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How to Walk in Dominion
We are destined to
rule in life with the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords
Author -
Rebecca Greenwood
God never intended
for His people to live in defeat. He destined you to rule.
Have you noticed that
more and more people today are searching for meaning and purpose in life?
This trend provides
abundant opportunities for Christians to reach out with the supernatural power
of God to influence their culture.
Researchers claim
that more souls have come into the kingdom of God in the last few decades than
in all the centuries combined since Christ's ministry on earth.
However, the battle
against darkness is not diminishing. Statistics reveal the probability that
only 4 percent of today's youth will embrace evangelical Christianity.
If we have the
answers to life's questions, why are we ineffective at reaching people?
We are entering what
the Bible calls the fullness of time, and much is at stake.
God is positioning us
to advance His kingdom into every realm held captive by the enemy.
To be successful, we
must understand our authority in Christ — what some call "kingdom
authority" or "dominion rule."
Dominion rule has
become a regular confession among many believers.
The church's voice is
resounding with the desire to see the manifestation of our God-given assignment
to rule and reign over the earth (see Genesis 1:26-28).
However, if all we do
is confess, this goal will not be realized. Authority does not come through
confession.
Authority is
uncompromisingly tied to responsibility. And it is only one facet of walking in
dominion.
You see, God has
called us to be His kingdom representatives on earth, to establish a righteous
paradigm. We need more than authority to do that.
When we identify the
areas over which He has given us influence and commit to being agents of change
in them, everything we need to transform the culture and cause the lost to be
drawn to Him is made available to us — favor, creativity, power, wisdom and so
on.
Taking dominion
therefore requires more than simply wielding authority in the name of Jesus.
It requires knowledge
and the understanding and rightful use of our position in Christ.
To discover what that
position is, we need to look at God's original plan and purpose for mankind.
God's Original Plan
The
Bible declares this purpose: "God said, Let Us [Father, Son, and Holy
Spirit] make mankind in Our image, after Our likeness; and let them have
complete authority over the fish of the sea, and the birds of the air, the
[tame] beasts, and over all of the earth, and over everything that creeps upon
the earth.
“So
God created man in His own image, in the image and likeness of God He created
him; male and female He created them.
"And
God blessed them, and said to them, Be fruitful, multiply, and fill the earth
and subdue it ... and have dominion over the fish of the sea, the birds of the
air, and over every living creature that moves upon the earth'" (Genesis 1:26-28, The
Amplified Bible, emphasis added).
Having made man in
His image, God provided Adam and Eve, the earth's new stewards, with intellect,
creative abilities and an innate gift of leadership to rule and reign.
Our Father is always
about the business of His kingdom, and He created man with the same calling and
design.
It was a natural
outcome that man be given the responsibility to manage creation, including the
earth and all living creatures.
To understand, let's
look more closely at this original stewardship appointment.
Kabas, the Hebrew word for
"subdue," means "to bring into subjection, to dominate."
It suggests that the
party being subdued is not willing to submit.
Genesis 1:28 implies
that creation was unwilling to submit to man's leading. Man would have to bring
creation into order by exerting his strength.
Radah, the Hebrew word for
"dominion," refers not to God's rule and responsibility but to man's.
It means "to
manage or reign from a position of sovereignty." God fashioned us to share
His own authority over His creation.
Adam was to live and
move in a kingly manner over the earth as a son of God along with the
incredible privileges and weighty responsibilities of this position. Dominion
was his birthright and pleasure.
But after Adam
succumbed to Satan's deception in the Garden of Eden, the enemy established
strongholds in all areas of life to hinder our kingdom mandate.
Thankfully, God made
a way for us to regain our kingdom authority. He did not forget His covenant
plan.
After Adam and Eve
sinned, He sent Jesus, the second Adam, to save man from his lost condition and
provide a better covenant (see
Hebrews 8:6).
Authority Restored
During Jesus' earthly
ministry, the kingdom of God was His focus. His teachings and parables
explained the truths of this kingdom and how to secure an inheritance in it.
Fully God and fully
man, He moved in kingdom authority.
Jesus came to
establish His rule and the government of God by warring against and defeating
Satan and his stronghold of sin and death.
By Jesus' sinless
life and sacrificial death, He reclaimed the dominion given to Satan in the
fall.
"All
authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me," He declared (Matthew 28:18, NIV).
Exousia, the Greek word for
"authority," means "rightful, actual and unimpeded power to act,
possess, control or dispose of someone or something."
Jesus
used His authority to disarm the enemy and all his demonic forces and powers. "And
having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them,
triumphing over them by the cross" (Colossians 2:15).
"Disarmed" also means "stripped."
Christ stripped Satan
and all his minions of any power or authority they once had. He restored all
that was relinquished at the fall and positioned us to partner with God in
releasing His kingdom.
How
does this work? At salvation, we are given the profound privilege of being
adopted into the family of God and becoming His sons and daughters: "He
predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ," the
Bible tells us, so "that we might receive the full rights of sons"
(Ephesians
1:5; Galatians 4:5).
The Greek word for "adoption"
is huiothesian, meaning "to position as an adult son."
When we are born into
God's family through Jesus, we are automatically blessed with the legal rights
and privileges of a son.
Though at first, we
are immature spiritually, we are considered adult sons who can enjoy the
Father's wealth and exercise all the glorious privileges and responsibilities
of adult sonship.
We do not have to
wait to enjoy the spiritual riches we have in Christ.
The
Bible says, "You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, for
all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with
Christ" (Galatians
3:26-27).
We are
also God's heirs. "So you are no longer a slave, but a son; and since
you are a son, God has made you also an heir" (Galatians 4:7).
Kleronomos, the Greek word for
"heir," means "the recipient of divine promises." An heir
receives his allotted possession by right of sonship.
The
Bible goes on to say, "Now if we are children, then we are heirs — heirs
of God and co-heirs with Christ" (Romans 8:17).
Because we are not
only heirs but also co-heirs with Christ, all that belongs to Jesus as the
firstborn also belongs to us.
A co-heir is a fellow
receiver, a joint participant in all the Father has.
Keys of the Kingdom
As co-heirs with
Christ and His representatives on earth, we have the right to exercise power
over the enemy in Jesus' name. We have territorial rights, too.
Legal power usually
involves a particular jurisdiction. Jurisdiction implies the ability to
administer justice in a specific area.
What is our area?
Since we are Christ's ambassadors — His personal representatives of the
heavenly kingdom to the earthly kingdom — we have His authority throughout the
earth.
God partners with us
to stand against the works of evil and spread the gospel of Christ (see 2 Corinthians
5:20).
Jesus
revealed the extent of our authority when He told the apostle Peter: "I
tell you, you are Peter [Greek, Petros — a large piece of rock],
and on this rock [Greek, petra — a huge rock like Gibraltar] I
will build My church, and the gates of Hades (the powers of the infernal
region) shall not overpower it [or be strong to its detriment or hold out
against it].
“I
will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you bind (declare
to be improper and unlawful) on earth must be what is already bound in heaven;
and whatever you loose (declare lawful) on earth must be what is already loosed
in heaven"
(Matthew
16:18-19, The Amplified Bible, emphasis added).
The word "kingdom"
in this passage refers to royal power and dominion involving the license or
authority to rule.
Jesus placed the keys
of the kingdom in the hands of the church. We not only have access to them but
also have the right to use them.
In the Bible and in
Jewish teaching the handing over of keys implies promotion to full authority.
But what is our
actual appointment? Jesus stated that He would give us the authority to bind
and loose.
The idea of binding
and loosing was a concept commonly used by rabbis to signify the judicial
authority to forbid or permit.
When executed in
partnership with and obedience to the Lord, we have the authority to direct
justice in cases held in the heavenly court of law.
Though we do not have
the right to tell God what to do, we do have the legal right, authority and
power to forbid what the Lord tells us to forbid and to release and welcome
what He has designed for us to set free.
Therefore, we have
permission to forbid on earth what is already found guilty and forbidden in
heaven, and we have the right to allow on earth what is found right and
permitted in heaven.
Knowing this, the
enemy and the powers of darkness — instead of attacking us — should be
trembling in fear, thinking: Oh, no! What are they going to do to bring us harm
today?
The truth is, the
Lord has already declared the final judgment against Satan and his army.
The day for their
sentencing to eternal imprisonment in the abyss has not yet come, but their
defeat was secured at the cross.
They no longer
possess keys of authority. Jesus restored the kingdom of God in our personal
lives and in creation.
As Jesus, the keeper
of the keys, gives direction through the Holy Spirit on a daily or
moment-by-moment basis, we have the legal authority to execute His plans — provided
we are walking in humility, holiness and obedience.
When our kingdom
plans are in concert with His and our character lines up with His, the
authority to effect change is realized.
However, if we plan
our own agendas, hoping God will bless them, there will be no lasting fruit,
effect or change. It is not our job to direct Jesus. We look to Him to give us
His throne room blueprints.
As we submit and
build His kingdom agenda, we will be effective. Change, transformation and
revival will come.
Moving From Defense
to Offense
Recently, the Lord
revealed a simple but encouraging vision.
In the vision, I saw
a football game. One team wore black uniforms, the other white. The team with
white uniforms was the Lord's; the team with black uniforms was Satan's.
At the start of play,
the white team had possession of the ball but fumbled.
The black team
recovered it and began to run successful plays, forcing the white team to
remain in defensive mode, trying to push the black team back to prevent their
victory.
Suddenly, a new white
team member came onto the field. He intercepted the ball and ran a successful
play. Then he left the field.
But his teammates
seemed unaware that the ball had changed hands and that they had legal
possession of it.
Expecting to be on
defense, the white team focused only on defending its territory, allowing the
black team to run offense.
Suddenly, the white
team realized the ball was rightfully theirs.
The other team had
possession only because the white team had voluntarily handed it over. They
decided that enough was enough.
On the next play they
intercepted the ball. The player with the ball ran swiftly to the end zone,
unable to be stopped. Ultimately, the white team left the black team in the
dust to win the game.
Mankind is like the
white team. We had the ball at the beginning of time, but Adam and Eve fumbled
it, and the enemy picked it up.
Later in the game,
Jesus intercepted it and returned possession of it to us. Unfortunately, we
haven't gotten the picture yet.
For too long we have
been playing defense instead of running offense. The enemy still has illegal
possession of the ball because we allow it.
We are so busy
defending ourselves that we don't realize we have the right to grab the ball
from him and run for a touchdown with confidence, faith and authority.
It is time for us to
stop asking ourselves, "What do I have to defend myself from
today?" and to start asking God, "What can I do to advance
Your kingdom on the earth?"
Then when He gives us
His game plan, we can step onto the field with the ball, running in the
direction He tells us, and expect to see individuals, families, workplaces,
cities and nations transformed for His glory.
We cannot allow the
enemy to continue to steal the purpose for which we were created — to exert
influence, rule, authority and stewardship on the earth.
Creation is waiting
with eager expectation for the revealing of the sons of God and deliverance
from the enemy's hand (see
Romans 8:19-21).
Souls are awaiting
salvation.
Now is the season to
run with determination the race set before us, as the writer of Hebrews
encourages us to do (see
Hebrews 12:1).
We are destined to
rule in life with the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords.
Let's move into our
rightful position as righteous sons and daughters establishing the dominion
standard.
"Then
the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father" (Matthew 13:43, NIV).
And all creation will
see.
Rebecca
Greenwood
is the founder and president of Christian Harvest International. She travels
throughout the United States and abroad teaching on intercession, spiritual
warfare and deliverance. She is also the author of several books, including
Destined to Rule (Chosen).
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