 So there was a slight issue with the network, but no problem, we can proceed. I'm just going to say that, yeah, hopefully you can all hear me now. So I was just going to say that in the last class, we have touched upon the different methods that Satan uses. So the methods can be external, the methods can also affect the person at a greater level. So that's when the procession happens. We talked about empowering when a person is empowered by demonic spirits and receives power of the wrong kind and can do miracles and influence a large number of people. So even domination is something that we have looked at, right? So today would be the day when we are actually talking about one of the key things as far as believers authority is concerned. When we study about believers authority, somewhere the tendency is to read more about demons, to read more about deliverance, to read more about the methods that Satan uses. So we tend to focus more on that. However, today what we are going to read about is the victory of the cross, okay? So which is the core of believers authority? Imagine if Jesus did not conquer on the cross, then where is the authority? We may, we will not have the authority because Satan, we know after Adam and Eve sinned the dominion kind of, you know, he took over and he was interfering with all the affairs of the world Satan. But Jesus came and he destroyed the works of the devil, right? And our authority came from that place. So the cross is a very, very important subject for us to study about as far as believers authority is concerned. So Jesus has destroyed Satan by hanging on the cross. So that is the key point for all of us, not just to know, but to believe, okay? So do we really believe that Satan has defeated? That's the question. If Jesus died on the cross and we know he has completed the work, what did he say? When he, when he completed the work, it is finished. He said it is finished. The question is, do we believe it is finished? Satan is defeated or do we still believe Satan is powerful? Okay? I remember one particular batch. After all this first year, we study so much about believers authority. I think when the student was in the third year, they asked this question again. Why is Satan so powerful? Okay, I was so disappointed. I was like, what is this? We've already discussed in the first year that Satan is powerless. But see the problem is we know, meaning we are just aware, but it doesn't become something that we believe. We still somewhere in our hearts, we may believe Satan is powerful. Satan is doing this. Satan is doing that. If I serve God, he will attack me. You know, we are giving so much power and credit to Satan. Whereas awareness is there. Yeah, technically Jesus died on the cross and so Satan is defeated. Satan is powerless. Okay? So I'm just reminding all of us, we have to settle it in our hearts that Satan is powerless and that Jesus is the one who has all the power, all the authority. Okay, so we'll see how Jesus has defeated Satan. Okay, so let's turn to, we'll see, we have to study from a few verses. So today, maybe there are six of them. Three verses on campus batch students can open and read and three, the online students can read. So I'm already giving you a heads up. Maybe we can also decide who's going to read it that way. You know, there's no pause and wastage of time. So the first one Satan has been crushed. Maybe Nelson can read it because the mic is right there and Satan has been expelled. Any volunteers? Okay, bless you can read it. Satan has been condemned. Okay, Deeksha will read it. These students online batch Satan has been disarmed. Who would like to read it? Please raise your hands and then we can assign it to you. Okay, Sanjay will read it. Satan has been destroyed. Who's going to read that? Okay, Sister Gertrude. Thank you. Then Satan is powerless. Last one. Okay, one of you can decide. So Satan is powerless is the last scripture. So let's start off. We'll read these six passages and try to understand what it is saying. Genesis 315. I'll put an enmity between you and the women and between your offspring and her offspring. He shall bruise your head and you shall bruise his heel. So if you go back to the book of Genesis, okay, Satan appeared. And he took the form at the time of a serpent. But when God promised victory to Adam and Eve, even though they had sinned against God, what did God say? There will come a day when your seed, what is seed? Seed means your descendants, your children, your offspring. Your seed will crush the head of the serpent. Now, who is the human being who has defeated Satan or crushed the head of Satan? Jesus. So you see in the humanity of Christ, of course he is God, but he was also human. Right? So then this was Genesis 315. It's spoken early on by God when the world was created, but God promised and said, your seed will crush the head of Satan. Satan will try to attack, but your seed will crush the head of Satan. And for the first time and in completeness, Jesus has already defeated the devil. He has already crushed Satan. So crush the head of the serpent means Satan because in the biblical language, sometimes there is the usage of imagery. And many a time in scripture, a serpent represents Satan. Okay? It represents the demonic world. And so God is saying or God is telling right at the beginning that Satan will be crushed by a son of Adam. Jesus is fully God, but he's also the son of Adam. Right? So for the first time, he did it. And after that, he said to all the believers, I give you the authority. So when somebody's head is crushed, okay, like in this case, the serpent's head is crushed. Can it come back again? And then, you know, every time you have to go crush the head, does it work like that? No. Jesus has already done it and that is something we have to settle in our hearts. The head of the serpent is crushed. So when Satan approaches us as believers, he will do a lot of things to affect us. We understand that because he still has time on the earth, but he's powerless. He's crushed as far as the Bible is concerned. Okay? As far as the work of Jesus is concerned, it is completed. He's completely defeated. If a head is crushed, what can that creature do? Nothing. Right? You have all your nerve centers, everything in the head already defeated, crushed. Satan is crushed. Okay? Tell yourself Satan is crushed. Can you do it? Okay, don't ask why Satan is so powerful. Okay? So Satan is crushed. Clear? Woman is again human, human, human-ness, human nature. So basically, mankind, mankind. But you could also take it as you and the woman like Eve. Yeah. It's all figurative language sort of. It's not literal. Literal means it's referring to somebody. It's referring only to so-and-so, only to know, but it's not that. It's figurative language. Okay? So that is quite clear. Now let's move on. John chapter 12 verse 31 to 33. Now is the judgment of this world. Now the ruler of this world will be cast out. And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples to myself. Okay. So Jesus is saying, now the ruler of this world is. Can you read that again Naseer? Now is the judgment of this world. Now the ruler of this world will be cast out. And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples to myself. Okay. Great. So the now, now the ruler of this world will be cast out. Verse 31 over there. So what is Jesus talking about? We have to see the context in John chapter 12. In that section, Jesus is predicting his death on the cross. So when I am lifted up, I will draw all men to myself. Lifted up is what? His death on the cross. So he's just giving the people an idea that when I complete the work of redemption, what is going to happen verse 31? It says ruler of this world will be cast out. Ruler of this world will be cast out. Who's a ruler of this world at right now? The Bible. Yeah, Satan. So for us as believers, we know we come under the power of the kingdom of God. Okay. But yes, there is a ruler in this world creating all kinds of problems and disobedience and many things, which is who is Satan. Okay. And Jesus is saying when I die on the cross, the ruler of this world will be cast out or removed. So how do we understand this? Is he removed? Is Satan removed? Not exactly because he's still here. No, he's still here and he's still creating trouble or creating havoc for the people. Then when it says the ruler of this world will be cast out, what is the meaning of that? Cast out is removed, expelled. Yeah, but when Jesus died on the cross, he's saying Satan will be cast out. Cast out where? He's still on the earth. No, hell maybe not because he's still here. He's still not being sent to hell. So it's saying cast out when Jesus died on the cross, Satan is will be cast out. But from where is it from our lives? From affecting us. Good answer. So that's what we understand by cast out. Okay. Cast out simply means imagine if there is a throne. Okay. And a king is sitting on that throne. If you remove that king from that throne, what is the meaning of that? No more power, no more authority, no more dominion. So cast out simply means that where Satan from his rulership. Okay. The one who has authority. Satan has authority and he is being cast out from his authority. That's what it means. It doesn't mean he's removed from the world. Okay. He's still here because he still is given a little bit of time before he is completely thrown away. But in that period cast out or expelled means no power. Already we understood crushed. Now what did we understand expelled or cast out? Okay. Let's move on. Yeah. Third one. So I think Diksha read it, right? Yeah. John chapter 16 verse eight to 11 and when he has come, he will convict the world of sin and of righteousness and of judgment of sin because they do not believe in me of righteousness because I go to my father and you see me no more of judgment because the ruler of this world is just okay. So here Jesus is warning his disciples comforting his disciples. And also talking to them about the work of the Holy Spirit and he is letting them know that Satan is condemned. So verses eight through eight through 11. So that is a that is a statement about the Holy Spirit. When he has come, he will convict the world of sin and of righteousness and of judgment. So that is speaking of the Holy Spirit of sin because they do not believe in me of righteousness because I go to my father and you see me no more of judgment because the ruler of this world is judged. So that last portion there the ruler of this world is judged ruler of this world God of this world with a small G all these we saw the names of Satan isn't it? So it's referring to Satan and it's telling us here that he is judged or God has condemned him. Okay, there are other passages of scripture which we are going to continue to read which will confirm what we are saying that Satan is judged. Let us look at few more scriptures. Now we'll go to the online batch. So if you could kindly read Colossians to 14 and 15. I think brother Sanjay Colossians to verses 14 and 15 having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness which stood against us and condemned us. He has taken it away nailing it to the cross and having disarmed the powers and authorities. He made a public spectacle of them triumphing over them by the cross. Okay, so he has disarmed principalities it says. Okay, so let me just quickly try to look at another version here. Let's see what words are used. I'm looking at the amplified version. Colossians chapter 2 verses 14 and 15 I will read it having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of legal demands which were in force against us and which were hostile to us and this certificate he has set aside and completely removed by nailing it to the cross when he disarmed the rulers and authorities those supernatural forces of evil operating against us. He has made a public example of them exhibiting them as captives in his triumphal procession having triumphed over them through the cross. So again, you know couple of words that we can see which speak of victory are words like disarmed. Then we see triumphal procession triumphed over them through the cross. So the concept that is shared over here is when Jesus died on the cross. Okay, couple of things have happened. One is that our sins which stand against us. They have been canceled out. Okay, so we no longer have to be under the weight of our sin if Jesus has forgiven us, we can have freedom liberty. You know that that sense of guilt can be removed. Okay, so as a believer if we truly genuinely come before the Lord and we have repented firstly at the time of salvation for our sin we repent. Okay, then what happens? We receive salvation and everything that we place before the Lord it is forgiven. Even in our walk with Jesus, it's really beautiful. In fact, I would encourage us to read this book called Foundations. I don't think it is there in your course, right? You're not doing that foundations. Okay, doesn't matter. But what you can do is for your personal study, you can read it. There is also an e-learning version of foundations. Pastor has preached all the lessons of foundations. So you can go do it online. It may take you a couple of days or a couple of weeks to study it. You can listen to the sermon, answer the questions and also have the hard copy of the book. He explains sin, salvation, how God has forgiven us. It's amazing like all the handwriting which is against us. Okay, God has plotted it out. He has cancelled it. So there are many ways in which we can understand how we are forgiven. It's very, very powerful. It really sets us free from that sense of guilt and shame which we experience. And that is one thing that has happened because of Jesus on the cross. Secondly, we notice in this passage that he has defeated the powers of darkness. Okay, he has defeated the powers of darkness. He has disarmed the rulers and authorities. So disarmed rulers and authorities. As the term suggests disarmed, it's like rendered powerless. Imagine a soldier without an armor and without any weapons. Do you think that soldier is dangerous? No, because nothing is protecting him at any time. He can be attacked. So when we think about Satan and his demons, think of them like that. That's what the Bible is saying. When Jesus died on the cross, he disarmed principalities, powers. So we are facing an enemy who does not have any power. And if you're always scared, oh Satan is doing this. Demons are doing it. It's a little funny because there is no power. They cannot do anything. Jesus has disarmed. You see, this is which we are reading the fourth passage. In different ways, God is telling us Satan is defeated. He is crushed. He is expelled. Right? He is condemned. Now he is disarmed. No weapons, no armor, nothing. And in this particular passage, Paul also uses the expression. He says triumphal procession. So in the times when kings ruled, what they would do is when they go for battle and they defeat the enemy, they will plunder, plunder the goods. So the enemy land they'll go, they'll, you know, take all the gold and all the valuable things and maybe, you know, the animals, everything, they'll take all the valuable things and then they will parade. Have a parade where they will show off their victory. That is called a triumphal procession. And the scriptures are telling us Jesus made a public spectacle of the enemy, meaning Jesus destroyed Satan so badly. Okay, and in that triumphal procession, they would also take the enemy. Imagine enemy is so weak and he is, he's bruised. There are marks on his body, basically a symbol of defeat. They are defeated, they are surrendered and they used to parade the enemy, parade the enemy armies, parade the the goods which they plunder. So this passage is telling us, you can imagine the defeat of Satan like that. Jesus has made a public spectacle of the enemy. Everyone can look and laugh. Public spectacle is like that. Okay, so we must recognize that Satan is disarmed. He has no power, he has no authority. And when we begin to understand this, the way we will function against Satan, because later we are going to discuss about deliverance, about casting out demons and things like that, but this is the right foundation. When we understand these things, right? We don't have to get scared. Like sometimes when there is a demon manifesting, people get scared. They're like, oh no, who's going to cast the demon out now? You know, we better tell the pastor to do it because we can't do it. No, Jesus has defeated Satan for all believers. When he died on the cross, you see that last part there having triumphed over them through the cross. So the day he gave his life on the cross, Satan was defeated. And we have to settle that in our hearts and that gives us a lot of courage. We can be an ordinary believer when I say ordinary believer just for our understanding. Imagine somebody is born again five minutes before. Okay, they don't know much about the word. They don't know much about the spirit of God. Nothing is five minutes before they got born again and now they're part of the kingdom of God is Satan defeated for that believer. Yes. Can this believer five minute old believer take authority over the devil? Yes. Is this believer victorious? Yes. Got it. So it is as simple as that as simple as that and we should not complicate it. Okay, so we've understood now that Satan is defeated. Now let's go on. Let's see what are some other words that are used. Satan has been destroyed and Satan is powerless. I'll quickly come to our online students. I think someone is trying to answer. Yes, sir. Yes, Brother Kofi, go ahead. Yes, I wanted to ask a question in respect to the verse that we just read that if Satan has been armed, does it mean that Satan was dangerous, was stronger in the olden days that is old testament, the serving in the new testament or in our days? Okay, so you're asking if it is saying that through the cross Satan was defeated, did he have more power under the old testament under the old covenant? Is that the question? Yes, that is it. Yes, please. Yeah, so see it is how we put it. I wouldn't say he was more powerful because we don't have any references to that, but I would say he was active. So whatever weaponry, whatever, you know, capacity he had, he was very active. He still is active, but he is powerless and active right now got it at that point. He had some capacity, some power and he was active. So we could we could state it like that. No, we wouldn't say Satan was powerful before under the old covenant. We wouldn't put it like that. Is that okay? Thank you. Sure. Thank you so much. Okay, I'm just reading out a few comments here. Sandra says Satan was cast out of heaven, removed from his place of authority in heaven and on earth. The power of Satan is directly proportional to our ignorance. He uses lies as a tactic to confuse and mislead us. Okay, great. Yeah, thank you, Kofi. Very relevant question there. We'll go on to the next scripture. Sister Gertrude, can you please read Hebrews 2? Yes, sister. Hebrews 2 14 and 15 in as much then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood. He himself likewise shared in the same that through death, he might destroy him who had the powers of death. That is the devil and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. Thank you. So here the term destroyed is what we are considering. So Satan is destroyed and because Satan is destroyed, he who carried the power of death, right? So he carried the power of death. Satan, how did death come into the world through the devil and Jesus has destroyed the devil. Now, because we're saying this, people ask the question, why are people still dying? Okay, well, we know scripture tell us that the last enemy to be defeated will be death. So is the power of death conquered? Yes. When we read passages like first Corinthians chapter 15, Paul says, you know, if we like other unbelievers, if we don't have assurance or if we don't have this hope that we will rise again, then we are pitiable. No, just like other people who don't believe in God, like what is the difference? If once we die, we are not going to rise from the dead. We have no hope. But in that passage, he says, you know something, we have the hope because Jesus died for us. Even if we die, we will rise again. Death is not the end. So he writes regarding death. So do people still die? Yes, Hebrews 927 that scripture says for it is appointed for man to die once and after that is judgment. So physical death is something that is still happening. Even though Jesus conquered on the cross, physical death is still continuing to take place till a certain time. It will take place. But what is the good news? What is the hope that we have? Even if we experience physical death, that's not the end for a child of God. We live on forever, right? So physical death. Yes, we mourn it. We feel sad about it. But Jesus has done something great. We just saw in Hebrews chapter 2. He has destroyed the devil. Okay, who is the one who had the power of death? Right? So we don't have to be afraid of death also. Can you imagine? Then what should we be afraid of? Only have the fear of God. We don't have to be afraid of Satan. We don't have to be afraid of demons. We don't have to be afraid of death also. Right? If it happens, like if physical death happens, we still have hope that we will live on. Again, 1 Thessalonians chapter 4, it tells, right? Encourage others. Just remind them that you're only asleep. Those who believe in Christ, if we die, we are just asleep. When Christ comes, we will rise up again. So even death, this death does not have power over the believer. So these are all the amazing victories of the cross that we must understand and also believe in it. So Satan has been destroyed. That's what we understood now. Satan is destroyed and Satan is powerless. One more time. We look at this. Let's read from Matthew 28 and verse 18. Who would like to read it, please? Yes, sister. Yeah. Sure. Matthew 28 and verse 18 and Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, all authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth. Okay. All authority has been given to me on heaven and on earth, right? So when Jesus says, all authority has been given to him, then how much authority is left out to be given to anybody else? Nothing. All remaining is none, zero. Right? So all authority is with Jesus and no authority is with Satan. That clearly shows us all authority is with Jesus and what did he tell us? I give it to you that authority is given has been given to me and giving it to you believer. So when we stand before Satan, we can say all these things, we can say Satan, you don't have any authority. All authority that Jesus had, he gave it to us as his children as the believers. So even though you're coming against me, you're coming without any authority. In other words, you have no power. Okay. You remember the passage from first Peter chapter 5? It says Satan goes about like a roaring lion. Okay. Seeking whom he may devour. So it says like a roaring lion, like a roaring lion. But we must recognize that even though he takes up that image of, you know, like a roaring lion, he does not have any power. Would we be scared of, you know, a lion which is old or which is sick and which cannot attack, which is so weak that it needs help? We wouldn't because we know that we are safe. Nothing will happen to us because that creature is powerless, isn't it? So whenever we think of Satan, I'm just trying to paint pictures in our minds so that we have clarity that Jesus is victorious. He's the Lion of Judah. If there is, there is any power, in fact, all power, all authority, it's with Jesus. He is the Lion of Judah. Satan is crushed. Okay. Let's look at it. Let's all look at the different aspects that we saw. He is crushed. He is expelled. He is condemned. He is disarmed. He is destroyed and he is powerless and that is the enemy that we are facing. So when we face a weak enemy, we can easily just say, hey, come on, we're already defeated. We don't have to do much. If we have faith, we can overcome the enemy at all times. So this is what the Bible teaches us about the victory of the cross. Okay. Any, any questions, any comments till now, if there are, we can discuss and then, you know, we can go forward. Sister Gertrude, did you want to ask us anything? I can see your hand raised. Sister, I want to give a testimony. You know, one evening when I was praying for my brother, we were suspecting that he could be having cancer because he was not able to eat food and digest and it was going on for a long time. So as I was praying, the Lord showed me in a vision face of a serpent coming out of his mouth and it was all crushed and from the mouth, things were hanging out. So I didn't understand that time, you know, but now when you explain, I understood that he is healed of his cancer and he's much better doing well and the symptoms are not there anymore. So I just praise the Lord for, you know, healing him. I just wanted to testify, sister. Yeah. Thank you, sister Gertrude. We praise God and you know, we are so glad and we also continue to pray for your brother and his good health. Thank you, sister. Sure. Sure. Thank you. Let's hear from Shani. Shani, did you want to say something? Yes. So for the one about Hebrews 2 14 to 15 about, I guess, in terms of that means that we're defeated from death. So talking about like, I want to make sure I understand like, I guess what meant by that is that of course our body physically dies, but we're not really dead because we go to heaven. So that's what it means that he has defeated death because we go and be with Jesus. Is that what you're trying to say? Yeah. So if we are a believer, we will be with Jesus. That is one thing. But what I was trying to say is that we are not lost in eternity because there is the promise of resurrection. That's what I was quoting. When you look at passages like 1st Corinthians chapter 15 and 1st Thessalonians chapter 4, it very clearly tells us that for a believer, we are when we physically die, we are just asleep and that we will rise again. We have the hope of resurrection. So my emphasis was on that. Oh, okay. Okay. And also too, I have another question too, because I know like, and I know that scripture they say in terms of death, but can I also mean like Mrs. Adori over there? Can I also mean sickness too? That most people say when it says in the Bible, when the scripture says death, that could also mean sickness. You are you asking if Jesus has conquered over sickness? Yeah, because when it says death, like I always interpreted it as death, but also sickness too. Like he has defeated, you know, sickness. It's kind of hard to explain, but that's what I, but that's what I kind of have interpreted like the devil has no authority over our bodies over sickness too. Like he's conquered that too. Definitely. I mean that there are the Bible clearly talks about Jesus's victory over death and there are clear passages of scripture that talk about Jesus's victory over sickness as well. So you can just go back and refer to passages like Isaiah 53 where he carried our griefs. He carried our sorrows by the stripes of Jesus. We are healed. 1 Peter 2 24, it kind of says the same thing by the stripes of Jesus. We were healed. So by the stripes of Jesus, what is it referring to? It's referring to the work of the cross. It's referring to the redemptive work. So, yes, very, very clearly Jesus has defeated sickness as well. Now, we can also talk about the ministry of Jesus and notice that whenever he encountered sickness of any sort, he released healing in that situation. So why should God act against himself? If sickness is from him, sickness is not from God. That is why Jesus went against sickness. And when we look at 1 John 3 8, that scripture says Jesus came to destroy the works of the devil. Jesus came to destroy the works of the devil. So in the works of the devil, one of the one of the things that he does is put sickness on us. So that is the work of the devil and Jesus has destroyed it. Okay. So there are many clear passages, Shani to confirm that Jesus has defeated sickness. Okay. Yeah, great. So thank you for those questions. It just helps us recognize that we are victorious over all these aspects right in life so we can conquer and keep moving forward. Yeah. Sister Lucy, did you want to ask anything? Sister, any of scripture references sister that settle is having still time on this earth to move around. Okay, just give me a moment. So we can, you know, when we read, when we go through eschatology or the way God is going to make things happen or things will unfold on the earth, we know right of the coming judgment and the time when Satan will be bound. But I'll just give you one simple verse when Jesus was casting out demons. Just one second. Yeah, I think it is. Yeah, Matthew 8 and verse 29. See, even the demons, they are aware of the timelines. So when Jesus is casting out the demons, they some say something like what have you to do with us? Oh, son of God, have you come here to torment us before the time before the time? Okay. So then as I was saying, like when we study eschatology, we know there will be a time when Satan will be bound and he will be cast into the bottomless pit. But here is another verse, right? That says that there is an amount of time or a span of time given to Satan to still be here. He's powerless, but he's still around. Is that okay, sister Lucy? This is the thank you thing. Yeah, sure. Thank you. Okay. If there are any other questions, we can take it up. Otherwise, we can go in for a break. Right. Let's take an early break then we'll come back and discuss more. So thank you. See you all at 10.