WHO IS IN CONTROL
By W. G. Guy
Control defined: to exercise authority over; to direct affairs of subordinates or as those being subservient to the one in authority.
Romans 6:16 – 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?
Some people of Christian faith have stated that, when situations and circumstances get really bad, that “God is in control”. However this is not entirely accurate. God IS in control of that which is placed in His hands. In fact, this is one of the purposes of prayer; it is to intercede and ask God for His divine intervention in our affairs. Otherwise control of our situations and circumstances is beyond our control and out of God’s hands.
To understand how all this has come about we need to go back to the Biblical beginning.
Genesis 1:26 – 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.
Man, as created in the image of God, is approximately 6000 years old, even though the earth may be much older than that, (but that is another study). God made man to have dominion over all the earth. This means that he was to be in control of all that go on in this world. The earth belongs to God but He made man to be the administrator over the earth.
Psalm 24:1 – The earth is the Lord’s, and the fullness thereof, the world, and they that dwell therein.
Psalms 115:16 – The heaven, even the heavens, are the Lord’s; but the earth hath he given to the children of men.
The previous administrator over the earth, who lost his position , was jealous of God’s new administrator, man, and plotted to gain back control. Obviously this is speaking of Lucifer, (who later is called Satan), the anointed Cherub who covered; (as he was administrator of God’s earth in eons past until he rebelled and tried to assume God’s position).
Ezekiel 28:14-15 – Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth; and I have set thee so; thou was upon the holy mountain of God; thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire. Thou wast perfect in all thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee.
Isaiah 14:12-15 – How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! Haw art thou cut down to the groun, which didst weaken the nations! For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my name above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High. Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit.
Most people are familiar with what happened in the Garden of Eden when Lucifer used the serpent to deceive Eve into eating the forbidden fruit who then gave it to Adam and He did eat. At that moment they both died spiritually and became separated from God and lost their appointed position as administrators of earth. The devil then assumed their position of dominion because they submitted to him. The devil even bragged about this when he tried to tempt Jesus in the wilderness.
Luke 4:5-6 – And the devil, taking him up into an high mountain, shewed unto him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. And the devil said unto him, All this power will I give thee, and the glory of them: for that is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it.
Adam delivered all that power to control things on earth to the devil! Jesus, the Son of God, became a man to take it all back. Jesus even declared this to His disciples after His resurrection:
Matthew 28:18 – And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.
Jesus, the Son of God, now has all power, authority and dominion over the earth the affairs of this world. He also redeemed man through His blood sacrifice on the cross to restore man to fellowship with God the Father. Since Jesus now has all power, authority and dominion on earth, the devil has NONE. All he has left is his ability to lie, steal, kill and destroy which he does by deceit and lies just as he did in the garden.
Jesus also gave his followers the use of His name to act on His behalf to do as He would while He is with the Father in Heaven. That power is in His name!
Matthew 28:19-20 – Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world.
Mark 16:17-18 – And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; they shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.
The Bible gives us an example of the power of His name being applied to a paraplegic:
Acts 3:6-8 – Then Peter said, Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk. And he took him by the right hand, and lifted him up: and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength. And he leaping up stood, and walked, and entered with them into the temple, walking, and leaping, and praising God.
Peter later explains, on two occasions, where this power comes from:
Acts 3:16 – And his name through faith in his name hath made this man strong, whom ye see and know: yea, the faith which is by him hath given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all.
Acts 4:8 – Then Peter, filled with the Holy Ghost, said unto them, Ye rulers of the people, and elders of Israel, if we this day be examined of the good deed done to the impotent man, by what means he is made whole; be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole.
This brief example shows exactly what Jesus promised to those who believe.
John 14:12-14 – Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father. And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.
John 16:23 – And in that day ye shall ask me nothing. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you.
Now back to the question of “Who is in Control”. As stated in the first paragraph of this article, God is in control of whatever is placed in His hands. When we place ourselves, our prayer requests, and our intercessions in His hands, Jesus, our intercessor, speaks to the Father on our behalf showing that we are His, and He gives us results. God is in control of all that we call on Him for, as long as we call on Him with clean and proper motives; not to fulfill our lusts.
God does not control all things in this world, especially those things that the wicked are doing. They are fulfilling the will of the devil, the god of this world. We are to pray to bind their efforts and activities, and take action to stop them with God’s help as we pray. The devil is called the “god of this world” as well as the “prince of the power of the air”; he is the source of the evil and wickedness that is in this world. This is a spiritual conflict that most Christians fail to recognize and fail to fight against.
2 Corinthians 4:3-4 – But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: in whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.
Ephesians 2:2 – wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:
Know that God IS IN CONTROL, but only of what we place is His hands through Jesus Christ. This is why we are to pray and ask for His divine intervention in the affairs of this world and of mankind. Our intercessions are fulfilled through the marvelous name of Jesus Christ the Son of God! God does not control anything of the wicked unless we are praying about what it is that they are doing.
Romans 8:34 – It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.
Hebrews 7:25 – Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.
When we are right with God, and He is on our side, we are able to have a positive influence in this world. So let’s get with it and pray to put all things in His hands so He can control the outcome! This includes our government and politics, our schools and educational systems, and our churches and personal ministries. We need to exercise the control that Jesus gave to us through His name to affect this world.
Romans 8:31 – What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?
At the end of the age, when God’s wrath is brought upon the wicked, then God takes control of all that goes on in the earth because He casts the devil into hell and deals with those who were his pawns. At the same time God is protecting those that are His and He brings the ultimate victory to mankind and the Lord Jesus Christ returns to rule and reign in truth, justice and righteousness. To God be the Glory!
By W. G. Guy
Control defined: to exercise authority over; to direct affairs of subordinates or as those being subservient to the one in authority.
Romans 6:16 – 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?
Some people of Christian faith have stated that, when situations and circumstances get really bad, that “God is in control”. However this is not entirely accurate. God IS in control of that which is placed in His hands. In fact, this is one of the purposes of prayer; it is to intercede and ask God for His divine intervention in our affairs. Otherwise control of our situations and circumstances is beyond our control and out of God’s hands.
To understand how all this has come about we need to go back to the Biblical beginning.
Genesis 1:26 – 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.
Man, as created in the image of God, is approximately 6000 years old, even though the earth may be much older than that, (but that is another study). God made man to have dominion over all the earth. This means that he was to be in control of all that go on in this world. The earth belongs to God but He made man to be the administrator over the earth.
Psalm 24:1 – The earth is the Lord’s, and the fullness thereof, the world, and they that dwell therein.
Psalms 115:16 – The heaven, even the heavens, are the Lord’s; but the earth hath he given to the children of men.
The previous administrator over the earth, who lost his position , was jealous of God’s new administrator, man, and plotted to gain back control. Obviously this is speaking of Lucifer, (who later is called Satan), the anointed Cherub who covered; (as he was administrator of God’s earth in eons past until he rebelled and tried to assume God’s position).
Ezekiel 28:14-15 – Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth; and I have set thee so; thou was upon the holy mountain of God; thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire. Thou wast perfect in all thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee.
Isaiah 14:12-15 – How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! Haw art thou cut down to the groun, which didst weaken the nations! For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my name above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High. Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit.
Most people are familiar with what happened in the Garden of Eden when Lucifer used the serpent to deceive Eve into eating the forbidden fruit who then gave it to Adam and He did eat. At that moment they both died spiritually and became separated from God and lost their appointed position as administrators of earth. The devil then assumed their position of dominion because they submitted to him. The devil even bragged about this when he tried to tempt Jesus in the wilderness.
Luke 4:5-6 – And the devil, taking him up into an high mountain, shewed unto him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. And the devil said unto him, All this power will I give thee, and the glory of them: for that is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it.
Adam delivered all that power to control things on earth to the devil! Jesus, the Son of God, became a man to take it all back. Jesus even declared this to His disciples after His resurrection:
Matthew 28:18 – And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.
Jesus, the Son of God, now has all power, authority and dominion over the earth the affairs of this world. He also redeemed man through His blood sacrifice on the cross to restore man to fellowship with God the Father. Since Jesus now has all power, authority and dominion on earth, the devil has NONE. All he has left is his ability to lie, steal, kill and destroy which he does by deceit and lies just as he did in the garden.
Jesus also gave his followers the use of His name to act on His behalf to do as He would while He is with the Father in Heaven. That power is in His name!
Matthew 28:19-20 – Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world.
Mark 16:17-18 – And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; they shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.
The Bible gives us an example of the power of His name being applied to a paraplegic:
Acts 3:6-8 – Then Peter said, Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk. And he took him by the right hand, and lifted him up: and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength. And he leaping up stood, and walked, and entered with them into the temple, walking, and leaping, and praising God.
Peter later explains, on two occasions, where this power comes from:
Acts 3:16 – And his name through faith in his name hath made this man strong, whom ye see and know: yea, the faith which is by him hath given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all.
Acts 4:8 – Then Peter, filled with the Holy Ghost, said unto them, Ye rulers of the people, and elders of Israel, if we this day be examined of the good deed done to the impotent man, by what means he is made whole; be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole.
This brief example shows exactly what Jesus promised to those who believe.
John 14:12-14 – Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father. And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.
John 16:23 – And in that day ye shall ask me nothing. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you.
Now back to the question of “Who is in Control”. As stated in the first paragraph of this article, God is in control of whatever is placed in His hands. When we place ourselves, our prayer requests, and our intercessions in His hands, Jesus, our intercessor, speaks to the Father on our behalf showing that we are His, and He gives us results. God is in control of all that we call on Him for, as long as we call on Him with clean and proper motives; not to fulfill our lusts.
God does not control all things in this world, especially those things that the wicked are doing. They are fulfilling the will of the devil, the god of this world. We are to pray to bind their efforts and activities, and take action to stop them with God’s help as we pray. The devil is called the “god of this world” as well as the “prince of the power of the air”; he is the source of the evil and wickedness that is in this world. This is a spiritual conflict that most Christians fail to recognize and fail to fight against.
2 Corinthians 4:3-4 – But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: in whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.
Ephesians 2:2 – wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:
Know that God IS IN CONTROL, but only of what we place is His hands through Jesus Christ. This is why we are to pray and ask for His divine intervention in the affairs of this world and of mankind. Our intercessions are fulfilled through the marvelous name of Jesus Christ the Son of God! God does not control anything of the wicked unless we are praying about what it is that they are doing.
Romans 8:34 – It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.
Hebrews 7:25 – Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.
When we are right with God, and He is on our side, we are able to have a positive influence in this world. So let’s get with it and pray to put all things in His hands so He can control the outcome! This includes our government and politics, our schools and educational systems, and our churches and personal ministries. We need to exercise the control that Jesus gave to us through His name to affect this world.
Romans 8:31 – What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?
At the end of the age, when God’s wrath is brought upon the wicked, then God takes control of all that goes on in the earth because He casts the devil into hell and deals with those who were his pawns. At the same time God is protecting those that are His and He brings the ultimate victory to mankind and the Lord Jesus Christ returns to rule and reign in truth, justice and righteousness. To God be the Glory!
