And you hath he quickened… (Ephesians 2:1)

If you are the little toe on the body of Christ, you are still seated with Christ far above every principality and every power.
Mark Hankins

Most churches will talk to you about Jesus. He died; He was buried; He arose from the dead; He is triumphant. He is raised; He is seated, and all power in heaven and earth is given to Him. Many churches will tell you all about Jesus, but they will make you think Jesus is way up there, and you are just a little worm down here struggling to get along.

Paul lifts Christ to the highest pinnacle in the universe and then says, “And you hath he quickened.” (Ephesians 2:1) He lifts up Christ and you with Him. Then Paul says, “Christ is the head; we are His body.” We are His body, and He is the head. Everything is underneath His feet! If you are the little toe on the body of Christ, you are still seated with Christ far above every principality and every power.

Confession: Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. (Ephesians 2:5-6)

They [the former tyrant masters] are dead, they shall not live and reappear; they are powerless ghosts, they shall not rise and come back.
(Isaiah 26:14 AMP)

Wherever sin and Satan dominated your life, every trace of its supremacy has perished or come to an end.
Mark Hankins

Have you ever had your past come back like a ghost? The devil is the master of deception. He will tell you that fear, confusion, and sickness are still there.

Isaiah said the tyrants that ruled your past are powerless ghosts. They shall not rise and come back. God has visited you, made an end to them. He has caused every memory and trace of their supremacy to perish. Old habits, old attitudes, the devil, shame, and the past shall not control you.

God says that old things are passed away. You might think, “It sure doesn’t feel like old things have passed away.” It has nothing to do with the way you feel. You have to challenge every attitude and thought that comes against your mind with the Word of God. It doesn’t matter what the devil did to you; God said, “I swallowed that thing up, so there is no trace that it was ever there.”

Confession: I am God’ s property. Old things have passed away. I have a new life in Christ!

Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. (Romans 6:6)

This is the power of being dead to sin: the old man no longer exists.
Mark Hankins

When Paul says “old man,” to whom is he referring? Other translations of Romans 6:6 say, “Our old sinful nature,” “The old person I used to be,” “My old inherited self,” (Jordan, Cressman, Bruce).

Here are a few things the “old man” refers to: my old sick self, my old poor self, my old confused self, my old defeated self, my old condemned self, my old guilty self, and my old sinful self was crucified with Him!

If someone were in the Mafia and decided to testify against the organization, the federal government would have to give him a new identity so that he could not be traced. He would be given a legal identity change including birth certificate, passport, etc. If anyone from his former lifestyle tried to contact him, his mail, legal notices, and bills would be returned marked, “Return to sender. No such person. No such place.” This is the power of being dead to sin: the old man no longer exists.

Confession: My old self was crucified with Christ. I am not the same person I used to be! No such person exists!