“What is man that Thou art mindful of him?
And the Son of man, that thou visitest him?
For Thou hast made him a little lower than the angels,
And has crowned him with glory and honour.
Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy
Hands;
Thou hast put all things under his feet” (Ps 8:4-6).
The Complete Christian Dictionary for Home and School defines “dominion” as authority to rule or control. In political term, it describes a territory or people held in complete control by one person or government. Therefore, it implies the power or right of controlling a people, place and institution. For instance, the king is said to have dominion over his kingdom, usually a considerable domain of reign in which a single rulership holds sway.
In Biblical setting, it goes beyond mere political power or ordinary rule over a territory, to exercising full authority and control over creative beings and spiritual forces that hold the natural realms in bondage.
For He has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of our sins (Col. 1:13-14).
Inherently, the power to exercise dominion emanates from God who replicates His supernatural authority in human nature. This point is buttressed in Genesis 1:27 – “So God created man in His own image; He created them in the image of God; male and female. By so doing, man became an embodiment of God’s power and an agent of His supernatural authority.”
The revelation of God in Psalm 8:4-6 places man at the head of all God’s works such as: the heavens, the sun, moon, the stars and the earth, including all living things. It really makes him next to God in position and power over all creation. Thus Adam was originally made higher than the angels, but by sin he was brought very low and made subject to death.
Now man in his lessened estate (short of God’s glory, Romans 3:23) is below angels. Nevertheless, Christ Himself was made lower for a time to take man’s low position and to raise him again higher than angels, as he originally was. Christ has, therefore, been exalted to a place higher than angels or any other being except the Father (Eph. 1:21-23, Phil. 2:9-11, 1 Peter 3:22). So, redeemed man is to be exalted to a position of honour with Christ.
The implication of the above exegesis is that: in Christ, all things hitherto lost by man in the fall has been restored to his dominion; hence the grace of restitution by God abounds for us. Nevertheless, the authority of man in discrete exercise of dominion over all creatures and spiritual forces is not absolute, or independent of God’s power; rather, it is participation in His divine nature and as subordinate to God’s rule.
The above fact underscores the reason man can make an authoritative declaration over mortal powers and spiritual forces and it stands. Therefore, the forces that dwell in the space and waters give recognition to your dominion and they cannot resist you.
As a child of God, you are an embodiment of God’s power. You are a carrier of His splendid glory.
Human beings, as far as we can tell, are entirely different from every other creature in the above sense. They can join their own will with the will of the Creator to do exploit. They can choose between doing right and doing wrong. They can forget this, and let their life be like that of a beast; the latter is, however, out of God’s purpose for human life. When they are really in their right senses, they are truly God’s entity for exploit.
Friends, God expects us to put to ultimate use the authority of His nature in us. That way, we’ll not be ridiculed by contending forces around us. You are a master of your destiny. This is because God has divinely shared His nature with you.
Whatever you choose to be in life, that you shall be. God has given you dominion over thoughts, principles, science and technology, and over spiritual powers that exist in the realms of nature. Consequently, God expects you to launch into action by taking necessary initiatives that put your life on the vantage line of victory over satanic powers.
The dominion mandate in your life gives you the divine impetus to rationally control events around your life through initiative process. For instance, as a Christian, do not ask God to do your farm work or your routine office schedules, or to take necessary precautionary measures over some things for you. God has already deposited the will power in you, to do those things. You do not pray instead of working. What you do in the place of prayer is to recognise God as the giver of this power, and to dedicate yourself to live and work to God’s honour.
In giving people this power and divine authority over creations, and other finite beings, God is their Lord. He expects human beings to give account to Him. As political or religious office-holders, we must account to God for the way we treat other human beings, particularly our subordinates.
People of God, I charge you to take your rightful position in God by participating in His divine nature and take dominion over the forces that mesmerise your life. Prayer and putting on God’s nature are the potent tools. You are an entity of dominion, and nothing shall dominate you. Circumstances of life are strictly under your control. This is the way the Lord wired you. In His image, He made them male and female (Gen.1:27).
