Understanding your Authority

Spirit Wars

To be effective in spiritual warfare

you have to be in right standing and know the power and authority God has provided.

Last message i spoke was a mile high overview of Understanding your identity.

That’s step #1

before you can exercise your Authority and power

It is essesntial you understand who you are.

I plan to do an entire series on this topic in the future

probably on each of these topics

but in this series were going to focus on a broad overview.

I would encourage you if you already haven’t done so.

To you the tool to personalize the scriptures on our website.

www.mykwc.ca

If you want to exercise authority in Christ, you must understand it.

Jesus delegated authority to His followers and commanded them to preach the gospel

Mark 16:15–16 NASB95

And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. “He who has believed and has been baptized shall be saved; but he who has disbelieved shall be condemned.

Authority comes from God, and it is His gift to us

Romans 13:1–7 NASB95

Every person is to be in subjection to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God. Therefore whoever resists authority has opposed the ordinance of God; and they who have opposed will receive condemnation upon themselves. For rulers are not a cause of fear for good behavior, but for evil. Do you want to have no fear of authority? Do what is good and you will have praise from the same; for it is a minister of God to you for good. But if you do what is evil, be afraid; for it does not bear the sword for nothing; for it is a minister of God, an avenger who brings wrath on the one who practices evil. Therefore it is necessary to be in subjection, not only because of wrath, but also for conscience’ sake. For because of this you also pay taxes, for rulers are servants of God, devoting themselves to this very thing. Render to all what is due them: tax to whom tax is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honor to whom honor.

Today we’re going to Find out how we should exercise authority as Christ would have us do and live victoriously.

What is Authority?

def: Authority .....Is the right/responsibility to do something aka permission

If you have a bank account you have the authority to remove funds from that account

someone else should not remove funds without you giving them authority.

If you own a home…you have the authority on who can enter the home

I can’t just walk into someones house sit on the couch and start watching TV. Unless they give me permission to do so.

that permission is provided by authority.

I can’t just tell someone to make themselves at home in someone elses house.

I can do that in my home…because i have authority in my home because I own it

but I can’t do that in someone else’s home

There can be differnt levels of authortiy or restrictions.

I could say this company can withdrawal X amount of funds from my account every month to cover the cost of a bill.

they are restricted to the permissions I set.

One of the most noticable areas of Authority we see is the Police.

The laws of our land has given them authority to do things that the average person cannot do.

they carry a gun

they don’t have to obey traffic laws.

they can violate a persons rights.

under our laws they a limited in that their authority has to be justified.

they can just do it because they want to. There has to be a justifiable reason.

time when police vehicle did a 180 right infront of me

Why am i bringing this up.

Its to demostrate each one of us navigates authority every day in the natural.

as the one in authority over your posessions and those under your charge

but also under those who have authority over us.

the bible isn’t quiet on this matter

We already read Romans 13:1

Romans 13:1 NASB95

Every person is to be in subjection to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God.

Rejection of authority is not good

Jude 8 NASB95

Yet in the same way these men, also by dreaming, defile the flesh, and reject authority, and revile angelic majesties.

Jude was referring to the Gnostics

a group of people with very distorted view of the gospel.

He is pinpointing specific Gnostic beliefs:

debauchery,

total freedom from authority,

even insulting angels

Gnostics believed that a person was free to do whatever he wanted, debauch himself to any extent, and God would forgive it, for He is gracious.

They believed that no one had authority over them,

that they were free from law,

that they were free from government because they were spiritual.

No one, then, could tell them what to do.

They had progressed beyond all need for physical law of any type of authority, court, or physical government.

Lastly, they were so self-willed that they would even reject the authority of angels, believing that they were higher than the angels

You will never be able to exert Godly authority without first understanding what it means to be under Authority

This basic lesson is foundational to the nuclear family

Children learn under the parent’s authority so that they can become parents and operated under that authority.

Abuse of Authority

Every one of us has probably been in a time when someone in authority over us has abused that authority.

That has become such the norm that of the the more common jabs at leaders is to call them authoritarian

sometimes its justified, but somtimes its said just because the leader doesn’t do what the person wants them to do.

nobody likes an authoritarian, but the problem is not the authority, but rather the abuse of it.

Today I want to acknowlege 7 truths of Authority

#1 – JESUS SECURED OUR AUTHORITY

1 Corinthians 15:45 NASB95

So also it is written, “The first man, Adam, became a living soul.” The last Adam became a life-giving spirit.

God gave authority to man

Genesis 1:28–30 NASB95

God blessed them; and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” Then God said, “Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the surface of all the earth, and every tree which has fruit yielding seed; it shall be food for you; and to every beast of the earth and to every bird of the sky and to every thing that moves on the earth which has life, I have given every green plant for food”; and it was so.

When Adam and Eve sinned satan took up authority on earth

When Adam & Eve sinned and were kicked out of the garden of Eden satan became the prince of the air

Ephesians 2:2 NASB95

in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience.

Jesus never disputed this when satan confronted Him during the wilderness after His baptism

Luke 4:6–7 NASB95

And the devil said to Him, “I will give You all this domain and its glory; for it has been handed over to me, and I give it to whomever I wish. “Therefore if You worship before me, it shall all be Yours.”

satan offered Jesus to regain authority over the earth if He would worship him.

aren’t you Glad Jesus had another way?

Jesus gives specific authority to His disciples

Mark 3:14–15 NASB95

And He appointed twelve, so that they would be with Him and that He could send them out to preach, and to have authority to cast out the demons.

Matthew 10:1 NASB95

Jesus summoned His twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every kind of disease and every kind of sickness.

Mark 6:7 NASB95

And He summoned the twelve and began to send them out in pairs, and gave them authority over the unclean spirits;

Luke 9:1 NASB95

And He called the twelve together, and gave them power and authority over all the demons and to heal diseases.

Luke 10:19 NASB95

“Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing will injure you.

Mark 6:13 NASB95

And they were casting out many demons and were anointing with oil many sick people and healing them.

Jesus regains All Authority on the earth

After Jesus died and rose again conquering death he went to His disciples

Matthew 28:18 NASB95

And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.

Ok if Jesus was given all authority, how much did satan have?

non zilch zero

#2 – WE HAVE AUTHORITY TO PREACH THE GOSPEL

Jesus gave Authority to His Church

Matthew 28:19–20 NASB95

“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

A Disciples job is to become a dicsiple maker.

teaching them to do everything Jesus told them to do.

If Jesus taught His disciples to heal the sick. they were to pass that on to their disciples

If Jesus taught His disciples to cast out demons. they were to pass that on to their disciples

If Jesus taught His disciples to preach the Gospel. they were to pass that on to their disciples

If Jesus taught His disciples to make disciples. they were to pass that on to their disciples

nothing was to be lost.

nothing was just to prove the power of the disciples

this was a perpetual state of Authority and power for the disciples to pass on to the next generation.

“all” that i have commanded you.

#3 – WE HAVE AUTHORITY TO STAND AGAINST SATAN

Ephesians 4:27 NASB95

and do not give the devil an opportunity.

James 4:7 NASB95

Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.

God is there with you to back His Word; but all is worthless unless you take your position of authority and assume the responsibility to use what He has provided.

You have the authority to take the Word of God, the name of Jesus, and the power of the Holy Spirit and run satan out of your affairs.

Don’t pray and ask God to fight satan for you.

You are the one in authority.

Take your responsibility and speak directly to satan yourself and stand your ground firmly.

He will flee!

#4 – WE ARE SEATED WITH HIM IN HIGH AUTHORITY

Ephesians 1:19–21 NASB95

and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe. These are in accordance with the working of the strength of His might which He brought about in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come.

Ephesians 2:1–6 NASB95

And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience. Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest. But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,

#5 – WE HAVE AUTHORITY TO ACT AS NEW CREATIONS

Hebrews 2:14 NASB95

Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise also partook of the same, that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil,

1 Peter 1:23 NASB95

for you have been born again not of seed which is perishable but imperishable, that is, through the living and enduring word of God.

Not Sinners saved by grace

Ephesians 4:21–24 NASB95

if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught in Him, just as truth is in Jesus, that, in reference to your former manner of life, you lay aside the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit, and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth.

#6 – WE CAN MINISTER AND WALK FROM A POINT OF AUTHORITY

Acts 3:6 NASB95

But Peter said, “I do not possess silver and gold, but what I do have I give to you: In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene—walk!”

Luke 10:17 NASB95

The seventy returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name.”

The book of Acts is full of stories of the disciple operating under the Authority Jesus gave them

He’s given you that same authority.

My deepests prayers is that you learn to walk in it.

close in prayer