Message by Dr. Rick McClain. Series: Simply Supernatural. 9/18/2005. 42 min. 19.4 MB. Format: MP3.
Many Christians believe that a relationship with God is about helping them to live a better life personally––it's about personal fulfillment. The Bible tells us that we are living in the middle of a spiritual war. Life will not always be easy, but we can live victoriously––if we understand the spiritual dynamics of the world in which we live.
This message is a Bible study that looks at five key biblical principles of "life in the war zone": 1) God created this world, and he placed his creation under human authority; 2) Authority for this world passed from humanity to Satan through human sin; 3) Jesus came to bring the Kingdom of God; 4) We now live in that period of tome when God's rule is being established around the world; and 5) It appears that God has chosen to extend his rule primarily through the ministry of his people.
One of the questions that I have been asked is: Where in the Bible does it specifically say that authority passed from human beings to Satan at the fall? So far as I know, there is no specific place where the Bible states that point. However, we can know several things for certain. When the earth was created, it was put under human dominion. By the time of Jesus' temptation (Luke 4) and Jesus' calling Satan "the prince of this world," it appears that dominion had passed from human beings to Satan. The question is only one of timing. Exactly when?
Paul says specifically that the creation was subjected to "frustration" because of human sin (Romans 8:18-22), and his language indicates that this happened at the time God cursed the earth in Genesis 3. Further, the entire New Testament emphasizes that "Adam's sin caused death to rule over us" (see Romans 5:17-18). I don't think that it is a stretch to see this happening as a result of the fall.
This transition did in fact take place. When else would it have happened?
Posted by: Rick McClain | September 19, 2005 at 03:01 PM