Scripture speaks of POWER in two ways:
1.) The simple ability or strength to DO something (Greek = dunamis)
POWER (dunamis) gives us the ABILITY to DO something.
Through faith also Sara herself received strength (dunamis) to conceive seed, and was delivered of a child when she was past age, because she judged him faithful who had promised. (Hebrews 11:11)
2.) The authority or permission to DO something under a law or command (Greek = exousia)
AUTHORITY (exousia) gives us the RIGHT to DO something.
The centurion answered and said, Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof: but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed.
For I am a man under authority (exousia), having soldiers under me: and I say to this man, Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it. (Matthew 8:8,9)
The power which is spoken of as strength is always placed at the service of someone or something.
And ye know that with all my power I have served your father. (Genesis 31:6)
We make ourselves servants to that which we yield or give ourselves to.
Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness? (Romans 6:16)
Until Jesus has set us free, we cannot be the servants of obedience, we are servants of sin.
Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin.
And the servant abideth not in the house for ever: but the Son abideth ever.
If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed. (John 8:34-36)
Whatever we are serving is our lord and has dominion or control over us.
O LORD our God, other lords beside thee have had dominion over us: but by thee only will we make mention of thy name. (Isaiah 26:13)
All the members of our body (our hands, feet, eyes, ears, mouth) are employed by whatever has dominion over us.
Order my steps in thy word: and let not any iniquity have dominion over me. (Psalm 119:133)
When something or someone has dominion over us it has control over us whether we like it or not.
Thus have I been twenty years in thy house; I served thee fourteen years for thy two daughters, and six years for thy cattle: and thou hast changed my wages ten times.
Except the God of my father, the God of Abraham, and the fear of Isaac, had been with me, surely thou hadst sent me away now empty. God hath seen mine affliction and the labour of my hands, and rebuked thee yesternight. (Gen. 31:41,42)
Death has dominion over people whether they like it or not.
There is no man that hath power over the spirit to retain the spirit; neither hath he power in the day of death: and there is no discharge in that war; neither shall wickedness deliver those that are given to it. (Ecclesiastes 8:8)
…None can keep alive his own soul. (Psalm 22:29)
The Lord declares that His dominion extends to all generations.
Thy kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and thy dominion endureth throughout all generations. (Psalm 145:13)
Rebellious man hates the Father’s dominion, refuses Christ’s rule, and despises the authority of the Holy Spirit.
He said therefore, A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom, and to return.
And he called his ten servants, and delivered them ten pounds, and said unto them, Occupy till I come.
But his citizens hated him, and sent a message after him, saying, We will not have this man to reign over us. (Luke 19:12-14)
Because of their self-will, those walking in the lust of the flesh despise all dominion and government but their own.
But chiefly them that walk after the flesh in the lust of uncleanness, and despise government. Presumptuous are they, selfwilled, they are not afraid to speak evil of dignities. (2 Peter 2:10)
Likewise also these filthy dreamers defile the flesh, despise dominion, and speak evil of dignities. (Jude 1:8)
Evil freedom is the power to do the evil we wish to do (without fear of the law.)
Thus saith the LORD of hosts, Hearken not unto the words of the prophets that prophesy unto you: they make you vain: they speak a vision of their own heart, and not out of the mouth of the LORD.
They say still unto them that despise me, The LORD hath said, Ye shall have peace; and they say unto every one that walketh after the imagination of his own heart, No evil shall come upon you. (Jeremiah 23:16,17)
The law and the prophets are hated when they interfere with rebellious man fulfilling his dreams and desires.
Now go, write it before them in a table, and note it in a book, that it may be for the time to come for ever and ever:
That this is a rebellious people, lying children, children that will not hear the law of the LORD:
Which say to the seers, See not; and to the prophets, Prophesy not unto us right things, speak unto us smooth things, prophesy deceits:
Get you out of the way, turn aside out of the path, cause the Holy One of Israel to cease from before us. (Isaiah 30:8-11)
Because the LAW says, “You CAN’T do this or that,” the law is seen as an inhibitor of freedom to lawless men.
While the law says you CAN or you CAN’T, flesh that doesn’t delight in the law says I am greater than your POWER to command or forbid because I don’t care about your rewards or punishments.
It is obvious why the rebellious and lawless are not servants of obedience; Romans 7 solves the mystery as to why those under the law are yet captive to sin.
For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I.
If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that it is good.
Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.
For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.
For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do.
Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.
I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me.
For I delight in the law of God after the inward man:
But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.
O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? (Romans 7:15-24)
Those who delight in law of God and purpose to keep it without being delivered from the flesh reveal the exceeding sinfulness of sin and the impotency of the law to deliver from its dominion.
And the commandment, which was ordained to life, I found to be unto death.
For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it slew me.
Wherefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good.
Was then that which is good made death unto me? God forbid. But sin, that it might appear sin, working death in me by that which is good; that sin by the commandment might become exceeding sinful. (Romans 7:10-13)
While the law is not stronger than the law of sin; those who are in the Spirit and not in the flesh, discover that the law of the Spirit of life in Christ is greater than the law of sin.
There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.
For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:
That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit.
For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.
Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.
So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.
But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. (Romans 8:1-9)
Because they have been delivered from the dominion of sin those in Christ are under no necessity to yield the members of their body to sin any longer.
Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.
For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace. (Romans 6:13,14)
Because of Christ’s work, we can yield our power and strength to God in true worship and gladly declare His dominion over us.
And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood,
And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen. (Revelation 1:5,6)
Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy,
To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen. (Jude 1:24,25)