In the following discussion, I aim to explain the meaning and practice of spiritual authority. This will provide a good foundation for me to further the discussions in the next phase by helping us see the relationship between spiritual authority and power, and what God's master plan for every believer is as regards the exercise of spiritual authority and power. My prayer is that as we learn the Truth of His Word, we will be made strong in the Lord and in the power of His might to advance the Kingdom of God as well as wreck havoc to the kingdom of darkness, destroying principalities, powers, rulers of this present darkness and spiritual hosts of wickedness (Ephesians 6:12).
The spiritual authority of a believer is their legal ground to exercise power. Believers have a legal ground to exercise power because of what Christ accomplished on the cross: He paid the penalty of sin and restored us to a relationship with the Father. Those who receive Him, become children of God (John 1:12). In Christ Jesus, they become the righteousness of God (2 Corinthians 5:21). A believer can only live in spiritual authority when he/she is rightly positioned in righteousness. This requires that we surrender our lives to Christ for life long sanctification.
The early church demonstrated tremendous spiritual authority. Peter, preached with authority in Acts 2 and this resulted to conversation of three thousand (3,000) people. In Acts 3, Peter and John commanded a crippled man to walk, and immediately his feet were strengthened and he begun to walk and jump. Notable, is that they did not compromise with sin. In fact, great fear befell the people such that those who were double minded on following Christ dared not join the disciples (Acts 5:11). Ananias and Sapphira is a great example of how sin could not be accommodated nor concealed among the disciples. In accordance to 2 Corinthians 10:6, the early church punished every act of disobedience because their obedience was complete.
Many believers today want to walk in spiritual authority and yet they still want to entertain the works of the flesh in their lives. Sadly, some have turned to false spirits to deceptively display a form of spiritual authority. A believer who is living in sin has no legal ground to exercise power. And the devil knows this very well. Ask the sons of Sceva (Acts 19:11-20)!
Exercised spiritual authority by a believer ought to yield submission and obedience. In several incidences, Jesus demonstrated in His ministry that nature, demons, sicknesses, death, among others, were under His authority and had to bow down and conform to instructions/ orders issued in that authority. For example, when a furious storm raged against a boat in which Jesus was with His disciples, the situation seemed out of hand and caused a frantic panic among the disciples. However, when Jesus awoke from sleep, He rebuked the winds and the waves, and the waters immediately became completely calm (Matthew 8:23-27).
Upon arriving at Gadarenes (following the storm incidence), Jesus met two demon possessed men coming from the tombs. He ordered the demons out of the men by simply saying "Go". With only one word from Jesus, the demons obeyed the order to leave the two men (Matthew 8:32). In another account, Jesus arriving at His home town met a paralytic and ordered "Get up and walk" (Matthew 9:5-7). The man immediately got up and went home. In yet another notable event, Jesus healed Jairus' daughter demonstrating His authority over death. He spoke, "Talitha Koum" meaning "Little girl, I say to you get up!" And so it was. The girl arose from the dead (Matthew 8:18-26; Mark 5:21-43). These are just a few examples of numerous demonstrations of Christ's authority in the gospels.
Noteworthy is that when Jesus first sent out the twelve (Matthew 10:1), he gave them authority to drive out evil spirits and to heal every disease and sickness. In verse 7-8, Jesus further expounds the mandate to the twelve by commanding as follows: "preach this message: the Kingdom of heaven is near. Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons." Also, prior to ascending to heaven, The Risen Messiah gives instructions to His disciples, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, ...." (Matthew 28:18-19). Is it a mere coincidence that the first time the disciples were sent out by Christ, they were given authority and similarly, the last instruction from Christ to His disciples was the bestowing of His authority on them?
A believer's spiritual authority comes from his commission (Matthew 28:18-20; John 20:21)Christ knew something often overlooked by believers today. There cannot be fruitful ministry without a believer exercising spiritual authority! May be we will have better understanding if we revisit "the fall of man" story. God mandated man (Adam and Eve) to subdue the earth and to rule over every living creature. Man was able to perfectly exercise his God-given authority. At this point in time, Satan had no chance of dominion on earth because man was in the fullness of God's glory, and was ruling the earth. This must have been a great incentive for Satan to scheme the fall of man. When man fell into sin, he fell short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). Consequently, Satan took over as the "god of this world" (2 Corinthians 4:4).
Satan thought he had eternally thwarted the plans of God for man to be fruitful, to subdue and to rule the earth. However, he was utterly surprised when his actions of crucifying Jesus on the cross provided the way for restoration of man to his place of spiritual authority. Colossians 2:14-15 states, "having cancelled the written code, with its regulations [the charge of our legal indebtedness], that was against us and that stood opposed to us, he took it away, nailing it to the cross. And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross."
By Christ paying the penalty for our sin, He provided for man's restoration of spiritual authority! When we receive the Lord Jesus into our lives, our spiritual position changes from "subdued" to "rulers". Hallelujah! Ephesians 2:6 states, "And God raise us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus." In this position of spiritual authority, believers are able to effectively fulfill what they have been called to: "God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works ..." (Ephesians 2:10).
The good works we have been called to do were modeled out by Christ in His ministry. Acts 10:38 states that Jesus was anointed with the Holy Spirit and power, and He went about doing good: healing those who were under the power of the devil. Luke 4:18-19 also highlights these good works in Jesus' ministry: preaching the good news to the poor; proclaiming freedom for prisoners; recovery of sight for the blind; release of the oppressed; and proclaiming the year of the Lord's favour. All that a believer does whether at home, in the market place, in church gatherings or in the mission fields should result to impacting people with good works of the gospel for the salvation of their souls. Undoubtedly, believers have been called to do good works and this is possible, firstly if we are rightly positioned in Christ.
Please note that the twelve disciples were novices when Jesus sent them out in Matthew 10 (account also in Luke 9). Notwithstanding, their mission report was outstanding: "preaching the gospel and healing people everywhere" (Luke 9:6). How is it that this bunch of uneducated Jews, mainly of low social status, effectively fulfilled Christ's mandate?
In Luke 10, another group of seventy two was sent out by Jesus to go and preach the gospel. When they returned, they reported, "Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name." Christ's response was, "I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you" (Luke 10:19). Jesus' response is as if saying, "Why are you surprised? Don't you understand that I gave you authority before I sent you out?"
While in the Luke 9 report, healings of people everywhere were recorded, in the Luke 10 account, casting out of demons is recorded as the sign that accompanied the disciples as they preached the gospel. What did these disciples do that the Church of Jesus Christ is not doing today?
Christ joyously exclaims following the mission report by the seventy two: "I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children." It is clear that it was not the disciples' human wisdom or education that earned them success in ministry. Instead, it was their pliable and babe spirits, fully surrendered and dependent on God, that made the difference.
One of the distinctive characteristics of the disciples was their child-like faith. Jesus said it and they believed it! They took Jesus at His word! They were fully persuaded that Jesus had given them authority and so they went out and exercised that authority, in the name of Jesus. Before Christ ascended to heaven, He left you with a command to go into the world in His authority, anchored on the premise that all authority had been given to Him. Colossians 2:10 states, "and you have been given fulness in Christ, who is the Head over every power and authority." Do you believe it? I ask again, Do you believe that Christ has bestowed His authority on you by reason of what He accomplished through His death and resurrection?
Matthew gives an account of Jesus walking on water, which is a spectacular demonstration of authority over the laws of nature. Peter, seeing Jesus walking on the water towards the boat in which the disciples were in, requested Jesus to bid him come. Upon Jesus' invitation, Peter responded by faith and stepped on the water and begun to walk towards the Messiah. However, when Peter saw the wind, human reason revealed the possibilities of him being swept away or drowning, and this yielded doubt that resulted to his sinking. Jesus reached out and held Peter by the hand, asking him "why did you doubt?" The moment Peter doubted, his ability to exercise spiritual authority over nature was immediately incapacitated (Matthew 14:22-36).
Doubt incapacitates a believer's ability to exercise spiritual authority.Jesus did walk on water, despite having fully taken the form of man, because He had faith in God, the Creator of heaven and earth. He not only believed that God was able, but He did also step out onto the waters, this being evidence of His faith.
The spiritual authority given to us, is not by a mere ruler of a city or nation. It is given to us by the Son of the Living God! When Jesus asked His disciples who He was, Peter through the revelation of the Spirit replied, "You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God" (Matthew 16:16). This revelation is paramount for any believer who desires to live in spiritual authority. The One who gives believers authority is the Anointed One; the Ruler of the Kings of the earth (Revelation 1:5); the King of Kings and Lord of Lords (Revelation 19:16)!
Spiritual authority is "keys of the kingdom of heaven". It opens doors. The keys need to be utilized. It is not enough to have a key; the key is useful when it is used to open doors. The kingdom of God is at hand when believers exercise spiritual authority! This is an inheritance of the children of God: "whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven" (Matthew 16:19). By reason of the authority given to believers in Christ Jesus, they can uproot and tear down; they can destroy and overthrow; and they can build and plant (Jeremiah 1:10).
What is required of believers is faith as small as a mustard seed and they will say to a mountain, "move from here to there" and it shall obey (Matthew 17:20). What a great promise given to believers, that nothing will be impossible for those who have faith as little as a mustard seed. Many of us suffer from unbelief. It has actually been one of my greatest obstacles in ministry; making God too small in my eyes. Indeed, unbelief grieves God (Hebrews 11:6). Oh Lord, help our unbelief!
What does God require that I do to deal with the fox of unbelief that spoils my vineyard? I am to immerse my self in hearing, reading, studying, memorize and meditating the Word of God. This is because faith comes by hearing, and hearing the word of God. Secondly, I must learn to set my eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of my faith (Hebrews 12:2). As long as Peter looked onto Jesus, he walked on water. When his focus shifted to the winds, he begun to sink. O Lord, give us stubborn faith that acknowledges the facts of our circumstances and yet dares to believe the God of impossibilities!
Thirdly, the language of faith is prayer, thus believers who desire to live by faith must spend time in the secret place of prayer. When the disciples were confronted by a case of a demon possessed boy who needed deliverance, they were unable to heal him (Matthew 17:14-21). Were these not the same disciples who had healed the sick in Matthew 10 and cast out demons in Luke 10? In this particular case where they were unable to heal the demon possessed boy. Jesus pointing to their little faith indicated, "But this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting."
It is without doubt, that prayer was at the center of Jesus' ministry. At every available opportunity, Jesus prioritized prayer. He was intentional about seeking God in prayer. He understood that as fuel is to an engine, so is prayer to ministry. There are over twenty five records of Jesus praying in the New Testament. For example, we see Him sending the crowds away and retreating to pray until evening (Matthew 14:23). In Mark 6:46, He left His disciples and went to the mountains to pray. In Luke 6:12, He spent the whole night in prayer. In Mark 1:35, he left the house early in the morning, to a secluded place to pray. Luke 5:16 states that Jesus would often slip to the wilderness to pray.
Also, when believers walk in their spiritual authority, they disrupt the works of the "god of this world". The devil knows this well and so he is also at work trying to prevent the advancement of the Kingdom of God. He does not sit pretty and wait for believers to invade and take over his grounds. He wages war instead. Believers are in a 24-7 spiritual battle, whether they realize it or not. Vigilance is essential. Putting on the spiritual armour of God is mandatory. The call of God upon our lives requires that we be always on guard. Our assignment requires that we pray in the Spirit at all times (Ephesians 6:10-18).
It is sad to report that prayer for many believers today is not in their top three list of priorities. Many of us are busy doing ministry and yet we are not willing to spend time with the Lord of the Harvest in prayer. How can we effectively work when we hardly spend time to commune with our Lord, and receive grace and mercy to help in our time of need? How can we trust (have faith in) the Lord, yet we hardly know Him?
"The priority of Jesus was not ministry to men. It was spending time with His Father." Dr. Myles MunroePrayer nurtures your intimacy with God. The more you know Him, the more you will know His character and gain insight to His heart. In so doing, your faith is built up on God's power and not on mere head knowledge and human wisdom (1 Corinthians 2:5).
I wish to conclude by reiterating that any believer who desires to live in spiritual authority must live by faith and know the joy of the secret place of prayer (and fasting). Bill Johnson provokes us to this kind of life by the following quote:
In private cry for more. In public take risks.
Amen.May God bless you for that word .
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DeleteIts inspiring and and timely
ReplyDeleteAmen and Amen
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