Don’t Bow Your Knee to Satan, Wield Your Spiritual Authority!

The phone rang in a business office and was very promptly answered. The angry voice on the line said, “I want to talk with someone around there with a little authority.”

To that, the man replied, “Well, talk to me. I have about as little authority as anyone around here!”

Too often, this is the case with many Christians today. They see themselves with such little authority that they would not dare exercise it. And yet, Jesus has given every believer all the authority in the world!

Man Under Authority

The people of the world have not yet seen the authority given them through Jesus Christ. Neither have they accepted the authority that is rightfully theirs because of being born on earth. Man was created in God’s likeness to have fellowship with Deity. He was the crown of all creation. He possessed abilities beyond our comprehension, yet he failed because he  broke God’s Word. When Adam bowed his knee to Satan, he lost his spiritual authority.

Let’s begin with Matthew 8:5-10 and use this as a launching point into authority: “And when Jesus was entered into Capernaum, there came unto him a centurion, beseeching him, and saying, Lord, my servant lieth at home sick of the palsy, grievously tormented. And Jesus saith unto him, I will come and heal him. The centurion answered and said, Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof: but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed. For I am a man under authority, having soldiers under me: and I say to this man, Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it. When Jesus heard it, he marvelled, and said to them that followed, Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel.”

This man was a Gentile. He was not a Covenant man. He  was an outcast in his day and had no legal grounds to come to Jesus. The Gospel was to the Jew first, then to the Gentile. Even when Jesus sent His disciples to preach, He said, “Go to those of the House of Israel. Go not into the way of the Gentile.” (Matt. 10:5,6.)

This man was not included in the Covenant, but Jesus said, “I will come and heal your servant.” The centurion told Jesus that He didn’t have to walk to his house. In those days, Jesus couldn’t catch a plane or a train. He either had to walk or ride a donkey, and if you’ve ever been on one of those donkeys, you know that you would rather walk!

The centurion said to Jesus, “You don’t have to walk to my house, for I’m a man under authority and I know how authority works. When I’m told to do something, I do it. I have soldiers under me, and when I tell them to come or go, they do it. Now, You just speak the word and my servant shall be healed.”

This is the highest form of faith.

I asked the Lord, “Why did the centurion have that kind of faith even though he was not included in the Covenant?”

The Lord said, “He was a military man who understood authority because he was under authority. If you will teach My people to understand authority as this man understood authority, they will operate in the same kind of faith.”

When you understand authority as the Bible sets it forth, you will rise to a new level of faith. You will rise to an understanding of God’s Word that will set you free from the circumstances of life!

You can use your God-given authority by speaking His Word against the circumstances of life. They will conform to  God’s Word! The knowledge of this truth will set you free!

Take Authority over Circumstances

One fellow met another and asked, “How are you doing?”

He replied, “Well, not so good under the circumstances.”

The man said, “What are you doing under the circumstances?”

We have sung songs of unbelief for so long that we have begun to believe them! “I’m just a weary pilgrim, trudging through this world.”

We are not weary pilgrims, trudging through this world! We were foreigners and strangers, but now we are joint-heirs  with Christ Jesus!

Another song goes like this: “I know not today what tomorrow may bring — shadows or sunshine or rain.” As you get an understanding of your authority through the Word of God, you won’t have to worry about what tomorrow brings.

Take your faith and change what tomorrow brings!

The Knowledge of God

Jesus spoke a profound truth when He said, “If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (John 8:31,32).

God spoke through His prophet Hosea, saying, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee” (Hos. 4:6).

Solomon said, “For the Lord giveth wisdom: out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding” (Prov. 2:6).

One of the greatest needs of this day is to realize what God has done for us in Christ Jesus. We find insight to this in 2 Peter 1:1. Simon Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ, to them that have obtained like precious faith with us through the righteousness of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ.

You will notice Peter is writing to those who have obtained like precious faith with us. In other words, you and I are included! We have obtained that same faith.

Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord (v. 2).

I want you to pay particular attention to the phrase, the knowledge of God. Grace and peace are multiplied, not added, to you! People are seeking for peace today. Most of them are seeking peace in places where it isn’t found. Notice, peace is multiplied to us through the knowledge of God and through the knowledge of Jesus, our Lord.

According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue (v. 3).

If you have been given all things, there’s just not any more He can give.

This scripture does not say, “He is going to give us all things, sometime.” He has already done it! He has given us all things that pertain unto life and godliness through the knowledge of Him Who has called us to glory and virtue. This comes only through the knowledge of God!

The Word says: “And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ” (Ephesians 4:11-13).

He has given a fivefold ministry of apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers for the perfecting of the saints.

Truth Alone Won’t Set You Free

Remember, Jesus’ words to His disciples: “If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free“ (John 8:31,32).

I had been misquoting that. Then one day the Lord said to me, “That’s not true.”

I was shocked and said, “Well, You said it. It must be true.”

He answered, “You aren’t quoting all of it. If ye continue in my word . . . then you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free!”

Everyone won’t know the truth because they’re not continuing in the Word. It’s the knowledge of the truth that sets you free! Many know about truth, but few have the knowledge of that truth.

The Apostle Paul said, “All things are yours!” Peter said the same thing in 2 Peter 1: “The Lord has already done it!” He isn’t going to do it someday. In fact, the Bible tells us, God finished His work in six days, then rested. Some of us have been trying to get God to work ever since! He set it all in motion. It was accomplished in Jesus Christ and is available to all who will receive it.

Freedom comes to us when we continue in God’s Word because it produces the knowledge of God. Peter said, According as his divine power . . . Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature (2 Pet. 1:3,4).

He didn’t say you had to be partakers. He said you might be partakers. It’s available to you. As partakers of God’s nature, you are capable of operating on the same level of faith with God. Man was created to have fellowship with God, the Father.