'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' (Luke 10.19, KJV).
Many people talk about ‘spiritual warfare’. To me this is the ability to come before the Lord in prayer, receive power, then get out there where the action is. In order to do this, we need to know who we are in Christ and what authority and power we have. If we are going to respond to the enormous challenge which is facing us today, we need less words and more action. Surely anyone who actually realises that they have power and authority and who also knows their God is going to get out and DO IT.
We have a tremendous authority here on earth which comes from Christ through His Word: in two places we can find evidence. First, Jesus called twelve disciples in Luke 9 and then seventy in Luke 10. His command to them was simple, ‘Boys, no one knows who I am, so before I come, go into all the towns and villages and in My name, preach the Gospel, heal the sick – so that when I come, they will know who I am.’ Notice that here, in the command to the evangelists, He does not say ‘PRAY’ for the sick, simply ‘HEAL THEM!’ This requires AUTHORITY, and is confirmed by the report these evangelists gave when they returned. They reported that ‘even the demons are SUBJECT to us!’ Why? Because they had the authority and used it!
In Matthew 8, a centurion beseeched Jesus for his servant lying at home, sick of the palsy. He simply said, ‘I ALSO am a man under authority,’ – thus recognising Christ’s authority – ‘just speak the word!’ Once we accept the authority given us we can also become ‘men under authority’.
Further confirmation of our authority comes in the promise of Jesus, ‘These things shall you do and greater, because I go to my Father’ (John 14:12); and Acts 1:8, ‘You shall receive power after the Holy Ghost is come upon you!’ Our power with God is through the baptism of the Holy Spirit, and through our relationship with God in prayer following that experience.