We are going to deal with this question in this post because it forms part of the very essence of God’s will and His restoration of power and authority.
What Does a Defeated Enemy Do?
If you were the (defeated) enemy of God's favored and chosen people—the children of the King, those who have (inherited) unlimited power and authority to rule and execute justice and love in righteousness over their circumstances—what would you use as a weapon?
The best defense would be to make those chosen ones believe that they do not have that power and authority! This is the core of the enemy's strategy: deception. As John 8:44 says of the devil, "He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies."
This enemy would equally make sure to never, never ever let these chosen ones realize that they have an infallible Guide (the Holy Spirit of the King Himself) inside of them, telling them, teaching them, and leading them exactly how to operate in this power... and reminding them that they have a sure Written Book (God’s Word) to measure it against. The Guide will even show them things to come, like an early warning system. John 16:13 confirms, "But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come."
As the enemy, you'll keep the chosen ones away from the truth as far and as long as possible. That enemy would also make sure that amongst them a structure or structures would be established to exercise control over the chosen people, dividing them and deliberately twisting and turning the words of the Book. 2 Corinthians 11:14 warns, "And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light." These institutions would subtly allow him to infiltrate and corrupt the truth from within. Does that sound familiar?
Executing False Doctrine: The Enemy's Lies Against Our Inheritance
Based on the above, the enemy would then go to all extremes to mislead and convince the chosen ones to believe the following lies, directly contradicting the finished work of Christ:
You are not worthy to execute the inherited power and authority.
Truth from Grace: In Christ, you are worthy because of His righteousness, not your own. You are God's beloved child now cloaked with His righteousness. The Greek word ἀγαπητός (agapetos), meaning "beloved" or "dearly loved," describes Jesus as God's Son (e.g., Matthew 3:17: "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased"). Through Christ, we are adopted into God's family, becoming His agapetos as well (Ephesians 1:5-6: "He predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will—to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the Beloved One"). Our worthiness is a gift of His unconditional love and accomplished work.
You must first do... to become worthy and then stay holy based on your own actions.
Truth from Grace: We are made holy and righteous by faith in Christ, not by our works. Ephesians 2:8-9 states, "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast." Our holiness is a complete position in Christ, which then empowers righteousness and all that go with this.
You cannot resist his weapon of sickness.
Truth from Grace: Isaiah 53:5 prophesies, and 1 Peter 2:24 confirms, "By His wounds you were healed." Healing was part of Christ's finished work on the cross. While we live in a fallen world, believers have authority to stand against sickness, not passively accept it as God's will. Jesus even commissioned us to heal the sick! God’s will is not for people to be sick. If this was the case, Jesus would have been the biggest rebel in history.
You cannot resist his weapon of poverty.
Truth from Grace: 2 Corinthians 8:9 declares, "For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich." This speaks not only of spiritual richness but also of provision and sufficiency in every area of our lives, enabling us to be a blessing also for others.
You cannot overcome his weapon of weakness.
Truth from Grace: 2 Corinthians 12:9-10 reveals, "But he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me... For when I am weak, then I am strong." Our strength is found in Christ who abides within.
You are in bondage.
Truth from Grace: Galatians 5:1 proclaims, "It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery." Christ broke every chain of bondage.
You have a generational or other curse that binds You.
Truth from Grace: Galatians 3:13 makes it clear: "Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: 'Cursed is everyone who is hung on a pole.'" All curses were broken at the cross once and for all.
You are conceived in sin - his weapon and are doomed.
Truth from Grace: While we are born into a fallen world with a sin state, we are not born as sinners on this side of the cross. We are a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17). We are "born again" of the Spirit, redeemed and forgiven, no longer doomed by inherited sin but righteous in Him.
You are unrighteous.
Truth from Grace: 2 Corinthians 5:21 states, "God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God." Our righteousness is a gift, a legal standing before God, not based on our performance but rather the fully accomplished work of Christ.
Your failures prohibit and impair you.
Truth from Grace: God's grace is greater than our failures. Romans 5:20 says, "Where sin increased, grace increased all the more." Our identity is in Christ's perfection, not our imperfections. His blood cleanses all sin.
God is sovereign and He is in control – abide by whatever comes your way. It is the will of God.
Truth from Grace: While God is sovereign, His will for us is good (Jeremiah 29:11). He gave us dominion over the earth, and Christ restored our authority. Not everything that happens is God's active will; much is the result of a fallen world and the enemy's actions, which we are empowered to resist.
You do not have this power and authority and must first do... to qualify and inherit the Free Gift, Grace (Jesus).
Truth from Grace: This is a blatant contradiction of Romans 6:23: "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." Grace is precisely that—an unearned, unqualified gift received by faith, not by works.
The Free Gift (Grace and all that comes with Him) is a hoax and will make everyone who accepts It sin more.
Truth from Grace: Romans 6:1-2 directly addresses this lie: "What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it?" True grace empowers us to live righteously, transforming our desires.
You have only limited and delegated power and authority instead of inherited dominion.
Truth from Grace: Romans 8:17: "Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory." This verse is profound. It tells us we are: Heirs of God: We inherit from God Himself, just as a child inherits from a parent. This includes all His promises, blessings, and His very authority and nature. Co-heirs with Christ: We share in the same inheritance that Jesus, the rightful Heir, possesses. We don't get a lesser portion; we share fully in all that is His.
Matthew 28:18-19: "And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, 'All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations...'"This is a crucial declaration by the resurrected Christ. He publicly declared that all authority now belongs to Him. And then, He immediately commissions His disciples (which includes all believers) to "go" and operate on the basis of His authority. This implies a transfer or sharing of that reclaimed authority with His followers. We, being His body, operate in that all authority He has given us.
Our Shared Authority and Reign in Christ: Ephesians 1:19-23: "...and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come. And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all."
This passage is incredibly powerful. It shows that the same resurrection power that seated Christ "far above all rule and authority, power and dominion" is now toward us who believe. Because the Church is His body, and He is the Head, we are united with Him in that position of authority over all spiritual forces. We are seated with Him in heavenly places (Ephesians 2:6).
Romans 5:17: "For if by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God’s abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one Man, Jesus Christ!" This verse directly contrasts Adam's failure with Christ's success. Adam's sin brought death and allowed it to reign; Christ's righteousness (received by grace) enables believers to reign in life. This "reigning in life" is about exercising dominion over sin, sickness, poverty, and all the works of the enemy.
Luke 10:19: "Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you." Here, Jesus explicitly gives His followers authority over the power of the enemy. This is a direct grant of dominion authority to His followers before the cross, which is then solidified and expanded by His finished work. The "serpents and scorpions" symbolize demonic power and opposition.
Romans 8:37: "No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us." We are not just conquerors, but "more than conquerors" (hypernikao). This means we have an overwhelming victory that is given to us, not something we have to earn or strive for in our own strength. It's a position of triumph because Christ already triumphed.
1 John 4:4: "You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world." This confirms that our ability to overcome comes from the indwelling Holy Spirit, who connects us to Christ's superior power and authority. The "one who is in the world" refers to the devil and his influence.
Etc. etc.
... sounds like the religious message taught in our very day and age?
You are not worthy to execute the inherited power and authority.
Truth from Grace: In Christ, you are worthy because of His righteousness, not your own. You are God's beloved child now cloaked with His righteousness. The Greek word ἀγαπητός (agapetos), meaning "beloved" or "dearly loved," describes Jesus as God's Son (e.g., Matthew 3:17: "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased"). Through Christ, we are adopted into God's family, becoming His agapetos as well (Ephesians 1:5-6: "He predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will—to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the Beloved One"). Our worthiness is a gift of His unconditional love and accomplished work.
You must first do... to become worthy and then stay holy based on your own actions.
Truth from Grace: We are made holy and righteous by faith in Christ, not by our works. Ephesians 2:8-9 states, "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast." Our holiness is a complete position in Christ, which then empowers righteousness and all that go with this.
You cannot resist his weapon of sickness.
Truth from Grace: Isaiah 53:5 prophesies, and 1 Peter 2:24 confirms, "By His wounds you were healed." Healing was part of Christ's finished work on the cross. While we live in a fallen world, believers have authority to stand against sickness, not passively accept it as God's will. Jesus even commissioned us to heal the sick! God’s will is not for people to be sick. If this was the case, Jesus would have been the biggest rebel in history.
You cannot resist his weapon of poverty.
Truth from Grace: 2 Corinthians 8:9 declares, "For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich." This speaks not only of spiritual richness but also of provision and sufficiency in every area of our lives, enabling us to be a blessing also for others.
You cannot overcome his weapon of weakness.
Truth from Grace: 2 Corinthians 12:9-10 reveals, "But he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me... For when I am weak, then I am strong." Our strength is found in Christ who abides within.
You are in bondage.
Truth from Grace: Galatians 5:1 proclaims, "It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery." Christ broke every chain of bondage.
You have a generational or other curse that binds You.
Truth from Grace: Galatians 3:13 makes it clear: "Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: 'Cursed is everyone who is hung on a pole.'" All curses were broken at the cross once and for all.
You are conceived in sin - his weapon and are doomed.
Truth from Grace: While we are born into a fallen world with a sin state, we are not born as sinners on this side of the cross. We are a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17). We are "born again" of the Spirit, redeemed and forgiven, no longer doomed by inherited sin but righteous in Him.
You are unrighteous.
Truth from Grace: 2 Corinthians 5:21 states, "God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God." Our righteousness is a gift, a legal standing before God, not based on our performance but rather the fully accomplished work of Christ.
Your failures prohibit and impair you.
Truth from Grace: God's grace is greater than our failures. Romans 5:20 says, "Where sin increased, grace increased all the more." Our identity is in Christ's perfection, not our imperfections. His blood cleanses all sin.
God is sovereign and He is in control – abide by whatever comes your way. It is the will of God.
Truth from Grace: While God is sovereign, His will for us is good (Jeremiah 29:11). He gave us dominion over the earth, and Christ restored our authority. Not everything that happens is God's active will; much is the result of a fallen world and the enemy's actions, which we are empowered to resist.
You do not have this power and authority and must first do... to qualify and inherit the Free Gift, Grace (Jesus).
Truth from Grace: This is a blatant contradiction of Romans 6:23: "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." Grace is precisely that—an unearned, unqualified gift received by faith, not by works.
The Free Gift (Grace and all that comes with Him) is a hoax and will make everyone who accepts It sin more.
Truth from Grace: Romans 6:1-2 directly addresses this lie: "What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it?" True grace empowers us to live righteously, transforming our desires.
You have only limited and delegated power and authority instead of inherited dominion.
Truth from Grace: Romans 8:17: "Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory." This verse is profound. It tells us we are: Heirs of God: We inherit from God Himself, just as a child inherits from a parent. This includes all His promises, blessings, and His very authority and nature. Co-heirs with Christ: We share in the same inheritance that Jesus, the rightful Heir, possesses. We don't get a lesser portion; we share fully in all that is His.
Matthew 28:18-19: "And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, 'All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations...'"This is a crucial declaration by the resurrected Christ. He publicly declared that all authority now belongs to Him. And then, He immediately commissions His disciples (which includes all believers) to "go" and operate on the basis of His authority. This implies a transfer or sharing of that reclaimed authority with His followers. We, being His body, operate in that all authority He has given us.
Our Shared Authority and Reign in Christ: Ephesians 1:19-23: "...and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come. And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all."
Romans 5:17: "For if by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God’s abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one Man, Jesus Christ!" This verse directly contrasts Adam's failure with Christ's success. Adam's sin brought death and allowed it to reign; Christ's righteousness (received by grace) enables believers to reign in life. This "reigning in life" is about exercising dominion over sin, sickness, poverty, and all the works of the enemy.
Luke 10:19: "Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you." Here, Jesus explicitly gives His followers authority over the power of the enemy. This is a direct grant of dominion authority to His followers before the cross, which is then solidified and expanded by His finished work. The "serpents and scorpions" symbolize demonic power and opposition.
Romans 8:37: "No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us." We are not just conquerors, but "more than conquerors" (hypernikao). This means we have an overwhelming victory that is given to us, not something we have to earn or strive for in our own strength. It's a position of triumph because Christ already triumphed.
1 John 4:4: "You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world." This confirms that our ability to overcome comes from the indwelling Holy Spirit, who connects us to Christ's superior power and authority. The "one who is in the world" refers to the devil and his influence.
Etc. etc.