What Jesus Did! 'Authority Over Demons' — Luke 4:33-37

Jesus' authority — his personal power and integrity and the strength of his words — extended over Satan and the demonic world. Demons knew who Jesus was, and they had no control or power over him, but he had power over them. His command cast them out. So many of us today struggle with Satan because we've given him a foothold in our lives through deception, harbored bitterness, lust, or some other "secret" sin. Jesus still has power over Satan and the demonic world. His authority is superior. If we've let Satan into our lives because of our sinfulness as we confront his difficult footholds and strongholds, we must bring Jesus' authority to bear by, first, confessing our sin openly to God in Jesus' name and, second, asking for our sin to be forgiven. Third, we must not hold that sin secret just to ourselves, but rather confess our struggle to a strong believer (often someone of our same gender) and ask him or her to hold us accountable and encourage us. We also need to pray in the name of Jesus for deliverance from that sin and for power to resist its temptation, asking for and submitting to the power of the Holy Spirit to transform us. Finally, we need to stay away from evil and keep our hearts exposed to what is pure rather than flirting with the evil that has captured us. Does this work? Well, it's not just a superficial recipe. Our hearts have to seek after the Lord, trusting that he does have the power to deliver us. For most believers over the centuries, sincerely doing these things is the path to victory. That path can be yours, as well!