Let us Exercise Our Authority as a Believer
Good day dear friends: welcome again to insights from God’s precious Word:
Our message today is entitled, recognizing and exercising our authority as a believer in Jesus Christ.
Our scripture reading is found in Matt. 28:18-20:This portion of scripture is known as “the great commission,” and I quote:
“Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.””
Matthew 28:18-20 NIV
Jesus spoke the above words after His defeat of Satan on the cross, after His burial and after His resurrection, — but just before His ascension to be seated at the right hand of the Father. Jesus said to his disciples, “all authority in Heaven and on earth is given to Me, Then He immediately transferred this authority on earth to His body the Church, saying, “Go ye therefore. . . .” Why is the therefore there? Because Jesus delegated his authority to us His body on Earth!
In Mark 16:17-18, we read that Jesus also said in that great commission the following words and I quote:
“And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover” (Mark 16:17-18.
We read further in verses 19-20 of the same chapter that indeed his disciples were delegated authority for we read and I quote,
“So then, after the Lord had spoken to them, He was received up into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God. And they went out and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the word through the accompanying signs. Amen.”
Being seated at the right hand of God means that Jesus has been given authority, that He shares God’s authority and that all things and beings are under His feet. It is the highest position and honor a person can be given. We read in 1Peter 3:22 concerning Jesus, and I quote, “who has gone into heaven and is at God’s right hand—with angels, authorities and powers in submission to him.”
We read in Eph. 1:20-23, “that God the Father raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms,”
“far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is invoked, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.”
We as his disciples are to demonstrate Christ’s authority in the world, we are His hands, we are His feet we are His mouth we are His body he is our head! As His body we are to do to do His works and continue His ministry in healing the sick, casting out demons, breaking Satan’s power and setting people free, and meeting the needs of the people.
We read in John 17:18, In His prayer to the Father, Jesus said and I quote, “As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world.” And in John 20:21, after His resurrection Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.””
John 20:21 NIV
From the above verses we see that we are to continue the ministry of Jesus in this world.
We also read in Luke 10:19
“I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you.”
Notice it isn’t power we have been given but authority! This can be compared to a policeman directing traffic! The policeman does not have the power to stop the oncoming traffic but he has the badge of authority! Behind that badge he has the assurance that all the armies, all the navy, and all the air force of his nation are standing with him to enforce the law. In the same manner we do not have power over the devil but we have authority over him in the mighty Name of Jesus and all the armies of Heaven stand behind that Name!
A little dog followed its Owner to the bus stop, the owner tried to persuade the dog to go back home, by saying please little doggie go back home but the dog would not go home and the bus was coming closer so the owner stamped his foot and shouted, go home and the dog ran home as fast as he could! why? Because he heard the voice of authority. Dear friends this is exactly how we are to treat the devil. Let us be fully aware of the fact that the devil is a defeated foe and has been stripped of his weapons. We see this in Col. 2:15, “And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.”
In James 4:7 ““Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”
To flee means, to flee as in terror! The devil is afraid of that Name when we speak it under the anointing of the Holy Spirit and with authority.
In Acts 16:18 we read of the apostle Paul commanding the spirit to come out of a young slave girl who had an evil spirit of divination, the spirit of Python. She had earned great profits for her owners by being a fortune-teller.”
Notice that he did not speak to the young slave girl but he spoke to the spirit indwelling her saying,
“I command you in the name of Jesus, the Anointed One, to come out of her, now!” At that very moment, the spirit obeyed Paul’s word of command and came out of her!”
In Acts 10:38 we read, “how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.”
Dear friends, so many, even God’s people are oppressed by the devil, by sickness, by fear, by anxiety, by discouragement by evil habits and they are in desperate need to be delivered! We have been given the authority, let us go forth in the mighty Name of Jesus our Lord and Savior and set the captives free!
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