Why Power?
In Matthew 16:18-19, Jesus speaks to Peter about building His church and the authority given to His followers:
“And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”
This passage emphasises the necessity of power in spiritual gifts for several reasons:
- Overcoming the gates of Hades:
The metaphor of the gates of Hades suggestive fierce spiritual battle. The church, empowered by spiritual gifts is promised victory over these forces. - Authority to find and loose:
This signifies the power to enact spiritual authority on earth that reflects heavenly realities, indicating a direct connection between spiritual gifts and the authority granted by Jesus.
Gates of Hades: Battle and Warfare
The imagery of the gates of Hades symbolizes the ongoing spiritual warfare faced by believers. This battle is multi-faceted:
The unholy Trinity:
the enemies in this warfare are the world, the flesh, and the devil
- World: human systems functioning in ungodly ways, including government, education, religion, philosophy, and ideology
- Flesh: our sin infected human nature and it’s temptations
- Devil: the chief fallen angel, actively working against God’s purposes
Spiritual Warfare in Doctrine and Experience
Spiritual conflict attacks on two fronts:
- Doctrine: false teachings and demonic doctrines that influence thinking (1 Timothy 4:1)
- Experience: personal and corporate experiences sin and evil influence.
Possession and Ownership
The Bible teaches that every human is owned either by God or by Satan:
- 2 Corinthians 4:4: the God of this age (Satan) blinds unbelievers to the gospel
- Ephesians 2:1-2: describes the past condition of believers as followers of the world and Satan
When a person becomes a Christian, they switch allegiances, moving from Satan’s dominion to Christ’s ownership (Colossians 1:13). This transaction is not just an influence but a positional change of ownership.
Living a Biblical Worldview
For believers, maintaining a biblical worldview means recognizing the reality of both the physical and spiritual realms. This includes:
- intervention of God: believing that God actively intervenes in his creation and is everywhere present
- spiritual reality: acknowledging the existence and interaction of angels, demons, and humans
- integration of Faith: applying biblical truth to every aspect of life, rejecting dualism, (spiritual = good, physical = bad) and embracing the incarnation as the union of physical and spiritual declaring both as good.
Application
- do not fear: Jesus authority of all evil extends to believers
- be aware of the spirits potential: look for and expect transformation through spiritual encounters
- encourage continual transformation: we are transformed through four continual encounters. These are encounters with:
– the gospel: this challenges and deals with our allegiance
– truth: this replaces lies with God’s truth in our life, specifically speaks to issues of identity and purpose
– the Holy Spirit: encounters with the Holy Spirit on places of power where the kingdom of God transforms our lives, are thinking under our character
– community: we encounter the presence of Christ continually as part of his body, the church
Conclusion
Spiritual gifts are essential for continuing Jesus’ ministry because they provide the power needed to engage in spiritual warfare, enact heavenly authority on earth, and live out a biblical worldview that recognizes God’s ongoing intervention in His creation. This empowerment is crucial for the church to fulfil its mission and witness to the world.
Paul Benger 