The Believer's Authority II

Open Heavens Daily Devotional 12th October, 2016

Memorise:
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)

Read: Luke 10:17-20
10:17 And the seventy returned again with joy, saying, Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through thy name.

10:18 And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven.

10:19 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.

10:20 Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven.

As it was pointed out yesterday, the power and the authority which Jesus Christ has made available to believers can not be imagined by natural minds. Some people subject themselves to long life bondage because they are looking for power and protection outside Jesus.

Hebrews 2:14-15 says: "Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage."

One of my spiritual children testified that it was the grace of Jesus Christ that prevented him from entangling himself in occultism. Before he met the Lord, he had determined to join as many secret societies as could be found on earth, to ensure his security. Fortunately for him, he met the Lord and he is now exercising the authority of a believer.

Beloved, the believer's authority is yours if you genuinely accept Jesus Christ. This authority was given to us without measure. Our Lord said He has given to us authority over all the powers of the enemy and that nothing will by any means hurt us. When we rely on this, we will leave our lives in peace even in the midst of a storm.

Our Lord Jesus Christ is in the boat, it will not capsize. However, we must use the authority to our advantage. The story was told of a man who inherited magical powers to ward off evil and the spell whoever might want to harm him on a journey which he set for himself. As he started on the journey, he sighted robbers, instead of putting the magic power to use, he started shivering, and cringing. His wife then burst into a song "encouraging" her husband to keep on shivering because that is how he usually shivers to kill hundreds and thousands.

The robbers, taking the song to be true of the man, ran away for their lives. And that was how the woman saved the day for her husband. The lesson we should learn from this story is that, though the authority to conquer the devil and his cohorts are available, unless we exercise it in holy boldness, we remain as powerless as though it isn't available. To exercise authority over sickness, demonic oppression, poverty and all unpleasant situations, we need to be believers indeed by being born again through faith in Jesus Christ our Saviour. Also, we need to live according to the Word of God. We must be doers of the Word because it is the authority of the Word that we honour that can help us in the times of trouble.

Action Point:
Begin to exercise faith the Son of the living God, and you will experience the supernatural.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
Daniel 3:1-4:33
Psalms 78:9-16