Thank You, Lord Jesus, that You have raised us to be seated together with You in the heavenly realms. We are seated with You, to have dominion over all Your creation in Your image. Forgive us, O Lord, that we have not fully seized our responsibility. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen”
Acts 2:33 Therefore being exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He poured out this which you now see and hear.
The devil has been accusing us before God and holding us in his grip to do his will.
II Timothy 2:25-26 in humility correcting those who are in opposition, if God perhaps will grant them repentance, so that they may know the truth, (26) and that they may come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil, having been taken captive by him to do his will.
The handwriting that the devil was holding against us was that we have fallen short of the Law of God. The devil, as our accuser, has been waving this document before God and saying, “These people do not meet Your righteousness and therefore, they are mine and I can do as I please with them”.
On the cross, the devil has been defeated and we have been released from his clutches. Colossians 2:14-15 having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. (15) Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it.
This is the victory that Jesus has given for us over the devil, on the cross. _Hebrews 2:14-15 Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, (15) and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.
We must know our release from the hold of the devil. The devil is a defeated enemy. Knowing and standing on this fact, we are to bring the kingdom rule of God here on earth.
Matthew 16:18-19 And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. (19) And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”
‘Gates’, represent authority. The authority of hades cannot prevail against His church. It is the church that is of higher authority than that of hades.
This is another fact that the devil does not want His church to know. He keeps us busy, struggling in solving our internal squabbles and our lack of righteousness, that we have no energy left to look at our circumstances and take the fight into enemy territory.
The keys of the kingdom of God have been given to His church. We are to close out all that is not of the kingdom of God, that is taking place here on earth, and we are to usher in the work of the kingdom of God into territories where, up till now, the devil has been holding sway.
If only, we had understood our role and task, we would realise the enormous work that is placed on us. We will be totally cast on the Holy Spirit and in His enablement, we will bring the kingdom rule of Jesus in all spheres of creation.
II Corinthians 10:3-6 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. (4) For *the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, (5) casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, (6) and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled.
All the strongholds of the enemy are already been given to His church, to pull down and in its place, build the strongholds of the kingdom of God. This is the task that we are not doing. Instead, we, like the Israelites, are pleading with God to save us from our enemies, protect us and provide for us.
The Lord is telling us, “What are you doing by crying and weeping before me? The territories of the enemy have already been given to you. Go out into enemy territory, throw the enemy out and build up My kingdom. Look, have I not left my Holy Spirit to be with you?”
Ephesians 1:20-23 which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, (21) far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come. (22) And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, (23) which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.
The church may feel happy that we will be taken up when our Lord returns but how terrible for us that when we stand before the Lord, we will have to hang our head in shame, for we have not justified our position to be seated with Him in the heavenly places?