DOMINION

My wife, Terry, was telling me about a recent episode of "The Dog Whisperer" that she watched.  She said that on this particular show, Cesar Millan, the dog whisperer, was called to help with a dog whose owners said that he was showing some very aggressive behavior.  The owner's grandson had given the dog a soft toy to play with and every time anyone would get near the toy, the dog would growl, snarl, and snap at them.  This was, of course, intimidating to the family, and they would back away from the dog when he would act this way.  When Cesar Millan arrived at the home and witnessed the dog's behavior, he had a simple solution.  He merely walked over to the dog's toy, put his foot firmly on it, and would not move.  At first, the dog snarled and even nipped at Cesar's foot, but soon realized that Cesar was not budging and slinked away submissively.  When the family members would try this same tactic (including their 14 year old grandson) the effect was the same.  Cesar told them that as long as the dog was allowed to act as if he were in control, he would be; but when the owners showed themselves to be the masters, the dog would naturally assume his proper role and submit to them.

 

This story made me consider how I sometimes perceive temptation and the enemy of my soul.  He is a defeated enemy for sure, but if he can snarl and growl and intimidate me into thinking that I have something to fear by resisting him, then he is the master and I am the servant.  As Paul said, "Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?" (Romans 6:16).  The only weapons that Satan can use against us are fear, lies, and intimidation.  He is like a lion who can roar and look formidable, but who has no teeth.

 

In Saint Paul's letter to the Ephesians, he clearly depicts the believer's victory in Christ and how it relates to every area and every relationship in our lives.  In the beginning chapter, Paul expresses his earnest prayer that the believers would receive from God the "…spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him," that is, of Jesus Christ.  Paul recognized how crucial this knowledge was to the ultimate victory that each Christian would realize.  Outside of Christ, they would have no victory whatsoever.  No amount of Bible knowledge, prayer, church services, devotion, or service, can save an individual.  We must believe that our salvation rests solely on the finished work of Jesus Christ, and in Him we have our victory.

 

Paul continues in Ephesians 1:18-23 by telling them that he was praying for the eyes of their understanding to be opened, or enlightened, so that they might know three things.  The first was that they might understand "the hope of His calling."  We, as Christians, must know that we have been called to a great purpose.  We are each called to be His minister, to be the instrument of His work on earth.  We are not called merely to warm a pew, or listen to sermons.  We are called to serve, and to be used.

 

The second thing that Paul prayed that the believers would know was "the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints."  If we only understood the things that God has freely given to us as part of our inheritance!  We would discover that we are living woefully below our means.  We have not begun to tap into the vast wealth of the riches of His promises which are ours to claim. 

 

The third thing that Paul prayed was that we might know "the exceeding greatness of His power to usward who believe."  Oh, what power is ours to claim, dear saints of God!  We allow sin and circumstances to cause us to bow down, and we yield our ground and our authority to forces that have been placed under our control.  We need, we must, believe that all who receive Christ Jesus have received "power to become the sons of God." (John 1:12).  Paul describes this power as being that "Which He (God) wrought in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead, and set Him at His own right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come: and hath put all things under His feet."  The beauty of all this is that Ephesians 2:6 states that God "hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus."  This being said, then it follows that all things have been placed under our feet as well in Christ.  All principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come - it's all under our feet in Christ! The degree of victory that we walk in is directly proportional to the revelation of the knowledge of Christ that we have received and choose to claim as our own.

 

God gave man dominion over all things in the very beginning.  In Genesis 1:26, we're told, "And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth."  Again, in Psalm 8:4-6, we read, "What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him?  For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour.  Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands; thou hast put all things under his feet."  This dominion did not just include the fishes, the birds, and the beasts.  We were created to ultimately defeat Satan and take back that which he usurped from God.  Out of the mouth of babes like ourselves has God ordained strength and the final victory.

 

We are destined for great things, but we must learn to exercise our faith, and receive those things that have been promised to us.  Though all things have been placed under our feet, yet we have to step in and possess them.  The children of Israel were given all of the Promised Land.  It was theirs to possess, but they had to go in and take it step by step, and city by city.  God was going to do the work for them of toppling the walls and instilling fear in the hearts of their enemies, but the Israelites had to have the faith to keep moving forward and claiming it as their own. 

 

Hebrews 2:6-9 echoes what we read in the 8th Psalm, but adds, very practically, that right now we don't see all things put under our feet.  We sometimes struggle with many things in our lives, and they often appear to have control.  Like the dog with his toy, they snarl and intimidate us into submission to their will.  We yield because we don't understand that the power is already ours.  Verse 9 speaks volumes, however.  It simply says, "But we see Jesus."  We see that He was made like us.  He suffered with the flesh, temptation, betrayal, hatred, and death, but overcame all things and was crowned with glory and honor.  His victory is our victory.  He tasted death so that we can know eternal life.  All that we are incapable of because of the weakness of our own flesh, we can achieve through Him Who loved us and gave His life for us.  God told Satan, that old serpent, in the beginning that “…I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her Offspring [Christ]; He will bruise and tread your head underfoot [defeat and take his dominion], and you will lie in wait and bruise His heel.” (Genesis 3:15).  The dominion is indeed ours.  The promises are ours for the taking.  Let us go up at once and take the land!  Let's put that snarling beast in his place!