What Authority & Why The Battle?

[Lk 10:19; 2Cor 5:17; 1Jn 4:17; 1Cor 6:17; Gen 1:26-28]

Before Jesus comes again, I believe there’s gonna be a whole army of believers who will rise up and realize their authority. They will know what they have, and they will do the work that God has planned for these last days.

The letter to the Ephesians gives us more information on the authority of the believer than most any other book in the Bible. Ephesians 1 verse 16 through 23 gives us one of Paul’s spirit-anointed prayers. And then he has another one at the end of chapter three, verses 14 through 21.

My wife and I say these prayers every morning in our devotions, and it’s not just a reading. We pray these prayers and apply this Word of God. We place the names of people into the prayers, and it accomplishes much. We have learned to take our place of authority, and realize we’re seated at the right hand of God in Christ Jesus, the head of the church.

Since we have been praying these two prayers every morning, we’re seeing things we’ve never seen before. Wisdom and revelation knowledge comes, and God blesses us with His Word. When you are in agreement with the Word of God, and use His Word in your prayers, He acknowledges our faith and His Word with awesome results. God can do mighty things through His people.

That is why I talk about speaking the Word. Instead of telling God about our troubles, which I am certain He already knows about, we declare the Word of God to the problem or situation. That is how you “…say to the mountain….” (see Mk 11:23). Jesus gave us this authority to use.

When we battle with the devil, we must always remember that we have authority over him, because he is a defeated foe. The death, burial, and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ defeated him for us.

This authority is an aspect of the Christian walk that few believers realize or practice. This is not a special power, it belongs to all the children of God. We receive this authority when we’re born again. When you were made a new creature in Christ Jesus, you inherited the name of the Lord Jesus, and you can use His name with your words of faith in prayer against the enemy.

It is no wonder the devil will do anything to keep you from knowing about your God-given authority over him. He knows when you learn this truth, it’s “game over” for him concerning you and your prayers. You will dominate him when you enforce the authority that is rightfully yours.

It’s tragic when Christians go through life not realizing what belongs to them. In Christ Jesus, all spiritual blessings belong to us. The authority belongs to us whether we realize it or not. But just knowing about it isn’t enough, it’s knowledge acted upon that brings results.

We need to find out what belongs to us. That’s why God put teachers in the church. That’s why God gave us His Word, to tell us what is ours and what He has provided.

We need to know what belongs to us. Jesus said, “…and you shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free” (Jn 8:32). God says, “My people [not sinners – not the world] my people are destroyed for lack of knowledge” (Hos 4:6). His people actually perish, and wouldn’t have to.

What is authority?

Lk 10:19 (KJV) – 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.

The translators of the King James Bible were inconsistent with the Greek words for “power” and “authority.” Although the word power is used twice in this verse, two different words are found in the original Greek. Jesus actually was saying I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions and over all the power of the enemy…”

The “scorpions and serpents” Jesus is talking about here is the devil, demons, and evil spirits. We have authority over them!

The strength of any authority is in the power behind that authority. A policeman’s authority represents the power of the laws of the land and his government. My authority, in the name of Jesus, represents the power God, Himself! We can speak God’s Word in faith – with authority, and the power of God can flow through us. Now that is being “strong in the Lord and in the power of His might” (Eph 6:10). That’s how you can “resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” Remember it’s “the power of His might.” The only thing your flesh can do is be a willing vessel for God’s Spirit. Flesh has no power in a spiritual battle.

The Big Question

If Jesus defeated the devil, why are we still fighting the battle? Colossians 2:15 says that Jesus spoiled principalities and powers. Why then are we still in a constant war with the devil?

You are a spirit, you have a soul, and you live in a body. The spirit gets born-again. The soul (mind will, and emotions) is saved, renewed and changed according to revelation knowledge over the course of time. The body ages, dies, and returns to dust, until the resurrection or rapture when the body becomes immortal, glorified.

2Cor 5:17 (KJV) – Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

You can see this is not about the body or the soul. If you were fat before you get saved, you will still be fat after you get saved. Your body doesn’t instantly change and all things become new. It’s also obvious that this is not about your soul. If you were stupid before you got saved, you will be stupid after you get saved until you renew your mind. But at salvation, our spirits get “born again.” The spirit becomes totally new and identical to Christ because it is the Spirit of Christ that has been shed abroad in our hearts (Gal 4:6; Rom 8:9).

1Jn 4:17 (KJV) – Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.

This is not saying that we will be like the Lord someday, in the sweet by and by. It is saying that in the rotten here and now, we are like Him in our spirit. We may have improved in our actions or thoughts, but we are not like Jesus in our flesh. This is talking about our born-again spirits that were created in righteousness and holiness (Eph 4:24).

1Cor 6:17 (KJV) – But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit.

Our oneness with God is in the spirit. We have a new Spirit who is from God and identical to Christ (1 Jn. 4:17) for He is the Spirit of God’s Son who has been sent into our hearts crying Abba, Father (Gal. 4:6). Those who don’t believe they have the Spirit of Christ in them either aren’t born again, or are ignorant (Rom 8:9).

When you are born again, your spirit becomes a new creation. But you still have the same body (until the resurrection or rapture). You still have the same soul – (mind, will, and emotions).

• Mind – same old thoughts – mental hang-ups. You didn’t automatically forget bad teaching or the devil’s lies.

• Will – same desires and determination. You still really enjoy fattening foods and you are still selfish.

• Emotions – same feelings and expressions.

You have a brand new spirit. In some cases people receive freedom from habits, desires, and illnesses at the time of the new birth. However, the soul and the body are still not perfect like your spirit. Your mind still needs to learn and develop. Your body may have received healing or strength at the time of re-birth, but it is still perishable and has not yet been glorified.

So we are still fighting the devil, because until the resurrection of our bodies we have a job to do, and the devil hates us for it. It is man’s job to declare the Gospel.

What is our purpose:

Gen 1:26-28 (KJV) – And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. [27] So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. [28] And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.

Our reason for being is to, subdue the earth and have dominion over it. Our purpose has not changed from the beginning just because sin entered into the world. God’s gifts and callings are irrevocable (Rom 11:29). We have been called to have dominion, not just over plants and animals. This word, “subdue” is a military term that actually means to bring into bondage (not to destroy, but to manage). Since this command was given before the fall, it appears the need to subdue the earth was to have authority to manage with God’s plan.

The meaning of life:

God made man to have authority over the earth and to manage creation. By deception, Satan took that authority from man. Jesus redeemed man out of the bondage of sin and gave the authority back to man. Sin hasn’t changed God’s eternal purpose for man, He still honors it. We glorify God most when we fulfill the purpose for which we were made.

God will not act on the earth without us. We are His agents, His representatives, His gatekeepers in this world. God will not work without humans. Likewise, Satan cannot work without humans. Everything evil that happens in the world happens through evil people. Everything godly that happens in the world happens through godly people. That is why Satan tempts people to sin. He has no real power in the world except what we, the gatekeepers, give to him. God worked through Moses, while Satan worked through Pharaoh. The natural view looked like a showdown between two guys. But the battle was between God and Satan – each working through an agent. This is all through the Bible and history of the world. Satan needs the antichrist, while God works through His servants and prophets (Rev 1:1-3; 10:7; 11:10; cf. Amos 3:7).

God bless you my friend,

— Dwight Hammond