A. Overview.
As Christians, we must be aware of the fact we are involved in warfare. It is a big battle. One of Satan's main strategies has been to blind our eyes to the conflict we are in, and thus make us defenseless against his attacks.
But God has given us all the weapons we need to be victorious over our enemy! We are under attack from the enemy in all areas of our daily lives. One of the most important things to learn is that our warfare is not with people. It is against Satan and his evil spirits. It is in the spirit realm. Some people are also involved because the enemy is using them against us.
The apostle Paul describes our enemy quite graphically. He told us our struggle was not with the people around us. He said we wrestle not against flesh and blood. Peter made it clear that our adversary is the devil. The devil's wiles are his schemes, strategies and plans of deception, which he uses against us. He has a battle plan to use in his attempt to defeat us.
However, as we become aware of his plans, we must become more aware of the armour and weapons God has provided for our battle. The weapons are for our victorious offence against our enemies. We are not to become pre-occupied or overly impressed with the devil, his demons, or his schemes.
Instead, we are to be occupied with Jesus. As we keep our eyes on Him, we will become aware of whom we are in Him. As we become aware of our restored authority through Jesus, boldness will arise within our spirits. We will not be intimidated by the devil or his schemes. Be occupied with Jesus Christ. Know your Authority and Power. Never be intimidated by Satan.
I knew that many Christians do not know that they have the authority because they do not use it against the enemy. The fact is we all have authority and power already. We just need to believe it. It is available for us to use. As believers, it is very important for us to know and understand who we are in Christ Jesus and the authority that we have in Christ our Lord. This will help us to live the life that Jesus called us to live here on earth and inherit our inheritance as children of God. When we take hold off the authority we have in Christ, we will never be defeated by all the challenges and difficulties that come our way in our life. We will come out victoriously in life.
Jesus did not leave behind a powerless church when He ascended back to heaven. To the contrary, He imparted divine authority to those who follow Him, along with Holy Spirit power to accomplish great things for Him on this earth. God has given the church and every follower of Christ authority and victory in both the natural and spiritual realms where He is head over all things.
B. Background.
It is important to know the following about the Authority and what happened. A sequence of events in the Bible shows that authority was originally given to man, lost, and then recovered.
So what happened? In short here is the history:
Authority was given to Adam.
Adam relinquished his authority.
Jesus defeated Satan and took back the authority.
Jesus gave his authority over to us.
The Holy Spirit is the agent working within us.
Authority was given to Adam.
Man was created in the image of God. Gen 1:26 - 27
God gave Adam authority, dominion over all the earth.
Adam surrendered authority to Satan when he sinned.
When Adam sinned, he surrendered the authority he had been given to "rule over the earth" to the devil. Genesis 1:28
Satan became the "ruler of this world." Luke 4:6
Satan was given authority over this world and everything in it.
Satan offered the authority to Jesus if He would worship him. Luke 4:5
Satan had authority until Jesus died on the Cross. Luke 4:6
Jesus defeated Satan and took back the authority. When Jesus Christ, the "last Adam," offered Himself up for our sins, He restored and redeemed man to his former position of authority over Satan in this world. (1 Corinthians 15:45, Hebrews 7:27)
What Adam surrendered, Jesus regained.
Jesus rendered the power of Satan null and void.
Jesus was given ALL power and authority.
Jesus was given a Name that was above every name. There are many scriptures to support this. (Col 2:15, Heb 2:14, Rev 1:18, Matt 28:18, Phil 2:9, 1 Cor 15:45-46)
Jesus regained authority and restored it back to His followers.
Authority is ours through Jesus Christ.
Jesus gave the authority to the believers.
God and Jesus have authority to govern their kingdom. Matthew 28:18, "I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth".
The believer has authority in his life through the gift of Jesus Christ. "He gave them power over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease" (Matthew 10:1 NKJV).
The power is in Jesus and the Name of Jesus.
Power and authority are given to the believer (church).
The Holy Spirit will lead and guide us.
The Word of God will help us.
Believers are also part of His Church.
C. Why do we need to know about authority?
There are ungodly rulers around us today. They want to control us. Paul provides the answer for us in Ephesians 6:12 "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms".
Governments introduced godless, humanistic law, society's morality and ethics which were decided by leaders and individuals who were influenced and blinded by demonic powers, rather than by God's transcendent law. Today we even see that they want to control Christians.
We are in a spiritual war but how many Christians operate as soldiers of Christ? Often the church seems powerless on such a battlefield. It sees the damage caused by the enemy in terms of governmental, social and personal chaos is easily accepted. Often the church or believers do not engage with the real problem. When the Church or believers do respond it is often ineffective because it fails to use the spiritual authority and supernatural power Jesus Christ had given to the church and believers. They fail because they do not have the knowledge how to respond and handle it.
It is time for Christians and the churches to take control again. The authority of the believer rests on the believer's mandate to serve the Lord. When we are in God's will, we can move with confidence that we are doing what is right and that the Holy Spirit's power is at work within and through us. Then we will win this battle.
D. Meaning of Authority.
What is authority? Authority is delegated power.
From the Strongs: Greek - eksousia (ἐξουσία) - (1849)
Meaning: authority, conferred power; delegated empowerment ("authorization"), operating in a designated jurisdiction.
In the New Testament, "delegated power" refers to the authority God gives to His followers - authorizing them to act to the extent they are guided by faith.
Luke 10:19 NIV "I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you".
The authority that Jesus is talking above is not brute force power. It is delegated power, much like what a policeman possesses. Luke is referring to the power over the enemy. We need to realize that we, as Christians, have the power over them. The value or strength of our authority rests on the power that is behind that authority. God himself is the power behind our authority. The devil and all its forces are obliged to recognize our authority.
When a traffic officer, in a uniform, is standing and regulating traffic we need to obey his commands because he was authorized by the city government to carry out his task. When he tells you to stop then you have to do it. The traffic officer was granted the authority which was invested to him. The drivers recognize his authority to carry out the task which is required. This is a simple example but it is also the same in the spiritual world.
As the traffic officer, with his uniform, we also have a spiritual uniform to indicate that we have the authority which is delegated to us by Jesus Christ.
Romans 13:14 NIV "Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the flesh".
As Christians we get the same authority granted to us by Jesus Christ. We should be different from the world. We carry the uniform because we belong to God. So when we know that we have the authority, we can step out and command the devil to stop and then he needs to obey our command.
E. Authority in the New Testament.
The meanings of the Greek words for authority in the New Testament:
"Authority" when used as a noun, comes from "exousia", which is derived from the verb "exesti", which means "it is lawful". The most basic meaning of this word means a derived or delegated right.
It can also mean, depending on the context, permission to do something, liberty, the ability one has to perform or accomplish something or the right to exercise power.
There are also other words that are translated "authority" but they have different meanings.
I will concentrate on these two meanings of the Greek word "exousia".
The word authority, when derived from "exousia", emphasizes the right, more than the power, to do something. There are two basic forms of this right to exercise authority:
Intrinsic authority.
Intrinsic authority has to do with moral authority. This authority is derived from one's own person by virtue of the person's character.
Delegated authority.
Delegated authority is given authority to a person from another source. Since "there is no authority except from God" (Romans 13:1), we may deduct from this verse the principle that every kind of authority, other than God Himself, is delegated authority, and therefore secondary to God. Even moral authority is derived from being created in God's image.
One other kind of authority that takes supremacy over human authority is the Bible. The Word of God is inspired by God (2 Timothy 3:16, 2 Peter 1:20-21) and has divine authority. The Bible was given by God with the intention that we submit to it and obey it, not look to it as one more influence in our lives.
The authority that Paul speaks about in Romans 13 is the right and power to enforce obedience, but the authority Peter speaks about in 1 Peter 5 is the responsibility to serve God's people for God's purposes in God's ways.
F. More about Authority.
Dictionary.com defines authority as:
The power to determine, adjudicate, or otherwise settle issues or disputes; jurisdiction; the right to control, command, or determine;
A person or body of persons in whom authority is vested;
Persons having the legal power to make and enforce the law.
The concept of authority seldom appears in the Old Testament. It is used more in the New Testament, where the word "exousia" functions in at least four ways.
Authority is the freedom to decide or a right to act without hindrance. All such authority begins with God, for there is no authority except from God.
The concept of authority refers to the power, ability, or capability to complete an action. Jesus was given the authority to forgive sins (Matthew 9:6-8) and to drive out spirits.
Mark 6:7 "Calling the Twelve to him, he began to send them out two by two and gave them authority over impure spirits".
The word "authority" is used with reference to delegated authority in the form of a warrant, license, or authorization to perform. Jesus was asked by whose authorization he taught (Matthew 21:23). He was granted authority for his ministry from God the Father. John 10:18 "No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father."
By a natural extension of meaning, "exousia" sometimes denotes the sphere in which authority is exercised. God has established spheres of authority in the world, such as civil government. Jesus was handed over to the official power of the governor. Luke 20:20 "Keeping a close watch on him, they sent spies, who pretended to be sincere. They hoped to catch Jesus in something he said, so that they might hand him over to the power and authority of the governor".
G. Delegated Authority.
God has created human beings to live under His authority. We see it first with Adam. Then later we see Jesus delegate the authority to believers. That is the authority you have in Christ. You will not stop the forces of darkness (sickness, fear, evil, lack) with your own strength - you are stopping them with the delegated authority given to you by God in Christ. You are backed by all the power of God.
God Almighty Himself is the power behind your authority! Ephesians 6:10 says: "Be strong in the Lord and the power of His might". That means you can step out in front of the devil, hold up your hand and say stop or no entry, backed by the power of God's might.
God has appointed lesser authorities in this world to rule under Him. Some examples:
Parents have authority over their children (Ephesians 6:1).
Husbands have authority over their wives (Ephesians 5:22-24).
Kings have authority over their subjects (Romans 13:1-7).
The apostles had authority over the church (Acts 4:34-35; Philemon 1:3).
Some Christians have a special calling on their life like pastors, ministers, leaders, elders, deacons, cell leaders, etc.
They have the same authority as all other believers but they are called to serve and have a responsibility which goes with that position. These believers carry an anointing to fulfill their calling. Some writers refer it to as "Spiritual Authority" which is not correct. There is a big difference between "serve" and "authority".
The power which we have as Christians is greater than the power that is in the world. This is because our authority is greater than that which backs our enemies. I am reminded of this verse in 1 John 4:4 "You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world".
H. The Use of Authority.
The door to exercising your authority in Christ hinges on two verses below. In these verses we are seated with God in Christ.
Ephesians 1:20 (NIV) "he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms".
Ephesians 2:6 (NIV) "And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus".
I encourage you to meditate on those two verses until you fully grasp the revelation that you are seated with Him, and you are the one He moves through. Then when adversity arises, use your authority by speaking out what His Word says, using the Name of Jesus. For example, you could say this loud, "Sickness, I command you to leave my body in Jesus' Name and according to 1 Peter 2:24 - by His stripes I am healed!" The authority is in His name.
It is like using the name of the president or of a company - that name can get things done. It is the same in the spirit realm, except that the Name of Jesus is higher - it carries more weight -- than any other name (Philippians 2:9).
When you use the Name of Jesus, believing that you're seated with Him at the right hand of God, you are backed by all the power in heaven! Every knee must bow to that Name (Philippians 2:10).
Jesus made it very clear that His Name is the key to all authority: "Whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask anything in My name, I will do it" (John 14:13-14).
In Acts 3 when Peter & John encountered a lame man at the Gate Beautiful, they said, "In the Name of Jesus, rise up and walk" and he did! It was not their own anointing or power that raised the man - it was the authority in the Name of Jesus. That same authority belongs to us - using the Name of Jesus is how we use it!