Skip to main content

Authority Given By God

 

The other day, God reminded me of a story. When I was teaching in the old mission building, my classroom was the library. I loved the big tables that we could join together as we discussed God’s word. Then I had to move over to the men’s side of the building and teach in one of the classrooms. It was your standard room with conference tables. At the time, I felt the setup cold as I was way upfront from the ladies “teaching.” My director permitted me to join the tables together to make it more intimate. Since I was having trouble with my legs, she told me I could leave the tables joined together for the guys to put the room back together. She forgot to tell the guys. One day, a man came storming into my classroom and yelled at me. “You will put those tables back,” he demanded. I looked up and slowly said, “No.” He screamed again, “Yes, you will.” I again replied, “No, and if you have a problem with that answer, you can talk with my supervisor.” The look on his face was stunning as he stomped away. My boss later laughed because apparently, I freaked him out by telling him “no.” The irony was he was over that area. He had the authority over those rooms. Because He chose to run into the room and just scream and not identify his authority, I responded with a simple no answer.

We do the same thing. Declaring the word of God in the authority Jesus gave to us is not taught. Instead, we have movies and leaders that encourage us to scream at Satan. We accomplish nothing when we behave in this manner, just like that screaming man. Evil works in the spiritual, legal realm. Satan is a legalist, and we must declare God’s word when we resist the devil. Declarations are not about our emotions. We are God’s warriors, defending the sphere of influence God has appointed to us. Whether it is your country, property, family, finances, loved ones, ministry, business, or job, we were all given authority over something. I am speaking of authority from God, so Satan has no legal rights unless you relinquish your power to him. What has happened is God’s people were taught to beg and plead to God instead of standing on our faith and declaring God over situations. Resisting Satan is easy when you stand on God’s word and proclaim His truth over difficulties.

Imagine you are a manager over a store. Do you beg your boss to help you deal with personnel issues? If you have a rude customer, do you run to the phone and call your boss for them to deal with that customer? The exception to these scenarios comes into play only when those two situations go beyond your authority. Otherwise, your boss expects you to take charge of the store. The same is with God’s church. God appointed each of us to represent Him in every aspect of our lives. He has given you permission to stand on His word and protect and defend with all diligence. It’s time for us to stop conceding to evil and start putting on our armor and fighting with God’s word. Of course, you can’t declare what you don’t know, so yes, you have to learn God’s word. But that goes into a conversation about laziness which is for another day.  


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Questions about Fasting Part One

  Was fasting a foretelling of repentance and dying to self? Everything in the Old Testament Jewish faith was the "first to establish the second," meaning the religious acts were a foretelling to set up the death and resurrection of Christ. The practice of circumcision is not a sacred act anymore, nor is sacrifice. Why? Because in the New Covenant through Jesus, circumcision is now of the heart and not the flesh. The book of Romans reminds us that every religious act of the flesh has been replaced by living under grace through faith. So why are we continuing the practice of fasting for repentance or sorrow? Is that not an act of flesh? Do we not believe that if we confess our sins, Jesus is faithful and just to forgive us? Why do you have to starve yourself to get God to move or hear Him? Don't we believe that He has heard us if we ask according to His will? Do you think God is motivated more by our acts of humility or our acts of faith? Does He not kn...
Post a Comment
Read more

Fast Part Two

  I have been mulling over the part fasting should be playing in the age of grace. For two weeks, I have questioned my friends about why they fast. Most of my friends said the same thing: to get close to God or hear God. My friends are kind and allow me to challenge their thought processes or debate them concerning their answers. Yesterday at church, God finally brought a complete response to me about fasting. Imagine yourself on a date or having an intimate dinner with someone, and they took out their phone and started scrolling. What if you were talking to a friend and they walked away from you to do something else? How would you feel if someone you loved screened their calls and refused to pick up the phone to talk with you? All three of those scenarios are how we treat God. God looks at the relationship with His people as a marriage. There is not one marriage that can survive without intimacy or that special closeness withheld for only one. When we read ve...
Post a Comment
Read more