Authority # 3

     Let me ask you this question, Does the Church today have less authority than it did right after Jesus' death, burial, resurrection, ascension, & seating at the Father's right hand? There is just as much, if not more demonic activity now as there was then. If we didn’t have any authority over the forces of darkness than Satan would just be trampling the church under foot. But Jesus did give us His authority.

      I. Jesus said in (Luke 10:19) “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.”

                  A. It says in (MAT 28:18) And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. (KJV)

                        1. All of His authority can be exercised by the Church, because Jesus is not here in person, in His physical body.

                        2. We are the body of Christ. Many times we've prayed, ‘Lord, do this or do that about the Devil,’ leaving everything up to Him.

                                  a. But He's given us the authority over all the demonic forces, we need to do something.

                                  b. Many time's problems exist because we permit them to, we're not doing anything about it.

                        3. Kenneth Hagin told a story about his brother. He used to pray, ‘Lord, save my brother.’ Than one day the Lord spoke to him & said, “You do something about him, you have the authority.”

                                  a. Than Kenneth Hagin said, ‘In the Name of Jesus, I break the power of the devil over my brother's life, & I claim his salvation.’

                                  b. He didn't keep saying it or praying it.

                                          c. Remember last time I read to you (ROM 5:17) from the Wuest translation, which said, “In life we will reign as kings through the One, Jesus Christ.”

                                          d. The bible says that we are kings. Of course Jesus in the King of kings. But we are still kings.

                                  e. When a king gives an order, he knows that it will be carried out.

                                  f. When Kenneth Hagin gave that order in the name of Jesus, the devil had to stop what he was doing. His brother was saved within 10 days.

                        4. Even in my own life I've seen when I've taken the authority it's worked.   (When the Devil has been steeling from me with things braking down.)

              B. As long as you stay in Satan's area of doubt, unbelief, & reason, he'll win every time.

                        1. But if you fight him in the arena of faith, you'll beat him every time.

                        2. One of the best ways to get the answer to your problem or need is to demand your rights.

                                          a. ACTS 3:2-6

                                  b. Peter didn't pray for the man to be healed. He demanded the man to be healed.

                                  c. You're not demanding God when you demand you rights; you're demanding the devil to stop what he’s doing.

                              3. JOHN 14:13-14 He's not talking about prayer.

                                          a. The Greek word for ‘ask’ would better translated ‘require.’

                                                      i. Kenneth Hagin refers to it as ‘demand.’

                                           ii. What ever you require or demand the Devil to do, as long as it’s in the will of God and if you’re standing in faith, he has to do.

                                  b. But look at JOHN 16:23-24

                                     c. The Father is mentioned here in connection with prayer. But He isn't mentioned in the passage in (JOHN 14).

                                          d. Whenever you demand your rights & privileges in faith the devil has to give way.

                                           i. You've got to learn what your rights are.

     II. There's more to it than just knowing your rights. Faith is involved in exercising authority over the devil.

              A. There are times when you cast a devil out of someone, & the devil leaves immediately, but if they don't when you speak the word of faith, don't get disturbed about it.

                        1. I base my faith on what the Word says. Some base their faith on manifestations.

                              2. (MAT 8:16) “When the even was come, they brought unto him many that were possessed with devils: and he cast out the spirits with {his} word, and healed all that were sick:” (KJV)

                              3. MARK 1:23-26 What I wanted you to see here is that when Jesus cast out the spirit, immediately the man with the unclean spirit got worse, but the devil the devil did come out.

                              4. MAT. 15:22-28 There's 2 things that I want you to see here. 1st it says that she had a devil (or a demon).V 22 says, “vexed with a devil” which means she had a demon.

                                          a. 2nd the devil didn't come out immediately, he came out that same hour.

                                          b. ACT 16:18

                                                    i. In this V we also see that the spirit didn’t come out immediately. We have many references of the spirit coming out but not always did they come out as soon as you spoke the Word.

                                  c. The devil doesn't always come out that same moment. But if you spoke the word with faith, he must come out.

              B. And it's the same thing in other areas of your life. You have authority over the enemy whenever & however he pops his head up.

                        1. We may not always see it when we 1st pray or the moment when we 1st take authority over Satan, but victory is coming.

                                  a. People often ask why does it seen to take so long.

                                                      i. 1st of all we should want God’s timing.

                                                      ii. Example: Let’s say that God wanted Word of Life to have a Christian school. (Don’t feel any direction in that area.) If He is, we have to fine God’s perfect timing. If we did it too soon then it could be devastating on the Church.

                                                      iii. It’s the same thing with a church building.

                                                     a. If we act too soon or too late we could get the wrong building.

                              2. The 2nd reason things don’t happen immediately is because of the Satanic forces trying to stop the move of God and His promises from getting through.

                                  a. That why we not only have to ask in faith, but we also have to keep on standing in faith.

                        3. A 3rd reason is that it may be that you are asking wrongly or you’re asking for something that is not the will of God.

                                          a. That why it’s so important that we get in the Word and stay there.

                                  b. The promises that are found in the Word are the will of God.

              C. Sometimes the enemy will pop His head up in different areas. It might be sickness or it might be different problems.

                        1. Smith Wigglesworth said, ‘I'm not moved by what I see. I'm not moved by what I feel. I'm moved only by what I believe.’

                                     a. We need to take hold of that statement. I’m not moved by what I see. I’m not moved by what I feel. I’m only moved by what I believe and I believe the Word of God.

                                  b. So stand your ground against the devil.

                                  c. We can & should rise up against the devil, stand your ground, take your authority over him and the victory is yours.

WOLCC SUN AM 1/30/94