There is a natural tendency to think in terms of God’s power and man’s power, but this is not accurate. God’s power is all the power that is, or, there is no power that is not derived from God. This is why God is omnipotent, which means, of course, He possesses all power. So not only does power, or authority, reside in God, all power and all authority resides in God. In speaking of power in the sense of energy or the ability to do work, it all resides in and originates from God. In speaking of power in the sense of authority, this, too, resides in and originates from God. Humanity would not exist nor have the ability to exercise any power of any kind apart from the omnipotent God possessing all power. Does this include man’s power and ability to do evil? Of course, it does. While God, at the same time, abhors evil and has nothing to do with the origin or support of evil, He, yet, must provide the wherewithal for evil doers to do their will and their evil.
Why is this? Because God is omnipotent and no power exists anywhere for anyone under any circumstances except it reside in the omnipotent God. A familiar verse that illustrates this is found in Daniel 4, when he indicated that Nebuchadnezzar would be mentally impaired until he came to know that the Most High rules in the kingdom of men and gives it to whomsoever He will. God had nothing to do with the evil choices of Nebuchadnezzar, but God did provide the power, the energy, for Nebuchadnezzar to carry out those evil choices while He, God, had nothing whatsoever to do with the choices of Nebuchadnezzar.
Likewise, in John 19, when pompous Pontius Pilate told Christ, “I have power to crucify Thee, and have power to release Thee.” Christ set him straight by replying, “Thou couldst have no power at all against Me except it were given thee from above.” Does this mean God provided Pilate with the very power he would use to order and carry out the crucifixion of Christ? Precisely. Why would God do that? God did that because no one would have the power to do anything, good or evil, if God did not provide it. This is what is meant by referring to God as omnipotent. It isn’t just a word. It’s not even a mere theological word. It is of a truth. God really does possess all power and authority in heaven and earth. Anyone, whether men or angels, who attempts to do anything, whether good or evil, must obtain the power to do it from the only Source who possesses all power, that is the singularly omnipotent God.
The Father delegated power to the Son, and this is why Christ said, “All power is given unto Me in heaven and in earth,” in Matthew 28. Whether or not the world recognizes it, it’s very ability to function day by day is due solely to the all- power residing in the omnipotent God.
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