Luke 10:19 “Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions (demonic spiritual entities), and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you.”

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Matthew 21:21 “So Jesus answered and said to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, but also if you say to this mountain (which is in the physical realm), “Be removed and be cast into the sea,” it will be done.’”

 

The key to this power is the faith which comes by hearing, and the hearing of the uncompromised Word of God.

 

Romans 10:17 “So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”

 

Now you can see how important our opening text is, in relation to the power that has been given to the church.

 

There will be false teachers among you.

 

Peter is telling us that false teachers will come and pervert the Word of Truth that has empowered us, so that our faith is disarmed to the point that it becomes ineffective.

 

2 Peter 2:2 “And many will follow their destructive ways, because of whom the way of truth will be blasphemed (or perverted).”

 

We can see a mechanism here that begins to emerge. The devil knows that our Lord has given to us authority over him and over his demonic hordes. He can also see that our Lord has given to us authority over the physical realm as well; so how does he stop us from deploying our faith for the purpose of destroying his kingdom?

 

Since the key is, that our faith comes through us hearing the Word of God, the devil’s aim is, to disarm our faith by perverting the Word of Truth that we have been taught to believe in; which are the great and precious promises that have been given to us.

 

2 Peter 1:3 “As (or according to) His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness (physical and spiritual), through the knowledge of Him (we know Him through the hearing of His uncompromised Word) who called us by glory and virtue.”

 

False teachers among you who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, for the purpose of separating us from the promises in the Word of God that pertain to the dual power that has been given to us in God’s Word.

 

2 Peter 1:4 “By which has been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature (which allows us to exercise authority over both, the physical and the spiritual realms), having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.”

 

What is the key element that the enemy uses in order to detach us from the great and precious promises that empower us? Compromising the Word of Truth for the sake of selfish ambitions!

 

2 Peter 2:3 “By covetousness they will exploit you with deceptive words; for a long time their judgment has not been idle, and their destruction does not slumber.”

 

Our power is exploited through deceptive words that appeal to our physical nature and its natural desires, thereby separating us from the spiritual mind set—which is the mind of Christ—to where we become physically minded and forego our spiritual responsibilities, which are to trample on serpents and scorpions by exercising our dual authority over all the power of the enemy.

 

Romans 8:5-7 “For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death (no power), but to be spiritually minded is life and peace (power in both the physical and the spiritual realms). Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be.”

 

How do we get delivered from the negative effects on our faith, that all the deceptive words that we have been exposed to through the doctrines of false teachers that are in the ministry for self-gain, have caused us?

 

2 Peter 1:5 “But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge.”

 

Peter, well aware of the tactics of the devil, begins to instruct us as to how we can prevent, and also how to be delivered, from the damage that false doctrines can bring to our faith in the Word of Truth.

 

Giving all diligence means this is a top priority, we must not take this lightly. A weak or compromised faith not only weakens our authority over the enemy, but it also lowers our covering shield that protects us.

 

It may surprise you to know that the word virtue used by Peter as something that we need to add to our faith, means manliness, (valor).

 

How do we add manliness, or valor, or courage to our faith?

 

Knowledge is what adds virtue or manliness to our faith!

 

What type of knowledge adds virtue or manliness to our faith?

 

John 8:32 “And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”

 

Is this not obvious to all? If belief in the perverted or compromised Word of God weakens our faith, wouldn't belief in the true and uncompromised Word of God add to our faith the strength and manliness that it needs?

 

2 Peter 1:6 “To knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness.”

 

We cannot exercise control over something that we do not know or understand. Knowledge is what motivates us into exercising control over that which we know to be wrong and that we know is weakening us.

 

Once we know the factual truth that our faith is purposely weaken by false teachers who teach perverted doctrines, we can add virtue or manliness to our faith, by courageously turning away from their demonic doctrines that we know are hurting us, thereby acting in self-control.

 

False teachers are not going to vanish just because we find out about their false doctrines.

 

False demonic doctrines permeate all facets of life, these false doctrines will continue with their allure for us to compromise our faith, especially in the face of the resistance and opposition that this corrupt world system continuously hurdles against our stand for the Truth of the Word of God.

 

That is why perseverance is required of us, and what motivates us into maintaining our perseverance, is our desire for a godly life that pleases God, as we continuously walk in the self-control that is guided by the knowledge that strengthens and adds virtue/manliness to our faith.

 

2 Peter 1:7 “To godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love.”

 

We fulfill the Law of God, when we love God with all our hearts, souls, minds, and strength, and when we love our neighbors as we love ourselves.

 

Now, think about it? Since selfish desires or covetousness, are the allure that the devil uses against us; if we operate under the law of love and brotherly kindness—by putting the needs of others first—we insulate ourselves from the need to compromise that will lead us into accepting the perverted doctrines that weaken our faith in the Word of God.

 

Philippians 2:3-4 “Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better that himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.”

 

This is the mind of Christ—and as long as we operate within the mind of Christ, we do not compromise the power and authority that our Lord has given to us to use on behalf of others, for their benefit, as well as ours.

 

2 Peter 1:8 “For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

 

There is a proper flow to this authority that has been given to us in our call as kings and priests to Christ—a flow that we do well to heed if we want to be effective in administering this dual power that has been vested in us.

 

2 Peter 1:19 “And so we have the prophetic word confirmed, which you do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts.”

 

Since Jesus is our example, let us look at the ministry of Jesus and how He handled the physical and spiritual authority that was given to Him, as King of kings over all physical matter, and as our High Priest over all spiritual hierarchies.

 

John 3:17 “For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.”

 

The simplest way to put it is this, before we can rule as kings on this earth, we need to serve as priests of the Most High God.

 

We are not to call for the destruction of our human enemies, but for their salvation. And the weapon that we are to implement on their behalf, for their deliverance from the forces of darkness that keeps them blind, is the uncompromised Word of God that shines as a light in a dark place.

 

The Word of God is like a double edge sword, as we wield it without compromise; it shines as a light that not only delivers us personally from the allures of this world system, but it shines through us into the world, and convicts and exposes the darkness that has befallen all who have fallen for the worldly desires that binds them. And through our uncompromising stand for the Word of God it gives them hope.

 

Psalm 18:28 “For You will light my lamp; the Lord my God will enlighten my darkness.”

 

Isaiah 9:2 “The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in the land of the shadow of death, upon them a light has shined.”

 

We are the light of the world; and the light that we are to radiate can only come through the uncompromised Word of God that we live daily for all to see.

 

Here is a true saying: If we live as priests we will reign as kings.