A Nugget from New Life Network
(A conclusion to the last four devotionals)
Scripture for the Day (January 19, 2017)
And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” (Matthew 16:18-19)
Gates can’t attack you. Gates are meant to keep you locked out or keep stuff locked in. But the gates of Hades can’t prevail or keep the church out because Jesus gave us the keys to reclaim everything that Satan stole from us since Adam and Eve. Keys denote or represent authority, and Jesus said, “I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” Now that’s authority!
We have the authority in Jesus’ name to put Satan and all his minions under our feet as we see in Luke 10:19 which says, “Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you.”
Ephesians 6:10 says, “Be strong in the Lord, and in the power of His might.” That verse in the Amplified Bible says, “In conclusion, be strong in the Lord [be empowered through your union with Him]; draw your strength from Him [that strength which His boundless might provides].”
I John 4:4 says, “You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.”
In Matthew 28:18 Jesus said, “All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth.” He turned right around and delegated that authority to us. He’s the head and we’re His body. He exercises His authority through His body (the Church) which is you and me.
Ephesians 1:22 says, “And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church (His body).”
In summary, keys are very important. They unlock truth and power and they lock out the enemy. The first and most important key is Jesus himself. Until you accept Him as your Lord and Savior you cannot even see the Kingdom. The second most important key is to realize that He has delegated authority to His Body, which is us. The third key is to recognize that delegated authority is no good unless you use it. We are the gatekeepers! We can let things in or we can keep things out. We have that authority but we must learn to pray and speak with authority.
Matthew 18:18 says, “Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”
The believer, who is fully conscious of the divine power behind Him, and of His own authority, can face the enemy and life without fear or hesitancy. We have to learn to be like Him!
The people were amazed at his teaching, because he taught them as one who had authority, not as the teachers of the law. (Mark 1:22)
