THE AUTHORITY OF CHRIST’S NAME

Pastor Ronald L Berry, SW Washington

All authority comes from God.

Only when we are under authority can we operate in authority.
Jesus operated under the authority of the Father.
As Jesus submitted to the authority of the Father, He could operate on earth
in authority.

That is why we are to pray “not my will but thy will be done”.
We are taught to pray “thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven”.
We have no authority of ourselves but only the authority that has been
imputed upon us by God.

JOHN 5:26: FOR AS THE FATHER HATH LIFE IN HIMSELF; SO HATH HE GIVEN TO THE SON TO HAVE LIFE IN HIMSELF; 27: AND HATH GIVEN HIM AUTHORITY TO EXECUTE JUDGMENT ALSO, BECAUSE HE IS THE SON OF MAN.

We cannot earn authority, we can only accept the authority given to us.

MK: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.

When Jesus went to the cross to die for our sins so we could receive eternal
life, He also overcame principalities and powers making an open show of
them.

COL:2:15: AND HAVING SPOILED PRINCIPALITIES AND POWERS, HE MADE A SHEW OF THEM OPENLY, TRIUMPHING OVER THEM IN IT.

Notice that Jesus triumphed over our enemies, Satan, and his evil spirits.
Jesus is not going to do any more.

He has done all He going to do for now, with Satan and his evil spirits.
Jesus took care of Satan and his evil spirits that were in heavenly places.
Jesus did not take care of them on earth, His footstool.

MT:5:35: “THE EARTH” “IS HIS FOOTSTOOL”

ACTS:7:49: “HEAVEN IS MY THRONE, AND EARTH IS MY FOOTSTOOL”

When Jesus gained victory over these evil spirits, He ascended up to God in
heaven. Jesus sat down at the right hand of God until we make His enemies His
footstool.

HEB 10:12-13: BUT THIS MAN, AFTER HE HAD OFFERED ONE SACRIFICE FOR SINS FOR EVER, SAT DOWN ON THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD; 13: FROM HENCEFORTH EXPECTING TILL HIS ENEMIES BE MADE HIS FOOTSTOOL.

Jesus has done all He is going to do, its up to us to take the gifts that
Jesus sent and use them to defeat the enemy.

EPH:4:8: WHEREFORE HE SAITH, WHEN HE ASCENDED UP ON HIGH, HE LED CAPTIVITY CAPTIVE, AND GAVE GIFTS UNTO MEN.

The transfer of these gifts occurred when God released His mighty power by
the resurrection of Jesus from the dead.

EPH: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,

Jesus gave men gifts to be able to war against Satan and his evil spirits on
earth.

The free gift of salvation.
The free gift of righteousness.
The free gift of eternal life.
The free gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit.

All these are but a few of the gifts that Christ’s death and resurrection
secured for us. Jesus did not leave us alone to deal with Satan and his evil spirits, He sent the Holy Spirit to be our Helper in this warfare.The equipment that Jesus provided for us is spiritual not natural.

We are to use this spiritual weaponry to defeat Satan and his evil spirits on earth.

2COR:10:4: (FOR THE WEAPONS OF OUR WARFARE ARE NOT CARNAL, BUT MIGHTY THROUGH GOD TO THE PULLING DOWN OF STRONG HOLDS;)

If we try to deal with these spiritual beings by natural means, we will
fail! When we experienced the new birth we received authority to use our family
name.

The authority to use the name of Jesus gives us power over all host of evil
in our world.

It is only as emissaries of Christ that we can operate in power over the
evil.

When my wife and I perform marriages, we do it under the authority of the
state of Washington.

When a police officer stands in front of your car to stop you, he does so
under the authority of the law of our nation.

That means that the full force of the United States is behind the officer.
The power and authority we operate in comes from heaven. We have the authority to use the name of Jesus on earth against our enemies.

MK:16:17: AND THESE SIGNS SHALL FOLLOW THEM THAT BELIEVE; IN MY NAME SHALL THEY CAST OUT DEVILS; THEY SHALL SPEAK WITH NEW TONGUES;

Notice it is in the authority and power of the name of Jesus that we
exercise our authority on this earth. The proof of our authority is that when we use Jesus’ name and devils are removed from the lives of people.

EPH:1:3: BLESSED BE THE GOD AND FATHER OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST, WHO HATH BLESSED US WITH ALL SPIRITUAL BLESSINGS IN HEAVENLY PLACES IN CHRIST:

Notice that we have all spiritual blessings available to us, not some.
Do you really think that when all the blessings of heaven are brought to
bare against the devil that he has any chance of victory?
We have been equipped for spiritual battle.

2ND COR 10:3: FOR THOUGH WE WALK IN THE FLESH, WE DO NOT WAR AFTER THE FLESH: 4: (FOR THE WEAPONS OF OUR WARFARE ARE NOT CARNAL, BUT MIGHTY THROUGH GOD TO THE PULLING DOWN OF STRONG HOLDS;)

Well what are the weapons of our warfare?
First is the authority to use the name of Jesus.
After this we have been given spiritual armor to use in this war over evil.