Well what legitimate authority does Satan have over this world?

It's a very important question and it arrives today from a listener named Aaron in Texas.

Hello Pastor John in Matthew 4.9 and in Luke 4.6.

What authority is Satan talking about?

Is he lying that he has authority to give or does he truly have authority over the earth?

So what is it and how does this relate to God's complete sovereignty over all things?

Here's what the devil actually said to Jesus at the temptation in the wilderness that creates

the question we were just asked.

Matthew 4.8, again the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the

kingdoms of the world and their glory and he said to him, all these I will give to you

if you fall down and worship me and here's Luke 4.5.

The devil took him and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time and said

to him, to you I will give all this authority and their glory for it has been delivered to

me and I will give it to whom I will.

If you then will worship me, it will be yours.

So my first answer is if Jesus had worshiped Satan, of course Jesus would have abdicated

his divine authority, he would have ceased to be God.

If he were worshipping the devil, he wouldn't be God, the devil would be God and yes, Satan

would then give him the whole world and still control the world because Jesus would not

be God, he would be Satan's lackey, all of which, of course, did not and could not happen.

And Satan, as usual, was a fool to suggest it.

He's an idiot.

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