"And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth" (Gen. 1:26).

Every born-again believer was created to walk in dominion and authority in the earth. Too many people live defeated lives, not knowing that they are destined to be in control right where they are. You were born to win. That is made clear in Genesis 1.

We will look specifically at Genesis 1:26 so that there is no doubt that God created the earth for mankind—for you and me, male and female—to be in authority in all we do and everywhere we go. At the recreation of the earth God had a plan when He created man—male and female. God's will was for them to have dominion over all the earth and over everything in it.

Genesis 1:27-28 says,

So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.

Notice the word "every" in that passage. It means "all. Also notice what took place here. God created man and God explains His will for man on the earth so that they would have dominion. "Dominion" in Hebrew means to rule or to have power.

God intended for man to rule and to have full authority over the planet. In verse 28 when God made the man and woman, He gave them their marching orders. He told them to be fruitful and multiply.

We can see then that the first thing that God told them to do was to increase. Then He told them to subdue the earth. The word subdue in the Hebrew means to keep under and to bring into subjection.

You must realize that God doesn't require you to do something without giving you the ability to do it. If He said to have dominion in the earth, then He has given you the ability to do it. His ability and His strength is found in the Holy Bible for you to have dominion on the earth and over the things in the earth. Study the word of God and meditate on it, and exercise your dominion today

The word dominion also means to tread down. It means to reign or to rule over. So what did God do? God made the first man and woman head over all things. They were head over the planet itself. And they were head over everything on the planet whether it walked, crawled, swam or flew.

That brings us to today. Dominion did not stop with Adam and Eve, but it was established in them. It shows us that the same dominion is available to every believer. With the word of God, you can take dominion over sickness, depression, lack, worry, disease, fear and over all that works against you in the earth. You were created to win.

You were created to dominate in the earth!

Scripture references: Psalm 8:4-8; Hebrews 2:6-8