Authority # 4
Our spiritual authority that we have over the enemy pivots on these 2 scriptures. Jesus has been raised and is now seated at the right hand of the Father. God has also raised us together and seated us together with Christ. That's the place of authority.
I. God has not only seated Christ in heaven, ABOVE ALL THE POWERS IN SATAN'S REALM, BUT WE'RE THERE TOO.
A. EPH 1:21 This tells us that Christ is seated for above all principalities, powers, & dominions.
1. But we're seated with him, Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion.
2. In the mind of God, we we're raised when Christ was raised. When Christ sat down, we sat down, too.
a. That's where we are, positionally.
b. Just like we say that the Queen of England is seated on the throne. She may not be there right now. But positionally that's where she is.
c. She has authority weather she is physically sitting on the throne or not.
3. It's the same with us, we have authority over the enemy weather we're sitting on the throne now or not.
a. Jesus said in, (MAT 28:18) “All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.” (KJV)
b. (LUK 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.” (KJV)
B. We're carrying out the Lord's work on this earth.
1. One aspect of this work, that the Word of God tells us to do, is to take authority over the Devil & all of his cohorts.
a. His work will never be done apart from us.
b. We are his body, & the body does the work.
2. EPH 6:12 If you take this V. out of it's setting and go on talking about this awful fight we're in against the Devil and the power he has, you've missed the whole point.
a. Paul just said a few chapters back that, “We are seated above all these powers that we have to deal with.”
b. We need to keep in mind that we're above them and we have authority over them.
II. A number of years ago the Lord appeared to Kenneth Hagin in a vision and began teaching him some things, then all of a sudden an evil spirit ran in the middle and started to make a lot of noise. (yakety-yak...)
A. He couldn't see Jesus any more or hear him. then in desperation Kenneth Hagin said, ‘In the name of Jesus, you foul spirit, I command you to stop.’ (He stopped.)
1. The Lord said, “If you hadn't done something about that, I couldn't have.” (Wouldn't, couldn't)
2. Then the Lord said, “I've done all I'm going to do about the Devil until the angel comes down from heaven, takes the chain & binds him, & puts him into the bottomless pit.” [REV. 20:1-3]
a. The Lord went on to say, “The New Testament tells believers themselves to do something about the devil.” “Now I'll give you 4 scripture references that prove that.”
B. The 1st one was in (MATT 28:18), this took place just after Jesus rose from the dead
1. Jesus said in (MAT 28:18) “All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.” Remember the word ‘POWER’ means ‘AUTHORITY.’
2. Immediately He delegated His authority on earth to the Church.
2nd a. Mark 16:15-18
b. The very 1st sign mentioned, is that shall cast out devils.
c. That means that in the name of Jesus they shall use their authority over the devil, because Jesus has delegated his authority over the devil to the Church.
3. COL 1:13
a. One translation says, “The Father hath delivered us from the power of darkness.”
b. Again the word ‘POWER’ here is Greek word ‘AUTHORITY.’
c. This V. should read, “The Father hath delivered us from the authority of darkness, & hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear son.”
d. God has already delivered us from the authority of darkness.
3rd C. JAMES 4:7 That's talking to you. You resist the devil and he will flee from you.
1. The believer has to have authority over the devil, or the bible wouldn't tell him to do something about the devil.
2. This V. doesn't say that the devil will flee from Jesus; it says that the devil will flee from YOU.
a. That authority is yours whether you feel like you've got it or not.
b. Authority has nothing to do with feelings.
i. (2 Corinthians 5:7) “(For we walk by faith, not by sight:)”
4th 3. For the last scripture, turn with me to 1PET 5:8.
a. Your adversary means your opponent, your enemy.
b. Look at V. 9 The American Standard Version says, “Whom resist stead in your faith.”
III. Peter never told any one to send for Paul to cast out a devil, he didn't say to write to Paul for a handkerchief or a cloth that was taken from his body that would cause the devil to flee.
A. Paul never said to send for Peter to cast out an evil spirit, or maybe even his shadow would fall on you & the evil spirit would flee.
1. None of those things happen, but the Bible says for us to do something about the devil.
2. Why are we to do something? Because we have authority over him.
B. I remember Kenneth Hagin telling a story about his brother. His brother had just gotten divorced and the wife took the kids.
1. 1 night when Kenneth Hagin was preaching he had a vision of his brother sitting in the park.
a. His brother was thinking, “I’m going to kill my wife and myself.”
b. Kenneth Hagin told the people that he had to take care of something. ....
2. Then he said, “Devil, you stop that right now. In the name of Jesus you leave this man.”
a. Then he finished his sermon.
3. Later on his brother told him what he was felling when he took a walk in the park. His brother said that he decided to take things into his own hands.
a. Then all of a sudden that thing left him and he then was in a good mood.
C. When we get hold of this truth, we’re going to see things happen.
1. The devil is going to fight us from winning the victory, but as you remain stubborn in faith.
a. When you have done all to stand, keep standing, and the victory will be yours.
WOLCC SUN AM 2/6/94