Readings ; Luke 10: 17-20.
Memory Verse ; " Behold, I give unto your power to tread on serpents and scorpions and all over the power of the enemy and nothing shall by any means hurts you. [Luke 10 vs 19]
Authority is the power to give orders to people to do something. We live in a world of authority and power and in demonstrating authority and power, there is hierachy and where one terminates one hierachy another hierachy begins.
God is the giver of authority for ' God hath spoken once, twice have I heard this that power belongeth unto God (psalm 62:11).
God the giver of power admonishes " Let every soul be subjected to the higher powers. For there is no power but of God; the power that be are ordained of God. Whosoever resist the power resist the ordinance of God and they that resist shall receives to themselves damination" (Romans 13 vs 1-2).
God has not called us to defeat the devil , Jesus already did that over 2000 years ago. We have been called to enforce his defeat through the judgement written (psalm 149:9).
Paul tells us in Colonians 2:15 that Jesus spoiled principalities and powers and a public show of them, triumphing over them i e in the cross.
When General Mc Arthur met the supreme leader of the Japanese forces at the worldwar ll, he stripped stripped the glittering medals from his chest, took the sword out of his hand and has the world watched the declared total victory for the allies and enforced the terms of surrender.
And that is what Jesus did for Christians at the cross. When died and raise again. He stripped of his power, took the sword out of his hand and declared All power (authority) is given unto me in Heaven and Earth.Go ye therefore (mathew 28;18). Go in his power!..Go in his name!..Go in his strength!
Therefore, God himself has also highly exalted Him and given Him a name that is above every other name....that at the name of Jesus every knee shall bow.
Any claims to authority is only as good as the power that backs it up..And for us, the power and authority we need are in the name of Jesus. Whether in Heaven or Earth.
Every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that jesus is Lord. And he has transfered that power and authority to us today.
So go out and use it !!