From Vicki (a faithful listener to one of my radio ministries)
To: ed@edbradyradio.com
RE: “Jesus Gave Us [His Believers] His Power”
Good morning Pastor Brady,
I’m listening to your broadcast as I write. I am a faithful listener of your program and look forward to it every Sunday.
I don’t like your program being split up but it’s really nice of you to share your spot on the radio.
(Country Gospel with Pastor Ed Brady used to be on BOB-FM Radio from 8:30 AM to 11 AM, but BOB-FM sold a half-hour in the middle to a local church to broadcast their pastor’s sermon. You can hear “Country Gospel” on BOB-FM 107.5 FM (Faribault MN tower), (and on BOB-FM 106.1 FM (Ramsey, MN tower, or 105.5 FM in Saint Cloud, MN) …or on the internet at www.mybobcountry.com.)
Every day I thank Jesus for dying for my sins, for his gift of healing, and for the power he left with me to fight the enemy. Last week I started wondering where it is in the Bible that Jesus left with me the power to fight the enemy. I can’t find it.
Am I wrong about that or do you know where it is?
Thank you very much.
[Name deleted to protect privacy]
Q? – Questions for me? A! – Here are your Answers?
Bible Verses regarding: “the power he left with me to fight the enemy”
Jesus Gave Us All Authority And Power – We must believe that by Faith in Jesus.
Verse 1
🕮 Luke 10:19 – New King James Version – 19 Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you.
🕮 Luke 10:19 – New Living Translation – 19 Look, I have given you authority over all the power of the enemy, and you can walk among snakes and scorpions and crush them. Nothing will injure you.
🕮 Luke 10:19 – Amplified Bible – 19 Listen carefully: I have given you authority [that you now possess] to tread on [a]serpents and scorpions, and [the ability to exercise authority] over all the power of the enemy (Satan); and nothing will [in any way] harm you.
Footnotes
Luke 10:19 Perhaps a reference to demonic powers (evil spirits). There are good spirits and evil spirits.
18-20 Jesus said, “I know. I saw Satan fall, a bolt of lightning out of the sky. See what I’ve given you? Safe passage as you walk on snakes and scorpions, and protection from every assault of the Enemy. No one can put a hand on you. All the same, the great triumph is not in your authority over evil, but in God’s authority over you and presence with you. Not what you do for God but what God does for you—that’s the agenda for rejoicing.”
Verse 2
🕮 James 4:7-8 – New King James Version – Humility Cures Worldliness – 7 Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. 8 Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.
🕮 James 4:7-8 – New Living Translation – 7 So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Come close to God, and God will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world.
🕮 James 4:7-8 – Amplified Bible – 7 So submit to [the authority of] God. Resist the devil [stand firm against him] and he will flee from you. 8 Come close to God [with a contrite heart] and He will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; and purify your [unfaithful] hearts, you double-minded [people].
🕮 James 4:7-10 – The Message – 7-10 So let God work his will in you. Yell a loud “NO” to the Devil and watch him scamper. Say a quiet yes to God and he’ll be there in no time. Quit dabbling in sin. Purify your inner life. Quit playing the field. Hit bottom and cry your eyes out. The fun and games are over. Get serious, really serious. Get down on your knees before the Master; it’s the only way you’ll get on your feet.
Verse 3
🕮 John 14:12 – New King James Version – The Answered Prayer – 12 “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father.
🕮 John 14:12 – New Living Translation – 12 “I tell you the truth, anyone who believes in me will do the same works I have done, and even greater works, because I am going to be with the Father.
🕮 John 14:12 – Amplified Bible – 12 I assure you and most solemnly say to you, anyone who believes in Me [as Savior] will also do the things that I do; and he will do even greater things than these [in extent and outreach], because I am going to the Father.
🕮 John 14:12 11-14 “Believe me: I am in my Father and my Father is in me. If you can’t believe that—believe what you see—these works. The person who trusts me will not only do what I’m doing but even greater things, because I, on my way to the Father, am giving you the same work to do that I’ve been doing. You can count on it. From now on, whatever you request along the lines of who I am and what I am doing, I’ll do it. That’s how the Father will be seen for who he is in the Son. I mean it. Whatever you request in this way, I’ll do.
Verse 3 – other translations.
EXPANDED BIBLE
I tell you the truth [L Truly, truly, I say to you], whoever believes in me will do the same things that I do. Those who believe will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. [C They will do greater things because all believers—not just Jesus—will have the Holy Spirit living in them and empowering them.]
PHILLIPS Translation
“Have I been such a long time with you,” replied Jesus, “without you really knowing me, Philip? The man who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The very words I say to you are not my own. It is the Father who lives in me who carries out his work through me. Do you believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? But if you cannot, then believe me because of what you see me do. I assure you that the man who believes in me will do the same things that I have done, yes, and he will do even greater things than these, for I am going away to the Father. Whatever you ask the Father in my name, I will do—that the Son may bring glory to the Father. And if you ask me anything in my name, I will grant it.”
In closing, do not only read God’s Word, the Bible, but “Apply the Bible to YOUR Life” and take meaningful action, now, because ‘faith without works is dead’ (James 2:14-26). Believe what the Bible says because it is God’s Inspired Word (given by God and written down by men).
Thanks for your question [email above]. I sincerely hope that my reply has helped you – and it has given me another interesting blog (JesusEdifies Brady Blog) for my website, edbradyradio.com.
God bless you. Thanks for your prayers. Pastor Ed
Next – More information follows. Be inspired and enjoy.
Faith without works is dead because true faith transforms a life. It is also true that works without faith are dead. Jesus said that some would call Him “Lord, Lord,” but would not enter the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 7:21-23).
What does it mean that faith without works is dead?
Credits: www.compellingtruth.org/faith-without-works-dead.html
What does it mean that faith without works is dead?
People act in line with what they believe. For instance, if we believe a stove top is hot, we will not place our hand on it. If we believe vitamins are essential for good health, we will take them. Good marketers persuade people to believe they need a certain product in order to induce people to buy it. The actions that result from our faith are no different from those that result from other of our beliefs. If we genuinely believe God is who He says He is and that the Bible means what it says, we will act accordingly.
The New Testament is replete with descriptions of the works that result from our faith. James 2:14-26 is the most well-known passage regarding the lifelessness of claimed faith unsubstantiated by works. In essence, it explains the way that faith is demonstrated by our actions. John 15:1-17 compares the believer’s relationship with Christ to that of branches to a vine. A branch that is truly connected to the vine will bear fruit. Those who have true faith will also have works. Philippians 1:9-11 says, “And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.” Similarly, Galatians 5:22-25 describes what our lives will look like if we live by the Holy Spirit. Ephesians 2:10 talks about good works for which we have been created.
It is important to note that works follow faith. Works are a good diagnostic barometer of where our truth faith lies. Our good works in no way relate to our salvation. Paul makes very clear in Ephesians 2 that apart from Christ we are dead in sin (Ephesians 2:4-9); we are therefore incapable of truly good works. However, after our salvation, we can perform the “good works, which God prepared beforehand” (Ephesians 2:10). Works are a fruit of our salvation, not a means by which to earn it.
That being said, once we are saved, we are expected to do good works. We reflect Christ. As such, we do good to those around us (Galatians 6:10). We are new creations (2 Corinthians 5:17), so we act in new ways. The works we do should come from a transformed heart. Jesus said that people would know His followers by their love (John 13:35). In this way we are a light to the world (Matthew 5:14). Good works, then, demonstrate the veracity of our faith and the character of the God in Whom we believe.
Faith without works is dead because true faith transforms a life. It is also true that works without faith are dead. Jesus said that some would call Him “Lord, Lord,” but would not enter the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 7:21-23). Some of these people will not have demonstrated the fruit of good works. Others will have done works apart from faith in an effort to save themselves. All our works are as filthy rags to God apart from Christ (Isaiah 64:6). They are tainted by our sin and not sufficient to take us from being dead in our trespasses (Colossians 2:13) to being alive.
When we have true faith in Christ, we are made new (2 Corinthians 5:17). Our lives are transformed and good works result. Faith is not intellectual assent only; it involves life change. Our faith is evidenced by the way we live.
James 2:14-26 – New Living Translation – Faith without Good Deeds Is Dead
14 What good is it, dear brothers, and sisters, if you say you have faith but don’t show it by your actions? Can that kind of faith save anyone? 15 Suppose you see a brother or sister who has no food or clothing, 16 and you say, “Good-bye and have a good day; stay warm and eat well”—but then you don’t give that person any food or clothing. What good does that do?
17 So you see, faith by itself isn’t enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless.
18 Now someone may argue, “Some people have faith; others have good deeds.” But I say, “How can you show me your faith if you don’t have good deeds? I will show you my faith by my good deeds.”
19 You say you have faith, for you believe that there is one God.[a] Good for you! Even the demons believe this, and they tremble in terror. 20 How foolish! Can’t you see that faith without good deeds is useless?
21 Don’t you remember that our ancestor Abraham was shown to be right with God by his actions when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? 22 You see, his faith and his actions worked together. His actions made his faith complete. 23 And so it happened just as the Scriptures say: “Abraham believed God, and God counted him as righteous because of his faith.”[b] He was even called the friend of God.[c] 24 So you see, we are shown to be right with God by what we do, not by faith alone.
25 Rahab the prostitute is another example. She was shown to be right with God by her actions when she hid those messengers and sent them safely away by a different road. 26 Just as the body is dead without breath,[d] so also faith is dead without good works.
Read full chapter
Footnotes
2:19 Some manuscripts read that God is one; see Deut. 6:4.
2:23a Gen 15:6.
2:23b See Isa 41:8.
2:26 Or without spirit.
Question: “Why is faith without works dead?” – Credits: www.gotquestions.org
Answer: James says, “For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also” (James 2:26).
Faith without works is a dead faith because the lack of works reveals an unchanged life or a spiritually dead heart.
There are many verses that say that true saving faith will result in a transformed life, that faith is demonstrated by the works we do. How we live reveals what we believe and whether the faith we profess to have is a living faith.
James 2:14–26 is sometimes taken out of context in an attempt to create a works-based system of righteousness, but that is contrary to many other passages of Scripture. James is not saying that our works make us righteous before God but that real saving faith is demonstrated by good works. We are saved by grace through faith in Jesus, plus nothing. Works are not the cause of salvation; works are the evidence of salvation. Faith in Christ always results in good works. The person who claims to be a Christian but lives in willful disobedience to Christ has a false or dead faith or is not saved. Paul basically says the same thing in 1 Corinthians 6:9–10. James contrasts two different types of faith—true faith that saves and false faith that is dead.
Many profess to be Christians, but their lives and priorities indicate otherwise. Jesus put it this way: “By their fruits you will know them. Do people pick grapes from thorn bushes, or figs from thistles? Just so, every good tree bears good fruit, and a rotten tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a rotten tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire. So, by their fruits you will know them. Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name? Did we not drive out demons in your name? Did we not do mighty deeds in your name?’ Then I will declare to them solemnly, ‘I never knew you. Depart from me, you evildoers’” (Matthew 7:16–23).
Notice that the message of Jesus is the same as the message of James. Obedience to God is the mark of true saving faith. James uses the examples of Abraham and Rahab to illustrate the obedience that accompanies salvation. Simply saying we believe in Jesus does not save us, nor does religious service. What saves us is the Holy Spirit’s regeneration of our hearts, and that regeneration will invariably be seen in a life of faith featuring ongoing obedience to God.
Misunderstanding the relationship of faith and works comes from not understanding what the Bible teaches about salvation. There are really two errors in regard to works and faith. The first error is “easy believism,” the teaching that, as long as a person prayed a prayer or said, “I believe in Jesus,” at some point in his life, then he is saved, no matter what. So, a person who, as a child, raised his hand in a church service is considered saved, even though he has never shown any desire to walk with God since and is, in fact, living in blatant sin. This teaching, sometimes called “decisional regeneration,” is dangerous and deceptive. The idea that a profession of faith saves a person, even if he lives like the devil afterwards, assumes a new category of believer called the “carnal Christian.” This allows various ungodly lifestyles to be excused: a man may be an unrepentant adulterer, liar, or bank robber, but he’s saved; he’s just “carnal.” Yet, as we can see in James 2, an empty profession of faith—one that does not result in a life of obedience to Christ—is in reality a dead faith that cannot save.
The other error in regards to works and faith is to attempt to make works part of what justifies us before God. The mixture of works and faith to earn salvation is totally contrary to what Scripture teaches. Romans 4:5 says, “To him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness.” James 2:26 says, “Faith without works is dead.” There is no conflict between these two passages. We are justified by grace through faith, and the natural result of faith in the heart is works that all can see. The works that follow salvation do not make us righteous before God; they simply flow from the regenerated heart as naturally as water flows from a spring.
Salvation is a sovereign act of God whereby an unregenerate sinner has the “washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit” poured out on him (Titus 3:5), thereby causing him to be born again (John 3:3). When this happens, God gives the forgiven sinner a new heart and puts a new spirit within him (Ezekiel 36:26). God removes his sin-hardened heart of stone and fills him with the Holy Spirit. The Spirit then causes the saved person to walk in obedience to God’s Word (Ezekiel 36:26–27).
Faith without works is dead because it reveals a heart that has not been transformed by God. When we have been regenerated by the Holy Spirit, our lives will demonstrate that new life. Our works will be characterized by obedience to God. Unseen faith will become seen by the production of the fruit of the Spirit in our lives (Galatians 5:22). Christians belong to Christ, the Good Shepherd. As His sheep we hear His voice and follow Him (John 10:26–30).
Faith without works is dead because faith results in a new creation, not a repetition of the same old patterns of sinful behavior. As Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 5:17, “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.”
Faith without works is dead because it comes from a heart that has not been regenerated by God. Empty professions of faith have no power to change lives. Those who pay lip service to faith but who do not possess the Spirit will hear Christ Himself say to them, “I never knew you. Depart from me, you evildoers” (Matthew 7:23).
Recommended Resource: Faith Alone, The Doctrine of Justification: What the Reformers Taught…and Why It Still Matters by Thomas Schreiner
Q? – Questions for me?
Reach me through my Website: http://www.edbradyradio.com.
Pastor Ed Brady
-0-
