God sent Jesus here for a purpose. He gave Him a responsibility and He gave Him the authority to fulfill that responsibility. Jesus came to earth for the sublime, supreme purpose of dying on the cross, but He also came to engage Satan in spiritual battle.

…For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil. (1 John 3:8)

Jesus came as the representative of God to work God's works against the kingdom of Satan and to take from the devil the keys of the kingdom that he stole from Adam and Eve.

He came with God's authority. He spoke the Word. He worked the works of God.

After the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, He took that authority vested in Him by God Almighty. He did not take that authority away from the earth. He did not take that authority back to heaven and leave us here, powerless, without it.

Jesus passed that authority along to us as co-workers of the works of God. He gave His authority to the disciples who followed Him while He was here on earth and He gives it to us as His disciples now:

• …as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you. (John 20:21)
• Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you. (Luke 10:19)
• …All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. (Matthew 28:18)

The disciples followed the method and example of Jesus and used the authority He transmitted to them as they went out. They literally turned the world upside down for God.

…These that have turned the world upside down are come hither also. (Acts 17:6)

These are the same men who once denied Him and doubted His resurrection, but now:

And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen. (Mark 16:20)

We have always thought of our working with God, not stopping to realize the depths of the spiritual reality that the Lord longs to work with us. God began to work with them when they were changed from fearful, unbelieving, doubting men, to men of authority.

When you are changed to a man or woman of authority, you have the basis for doing the works of God. How do you become a person of authority? By whose authority do you do the works of God? All authority begins and ends in Jehovah God!

I have power to tread on serpents and scorpions and over all the power of the enemy. Nothing will hurt me.