Now we are going to get into reigning with our authority in Christ. The body of Christ is going to be reigning in this life by Jesus Christ and His authority in the Last Days. That’s why it is so important that believers who have Christ’s authority in the earth and want to use it affectively need to regularly if not every day pray the prayers of the New Testament. These prayers will open up to every believer revelation of their position in Christ in the earth where they are right now seated far above the enemy that operates this world system. So as we look at these prayers then I suggest that you pray these prayers in Ephesians, Colossians and Philippians.
Eph 1:16-23;2:1-3 Cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers; 17 That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him: 18 The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, 19 And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to usward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, 20 Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, 21 Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come: 22 And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, 23 Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all. Eph 2:1 And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; 2 Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: 3 Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others. 4 But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, 5 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) 6 And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: KJV
Eph 3:14-21 For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15 Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, 16 That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; 17 That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; 19 And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God. 20 Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, 21 Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen. KJV
Col 1:9-23 For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; 10 That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God; 11 Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness; 12 Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: 13 Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son: 14 In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins: 15 Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature: 16 For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: 17 And he is before all things, and by him all things consist. 18 And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence. 19 For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell; 20 And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven. 21 And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled 22 In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight: 23 If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister; KJV
Phil 1:9-11 And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment;10 That ye may approve things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ;11 Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God. KJV
I am telling you these prayers are powerful prayers that will enable you to live out of your spirit man instead out of logic that destroys living out of your spirit man; for logic and reasoning is what caused Adam and Eve to sin against God and then they could not communicate with God and He with them.
It Was Father God’s Redemptive Plan That Striped Demonic of Their Power
Now let’s look once again to a scripture we have studied before that reinforces the truth of Christ’s authority given to every believer to use on this earth.
Luke 10:19 Behold, I give unto you power (authority) to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you. KJV
I am telling you, you as a believer have been delegated the authority of Christ in the earth over every one of our demonic enemies. And if we don’t use this authority in the earth things will only get worse and people, even the Church will lose hope.
Now once again pay close attention to Ephesians 2:6 where Paul is showing us that we were raised up together with Christ when He was raised from the dead.
Eph 2:6 And hath raised us up together,… KJV
Now let’s look at the Colossians chapter 1 where Paul is writing to the Church at Colossae and though he takes a little different viewpoint he’s really saying the same thing that he said to the Ephesians but using a little different wording.
Col 1:15-20 Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature: 16 For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: 17 And he is before all things, and by him all things consist. 18 And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence. 19 For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell; 20 And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven. KJV
Paul is talking about Jesus. Jesus is the Head of the body and the body is the Church. Christ was quickened by the operation of God the Father.
Col 2:12 Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead. KJV
Through the operation of Father God Jesus was quickened and made alive and raised from the dead. This scripture says the same as in Ephesians with a little different wording but that we are raised with Christ through the faith of the operation of God. Jesus was quickened or made alive by the operation of God and we who were dead in trespasses and sin were quickened and made alive also at the same time.
Col 2:13-14 And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses; 14 Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross; 15 And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it. KJV
Notice that the working here is on the part of Father God. It is Father God who quickened the saints together with Christ and forgave their trespasses. It is Father God who blotted out the adverse decree of the Law which stood in the way of His people and it was Father God who nailed the canceled hand writing to the Cross of His Son.
It was not man but it was God our Father who created the Plan of Redemption for all mankind. It is He who spoiled the principalities and the powers that had oppressed and had dominated. It was those principalities and powers that endeavored to oppress and keep the resurrection of Christ from happening; but thank God He spoiled them. That means He defeated them and then He led captivity captive in His triumphant procession. Paul is saying here that the Agent is God the Father. Father God is the One who gave Jesus a Name above every other names in Heaven and in the earth.
Notice also Father God strips the power of the air. Remember in Ephesians it talks about the prince of the power of the air? Father God stripped the prince of the power of the air of the authority that had been theirs.
Death is a penalty of sin. I’m not just talking about physical death but about spiritual death first. Spiritual death is a penalty of sin. And when Christ bore the burdens of the world’s guilt on the Cross, these powers of the air sought to exercise their ancient prerogative and hoped to hold Him under their power. We must remember that even physical death is not of God but of the enemy. Physical death is still an enemy. The Bible says it is the last enemy that shall be put under foot; but thank God spiritual death has been put under foot now.
Now these powers endeavored to hold Christ; but in the wisdom of God the Father and the yielding of Jesus the Righteous One to the death, He discharged the long established bond of the Law. Then Father nailed the cancelled bond to the Cross of His Son, stripped the devil and the principalities of their authority and handed that authority to His Son. Glory to God!!!!!
Now notice what it said,
Col 2:15 …made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it. KJV
Paul’s words here to the Colossians correspond to the elevation of the Son of God above His enemies as mentioned in the Book of Ephesians. Paul is stressing Father God’s working in the active overthrowing of hostile powers and defeating Satan. In Ephesians he points out that the Son is seated above these powers and has the authority of the Throne of God. And again right here I want to emphasize, I want you to note it again that right here is where the Church has failed. The Church has failed to see that Jesus is the Supreme Head of the power of the Church and that as Head He is wholly dependent on the body for carrying out His plan in the earth. And the Church has failed to see that the Church is seated with Christ in heavenly places and that Christ exercising His authority over the powers of the air will have to come through His body. Paul in writing to every church talked about the Church is the body and Christ is the Head.
Well your head can’t do anything in the world except through your body. Just cut your head off and just see what your head can do without your body. Some Christians say, “Well the Lord doesn’t need me but I need Him.” No, I hope you are seeing that we need Him and He needs us!
The Body Has More Authority in the Earth Than Realized
Now we can understand as never before what Jesus meant when He said in Matthew 18:18, “Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in Heaven. And whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in Heaven.” You see, that’s using authority upon the earth. Now I want you to notice Heaven didn’t do anything until something was done on the earth. “Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in Heaven. And whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in Heaven.” Notice nothing was done in Heaven until something was done on the earth. See, that’s us using God’s authority upon the earth.
We have more authority in the earth then we have ever realized and God is counting on us to use it. It’s what we declare on this earth is what Heaven is bound or released to do whether it be what we speak over our health or the health of others or our finances and so on. Heaven is waiting on us to speak with authority in the earth and bind what is not the will of God in the earth and lose what is the will of God on the earth. How can we know what is the will of God and not the will of God? Whatever kills, steals and destroys is not the will of God, plain and simple. So we can see that all sickness and disease, premature death, all poverty and lack and debt is not the will of God, all that is not a blessing is not the will of God on earth. What is it in your life that is not a blessing? Are you addicted to drugs, alcohol, sex, porn, anger, bitterness, jealousy, etc.? Then use your spiritual authority and take a stand against it until you see no more evidence of that curse!
Well, I’m thoroughly convinced that the Church has more authority then we have ever used yet. Are you paying attention to what I am telling you? And God wants the Church, every believer to wake up and walk in the light of their authority in the earth. We must cooperate with the Lord in faith and the way that we cooperate is to take our place of authority and use that authority.
You see the Lord is hindered a lot of times in His plans for the Church and His plans on the earth and His plans in our lives because the Church, His body has failed to appreciate the deep meaning of His exaltation and the fact that we are seated with Him at the right hand of the Father.
The Holy Spirit dwells in every believer so that He can guide us into all truth. We can’t follow the Holy Spirit apart from the Word. He will guide each one of us into all Truth, the Truth of the Word. We can’t follow the Holy Ghost apart from the Word. Believers are headed for trouble without the Word of God. The Spirit of God does not lead us apart from the Word or what is in line with what the Word of God says. You see the Word of God is of the Spirit of God because holy men of old wrote as they were moved by the Holy Spirit. We don’t necessarily understand the Word with our head but with our heart. Paul prayed that “the eyes of your understanding might be enlightened”. Another translation reads, “the eyes of your spirit”. The eyes of your spirit enlightened. The Word of God is of upmost importance for us to live victorious lives.
A powerful man of God, Smith Wigglesworth, whom God used greatly; it was written in his life story that Wigglesworth was first of all a man of the Word and second a man of the Spirit of God. That’s a good, safe combination, the Word and the Spirit of God.
Armor Needed To Operate In Our Place of Authority
Now the believer must be constantly arrayed with certain kinds of armor if we are going to be able to take our place of authority.
Eph 6:10-11 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.11 Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. KJV
How much armor are we to put on to stand against the devil? The whole armor of God.
Paul is talking here about every believer is a marked man, therefore the devil will do everything in his power to keep every believer from coming to this knowledge of the authority of the believer. Then after you do come to the knowledge he will oppose you and try to steal it from you. There will be tests. After all there wouldn’t be any need for the soldier to have armor if he is not going into combat. In fact that’s when he wears it. Sure there will be tests and there will be trials. And the devil wants you to throw up your hands and say, “It won’t work for me.” But it will work for you. And if it didn’t work it’s because you didn’t work it. It’s not God’s fault. God’s Word doesn’t fail.
The Bible tells us the devil is every believer’s adversary, their enemy. The enemy bitterly resists your entrance into your domain; because he’s exercising the authority of the powers of the air and he wants to continue to exercise them and he resents interference. He’ll concentrate all of his forces against you in an intensive warfare. If attacks against your spirit are successfully resisted, then assaults will come in your mind. and assaults will come in your body and in your family and in circumstances and you might as well get ready for they are coming. You see the place of special privilege has become a place of special danger. You need to know that. There is no truth that encounters such opposition as does the authority of the believer. But the Spirit prayed through Paul for every believer that the eyes of the believer would be opened so that they would know the full provision that God has made for them and for their safety. That’s why it is so important to pray those prayers I gave you at the beginning and found in Ephesians, Colossians and Philippians.
Let’s look at those warrior scriptures found in Ephesians 6.
Eph 6:10-17 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. 11 Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. 13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. 14 Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; 15 And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16 Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. 17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: KJV
Now the different parts of this armor symbolize certain attitudes which the believer must maintain.
Wearing the armor the believer is protected and unhampered in his ministry of authority. All he needs to be concerned about is that he keeps his armor bright and well secured about him.
First, there’s the girdle of truth, which represents a clear understanding of God’s Word. Like a soldier’s belt, it holds the rest of the armor in place.
Second, there is the breastplate of righteousness and Jesus is our Righteousness. First of all we put Him on. The breastplate of righteousness also indicates our act of obedience to the Word of God.
Third, our feet are shod with the preparation of the Gospel of peace. This is being a faithful minister of the Gospel of Truth or proclaiming the Word of God or speaking the Word of God wherever we go to non-Christians as well as Christians who are messed up in their thinking.
Fourthly, there is the shield of faith. A shield is a covering for the entire body. The shield of faith indicates our complete safety and refuge under the Blood of Calvary where no power of the enemy can penetrate. Revelation 12:11 tells us “They overcame him (the devil) by the Blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony.”
Fifthly, there is the helmet of salvation which is referred to in 1 Thess 5:8 as the hope of salvation. The hope of salvation is the only helmet that is able to protect the head in these Last Days of many turning away from the truth.
Number Six, there’s the sword of the spirit which is the Word of God. This shows that the Word of God is to be used in an active sense. The other weapons are more or less defensive weapons; but the sword of the spirit, which is the Word of God, is an offensive weapon. So use the Word of God every day!
Eph 6:18 Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints; KJV
Only after the believer has gotten on their armor do they start praying. You got the armor on and you are ready to pray. That’s the reason a lot of Christian’s prayers are not any good and don’t work; they don’t have any armor on and Satan attacks them.
So now we are ready for the prayer fight because we have on the armor and praying in the spirit gets the job done.
We Do Not Have Power or Authority Over People & Their Wills
Now listen, we have been talking about the believer’s authority or the authority of the believer and though we have authority over devils and demons and circumstances in our own lives we do not have power or authority over other people or their wills. If we did we could just make everybody get saved today. See we can take any truth of the Bible, push it to the excess and it will do harm. And a lot of people have tried to exercise authority over somebody’s will and make them do something they didn’t want to do. Every person was given a will by Father God and with that will they can make their own choices good or bad. They can choose healing in God’s Word or they can go the world system for their healing and even die because of their will. They can choose the Word’s way for prospering or they can go into debt with the system of the world and lose everything. With the authority of the believer we just don’t have power over a person’s will. That’s why any believer and even a person who has a powerful healing ministry can pray for someone who asked to be prayed for and they receive a manifestation of healing but then when they leave and go back home and the sickness and disease return because they don’t use their authority and resist the devil and the sickness and disease. That’s why every believe needs to know of their authority in the earth and use it. But then for those who are prayed for and do receive a manifestation of healing and continue to use their authority to keep their healing, then they will never again see those symptoms come back. We need to use our authority and get people healed but then we need to teach them to use their own authority to keep their healing. That’s why I am teaching the authority of the believer to you so that you receive God’s healing and God’s deliverance and keep it. I am praying you understand what I am telling you and how needful it is for you to use your own authority of the believer.
So you see you can minister to people and right at the moment because they are there in your presence and give you permission to control the situation you can use your authority; but then when they get away from you they’re on their own. You have authority over the devil and demons and sickness but you don’t have authority over human wills. We need to realize that. Thank God we can pray for people; but the main thing is teach them God’s Word until that Word is built into their spirit consciousness on the inside of them and they know exactly that it’s theirs and not because somebody else did it. Isn’t that wonderful? See a lot of Christians sometimes unconsciously yield to the enemy; but every believer can take authority themselves.
We Must Remain Obedient To The Word & The Spirit & Use Our Authority to See The Enemy’s Work Be Destroyed!
I want you to say it out loud, “I have authority over the enemy. I have authority over demons and evil spirits and everything that belongs to the devil.”
I want you to know that you have authority over fear. There is so much fear in the world but we are not of this world but we are of Heaven where there is always righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Ghost. No believe has to entertain fear. At the first sign of any fear we need to use our authority and tell it to go because it is a spirit, a spirit of fear.
2 Tim 1:7 For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. KJV
Now notice that the Bible calls fear a spirit. God has given every believer a spirit of power, love and a spirit of a sound mind.
Believers have doubt and fear come into their minds and they should IMMEDIATELY get rid of all doubt and fear. How do you do that? Talk to it! “Doubt, I resist you in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ. I refuse to doubt! Fear, I resist you in the name of Jesus. Fear, get out of here in the mighty name of Jesus!” It will work for every believer every time because the Bible said, “Resist the devil and he will flee from you.” You resist doubt and it will flee from you. You resist fear and it will flee from you. Too many believers are not resisting the demons of doubt and fear. Resist them and they will flee from you!
You see pictures of the devil with a head with horns like a Texas long horn and a long tail and huffs and a pitch fork. And I guess people are waiting for something like that to come along before they are going to start resisting.
Believers need to resist. What does resist mean? If someone came up to you and took a hold of you and tried to strangle you, you would instantly push them away from you. That’s one way to resist is to push it away from you.
You see on television sometimes the police have arrested somebody for something and then they said they also arrested them for resisting arrest. Now why did they resist? What did they mean? The person fought back, they hit the officer or kicked him. They fought. They resisted. Well that’s what resist the devil means. It doesn’t mean you give into him and his attack. No, it means to fight back. That means to push him away from you. Resist the devil, what does the word “the devil” mean? It means anything of fear, doubt, worry, anxiety attacks, panic attacks, sickness, disease, and addictions, all that is not of righteousness and peace and joy. That’s the reason why a lot of Christians are sick they don’t resist sickness. They invite it. You hear people say, “Well I tell you, those flu symptoms are going around. I guess I will get it next.” And sure enough they get it. They didn’t resist what is out here in this world.
We need to resist all the stuff that is in this world that Jesus got rid of for us in His redemptive work. We need to resist all of that stuff. We can boldly resist it and speak to it and tell it, “No I am not ever going to have the flu.” We are saying that because we want the devil to hear us. We say it for his benefit to let him know that we know we have authority over him and his flu or whatever.
You see, too many Christians sit idly by and wait for Jesus to do something about the flu or whatever curse there is out there in the world. But no, every believer has got to do something about it. Jesus has already done everything He needs to do about it. God the Father has already done everything He is going to about it. It’s now in the hands of every believer to resist all that is in the earth of the curse with the authority of the believer!
There are too many believers who are facing trials and things that happen in their lives that are the work of the enemy and then they cry out to God to rebuke the devil and alter the circumstances but God’s Word tells every believer to rebuke the enemy themselves. It is the responsibility of every believer to resist the enemy with the authority over him that is theirs.
Eph 2:4-6 But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,5 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)6 And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: KJV
Now where is this?
Eph 1:21 Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion,… KJV
That’s where every Christian, every believer is sitting at this present time.
Let’s come back again to Matthew 18:18 before we conclude.
Matt 18:18 Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. KJV
I like the 20th Century Translation and it reads like this, “Whatsoever you refuse to be permitted on earth, will be refused to be permitted in Heaven.”
You see it is up to you to refuse some things. It’s up to you to take your place and know and recognize your authority and use it.
Now don’t go around trying to exercise your authority over somebody else or somebody else’s domain. Just see that you exercise your authority in your domain, in your dominion. And they will see it and like it and want it and you can tell them how you did it.
The authority of the believer is the most important teaching a believer can know about, receive, and then operate in after they become born again.
Believers, be obedient to the Word and the Spirit and use your authority and see the enemy and his work be destroyed in this earth! Start today to reign in this life with your authority in Christ Jesus!