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Dominion In Christ

so that according to the riches of His glory he grants you to have dominion (krataioō), powerful ability (dynamis) through his Spirit to the extent of your inner being,(Ephesians 3:14-20)

The word dominion κραταιόω (krataioō) has as a root word κράτος (kratos) which is also translated as might. The word dominion is often translated as power and strength, but the word strength is ἰσχύς, (ischus) and anything with (dýna) is associated with power, for example, δύναμις (dynamis) and δύναμαι (dynamai) (obviously it is just not power, but I don't understand Greek enough to know the difference between -mis and -mai) but these are usually translated as ability, able; a manifestation of God's power; and there is ἐνδυναμόω (endynamoō) which means to be empowered. We have English words like dynamic which means a powerful personality and dynamite meaning power in a little thing. I believe what Paul is praying is that God gives or grants us dominion or might, powerful ability through his Spirit to live a victorious life over evil and sin. Or said another way God gives us dominion through the enabling power of his Spirit.

Now he is powerfully able (dynamai) to do abundantly above all that we ask or imagine, according to the powerful ability (dynamis) that is working in us,(Ephesians 3:20)

God created man in His likeness giving him dominion or rule over the things of the earth.(Genesis 1:26-28) God planted a garden in the east in Eden, and he grew all kinds of trees that produced food and said “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die."(Genesis 2:8-17) Would it not seem unreasonable for God to tell them they would die without some understanding of death?  They must have saw through nature, "the land produced vegetation: plants bearing seed according to their kinds and trees bearing fruit with seed in it according to their kinds."(Genesis 1:12) And he gave them every living thing, green plants for food, which implies there were seasons of life and death for the trees and plants. The important point is that they knew what death meant.  

You will not certainly die,” the serpent said to the woman...(Genesis 3:4)

Eve "saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband who was with her..."(Genesis 3:6-7) It is the ultimate deception of the devil, he takes what is really death and deceives us to think it is good for food, for life. Paul wants us to understand this, "therefore what fruit possessing at the time which at the present you are ashamed of? for the end of these things is death."(Romans 6:21) By the one act of Adam, all mankind fell under the law of sin and death. It is like Adam sold his inheritance and that of mankind for a piece of fruit. But something else happened.

therefore since the children share blood and flesh, he also became in a like manner, to be a member of the same so that through that death rendering powerless the one holding dominion over death, that is the devil."(Hebrews 2:14)

Through Adam's one-act the devil held dominion. Jesus said “for the ruler of this world is coming and has nothing in me."(John 14:30) The word ruler implies one invested with power, ruler, prince. Paul writes he is “the god of this age blinding the minds of unbelievers so they can not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God."(2 Corinthians 4:4) And he is “the ruler the power (ἐξουσία, has the right or authority or dominion) of the air, the spirit, the one at present energizing the sons of disobedience.” (Ephesians 2:2). These scriptures support the claim that Satan has been granted temporary dominion over the earth? (Luke 4:5-7) Through Christ's birth, becoming like the children, through an indestructible life without sin, and through his death, he rendered powerless the devil holding dominion over death. Christ redeems us, "buys" back what was lost. The earth is still under the fall, a corrupt body until all things are made new thus for believers this is not our home.

For in this place we have no abiding city, rather we seek that to come.(Hebrews 13:14) 

The people of the faith of Abraham understand this, they are "looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God" and are "longing for a better country, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them."(Hebrews 11:10,16) We are even called ambassadors, for this reason, where God is making his appeal through us to the fallen world.(2 Corinthians 5:19-20) Even if it means for Paul to be an ambassador in chains, he prayed for fearlessness to make known the mystery of the gospel in this world.(Ephesians 6:19-20) The world under the rule of Satan, in darkness, Jesus came as a Light to the world.

For once you were darkness, now at present light in the Lord. Walk as children of light.(Ephesians 5:8)

Once I walked according to the life of the world, in darkness, according to the ruler, the dominion of the air, of the spirit of disobedience, living to the passions of my flesh, doing its desires and thoughts of the flesh... but God has made me alive in Christ and raised me up and seated me in heavenly places.(Ephesians 2:1-6) Now, obviously, my born a new spirit is seated with Christ, but my body is still on this earth, and in it dwells sin and evil is near me making war against my soul. There is salvation waiting to come and the Spirit groans, as the earth does for its freedom from decay, inwardly awaiting our conditions as sons, the redemption of our body.(Romans 8:21-23) 

The reality of such an observation speaks that the truth is in me.(1 John 1:5-10) And it speaks of overcoming sin in this body of death, if God's seed is in me, I will overcome sin and the evil one. "And this is the message which hearing from him and proclaiming to you; God is light and exists no darkness in him." (1 John 1:5-7) If I walk in darkness, in sin as a believer, I walk in the dominion of the devil, and he is like a roaring lion seeking whom he may destroy. If I confess my sin, get back into the Light, Jesus is faithful and just to forgive. This continued work of Christ as our High Priest is important in the battle against sin and the evil one. The reality of the world in which I walk is that it is in darkness. 

He has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sin.(Colossians 1:13-14)

I am rescued from the dominion of darkness, blessed in Christ with adoption, favor, redemption, the forgiveness of sin but Paul is praying that the eyes of our hearts would be enlightened... to the surpassing greatness of His power for us the ones believing according to the exercise of his dominion, the strength which he accomplished in Christ raising him from the dead.(Ephesians 1:17-20) Christ is life and that life is the Light to men. Through believing I am blessed with all the spiritual blessings in Him, I am sealed with the Spirit and Christ dwells in my heart and I have the boldness to approach God. But I need to be enlightened to the power available to me, according to the exercise of his dominion. In other words, to make a powerful impact on the world of darkness, I need to have the ability to exercise His dominion through the power of the Holy Spirit. A Christian with no power to exercise dominion is not a threat to darkness? 

Now, all are proved, illuminated by the light, for everything that is illuminated exists light. This is why it is said: “Wake up, sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.” Be very careful, then, how you walk—not as unwise but as wise,(Ephesians 5:12-15)

We as wise believers walk in the Light, it is the only way we can have fellowship with him.(1 John 1:5-7) Think of it this way, the world around us is in darkness and we are a light, but if we walk in darkness, in sin conformed to the world, we walk in the dominion of the devil and our light is hidden under a bushel, but if we walk in the Light as he is in the Light we have fellowship with Him, and the Father. In this way, the Light of Christ shines to the world. 

Then comes the end, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father, when he has destroyed every dominion, every authority, and power.(1 Corinthians 15:24)

Jesus is destroying the devils' dominion each time one of his children exercises dominion. The devil's dominion will end, he has already lost, but this verse implies the world is still under the dominion of the devil. Paul tells us to be aware of this, the devil roams like a lion seeking to destroy, so let us be on guard, watchful, for all the brethren. We must put on the armor of God, to fight the schemes of the devil and his dominion, in which is the leaders, authorities, rulers of this darkness, and spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realm.(Ephesians 6:11-12) Here is where we do battle and grow, empowered in the Lord, in the rule or dominion of His strength.(Ephesians 6:10) It is putting on the armor of God so to have the powerful ability to stand in the evil day and having worked out (to work out; to effect, produce, bring out as a result, practice) everything, now you have the ability to stand.(Ephesians 6:13) I have to work out this power to stand. It is a place of working out your salvation in fear and trembling, where rest comes in power naps and joy is found in the victory on the other side, having doggedly fought in the trenches, a place where we grow strong in the Lord and in the power of His dominion. This place of working out His powerful ability is where we will learn to have dominion. 

So as Paul we pray according to the riches of his glory he grants us dominion, powerful ability through his Spirit in our inner being,(Ephesians 3:14-16)

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