the devil's authority

By far the great majority of Christians (in America, at least) believe that the devil is possessed of some kind of authority over the earth and its inhabitants; although, the nature and extent of that authority is not well understood.  Yet, it is a most important matter, to rightly discern by the Word of God just what, if any, authority the devil has over one's life and circumstances.

Why does anyone suppose that the devil has any kind of authority in the earth?  Well, doesn't the Bible say that the devil is "the god of this world" (2 Corinthians 4:4), and that he is "the prince of the power of the air" (Ephesians 2:2)?  And when he tempted Jesus in the wilderness, didn't the devil show unto Jesus "all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them", saying, "all these things will I [the devil] give thee [Jesus], if thou wilt fall down and worship me" (Matthew 4:8,9)?  Jesus didn't rebuke the devil at that point, did he?

But how did the devil come to be in possession of "all the kingdoms of the world"?  Why, when Adam and Eve sinned, of course: the devil obtained title deed by default, as it were.  Right?

Not.

The question of the devil's "authority" ought to begin with examining the meaning of that word.  The word 'authority' (according to the Oxford Dictionary, online) means, "the power or right to give orders, make decisions, and enforce obedience".  But the Oxford Dictionary--not being a Christian publication--left out one most important word in its definition, which is, the word "lawful".  The true definition of "authority" is: "the LAWFUL power or right to give orders, etc...."  Every "power or right..." which is not first of all lawful, cannot constitute legitimate 'authority'.  Authority is intimately related to the word "authorized", which implies the idea that such and such decree or action has been 'sanctioned' or 'approved' by a higher power.  Ultimately, all authority must find its sanction in the Person of God.  For, as the Bible plainly states, in Romans 13:1: "there is no power [authority] but of God".  All authority--throughout all of God's Creation--descends from God.  There is no "authority" whatsoever, except, what God himself approves.

The question then becomes: "Has God approved the devil to have 'authority' in the earth?"  Let's go back to the beginning, in the Garden of Eden.  God gave man the authority to "have dominion" over all the earth.  That is to say, that God made man the absolute ruler (under God) over the whole earth.  But what happened when Adam and Eve sinned?  Did they 'give' their 'authority' to the devil?  Of course, not.  The authority that man received from God was man's to exercise--but not to give away or to confer upon another.  Neither did the devil obtain 'authority' over the earth by default, as it were.  When Adam sinned, God did not look at the devil and say, "Oh, well, Mr. Devil, you outwitted Me and, therefore, I suppose I must now recognize that you have the 'LAWFUL power and right to give orders, make decisions, and enforce obedience', in the earth".  No!

God gave man authority over the earth--and He has NEVER RETRACTED THAT DECREE.  Centuries before Christ, the prophet David reiterated, in Psalm 8, man's authority over the works of God's hands, saying, in part: "[T]hou [God] madest him [man] to have dominion over the works of thy hands; thou hast put all things under his feet...".  That same decree is again reiterated in the New Testament, in the book of Hebrews.  God has never changed his mind, he has never retracted his decree.

Satan did not obtain any kind of authority when Adam sinned.  Only, from that time until now, because of sin mankind has been blinded to his place and his authority IN GOD.  Man has no authority, apart from God.  But NEITHER DOES THE DEVIL.

When Satan tempted Jesus, by offering to give him all the kingdoms of the world if Jesus would but worship him; the Scripture doesn't say--in that instance--that Jesus rebuked the devil for lying.  Nevertheless, Jesus explicitly said, in another place, that the devil is a liar, and that there is "no truth in him" (John 8:44).  The devil doesn't 'own' this world, God does!  "The earth is the LORD's, and the fulness thereof" (Psalm 24:1).  Yes, Satan is the 'god of this world'.  But that merely means that unsaved people worship--that is to say, they give their allegiance to--Satan.

Yet, even so, the devil has no "authority", no, not even over sinners.  To be sure, the devil abuses whomsoever he CAN.  The devil is an opportunist, he is a transgressor.  He doesn't have any respect for what is "right".  The devil is nevertheless SUBJECT to the power of God.

God gave man authority over the earth.  Man lost his ability to exercise that authority, because of sin.  But the man Jesus Christ is fully possessed of that authority, which, authority, Christ extends to every born-again believer who will live in obedience to Christ (Luke 10:19).

Doubtless the devil has some kind of ability to afflict.  But he has NO AUTHORITY to do so.  The Christian has the authority, in the name (in the place of) Jesus Christ, to bind, resist, and to rebuke the devil, to cast the devil out.

It's high time that we Christians must understand--and exercise--the authority we have in Christ.

"Behold, I give unto you power ["exousia"--authority] to tread upon serpents and scorpions, and over all the power ["dunamis"--ability] of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you."

Luke 10:19