A.       Jesus gave you His authority - Luke 10:19.

1.    "Behold, I have given you authority… over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall injure you" - Luke 10:19 NASB.

2.    You have the authority now. You have the same authority, ability, responsibility, and position that the Church had immediately after the mighty work of Jesus Christ was completed and he ascended to be with the Father.

B.       Jesus expects you to use the power in His name to do His work here on earth - Mark 16:17, 18; 2 Corinthians 5:18, 20.

1. There is great power in His name! (Philippians 2:9-11).

2.    You as a believer have the authority (the right) to exercise the power that is in the name of Jesus.

3. In John 14:12-14 (read), the original Greek word translated as “ASK” means: "TO ASK FOR; DEMAND."

a)    As you use Jesus' name to do His work, the enemy must flee and the work will be accomplished. (Also see James 4:7 “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you”).

4.    This principle of demanding in John 14:12-14 is not referring to prayer; it is referring to doing the works of Jesus.

a)    In Acts 3:6, Peter, at the Gate Beautiful, DID NOT PRAY for the lame man; he commanded the man to rise and be healed in Jesus' name. In doing so, Peter was DEMANDING THAT THE ENEMY'S AFFLICTION LEAVE.

b)    You are not demanding of God; you are demanding that the enemy leave.

c)     Remember, the power is in the name of Jesus. You have the right or authority to use that name and the power that is in it.

II.   You Have an Adversary.

A.       Have you seen sickness, destruction, famine, or death? What is the work of the faith, Satan - John 10:10.

1.    Satan is not nice. He is intelligent. His plans are subtle and not always easily identified, and they are hellish.

B.       Jesus Christ DEFEATED Satan and his evil spirits - Colossians 2:15.

1.    Because you are in Christ, you participate in His victory. You live in Jesus Christ and use the power of His name, the enemy cannot defeat you.

C.       Your adversary, the Devil, walks around like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour - 1 Peter 5:8, 9.

1.    He cannot devour the Christian who uses the powerful name of Jesus to resist him – (James 4:7) (Don’t read).

D.  You cannot use your authority against people. That does not work.

1.    "for we wrestle not against flesh and blood…" - Ephesians 6:12.

2.    You deal with the evil spiritual forces of Satan.

E.   1 John 3:8b reads, "For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the Devil."

1.    You, as a disciple of Jesus Christ, exercise the authority and power in the name of Jesus as you do the works of Jesus. (John 14:12-14) says that we are to "DEMAND" Satan to stop in the name of Jesus.

2.    The enemy's works of sickness, poverty, disease, and lack cannot remain when you tell them to go in Jesus' name (James 4:7 Resist).

F.   Jesus Christ expects you to do the work. He never said to pray, "Father, (or Jesus), do something about the Devil."

1.    The believer is told to do something about the Devil. That is because the believers have the authority to do it-Matthew 28:18, 19. Jesus told you to go.

2.    The church is to exercise the authority that belongs to it.

III. Exercising Authority

A.  Exercising authority for others.

1.    You can exercise authority on the behalf of your family. You have the responsibility to do so.

a)   When you ask, the Lord will show you what the problem is with your family and how to exercise authority over the enemy on behalf of a family member.

b)    It is not necessary to tell your family that you're going to do this. Pray for them and use the name of Jesus to command that the enemy takes his hands off a particular person or situation.

c)     Get God's plan for the situation.

(1)  This is most important. God knows more than you do.

(2)  Ask the Father if there are specific things which you need to do, or scriptures you should use.

d)   Use as much faith as you have.

2.    You have authority over your own life and within your own family, but you cannot cast the Devil out of everyone you meet on the street. They have authority over their own lives.

3.    You have authority over demonic forces, but not over human wills. If someone has an evil spirit and they do not want to be free from it, you cannot cast it out.

a)    If people want to be free, they can be free. If people truly do not want to be free, then they won't be set free.

b)    You can allow God to show you how to take authority and how to pray in a situation where a person says that they do not want to be free.

(1)  Even though someone says he does not want to be free, through your prayers and authority God may be able to make a way where that person is free from Satan's influence to the point where he can make a decision for total freedom.

(2)  Diligently pray to get the mind of God on what to do.

4.    When people ask for or desire help, you can operate in your authority using the name of Jesus. You must first take time to listen to the Lord and get His plan on how to deal with the situation.

B.       You can use the principle of binding and loosening-Matthew 16:19.

1.    You can bind the mouth of the enemy so that he cannot speak to a person with whom you are dealing. Do this quietly where no one can hear you.

2.    You can bind the mouth of the enemy who is speaking through someone whose language is offensive.

3.    You can bind the evil forces using a person so that they cannot act in your presence.

C.  There is no distance in the spirit world. Even if you use your authority over a situation that is taking place in another country, you are effective.

D.  How to use your authority.

1.    What to say-Matthew 16:19 (Bind and Loose).

a)    "Satan, in the name of Jesus, I bind you, for it is written, 'whatsoever thou shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven…..' because you are bound, Satan, you and all your demonic forces may not come against_____(list names)____. You are bound away from me and my family; we are all covered in cleansed with the blood of Jesus. You may not steal, kill, or destroy us or our property in Jesus' name. I remind you that you are defeated and I am victorious in Jesus' name."

b)    Make this a daily practice.

c)     Use the name of Jesus; that is where the power is.

d)    If you have a specific problem, say: "Satan, in the name of Jesus, no longer will you have control over that area of my life. I command you to go in the name of Jesus. Don't bother to come back." (Give examples)

(1)  It's that easy.

e)     If the enemy should try to regain a hold in an area where you have demanded that he leave, remind him that he is defeated and that you are victorious in Jesus. Tell him to go in Jesus' name.