When Adam sinned, he gave over to Satan, the authority over the earth that God had given to him and the law of sin and death ruled. Every man had a sin-nature and was unable to resist Satan's influence to sin. The law of sin and death reigned over the earth and man had no way to obtain freedom from it. They did not even know that it existed. Through the Hebrews, God gave man the law and showed them how it worked. He made a covenant with them that He would provide for them and protect them if they honored, obeyed and worshipped Him only. In Deuteronomy 28 He listed for them, the blessings of obedience and the curses under the law that would flow from their disobedience. The law was still in effect. If they sinned, they would fall under the law of sin and death and face the penalty. If they obeyed the law, Satan would have no place in them through which he could enforce the death sentence. Under the covenant, when they worshipped and obeyed God, and when they sinned and repented and made sacrifices in accordance with God's instructions, their sins were covered temporarily. Sacrifices had to be made continuously, requiring them to travel annually to the temple to conduct the sacrifices. God promised them that the Messiah would come and that through their faith in Him, their sins would be remitted and they would be freed from the law of sin and death.
When Jesus, the Messiah, came into the earth, He taught the people that, under the authority of the existing covenant, all of these blessings were already theirs by faith. He healed the sick, and did many other things by faith in God's word. Numerous times He told them, “Your faith that has made you whole”, or “Be it unto you according to your faith”. It was simply that the rulers had emphasized the law and not faith in the blessings that were available under the covenant. The rulers kept the people in bondage to the law by not teaching them all that they had under the covenant.
When God anointed Jesus with the Holy Ghost and with fire, God's power was on Him. Through the anointing, Jesus demonstrated for man, how the coming Kingdom would work. Jesus performed many miracles and wonders. He healed the sick, delivered the oppressed, raised the dead, controlled storms, fed multitudes, and did many other things under the power of the anointing. He told the people that God's power was on Him for them to bless them. He did only what His Father told Him to do or that He saw His Father do. He was demonstrating that there would be a new covenant under which God would live in the heart of those who believe on Him, and they would be anointed with the power of God and have God's ability to overcome natural law just as He was demonstrating.
When Jesus defeated, dethroned, and divested Satan of all power, was raised from the dead, and the Kingdom of God's Dear Son was ushered into the earth, He raised us up together with Christ, and delivered us out from under Satan's authority. We were made to sit together in Christ Jesus at the right hand of the Father, in the heavenlies, far above all principalities, powers, rulers of darkness, and spiritual wickedness in high places, all might and dominion. They were placed under His feet, and under ours too, since we are in Him; and members of His body.
These two kingdoms, the Kingdom of God and the kingdom of darkness are invisible kingdoms which overlap. The Kingdom of God, over which Jesus rules, is in us and around us although we are physically in the kingdom of darkness where Satan, the god of this world, rules. We are in this world, but not of this world. The law by which the Kingdom of God is governed is the law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus which has made us free from the law of sin and death, the law which governs the world system. The term, “we are not of this world” simply means that we have been redeemed and delivered out from under Satan's authority, spirit, soul and body and are no longer subject to the world's system and to the law of sin and death. However, we can place ourselves under the law of sin and death by our choices to disobey God and continue to love the world and live by its principals. It is a continual choice of the Believer, day by day, to live for Christ, abide in Him, and live in and reap the blessings of the Kingdom of God, or to reap the curses and penalties of the kingdom of darkness through love for the things of the world and disobedience to God's word.
It is the devil's desire to get us back under his control and it is the Christian's responsibility to keep him under our feet – to enforce the victory that Jesus has already won. The word tells us that “The devil roams around like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour, and we are to resist him stedfast in the faith.” The word also tells us “Don't give place to the devil.” and “Submit to God, and resist the devil and he will flee from you.” God has even provided us with the whole armor of God with which to stand against the devil, and weapons of warfare to pull down the strong holds through which Satan continues to oppress many believers. Jesus has given us power over serpents and scorpions and all the power of the enemy and has authorized us to use His name and all the authority in that name to resist Satan's schemes. It is up to us to stand against him and get the victory over him through faith.
When we were born again, we received the anointing; the Holy Spirit of God Who came to live in each of us. Additionally, Christians who have received the Holy Spirit baptism, have received the same anointing of power that came upon Jesus. It is the anointing by which we do the work of Jesus in the earth as members of His body. Jesus taught us to pray, "Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven." Jesus, by His victory at Calvary, ushered in the Kingdom of God and we are to occupy until He returns. In the meantime, we are His ambassadors to see His will done in the earth - His mouth, hands and feet to advance the Kingdom of God in the earth and destroy the works of darkness. We enforce the victory that Jesus won and manifest the Kingdom only by doing that which we hear Him say or see Him do, just as Jesus did for the Father. In order to fulfill this command, we have to learn to get into the Presence of God, hear Him clearly, and allow Him to minister His word and His will to us. It requires spiritual growth and maturity to hear the Lord with clarity and understanding and this comes solely by the teaching and leading of the Holy Spirit as we diligently read, study, meditate on the word of God day and night, and seek His Presence.
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