Holy Boldness

agreement with His will, one cannot walk in authority or power. It is utter foolishness to presume that one has authority when one does not submit to authority. Rebels do not have authority even if they consider themselves Christian Believers. The Third Temptation: a no holds barred invitation to scrap the plan of God and take the power and run. Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. And he said to him, “All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.”Then Jesus said to him, “Be gone, Satan! For it is written, “’You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve.’” Matthew 4:8-10. Satan makes a stunning assumption and declaration that he would give all the kingdoms of the world to Jesus for a simple bow and acknowledgment. How is it that Satan had access to all the kingdoms of the world? In the beginning, all authority over the world had been given to Adam and Eve as co-regents over the world. However, that authority was lost when Adam, following Eve’s initiative, disobeyed the command of the Lord not to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. The result was that the couple forfeited their authority, and were removed from the garden. Once Adam and Eve believed a lie, they were subject to bondage. Satan was not given authority except by default ; he only has authority because Adam’s absence left a vacuum that Satan filled. So Adam’s authority was forfeited to the usurper. Even now Satan is only filling a vacuum created through mankind’s disobedience. At this present time, Satan is being threatened as the true sons of God begin to rise again to take their seats. Satan is the God of this world with all its systems and manipu lation and control and he offered it to Jesus for a simple concession. If Jesus would only bow down and worship the devil then all the nations of the world, all the kingdoms, and their glory would be His. Isn’t that what Jesus’ coming was all about? Isn’t Jesus about taking the earth back and retrieving it to its original owner? What is so interesting in all this is that Satan offers to Jesus what the Father has already told Jesus is His for the asking. Psalm 2 is a Messi anic Psalm. It speaks of God’s choice of the ultimate king and the rage of the nations because of it. In this Psalm we find this amazing declaration:

75