sin and how it damages relationships, whether in your own life or in the lives of others.
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