Authority in Christ as a born again believer- I am training in the wilderness right now!

 

1. WHAT AUTHORITY IS

In Luke 10:19 Jesus said, I have given you authority over all the power of the enemy, and you can walk among snakes and scorpions and crush them. Nothing will injure you (NLT). Does the church today need less authority than early church? I would say we need it even more!

This authority Jesus gave us means we are backed by all the power of heaven, using His Name. It’s not brute strength, like trying to stop a semi-truck by pushing against it, and it’s not your strength. It’s like a police officer (backed by the authority of the city) holding his hand up to the semi-truck driver and saying, “Stop in the name of the mayor.” You can step out in front of the devil, hold up your hand, and say, “Stop in the Name of Jesus!”

2. IT BELONGS TO YOU

Remember that in Luke 10:19 Jesus said He gave this authority to you. He got it from God the Father (Matthew 28:18). Right now, Jesus is seated at the right hand of the Father and we are seated there with Him (Acts 5:32, Ephesians 2:6). He is the Head, we are His Body (Colossians 1:18). What’s His is ours, and His authority is perpetuated through His Body.

So we are seated with Christ, in a place of spiritual authority. And we are to rule and reign in this life!  Too many times we pray “Lord, do this, do that” when He’s given the authority to us! God has already delivered us from the authority of darkness (Mark 16:15-18, Colossians 1:13) so we have a right to speak to the darkness (Satan, demons) and tell them what to do.           

3. HOW TO USE IT

 For this authority to work in your life, you must believe it. You must believe what God has said in His Word about you. Believing (faith) comes by the Word. 

The door to exercising your authority in Christ hinges on Ephesians 1:20 and Ephesians 2:6. I encourage you to meditate on those verses until you have the revelation that you are seated with Jesus at the right hand of God, and you have His authority. You are the one on earth that He moves through.

James 4:7 says "Submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you."  Instead of crying, “The devil’s after me!” or rolling over when you’re attacked, resist him! Push back with your faith, using your authority in Jesus’ name. Speak to the mountain in your life – stop letting it speak to you (Mark 11:23).

Matthew 18:18 says that whatever we bind on earth is bound in heaven. We do the binding. Heaven will refuse to allow what we allow. “Satan, I bind you off my body….my family….my finances…my nation. I loose the power of God in those situations (using the scripture that applies). In Jesus’ Name!”  (John 14:13-14)

Too many times we’ve allowed Satan’s agenda to run rampant instead of using our authority. Yes, Satan is God of this world (1 Corinthians 4:4) but we have authority over him – we must take it!

Remember, God’s plan is for you to rule and reign over circumstances, poverty, sickness, everything else that would hinder us (Romans 5:17). You reign because you have the authority in the Name of Jesus. You’re not a victim, a beggar, or pathetic – you are the Body of Christ – seated with Him at the right hand of God!

TAKE ACTION: I challenge you today to use your authority over the enemy. Do it over your own life and family, taking authority over sickness, lack, fear, confusion, thoughts, or demonic influences. Then focus outward – take authority over the powers and principalities that are trying to divide and destroy our neighborhoods, our cities, states, and nation. Come against the spirit of anarchy, terrorism, lying and murder, using the Name of Jesus.

Salvation includes more than just the guarantee of going to heaven—that’s just the beginning. Salvation is a big word. In the Greek language, it literally means deliverance, safety, preservation, material and temporal deliverance from danger, pardon, restoration, healing, wholeness and soundness.

Do you know what that means? It means you don’t have to be afraid of anything harming you or your children physically.

Physical protection for you and your family is a Covenant right. Peace, safety and covering from calamity, disaster or harm of any kind belongs to you.

It is NOT God’s will that people go and shoot up our children’s schools. It is NOT God’s will that we or our children are filled with sickness and disease or suffer injuries. It is NOT God’s will that we suffer under any part of the curse. But the devil has come to kill and destroy—he’s looking for a loophole—a way in to break the circle of protection that encompasses you.

Find A Prayer of Protection Against School Shootings here.

It is God’s will that we stop the enemy and rule and reign over him.

We live in a dangerous world, so taking your authority for protection should be done daily. It doesn’t take long—speak a word of protection as you drive, speak Psalm 91 over your family as you head to work or run errands, plead the blood of Jesus first thing in the morning when you wake. As you make it part of your daily routine, it will become second nature to you.

Take authority by saying something similar to Billye Brim’s daily declaration:

You listen to me, kingdom of darkness: It is written that I am seated at the Father’s right hand far above you (Ephesians 1:18-23) and that I overcome you by the blood of the Lamb and the word of my testimony (Revelation 12:11). So here is the word of my testimony, and here is who you can’t go near today. I draw the blood around (name your family members), and I plead the blood over myself, too. You stay away from us! Satan, you stay away from the good works I should walk in. You stay away from my ministry, my church, my neighborhood, my home, and every vehicle and building we go into. I draw a bloodline around them.

When you get into your car or fly on an airplane you can say:

In the Name of Jesus, I plead the blood of Jesus over my car. Bumper to bumper, side to side, top to bottom, every part working and nonworking, no one and nothing will bump this car, and we’ll bump no one or nothing. We’ll get to wherever we’re going without incident. 

You have the Name of Jesus and you have the authority of Jesus, and you overcome Satan by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of your testimony (Revelation 12:11, KJV).

7 Strategies for Building a Psalm 91 House

2. Use Your Authority to Drive Out Sickness

“No evil will conquer you; no plague will come near your home.” –Psalm 91:10

You have authority over sickness and disease—every cold, flu, backache, cancer, heart disease—all of it. You have the authority through Christ Jesus.

So, why do we sometimes face these challenges? Simple:

God is not going to override your authority. He gave Adam authority, and He didn’t override Adam’s decision to relinquish it to Satan. He has given you the same authority in the earth, and He has given you the way to victory in EVERY situation in His Word.

But He won’t override your authority. He will let you die sick if you choose to do so. You would have to ignore every healing scripture in the Bible and all that Jesus bought for you when He bore your sicknesses and carried your diseases, but you have the authority to go ahead and die. God will not stop you.

So, if you’re talking about your symptoms and sickness, you’re relinquishing your authority to Satan as Adam did in the Garden of Eden. That won’t get results!

Charles Capps used to say, “Don’t call the dog if you want the cat.  If you want the dog, you don’t step out on the front porch and say, ‘Here, cat.’  You say, ‘Here, dog.’ When you do, you’re taking authority over that dog and that old dog just comes running right up, wagging his tail.”

Don’t call the dog if you want the cat, and don’t call for sickness and disease if you want to be healed.  Use your authority and command your body to be healed in the Name of Jesus.

When Kenneth Copeland was first starting out in ministry, he was under the mentorship of Oral Roberts. One night, in the healing room after the service, they came to a woman who had cancer of the stomach. She was just the picture of death. As they approached her to lay hands on her, in a loud, growling, authoritative voice, Oral Roberts said, “You foul, unclean spirit, take your hands off God’s property in the Name of Jesus, whose I am and whom I serve!  Come out of her now!”

She instantly spit out that cancer on the floor. (It was the size of a fist and had nasty-looking tentacles hanging off it.) Then she jumped off her bed and ran around the room shouting, “I’m healed! I’m healed! I’m healed!”

That same authority is on the inside of you right now. You can use it to heal yourself; you can use it to heal others—and you should.

When you take authority over your body, say, “Body, I command you to get in line. I rebuke every symptom in my body right now, in Jesus’ Name. Be healed and made whole from the top of my head to the soles of my feet. I take my healing! I am healed.”

3. Use Your Authority to Cast Out Demons

“They will cast out demons in my name.” –Mark 16:17

Demonic activity isn’t something you’ll hear preached about on many Sunday mornings, but it exists, and there is a simple way to deal with it—by taking your authority. Certain countries see a greater level of demonic activity, but it’s everywhere, and it isn’t to be tolerated—not even for a minute.

In Mark 5:1-20, we see how Jesus handled demons when He drove them out of the demon-possessed man and into a herd of pigs. He used His authority—the same authority that has been given to us—to drive them out.

Billye Brim shared a story in her book The Blood and the Glory, about something that happened to her son Chip and his three friends when they were living in a mobile home while attending college:

“The first day they arrived home from school, they noticed strange things. The doors and windows were open. Hairdryers and a toaster were on. The television and stereos were blasting. They thought it was someone playing a joke, but no one else had a key. One night, Chip was in his bedroom studying. Everyone else was in bed. He heard the front door slam and the whole mobile home shook. He and his friends ran out of there as fast as they could.”

Many other similar incidents took place that day. They ran to a pay phone and called Billye. She instructed them to take scriptures and cast out the demons with their authority. Then, she told them to anoint the doors and windows with oil and apply the blood of Jesus. By using the authority given to them by the blood and the Name of Jesus, they had no further trouble.

All believers can cast out devils in His name. John Osteen used to say that when demons would approach his house, they must have said, “Oh, don’t go over there, those people will beat your brains out.”  That’s the way we ought to be when the devil tries to think about coming to our house.

Use the Name of Jesus. Plead the blood of Jesus. Drive demons and any demonic activity out of your home, your body, your life, your neighborhood, buildings, cars and anything else they try to occupy. Never be afraid of them—YOU have the authority. And they know it.

 4. Use Your Authority to Subdue the Weather

“Then He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, ‘Peace, be still!’ And the wind ceased and there was a great calm.” –Mark 4:39 (NKJV)

With so many devastating storms and disastrous tornadoes, floods and other happenings, many people have asked, “Is God behind it?” The answer is, ABSOLUTELY NOT!

Jesus said in John 10:10: “The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly” (NKJV).

Jesus is our example when it comes to dealing with destructive storms. We know Jesus spoke to the wind and said to the water, “Peace, be still!” and they obeyed Him.  We have the same place of authority through Jesus. It’s not His place to enforce the laws of the Kingdom in the earth. It’s ours.

Watch Chip Brim describe taking authority over a tornado approaching his home:

So, when the report of bad weather comes, don’t wait and see what’s going to happen. Start speaking to it, NOW! Go outside, if you can. Shout! Don’t just talk to God about it. Speak to the elements. Say, “You don’t come to my house! I declare THE BLESSING WALL up and around me, my family, my property and all that’s mine!”

Forget about what other people think. They already think we’re crazy. Being worried about what others think is a form of fear, and if the devil can get you to back off, he’ll try to destroy what’s yours and blame it on God.

You have authority over the weather. Don’t be afraid of any storm, tornado or earthquake. Rebuke it just as Jesus did.

Watch as Gloria Copeland takes authority over a tornado that was threatening a Convention Center where she was teaching Healing School. (The weather starts at about 1:04:55 in the video below.)

5. Use Your Authority for Finances

“He disarmed the spiritual rulers and authorities. He shamed them publicly by his victory over them on the cross.” –Colossians 2:15

If you’ve ever experienced the stress that comes from financial pressure, you know how difficult it is when you’re so strapped you don’t have enough money to pay your bills.

There are things that can block financial blessing such as being in unforgiveness, failing to walk in love, failing to tithe and sow, or operating without integrity. Those areas should be checked first. But if everything is in line with the Word of God, you may be facing an attack of the devil on your finances. He comes to STEAL, kill and destroy. He does not want you blessed.

Here’s the good news: Jesus reduced principalities and powers to nothing—He took away the devil’s power to dominate us in any way—including in the realm of our finances. Our job is to act on this truth. As long as we act like the devil has power over our finances, he will. But if you will believe in your heart and confess with your mouth what God’s Word says about finances, you’ll be taking authority, and you’ll get what you need.

So, when you’re facing an attack of the enemy on your finances, take your place of authority. Speak to the financial mountain. Say, “SATAN, TAKE YOUR HANDS OFF MY MONEY AND OFF MY PROPERTY. Ministering spirits (angels), GO! Cause all that’s mine in the kingdom of God to come into my hands, now! I declare THE BLESSING of the Lord, THE SHIELD OF GRACE up around all that’s mine!”

God has given us authority on earth to rule. It may not feel like it, but it’s true. He does nothing on earth unless he does it through a person. He always intended to rule the earth but through His delegated authority in mankind (Genesis 1:26). We were to carry out the government of the earth, but Adam and Eve gave it away through disobedience. You know the story. Adam transferred authority over the earth to Satan (Luke 4:4, 2 Corinthians 4:4). All of mankind was then under his dominion. God did not give Satan authority over the earth, Adam did.
 
We needed someone to stand between us, and Satan, in order to break that dominion. Jesus was the only one who could. He came as a man completely fulfilling God’s will and became our intercessor - the one who could join us to God again and break Satan’s headship over us (Isaiah 53:12). Jesus purchased us with his blood (Revelation 5:9, 1 Timothy 2:5) and not only restored us to God, He became the way that God could again have dominion over the earth (1 Corinthians 15, Matthew 28:19-20). Jesus could now rule in the affairs of earth.

• Abide in Christ - As you abide, you are able to pray the things that are on God’s heart.
• Be steadfast in prayer and ready for battle - Know that you are in enemy territory, and you are here to fight for God’s Kingdom in prayer. Watch for those fiery darts, hold up your shield of faith, and put on the armor of God (Ephesians 6).
• Stand upon the promises of God - Do not listen to the enemy. Speak God’s promises over your family, neighborhood, city, and nation. 
• Know and Pray God’s Word - The Bible is filled with Scripture you can pray. Declarative prayer is a key way to exercise your authority in prayer. Try praying Daniel’s prayer in Daniel 9:3-19.
• Focus on God during times of warfare - The enemy will try to discourage you as to your authority. Focus on God instead of the things you see happening in the world. Remember, you have authority in Christ.
• Mix praise and prayer together - Worship is the atmosphere where truth dwells. There is power released in worship warfare. God is greater than all enemy attacks. 
• Practice fasting on a regular basis - Fasting gives you spiritual power and strength to steadfastly stand against the enemy.
• Let God’s peace rule in your heart - Come in the opposite spirit of the world system. An attitude of peace and joy in the midst of darkness is powerful (Colossians 3:15).    

• We are God’s legislative and enforcement agents. We are Christ’s ambassadors plenipotentiary on earth and we must enforce the Will of God on earth as it is in Heaven. Mark 16:15-17 “And He said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. And these signs shall follow them that believe; In My name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues”. We have the mandate of Heaven to cast out demons and stop their operations wherever we live, work or operate.

• The meaning of the Greek word power is a force or ability that enables us to overcome the tactics of the devil. The word authority is the Greek word, “Exousia”, which is a delegated influence, or jurisdiction; The right to administer justice. Simply put, power gives us the ability to overcome oppression, while authority gives us jurisdiction to subdue the oppressor.

  The source of our authority is in the resurrection power of Christ and can only be asserted through His Lordship in our lives (Hebrews 2:14). In Ephesians chapter 1, Paul explains how all authority was brought about through Christ when God raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand. Chapter 2 adds that we too have been raised up and seated right there with Him. Proper power and authority cannot be exercised outside the salvation and Lordship of Jesus Christ.

   

  The Trump Card

  “Behold I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing will injure you.”–Luke 10:19

  It is of great importance to realize that your authority annihilates the power of the devil in your life. This verse in Luke 10 reveals that while the devil has dunamis power (force and ability), he has no authority (jurisdiction) over anything. He can try and attack you, but he cannot destroy or overcome you. Your power alone vs. the devil’s power will often times cause never-ending cycles of struggle; leaving you feeling hopeless. But, exercising both power and authority conquers the devil’s power, releasing victory to you, so that you can occupy the position of freedom. Here’s a practical example of applying power and authority:

  Joe Christian struggles with an addiction; drugs, alcohol, pornography, food or the like. When desire threatens to carry him away, power gives him the ability to call on the name of Jesus. He invites the Spirit into his situation, thus empowering him to overcome the attack of temptation (2 Cor. 3:17); Joe’s power gives him the ability to overcome the temptation at the moment. Additionally, he must exercise his authority over the devil to uproot the issue. Joe must enforce his authority; removing the stronghold of the enemy’s power over him so that he does not find himself in a constant power struggle with the devil.

   

  Three ways to Exercise Authority

  Flex Your “No” Muscle– Make a decision that you will not passively manage strongholds in your life. Be honest; face your struggle. Embrace humility; recognize your need for Christ. Be diligent; exercise your authority over the enemy by saying, “No! You cannot operate in my life this way any longer, get out!”Put your foot down and refuse to let the devil continue to assault your life (James 4:7).

  Speak the Word!– Jesus responded to every one of the devil’s schemes with, “it is written” (Matthew 4).The word is a weapon of warfare; it is the truth, life, and it is final. Use the scriptures to pray, praise God, and declare truth; Knowing the word of God is imperative in exercising your authority.

  Fill the House– Abide in Christ (John 15:4). Since Christ is the source of our authority, it cannot exist apart from His Lordship. Anchor yourself in Christ through a constant study of scripture, worship, and prayer. Pray daily, “Lord, sit upon the throne of my heart and be Master over my thoughts, and behaviors today”

  When you exercise your power and authority over the enemy, it’s like bringing a nuclear bomb to a knife fight. Go kick some tail and take back your territory, friend!

• Authority in the Old Testament

  • It is a very interesting fact that as you read the Old Testament, you don’t see Satan mentioned much
  • Gen. 3 – in the garden
  • Job 1-2
  • Zechariah 3:1-7
  • 1Chronicles 21:1-22:1
  • Isa. 14:12-17
  • Ezekiel 28:11-19
  • And that’s 4000 years of Biblical history and he is only mentioned a few times
  • Demons were involved in Old Testament times.  There were wars that Israel fought that were motivated by demons.  Demons were behind the Canaanite religions that caused Israel to sin.  Demons were behind the oppression of Pharaoh that Israel experienced in the Egypt.  Demons were behind the slaughter of the children by Herod.
  • But as soon as Jesus comes on the scene – you see demons being cast out – demons mentioned in connection with sickness – they are mentioned all over the place.  Why?
  • Adam gave away his authority in the garden of Eden
  • God gave man dominion – Gen. 1:28

  Genesis 1:28 (ESV)
  28 And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”

  • There was no authority in the earth to deal with demons, Adam gave it away!

  Luke 4:4–5 (ESV)
  4 And Jesus answered him, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone.’ ” 5 And the devil took him up and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time,

  • The only authority available in the Old Testament was the Lord’s own personal authority.

  Zechariah 3:1–3 (ESV)
  1 Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the LORD, and Satan standing at his right hand to accuse him. 2 And the LORD said to Satan, “The LORDrebukeyou, O Satan! The LORD who has chosen Jerusalem rebuke you! Is not this a brand plucked from the fire?” 3 Now Joshua was standing before the angel, clothed with filthy garments.

  • God the Father Exercised His Authority in the Old Testament

  Psalm 9:5
  5 You have rebuked the nations; you have made the wicked perish; you have blotted out their name forever and ever.

  Psalm 119:21
  21 You rebuke the insolent, accursed ones, who wander from your commandments.

  Psalm 80:16
  16 They have burned it with fire; they have cut it down; may they perish at the rebuke of your face!

  Psalm 76:6
  6 At your rebuke, O God of Jacob, both rider and horse lay stunned.

  Psalm 106:9
  9 He rebuked the Red Sea, and it became dry, and he led them through the deep as through a desert.

  Psalm 18:15
  15 Then the channels of the sea were seen, and the foundations of the world were laid bare at your rebuke, O LORD, at the blast of the breath of your nostrils.

  Isaiah 17:13
  13 The nations roar like the roaring of many waters, but he will rebuke them, and they will flee far away, chased like chaff on the mountains before the wind and whirling dust before the storm.

  Jude 9
  9 But when the archangel Michael, contending with the devil, was disputing about the body of Moses, he did not presume to pronounce a blasphemous judgment, but said, “The Lord rebuke you.”

  • There was authority being exercised in the Old Testament but it wasn’t man that was exercising it, it was God.  God exercised His authority at certain points in Old Testament history because the man that God created and gave dominion to, could not exercise any because Adam, our representative, gave it away.

  Jesus Exercised Authority in the New Testament

  • How did this work with Jesus?
  • So, now Jesus comes on the scene
  • We know that Jesus operated as a man anointed by the Holy Spirit under the umbrella of the Abrahamic Covenant.
  • So here is the big question; how did Jesus exercise authority over the devil, when there wasn’t any authority available under the Abrahamic Covenant – Adam had long since given it away?
  • The first key is the Principle of Identification

  John 10:30 (ESV)
  30 I and the Father are one.”

  John 14:24 (ESV)
  24 Whoever does not love me does not keep my words. And the word that you hear is not mine but the Father’s who sent me.

  John 8:28 (ESV)
  28 So Jesus said to them, “When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am he, and that I do nothing on my own authority, but speak just as the Father taught me.

  • Demons, themselves, recognized this union.

  Mark 1:24 (ESV)
  24 “What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God.”

  • The demons recognized Jesus as God’s Son.
  • Where did Jesus get His authority from?  He got it from Daddy!!!
  • What was the result?

  Luke 4:36 (ESV)
  36 And they were all amazed and said to one another, “What is this word? For with authority and power he commands the unclean spirits, and they come out!”

  • Look at the scenario – God gave man dominion and he gave it away to Satan
  • God gave Jesus authority and you know what He did it with it?   The same thing!
  • He gave it away!

  Luke 9:1 (ESV)
  1 And he called the twelve together and gave them power and authority over all demons and to cure diseases,

  • What’s amazing about this is that they weren’t even born-again at this point and they had this authority!!!
  • They exercised more authority on this missionary excursion that Jesus sent them on than all the Old Testament saints wrapped up together.
  • To the point that the disciples came back and said…

  Luke 10:17 (ESV)
  17 The seventy-two returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in your name!”

  • There was one final step that had to be taken that though the disciples had authority over demons yet they did not have authority over themselves – they needed the new birth for that!!! – and that meant the cross.
  • So now with the death, and the burial, and the resurrection of Jesus not only do the disciples have the ability to exercise authority over themselves but God permanently restored to man his lost authority through the same method the Father used with Jesus – identification.
  • You are in Christ.  You were ‘in Him’ – when He was crucified – you were ‘in Him’ in the tomb – you were ‘in Him’ as He served the penalty for the sin of mankind.  When He raised Jesus from the dead, you were ‘in Him’.  And finally when He exalted Jesus and gave Him a seat at His right hand far above all principalities and powers – you were ‘in Him’ – YOU ARE SEATED WITH HIM high above all devils demons and evil spirits.
  • STEP UP AND TAKE  A SEAT!!!!!

  Call to Action:

  Some situations are the way they are on planet earth because believers are not exercising their God given authority. We spend time praying that God would change these situations but He is waiting on you to rise up and take Him at His Word. So what about it? What situations, that fall under this realm of authority, are you dealing with that need to be changed? Meditate on the Word of God until it becomes revelation to your spirit. And rise up and do the works of Jesus.

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• The only way we can have confidence in our authority over the enemy is to know and walk in the light of the written Word of God.
• God sent Jesus to the earth to redeem mankind and to restore to man his lost dominion and authority on this earth. And as man exercises the authority he has been given in Christ, he fulfills God’s plan and will upon the earth.
• Jesus explained to Kenneth Hagin that rulers of darkness also try to rule over believers who are not walking in the light of their redemption, or who don’t know or don’t exercise their rights and privileges in Christ. Jesus told me that according to His Word, believers are to take authority over these first three classes of demons: principalities, powers, and the rulers of the darkness of this world. He said that if we on earth will bind the operation of the first three classes of demons, according to His Word, He will deal with the fourth class of demons — spiritual wickedness in high places. He gave me Matthew 18:18 to substantiate this. MATTHEW 18:18 Whatsoever ye shall BIND ON EARTH shall be bound in heaven [the heavenlies]: and whatsoever ye shall LOOSE ON EARTH shall be loosed in heaven [the heavenlies]. We are to bind evil spirits in their operation against us in Jesus’ Name, based on the authority of God’s Word (Luke 10:19; Phil. 2:9, 10; Isa. 54:17; Rev. 12:11). That is what Matthew 18:18 means. As we stand in our authority in Christ and bind the operation of the first three classes of evil spirits here in the realm of earth, that stops them in their operation against us. When we do that, then Jesus said He will deal with the highest class of demons, spiritual wickedness ruling in the high places.
• Evil spirits will dominate believers, if they allow them to — by consent, ignorance, or disobedience. That’s the reason people, including believers, do certain things and don’t know why they do them.
• Walking in the light of God’s Word ensures protection against all of Satan’s evil hosts.
• As long as you are in your body, you will have the desires of the fleshly carnal nature and the unredeemed soul to control. And that is the realm where Satan tries to gain access to man.
• With my spirit, I contact the spiritual realm. With my soul, I contact the intellectual and emotional realm. With my body, I contact the physical realm.
• Keeping your body subject to your spirit is one of the primary ways you protect yourself against the enemy and actually it is one of your greatest defenses against Satan.
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• Take a very close look at the last verse above.  Ephesians 2:6.  I want to show it in several different translations, so that you can see what it is saying.

  NET – and he raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus,
  NIV – And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus,
  NASB – and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,
  NLT – For he raised us from the dead along with Christ, and we are seated with him in the heavenly realms––all because we are one with Christ Jesus.
  NRSV – and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,
  NKJV – and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,

  God the Father has seated us at His right hand, in the same seat of authority that Jesus occupies (we are WITH Christ and we are also IN Christ).  This is a place that is far above every demon, every fallen angel, every evil spirit, and even the devil himself.   It is the same seat of authority Jesus occupies, as mentioned in the passage that we looked at earlier.  The Bible says that God decided to allow you to share the throne of Jesus.  That is astounding!

  God has chosen to give us, His beloved children, a level of authority in the spirit realm that is above every other created being.

  Also, please notice the tense of the verbs.  This is not something that will take place in the future.  The verbs are in the past tense.  It doesn’t say that we will be seated, it says we have already been seated.  This is something that has already happened.  We, as followers of Christ, have already been given authority that is far above the enemy.

  Take a moment and let this sink in.  If you have never seen this before, it make take a while.  It is a staggering truth to comprehend.  We have absolute, unconditional authority over all demons.  We are in a position that is far above them.  We are above even the most powerful and highest ranking forces of evil.  This explicitly includes principalities, powers, and every name that is named.

  To further emphasize this truth, read Ephesians 1:22-23 again.  It says “And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.”

  All things are under the feet of Jesus.  Jesus is the head of the church.  The church is His body.   The feet are part of the body.  All things are under His feet, so all things are under His body…so all things are under the church.  The picture that God wants us to see is that every demon is under our feet.  We have authority over all demons.

  If you believe the Bible, then you need to believe this, because it is in the Bible, and it is true.

  It is true whether or not you realize it.  It is true whether or not you believe it.  Rather, it is true because God said it.  When you decide to believe it, that doesn’t make it true.  It was true already.  But if you will choose to believe it, then you can and will begin enjoying the benefits of it.

  A Free Gift from a Loving Father

  Authority over the devil and demons is not something that we should be working towards.  It is not a goal or a target.  It is a fact that is true right now.  It is already so.   We don’t have to work for it, it was given to us as a gift.  God gave it to us “because of His great love for us” (Eph 2:4), not because of our hard work and holy living.

  When you chose to put your faith in Jesus, several things happened.  You were declared righteous and holy by God the Father (Romans 5:1).  You were spiritually born again (John 3:5-8) into the family of God (John 1:12).  You were given citizenship with full rights into the Kingdom of God (Eph 2:19).  And you were placed into a seat/position of authority that is higher than every other created being (Eph 2:6).

  All of this took place the instant you believed.  It was all an act of unmerited goodwill (grace) from your heavenly Father.  You did not work to earn any of it.  It came as a result of faith in Jesus, “not of works, lest any man should boast” (Eph 2:8).

  It was given as a free gift, totally apart from your own goodness or merit.  Like I said before, you did not earn your place with God by working hard, reading your bible, fasting, praying, giving to the poor, or any other good deed.  It was all a free gift.

  Since it was a free gift, and since you already possess all of these things, then you can be very confident that you do not have to achieve any level of performance in order to maintain any of these things…including your authority.

  Your authority over the devil did not come as a reward for your holy lifestyle, and likewise it not be decreased or taken away because of any moral or ethical failures, large or small, that you may experience during your life.  Don’t get me wrong…sin is bad, and sin can make things very difficult for you.  But remember this:  your level of authority over the devil is not related to your ability to avoid sin.  You have authority over the enemy, even when you sin.

  So never let the enemy lie to you and tell you that you have lost your authority because of something you did.  That is just a lie to trick you into becoming an easy target.

  So, what now?

  If you have any experience working in a job for different managers, supervisors, or company owners, then you can probably identify with what I am about to say.  There are some people in a position of authority that can speak and people will listen to them.  Then there are other people in a position of authority that can speak and people will ignore them, or disrespect them, or any other variety of responses.

  It is possible to have a position of authority…to have authority…but not know how to use it.

  You have authority over the devil, but it is not doing you any good if you don’t know how to use it.

  In my next post, I plan to spend some time giving some examples of how to use the authority that your Father has given you.  But for now, I want to highlight something from the beginning of the first passage I quoted in this article.

  Ephesians 1:15-19

  15 Therefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints,

  16 do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers:

  17 that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him,

  18 the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints,

  19 and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power

   

• The only way we can have confidence in our authority over the enemy is to know and walk in the light of the written Word of God.
• God sent Jesus to the earth to redeem mankind and to restore to man his lost dominion and authority on this earth. And as man exercises the authority he has been given in Christ, he fulfills God’s plan and will upon the earth.
• Jesus explained to Kenneth Hagin that rulers of darkness also try to rule over believers who are not walking in the light of their redemption, or who don’t know or don’t exercise their rights and privileges in Christ. Jesus told me that according to His Word, believers are to take authority over these first three classes of demons: principalities, powers, and the rulers of the darkness of this world. He said that if we on earth will bind the operation of the first three classes of demons, according to His Word, He will deal with the fourth class of demons — spiritual wickedness in high places. He gave me Matthew 18:18 to substantiate this. MATTHEW 18:18 Whatsoever ye shall BIND ON EARTH shall be bound in heaven [the heavenlies]: and whatsoever ye shall LOOSE ON EARTH shall be loosed in heaven [the heavenlies]. We are to bind evil spirits in their operation against us in Jesus’ Name, based on the authority of God’s Word (Luke 10:19; Phil. 2:9, 10; Isa. 54:17; Rev. 12:11). That is what Matthew 18:18 means. As we stand in our authority in Christ and bind the operation of the first three classes of evil spirits here in the realm of earth, that stops them in their operation against us. When we do that, then Jesus said He will deal with the highest class of demons, spiritual wickedness ruling in the high places.
• Evil spirits will dominate believers, if they allow them to — by consent, ignorance, or disobedience. That’s the reason people, including believers, do certain things and don’t know why they do them.
• Walking in the light of God’s Word ensures protection against all of Satan’s evil hosts.
• As long as you are in your body, you will have the desires of the fleshly carnal nature and the unredeemed soul to control. And that is the realm where Satan tries to gain access to man.
• With my spirit, I contact the spiritual realm. With my soul, I contact the intellectual and emotional realm. With my body, I contact the physical realm.
• Keeping your body subject to your spirit is one of the primary ways you protect yourself against the enemy and actually it is one of your greatest defenses against Satan.

Jesus Gets  Back  the Authority

However, God had a plan.  It was His plan of redemption.  The Bible, from Genesis to Revelation, is  God revealing that plan.  God was going to redeem man and win back authority.   His plan of redemption was and is Jesus.

When Jesus died on the cross He paid the price for all sin and satisfied God’s demand for justice.  As a result, two major things happened:

• Man was redeemed. The blood of Jesus paid for our salvation. “For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, but with the precious blood of Christ,”   (1Pt1:18-19)   Anyone who believes in Jesus and confesses Him and Lord is saved and redeemed.  (Romans 10:9)
• Jesus gets back the authority. Jesus said, “I am the living one. I was dead, but now I am alive forever. I have the keys of death and hell.” (Revelation 1:18) Keys represent authority. In Matthew 28:18 He said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.”

Jesus defeated the devil and took back the authority.  The Bible says He made a show of him and triumphed over him and all the powers of darkness. (Colossians 2:15)

Jesus Delegates  Authority to the Church (believers)

Jesus said, “Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy and nothing shall by any means hurt you”. (Luke 10:19)  In Mathew 16:19 He said, “And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”  Jesus has given us authority over all the powers of the enemy.   He has given you authority.  The question is what will you do with that authority?

Believers Must Exercise Their Authority

It is time for believers to use the authority (power) Jesus has given them to stop the works of the enemy.  Jesus defeated the devil at Calvary, but he still goes about looking for those he can deceive.  (1Peter 5:8)  We have the power to put a stop to the works of darkness in our lives and in our family.   We don’t have authority over other people, but we have authority to come against rulers, principalities,  and powers of darkness and to bind all spiritual wickedness in the heavenly places. (Ephesians 6:12)

Make the decision today to exercise the authority you have in Jesus.  He has given you weapons to defeat the enemy every time.  Those weapons are not natural weapons.  They are spiritual weapons, but they are mighty.  (2Corinthians 10:4) You have power in the Spirit.  (Acts 1:8)  You have His name.  The name that every knee must bow.  You have the blood of Jesus.  You have the Word of God.   Resist the devil and he must flee. (James 4:7)

You have power and authority it’s time. take your responsibility and begin to exercise your authority and live a life of victory every day.  It’s time for the church to rise up in the power and authority of Jesus to stop the works of darkness in our communities.

What do you need to cast out demons?

1. You must submit yourself to the authority of Jesus. That means you must be born again and be obedient to His word and live a life of holiness. Does Jesus know you? Have you surrendered your life to him? Have you come under His authority? If you haven’t, you’ll be a name-dropper and demons know those who are dropping the name of Jesus but have no personal relationship with Him. There is an example of this in Acts 19. “A team of Jews who were traveling from town to town casting out evil spirits tried to use the name of the Lord Jesus. The incantation they used was this: ‘I command you by Jesus, whom Paul preaches, to come out!’  Seven sons of Sceva, a leading priest, were doing this. But when they tried it on a man possessed by an evil spirit, the spirit replied, ‘I know Jesus, and I know Paul. But who are you?’ And he leaped on them and attacked them with such violence that they fled from the house, naked and badly injured” (Acts 19:13-16 NLT).

In the book of Zechariah, Joshua the high priest was standing before the angel of the LORD and Satan was at the angel’s right hand, accusing the high priest of many things, apparently his sins. Zechariah 3:3-4 says, “Jeshua’s clothing was filthy as he stood there before the angel. So the angel said to the others standing there, ‘Take off his filthy clothes.’ And turning to Jeshua he said, ‘See, I have taken away your sins, and now I am giving you these fine new clothes’” (NLT). The LORD’s intervention saved the high priest as shown in verse 2: “And the LORD said to Satan, ‘I, the LORD, reject your accusations, Satan. Yes, the LORD, who has chosen Jerusalem, rebukes you. This man is like a burning stick that has been snatched from a fire’” (NLT).

Satan will always seek to accuse any child of God that is playing with sin. Although Jesus is ever there to defend the believer because He has paid for his sin with His blood on the cross of Calvary,  such a sinning Christian may not have the confidence to command the devil. Put off a filthy garment that can make the devil bring accusations against you. “But now you yourselves are to put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth. Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds, and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him” (Colossians 3:8-10 NKJV).

If you’re a disobedient child of God, demons will not obey you. They know you’re disobedient and living in sin.  For instance, why will demons obey you when you’re violating the word of God that says forgive? You’re unforgiving and you’re commanding demons to go; they know you’re out of order, you’re not under authority. Jesus said, “But when you are praying, first forgive anyone you are holding a grudge against, so that your Father in heaven will forgive your sins, too” (Mark 11:25-26 NLT). Unforgiveness hinders prayer. Demons don’t obey disobedient children of God. You cannot be walking in disobedience to Jesus and be using the authority of his name. No.

That centurion told Jesus, “For I also am a man under authority, having soldiers under me. And I say to this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes; and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it” (Matthew 8:9 NKJV). Even Jesus the Son of God marveled at the deep understanding of this military officer who wasn’t even a Jew.  Verse 10 says, “When Jesus heard it, He marveled, and said to those who followed, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel!’” (NKJV).

2. Faith. Unbelief can’t cast out demons. That was what Jesus told his disciples. Did you remember? Let me repeat that Scripture: “Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, ‘Why could we not cast it out?’ So Jesus said to them, ‘Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you. However, this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting” (Matthew 17:19-21 NKJV). You need faith to cast out demons. Prayer and fasting build faith. (Please note that some Bible translations don’t include verse 21). Nonetheless, the point has been well made – without faith, no man shall be able to cast out demons. So ensure you build your faith.  That verse 21says this one does not go except by prayer and fasting.

Exercise faith in Jesus and the Word of God when you’re casting out demons. Don’t be double-minded; a double-minded person cannot receive anything from the Lord (James 1:6-8).  Don’t be afraid. Have faith in the authority Jesus has given you and believe that demons will obey you as they obeyed the twelve disciples, the 70 disciples, and other disciples in the early church and are obeying other believers today.  “Have faith in God. I assure you that you can say to this mountain, ‘May God lift you up and throw you into the sea,’ and your command will be obeyed. All that’s required is that you really believe and do not doubt in your heart.  Listen to me! You can pray for anything, and if you believe, you will have it” (Mark 11:22-24 NLT).

Don’t entertain a doubt that the demons won’t obey you when you command them to go out. It is not about you; it is about the one whose authority you’re exercising – Jesus Christ, the one who has all power on earth and in heaven.

3. Command them in the name of Jesus, the name that is above every name. Don’t beg demons; command them to leave in the name of Jesus. The devil will always remember that name – Jesus who defeated and humiliated him. “Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it” (Colossians 2:15 NKJV).

Conclusion: Be part of the body of believers globally who are still exercising their faith and casting out demons. Demos are under your authority. As long as you bow to the authority of Jesus, living in obedience to him, demons have no option than to submit to the name of Jesus in your mouth.

Don’t allow demons in your life, in your home, or in the lives of others. Preach the gospel to those around you and cast out demons from any of them possessed by demons. Proclaim liberty, freedom to those who have been held captives by demons – set them free in the name of Jesus. May you come back with testimonies in Jesus’ name.

TAKE ACTION!

If you are not born again, you need to give your life to Jesus now. I urge you to take the following steps: *Admit you are a sinner and you cannot save yourself and repent of your sins. *Confess Jesus as your Lord and Saviour. *Renounce your past way of life – your relationship with the devil and his works. *Invite Jesus into your life. *As a mark of seriousness to mature in the faith, start attending a Bible-believing and Bible-teaching church. There they will teach you how to grow in the Kingdom of God.

Kindly say this prayer now: O Lord God, I come unto you today. I know I am a sinner and I cannot save myself. I believe that Jesus is the Son of God who died on the cross to save me and resurrected the third day. I repent of my sins and confess Jesus as my Lord and Saviour. I surrender my life to Jesus now and invite Him into my heart. By this prayer, I know I am saved. Thank you, Jesus, for saving me and making me a child of God.

Importance of Spiritual Authority

1. God’s Deliverance (Daniel 3:17)
2. Divine Health (John 5:1-9)
3. Answer to Prayers (Ephesians 3:20)
4. Divine Assurance (Romans 4:21)
5. Provision (Matthew 14:19)
6. Freedom (2 Corinthians 3:17, Ephesians 3:12, Psalm 119:45)
7. Help from Above (Mark 14:36)

Divine Assurance (Romans 4:21)

The assurance of God is authentic. God never goes back on his promise. He has assured every true believer a good life. Be patient. God will fulfil his promises for your life.

Divine Provision (Matthew 14:19)

Jesus feeding the multitude with five loaves of bread and two fishes is an incredible story. Who would have imagined such a ration of food would feed ten people? What Jesus had to do was give thanks to God.

It is a joyful experience to have God as your father. He never abandons his children at the time of their needs.

Though, it may seem like there is a delay. But, the slow down is not a denial. God works in his ways to bless his children. Whatever is your need, cast your burden upon him. God will meet you at the point of your needs.

Keys to Spiritual Authority

• Salvation
• Stay Under the Shadow of God
• Fervent Prayer Life

Salvation

Grace is the power of God unto salvation – Romans 5:11. Being a Christian is an obligation to operate in divine authority.

You must set yourself apart from every form of uncleanliness. The holy spirit needs to dwell inside of you for you to operate in divine capacity.

Stay Under the Shadow of God

The scripture in Psalm 91:1 tells us we must all abide in the presence of God. Staying far away from God makes you vulnerable to the devices of the enemy.