The Weapons of our Warfare

AUTHORITY

One of the greatest needs in the church of Christ is that she understand her privileges. The authority of the believer is one of the forgotten privileges of the church.

I. The first level of authority is in the animal kingdom.

A. The lion is the king of the beasts. Provo 30:30.

B. The evident echelons of authority in the animal world illustrate very vividly the echelons of authority that exist in the unseen world.

II. The second level of authority is among men.

A. Men have authority over the animal world. Ps. 8:5-8; Gen. 1 :26.

B. Men also exert, within the framework of mankind, authority over each other. Matt. 8:9-13.

III. The third level of authority is that of the spirits.

A. A woman was under the rule of a spirit of infirmity for eighteen years. Lk. 13:11.

B. A maid was under the rule of a spirit of divination. Acts 16: 16. Observation: These illustrations could be but the beginning of a very long scriptural list of such cases. The natural man through Eden's calamity came under this dominion.

IV. The fourth level of authority is that of Satan.

A. Satan claimed that the kingdoms of this world were his to give. Luke 4: 6.

B. Jesus recognized the hour of the power of darkness. Luke 22:53.

C. Paul recognized that the Gentiles need to be delivered from the power of Satan. Acts 26:18.

D. Satan is the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now works in the children of disobedience. Eph. 2:2.

E. Paul gives thanks for being delivered from the power of darkness. Col. 1: 13.
Observation: Since Satan is the prince, this implies, as do many scriptures, that Satan is the master of a whole kingdom involving many echelons of demonic authority. Since Satan is not omnipresent his work is carried on around the world by his subordinates.

V. The fifth level of authority is that of the believer over Satan. Eph. 2:6; Col. 2:10; John 1:12.

A. The believer has been given authority to heal. Matt. 10: 1; Mk. 16: 18. (Note that sickness is the oppression of the devil. Acts 10:38.)

B. The believer has been given authority to cast out devils. Mk. 16: 17; Luke 10: 19.

1. Repetitious commanding is often necessary for this ministry to be effective. Mark 5:8 ANT. (It is not always necessary.)
2. Committal of dislodged spirits is necessary to prevent re-entry. They should be sent to the abyss. Luke 8:31 (deep means abyss); Matt. 12:43-45.

C. The believer has authority to lead others into the fullness of the Holy Spirit. Acts 8:19,9:17. (It should be pointed out that even though believers may have this ministry because it is one of authority, they are not likely to fulfill it unless they have been filled with the Holy Spirit.)

D. The believer has been given the authority to bind and loose.

1. Satan is the strong man that must be bound if we are to spoil his house. Matt. 12:29.

a. Isaiah's prophecy was that the Messiah would divide the spoil with the strong. 53: 12.
b. Christ spoiled principalities and powers, making a shew of them openly. Col. 2: 15.

2. Peter especially was given this binding and loosing power. Matt. 16:18, 19. (It was not limited to him.)
3. The promise is given to the disciples in general that they may bind and loose. The whatsoever gives this promise great amplitude. Moreover, the believer has to do it. Man) read these promises and then weakly plead for the Lord to do the binding. Of course nothing happens. Just as the disciples had to unwind Lazarus, believers today must take initiative and authority themselves. Authority is not effective till it is assumed. Matt. 18:18-20.
4. Bind is sometimes translated "forbid." Loose is sometimes translated "allow."
5. There are some scriptures that typify this binding and loosing

a. The colt for Jesus' use had to be loosed. Mk. 11: 1-6,
b. Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead, but the disciples had to do the loosing. John 11 :39-48.

6. There are some basic applications of this binding and loosing found in the scripture.

a. A woman was loosed by Jesus from a spirit of infirmity, Luke 13:10-16.
b. Paul and Silas were loosed from their bonds. Acts 16:26
c. Isaiah urges that fasting is one way that loosing may be accomplished. Is. 58:6.

7. Since this ministry is directed mainly against Satan, we must be careful not to rail against him, as man in the flesh is no match for the enemy. Dr. Tozer observes that Satan knows judo we have never heard of.

a. The angel of the Lord said to Satan, "The Lord rebuke thee." Zech. 3:2.
b. It is a mark of the unjust to speak evil of dignities. II Peter 2:10.
c. Michael durst not bring a railing accusation against the devil when disputing about the body of Moses. Jude 9

E. The believer has been given authority to disciple and baptize. Matt. 28:19, 20.

F. The believer has been given authority to preach the gospel to every creature. Mark 16:15.

VI. The sixth level of authority is that of Jesus Christ.

A. Jesus Christ is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens. Hebrews 8: 1.

B. Christ is far above all principality and power. Eph. 1 :20-22.

Exhortation: Authority does not need to be sought. It is inherent. But it must be exercised to become effective.

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