Authority # 1
KJV says, “all spiritual blessing.” One of those spiritual blessings means Authority over Satan and every fallen being. We received this Authority when we were born again. The moment we received Jesus as Lord and Savior we received this authority, but many don’t know anything about it. Jesus gave us this authority just before he was seated at the right hand of the father.
I) MAT 28:18-20 1st of all, Jesus says that all power has been given to Him, then He begins to send out His disciples. He’s delegating his authority.
A) Look at MARK 16:15-18 Here again Jesus is delegating his authority.
B) Before we go on, we had better define what authority is.
1) The KJV usually does an excellent job translating the Greek words into English with consistently, except for the words POWER and AUTHORITY.
(a) (EXAMPLE) LUKE 10:18-19 The KJV says, “And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven. 19 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.”[i]
(b) If you’re using the KJV the word “Authority” in verse 19 is translated as “Power.” Although the word “POWER” is used, twice in (V 19), but 2 different Greek words are used.
(c) What Jesus actually said was, “Behold, I give unto you AUTHORITY (exousia) to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the MIGHTY POWER (dunamis) of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you.”
(d) In this V, when Jesus was talking about serpents and scorpions, He’s talking about the power of the Devil, demons, evil spirits, and Fallen Angels.
(i) We need to realize that we have authority over the enemy.
(ii) And we have authority over all his POWER.
(iii) But God has given us the authority we need. We have all authority over the power of the enemy.
2) In the natural, on your job, your authority depends on 2 things.
(a) # 1, how much authority your boss is going to give you.
(b) And 2nd in what area or realm is your authority.
(i) In your work, you might have authority in your department, but not in another.
3) Our authority in God rest on the 2 same things.
(a) 1st Our Heavenly Father has given us all authority.
(b) And 2nd in what realm? Over all the power of the enemy.
C) Your authority is only as good as the power that backs it up.
1) GOD is the power behind our authority!
(a) REV 19:6.
(b) The word “omnipotent” means “All Mighty” or “All Powerful.”
(i) The devil and his forces have to recognize our authority, because it’s backed up by the Power of God
(c) The believer who thoroughly understands that the power of God is behind him can face the enemy without fear and exercise his authority over him.
(d) Our authority is not based on our own power.
(i) . In (Zechariah 4:6) The Lord says that it’s, “Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts.
(ii) Our own physical natural power has nothing to do it.
(e) When we say, “Satan, come out in the name of Jesus” or “Satan, stop what you’re doing in the name of Jesus,” it’s the Lord Jesus that is the power behind our authority.
2) Now Paul did tell believers to do something, in (EPH 6:10) he said, “Be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.”
(a) That means that if your are strong in the Lord and that you know that the power of God is behind you, you can step out in front of what the devil is doing, and tell him to stop in the name of Jesus.
(i) And the enemy has to obey you, but you have to use your authority.
3) 1PET 5:8.
(a) Sometimes that roaring lion is sickness, poverty, depression, and so on.
(b) The Bible says what to do with the devil that brings these things. V. 9a
(c) How do you resist the Devil?
(i) You use your authority.
(ii) But notice it says, “Whom resist steadfast in the FAITH.”
(d) When you resist the devil or when you use your authority against him, you have to do it in faith.
4) Again in (EPH 6:10) it says, “Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.”
(a) That doesn’t say be strong in yourself, and in the power of your own strength.
(b) It tells us to be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.
(c) 1JO 4:3-4. In (V 4) when it says, “And have overcome them.” Who is the “them that we have overcome?”
(i) The evil spirits that we just read about in (V 3.) assignment
(d) (V 4) just said that the greater one lives on the inside of you and this greater One, is greater than he that is in the world.
(i) “He that is in the world,” is Satan, as the Bible says, the god of this world and the head of principalities, powers, and rulers of the darkness of this world.
(e) But the power that’s in you is greater than the all the power of Satan, because the power that backs our authority is greater than that which backs our enemies.
II) Back in (MATT 28:18) which read, “And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.”
A) It should read, “All AUTHORITY is given unto me in heaven and in earth.” His authority is backed up by the very power of God.
1) Right now Jesus is seated at the right hand of the father, the place of authority, and we’re seated with him.
(a) EPH 1:18-23.
(b) Notice again the (19th V) “and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power” [ii]
(c) In other words, there was such an overwhelming display of God’s power in raising Jesus from the dead that this was the mightiest work of God ever recorded.
(i) But there's something else I wanted you to see in (verse 19) from the Amplified Translation. “And [so that you can know and understand] what is the immeasurable and unlimited and surpassing greatness of His power in and for us who believe, as demonstrated in the working of His mighty strength.”
(d) Satan and all his cohorts opposed the Resurrection. But, nothing could keep Him down and our Lord Jesus Christ defeated Satan.
2) Turn with me to COL 2:15.
(a) The “it” at the end of the V. is “The WORK of the CROSS,” His death, burial, and resurrection.
(b) These are the same demonic powers we have to deal with but, thank God, Jesus already defeated them.
B) I don’t think we will ever get the full understanding of the authority that we have as a believer with our intellect; but you must get the spiritual revelation of it.
1) Turn with me to (GAL 5).
2) Now, not everything is a demon. People try to blame everything on a demon.
(a) Many times that we say that the Devil made us do something, it was a work of the flesh.
3) GAL 5:19-21 But when you do come in contact with an evil spirit, you have authority over it. You must believe it by faith!
III) MATT 18:18 who's.
A) Jesus said whatever we bind on earth will be bound in heaven and whatever we loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. Faith
1) Let me ask you this, How do you bind Satan and his demons?
(a) Can we just say I bind you Satan in the name of Jesus?
(i) Yes, if we say it in faith. That’s using our authority over the works of the enemy.
(ii) What does the word “bind” mean?
(iii) It means, “To hold or restrain,” It also has to do with stopping someone from free movement.
(b) To bind Satan is the same thing as commanding him to stop what he is doing in the name of Jesus.
B) MARK 3:27.
1) The “Strong man” is Satan, really a demon.
2) The NIV translation of (Mark 3:27) Says this, “In fact, no one can enter a strong man’s house and carry off his possessions unless he first ties up the strong man. Then he can rob his house.”
(a) In the Word, when a demon comes into a person to live there, he calls that “his house.”
(b) We spoil his house and rob everything that he has or is doing by the authority in the Name of Jesus.
(i) The person is set free and that demon is gone out of that person’s body.
3) We need to use our authority over all the works of the enemy. Jesus has given us this authority so that we can do his work in this earth and so that we can live a victorious life.
WOLCC 1/9/94 SUN AM and WOLCC SUN AM 12/8/96& WOLCC Sunday, May 06, 2001
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[i]The Holy Bible : King James Version. 1995 (electronic ed. of the 1769 edition of the 1611 Authorized Version.) (Lk 10:18-19). Bellingham WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.
[ii]The New King James Version. 1982 (Eph 1:19). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.
