Don’t Confuse Power with Authority

And even though you were dead in your transgressions and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, He nevertheless made you alive with Him, having forgiven all your transgressions. He has destroyed what was against us, a certificate of indebtedness expressed in decrees opposed to us. He has taken it away by nailing it to the cross. Disarming the rulers and authorities, He has made a public disgrace of them, triumphing over them by the cross. Having been buried with Him in baptism, you also have been raised with Him through your faith in the power of God who raised Him from the dead.  Colossians 2:12-15 NET

The enemy, satan, may be able to trip us, or even knock us down. But he has absolutely no authority over us when we believe with certainty that Jesus Christ is our Saviour. The enemy knows that, but he doesn’t want you to know it. So he tries to intimidate with lies and pressure, and deceive us into believing he has authority over any one of us. Not true. 

On the cross, Jesus Christ deactivated, dismantled, and disarmed satan’s rule over sin and death.  God gave the ultimate authority to His Son. He has placed all things in subjection to Jesus. One of the reasons we often don’t live in light of this truth is because we confuse the terms “power” and “authority.” Satan still has power. He still dominates the world in which we live and influences people’s lives in countless ways. His tactics are both real and destructive. But what he doesn’t have is final authority. {tweetme}Jesus has the authority.{/tweetme} Jesus is exalted “far above every ruler and authority, power and dominion.”  The enemy has no authority or power over the one who is aligned under the covering of the risen and exalted Christ. This is why Satan will try long and hard to hinder the one who has an abiding relationship with Jesus. He knows if he can get you to ignore the authority and rule of Christ in your day-to-day activities and decisions, he can deceive, trick, and harm you however he chooses. Yet acknowledging and remaining under Christ’s lordship and authority will protect you from the enemy’s onslaught.