The Believer's Authority Part 4

If you knew Jamie, you'd know that my wife is a very conservative dresser. She never wears anything inappropriate. There was nothing wrong with her. This guy just had a bunch of legalistic, religious opinions about jewelry, makeup, and hairstyles that he was trying to force on us.

Basically, I stopped him right in the middle of his tirade, asking, "Who are you?" He told me his name and I said, "No, I mean who gave you the right to speak to us this way? You have no dominion, no right, and no authority over my wife.

G.o.d did not die and appoint you to take His place. You're n.o.body. I don't care what your opinion is!"

Of course, this guy was highly offended. His att.i.tude was "How dare you speak to me that way." But since he had the audacity to confront me, rail on my wife, and tell me what to do, I just decided to respond in kind. "Mister, you have no authority in my life."

I would never just walk in and start telling the President of the United States what to do. It's not because I feel inferior. It's not because I don't believe G.o.d has given me some valuable things to say. I just recognize that I'd have to earn that right.

He would have to request it. I'm not his superior. I can't just force my way in and start spouting opinions.

It's the same for a mail clerk in a business. You may have some ideas that would work, but you can't just barge into the CEO's office and start telling them what to do. You must remain under authority. Now, if they're a good CEO, they'd encourage your feedback. They'd even occasionally go to the hourly workers and ask, "What do you think?" But really, it's his choice to ask for input. You don't have the right-the authority-to just go up to the CEO and start spouting off.

I would never go up to one of the ministers I see on television or hear on the radio and just start rebuking them and telling them things that I disagree with them about. I've listened to some of them, and they are absolutely wrong on some points. G.o.d has shown me some truths in His Word that could help them, but I respect them enough to wait to be invited in. I'm not their supervisor. They don't submit to me. We don't have that kind of rapport built up. I'd never do such a thing.

NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS.

However, every day someone does that to me. Whether it be in a letter, a phone call, an email, or in person, someone who considers themselves to be the official standard of what's right and wrong reams me up one side and down the other. They've never witnessed to anyone, never seen someone set free, never done anything for the Lord, and yet they think that they know it all.

If they just understood authority, they would stop these kinds of abuses and realize that they have to earn the right to speak into someone's life.

I've told my Bible school students before, "There are some things I know about some of you sitting here right now, problems in your life, however, these problems are outside of school and you haven't come to me about them. If we haven't built a rapport to where I feel like you've opened up to me and given me the freedom to candidly speak to you, then I won't come to you and talk to you about those kinds of things." It's not my place. It's none of my business.

I'll deal with things that affect people while they're at school, but I'm not going to pry into their personal life. Some folks think, Well, that's wrong. You ought to get more involved. No, I believe it's wrong for you to stick your nose into other people's business. It really does come down to authority.

DEFEATED.

G.o.d is a G.o.d of authority. He set structure in place, and He's not going to circ.u.mvent it. When one of my employees disagrees with a superior, I tell the person, "Go to your superior and talk to them about it. Don't circ.u.mvent the superior by coming to me and trying to get me to counter their opinion." It works better this way. That's how G.o.d is. He established authority, and we need to recognize that G.o.d Himself obeys it. He would not intervene in the affairs of men until He became a Man. Once He took upon Himself the form of flesh, then He had the authority to take it to the devil. That's good news.

Satan didn't get his authority directly from G.o.d. He doesn't have a superior angelic power that he uses over the human race. The devil was stripped of all his angelic power and authority. The power and authority that Satan has used to rule this earth has been mankind's authority that G.o.d gave them and they then turned over to Satan.

Understanding that Satan can do nothing in your life without your consent and cooperation puts him down on a plane to where he isn't a superior foe. As a master deceiver, he's still a threat because he can lie to you. You must know the truth and be on guard, but you can resist him.

I know I can win this battle. I can take the power and authority that G.o.d has given me, and confront the devil. I'm not ignorant of him, but I'm no longer afraid of him either. I've seen awesome things happen just because I recognize that Satan has been defeated.

GRANDMA'S ROOM.

Like most people who were raised in typical America, I honestly didn't think about demons. I'd read about them in the Bible, but I thought all the demons were overseas in some third world country. I didn't think there were demons here, or that we could physically encounter them. Then I got turned on to the Lord and began to look more closely at the Bible. I recognized that the spirit realm is as real today as it was two thousand years ago. I realized that many different things were demonic, including sicknesses. My friends and I began casting demons out of people and seeing miraculous things happen.

My grandmother raised me until I was about six years old, then she became senile, and eventually died when I was eight. When she died, she left some demons behind in the room she occupied in our house. Right after she pa.s.sed on, I moved out of the room I was sharing with my brother and into what had been grandmother's room. We had a picture of her sitting on the dresser, and at night it would come alive. Her image would come out of the frame and walk around the room.

Since I was only eight years old, that scared the fire out of me.

I knew this was strange, and it wasn't the way it was supposed to be, but I was afraid to tell my mother and father because they would have thought I was crazy. So I just didn't say anything about it, but as soon as possible, I moved out of that room and back in with my brother. He thought, Well then, I'll take that other room, and moved in there. It wasn't a month before he moved back in with me. Then my sister took that room. It wasn't a month before she moved back out of there too.

For the next twelve years, we kept that room in our house locked up. n.o.body ever said anything, but n.o.body liked being in there. My older sister brought her newborn daughter home when I was fourteen years old. She'd be sound asleep, but if they walked into that room, she would wake up crying. Then they'd walk out and she'd be okay. Walk in and she'd cry, walk out and she was okay. When I had Bible studies, people would go all over the house to pray with others, but n.o.body would go in that room. After awhile, my lightning fast mind began to figure out that something was wrong in there.

Not long after I became aware that demons were real and they did exercise influence, I decided to go in that room and cast them out of our house. We always kept the door to that room closed, so I went in and shut the door behind me. I started rebuking and binding and doing everything I could think of. All the hair on the back of my neck stood up. I was afraid and had goose b.u.mps all over me.

In the midst of all this, I remember thinking, Oh G.o.d, I'm so glad I can't see into the spirit realm right now. If I could, I'd see these huge demons towering over me with fangs and claws. I was envisioning these monstrous demonic powers that were inches away from devouring me, and it was only the name of Jesus that was holding them at bay. I remember praying, "Oh G.o.d, thank You that I can't see what's going on in the spirit realm."

Immediately, the Lord spoke to my heart, saying, "Andrew, if I were to show you the spirit realm, instead of seeing these huge powerful demons with fangs and claws, you'd see tiny little imps. You'd be amazed. They're nothing. They just have big mouths. They know how to scream loud and intimidate. They boast of great things, but they can't deliver." As soon as the Lord changed that image from towering demons to tiny little imps who had no power or authority, faith rose up in my heart. Instead of fear, I felt like the Incredible Hulk. A spirit of might and boldness came over me, and I got rid of those demons in no time flat.

You might think, That was all in your mind. Well, I didn't tell a single person, but the next time we had a Bible study, people went right into that room without thinking anything about it. There was definitely a difference.

SATAN'S ONLY POWER.

After the devil made all his prideful boasts in Isaiah 14:12-14 saying, "I will do this and I will do that," this pa.s.sage of scripture goes on to say: Yet thou shalt be brought down to h.e.l.l, to the sides of the pit. They that see thee shall narrowly look upon thee, and consider thee, saying, Is this the man that made the earth to tremble, that did shake kingdoms; that made the world as a wilderness, and destroyed the cities thereof; that opened not the house of his prisoners?

ISAIAH 14:15-17.

This pa.s.sage prophesied how people would eventually respond to Satan. Of course, all this has come to pa.s.s now that Jesus has literally destroyed the devil through His death, burial, and resurrection. When we see Satan as he really is, we'll say, "Is this the one who intimidated me? Is this the one I allowed to ruin my life? Is this the one I let keep me in bondage-this nothing, this zero?" That's how Satan is. He doesn't have all this power the church has attributed to him. The only power Satan has came from man.

Mankind made Satan. We are the ones who empowered him. G.o.d created Lucifer-a ministering spirit, an angelic being. Mankind yielded our G.o.d-given dominion, and it's this human authority and power Satan uses. That's why he has to have a body to possess. That's why a pig has more power and authority on this earth than a disembodied demon. Satan is a factor, but only because people yield to him. If you know the truth, the truth will make you free. (John 8:32.) Now that's good news!

Chapter 9.

Such As I Have G.o.d has given us a huge authority. As born-again believers, Jesus has given us more authority than even Adam and Eve had. They had authority over this earth. However, after Christ rose from the dead, He had authority in heaven, authority on earth, and authority under the earth-meaning the demonic realm and h.e.l.l. (Phil. 2:10.) After Jesus resurrected, but before He ascended, He turned to His disciples and said: All power [authority, power of rule] is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

MATTHEW 28:18-20.

Since therefore refers to "in light of what I've just said," Jesus was basically telling His followers, "The authority and power I have, I now give to you. Go, and continue doing My work, the work that I have begun."

The authority we have as believers in Christ today is superior to the authority Adam had. We have everything back that he lost, and much more. We now have authority over the demonic realm. (Matt. 10:1,7-8.) OLD VS. NEW NEW.

Compared to the Old Testament, there is a huge difference in the way the New Testament talks about Satan. Although the Old Testament hardly mentions him, the New Testament reveals that Satan is the one who caused different kinds of sicknesses, seizures, convulsions, and blindness. The New Testament reveals many things as being demonic in origin.

Why did G.o.d give us this knowledge in the New Testament, but not in the Old? Simply put, even if the Old Testament saints would have known these things, but they couldn't have done anything with this knowledge. It wouldn't have done them any good to know that Satan was behind this or that because they didn't have authority to rebuke the devil or bind him.

Basically, the Old Testament people were told, "Just submit to these laws. With your actions, do these things and don't do these others." By yielding their actions to G.o.d in this manner, He was empowered to move in their lives. It also limited what Satan could do. Basically, this was the approach in the Old Testament.

In the New Testament, we now have an authority that has been given to us that enables us to go beyond the surface level. Since we've been given authority over demons, we can go behind the scenes and deal with the demonic powers that are causing sicknesses and diseases and inspiring people to act a certain way. We can see results that Old Testament people could never have seen.

However, along with this superior authority we've been given comes responsibility. This means that since the Lord gave us such power and authority, if we don't use it, then we stop Him from intervening. G.o.d flows through us.

G.o.d'S POWER.

Jesus gave us power and authority over the devil.

Then he [Jesus] called his twelve disciples together, and gave them power and authority over all devils, and to cure diseases.

LUKE 9:1.

Power here means that we have the ability and the might. We also have the authority to use that ability and might. But with that authority comes responsibility.

Submit yourselves therefore to G.o.d. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

JAMES 4:7.

That means if we don't resist the devil, he won't flee from us. Although this is very simple, few believers understand it.

Many Christians aren't using the authority that's been given to them. When Satan bothers them-maybe it's through some sickness, disease, poverty, tragedy, or other demonic attack- they approach G.o.d as if they don't have any power or authority. They beg G.o.d, saying, "Oh Lord, please change this situation. Please get the devil off my back." They don't realize that this isn't within G.o.d's authority-He's given that to us.

This is exactly what the Scripture says. We have been given power and authority over all devils." (Luke 9:1.) G.o.d gave us authority over the devil. If you're fighting a demonic force, you have the authority to do something about it. Now, you do have to be spiritual enough to discern its origin. Is it truly spiritual, or just something completely natural? If it's truly a demonic attack, then you are responsible to get rid of that demon. You do so using G.o.d's power, but that power has been placed under your authority. If you don't use it, it won't be used.

WE MUST USE IT.

Many Christians who come to me for counsel and prayer are just powerless. They don't understand that they have any authority. They're begging G.o.d to, "Please remove this sickness and prosper me financially. Please save this person." They are begging G.o.d to do things that He told them they have the authority to do.

When G.o.d said, "You resist the devil, and he will flee from you," that means that if you don't resist the devil, he won't flee. G.o.d isn't going to take care of the devil for you. He's already defeated Satan and stripped him of his power. G.o.d gave you authority, and if you don't exercise it, He's not going to come and rebuke the devil for you. The battle isn't between G.o.d and the devil directly; it's between the devil and us. G.o.d has equipped us with authority and power, and we have to use it.

You may wonder, Well, if it's G.o.d's will for us to be healed, then why did this person die? G.o.d gave us the power to heal. It's not our power. It's His power, but it's under our authority. Jesus never told us to pray and ask G.o.d to heal people. He told us to go and "heal the sick" (Matt. 10:8).

In the Gospels, Jesus never commanded His disciples to pray for the sick, but He did command us to heal the sick. (Luke 9:2; 10:9.) The way it's being done in the church today, we basically pray, "Oh Father, we know that You can heal this person. If it's Your will, please-pretty please-do it." We come as beggars, asking. And if we don't see something manifest, if we don't see an instant result, then we wonder, Why didn't G.o.d heal them? No, G.o.d has already released all the healing power it takes for every person on this planet to be healed of every sickness and disease. Jesus took the stripes on His back for our healing, and now He's given us the power to heal the sick. He gave us power and authority over all demons to cast them out and cure diseases. Jesus gave that power to us, and it's up to us to use it.

WALKING, LEAPING, AND PRAISING G.o.d.

Consider Peter and John at the temple gate.

Now Peter and John went up together into the temple at the hour of prayer, being the ninth hour. And a certain man lame from his mother's womb was carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, to ask alms of them that entered into the temple; who seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple asked an alms. And Peter, fastening his eyes upon him with John, said, Look on us. And he gave heed unto them, expecting to receive something of them.

Then Peter said, Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk. And he took him by the right hand, and lifted him up: and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength. And he leaping up stood, and walked, and entered with them into the temple, walking, and leaping, and praising G.o.d.

ACTS 3:1-8.

Notice in verse 6 that Peter said, "Such as I have, give I unto you" (author paraphrase). Peter and John would be kicked out of most churches around the world today for saying, "I have the power to heal you." It's become fashionable for us to say, "Oh, it's not me. I couldn't heal a gnat." Well, the truth is none of us can heal a gnat in our own human power. But we aren't only human, we're born again! G.o.d gave us power and authority-the right and ability to use that power. So Peter was absolutely correct when he said, "Such as I have, give I unto you."

Notice in this instance that Peter never even prayed a prayer. Most people would think that was terrible. How dare him heal someone without praying and asking G.o.d! I don't know about you, but I'm after results-and Peter got the right results. His approach to this situation is the proper approach. Peter said, "Such as I have, give I unto you." Peter knew he had power.

He knew he had the authority to use that power. So he took responsibility and used that power. Because of it, that man was healed.

This is the very reason many people aren't seeing healing today. They're coming to G.o.d and begging Him. They don't understand that the power doesn't reside in heaven. G.o.d has placed the power to heal on the inside of every born-again believer. He's also given us the authority to use it, which makes us responsible. If someone isn't healed, it's not G.o.d who didn't heal them-it's us not using our authority and power.

IT'S OUR TURN.

Of course, there may be some other dynamics involved. It's not always the individual's fault receiving the prayer. It could be the fault of the other people around them. Jesus operated in absolute faith, but He had to put out scoffers and unbelievers. Christ operated in faith perfectly, yet...

He could there [in His hometown] do no mighty work...because of their unbelief. MARK 6:5,6 The limit wasn't in Him, but in the people around Him. The limit isn't always in the person receiving the healing. There could be other factors round about. However, it always comes back to some person or group of people who are limiting G.o.d because they aren't taking the authority G.o.d has given and exercising it. We are shirking our responsibility, and we're trying to put all the responsibility off on G.o.d, saying it's His fault whether or not this person gets saved, healed, or prospered. That's absolutely wrong.

We need to understand and recognize that it's not G.o.d's turn to heal. It's our turn to believe that He's already healed. We must accept that power, take that authority, and use it. We need to speak to our problems and command things to change.

If we could get this truth down, it would make a huge difference in the way things happen today. The vast majority of the body of Christ believes that G.o.d can do whatever He wants, but they don't believe that He's already done it. They don't believe that He's given us power. So, they don't feel any responsibility to take and use their authority. This is where the system is breaking down. G.o.d has already done His part. He's placed the power and authority on the inside of us, which makes us responsible.

For additional information about what G.o.d has already done and what He's placed inside of you as a born-again believer, I recommend Spirit, Soul &Body, Spirit, Soul &Body, and and You've Already Got It! You've Already Got It! These two teachings of mine are foundational, and will really help you receive and experience G.o.d's best. These two teachings of mine are foundational, and will really help you receive and experience G.o.d's best.

WE WERE HEALED.

Through the death, burial, and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ, G.o.d has already done His part. Now it is up to you to respond in faith and receive His provision. It's totally your responsibility to get healed, prospered, and delivered. It's G.o.d's power, but He's placed it under your authority.

Although I'm strongly emphasizing our responsibility, there's no need to come under any condemnation. (Rom. 8:1.) The Lord loves you and wants you to understand these truths so you can enjoy the abundant life He's provided. That's why it's so important to understand our responsibility.

You may be asking, "So do I have to make all this happen?" Not out of your self-your human ability. The born-again part of you- your spirit-has G.o.d's power within. All things are possible to those who believe. (Mark 9:23.) If you would understand and believe that G.o.d has already done His part, and then exercise your authority, you could make things happen.

Since I've understood and applied these truths, I've seen a huge improvement in my life and ministry. I've prayed for people to be healed for many years. In the beginning, I'd see someone healed every once in awhile, but I didn't have a clue what I was doing. Even an old blind squirrel will come up with a nut every once in awhile if he just keeps trying. I just prayed for so many people that every once in awhile something would happen and we'd see healing manifest. Since then, I've come to realize that it's not me pet.i.tioning and asking the Lord to heal people, but rather that G.o.d has already healed us of all sickness and disease.

The Word says that by His stripes we were-past tense- healed. (1 Pet. 2:24.) Now I understand that G.o.d has put His power in me, and it's up to me to release it. G.o.d has done His part, now I must take my authority, speak to the mountain, and command people to be healed. Of course, the individual I'm ministering to must believe and cooperate too, but I've seen hundreds of times more people healed than I used to.

JOHN G. LAKE.

John G. Lake had a healing ministry back in the early 1900s. He was so effective in ministering healing that the state of Washington actually gave him a medical license. He opened up a hospital in Spokane where he lived, and saw so many doc.u.mented cases of people being healed that they literally closed one of the other hospitals in town.

In Lake's hospital, they didn't administer medicine. They just came around with the Word, anointed patients with oil, and prayed with them until they saw the healing manifest. He trained others how to minister healing and called them "pract.i.tioners." For cases that couldn't come to the hospital, Lake sent out his pract.i.tioners to make house calls. Based on James 5:14-15, he'd give them a little bottle of oil and tell them, "Don't come back until they're healed."

This kind of boldness just startles people today. They think, How could you do that? You don't have any control over this. You don't have that kind of authority. You don't have any responsibility. Just go out and ask G.o.d to heal them. He might, He might not. Whatever will be, will be. It's all up to G.o.d, you see. Not true.

John G. Lake and his pract.i.tioners knew that G.o.d had already done His part to provide healing and that it's our turn now to take our authority and use it. The longest time any of those pract.i.tioners stayed out ministering was about thirty days. Sometimes they would literally move in with the people and teach them the Word. They'd build them up in faith, minister to them, and see them healed because G.o.d has already done His part.

There's a huge difference between us healing the sick and praying for the sick. As a whole, the church has believed G.o.d can heal, but not that He has already done it. They don't believe that He has already committed the power and authority for healing to us. So when they have a need, they approach G.o.d like a beggar. They ask Him to heal so-and-so when the truth is that He's already done His part to produce that healing. G.o.d has placed supernatural raising-from-the-dead power on the inside of every born-again believer (Eph. 1:19-20), and it's up to us to command those healings to come to pa.s.s. Instead of pa.s.sively pleading with the Lord and asking G.o.d to do it, we need to become a commander-someone who stands up in faith, takes our authority in Christ, and commands the power of G.o.d.

Chapter 10.

Command Ye Me To heal the lame man, Peter stood in faith, took his authority in Christ, and commanded the power of G.o.d. (Acts 3:6-8.) A lot of people say, "Well, I'd never do that," which is why they aren't getting the results that Peter and John did. This is one of the major reasons we aren't seeing the power of G.o.d manifest more today.

Many Christians are in need of a miracle. It's critical. Maybe you need healing in your body, a financial provision, or restoration in your marriage. Whatever it is, you are praying and asking G.o.d but you aren't taking any authority over the enemy, you aren't speaking against the problem, and you aren't commanding the infirmity to leave. You're acting like a beggar instead of the commander Christ has authorized and empowered you to be.

OLD SINNER OR SAVED BY GRACE?.

Religion says, "You can't do anything. You're a worm. You are nothing." That's true if you're talking about my carnal, natural, fleshly self. Jesus said: Without me ye can do nothing. JOHN 15:5 That is absolutely true. Apart from Christ, we are and can do nothing. However, I am not without Jesus. I'm born again. The Spirit of the Living G.o.d dwells on the inside of me. I'm not only human. Jesus Himself lives in and through me. (Gal. 2:20.) Christians who don't recognize that, in Christ, they've become a brand-new creation aren't taking their G.o.d-given authority. They don't understand the authority of the believer. They come to G.o.d as beggars, saying, "I'm an old sinner saved by grace." I'm not an old sinner saved by grace. I was an old sinner, but then I was saved by grace. Now I've become the righteousness of G.o.d in Christ Jesus. (2 Cor. 5:21.) It's true that without G.o.d I'm nothing, but I'm not without G.o.d. He lives on the inside of me. Now I have the authority and power to command the power of G.o.d.

UNDER YOUR COMMAND.

Keep in mind that this authority that Jesus has given us only enforces spiritual law. If G.o.d hasn't provided something, then we can't just command it. Taking and using the authority Jesus has given isn't us "making" G.o.d do things.

Thus saith the LORD, the Holy One of Israel, and his Maker, Ask me of things to come concerning my sons, and concerning the work of my hands command ye me.

ISAIAH 45:11.