By: Jim Kaseman

The story is told of a poor man who saved every penny he could until he had enough to buy a ticket on a great ship to America. After buying the ticket he had only enough money left to buy some cheese and a little bread to eat on the trip. During the trip he would look longingly into the dining room and watch the people eating delicious food and enjoying themselves. The day that the ship arrived in New York, one of the ship’s officers asked the man if they had done anything to offend him since he had not eaten any meals with them in the dining room. “Oh no!” the man replied. “I only had enough money to pay for my ticket. I didn’t have enough money to eat in the dining room.” With a stunned look the officer said, “Sir, I’m so sorry. Your meals were included in your fare.”

So many Christian people are living on bread and cheese when God’s best is theirs all the time. They don’t know what their redemption in Christ Jesus includes. They don’t know what authority belongs to them now that they are part of the body of Christ. And because they don’t know, they don’t use or
exercise that authority and lose it! Satan and circumstances end up dominating the believer instead of the believer walking in his God given authority. Domination in every area of life is what God intends for man!

Actually, the devil doesn’t want Christians to find out that they have authority over him. The devil does everything he can to keep Christians from the knowledge of the truth. He knows that he can no longer oppress God’s people when they discover the authority that is theirs in Christ Jesus.

Once the Christian finds out what authority he has in Christ Jesus, the devil won’t be able to rub the Christian’s nose in the dirt anytime he wants to. The Christian will then dominate the devil and will enjoy the reality that rightfully belongs to him. That’s why the devil will do everything he can to keep people from learning the truth. Jesus said, “And ye shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free.” (John 8:32)

AUTHORITY DEFINED

The Greek word translated “power” in the New Testament primarily means “authority.”

What is the difference between authority and power? We know that a translation of the New Testament is only as good as the one translating it. But on the whole the translators have translated many of the New Testament words the same way. However, there are a few words, including “power” and “authority,” that haven’t been translated the same way. One example is found in Luke 10:19 which says, “Behold, I give unto you POWER to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the POWER of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you.” The word POWER is used twice. But the Greek
word is different in each instance. Jesus actually said, “I have given you AUTHORITY to tread on serpents and scorpions and over all the POWER of the enemy.” The first word in this Scripture is really the word for authority.

What is meant by authority? Often we drive through crowded city streets; we see policemen directing the traffic. They merely raise their hands and the cars stop. Now the policeman can’t stop cars with his own POWER. If he tried, the fast moving cars would simply run over him. However, he is invested with the AUTHORITY of the government which he serves. The moving crowd, including strangers in the city, recognize this authority and obey it. AUTHORITY IS DELEGATED POWER.

GOD’S POWER

Ephesians 6:10 says, “Finally brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of His might.” A policeman can’t stop a fast car with his own power, and neither can a Christian hold back the attacks of the devil with his own power. Now, some Christians attempt to hold out and hold on by trying to be
strong in themselves. But the Scripture doesn’t say a word about being strong in yourself. It says, “Be strong in the Lord, and in the power of His might.”

The policeman doesn’t use his own strength. He’s strong in the authority that is given him by the government which he serves. So it is with the Christian, he does not use his own strength. He is strong in the authority given to him by Jesus Christ whom he serves. It is with this authority that the Christian can step right there before the devil, hold up his hand, and tell the devil not to come any further and to get out!

Every believer needs to be conscious of the divine power behind him and of the authority given him when he was made a new creature in Christ Jesus. The believer can take the Name of Jesus as his very own and face the enemy without fear or hesitancy. Behind the authority possessed by the believer
is a power greater than that which backs our enemies. And those enemies are compelled to recognize that authority.

I John 4:4 says, “Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.” He that’s in the world is the god of this world. (II Cor. 4:4) Satan is the
head of these principalities, powers, and rulers of the darkness of this world that we are wrestling with according to Ephesians 6:12.

Matthew 28:18 says, “And Jesus came and spoke unto them, saying, all power is given unto me in heaven and earth.” Again this is the Greek word which is translated “AUTHORITY.” “All authority is given unto me in heaven and earth.”

Now Jesus Christ transferred that authority to the church which is here on earth. And according to I Cor. 12:27, you and I as born-again believers are the body of Christ and the church.

Ephesians 1:22-23 says, “And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him that filleth all in all.”

Ephesians 1:20, “…which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places.” Ephesians 2:5-6, “Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) and hath raised us up together, and made
us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:” This is not something that He is going to do. He has already done it. We’ve died with Him and have been raised with Him.

EXERCISE THAT AUTHORITY

What we as believers need to do is begin to exercise our authority over the devil. NO PLACE in the New Testament is the church told to pray about the devil. People who ask God to rebuke the devil are wasting their time. The least member of the body of Christ has just as much power over the devil as anyone else, and unless believers do something about the devil, nothing will be done.

In Mark 16:15-18, “And he said unto them, go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned. And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; they shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.”

The very first sign that shall follow any believer is, “In my name shall they cast out devils.” He is simply saying that believers will have authority over the devil. They’ll break the power of the devil over their
lives and the lives of their loved ones. They’ll be free from the enemy because they will exercise authority over him. “…they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.” You don’t pray that Jesus will lay
hands on the sick, YOU DO IT! If you lay hands on the sick then you’re exercising authority over the devil.

James 4:7 says, “Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” “YOU” is the understood subject of the sentence. James did not say to pray to God so that He will resist the devil for you. YOU are supposed to resist the devil. It doesn’t say he’ll flee from Jesus, YOU MUST EXERCISE THAT AUTHORITY. Once you exercise it, it will work for you whether you feel it did or not. Feelings have nothing to do with it. “For we walk by faith, and not by sight.” (II Cor. 5:7) We walk by what the Word of God says, not by
how we feel or how the circumstances look!

Paul says in Ephesians 4:27, “Neither give place to the devil.” Don’t give the devil any place in you. If you give place to the devil, there’s nothing Jesus can do because you have the authority and you have given the devil permission to have place in your life. Unless you exercise your authority against the devil, Jesus still can’t do anything about it. Jesus has already done all He is going to do about the devil. He arose from the dead, defeated the devil and has delegated the authority to the church and born again believers.

USE IT AND DOMINATE

As Christians it’s time we wake up, change our praying, and get after the devil. We have the authority to do this. IF WE FAIL TO EXERCISE OUR AUTHORITY, many people WILL NEVER BE SET FREE from the devil’s hold. However, praying Christians who exercise their authority over the devil, can set people free from satanic bondage, sickness, poverty and death!
Jesus has given us the authority to put the enemy on the run! Now let’s get ourselves into a position where that authority can be used to help humanity! Because humanity is crying for an answer to their problem – and we have that answer for them in Jesus Christ!

Exercise your authority in Jesus Christ! You, as a believer, dominate in every situation. Then the Body of Christ will be victorious in life and will be able to reach a lost and dying world for Jesus Christ!

(The above material was published by Jim Kaseman Ministries.)

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