Authority Over the Enemy

September Teaching Letter from Rick Renner

Dear Friends,

Merry Christmas and greetings in Jesus’ precious name! Christ came into this world “in the fullness of time” to redeem mankind from sin and to reconcile us to the Heavenly Father (Galatians 4:4,5). And what a great salvation it was and is that God wrought for us in Christ (see Hebrews 2:3-18)! Denise and I and our family wish you a warm and wonderful Christmas season and the best new year of your life in 2022.

Today I want to talk to you about opportunities and adversaries, but first I want to say thank you for being such a faithful partner with our ministry. As I told you in my letter last month, our ministry is bursting at the seams, and I am so humbled that God would use Denise and me, our family, and our team to minister to the many people who are reaching out to us every day.

Every soul is precious, and it is our heartfelt desire to convey that truth to every person God brings to us — that they are precious to Him and to us. And your gifts are so vital to our ability to touch every one of these treasured souls! So today I want to say a special thank you for all you do with us to take the trusted teaching of the Word of God to people in Russia and all over the world. From the depths of our hearts, Denise and I THANK YOU!

This month is the last month of the year — and I know you are probably preparing for Christmas and many different kinds of gatherings. But in addition to Christmas, it’s also almost 2022. As we come to the end of this year and to the beginning of a brand-new year, the Holy Spirit keeps telling me to “stay on track” with the assignments He has given us. I hear Him saying that even if we hit bumps along the way, everything will be all right if we’ll just stay on track and maintain our God-assigned territory — the many opportunities and assignments He has given us to inspire, strengthen, and equip believers with the sound teaching of the Bible.

But I’ve learned over the years that opportunities and adversaries usually go together — and today I want to encourage you to undergird yourself so that you can stay on track with what God has asked you to do this month and in the coming year.

Over the course of our ministry, we’ve had many great, effectual doors open to us to do the work of the Gospel. I’ll never forget when I received an opportunity to minister on television in the former Soviet Union. It was as if a great door had suddenly swung open to an entire vast territory — a door that had never before been opened for anyone else — and I knew I was experiencing something miraculous. By faith, Denise and I stepped through that door and began to preach the Word of God on television in this spiritually starved corner of the world.

Given the former socialist-communist campaigns against the Gospel in this particular region, this opportunity was as miraculous as the Jordan River dividing for Joshua and the children of Israel. But with this great open door also came a slew of adversaries, specifically dispatched by Satan to instill fear and doubt into my heart. The devil desperately wanted to prevent me from touching the lives of spiritually oppressed people, so he positioned evil people with insidious plans to try to block my view of what God had in store for our ministry.

I’m telling you that it was like the children of Israel looking at the Promised Land from the far side of the Jordan River. From that perspective, they saw only the fruitful land of blessing that lay before them. But once they entered the Promised Land, they had to fight giants of every kind before they could possess that land and enjoy the blessing. In much the same way, if Denise and I had taken our eyes off the Lord during that tumultuous period — or if we had focused only on the problems and forgotten about the fruit we were pursuing for God’s Kingdom — I’m sure we would have backpedaled to get out of the situation!

But we knew this was a God-given opportunity and worth the fight, so we fixed our gaze squarely on the Lord. Girded with the armor of God and the power of the Spirit, we pushed through every obstacle and possessed the ground that God called us to take. As a result, millions of souls began to hear the Gospel for the first time. We knew that only God could have opened this door!

In First Corinthians 16:9, the apostle Paul wrote about the strategic doors of opportunity that open for the Gospel and the adversaries that usually accompany them. He said, “For a great door and effectual is opened unto me, and there are many adversaries.” Notice that Paul used the words “great,” “door,” “effectual,” and “is opened” to describe the opportunity that had been set before him.

The word “great” in this verse is translated from the Greek word megale, which means gigantic. The word “door” is the Greek word thura, which typically refers to a door, but in this context, denotes a rare opportunity. The word “effectual” is the Greek word energes, and it depicts something that is powerful and ready to be set into motion. Finally, the phrase “is opened” is the Greek word anoigo, which describes something standing wide open. In other words, the door in question couldn’t be any more open! Thus, an alternate translation of Paul’s words in First Corinthians 16:9 could be rendered, “A gigantic, powerful opportunity is already set in motion and standing wide open….”

Paul continued by saying, “For a great door and effectual is opened unto me….” You see, Paul knew that the particular door he was referring to had never been opened to anyone else, and he stood in awe of the unprecedented opportunity. Walking through these kinds of doors is impossible without divine assistance, and Paul was fully aware of God’s role in the matter. That is why he specified that this door had been opened “unto me.”

Paul’s prayer request in First Corinthians 16:9 was not for a door to open because it had already opened. His prayer request was to receive God’s wisdom to deal with the numerous adversaries who were trying to come against him. Paul used the Greek word antikeimenoi to describe the vast number of “adversaries” that were sent to attack him. This Greek word describes something that was piled high and lying all around him. In other words, he was dealing with more than a few minor opponents. On the contrary, it felt like opposition was stacked high on every side!

I’ve learned that the enemy will try his best to keep you from stepping through the gigantic doors of opportunity God desires to open for you. Satan is afraid of what will happen when “his” territory is invaded by someone fully equipped with a full arsenal of spiritual weapons. So know this: God will open doors for you — but He needs you to make a determined decision that you will walk through them, no matter the opposition, with the help of His Spirit.

By opening the door, God has already done His part, which would have been impossible without His assistance. Now He beckons you to come, dressed in the whole armor of God and in the power of His Word — and proceed through that effectual door into new territory. It may look like enemies are everywhere, but it is simply a fact that the devil and his forces flee and collapse when they are subjected to a show of strong faith!

As I mentioned earlier, many great and effectual doors have been opened to us over the years to do the work of the Gospel. In each case, we knew these doors were unique to us and had never before been opened for anyone else. And just as Paul experienced opposition, there were plenty of enemies that came against us with each opportunity. But because we obeyed God, the devil was forced to move out of the way, and we walked right into the virgin territory that God had opened for our ministry.

Even if you think your situation looks threatening right now, I want to tell you that God is with you. He wants to supernaturally open new doors for you — doors that have never before been opened for you. He is not beckoning you to walk through these doors so you can fail. He is with you every step of the way, and He will empower you to defeat every foe and bring Him glory in that new territory that is yours to possess in Jesus’ name!

Your open door may be an opportunity to shine the light of God’s Word and God’s love to your family or friends during this holiday season. It may be a door that will open to you in the new year. Regardless of when it is or what it is, the same God who opens doors will empower you to walk through them — and then He’ll be right with you to give you the wisdom and strength needed to overcome any giant that tries to meet you on the other side.

I know this is not a typical December, “Christmas-style” letter, but this is what was on my heart to share with you today. I want you to always know that if we can join you in prayer, we would be delighted to do so. To be honest, we are praying for you anyway, but when we are alerted to know exactly “how” to pray, it increases our effectiveness as we pray for you. So if you have a special need, please either call or write to let us know how we can get in agreement with you for God to show Himself mighty to you according to Jeremiah 33:3, which says, “Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and show thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.”

And please pray for us as we continue marching forward by faith to push back darkness, to shine the light of God’s Word, and to take territory for the Kingdom of God. Together — as partners — we can make a difference in the lives of throngs of people who are crying out to God for help. They are waiting for God to respond to their prayers, and God wants to use us — you and us together — to bring them the answers they desperately need.

But before I close, I want to say we are specifically asking God to do something special for you this month and before the end of the year. I don’t know what it is, but that is what we are praying. We are asking God to do something special that will bless your life! And please, please pray for us as we continue pushing ahead to build our studio in Moscow, to finalize the purchase of our new headquarters in Tulsa, and to continue to minister effectually to every precious soul Jesus brings to us!

Merry Christmas!

We love you and thank God for you!

We are your brother and sister, friends, and partners in Jesus Christ,

Rick and Denise Renner
along with Paul, Philip, and Joel and their families|Dear Friends,

Greetings in the all-powerful name of Jesus! How I love to ponder on the power that is available to us in that name!

Today I will continue from what I shared in last month’s teaching letter. But first, I want to express my thankfulness to God for the way He sent you to our ministry. I am so very grateful for the opportunity to minister to you, and for your being a friend and partner with our ministry. As I always tell you, Denise and I, our sons, and our team can do our God-given parts, but to carry out the whole ministry takes a family of partners — and YOU are a significant part of that family. For that, I want you to know how truly thankful I am to God for you!

Two monthly letters ago, I shared that there is a difference between depression and oppression. We saw that depression can be both physical and emotional. It can be caused by a disappointment, fatigue, stress, a wrong diet, or a chemical imbalance, and often depression can be remedied by making certain adjustments in our lives or even by medication.

But oppression is different from depression; it is not physical, but spiritual. Oppression originates from an outside spiritual source. In fact, the word “oppression” indicates the exercise of authority or power in a burdensome, cruel, or unjust way. It means to press upon; to press against; to overburden; to weigh down; to overwhelm; and to overpower. It also means to burden, to be cruel or unjust toward, to exercise uncontrollable restraints upon, to treat with severity, to oppress, to afflict, to crush, to put down, to smother, to subdue, or to torment.

Oppression is an exterior spiritual force that tries to quell, smother, and control you. The devil tries to suppress our lives so that we will not become what God desires us to be.

Other synonyms for oppression include: abuse, brutality, coercion, compulsion, control, cruelty, despotism, dictatorship, domination, force, harshness, harassment, hardness, injustice, ruling with an iron hand, maltreatment, overthrowing, repression, suffering, severity, subjugation, torment, and tyranny. These words vividly describe what oppression does in a person’s life.

Then in last month’s letter, I shared the seven levels of oppression. We saw that we can demolish oppression and dismantle it — if need be, piece by piece, to walk free of it. But today, I want you to see the power of God that is available not only to help you personally to walk free of oppression, but, additionally, to minister freedom to others who are experiencing oppression.

Let’s begin in Luke 10:17 where we read the account of Jesus sending the 70 disciples out to minister: “And the seventy returned again with joy, saying, Lord, even the devils [spirits] are subject unto us through thy name.”

Jesus had sent the 70 out with authority to heal the sick and to cast out demons. They were so excited when they returned, and exclaimed, “…Lord, even the spirits, the devils are subject unto us through thy name.” The word “devils” is the Greek word daimonia. This word describes evil spirits, demons, or devils. The ancient world believed demons populated the lower regions of the air and were the primary cause of disasters and suffering — and they were correct. In the New Testament, this word daimonia, or “devils,” also depicts mental illness, oppression, or physical infirmities that are inflicted by evil spirits. The Greek word describes oppression as spirit-inflicted issues in a person’s mind or body.

The Bible says when the 70 returned, they said, “Lord, the demons, these evil spirits (the source of disaster, mental illness, and mental struggling) are subject unto us through Your name.”

The word “subject” is from a form of the Greek word hupotasso, which is a military term. It portrays a soldier who falls in line when a commander gives an order; one who is submitted to authority. These disciples said, “Lord, when we speak, they recognize our voices as the voices of commanders, and they fall in line when we use Your name!”

In the same way, you have the name of Jesus and the authority designated to you by Jesus. When you speak, demon spirits — every foul, evil force — will hear the voice of a commander and fall in line when you use Jesus’ name.

In Luke 10:18 Jesus said, “I beheld Satan as lightning fall from Heaven.” The word “beheld” is from a form of the Greek word theoreo, which means to gaze at or to look upon. It is the root word from which we get the word “theater.” Jesus was literally saying, “Guys, I know you’re impressed by what you’ve just experienced, because demons respond to you when you speak, but let me tell you about My experience. I remember when Satan fell from Heaven like lightning.” Jesus used the word “beheld,” which means Jesus said, in effect, “I watched it like I was in a theater. I watched the first act, the second act, and the third act. I saw the entire show; I watched the whole event.”

Portions of that event are recorded in Isaiah 14:12 and Ezekiel 28:16. Isaiah 14:12 says, “How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!” Ezekiel 28:16 says that God told Lucifer, “…Therefore I will cast thee as profane out of the mountain of God.”

Lucifer was cut to the ground, fell from the heavens, and was cast out as profane. He fell so rapidly that Jesus said he fell like lightning — which means he was gone in a flash! But immediately after describing Lucifer’s fall, Jesus says in Luke 10:19, “Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy….”

In Greek, the word “behold” is idou, which contains the idea of bewilderment, shock, amazement, and wonder. Jesus was so excited about what He was about to say that He began with the Greek word idou, which means behold. In essence, Jesus was saying, “Hey guys, this is amazing! What I’m about to tell you is phenomenal! Behold, I give you power [authority] to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy….”

The word for “power” is from a form of the Greek word exousia and it describes one who has received delegated authority and power. Jesus said, “I’m giving you authority; I’m delegating this authority to you to tread….” The word “tread” is from a form of the Greek word pateo, meaning to walk on, to trample, to crush, or to advance by setting the foot upon. Jesus said, “I’m giving you power to advance, and along the way, if necessary, you can trample serpents and scorpions.” The word “serpents” is from a form of the Greek word ophis, meaning snake. This word is used in the Scripture to describe Satan when he strikes to kill.

Jesus said, “You have no need to be afraid of the devil or any attack he may wage against you because I have given you authority to move your feet. Just start walking forward. If the devil gets in your way, trample him with no fear of an attack or of him striking you.”

The word “scorpion” is from the Greek word skorpios, which describes a scorpion or a creature with a poisonous sting. Jesus said, “You don’t need to worry about being hurt or being stung because I’ve given you authority to make an advancement. Move your feet and just start marching forward, and if the devil or any stinging situation gets in your way — if anything comes to strike you or sting you — don’t worry. Just move your feet, because I have given you authority to advance and to trample those serpents and scorpions along the way.”

Jesus went on to say, “I’ve given you authority…over all the power of the enemy.” The word “over” is the Greek word epi, which denotes a position of advantage and superiority. Because Jesus has given us authority, we have a position of advantage. We have a position of superiority over all the power of the enemy! Wow!

In this instance, the word “power” depicts an advancing army. The enemy tries to advance on us. It may appear as though Satan’s troops are coming against us, but don’t allow yourself to worry because you have authority, a position of advantage, and superiority over the advancing power of the enemy.

The word “enemy” used in Luke 10:19 is from the Greek word echthros, which describes someone who is openly hostile, one with deep-seated animosity and hatred, an irreconcilable hostility, or one who is bent on inflicting harm. Jesus said, “Don’t worry about him. I’ve given you authority over anything he can ever wage against you.” That is why Jesus began by saying “Behold…” in Luke 10:19. Jesus was saying, “Wow! The authority I’ve given you is amazing!”

And that, my friend, means you have been given authority over ALL the works of the enemy!

But in Acts 10:38, we also read, “How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power….” The word “power” is from a form of the Greek word dunamis. It describes explosive, superhuman power that comes with extraordinary, unparalleled results. It’s the same Greek word that describes the full might of an advancing army.

When Jesus was anointed, He had amazing, supernatural power with unparalleled results. When that power worked in Jesus, it was like the heavenly armies were unleashed. The power of God was moving forward to drive back the forces of evil, and that is why He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil.

We saw in an earlier teaching letter that the word “oppressed” is from a compound of two Greek words kata and dunamis. In this particular case, the word kata caries the idea of domination. The word dunamis depicts a domineering tyrant. It is a picture of the oppressive power of a wicked tyrant, one who rules cruelly and tyrannizes his subjects — one who is a cruel bully, dictator, or oppressive tyrant.

The word “devil,” as mentioned previously, is from the Greek word diabolos, describing one who repetitiously strikes until successfully penetrating an object to ruin it, affect it, or take it captive. It also means to slander, to accuse, to defame, to penetrate by continuous assault, or to ensnare with a net.

Here, we see a picture of how the devil wants to dominate your life, how he wants to control your mind and your emotions. He begins repeatedly striking the mind and the emotions until he finally moves in like a wicked tyrant and begins to tyrannize and rule over you like a wicked king. But Jesus came with an anointing and with power to set at liberty all who are being tyrannized by the devil.

If you know others who are subject to the cruel, oppressive treatment of the devil in their mind and emotions, pray for them, lay hands on them, and release the power of God because according to Luke 10:19, He gave us power over all the works of the enemy. You have a position of advantage and superiority, and if you will use your voice of authority and release the power of God through your hands, God will use you to bring freedom to those who are bound and oppressed of the devil.

According to Acts 10:38, Jesus was anointed, and when the anointing came upon Him, the power of God began to work through Him to set people free. But speaking of believers — that’s you and me — we read in First John 2:20, “But ye have an unction [anointing] from the Holy One….”

That word “unction” is from the Greek word chrisma, which means anointing. If YOU are in Christ, the same anointing belongs to you; you are covered from head to toe with the same anointing that was upon Jesus! That means you have the same dynamic power, and just as Jesus “set at liberty them that were bruised,” you can also deliver those who are oppressed by the devil. Yes, it means YOU can be used by God to speak a word of deliverance to people who are bound.

I want you to understand that God wants to use YOU to help dismantle those strongholds and vain imaginations in their minds. God has given you a voice and hands to release power just like Jesus. First John 2:20 says you have received an unction, or chrisma. You are anointed from top to bottom, from head to toe, with the very anointing that will bring freedom to anyone who is oppressed of the devil.

• If you are oppressed, you can be set free.
• If you know someone who is subject to the tyrannizing voice of the enemy, it is time for that person to be set free.
• Jesus may want to use you to minister liberty to that person, and you can do it because you have an unction from the Holy One.
• The same anointing that was on Jesus is on you!
• You can do it!

Wow…that makes me want to shout!

As I come to the close of this letter today, I want to remind you that we are here to pray for YOU and we would cherish the opportunity to pray with you for whatever is on your heart or for anything you are facing right now. If this letter has touched you in a special way, we’d love to pray with you about that as well. Simply call us at 1-800-742-5593 or email us at prayer@renner.com, and we promise to put our faith to work for Jesus to do something magnificent — and God promises that He will hear us and do it!

Thank you for being among the best partners on the planet!

We love you and thank God for you,

Rick and Denise Renner
Along with Paul, Philip, and Joel Renner and our ministry team

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