The authority of the believer – part 3

The devil was given the authority over the earth

When the devil, whose only purpose is to steal, kill and destroy (John 10:10), took over the authority, it was nothing less than a catastrophe. The good plan of God was replaced by the devil’s evil plan.

Do we know for sure that the devil was given the authority on the earth?

We can see that the devil received the authority when we read the story about Jesus being tempted by the devil.

Luke 4:5-6
5 And the devil, taking him up into an high mountain, shewed unto him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time.
6 And the devil said unto him, All this power will I give thee, and the glory of them: for that is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it.

The word in the original text, which has been translated “power” in Luke 4:6, is exousía, which means authority.

Why didn’t God stop the devil from taking the authority on earth?

God couldn’t step in and stop the devil from taking the authority. God had given the authority to Adam and Eve, but He had also given them a free will. Had God stepped in to stop the devil, He would have violated their right to choose.

What was the consequence of the devil gaining authority over the earth?

It was a catastrophe when the devil took over the authority. As the devil started to reign, all evil entered the world. Sickness, death, violence, abuse and wars are just a few examples of what the devil introduced to the world. None of these things existed in the beginning, when all was good.

Gen 1:31
And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.