Authority Of The Believer
The Authority You Have As A Believer in Jesus Christ
Satan and his cohorts (demons) were defeated at the cross by our Lord Jesus Christ. How did Jesus defeat the devil you may ask? He defeated the devil by becoming our substitute, by sacrificing himself on the cross. He took our sins upon himself and stripped the devil of his authority over humanity. Jesus had to die because Adam gave his authority over to satan. In the beginning, God gave the power to Adam over the entire earth but when he was deceived by satan and ate the forbidden fruit, Adam became a slave to satan and to sin. Adam gave up his authority and dominion over the earth when he sinned. Then satan became the god of this world.
Unfortunately, Christians today are led to believe that they are fighting a greater being whose power is superior to ours and we can barely cope with him, but that is a lie of the devil. God’s Word tells us, “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.” (Ephesians 6:12 NKJ)
Yes, satan does exist and the only power he has over us is DECEPTION. He can only come against you with lies and trickery. Satan doesn’t have power to come against God and since you have Jesus Christ within you, he does not have power over you.
“You were dead because of your sins and because your sinful nature was not yet cut away. Then God made you alive with Christ, for he forgave all our sins. He canceled the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross. In this way, he disarmed the spiritual rulers and authorities. He shamed them publicly by his victory over them on the cross.” (Colossians 2:13-15)
God had to send someone to overcome sin once and for all. Someone had to defeat satan, to conquer sin and to pay the price for all time. No sinful human could do that. God chose to pay that price Himself when He sent His Son to earth in human form. Jesus, the son of God, gave up His heavenly throne for a pile of straw in a manager, lived a sinless life on this earth for 33 years and had His own blood sprinkled on the Mercy Seat at the cross. Jesus triumphed over the devil at the cross and took back our authority. It’s our responsibility to resist the devil. We now have control. We must put the devil under our feet. God is not going to do it for us.
“Look, I have given you authority over ALL the power of the enemy, and you can walk among snakes and scorpions and crush them. Nothing will injure you.” (Luke 10:19 NLT) [emphasis mine]
Every scripture in the New Testament that deals with the devil instructs US to do something about him. We are never told in God’s Word to pray to God that HE do something about satan. James 4:7 tells us, “So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” Notice that it doesn’t say God will do something about the devil, it’s telling us that WE are to resist the devil and he will flee from us. To flee means to run away in terror! Can you imagine the devil running away from us in terror? Well that is exactly what happens when we use our authority over satan and his demons. Remember that greater is Jesus within you than the devil that’s in the world.
Many things exist in the lives of God’s children because they permit them to exist. They just don’t do anything about the situation. Sometimes believers don’t know that they can do anything to change the situation, but God’s Word tells us that whatever we bind on earth is bound in heaven. It is our responsibility to do something about our situations that we want changed.
Kenneth Hagin writes: "Authority is delegated power. Its value depends on the force behind the user. Jesus said, "I have given you authority." Who gave it? Jesus did. Who is Jesus? Jesus is God manifested in the flesh! That means that God said it. Therefore, God said "I have given you authority to tread upon serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy." (Serpents and scorpions represent demons and evil spirits and the power of the enemy.)
God Himself is the Power, the Force, behind this authority. The believer who is fully conscious of divine authority can therefore face the enemy without fear or hesitation.
Behind the authority possessed by the believer is a Power far greater than the power that backs our enemies. And those enemies are compelled to recognize that authority!"
“I tell you the truth, whatever you forbid on earth will be forbidden in heaven, and whatever you permit on earth will be permitted in heaven.” (Matthew 18:18 NLT)
You have Jesus Christ within you! Satan is absolutely powerless! So remember that you have authority over the power of satan and demon spirits. Go in the name of Jesus Christ and take back your authority, use it against the devil and make him run away from you in terror!
"So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you."(James 4:7 NLT)
“Yet amid all these things we are more than conquerors and gain a surpassing victory through Him Who loved us.” (Romans 8:37, Amplified)
Confessions
I am a believer and Jesus Christ has given me authority over the power of the enemy and nothing shall by any means hurt me.
God Himself is the Power behind this authority.
I am strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.
I have been empowered with authority from the Lord Jesus Christ.
The authority in the Name of Jesus Christ that is above every name has been given to me. I have authority over all the power of the enemy.
When I hold up my hand and say, "In the name of Jesus Christ, stop right now and come no further," the devil stops in his tracks.
I stand my ground. I use my authority and the devil runs from me in terror!
Confessions with Scripture
In the name of Jesus Christ, I resist the enemy, and I command every demonic spirit to flee. (James 4:7)
In the name of Jesus Christ, I declare that snakes, scorpions, and all the power of the enemy against me, my family or my ministry are null and void, the glory of God is sweeping them away! (Luke 10:19)
In the name of Jesus Christ, I declare that no weapon formed against me, my family or my ministry shall prosper and nothing by any means will harm me/us! (Isaiah 54:17; Luke 10:19)
Jesus Christ, the Son of God, came to destroy the works of the devil. Therefore, I declare that every work of the devil against me, my family or my ministry is destroyed. (1 John 3:8)
Whoever says to this mountain, "Be removed and cast into the sea and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says.” I speak to these mountains of ___, be removed and cast into the sea. I do not doubt in my heart, but I believe that what I say shall be done, in the name of my Lord Jesus Christ! (Mark 11:23)
And they overcame [satan] by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony. I declare and decree that I have overcome satan by the blood of Jesus Christ and by the word of my testimony. (Revelation 12:11)
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