In Jesus' Name, A Word on Authority

"What makes the authority of the Spirit ... effective is God backs it up."

THE ONLY AUTHORITY the devil has is what we give him. Jesus gave us authority (exousia) over the devil’s ability (dunamis). The Spirit of God then filled men upon salvation and fell upon men at Pentecost, and we received God’s ability (dunamis) as well. Much is spoken in the church of our authority but with a misunderstanding of how to apply it. Being loud and boisterous is not authority. Being able to punctuate your words well is not authority. What makes the authority of the Spirit, which Jesus operated in, fully, powerful and effective is God backs it up.

“Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you.” (Luke 10:19)

He performs what we’ve asked Him to do. These were His words in John 14:13-14. “Whatever you ask in my name, I will do it.” The name of Jesus is above all others in authority (Ephesians 1:21). But just as we cannot don a policeman’s uniform and be a policeman, we cannot simply say, “In Jesus’ name,” and every demonic power falls away. They are powers of darkness (evil) because they refused to obey God.

Lance Wallnau tells how he and his wife cast demons from a house she owned before they married. It’s hilariously funny the way he tells it, but the point of it is that the Word of God played over and over again destroyed the demons’ lease there. He and his wife lived unafraid, confident in the power of God to take away what was determined to remain. This should be our attitude in anything the devil, demons, and the kingdom of darkness try to steal, kill, and destroy. Fear is their weapon. Peace is ours.

Remaining peaceful is not an easy thing. Though I overcame fear, through my determination and time spent in God’s Word, I have had opportunities to give in to it. But I’ve learned the physical symptoms of fear, tension and unrest, can be overcome, and the mental pounding of it is removed through understanding of the truth of who God is and through time spent praying in tongues.

“For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.” (2 Timothy 1:7)

Being honest, praying in tongues, or praying in the Spirit as it is also called, saved me a lot of mental turmoil because the Word of God tells us it cannot be understood by the enemy but is the complete will of God prayed to God, who understands it all (Romans 8:26-27). God hears all prayers, and especially our fearful ones, and pours in His mercy. Never be afraid to pray in your native tongue, too.

Never let what you think you’ve done wrong, what the devil keeps replaying in your head, or what you feel you don’t know about God stop you from praying. Our loving Savior knows the thoughts and intents of our hearts and every word before we speak it. I personally love that about Him because it means I don’t have to explain myself. I can just worship and lean on Him and know all that is bothering me, the pressures and confusions of life, will end. He has promised it, and He keeps His Word.

This is a key to our victory. We know He will not lie, He cannot lie, and we can rely on Him. We know He loves us enough to die for us and to raise from the dead and give us new life and all the abundance of heaven. These are the words of the Lord’s Prayer in Matthew 6. “Thy kingdom come,” and Jesus brought the kingdom to us, “thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” What is the will of heaven? Abundance, goodness, light and safety and blessing. No one is sick there. No one is handicapped. There is no injury, nor is it possible. I have even heard you can swim and breathe underwater. Now, I personally don’t know if that’s true, but I can tell you there is such radiant life and not one shadow. God’s presence lights everything.

His presence gives us all we need to overcome the work of the devil in our lives. The Lord’s Prayer brought words of authority to men. It turned their gazes toward the work of Jesus Christ and the Father who sent Him. He wanted them to look forward, in the same manner we can look backward and stand firm on His work. He sent His disciples out to preach the gospel and lay hands on the sick and cast out devils, before His salvation had fully come. How much more then, can we now do the same? These are our instructions. But the fulfillment of them in what we speak comes because we walk in the Spirit and do what He instructs.

Again, just as that policemen’s uniform doesn’t give the wearer authority to wear the badge, being able to quote the Word, knowing it in the mind and using it at our whim, does not make what we do effectual. It is God’s work because He tells us what to do and with whom and how. In all things, He is our Guide, our Teacher, and our Counselor. He is also our Friend and our Father. We are not automatons nor employees hired to do a work. We are His children, who have inherited all that our Father has given to us. Jesus in His death represented the Father, and in His life, He was the Son who received the kingdom. Through acceptance of Him, we stand on the same ground in heaven (Ephesians 1:3).

But standing there and knowing the fullness of His love for us comes through time spent in intimacy with Him. We know Him and hear Him because He is everything, our “go to” and greatest heart’s desire, and He loves us so much that He pours Himself into us even more. There is not an end to the heights we can climb in spiritual things. Maturity only comes through our dedication to grow, and with maturity comes the proper use of the name of Jesus and our authority over spiritual things.

Note: If you have ever asked why your use of Jesus’ name, did not come to pass, or did not seem to “work,” this truth is the answer.

“This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.” (Galatians 5:16)

“We must live in the Holy Spirit and follow after him.” (Galatians 5:25 TPT)

Image by Karen .t from Pixabay


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Suzanne D. Williams, Author
www.suzannedwilliams.com
www.feelgoodromance.com