Each and every person who accepts Jesus Christ as their personal Savior possesses a very powerful tool. I want to enable you with this tool today.
This tool was given to us when Jesus conquered the grave. This tool is called Spiritual Authority and it is the key to the kingdom of God.
Keys represent authority. I have a key that will open every door in this building. I can unlock them all because I have the authority to do so. A door is meant to be a barrier, but if you posses the key the barrier no longer hinders you.
As Christians, we possess the key to the kingdom of God which means we have authority over everything that would hinder us. That means we have authority over the enemy. Nothing that the enemy of my soul throws at me or puts in my way can deter me or slow me down or cause me to give up.
Why? Because I have the key of authority and that authority is the power of God that raised Jesus Christ from the grave.
PRAY
Father,
Open my eyes so I can see Your truth.
Open my ears so I can hear Your voice.
Open my minds so I can understand your Word.
And, open my heart so I may receive all that You would have me receive.
AMEN
The spiritual authority of the believer is revealed to us in the book of Ephesians.
In that book the Apostle Paul explains to all believers that we have authority over Satan and all his dominion. We have that authority through Jesus Christ. It is an authority that assures us that we have the victory over the enemy because he is already been defeated!
Jesus defeated him over 2000 years ago when He went to the cross and bled and died and rose again for each and every one of us.
Sadly, not enough churches teach about the spiritual authority of the born again believer and the result is that many believers don’t know anything about it.
Some believers think that spiritual authority over the enemy is something that is reserved for only a few people, the pastor, and missionaries and evangelists and church leaders. That is simply not true.
The truth is that spiritual authority over Satan belongs to every person who has accepted Jesus Christ as their personal Savior. You received the key to the kingdom of God when you gave your heart to Jesus.
This is a truth that Satan does not want the church to know. He wants us to be defeated. Remember, the thief comes only to steal, kill and destroy. He wants to continue to defeat us any way he can and he will do anything he can to keep us from living the life of victory that God has promised us.
Satan knows that if the church exercises its spiritual authority over him, he is then powerless over the church.
What is authority? Simply put, authority is delegated power.
A policeman who is directing traffic at an accident scene is a good example. All they have to do is raise their hand and the traffic stops. They don’t stop the cars with physical strength they use the authority that is delegated and invested in them by the government they serve.
Another example of authority is seen in the story of the chicken lady.
Christian Herter was the governor of Massachusetts in 1953 to 1956. While running for his second term, he was out campaigning and arrived at a church picnic. He was starving.
As he moved down the serving line he held out his plate for a piece of chicken and the woman serving the chicken put one piece of chicken on his plate and started to serve the next person.
The governor said to the woman, “Excuse me, may I have another piece of chicken?” And she replied, “I’m sorry, I was told to give everyone only one piece of chicken.”
“But I am starving,” the governor replied.
“Sorry, only one to a customer,” replied the woman.
The governor was a little put out by this and he said, “Do you know who I am? I am the governor of this state.” And to that the woman answered, “Do you know who I am? I am the lady in charge of the chicken. Move along mister.”
She had authority.
Listen very carefully… The very day, the very hour, the very second you became born again and redeemed and washed in the blood of Lamb of God, Jesus Christ you received this key.
It was the same tool that Jesus gave His 12 disciples and it was the same tool that Jesus gave the 72 others that He sent out to share the good news.
READ Luke 10:1-4 & 17-20
1 After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them two by two ahead of him to every town and place where he was about to go. 2 He told them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field. 3 Go! I am sending you out like lambs among wolves. 4 Do not take a purse or bag or sandals; and do not greet anyone on the road.
17 The seventy-two returned with joy and said, “Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name.”
18 He replied, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. 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. 20 However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”
Luke 10:1-4 & 17-20
There is no reason for us to think that the same authority Jesus gave His disciples and the same authority that Jesus gave the 72 is not available to us today. That authority belongs to every believer today.
We received it when we became born again.
Jesus was talking to everyone when He said to the disciples, “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; 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 16:15, 17, 18.
Clearly, Jesus has promised His authority to those who are His own. The problem is that many Christians do not believe it, and therefore do not exercise it effectively.
Many Christians today refuse to believe that Christ's authority belongs to the Church of today, although there is no Scripture that in any way hints that His authority would not be available to the Church through all ages.
Many are content to get goose bumps by reading about the miracles that take place in third world countries when the authority of Jesus is put to use there.
Some of us may even go so far as to dare to command a sickness or a devil to be gone from someone we are praying for, but we are fairly complacent when nothing happens because it is what we were expecting anyway, isn't it?
What we are forgetting is that the devil is not a law-abiding citizen. He is the lawless one.
What happens when the police officer attempts to use his authority on a lawless one, and finds himself resisted? Does he shrug his shoulders and say, "Well, I guess that didn't work!" No, he turns up the heat of his authority.
He pursues and subdues the law-resister. Sometimes there is a fight -- but the lawful authority wins in the end!
So it is with our authority as believers. We need to understand that the infinitely powerful government of heaven backs us up.
In fact, most of the time there is going to be a fight. Satan doesn't like to let go of its victims.
As God’s children who possess the keys, we need to pursue, press in, and insist on being obeyed.
And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force. -- Matthew 11:12.
Sometimes the police officer needs to use force. Sometimes the believer does, too, in the process of obtaining the desired answer.
That is why the Apostle Paul tells us to stand firm in Ephesians 6. 2x
10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 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. 13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Ephesians 6:10-13
The church today is perishing because it does not grasp the fact that we have spiritual authority over the enemy!
We need to start exercising our spiritual authority.
In the past 50 years families and the church have been in great spiritual turmoil and great spiritual distress.
Churches are being vandalized, some even burned to the ground, Christians are being ridiculed and persecuted, babies are being murdered, homosexuals are being ordained to preach the Gospel, families are being destroyed by lust and greed, and Satan is having a heyday.
Many churches have forgotten about God and His commandments.
Many churches have allowed their love for God to wax cold.
Many churches have let their lights go out.
Many churches have lost their seasoning and the salt has lost is savor.
Many in the church have taken off the armor of God and stand naked before the enemy daring him to throw his fiery darts. They have ungirted their loins which was covered by the truth, they have removed the helmet of salvation, they have taken off the breast plate of righteousness, they have cast aside the shoes of the Gospel of Peace, they have thrown down their shields of faith, and they have forgotten about their sword, the Word of God.
We have forgotten the Word of God that came through the prophet Isaiah when God said, 17No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is of me, saith the LORD. Isaiah 54:17 KJ
So what are the keys to exercising our spiritual authority against the enemy? Well I am glad you asked.
First, we need to understand where our spiritual authority comes from; it comes from Jesus, He possesses all authority.
Jesus said this in His last statements to the disciples, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.” Matthew 28:18 NIV
He demonstrated His authority from the very beginning of His ministry on earth.
He had the authority to change water into wine.
He had authority to command the wind and the waves.
He had authority to heal the sick and crippled.
He had authority to open blinded eyes.
He had authority to cast out demons and shut of the devil.
He had the authority to raise the dead back to life.
He taught the Word of God with authority.
Jesus possesses all authority over all things. No other spiritual leader can claim that.
Second, we need to understand that Jesus give this authority to us. I already mentioned this and already shared this Scripture with you but it bears mentioning again.
Jesus said to us, “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; 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 16:15, 17, 18.
Clearly, Jesus has promised His authority to those who are His own. This brings us to the third point.
Third, our authority is based solely upon our relationship with Jesus. We need to maintain our relationship with Him.
I cannot stress enough how important it is for us to maintain our relationship with Jesus Christ because without Jesus we are nothing.
The word "relationship" is a rather general word. Therefore we need to ask what kind of relationship should we have with Him?
Some people ignore Jesus. Some are afraid, and some are angry. These are all defective relationships.
The Bible describes a good relationship with God in several ways but he most simply way is described as this; He is the Lord and Master, and we are his slaves. This analogy is correct — we should honor, reverence, and obey our perfect and good Lord, but it is not the complete picture.
Jesus said we could have even more, He said, 15 I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. John 15:15
The contrast here is the same as that between a slave and a son, the father tells the son everything but he doesn’t share everything with the slave.
Because of our relationship with Jesus we are called friends and sons and daughters of God. By maintaining our relationship with Christ all that God has is available to us.
So how do we maintain our relationship with Jesus? There are many different points and tips that I could share with you aout how to maintain your relationship with Him, but the best way is to put on the Armor of God.
13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people. Ephesians 6:13-18
The Breastplate of Righteousness represents Jesus as our Lord and Savior and righteousness in our lives. We must put this on first because in doing so we are being obedient to the call of God for all to be saved.
Our feet are fitted with the preparation of the Gospel of Peace that represents the child of God proclaiming the Word of God, the Good News that God is love and Jesus came to save us from our sins.
The Shield of Faith is our total covering. It ensures our safety from the attacks of the enemy because of the blood of Jesus. It is our protection from temptation, sin, illness, and troubles.
The Helmet of Salvation is the part of our armor that protects our head from the different philosophies in this world and the different false teaching that many have tried to bring forth.
The Sword of the Spirit is the only offensive weapon in our arsenal. It is an active weapon that continually strikes blows at the enemy.
When we put on the armor of God we are ensuring that our relationship with God through Jesus is going to be our top priority while we are on this planet.
But there is more!
When we put this armor on we have the authority over the enemy. We have the authority to overcome the enemy and take back what he has stolen from us.
We don’t have to live as defeated people in despair and despondent to what is going on.
Living as a defeated person is like being chained up and unable to get out.
Chain someone up and lock the lock.
They cannot escape unless they have been given the key.
We have been given the key. We have the authority!
I am not sure what the enemy has taken from you, but I need you to know that you have the authority to take it back because “because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.” 1 John 4:4
You do not have to be bound by the enemy any longer. You have the authority to be set free and to take that which belongs to you in Christ Jesus.
You have spiritual authority through Christ Jesus who lives in you; authority to overcome the enemy in every area of your life. It doesn’t matter what the enemy is throwing at you, you have been given the key of authority.
Are you ready to take your spiritual authority?
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