God has provided a glorious inheritance for all believers. Our inheritance includes dominion over all the works of darkness, including sin, sickness, disease, and spiritual death.
But for us to take advantage of our authority in Jesus so we can successfully stand against the devil's strategies in every circumstance, the eyes of our spiritual understanding need to be enlightened.
The believer's inheritance in Christ is the wisdom of God which was hidden throughout the ages until it was revealed through Jesus Christ. Grasping this truth and walking in the reality of God's inheritance is the key to taking our place and reigning as kings in this life.
The riches of our inheritance are revealed more fully in the book of Ephesians than in any other book of the Bible. Ephesians chapters 1 and 3 contain Spirit-inspired prayers that apply to believers everywhere, because they were given by the Holy Spirit to the Body of Christ.
As believers, we can pray these prayers for ourselves by putting "I," "me," and "my" where Paul says "you" and "your."
In these prayers, the Holy Spirit wants to reveal to believers "the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Jesus" (Eph. 1:17). What is the wisdom and knowledge God wants to reveal to the believer about Jesus Christ?
The Holy Spirit wants us to understand Jesus' complete victory over Satan in the triumph of the cross. He wants us to see what Jesus' seating on High really means to us and the rights and privileges we have in Christ. We are seated with Christ in heavenly places! And that position is one of authority, honor, and triumph—not one of failure, depression, and defeat. Through Christ, we have triumphed over Satan.
Believers have been ignorant of Satan's devices, and he has been able to take advantage of them. But the Spirit of God wants us to understand the authority we have in Christ.
We are no longer subject to Satan because we have been delivered from his dominion and authority (Col. 1:13). God wants the Body of Christ to know that we aren't a defeated Church—we are a triumphant Church. We are to reign in life through Jesus Christ because of our position of authority over the devil. When the eyes of our understanding are enlightened, we will stand in our place of authority as the triumphant Church upon the earth.
Dethroned Powers
Colossians 2:15 tells us that Satan and his evil hosts were spoiled, disarmed, stripped of their power, exposed, shattered, emptied, and defeated by our Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus made an open example of their complete and eternal defeat! He disarmed and stripped Satan of his authority and took the keys of death and hell from him (Rev. 1:18).
The Body of Christ needs the eyes of their understanding enlightened to understand Jesus' complete defeat of Satan. This is the wisdom of God that each believer needs to understand.
1 Corinthians 2:6–7
6 Howbeit we speak wisdom among them that are perfect [or mature]: yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of this world, that came to nought:
7 But we speak the wisdom of God. . . .
6 Howbeit we speak wisdom among them that are perfect [or mature]: yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of this world, that came to nought:
7 But we speak the wisdom of God. . . .
Verse 6 tells us that Satan has been dethroned. The wisdom of the mature or full-grown Christian whose understanding has been enlightened by the Holy Spirit is that Satan and all of his demon forces have already been dethroned and the believer has victory over him in Christ.
Dethroned is defined as "to remove from a throne or place of prominence: deposed." The word deposed means "to remove from office, position, or
authority, especially high office."
authority, especially high office."
We are to reign in life through Jesus Christ
because of our position of authority
over the devil.
because of our position of authority
over the devil.
Satan was dethroned by Jesus Christ at the cross of Calvary and in His resurrection. The devil has been removed from his throne, his place of prominence, his place of authority, and from his high office. Jesus has already done this for every believer.
Satan no longer has authority over believers, unless they give him access or authority through lack of knowledge of God's Word, disobedience, or failure to exercise their rights in Christ.
Satan has been dethroned and stripped of his authority. This is the wisdom the Holy Spirit is trying to get across to the Body of Christ in the Spirit-inspired prayers in the Book of Ephesians.
The wisdom of God is that believers only need to stand in Jesus' victory over the devil because they are in Christ. Jesus' victory over the devil is their victory. That's why believers don't need to make war on an enemy that is already defeated. They simply have to enforce the victory already won for them.
Faith in Action
The Ephesians Prayers
Pray these prayers over yourself and your loved ones. Wherever you find you, your, or ye, replace it with I, me, my, or the name of your loved one.
Ephesians 1:16–23
16 [I] Cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers;
17 That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him:
18 The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,
19 And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power,
20 Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own 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 world, but also in that which is to come:
22 And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church,
23 Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.
16 [I] Cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers;
17 That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him:
18 The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,
19 And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power,
20 Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own 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 world, but also in that which is to come:
22 And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church,
23 Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.
Ephesians 3:14–21
14 For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
15 Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named,
16 That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man;
17 That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love,
18 May be able to comprehend with all saints what [is] the breadth, and length, and depth, and height;
19 And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.
20 Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,
21 Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen
14 For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
15 Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named,
16 That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man;
17 That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love,
18 May be able to comprehend with all saints what [is] the breadth, and length, and depth, and height;
19 And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.
20 Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,
21 Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen
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