Escaping The Dominion Of Darkness
THE DAILY WORD
By Jim Seekamp
Tuesday January 8, 2008
Colossians 1:13 (NIV)
For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves
According to the verse above, we had to be RESCUED from the "dominion of darkness" by being brought into the Kingdom Of God! That means that before a person gets saved, he or she is in the "dominion of darkness"!!
The devil tempted Jesus by offering Him the kingdoms of the world and their splendor:
Matthew 4:8-10 (NIV)
8. Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. 9. "All this I will give you," he said, "if you will bow down and worship me." 10. Jesus said to him, "Away from me, Satan! For it is written: 'Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.'"
If the devil was lying, and the kingdoms of the world were not his to give, then Jesus would have told him so! But Jesus treated it as the temptation that it was, and would not worship him!
The Bible gives reference to the devil as being the "god of this age."
2 Corinthians 4:4 (NIV)
The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.
When a person gets saved, he is rescued from the devil's dominion:
Acts 26:17,18 (NIV) (Jesus speaking to Paul at his conversion)
17. I will rescue you from your own people and from the Gentiles. I am sending you to them 18. to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and FROM THE POWER OF SATAN to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.'
According to Jesus, when people get saved, they turn FROM the power of satan, and they turn TO God! That means people are under satan's influence until they are saved! Paul reiterates this in Colossians:
Colossians 1:13 (NIV)
For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves
Born again believers have been rescued FROM the kingdom of darkness! Every person on this earth that doesn't accept Christ is "under the dominion of darkness!" They are under SATAN'S dominion!
Thank God it is so easy to escape satan's dominion and enter the Kingdom of God! I think that if the unbelievers of the world had any idea how much God loves them, and how simple it is to be born again, they would not reject Jesus Christ! The church has been guilty of making it difficult for unbelievers to receive Christ by being so religious and works-oriented!
God has paid the price for everyone on earth to escape satan's dominion! All people have to do is receive that simple gift of salvation by faith!
PRAYER
Thank You Father for loving me so much; for rescuing me from the dominion of darkness and bringing me into Your Kingdom. Help me to understand Your Word so I can allow You to govern every area of my life.
In Jesus' Name, Amen.
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