Should We Worry About the Devil Giving Us Trouble?

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A Brief Study from Scripture on Satan and His Demonic Forces

Created by God as an anointed and ordained guardian cherub in heaven, Satan sought to usurp God’s authority. Should we worry about the devil giving us trouble? Despite being a created being, Satan’s blinding pride led him to believe he could overcome God and assume His place. He aimed to establish his own fame throughout history. Ezekiel 38 and Isaiah 14 detail his creation and downfall. Through scripture, we see that his time and the havoc he creates are limited by the Lion of Judah, who has all authority in heaven and on earth.

Satan was created by God. 

“You were anointed as a guardian cherub, for so I ordained you. You were on the holy mount of God. You were blameless in your ways from the day you were created till wickedness was found in you” (Ezekiel 28:14-15 NIV).

Satan was in the Garden of Eden

“You were the seal of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty. You were in Eden, the garden of God” (Ezekiel 28:12 NIV).

Satan was cast out of heaven

“So I drove you in disgrace from the mount of God, and I expelled you, guardian cherub, from among the fiery stones. Your heart became proud on account of your beauty, and you corrupted your wisdom because of your splendor. So I threw you to the earth” (Ezekiel 28: 17 NIV).

Isaiah 14 Describes Satan’s Pride

Isaiah 14:12-14 (KJV) affirms Satan’s removal from God’s presence because of his arrogant pride.

How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!

13 For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north:

14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.

God removed Satan from heaven.

In Luke 10:18, Jesus tells the disciples He witnessed Satan’s fall from heaven. A coordinating reference in Revelation 12:7-9 describes the devil as “filled with fury, because he knows that his time is short,” and his evil work will culminate in eternal punishment in the lake of fire. Revelation 20:10 states, “And the devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are also; and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.”

Satan is Subject to God’s Authority

In the gospel accounts, the demons cry out when Jesus approaches, calling Him the Son of the Most High God.

Mark 5 tells the story of impure spirits who had taken over a man living among the tombs, so strong no one could bind him, not even with chains. He cut himself with stones and made his abode near graves. The demons possessing the man saw Jesus approaching and fell in front of Him, asking, “What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? In God’s name, don’t torture me” (v 7).

Although the demons were many, “my name is Legion,” they were subject to Jesus’ authority. “And he begged Jesus again and again not to send them out of the area (v 9-10).

They had to seek permission before doing anything. “The demons begged Jesus, “Send us among the pigs; allow us to go into them. He gave them permission, and the impure spirits came out and went into the pigs” (v 12, 13).

Another account of demons who knew the authority of Jesus pleaded, “What do you want with us, Son of God’ they shouted. “Have you come here to torture us before the appointed time?” (Matthew 8:29).

The demons’ plea for Jesus to delay their torture reveals their fear that He might be coming to bind them prematurely before the appointed time of final judgment. Jude 1:6 describes their awareness of other demons already imprisoned: “The angels who did not keep their positions of authority but abandoned their proper dwelling—these he has kept in darkness, bound with everlasting chains for judgment on the great Day.” Similarly, 2 Peter 2:4 emphasizes that God did not spare sinful angels but chained them in darkness and held them for judgment.

Satan’s demonic “spiritual forces of the world” (Colossians 2:8) are ultimately disarmed by Christ, who triumphed over them by the cross (Colossians 2:15).

The story of Job helps us see the limitations they have. Chapter one opens with Satan walking before God, and his request to test Job is limited to what God allowed. Read it here in Job 1:6-12.

After Satan’s first attempt failed to get Job to curse God, he asked permission but only received another limitation: “You must spare his life” (Job 2:1-6).

Good Angels Fight Demons with God’s Authority

Gabriel appeared to Daniel (8:15-26; 9:26), to Zacharias (Luke 1:11-19), and Mary (Luke 1:26-29). In Daniel 10:13, Gabriel was delayed in his answer to Daniel during his twenty-one days of fasting and prayer until the archangel Michael came to help him overcome the prince of the Persian kingdom.

Michael, when arguing with Satan about the body of Moses rebuked Satan “in the name of the Lord” (Jude verse 9).

At the end of time, Michael will wage war against Satan and his demons (Revelation 12:7).

In Matthew 10:1, Jesus gave the disciples authority “over unclean spirits, to cast them out.” Luke 10:19 describes the same authority given to the disciples: “Over all the power of the enemy (Satan), and nothing will injure you.”

Gabriel and Michael, along with thousands of other angels, carry out God’s purposes in

heaven and on earth, operating under His authority.

Believers Resist the Devil and Demons with God’s Authority

The seventy disciples were overjoyed and told Jesus, “Even the demons are subject to us in Your name” (Luke 10:17).

An example of Paul exercising God’s authority over evil spirits is seen in the story of a female slave who made money for her owners by predicting the future. She followed Paul and Silas, shouting, “These men are servants of the Most High God, who are telling you the way to be saved” (Acts 16:17). After several days, Paul became annoyed and cast out the demonic spirit, which immediately left her.

Ephesians 6:12 reminds us that demonic forces may oppress and try to deceive us, but God’s power resides within. “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.” But for the child of God, the weapons of our warfare are not the weapons of the world. We are strong in the Lord and can stand against the devil’s schemes (Ephesians 6:10-18).

Eternal Punishment of Satan and His Demons

We, as believers, have God’s strength to stand against Satan’s attacks.  Eventually, he and his forces, will be thrown into eternal punishment.

Revelation defines the unholy trinity as Satan, the Beast, and his False Prophet will be thrown into the lake of fire where “they will be tormented day and night for ever and ever” (Revelation 20-7-10).

All who rejected God will also join Satan and his cohorts in the lake of fire, the second death, for “anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life” (Revelation 20:11-15).

Believers Need Not Fear Satan

 Scripture is filled with assurance that we don’t need to be afraid. “Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you (James 4:7). We are given the “full armor of God” so we can “stand against the schemes of the devil” (Ephesians 4:11).  

We may face temptations or oppression from evil sources, but God supplies the necessary equipment to withstand the evil one. 2 Corinthians 10:4 affirms, “The weapons of our warfare are not the weapons of the world. Instead, they have divine power to demolish the strongholds” of the enemy.

Satan is a created being, cast from God’s presence, and operates with limited power, subject to God’s authority.  He will not thwart God’s plan and will eventually be sealed in hell forever.

Should we worry about the devil giving us trouble? As believers, we don’t have to fear Satan or his minions. We have the highest, supreme God, magnificent in power, Ruler over all things in heaven and earth dwelling in us. The scripture reminds us, “The one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world (1 John 4:4).

Remember this story When you begin to fear the enemy’s power. Smith Wigglesworth, a revivalist preacher, gives this account of his encounter with Satan, illustrating God’s ultimate power and control over them. One night, he was roused from his sleep by an evil presence. Sitting up, he saw the devil and calmly remarked, ‘Oh, it’s just you.’ With that, he turned over and went back to sleep,

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Find these three ways in my online article at Christianity.com here.

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Backstory: Jesus’ instructions to the Angel at the EmptyTomb

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As the angel readied himself to carry out Jesus’ instructions to His followers, he felt a surge of joyful anticipation. The weight of the moment, the profound significance of the resurrection, and the eternal impact it would have on humanity filled him with excitement. He eagerly embraced his role as the messenger, knowing he carried news that would fill hearts and spirits with jubilation.

In the days leading up to the resurrection, betrayal and denial echoed through the halls of Jerusalem. Jesus, burdened by the knowledge of what was to come, spent his final hours in prayer, grappling with the weight of humanity’s salvation yet submitting His will to the Father’s plan. The faithful and obedient angel had witnessed the anguish etched on Jesus’ face as he knelt in the garden of Gethsemane, seeking the Father’s strength. Now, exuberant over heaven’s resurrection power, this celestial being prepared to carry out Jesus’ instructions.

The Backstory

Jesus to the angel: “In a few minutes, three women will arrive at the tomb, carrying spices to anoint my body. They will be startled to find the stone rolled away and you sitting inside. Alleviate their fears and tell them not to worry because I am alive, just as I foretold.

Sit on the right side of where I lay so they will see the undisturbed graveclothes to help them recall all I told them. Instruct them to carry the news of my resurrection to the disciples, especially Peter who is struggling with the weight of his denial. Send them on their way and assure them of our reunion in Galilee.

Oh, angel, I eagerly anticipate seeing their joy when I suddenly appear in their midst! Now go, and do what I have told you.

As you read this text in Mark 16:1-8 (NIV), what might you add to the backstory of the angel’s instructions?

The Text

When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices so that they might go to anoint Jesus’ body. 2 Very early on the first day of the week, just after sunrise, they were on their way to the tomb 3 and they asked each other, “Who will roll the stone away from the entrance of the tomb?”

4 But when they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had been rolled away. 5 As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in a white robe sitting on the right side, and they were alarmed.

6 “Don’t be alarmed,” he said. “You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid him. 7 But go, tell his disciples and Peter, ‘He is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.’”

8 Trembling and bewildered, the women went out and fled from the tomb. They said nothing to anyone, because they were afraid.

The Joy

The joy and glory of Easter lie in the realization that Jesus, through His resurrection, has reconciled humanity with God. His sinless life and sacrificial death served as the ultimate atonement for our sins, fulfilling the requirements of divine justice and paving the way for our redemption. As believers, we are invited to partake in this unspeakable joy, knowing that our sins have been forgiven and our burdens lifted by the redemptive work of Christ.

The angel’s proclamation of the resurrection to the women at the empty tomb embodies the essence of Easter joy. The declaration, “He is alive, just as He said,” reverberates with the power and truth of God’s promises, offering peace, and salvation to all who believe.

Just as the disciples were restored to incredible joy upon witnessing Jesus’ resurrection, we too are liberated from grief and sorrow over death and dark days. The risen Christ brings us boundless joy and assurance of His loving care and eventual everlasting life.

Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy. John 16:22

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What is the Meaning of A Suitable Helper ?

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Even though God took one from Adam to form Eve, women and men have twelve pairs of ribs. God didn’t need a rib to create but made her part of him.  “So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them” (Genesis 1:27 NIV).

The Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him…then the Lord God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man.” Genesis 2:18-22

Adam was a marvelous creation of bone, flesh, seeing, thinking, observing, and working. The only part of creation where God took something he made in Adam to form another was the making of a woman, the gift of a suitable helper.  The word helper is not a secondary person, but one who is in the image of God and called by the same description as God, Helper. The similarities that God and woman share are described more fully later in this article  

God designed a woman for a man and a man for a woman. They needed each other to be complete, create life, and walk with God. After naming the animals and birds, God brought the woman to Adam. Do you suppose Adam had an adrenalin rush with the exhilaration and wonder of this new creation standing before him?  God’s beautiful design of a woman brought completeness and joy and vastness of life unattainable without each person. If God called the creation of man and woman good, I can’t imagine Adam disagreeing. Together, they were in paradise!

bride putting a ring on grooms hand
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SUITABLE

The word suitable is from the Hebrew “neged” (neh’-ghed), which means “in front of, in sight of, opposite to” (Strong’s 5048). This “suitable” person is conspicuous, vigorous, a leader, effective, stands out boldly, praises, expounds, exposes, plainly professes, reports, tells, and utters. Considering the word suitable reveals the significance and importance of a woman created equal with a man. This companion speaks up, advises, and together faces the joys and sorrows of life. Not only did each complete the other, each one had a mind to think, a heart to feel, and a spirit that would live forever. 

It gets better. Look at the word “helper!”

HELPER

Too often, the thought of a helper is someone less than the other, such as an unskilled worker who helps a skilled one. Or one who is less in status or education than the one being helped. Often a woman’s role has been related to a subservient role to the man. Not so in God’s created order. In the image of God, a woman is a helper and called by the same description as God.

The word “helper” (the Hebrew is “Ezer,” a help, helper) is the same word used by God sixty-six times in Scripture. This “Ezer” (pronounced “ay-zer”) speaks of God’s strength, power, protection, help, and being a rescuer.

1. Eliezer–The name of the son of Moses was called Eliezer (my God is helper–”Eli–my God; Ezer–helper). “My father’s God was my helper; he saved me from the sword of Pharoah.” (Exodus 18:4). The word “helper” references God.

2. Ebenezer–The prophet Samuel raised a stone monument, the Stone of Help because the Lord had helped them win a victory over their enemies (1 Samuel 7:12).

3. Jesus describes the Holy Spirit as a “helper.” “And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever — the Spirit of truth” (John 14:16, 17).

4. The people proclaimed God their help in ages past. “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble” (Psalm 46:1).

5. The Holy Spirit, co-equal with God, is our advocate, advisor, counselor, paraklētos (called to one’s aid). He is an intercessor, consoler, comforter, and helper who pleads another’s cause before a judge, acts as counsel for the defense, and as a legal assistant, giving evidence that stands up in court. God, the Holy Spirit, is a Helper.

Paul wrote to the church at Ephesus, establishing the divine order of marriage.  In Ephesians 5:1, believers are to follow God’s example and walk in the way of love, “just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us.” The husband and the wife are to “Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ” (Ephesians 5:2).

Jesus is our chief example of submitting to each other in marriage. Jesus, co-equal with the Father and the Holy Spirit, came to earth, took on flesh, and became a servant. He humbled himself and was obedient to death on the cross.  His death freed us from sin even when we didn’t deserve that kind of love (Philippians 2:5-8). Jesus serving, submitting, and giving his life through death is our example for marriage, laying down our lives for the other. As faithful followers of Jesus, we become like Jesus as we submit and love each other in marriage.  

 

eyeglass with gold colored frames
Photo by John-Mark Smith on Pexels.com

COMPLETION

The LORD” God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him” (Genesis 2:18).

Wives are the picture of the church yielding to Christ, and husbands are to be like Jesus in submitting himself up for her (wife) as Jesus did for the church, the Bride of Christ. Matthew Henry, pastor and author, beautifully states, “The woman was made of a rib out of the side of Adam; not made out of his head to rule over him, nor out of his feet to be trampled upon by him, but out of his side to be equal with him, under his arm to be protected, and near his heart to be beloved.”

Another example of being one is seen in the Trinity. God the Father, Jesus the Son, and God the Holy Spirit work together in unity. Although three in one, they are known as One God. “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one” (Deuteronomy 6:4; Mark 12 29).

Husband and wife are to resemble the unity of the Trinity, to be one, not only physically, but one in harmony and in serving the Lord and each other. Each one is unique, with varied gifts and talents. And, each is the crown of the other, equal to, and a fitting companion. 

Ephesians gives the picture of pure love. Jesus loved us and gave himself up for us. We are to follow God’s example and lay down our lives for the other. 

As a household of faith, we are called to follow God’s standard of love, submitting to the other because we love and respect the Lord. “Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. Wife–submit yourselves to your own husbands as you do to the Lord.  Husband – love your wife, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her.” (Ephesians 5:21-23).

God’s gracious and compassionate love is revealed in creating a man and a woman as one flesh—“bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh,” the closest companion possible, equal to, partner, lover, and friend.   

 “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh. This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the church. However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband” (Ephesians 5:31-33).

God created both man and woman in the image of God. Jesus is equal to the Father but chose to submit to the Father and become our Savior. The Holy Spirit is equal to the Father and Jesus. Yet, the Holy Spirit points us to Jesus. Our Helper, the Holy Spirit, is with us and in us (John 14:16, 17). 

The Three-in-One exhibit no rivalry, competition, or inferiority but are equal, each divinely God, accomplishing God’s will and purposes. Marriage between a man and a woman is to model that kind of love, unity, and oneness.

“So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them” (Genesis 1:27).

God’s creation from Adam’s rib brought forth a suitable helper made in God’s image, opposite to yet equal to man.  Together they complete each other and example the unity of the Trinity, the creative characteristics of God, and the everlasting love of God.  

 

“All Scripture is from the NIV translation.”

 

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CAN YOU LOVE JESUS WITHOUT LOVING THE BIBLE?

Byadmin

The Inspired Written Word and the Eternal Living Word are forever inseparable. The Bible is Christ portrayed; Christ is the Bible fulfilled. One is the picture, the other is the person, but the features are the same and proclaim their identity (Pierson, Arthur T., Knowing the Scriptures: Rules and Methods of Bible Study,  p. 33).

Our knowledge of Jesus is limited without an in-depth understanding of the Scripture. We learn who God is through the window of truth in the Sacred Pages of Scripture. And we understand who we are.


In my previous post, the advantages of reading the Written Word of God teach us God-secrets,  right and wrong, keeps from sin, guides, and intensifies love for God and others (read it here). More than half of Americans wish they read the Bible more. Don’t be one of them. Become a student of the Word.

Photo by Timothy Eberly Unsplash

The Bible is often neglected when it’s thought to be irrelevant or hard to understand. Others say, “I just don’t have the time.” Bible reading isn’t for the casual Christian or the religious person. But it is for those earnest and persevering truth-seekers who pursue abundant spiritual growth and answers to the questions of life. 

This Book is the Eternal Living Word about the Eternal Living Word, Jesus. He is the Word. Jesus spoke the Word of God and continues to speak. Each page is alive! (Hebrews 4:12-13).   

The Bible is God’s book, divinely articulated through pen and paper, always new, with a superhuman level. Though reading through many times, it can never be fully discovered. The Spirit of God imparts heaven to the reader and brings a depth of soul-work through correction, conviction, instruction, and training in righteousness (2 Timothy 3:16), as it prepares one for the eternal.   

The Scriptures portray and reveal Jesus and the Father. “In the Person of His Son, the Logos, the Word incarnate, the Father made Himself known as never before, with new clearness and fullness of revelation” (Pierson, p 4).

“We are to learn the mind of God from the words of God.”

Gregory the Great

 

JESUS IS THE WORD

Jesus was present in Genesis 1:1, “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth,” and in John 1:1, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning.” 

Notice this triple description of Jesus, the Word— In the beginning, Jesus WAS the Word, was WITH God, and WAS God. 

In the creation account of Genesis 1, God spoke a word, and it happened. Nine times in this first chapter, “And God said” (let there be light, sky, plants, etc.) is followed with the affirmation, “And it was so.” God’s spoken Word, out of nothing, brought everything into existence. With a word, the stars were set in place. A word stopped the oceans from covering the earth. A word gave man the breath of life. 

“And the Lord said,” continues to speak his voice through the Old Testament prophets and the New Testament apostles as they filled the pages of the sixty-six books of the Bible we hold in our hands. 

Jesus came to earth as the Word of God, telling God’s love to His children. “The Word (Jesus) became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth” John 1:14

With the power of His words, Jesus called Lazarus from the dead after four days by saying, “Lazarus, come forth.” And he did.

When Jesus healed the sick of the palsy, He said, “Rise, take up your bed and walk” (John 5:8). And Immediately, the man did.  

Calming the storm, Jesus said, “Quiet! Be Still!” Then the wind died down, completely calm (Mark 4:39).

Just one Word, the storm calms. Just one Word, healing happens. Just one Word, the dead rise. 

The Apostle John further describes Jesus in Revelation 19:13-15, “and his name is the Word of God” who strikes down the nations with one Word from his mouth, like a sword.

JESUS AND SCRIPTURE ARE ETERNALLY INSEPARABLE

Jesus and the Scriptures are eternally inseparable. The Bible is Jesus; Jesus is the fulfilled Bible. The Scriptures give us the picture of Jesus, and Jesus is the person, both containing the same features and proclaiming their true and similar identity.

You have magnified Your Word above all Your name (Psalm 138:2 NKJV).

Photo by Emmanuel Phaeton Unsplash

SCRIPTURE TESTIFIES OF JESUS

Jesus told the religious Pharisees that although they studied the Scriptures, the Word didn’t dwell in them, nor did Jesus. “…nor does his word dwell in you, for you do not believe the one he sent. You study the Scriptures diligently because you think that in them you have eternal life. These are the very Scriptures that testify about me.” (John 5:39).

Following the Resurrection, on the road to Emmaus, Jesus declared to the perplexed disciples, “And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself” (Luke 24:27).

Dr. Pierson emphasizes the Scripture and Jesus. “In the volume of the Book, it is written of Me” (Psalms 40:7). The Holy Scriptures and the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ are so inseparably bound together, that whatever impairs the integrity and authority of the one correspondingly affects the other. The written Word is the Living Word enfolded: the Living Word is the Written Word unfolded (Pierson, pg 28).

Jesus is the Word of God, who came in the flesh to help us understand God’s greatness, love, mercy, and forgiveness. We hold in our hands the divine words from God’s mouth.   When we read the Scripture, we are reading the Word of God. “These are the faithful and true sayings of God” (Revelation 19:9, 22:6).

God spoke at creation, and it was so.

God spoke to and through the prophets, “And the Lord said.”

God spoke through Jesus, the Word Carrier to earth.

God speaks through Scriptures, God’s Holy Word, individually to each of us, and reveals life-changing God-secrets!

CONCLUSION

How much do we value the Word – the Old Testament and the New Testament? One without the other is incomplete. In the Old Testament, Jesus is defined as a prophecy and amplified, explained, and illustrated in the New Testament. 

The Old Testament prophets longed to see what we now see and understand through the pages of Scripture. Although hidden from their time, the message is now unveiled through Jesus and the pages of our Bible, the inspired written Word of God.

Peter reminds us, “Concerning this salvation, the prophets, who spoke of the grace that was to come to you, searched intently and with the greatest care, trying to find out the time and circumstances to which the Spirit of Christ in them was pointing when he predicted the sufferings of the Messiah and the glories that would follow” (1 Peter 1:10,11).

from John’s Gospel, Chapter 1

Isn’t it extraordinary that our Bible, the WORD OF GOD, carries the same title as that of Jesus, the WORD OF GOD? If we love Jesus and desire to know Him more, do we maintain the same desire for the pages that testify of Him?

Jesus said, “Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4). Our Bible delivers the changeless truths, exact, unvarying, and eternal words spoken from God’s mouth. Since the beginning of the earth, God’s appointed sun still rises each morning. The stars still shine each night, and seasons come and go. What God said in the beginning “was so.” Nothing has changed, nor has His Word. 

The more time we spend getting to know the written Word, the more we will know and love Jesus. his divine Book mirrors its Author as it reveals, unveils, magnifies, and glorifies Him from whom it originally was given. Can we love Jesus without loving the Word of God? It seems impossible.

PRAYER

Lord, I desire to love Your Word. Help me embrace it. I long to love you, Lord, with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

“Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.” Joshua 1:8

How to Find Biblical Happiness

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So often, we search for happiness in empty places. One of my recent online articles with Christianity.com on how to find happiness is available here.

Viktor Frankl was an Austrian neurologist, psychiatrist, and Holocaust survivor who endured immense suffering during his time in Nazi concentration camps, including the loss of his family and the daily struggle for survival. Despite the horrors he experienced, Frankl observed that some prisoners were able to maintain a sense of inner freedom and resilience through suffering. He realized that while individuals cannot always control their circumstances, they can choose their attitude and response to those circumstances.

Frankl’s story powerfully reminds us that true happiness depends not on external circumstances but on our inner attitude and outlook. Even in the darkest times, God’s Holy Word is the foundation that anchors us in the truth that engages life and eternity.  (Continue online).

Yellow Happy Wooden Decor
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THE AUTHORITY OF JESUS AND THE WORD OF GOD What Authority Guides Your Life? PART 1

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Authority, instituted by God, is necessary to rule a nation. Since 1776, the Constitution has governed Americans, guaranteeing freedoms of inalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Over the last few months, the authoritarian mindset of political leaders, health officials, Big Tech, and elites has attempted to alter those freedoms.

In welcoming contrast, the perfect authority of God brings a joyful response, offering privileges and liberties and guidance from a loving, powerful God. On the other hand, the abuse of power of human leaders leads to losing individual rights and freedoms.

Professor of Theology Richard Mayhue says, “The rightful idea of authority has fallen on hard times at the start of the twenty-first century. Illegitimate forms and expressions of authority range from the illegal and abusive exercise of authoritarianism/totalitarianism to individual authority which emerges from a postmodern mindset of selfishness” (Richard Mayhue, The Authority of Scripture, Fall 2004)[i]

Jesus hadn’t been sanctioned or ordained by the religious officials. His incomparable authority healed the diseased, opened blind eyes, caused the crippled to walk, and the dead raised to life.

Jesus taught with absolute authority, quite unlike the teachers of religious law (The New International Version Matthew 7:29). His authority brought the ire of the religious leaders, priests, and Romans. The religious elite knew of God and the prophecies of the Messiah. Yet, they could not see who Jesus was, although He was right there, standing in front of them, God in the flesh. They asked. “By what authority are you doing these things?” and, “Who gave you this authority?“ (Matthew 21:23). 

In contrast to their unbelief, the Gospel writer Matthew, a despised tax collector, got up from his tax business and left all to follow Jesus, the Divine Authority. Matthew saw firsthand the miracles of healings, multiplication of bread and fish, and the calming of the storm. He witnessed the death of Jesus on the cross and experienced the resurrection. Matthew knew authentic authority and saw it fully in Jesus. Thoroughly convinced, Matthew boldly penned the words of Jesus, “All” authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth (Matthew 28:19).

AUTHORITY DEFINED

The dictionary defines authority as “the power to influence or command thought, opinion, or behavior.” The New Testament word for authority is ἐξουσία (exousia), “the power of whose will and commands must be submitted to and obeyed.”With Jesus’ sacrifice of death on the cross, the power of His resurrection, and the authority over all things in heaven and earth, Jesus became the supreme authority. Unrivaled. Unmatched. Irrevocable. Eternal.  

Theologian and apologist Bernard Ramm describes authority as “that right or power to command action or compliance, determine belief or custom, expect obedience from those under authority, and give a responsible account for the claim to right or power” (The Pattern of Religious Authority, 1959, p 228). 

“The Eternal Living Word of God and the Inspired Written Word are forever inseparable. The Bible is Christ portrayed; Christ is the Bible fulfilled. One is the picture, the other is the person, but the features are the same and proclaim their identity.” (Knowing The Scriptures, Rules and Methods of Bible Study, Arthur T. Pierson, p 33).

THE AUTHORITY OF JESUS AND SCRIPTURE

 The Apostle Paul describes Jesus in deity and equal with the Father.  He says,

“The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead so that in everything he might have the supremacy. For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross” Colossians 1:15-20.

The everlasting authority of Jesus was prophesied by the prophet Daniel wrote prophetically six hundred years before Jesus came to earth.

“He was given authority, glory, and sovereign power; all nations and peoples of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom will never be destroyed” (Daniel 7:14).

The Bible is consistently relevant to all human existence because Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:9). Human nature hasn’t changed.  We all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.  Every person needs the Savior, Jesus.  Salvation is relevant today as much as it was in the Bible times.  John Stott ties the connection of relevance when he states, “The modern world detests authority but worships relevance. Our Christian conviction is that the Bible has both authority and relevance and that the secret of both is Jesus Christ.“

We hold in our hands the precious gift of God’s Word. This Word carries the authority of Jesus within its pages with words, chapters and books, inspired divinely by God. Therefore, the Scripture has the power to call us to obey and serve the God who loved us first.  

“Scripture is to be authoritatively preached and submissively obeyed since the Author of and the authority within will reward righteous obedience and condemn those who disregard and disobey His authority in Scripture” (Mayhue, p 1).

Jesus and the Word of God are inseparable. We can never reach the end of knowing all there is to know about Jesus, nor the Bible. Yet, we can study, learn, and grow in knowledge. The Bible “belongs to a superhuman level that our investigation of it never reaches its limit of discovery” (Pierson, p 27).

In our relationship with God as Savior and Lord, our love grows deeper and stronger with study in the Holy Word of God. The love we hold for God is strengthened by the love of God’s Word. As Pierson states, “The Holy Scriptures and the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ are so inseparably bound together, that whatever impairs the integrity and authority of the one correspondingly affects the other” (p 28). Therefore, as we submit to loving Jesus, we submit to loving His Word.

How has God’s authority influenced your life?

Continue to Part 2, Jesus Has All Authority, but Does the Scripture?

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[1] http://storage.cloversites.com/stpeterlutheranchurch1/documents/AUTHORITY%20of%20Scripture.pdf

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