Colossians 2:6-7 NKJV (6) As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, (7) rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving.
Three theological terms we need to understand:
- Incarnation – God becoming man through the Lord Jesus
(John 1:1 NKJV) In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
(John 1:14 NKJV) And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.
- Substitution – Jesus became our substitute to pay the price of our sin thus taking upon Himself all we had to offer. But in our substitution in the Resurrection, we can receive on us all He has to offer.
(2 Corinthians 5:17-19 NKJV) (17) Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. (18) Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, (19) that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation.
Very often, Christians do not know what has been bought and paid for and belongs to them.
And, Christians do not use what belongs to them.
(John 8:32 NKJV) And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”
(Hosea 4:6 BBE) Destruction has overtaken my people because they have no knowledge…
- Identification.
We need to not only identify with Jesus death on the Cross for us but also what was accomplished for us in His glorious Resurrection.
One of the many things Christ paid for in His Substitutionary sacrifice and we need to identify with is our authority in Christ.
We want to stir ourselves regarding “The Authority of the Believer.”
(Luke 10:17-20 NKJV) Then the seventy returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name.” (18) And He said to them, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. (19) 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. (20) Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven.”
In verse 19, the first word translated “authority” is the Greek word “exousia” which means delegated authority.
The second word translated “power” is the Greek word “dunamis” which means ability or capability.
In speaking about serpents and scorpions, Jesus was referring to the power of the devil – demons, evil spirits and all his cohorts.
Does the Church today have or need any less authority than these disciples did in Jesus day? No!
Matter of fact, Jesus was delegating that authority to them as a man anointed by God under the old covenant. How much more do we have since He personally defeated the enemy and made a show of him?
The value of our authority rests on the power behind that authority.
God Himself is the power behind that authority. The devil and his forces are obliged to recognize our authority.
What is authority? Authority is delegated power.
Policemen can direct traffic during the rush hour traffic and hold up their hands and stop cars. Even though they do not have the physical ability to stop cars and trucks, they have the delegated power given to them by the government that they serve. People recognize that authority and stop their cars.
That means that you as a recipient of the delegated authority of Heaven, that is back by God Himself can step out and stop the operations of the devil in your life and he must obey because he recognizes that Power that is backing you.
1 Peter 5:8-9 AMP (8) Be well balanced (temperate, sober of mind), be vigilant and cautious at all times; for that enemy of yours, the devil, roams around like a lion roaring [in fierce hunger], seeking someone to seize upon and devour. (9) Withstand him; be firm in faith [against his onset–rooted, established, strong, immovable, and determined], knowing that the same (identical) sufferings are appointed to your brotherhood (the whole body of Christians) throughout the world.
1 John 4:4 NKJV (4) You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.
1 John 4:4 CEV (4) Children, you belong to God, and you have defeated these enemies. God’s Spirit is in you and is more powerful than the one that is in the world.
We need to understand fully what Jesus accomplished for us in His work of redemption.
(Matthew 28:18 NKJV) And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.
Matthew 28:18 AMP (18) Jesus approached and, breaking the silence, said to them, All authority (all power of rule) in heaven and on earth has been given to Me.
If we were raised up at the same time the Head was raised up, and all authority was conferred upon the Head, then it was also conferred upon His body which was raised up together with Him.
We need to preach the Cross and have a Cross mindset but we need to balance it with a Throne mindset and understand that we WERE crucified with Him but we were also RAISED together with Him and we are SEATED together with Him in the Heavenlies.
The right hand of God is the center of power of the whole universe.
(Hebrews 1:3 NKJV) who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,
As long as Satan can keep you in unbelief or hold you in the area of reason, he’ll whip you in every battle. But if you will hold him in the arena of faith and the Spirit, you’ll whip him every time.
He will not argue with you about the Name of Jesus and the authority in that name.
Philippians 2:9-11 NKJV (9) Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, (10) that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, (11) and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Mr. E. W. Kenyon wrote in his book, “The Wonderful Name of Jesus” about ministering one night on the Name of Jesus, and in the middle of his message an attorney interrupted him and asked the question, “Do you mean that Jesus has given us the power of attorney?”
Mr. Kenyon responded to him that he was the lawyer and expert and did Jesus give us the power of attorney?
The man responded and said if language means anything, Jesus gave to the Church the power of attorney.
Mr. Kenyon asked him, “What is the value of the power of attorney?”
The lawyer responded, “It all depends on how much there is in back of it. How much authority and power that this Name represents.”
All the power and authority that Jesus has and had is invested in His Name.
Do we have power of attorney to use His Name?
Jesus said we could use His Name in prayer, in dealing with demons, and in laying hands on the sick.
Sometimes we focus too much on our part in ministering to someone, but we must realize that it is the power in His Name that does the work.
Kenyon states, “The measure of His ability is the measure of the value of that Name, and all that is invested in that Name belongs to us for Jesus gave us the unqualified use of that Name.”
The Source of Our Authority
The source of our authority is found in this resurrection and exalting of Christ by God.
(Hebrews 1:1-6 NKJV) God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, (2) has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds; (3) who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, (4) having become so much better than the angels, as He has by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they. (5) For to which of the angels did He ever say: “YOU ARE MY SON, TODAY I HAVE BEGOTTEN YOU”? And again: “I WILL BE TO HIM A FATHER, AND HE SHALL BE TO ME A SON”? (6) But when He again brings the firstborn into the world, He says: “LET ALL THE ANGELS OF GOD WORSHIP HIM.”
(Colossians 1:18 NKJV) And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence.
(Romans 8:29 NKJV) For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.
Rev. Kenneth E. Hagin, The Authority of the Believer:
“When we realize that the authority that belongs to Christ also belongs to individual members of the Body of Christ and is available to us, our lives will be revolutionized.”
“The right-hand throne of God is the center of power of the whole universe! Exercising the power of the throne was committed to the resurrected Lord.”
(Romans 5:17 AMP) For if because of one man’s trespass (lapse, offense) death reigned through that one, much more surely will those who receive [God’s] overflowing grace (unmerited favor) and the free gift of righteousness [putting them into right standing with Himself] reign as kings in life through the one Man Jesus Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One).
Take authority over the devil and break his power in the lives of your unsaved loved-ones.
(2 Corinthians 4:4 AMP) For the god of this world has blinded the unbelievers’ minds [that they should not discern the truth], preventing them from seeing the illuminating light of the Gospel of the glory of Christ (the Messiah), Who is the Image and Likeness of God.
Don’t pray for God to save them; Jesus has already done the work.
Pray for laborers to cross their paths with the truth of the Gospel and the Word of God.
(Matthew 9:35-38 NKJV) Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people. (36) But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd. (37) Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. (38) Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.”
You are not going to be able to totally understand this authority in Jesus’ Name with your mind. You are going to have to receive it and walk in it by faith.
(John 14:12-14 NKJV) “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father. (13) And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. (14) If you ask anything in My name, I will do it.
Ask (Greek “aiteo”) demand, this is in reference to what already belongs to you in Christ.
(The Father is not mentioned here in the sense of prayer being made to the Father.)
(Acts 3:1-10 NKJV) Now Peter and John went up together to the temple at the hour of prayer, the ninth hour. (2) And a certain man lame from his mother’s womb was carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, to ask alms from those who entered the temple; (3) who, seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple, asked for alms. (4) And fixing his eyes on him, with John, Peter said, “Look at us.” (5) So he gave them his attention, expecting to receive something from them. (6) Then Peter said, “Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk.” (7) And he took him by the right hand and lifted him up, and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength. (8) So he, leaping up, stood and walked and entered the temple with them–walking, leaping, and praising God. (9) And all the people saw him walking and praising God. (10) Then they knew that it was he who sat begging alms at the Beautiful Gate of the temple; and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.
(John 16:23-24 NKJV) “And in that day you will ask Me nothing. Most assuredly, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in My name He will give you. (24) Until now you have asked nothing in My name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.
Here Jesus is teaching about Prayer to the Father in His Name. That is when we make requests know to Him.
Faith is involved in spiritual authority. There are times when the devil will move immediately and there are times when he tries to “show off” one more time. If this is the case do not get disturbed about it.
Some people’s faith is based on the manifestation and it can’t be. When circumstances don’t change immediately, don’t get discouraged and slip into doubt and unbelief.
As Smith Wigglesworth often said, “I am not moved by what I see, I’m not moved by what I feel. I’m moved only by what I believe.” So stand your ground!
Jesus has done all He’s going to do about the devil and his forces until the angel comes down from heaven, takes the chain and binds him and puts him into the bottomless pit. (Rev. 20:1-3)
(1 Peter 5:8-9 ASV) Be sober, be watchful: your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour, (9) whom withstand stedfast in your faith, knowing that the same sufferings are accomplished in your brethren who are in the world.