Grace, the Forbidden Gospel - Online Christian Library

Law Grace
Defeating the Devil
Through Adam’s submission to Satan, he became a slave to Satan’s devices and by implication allowed
Satan to become ruler of the earth. That which we allow ourselves to be overcome by, becomes our master:
...for by whom a person is overcome, by him also he is brought into bondage. (2 Pet 2:19b NKJV)
And also:
Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one’s slaves whom
you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness? (Rom 6:16
NKJV)
This is how Satan managed to stand in heaven before God in the book of Job:
Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan
also came among them. And the LORD said to Satan, “From where do you come?” So Satan
answered the LORD and said, “From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking back and forth on
it”. (Job 1:6-7 NKJV)
Adam was a son of God, but through his act of disobedience surrendered that position of authority to Satan,
who legally became the ruler of this world as even conceded by Jesus:
I will no longer talk much with you, for the ruler of this world is coming, and he has nothing in Me.
(John 14:30 NKJV)
The devil tried the same tactics with Jesus as he did with Adam. Remember how Satan made Adam and Eve
question whether they were really like God, when in fact they were already created in God’s image?
For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God,
knowing good and evil. (Gen 3:5 NKJV, emphasis added)
In exactly the same way Satan asked Jesus if He was the Son of God during Jesus’ forty days in the desert.
But unlike Adam, Jesus knew who He was and what was at stake. He knew He had to come and strip Satan
of his authority as ruler of the earth.
Because Satan was the ruler of earth’s kingdoms, he could legally entice Jesus to worship him and promise
Jesus the kingdoms of the world in return:
Then the devil, taking Him up on a high mountain, showed Him all the kingdoms of the world in a
moment of time. And the devil said to Him, “All this authority I will give You, and their glory; for this has
been delivered to me, and I give it to whomever I wish. Therefore, if You will worship before me, all will
be Yours”. (Luk 4:5-7 NKJV)
Through Adam’s disobedience Satan had become the prince of this world and the kingdoms of the world
were legally his to give away.
The Victory of the Cross!
But after defeating the devil at the cross and stripping him of his authority, God reappointed man to the
highest position as ruler of the earth (the position that Adam had lost), along with giving believers the
authority to trample on Satan and his demons:
Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the
enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you. (Luk 10:19 NKJV)
90