Table
of Contents
Click Below
Spiritual Not
Carnal
The Believer’s
Authority
Exercising
Authority
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Video Part 2
The Basis of
Authority
How Does It Work
Through
Faith We Understand
*
Video Part 3
Utilizing Authority
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For
centuries, as history dictates, it seems the only authority Christians have
known has been that of the physical, utilizing armies and physical weapons of
war, as well as political structures to execute this carnal authority.
The
early church understood and exercised the authority of the believer,
and even then their authority seemed to be exercised in part. With the ending
of early church history, the beginning of a religious history and a type of
dark ages began for the church (although there has always been isolated
outpourings of true spiritual revelation). Political and legalistic power
began to reign with the establishing of a state church by the Roman
Emperor Constantine (325 AD).
SPIRITUAL, NOT CARNAL
However, in these latter days, the secrets of spiritual authority are
unfolding to those who would have the desire and take the time to
understand. The knowledge of God's word is multiplying in these last days,
just as all other knowledge is on the increase. Daniel 12:4, “But thou,
O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end:
many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased.” In
examining the authority of the believer, we must begin by understanding
that it is a spiritual authority, not carnal or physical.
2
Corinthians 10:3-5, “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the
flesh: (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God
to the pulling down of strong holds;) Casting down imaginations, and every
high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing
into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ,”
and
“Not by
might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, saith the Lord of hosts,” Zechariah
4:6.
It is
from the spiritual realm that the physical realm has been created.
Therefore, the spiritual realm is a higher plain of authority,
Hebrews 11:3 and Romans 4:17. And from it, we can counteract the laws
of the natural or physical.
THE BELIEVER'S AUTHORITY
There
are many dimensions of authority in the church world. What we are now
considering in this lesson is the authority directly given by Jesus Christ to
every believer according to their faith, to exercise as they are led.
This authority that we are defining in this lesson has been given to
us by God through His son, Jesus Christ, God incarnate.
The
following is a list of scriptures upon which the born again believer not only
can, but must base his/her authority! We will examine how this authority
works, but first, let us substantiate it through the Word. Matthew
16:19, “And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of
heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and
whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven,” and
Matthew 18:18, “Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind
on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shalt loose on earth
shall be loosed in heaven.”
Commentary:
The key or keys that Jesus gives to the Church is the key to the Kingdom of
Heaven. The only key that could be referred to in this verse would be that of
the work of Christ and our faith in that work. The work that He worked when
He died on the cross, descended into hell, resurrected from the dead, and
ascended into heaven, now being seated at the right hand of the Majesty on
High. All authority given to the believer in Christ to bind and to loose must
be rooted in the central key. Thereby we access power to lock out that which
is not of God and open the door to that which is of God. Keys, in the Greek,
comes from the word kleis,
meaning locking
key. Therefore we must assume that the reference and binding and loosing
pertains to an ability to use a key to lock or unlock certain doors through
life’s journey.
We see
a typological reference of authority by the giving of keys. Keys are a symbol
of authority, and, of course, keys have a particular code or cut to them. In
order to utilize a key it must be cut correctly. Therefore, if the believer
in Christ does not understand what this key is, he or she will not be
able to (as the scripture says) bind or loose. The binding and loosing is a
reference to
the
opening and closing of doors utilizing the aforementioned keys.
Matthew
10:1,
“And
when He had called unto him His twelve disciples, He gave them power against
unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all manner of sickness and all
manner of disease.”
Commentary:
Notice that this scripture indicates that we have the authority to heal all
manner of sickness and all manner of disease. As we understand and
implement the authority we have, people will get healed, Praise God!
Luke
10:19,
“Behold,
I give unto you power (authority) to tread on serpents and scorpions, and
over all the power (authority) of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means
hurt you.”
Commentary:
The “power” that Jesus refers to really should be more properly translated as
“authority.” We find the original Greek word to be exousia, which
means delegated authority. Notice that the reference is to scorpions and
serpents, not devils, as some have taught. If we cross-reference scorpions
and serpents in this particular context, when read together, we find Jesus
used these same adjectives to describe the Pharisees. Note: Although
many teach that this refers to Satan and demons and indeed could be, it also
could be taken into context as having a direct implication on false leaders,
false teachers and prophets. In either case, the believer in Christ does have
authority to proclaim the word of faith and set the captives free. Finally, “and
nothing shall by any means hurt you,” denotes to us that we can walk
without the fear of being hurt when we confront the aforementioned powers.
Acts
1:8,
“But ye shall receive power after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you:
and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in
Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of
the earth.”
Commentary:
When one is exercising authority, by the guidance of the Holy Spirit, they
will be aided with supernatural power that will flow through their inner man
to address the situation. As believers in Christ, the Holy Ghost has been
shed upon us abundantly. Titus 3:5-6, “Not by works of righteousness
which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of
regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; Which he shed on us abundantly
through Jesus Christ our Saviour.” We need, as believers, to receive
the fullness of this power into the entire context of our being (spirit, soul
and body). Many believers today, relegate their power to the spirit man only
and never open up to a baptism in the power that is in their inner man,
releasing it in and through their entire being – releasing their inner man to
speak and prophesy with power and authority. And, of course, we see from
this verse that the power and authority that is given to the Church is to bare
witness to the world of God’s only begotten Son and bring many into the
kingdom using this power and authority.
Mark 16:17-18, “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.”
Commentary:
Now here we have a direct reference to authority being given to cast out
devils as opposed to scorpions and serpents. This is a direct delegation of
authority to believers to have this ability. Although this verse is not
contained in some of the earlier manuscripts, it is widely accepted as being
part of the body of the Holy Scriptures given to the Church. It says, “they
shall speak with new tongues and they shall take up serpents,”
and again, this can be taken as a reference to agents who operate on behalf of
the enemy in the Church world to nullify the Word of God and His power.
Mark 7:13, “Making the word of God of none effect through your tradition,
which ye have delivered: and many such like things do ye,” and
Romans
4:14,
“For if they which are of the law be heirs, faith is made void, and the
promise made of none effect.”
We
also find in the verse that we have power and authority over nature itself in
certain given moments, to do and to convey from the Holy Spirit gifts, signs,
and wonders.
Mark
13:34,
“For the Son of Man is as a man taking a far journey, who left his house,
and gave authority to his servants, and to every man his work, and commanded
the porter to watch.”
Commentary:
Here we see, through this parable, a direct reference of the giving of
authority to God’s servants – His Church. He gave authority and a job to
every one of His servants. This, again, is simply another confirming verse
that authority has been given to the believer by God, through Jesus Christ, to
expedite His will.
Mark 11:23, “For verily I say unto you, That
whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into
the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things
which he saith shall come to pass, he shall have whatsoever he saith.”
Commentary:
In this verse the Lord is indicating to us that it is through the mouth
that authority is exercised and should not be underestimated. The
power that can be exercised in Christ through the authority of the believer
should not be limited by one’s thinking. Here we see Christ actually saying
that you could cast a mountain into the sea. Whether you believe it
figuratively or literally, the connotation is given that mountain moving
authority can be released through a command as a result of our faith in God.
Luke 17:6, “And the Lord said, If ye had faith as
a grain of mustard seed, ye might say unto this sycamine tree, Be thou plucked
up by the root, and be thou planted in the sea; and it should obey you.
Commentary:
This parable gives us an illustration of the authority to exercise power
through a word spoken with faith in God. The unique element to this
parable is the concept of one’s faith beginning as a seed that is germinated
concerning a particular area of life. And even as a seed, it contains within
it the pure DNA to replicate itself. So also, does the seed of faith
germinate in the soul of the believer. Do you have good ground for the seed
to be sown into? The scripture says that faith comes by hearing and hearing by
the Word of God, so we see that the Word is like unto a seed. Scripture
reference: Mark 4:31-32, “It is like a grain of mustard seed, which,
when it is sown in the earth, is less than all the seeds that be in the earth:
But when it is sown, it groweth up, and becometh greater than all herbs, and
shooteth out great branches; so that the fowls of the air may lodge under the
shadow of it,” and Romans 10:17, “So then faith cometh by
hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”
EXERCISING AUTHORITY
The
authority of the believer is exercised simply through the words that are
spoken in faith by the one who is speaking in the name of the Lord Jesus
Christ. When scripture refers to the phrase, "in the name of Jesus Christ,"
it should be understood that the meaning is that the believer has an abiding
position in Jesus Christ while speaking with authority by the power and
unction of the Holy Spirit.
When a
born again, spirit-filled believer speaks a word in faith, unmingled with
any doubt to a particular situation, to demon spirits, etc., it
releases energy or power from the Holy Spirit through the one who is
speaking through faith in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Acts 3:6,
“Then Peter said, Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee:
In the name of Jesus Christ of
Nazareth rise up and walk.”
Angels
are also activated through a faith-spoken word. John 1:51, "Hereafter ye
shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the
Son of man."
Whenever we've seen Jesus throughout the four gospels healing or casting out
devils, in most cases we will notice that He is speaking at or commanding the
individual to be healed or a devil to go out from an individual.
Additional scripture references follow:
Matthew
8:8, “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,”
Matthew
8:16, “When
the even was come, they brought unto him many that were possessed with
devils: and he cast out the spirits with his word, and healed all that were
sick,” and
Luke
4:32-36, “And they were astonished at his doctrine: for his word was with
power. And in the synagogue there was a man, which had a spirit of an unclean
devil, and cried out with a loud voice, Saying, Let us alone; what have we to
do with thee, thou Jesus of Nazareth? art thou come to destroy us? I know thee
who thou art; the Holy One of God. And Jesus rebuked him, saying, Hold thy
peace, and come out of him. And when the devil had thrown him in the midst, he
came out of him, and hurt him not. And they were all amazed, and spake among
themselves, saying, What a word is this! for with authority and power he
commandeth the unclean spirits, and they come out.”
*
We must
understand that behind the scenes, as one speaks a word in faith, they release
a command backed by heaven itself. Matthew 16:19, “And I will give unto
thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on
earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall
be loosed in heaven.”
The
development of faith in the soul of a born again believer must occur, prior to
the exercise of authority and this may take a period of time – weeks, months,
and, yes, even years – as we are unraveling a program of doubt in our soul
that did not exist in Christ. Mark 11:23, “For verily I say unto you,
That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast
into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those
things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.”
Of
course, the way that faith is developed is through meditation on the
scriptures that pertain to the area in which you are needing faith.
Romans 10:17, “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by
the word of God.”
Through
the word of faith, Christ crucified and risen from the dead, a word of faith
can be spoken to heal the sick or cast out devils, but it also can develop
one's environment for abundant living through a general good confession
such as, "I am healthy," "My life is prospering," "God uses me to win
others to Christ," "My family is blessed," etc. Adversities can be
subdued through the utterance of a word spoken with total faith or trust in
God, because power and authority is released through a faith spoken word
against the circumstances that are opposing the believer. Mark 4:39,
“And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still.
And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.”
A key
factor in exercising this authority is to not utilize the natural, conscious
mind to try to figure out how the things we are speaking are going to occur.
Proverbs 3:5-6, “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto
thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct
thy paths.”
We must
remember we are moving according to the spiritual dimension that does not, for
the most part, align itself with the natural or physical dimension. 1
Corinthians
2:14,
“But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they
are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are
spiritually discerned,”
and
1 Corinthians
14:14,
“For if I pray in an unknown tongue, my spirit prayeth, but my understanding
is unfruitful.”
We must
assume the same attitude when exercising authority as we do in prayer. Many
times in prayer, if we do not release a matter from our conscious mind, our
faith will not begin to operate. We must learn to cast our cares upon God
while exercising authority, even as when praying according to 1 Peter
5:7, “Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.”
THE BASIS OF AUTHORITY
Before
the born again believer can effectively exercise their authority, he or she
must understand the basis of their authority.
All
authority comes from God and the basis of authority is the Word of God. Jesus
Christ is the Word of God made flesh and we must learn to abide in Him when
exercising authority. The Holy Scriptures give us the written basis for
that authority but even they must be opened up to us by the Holy Spirit. This
is the result of abiding in Jesus Christ as even Jesus, Himself, said that He
could exercise no authority except from His abiding position in His Father.
John 5:30, “I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear,
I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the
will of the Father which hath sent me.”
When
taken into our spirit the seed of the Word will generate faith to believe that
the things we say will come to pass. In Mark 11:23 “For
verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou
removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but
shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall
have whatsoever he saith.” Jesus said that we could speak to
the mountain and it shall be removed if we do not doubt in our inner man. In
Matthew 17:20 “And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for
verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall
say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and
nothing shall be impossible unto you,” He was implying that faith
must develop as a seed, that the evidence of faith might come forth.
Hebrews 11:1, "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of
things not seen."
The
human, conscious understanding is not the place wherein faith is developed,
but rather the human spirit, for the Word is spirit. John 6:63,
“It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that
I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.” Through
meditation on the scriptures, they are internalized into our spirit and our
faith becomes operative. Although all the information is already written in
our spirit through regeneration, they become activated through internalizing
it in our soul, and the soul and the spirit agree, and there is a release of
the power that worketh within us. Ephesians 3:20, “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.”
Much
the same in a court of law, if one does not understand their rights, they will
find themselves inhibited and intimidated and lacking natural confidence in
the natural realm. Likewise in the spiritual realm, if ones does not
understand their spiritual rights they will lack spiritual confidence or
supernatural faith. It is imperative; therefore, that one develop a
spiritually discerned knowledge of the Word of God, rightly dividing it and
thereby develop spiritual confidence and faith. 2 Timothy 2:15,
“Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to
be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”
HOW DOES IT WORK
How it
works can be understood by an observation of the authority backing the
President of the United States, and the leaders and/or authorities in other
governments. Under the powers given to him by the Constitution, he can
exercise certain authority. As the Commander in Chief of the military, he has
the entire armies of the United States of America backing him, enough power to
destroy the entire world! Without this backing, his authority would be hollow
when confronting an aggressive nation that might have it in mind to attack
us. If an enemy ship were to invade the territorial waters of the United
States, they might be told to leave those waters or we would use force. The
thought of force backing those words to an aggressor will be a deterrent to
them and more than likely, rather than engaging in a battle, they would
probably withdraw knowing they could very well be destroyed. No other force
need be used other than words. "Leave our waters or we will destroy you!"
The thought or the knowledge of our military force is enough to let that one
ship know that they should leave. Also, if it were necessary to use force, it
would all begin with verbal commands.
Likewise, when we speak a word of authority, we have the standing armies of
heaven, angelic hosts, backing us. It must be noted though, that the words we
speak in authority must be spoken in a state of faith.
The
centurion, whose servant Jesus healed simply by speaking a word, understood
this authority and caused Jesus to marvel and make a comment concerning the
greatness of his faith. Matthew 8:5-13, “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. . . . And
Jesus said unto the centurion, Go thy way; and as thou has believed, so be it
done unto thee. And his servant was healed in the selfsame hour.”
The centurion understood that when Jesus said something that He had authority
and things happened. Jesus spoke to Nathanael regarding angels in John
1:51, “And he saith unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Hereafter ye
shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the
Son of man.”
The
angels that Jesus was referring to were the ones coming from and going to
Heaven dispatching gifts and carrying out orders given through the words that
Jesus spoke as He ministered. In addition, He said, I could call upon my
father and He would send me 12 legions of angels to defend me. Matthew
26:53, “Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, and He shall
presently give me more than twelve legions of angels?” Although He
did not do so because it was His plan, with the Father, to give Himself as a
ransom. Through our words, angels can be activated. Hebrews 1:14,
“Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who
shall be heirs of salvation?”
Through
faith we understand that the worlds were framed and brought into existence
through the spoken Word of God. Hebrews 11:3, “Through faith we
understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things
which are seen were not made of things which do appear.”
In
Genesis, Chapter 1, we see the creative force of God being
exercised simply by commands such as, “Let there be light,” and
“Be fruitful and multiply,” and nothing more. Note: the result
of some commands occurred immediately and some have been occurring over a
period of time. Therefore, we must not put time frames on our statements of
authority but rather stay in a state of trust or faith in God concerning them.
In
Romans 4:17, “(As it is written, I have made thee a father
of many nations,) before him whom he believed, even God, who quickeneth the
dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were,” the
Word says that God calls those things that are not as though they were. In
other words, the things that we see in the natural can be altered by a command
from one who is acting from a spiritual vantagepoint, while in a state of
faith.
Many of
the prophecies of the Old Testament are being fulfilled today as a result of
the command that exists in the prophecy given. They were inspired by God's
Spirit and He is seeing to it that
*
His Word, spoken by the prophets, is doing
that which it was sent forth to do. He has set His agreement upon His Word
from heaven, (Matt 18:19) that has been spoken on earth by men and women of God, and is
watching over it to bring it to pass. Isaiah 45:23, “I have sworn by
myself, the word is gone out of my mouth in righteousness, and shall not
return, That unto me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear,”
and Isaiah 55:10-11, “For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from
heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring
forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater: So
shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me
void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the
thing whereto I sent it.”
An
example of this can be found in Ezekiel's prophecy to the valley of dry
bones. This was not only a prophecy but also a direct command of authority
given by God through Ezekiel (Ezekiel 37). Ezekiel was told to
command the gathering of bones and flesh into an army. Afterward, he was told
to command the four winds to come together and fill them with life. We are
seeing this prophecy/command coming to pass as the nation of Israel gathers
back to their homeland.
The
formation of many spirit-filled churches unifying as soldiers in a vast
spiritual army could be the spiritual counterpart to the natural part of that
prophecy/command.
UTILIZING AUTHORITY
If we
do not exercise the authority we have, the Word of God says that authority
will be taken away. The parable of the talents (Matthew 25) is
an example of spiritual authority. If we do not utilize the authority we
have, Jesus said it will be taken away, but if we utilize it, it will
increase. Matthew 25:29, “For unto every one that hath shall be given,
and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away
even that which he hath.” If you will learn to exercise your
authority on a regular basis, you will find that your faith will multiply
concerning this ability and privilege. Paul said our senses are exercised by
reason of use. The more you stay in a dimension of a good confession of faith,
that is to say, speaking good things continually and dwelling on good things,
confessing the work of Christ on a regular basis, the more your faith will
multiply and develop.
I must
caution you at this point that it is because of the work of the cross
that you have any spiritual authority at all. Otherwise, as many Christians
have done, you may find yourself trying to utilize this authority from an
egotistical standpoint of self and find yourself being entangled with
over-exertion or positive thinking based on self. The seven
sons of Sceva experienced the negative results of the aforementioned scenario
(Acts 19:14-16).
Your
faith will grow day by day, step by step. James 1:4, “But
let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting
nothing,” and 2 Peter 3:18, “But grow in grace, and in the
knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and
for ever. Amen.” Do not try to reach out beyond the proportion of
faith that you are at. Romans12:6-7, “Having then gifts differing
according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy
according to the proportion of faith; Or ministry, let us wait on our
ministering: or he that teacheth, on teaching.” Trying to exercise
more authority than we actually have (being that authority is based directly
on the amount of developed faith of an individual), will only result in damage
to one's faith and a healing will be needed.
Be
prayerful about the utilization of your authority and exercise it on a regular
basis. Don't do it too much and don't do it too little. But rather learn
consistency in your attitude and confession. Some examples of this kind
of confession are as follows: "I am dead to sickness and resurrected to
health upon my body," or "Be blessed and multiply,"
and "May the peace of God be multiplied unto you."
Following
are just a few of the confessions, professions, and blessings as found in the
New Testament:
Acts 20:32, “And now, brethren, I commend you to
God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up, and to give
you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified.”
2 Corinthians 13:11-14, “Finally, brethren,
farewell. Be perfect, be of good comfort, be of one mind, live in peace; and
the God of love and peace shall be with you. Greet one another with an holy
kiss. All the saints salute you. The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the
love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. Amen.”
Colossians
3:12-17, “Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of
mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; Forbearing one
another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any:
even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye. And above all these things put on
charity, which is the bond of perfectness. And let the peace of God rule in
your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful.
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and
admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with
grace in your hearts to the Lord. And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do
all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by
him.”
2 Thessalonians 3:16, “Now the Lord of peace
himself give you peace always by all means. The Lord be with you all.”
1 Timothy 4:12-16, “Let no man despise thy youth;
but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity,
in spirit, in faith, in purity. Till I come, give attendance to reading, to
exhortation, to doctrine. Neglect not the gift that is in thee, which was
given thee by prophecy, with the laying on of the hands of the presbytery.
Meditate upon these things; give thyself wholly to them; that thy profiting
may appear to all. Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in
them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear
thee.”
2 Timothy 1:7, “For God hath not given us the
spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.”
Jude
1:2, “Mercy unto you, and peace, and love, be multiplied.”
Jude 1:24-25, “Now unto him that is able to keep
you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his
glory with exceeding joy, To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and
majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.”
These
are all expressions of the authority we have. Much of this can be exercised
in our own prayer closet. Some things are exercised in the presence of other
believers. Of course, discretion must be used.
A
general good confession does not necessarily have to be unctioned or inspired.
It is already in the will of the Father to give us good things and for us to
be a blessing to others. There will be specific instances where we will have a
direct utterance from the Holy Spirit, such as in the casting out of demon
spirits or taking dominion over an illness, etc. Again, you will have to
learn by reason of use and grow in the exercise of the authority of the
believer.
Learn
to be wise. Ask God for wisdom and He will not withhold it. James
1:5, “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men
liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.”
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