Bible Verse: “Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say: ‘Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Messiah. For the accuser of our brothers and sisters, who accuses them before our God day and night, has been hurled down. They triumphed over him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony.’” (Revelation 12:10-11)
Scripture Reading: Matthew 4:1-11; Matthew 8:5-13
I can still remember running around the classroom in elementary school with my friends like a pack of wild animals. We did dumb things. We’d stand on our desks. We’d throw boxes of checkers at each other. We’d shoot elastic bands around.
There was no controlling us…when the teacher wasn’t in the room.
But when that teacher entered the classroom and saw the bedlam we were creating, it was a simple matter of them saying in a firm, no-nonsense voice, “Sit down!” and peace and order would immediately descend upon us.
That teacher had authority. Maybe it doesn’t feel so much that way these days, but when I was a kid, back in the ‘70s, a teacher’s voice carried all the power that was needed.
One power that hasn’t changed one bit is the power of Christ. He had the power to calm the storms with His words. He had the power to raise the dead with His words. And He had power over Satan and all His dark forces with His words.
The devil has been overcome.
Jesus showed this in the wilderness when He battled with the enemy. He countered every one of the enemy’s taunts with the words of Scripture (Matthew 4:1-11). He ultimately conquered the devil when He died on the cross, declaring the words, “It is finished!” (John 19:30).
As God’s men, His warriors, His disciples—we carry that same power. In Jesus’ Name, what we bind on earth is bound in heaven, and what we loose on earth will be loosed in heaven (Matthew 18:18).
We can push back the power of darkness, even the devil himself, by declaring with our words, in Jesus’ Name, that he is defeated and must go. He has lost the battle, and we have been entrusted to remind him of his defeat.
Be strong and very courageous; the Lord is with you (Joshua 1:9).
Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are the great victor! You have ultimately won the spiritual battle against the devil. And You live in us! May we be bold in using our words to help set captives free and release prisoners from the power of the devil. Help us to speak deliverance for people in Jesus’ Name. For Your glory, for our joy, and for the hope of the world. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Reflection: What is your testimony like? Are you bold in your faith and your declarations? Did you know that God’s authority through you is that powerful? Declare the truth of Jesus in every situation of your life.
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