WORDS OF LIFE DEVOTIONAL
THURSDAY 4 APRIL, 2024
REV. EKOW ESHUN
USE YOUR SPIRITUAL AUTHORITY
SCRIPTURE : JOHN 1:12
”But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right (authority, privilege) to become children of God, to those who believe in His name:”
(AMPL).
Praise be to God! Today, let us talk about our spiritual position as sons and daughters of our Father. This is one of the things salvation in Christ Jesus has brought to us freely. It has given us sonship with the Father. Once we received Jesus Christ, ”to us He gave” the right, privilege and authority to become and to be called the sons of God. Hallelujah! Our sonship is legal. It is approved by our Father. Praise be to God, believing in Christ Jesus brings us into sonship, and our sonship comes with spiritual authority!
What is authority?
- It is the legal PERMISSION to use something.
- It is the power to COMMAND and ENFORCE obedience and compliance.
Without spiritual authority or permission, you and I couldn’t use the enormous resources the Father has given us by His Word and His Spirit. Without authority, you and I cannot get the enemy to comply and obey.
For example every president of a country has the authority or permission to appoint several people into office. They include cabinet ministers , regional ministers, ambassadors , board members of state institutions, etc. to serve locally and abroad,
This authority is legal and political and comes with the office and is granted by the provisions in the constitution. Once elected president, this is a picture of how powerful you are.
As believers, you and I have experienced something similar.
Once we believed, we were given access to the Father’s resources and then the permission to use them. This authority is spiritual and legal, and is granted by promises and provisions of the New Testament. This authority means that all other names and powers, including evil spirits, are subject to us through the name of Jesus. THIS IS HOW POWERFUL WE ARE. THIS IS WHAT OUR SONSHIP IS About. Hallelujah!
Consider Luke 10:19. ” Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and OVER ALL THE POWER OF THE ENEMY, and NOTHING shall by any means hurt you.” (NKJV)
You cannot be a believer and keep tolerating fear of evil spirits, and keep behaving timid, weak, insecure and spineless. A growing awareness of your authority will surely change things for you.
This is who we are. We are His sons and daughters. We have authority over all the power of the enemy. Indeed, the devil himself knows that. We have to use this authority against Satan and his forces. Hallelujah!
CONFESSION
In the name of my Lord Jesus Christ, I exercise my God-given dominion and authority over every work of the devil in my life in Jesus’ name. I am the righteousness of God and as Jesus was in the world, so am I representing Him today. I walk in dvine boldness and confidence because they are mine in Christ Jesus. Therefore fear is not part of me.
FURTHER READING (NKJV)
ACTS 19:11-17
[11]Now God worked unusual miracles by the hands of Paul,
[12]so that even handkerchiefs or aprons were brought from his body to the sick, and the diseases left them and the evil spirits went out of them.
[13]Then some of the itinerant Jewish exorcists took it upon themselves to call the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits, saying, “We exorcise you by the Jesus whom Paul preaches.”
[14]Also there were seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, who did so.
[15]And the evil spirit answered and said, “Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are you?”
[16]Then the man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them, overpowered them, and prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded.
[17]This became known both to all Jews and Greeks dwelling in Ephesus; and fear fell on them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was magnified.
MATTHEW 8:8-10,13
[8]The centurion answered and said, “Lord, I am not worthy that You should come under my roof. But only speak a word, and my servant will be healed.
[9]For I also am a man under authority, having soldiers under me. And I say to this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes; and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it. ”
[10]When Jesus heard it, He marveled, and said to those who followed, “Assuredly, I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel!
[13]Then Jesus said to the centurion, “Go your way; and as you have believed, so let it be done for you.” And his servant was healed that same hour.