1-28-22

EVEN JESUS GOT MAD

By Jerry Baysinger

How many of you have noticed that the devil will just keep pushing and pushing relentlessly to make you give up? Or am I the only one he does that to?

He usually starts off small with some minor affliction that you will tolerate, and after he gets you to tolerate it a while, he will add something to it, and leave you alone till you learn to tolerate that, too.  Then he returns to add to the burden, and he does this over and over, until one day you realize, hey, what’s going on here?  I love Jesus, I’m living according to His Word,  why is all this happening to me?  Well, it’s happening because we got spiritually lazy, and like a burglar looking for an open window, the devil found an opening and is exploiting it.

Now, here’s what Jesus told His disciples in Luke 10:17-20,

17  And the seventy returned again with joy, saying, Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through thy name.

 18  And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven.

 19  Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you.

 20  Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven.

Pay close attention to that verse 19.  Sometimes, even if we KNOW IT, we let it slip.  And if we do, it’s our own fault.  The Word of God works, IF we work the Word.  In other words, if we stop working the Word of God, it is of no benefit to us.

We have been granted nearly absolute power over the kingdom of darkness. Let’s take Luke 10:19 apart here.  Note the word “power” is used twice.  But in the Greek, it isn’t the same word both times.  The first word “power” is the Greek word Exousia:

G1849

Original: ἐξουσία

Transliteration: exousia

Phonetic: ex-oo-see’-ah

Thayer Definition:

  1. power of choice, liberty of doing as one pleases
    1. leave or permission
  2. physical and mental power
    1. the ability or strength with which one is endued, which he either possesses or exercises
  3. the power of authority (influence) and of right (privilege)
  4. the power of rule or government (the power of him whose will and commands must be submitted to by others and obeyed)
    1. universally
      1. authority over mankind
    2. specifically
      1. the power of judicial decisions
      2. of authority to manage domestic affairs
    3. metonymically
      1. a thing subject to authority or rule
        1. jurisdiction
      2. one who possesses authority
        1. a ruler, a human magistrate
        2. the leading and more powerful among created beings superior to man, spiritual potentates
    4. a sign of the husband’s authority over his wife
      1. the veil with which propriety required a women to cover herself
    5. the sign of regal authority, a crown

Origin: from G1832 (in the sense of ability)

TDNT entry: 11:22,2

Part(s) of speech: Noun Feminine

Strong’s Definition: From G1832 (in the sense of ability); privilege, that is, (subjectively) force, capacity, competency, freedom, or (objectively) mastery (concretely magistrate, superhuman, potentate, token of control), delegated influence: – authority, jurisdiction, liberty, power, right, strength.

The second word “power” in Luke 10:19 is the Greek word, Dunamis:

G1411

Original: δύναμις

Transliteration: dunamis

Phonetic: doo’-nam-is

Thayer Definition:

  1. strength power, ability
    1. inherent power, power residing in a thing by virtue of its nature, or which a person or thing exerts and puts forth
    2. power for performing miracles
    3. moral power and excellence of soul
    4. the power and influence which belong to riches and wealth
    5. power and resources arising from numbers
    6. power consisting in or resting upon armies, forces, hosts

Origin: from G1410

TDNT entry: 06:44,2

Part(s) of speech: Noun Feminine

Strong’s Definition: From G1410force (literally or figuratively); specifically miraculous power (usually by implication a miracle itself): – ability, abundance, meaning, might (-ily, -y, -y deed), (worker of) miracle (-s), power, strength, violence, mighty (wonderful) work.

 

What is this in a nutshell?  We, as followers and disciples of Christ Jesus are granted magistrate authority over all the powers of the devil.  So if we tolerate his presence and work in our lives, it isn’t because we have no power to withstand him, it’s because we chose not to exercise that authority over his power.  There you have it, no excuses, no sugar coating.  Just what Jesus said.

Well, the devil had been bugging me exceedingly in recent time, until last night, when suddenly the symptoms of kidney stones manifested in me with extreme pain, nausea, bleeding, and being I had kidney stones some 30 years ago, I know exactly what it entails. Unbelievable pain that can last for days or longer.  Well, at that moment, the LORD reminded me of Luke 10:19, and I got mad, both at the devil for what he was doing to me, and myself, for letting slip what I knew all along.  They say, “A little talk with Jesus makes it right.”  I repented of letting the devil afflict me, then I got mad at the devil and demanded in the name of Christ Jesus of Nazareth that he remove his affliction right NOW!

AND HE DID!  Sometimes you gotta get mad.  And you have to remind yourself and the devil who is in charge.  And it isn’t the devil!  Even Jesus got mad in John 2:13-17,

13  And the Jews’ passover was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem,

 14  And found in the temple those that sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the changers of money sitting:

 15  And when he had made a scourge of small cords, he drove them all out of the temple, and the sheep, and the oxen; and poured out the changers’ money, and overthrew the tables;

 16  And said unto them that sold doves, Take these things hence; make not my Father’s house an house of merchandise.

 17  And his disciples remembered that it was written, The zeal of thine house hath eaten me up.

So, maybe it’s time for YOU to get mad, and drive the devil out! Amen?