Our Authority in Christ

1
Our Authority in Christ
2
2 Tim 17 ESV

• God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power
  and love and self-control.

3
STATEMENT OF FAITH (from the Harvest
Constitution)

• We believe in the Scriptures of the Old and New
  Testaments in their original writing as fully
  inspired of God and accept them as the supreme
  and final authority for faith, life and the
  governance of this Church.

4

• If God is our supreme and final authority, then
  to disbelieve or disobey the Scriptures is to
  disbelieve or disobey God Himself.

5
2 Tim 316-17 ESV

• All Scripture is breathed out by God and
  profitable for teaching, for reproof, for
  correction, and for training in righteousness,
  that the man of God may be competent, equipped
  for every good work.

6
Josh 18-9 ESV

• This Book of the Law shall not depart from your
  mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and
  night, so that you may be careful to do according
  to all that is written in it. For then you will
  make your way prosperous,

7
Josh 18-9 ESV

• and then you will have good success. Have I not
  commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not
  be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the
  LORD your God is with you wherever you go."

8
Rom 131 ESV

• there is no authority except from God, and those
  that exist have been instituted by God.

9
Gen 126 ESV

• Then God said, "Let us make man in our image,
  after our likeness. And let them have dominion
  over the fish of the sea and over the birds of
  the heavens and over the livestock and over all
  the earth

10
Gen 126 ESV

• and over every creeping thing that creeps on the
  earth."

11
Eph 120-23 ESV

• (The Father)raised him from the dead and seated
  him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far
  above all rule and authority and power and
  dominion, and above every name that is named,

12
Eph 120-23 ESV

• not only in this age but also in the one to come.
  And he put all things under his feet and gave him
  as head over all things to the church, which is
  his body, the fullness of him who fills all in
  all.

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The God-given authority of the Church

• Carry out spiritual warfare
• To proclaim the Gospel of the Kingdom
• To exercise church discipline

14
Heb 214-15 NLT

• Because God's children are human beingsmade of
  flesh and bloodthe Son also became flesh and
  blood. For only as a human being could he die,
  and only by dying could he break the power of the
  devil,

15
Heb 214-15 NLT

• who had the power of death. Only in this way
  could he set free all who have lived their lives
  as slaves to the fear of dying.

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• He destroyed the one who has the power of death,
  that is, the devil, and delivered all those who
  through fear of death were subject to lifelong
  slavery.

17
1 Cor 1554-55 ESV

• "Death is swallowed up in victory."
• "O death, where is your victory?
• O death, where is your sting?"

18
Biblical facts about Demons (including Satan)

• Created by God. (Like all Angels originally)
• Spiritual beings without physical bodies
• Have high intelligence
• Moral judgment.
• Sinned against God and were excluded from His
  presence.

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2 Peter 24 ESV

• God did not spare angels when they sinned, but
  cast them into hell and committed them to chains
  of gloomy darkness to be kept until the judgment
  

20
Isa 1414-15 ESV

• I will ascend above the heights of the clouds
• I will make myself like the Most High.
• But you are brought down to Sheol,
• to the far reaches of the pit.

21
Matt 1228-29 ESV

• if it is by the Spirit of God that I cast out
  demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you

22
Luke 1017-20 ESV

• The seventy-two returned with joy, saying, "Lord,
  even the demons are subject to us in your name!
  And he said to them, "I saw Satan fall like
  lightning from heaven.

23
Luke 1017-20 ESV

• Behold, I have given you authority to tread on
  serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of
  the enemy, and nothing shall hurt you.

24
1 John 38 ESV

• The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy
  the works of the devil.

25
1 John 44-5 ESV

• Little children, you are from God and have
  overcome them, for he who is in you is greater
  than he who is in the world.