The lordship of Jesus Christ V

May peace and grace be multiplied to you this day!

We have been talking about the lordship of Jesus Christ. It is a very important topic. Without a solid understanding of the lordship of Jesus, we are not able to walk in victory, even if we are believers. Without an understanding of the lordship of Jesus, we are not able to withstand the attacks of the devil and his armies that have been sent against our lives, especially in these last days. Without an understanding of the lordship of Jesus Christ, we are not able to demonstrate the authority God has given us through Jesus Christ.

«All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations…» (Matthew 28:18-19).

Jesus told us to walk through this life, being armed with the understanding that all God’s authority is behind us. The will of God for us contains prosperity, health, salvation (both for us personally and for our families), peace and harmony; the will of God is for all people to come to salvation and knowledge of truth. But too often we see discrepancies in many areas of our life. Those areas where the will of God is not fulfilled are actually ruled by the devil; somehow we have given him a place and control over these areas. If we are ill or the relationships with our loved ones are not what they should be, and the business is not going well, we experience failures in the ministry, and there is no peace in our hearts – all these are signs that in one way or another we have allowed the devil to take control over these areas of our lives.

But we should not leave the situation the way it is. We should do something to change it.

 «Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you» (James, 4:7).

We must resist the devil and take back control. We should not allow anything to dominate us. Nothing can dictate the rules in our lives if it doesn’t agree with the will of God. We can resist the devil based on the fact that we have allowed Jesus Christ to be in charge and the devil has no place in us and around us.

But I would also like to point out to you a very significant truth: before resisting the devil, we must submit to God. We will not be able to resist the devil, unless we have submitted to God. The lordship of Jesus Christ is not only related to the devil; it touches everything, including us. If we have not submitted to the lordship of Jesus Christ and we do not allow Him to rule and dominate in our lives, then we won’t be able to force the devil into submission. The devil will only listen to us on one condition: if we have submitted to God.

The Bible says that the devil is the accuser of our brethren,

 «who accused them before our God day and night» (Revelation, 12:10).

Every sphere of our life where we do not function in submission to God has an open door for the devil. Through this door, the devil-accuser can go to God and demand justice from Him; he can demand of God to stop protecting, blessing us and to stop showing us His favour. If we do not submit to God, we are in the same situation as the devil – we are rebelling against Him. Satan was cast down from heaven because he rose against God. If we are going against God through our insubordination to Him, we lose God’s protection; we lose the right to use God’s authority and we cannot rely on God’s provision in our lives.

But when we submit to God and are obedient to Him in all the areas of our life, then the authority that God has given us will work for us. Along with authority comes responsibility. If we do not take the responsibility, then we lose the power. That is exactly what happened to Adam. Our responsibility is to submit our lives to God. God’s authority and protection won’t work for us, if some areas of our lives are not under God’s control.

Adam lost his authority in the Garden of Eden because he did not submit to God and was not obedient to Him. Jesus, who is the LORD, must control ALL the areas of your life. You must submit to Jesus, and only then will you have His authority, and only then will Satan flee from you.

Be blessed!

We will continue tomorrow!

Pastor Rufus Ajiboy