Matthew 4:8-11 – “Again, the devil took Him to a very high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory; 9 and he said to Him, ” All these things I will give You, if You fall down and worship me.” 10 Then Jesus said to him, “Go, Satan! For it is written, ‘YOU SHALL WORSHIP THE LORD YOUR GOD, AND SERVE HIM ONLY.'”  11 Then the devil left Him; and behold, angels came and began to minister to Him.”  NASB

It would be impossible in a short devotional to fully exegete this subject, but I want to say a few things to give you comfort and hope in your daily walk, work, and spiritual warfare.  This is a fascinating passage in that the devil insinuates to our LORD that he, the devil, has authority over the kingdoms of this world. 

Jesus did not dispute that; therefore, I conclude it was the truth.  The Bible refers to the devil as being the “god of this world” in 2 Corinthians 4:4, Jesus called him the “ruler of this world” in John 12:31, and Paul addressed him as “the prince of the power of the air” in Ephesians 2:2.  

Therefore, when Jesus walked the earth, the devil had “legal authority” in the world and with man.  How did that happen?  It happened in the Garden of Eden with Adam and Eve in their rebellion and the Fall of Man. 

In Genesis 1:26-28 we find God gave Adam “dominion” over the earth and everything that lived in and on it.  Adam and Eve were to “subdue” and “have dominion” over the earth.  Man was to “live forever” and “fill” or “replenish” the earth.  In the Garden, God walked and talked with him, and man was in a perfect state of peace and purity, living in harmony with and in total obedience to God.  In that state, they were not only made in the image of God; but they also represented and manifested Him in all that He was.

There was a problem coming that God knew about.  Adam and Eve would be tested to determine man’s future on Earth.  Lucifer, described by Ezekiel and Isaiah as a cherub angel created by God, began to be filled with Pride and a thirst for power and position.  He wanted to be “like the most high” and in his heart began to desire to be “possessor of heaven and earth.”  

He did not just want to be “like” God; he wanted to “be” God.  His Pride and Rebellion resulted in one-third of the angels following him in that rebellion, and God evicted him from heaven.  At that point, Lucifer or Satan became God’s chief enemy.  He had polluted heaven with sin and rebellion requiring purging, and now he was roaming the earth seeking to do the same and bring God’s creation into a state of rebellion.  The devil knew that to control the Earth, he would, of necessity, have to control the human race. 

In Genesis 3, we read the record of Eve’s deception and her role in the deception and seduction of Adam in this rebellion against God.  The devil presented them with a lie, or better, THE LIE, and used their reason against them.  His suggestion that God was keeping something good from them and that they deserved more prominence, position, control, and power produced an infection that resulted in Rebellion. 

The command of God to NOT EAT the fruit could have been a command NOT to CROSS a stream or anything.  The object is not the fruit but the act; it was Rebellion and Disobedience.  Adam and Eve were co-regents of the Earth, and in their act of rebellion, they legally relinquished their crown to the devil and separated themselves from God’s care, keeping, and covering.  This gave the devil legal ownership or rulership on the Earth.

Jesus came as the last Adam and legally took back the rulership from the devil through his sinless life and sacrificial death.  Jesus has stripped the devil of his legal authority, and since we are IN CHRIST, we are not subject to the lordship of the “god of this world.”  

Therefore, the devil has No Legal Authority in our lives.  When we allow him to operate, we allow criminals to take our possessions openly and without confrontation.  We have been given weapons of warfare that are mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds. 

We are more than conquerors through Jesus.  Do not accept the idea that the devil has any authority on this earth except those who are not “blood-bought.”  The Blood of Jesus is our badge of authority over the power and authority of the devil.  You are IN Christ; in that condition and position, you have authority over all the devil’s power.  The Bible says that if we “resist the devil,” he will flee because he has no choice.

You Have Legal Authority through Christ, and your authority frees you from the devil’s power!   So, as you enjoy this day, refuse to be intimidated by the devil and embrace your condition and position as a Child of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.  We serve the Living God; in Him, we live, move, and have our being!  

I pray the LORD will enable you to walk in peace on this day!