CONTENTS

Chapter 1

Jesus Exercised Authority

Chapter 2

Jesus Delegated Authority to His Followers

Chapter 3

What Is Authority?

Chapter 4

This Authority Is "In Christ"

Chapter 5

Delivered from the Power of Darkness

Chapter 6

You Are the Key

Chapter 7

Power in What You Say

Chapter 1

Jesus Exercised Authority

MARK 1:21-22

".....he entered into the synagogue, and taught. And they were astonished at his doctrine; for he taught them as one that had AUTHORITY, and not as the scribes.”

There is power in the Word of God. In the beginning God spoke and a world came into existence. What power! Again He spoke and man was made from the dust of the ground. The writer of Hebrews says: "By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God..." (Heb. 11:3).

In the Old Testament we repeatedly read that God spoke to men and the voice they heard was one of authority. They would obey what was spoken.

Noah heard God tell him to build a boat. There was authority in that command, Noah started building the ark, even though there was no water around and even before we have record of rain having fallen upon earth. "And God said unto Noah ...." (Gen. 6:13). When God speaks there is authority in his Word! "Thus did Noah; according to all that God commanded him, so did he" (Gen. 6:22).

Abraham was one of the greatest men of faith who ever lived. Before he became this man of faith he was just like you or me. Then one day it happened. God spoke. "Now the Lord has said unto Abram ...." (Gen. 15:1). There was such authority in that spoken word that Abram had to obey. It caused him to step out in faith and leave his country, his father's house, and his kindred. "And Abram departed as the Lord had spoken ...." (Gen. 12:4).

And on goes the story of how God spoke to men with authority. Moses heard this authority and became a type of Christ as deliverer. David walked close to God and could hear His voice and recognize the authority of God's words. He became one of the greatest kings the world has ever known. There was authority in the spoken word given to Elijah and Elisha. Over and over again they won victory over the enemy. Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, Zechariah, and Malachi are only a few of the great prophets of old who heard (Sod speak and recognized the authority.

"But when the fulness of time was come, God sent forth his Son (Gal. 4:4). When the stage was set and ready and God's timetable was complete, God gave to the world the personified Word in the person of Christ Jesus.

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God ... and the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us ...." (John 1:1-2, 14).

"God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, hath in these last days spoken unto us by His Son ...." (Heb. 1:1-2). Jesus was and is the Word of God. That is why they were astonished at His teaching with authority.

JESUS ACTED WITH AUTHORITY

Jesus not only spoke with authority, He also acted with authority.

MARK 4:39

And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said Unto the sea, Peace, be still, and the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.

Jesus and His disciples had boarded a ship to go to the other side. During the trip Jesus fell asleep. There arose a storm. The waves and wind beat so hard against the ship it became questionable as to whether or not they would make it across. The frightened disciples awoke Jesus. He acted with the authority that was given Him, because He was the Word, and rebuked the wind and sea.

I remember a time when I was in Chicago and driving downtown to the Chicago Loop. The rain was pouring down so hard, I could barely see through the windshield. One of the windshield wipers was broken. The one on the driver's side worked. However, not long before I arrived at the Loop, my only good wiper ceased to work. The rain was so heavy I became fearful I could have a wreck. I drove with my head sticking out of the car in order to see. It was just at quitting time for those who worked downtown. They say that about five hundred thousand people work there and they all flood into the streets at about the same time. You can picture the scene. This made me even more fearful that I might hit someone.

But then God quickened His Word to me, I took authority in Jesus name and asked God to stop the rain as He did in the Bible days. I asked Him to stop the rain until I could pick up my wife, who was working there, and could get home without any trouble. No sooner had I said that, until the downpour of rain stopped and did not start again until we were home and safe in our apartment. Praise God for His authority!

JESUS HEALED THE SICK WITH AUTHORITY

MARK 2:10-12

But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (he saith to the sick of the palsy,) I say unto thee, Arise, and take up thy bed, and go thy way into thine house. And immediately he arose....

It is interesting to notice that Jesus used healing more than any other method to reach His generation. He took authority over sicknesses and demon possession. "Insomuch that the multitude wondered, when they saw the dumb to speak, the maimed to be whole, the lame to walk, the blind to see .... " (Matthew 15:31). "And they were all amazed, and spake among themselves, saying, what a word is this! for with authority and power he commandeth the unclean spirits, and they came out." (Luke 4:36).

Jesus was given authority by the Father. "All power (authority) is given unto me in heaven and in earth". (Matt, 28:18). And He went about exercising this authority. Luke 5:1213 gives us the account of Jesus healing the leper. "And it came to pass, when he was in a certain city behold a man full of leprosy ... and he put forth his hand, and touched him, saying, I will: be thou clean. And immediately the leprosy departed from him." When we read of great healings such as these we must agree that Jesus not only had authority He exercised it.

Jesus never turned anyone away who came to him for healing and who would produce faith for healing. "Now when the sun was setting, all they that had any sick with divers diseases brought them unto him; and he laid his hands on every one of them, and healed them (all)" (Luke 4:40). Jesus never turned anyone away while He walked this earth and He will not turn anyone away today who will come in faith believing. The Bible declares "Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and forever" (Heb. 13:8). If He is the same today then He does the same things today.

JESUS CAST OUT DEVILS WITH AUTHORITY

MARK 1 :23-27

And there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit; and he cried out, saying, let us alone; what have we to do with thee, thou Jesus of Nazareth? art thou come to destroy us? I know thee who thou art, the Holy One of God. And Jesus rebuked him, saying, hold thy peace, and come out of him. And when the unclean spirit had tore him, and cried with a loud voice, he came out of him. And they were all amazed, in so much that they questioned among themselves, saying, what thing is this? for with AUTHORITY commandeth he even the unclean spirits, and They do obey him.

Some people would try to have us believe that there are no evil spirits in the world today. Or, if they are here, they are only in that part of the world where heathens live. Nothing can be farther from the truth. Evil spirits, or demons, are not found just in one country. They are everywhere.

One man told me he didn't think demons existed today. What he failed to realize was that a spirit never dies. Our spirits never die. Therefore if evil spirits existed in the days of Christ, then they still exist today.

On one occasion while I was casting out demons one demon said to me that the Apostle Peter had cast him out of a person. This could very well be true, since a spirit never dies. If they tormented people in Bible days then they still torment people today. If evil spirits were the cause of some sickness in Jesus' time then they are still the cause of some sickness today.

In the final analysis Satan is behind all sickness. Before Satan tempted Adam and Eve there was no sickness or pain of any kind. They didn't even know what a headache was. Satan told them if they would eat of the fruit of the tree which they were told not to eat of, they would know good and evil. Up to that time they knew only good. When they fell, they also gained a knowledge of evil. Along with this knowledge of evil came pain and sickness, heartache, and suffering. So we can see that sickness and evil go hand-in-hand and that Satan is the cause of both.

Peter tells us who is behind all sickness in Acts 10:38.

"How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with Him." Notice that Peter said that Jesus "healed all" and he calls it the "oppression of the devil."

Over and over again Jesus would deal with the cause (spirit) behind the sickness. "When the even was come, they brought unto him many that were possessed with devils: (demons) and he cast out the spirits with his word, and healed all that were sick" (Matt. 8:16). Notice that only one class of people were brought to Jesus; those who were sick. And he said that an evil spirit was the cause of it. Peter picked up this same thought when he said that Jesus healed all who were oppressed of the devil.

JESUS RAISED THE DEAD WITH AUTHORITY

LUKE 7:12-15

Now when he came nigh to the gate of the city, behold, there was a dead man carried out, the only Son of his mother, and she was a widow: and much people of the city was with her. And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her, and said unto her, weep not. And he came and touched the bier: and they that bare him stood still, and he said, young man, I say unto thee Arise. And he that was dead sat up and began to speak ....

This is but one of several times when Jesus exercised authority over the dead and life came back to them. Nothing is impossible with God if we will "only believe" (Luke 8:50).

In order for us to understand and accept some of these great miracles of God we cannot approach them through our natural man (physical man or through our senses). Paul said, "But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned" (I Cor. 2:14). If we limit our understanding of God to only what we can see, feel, taste, smell, and hear; we will not have a very real or true picture of God. Because God is a Spirit. Jesus said they that worship God must worship Him in spirit and in truth.

We cannot approach God through our intellect because "God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise ...." (I Cor. 1:27). These spiritual truths can only become real as we permit God's Spirit to reveal them to us. "But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God" (I Cor. 2:10). Jesus said, "Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth ...." (John 16:13).

There is a need today to lay aside the hindering spirit of tradition of our fathers, our denomination, our own ideas and become teachable by the Holy Spirit. When I was pastoring a Baptist church I thought all traditions were in other denominations. But I was spiritually blind to many truths God's Word gives us. I was bound by tradition more than I was aware. If Satan can keep us blind to the real moving of God then he will win a battle against us. "For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places" (Eph. 6:12).

I was bound by traditions which maintains that Jesus healed during His earth walk but that He doesn't do so today. Then one day I was reading Luke 9:1-2, when I got down to verse two and read, "And he (Christ) sent them to preach the kingdom of God (I said, ’Lord I do this’), and to heal the sick." I said, "Lord, I don't do this so I must not be preaching and believing all the gospel." As I began to pray and seek God's guidance for all the truth, the whole picture came into focus. I came to realize "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, and today, and forever" (Heb. 13:8).

My wife had become ill and there wasn't anything the doctors were able to do. As a last resource we turned to God for help. (A mistake too many of us make is that we only try God after we have tried every other means.) We found God ever present and willing to confirm His Word. We, at that time, experienced God's Word. This is what we need to do, have God's Word experientially in our lives. If we just have an intellectual knowledge and- never an experiential knowledge, we will never know if His Word is really real. But our experiences must be in line with the Word. We must not try to make the Word fit into our experience.

The Word of God is given to help us. We must have a knowledge of the Word in order for it to help. We cannot receive beyond our knowledge. We cannot act in faith beyond our actual knowledge. God said, "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge ...." (Hosea 4:6).

How many people have laid upon a bed of sickness for many years because they had no knowledge that God wanted to heal them? Multitudes have been tormented by evil spirits, and have been made to have sleepless nights, nervous conditions, mental problems, frustrations, doubts, fears, jealousy, anger, unbelief, etc.—and have had no knowledge that God would deliver them. "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge."

It is our purpose in this opening chapter to show that Jesus had and exercised authority during His earth walk. We will now endeavor to show that Jesus not only exercised authority for people then, but also for those of all this church age; and that you can receive the same authority because "greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world."

Chapter 2

Jesus Delegated Authority to His Followers

LUKE 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."

"Then he called his twelve disciples together, and gave them power and authority over all devils, and to cure diseases. And he sent them to preach the kingdom of God, and to heal the sick" (Luke 9:1-2).

No single truth of the Bible can help a Christian anymore than realizing he can exercise this authority over the enemy of his soul and over circumstances of life.

When my spiritual eyes were opened to see this truth, it literally transformed my life. I went from defeat to victory in several areas of my life. My sickness became health. My weakness became strength. My enemy became powerless. Praise God!

Some people would have us to believe that this authority was only for the disciples and was only to be exercised during the first century. They claim this was to insure the newly founded church a fast start. One needs only to look around us today to realize that this same authority is needed in the church of this hour. If Peter, James, John, and Paul needed it to fight the devil in their day, we need it in our day. Do we not have the same enemy? Is the devil not doing the same things today as he did in Bible days? How absurd to think that God would equip Christians of New Testament days (only 100 years) with authority to help in their lives and then leave the Christians for 1900 more years to try to fight the devil without any power.

The devil doesn't want us to know that we can have authority over him. If he can keep us blind to this truth then he will win in the warfare he wages against the Body of Christ. The devil knows that he cannot oppose those born-again, blood bought, children of God who have discovered the authority that is theirs "in Christ"

The book of the Bible which portrays this truth so beautifully is Ephesians. If you are to come to know what you have in Christ you must study this book.

Ephesians 1 : 3 says, "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 the word ALL. God has not left out any blessing that will help His children. He has equipped us with "all Spiritual blessing."

"Christ hath redeemed us from the curse ...." (Gal. 3:13). He "hath delivered us from the power of darkness and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son" (Col. 1:13). "And hath raised us up together and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus" (Eph. 2:6).

When you come to a full realization of these verses you will KNOW that you have authority over the devil.

The devil is working overtime today to try and tear down, destroy, and wreck the work that God has done or wants to do for us. If we let the devil, he will destroy us. If we become fully persuaded that Satan was defeated on the cross then we don't have to accept his torments. When we fully believe that we sit in the heavenlies in Christ far above the principalities, powers, mights, and dominions (Eph. 1:21, 2:6), we can exercise this authority and it will work for us. When we become fully persuaded that we can "Resist the devil, and he will flee from you" (James 4:7) we can defeat our enemy.

If we are going to win in the warfare in which we are engaged, then we must have a knowledge of our enemy and a knowledge of how to win.

EPHESIANS 6:12

"For WE wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places".

Notice the word "WE". Some preachers would have us to believe that evil spirits cannot torment Christians. But Paul wrote this letter "to the saints which are at Ephesus and to the faithful in Christ Jesus" (Eph. 1:1). The letter was not written to the unsaved but rather to the Church. Thus Paul could say "WE" wrestle.

We are in a warfare. We must "fight the good fight of faith ...." (I Tim. 6:12). We must endure "the trial of your faith" (I Pet. 1:7). We must take up "the shield of faith wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked" (Eph. 6:16). We must "put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil" (Eph. 6:11).

These scriptures tell us of the warfare we are in and also who our enemy is. In Eph. 6:12, the words "principalities", "powers", "rulers of the darkness", and "spiritual wickedness in high places" are titles for the demon powers that are at work against us. These demon powers are the "fiery darts of the wicked" (Eph. 6:16). And these demon powers are just as real today and are just as active and as busy with their work of destruction as they ever were. But praise God, we have authority over them if we just knew it and would exercise it.

Paul was writing to saved people. He was writing to Spirit-filled Christians. It is one thing to be saved and quite another to be Spirit-filled. In Acts 19:1-7 we are told that Paul went to Ephesus and found some of John the Baptist's disciples, who had not yet heard that the One of whom John spoke had already come. So Paul told them about Christ then he preceded to baptize in water, "and when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them; and they spake with tongues and prophesied."

The Ephesian church was a Spirit-filled church. Paul told them "and do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery; but ever be filled and stimulated with the Holy Spirit" (Eph. 5:18 Amplified New Testament).

It was for these Spirit-filled Christians that Paul prayed their spiritual eyes would be opened to understand some of these spiritual truths. And that they should pray that by revelation they would receive a better knowledge of God.

EPHESIANS 1:17-18

"That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of Glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him: The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints."

If we are going to get into "the deep things of God" (I Cor. 2:10), and we must if we are ever going to "grow up into him" (Eph. 4:15), then we will have to be "transformed by the renewing of your mind" (Rom. 12:2). Our thinking needs to be straightened out. We must get it in line with the Word of God. Lay aside tradition and accept the Word of God. Only as we know the truth, shall the truth make us free. (John 8:32).

Paul's prayer in Eph. 1:15-22 was for a Spirit-filled church and yet he told them that he prayed their eyes would be opened to understand spiritual things, deep things, and what was their inheritance. What a joy, what a blessing, what victory, what power came into my life when I realized fully that I had an inheritance! A legal right to God's power and authority! The truth set me free. When I was set free of the chains of tradition then I had to, "stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage" (Gal. 5:1).

The authority that God wants us to exercise can only come as we have a KNOWLEDGE of it. We cannot act beyond our KNOWLEDGE. "My people are destroyed for lack of KNOWLEDGE" (Hosea 4:6). "Wise men lay up KNOWLEDGE" (Prov. 10:14). Do you want to be considered a wise man? "A wise man is strong; yea a man of KNOWLEDGE increaseth strength" (Prov. 24:5).

If we are ever going to grow spiritually then we must "Walk by faith, not by sight" (II Cor. 5:7). A person walking by sight (approaching God just through the natural man, through the five senses) cannot comprehend God in any real, deep and lasting way. Paul tells us the "natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he KNOW them, because they are spiritually discerned" (I Cor. 2:14). It is the Spirit of God that is to lead us into all truths (John 16:13). "God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God" (I Cor. 2:10). Paul proceeded to tell this Spirit-filled church at Corinth that because they were still in the natural he "could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ" (I Cor. 3:1).

Many times I have taught on some "deep things" and have had the people say "I could not fully comprehend all you said, but I will study them further." Praise God there is a hunger among God's people. They are wanting to come out of their shells and push themselves away from the shore into the deep.

"Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled" (Matt. 5:6).

So if we are going to go deeper with the Lord then we must get these spiritual truths out of our minds and into our spirits. The inward man must be renewed. We need to keep ourselves edified (I Cor. 14:4).

We must realize that Christ delegated His authority to His followers. Then we must act in faith on the Word of God. He delegated authority not only to His immediate disciples but to all those who believe. Are you a believer? If so then you have access to this authority and power. Jesus said "... the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father" (John 14:12). How can we do the works of Jesus without the same power and authority.

So Christ has equipped us. "Behold I give unto you power (authority) 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).

This power or authority has been given to us. However, if we don't KNOW it, the truth of it will not help us. We must gain a KNOWLEDGE of the truth. Then we must act upon our new found KNOWLEDGE.

Let us pray the same prayer for ourselves that Paul prayed for the Ephesians: "That the God of MY Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto ME the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him: the eyes of MY understanding being enlightened; that I may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints" (Eph. 1:17-18).

Truly we have Satan Under Foot if we only knew it.

Chapter 3

What Is Authority?

The dictionary gives this definition of "authority": ''Legal or rightful power; a right to command or to act; dominion."

In the New Testament the Greek word for authority is exousia which means privilege or authority. The translators were not uniform in their translation of this word. The majority of time they used our word "power". However, a different Greek word is used for power, dunamis. I am bringing this fact out because there is quite a difference between exercising "authority" and exercising "power".

A football player exercises power on the playing field but the coach exercises authority over the player. Soldiers exercise power in battle, but the General exercises authority over the soldiers. A traffic officer directs traffic. He blows a whistle and cars stop when he holds up his hands. Now he doesn't have any power to stop a two-ton car, but he does have the authority.

As in the case of the coach, and in the case of the General, and in the case of the traffic officer, the authority they exercise was delegated to them by someone else. The owner of the ball team gave the coach authority. The President gave the General authority. The chief of police gave the officer authority. Authority has to be delegated.

Luke 10:19 is a good illustration of the exousia being translated as the word "power". "Behold, I give unto you power (exousia) to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power (dunamis) of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you." The first word "power" is really the word for authority. Our authority is in Christ. He has delegated it to all believers.

Someone has asked, "Brother Hughes, if Christ has delegated His authority over the devil to us, then why are so many defeated?" The answer to this is simple, they don't have the KNOWLEDGE that it belongs to them. Too many people are trying to hang on by their own power. If they do not stand in God's strength, I am afraid they will never make it.

"Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might" (Eph. 6:10). The word there translated "power" can also be translated "strength." Notice that we are to rest in His strength, or His power, not in our own. Within our own natural man we do not have the power to fight Satan. Why? Because he is the god of this world. He is the prince of the power of the air, He is the great deceiver, the great lie. That is why Paul exhorts us to be strong in the Lord.

When we have Christ in us and permit Him to exercise His life through us the Bible says, "Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world" (I John 4:4). If you try to use your own power against a powerful devil you will lose. But if you will exercise the authority you have because you are "in Christ" then you can "resist the devil, and he will flee from you" (James 4:7). You must stand your ground without wavering. The Word of God has to work for us. It cannot fail. The devil is powerful, but God is more powerful.

In Luke chapter eleven we have the account of Jesus casting out demons and some people said that He was doing it by Beelzebub, the chief of devils. After giving an answer to their statement, Jesus went on to say "when a strong man (demons, or Satan) armed keepeth his palace, his goods are in peace: but when a stronger than he (Christ) shall come upon him, and overcome him, he taketh from him all his armour wherein he trusted, and divideth his spoils" (Luke 11:21:22). Christ is our strength, let's trust and rest in Him and exercise (take our stand) authority over the enemy.

Satan is already a defeated foe if we could only see it. "And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them" (Col. 2:15). The writer of Hebrews adds to this thought and says; "... that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is the devil" (Heb. 2:14). At the name of Jesus Satan has to flee and demons have to come out. WE HAVE AUTHORITY AND SATAN IS UNDER OUR FEET.

I have had many experiences with casting out demons. One stands out in my mind and I would like to share it so you can see how this authority works. I was holding a revival in Kansas. In the first service the Lord impressed me concerning a young lady in the congregation. The Lord did not tell me why I had this impression so I did not do anything with it. I just waited for the Lord to reveal further just what He wanted me to do. The second night I had this same feeling toward this girl. It was later on in the week before things came to a head. The Lord was greatly moving in the services. We were seeing people saved, healed, and filled with the Holy Spirit.

This young lady was coming with her mother-in-law. One night she turned to her mother-in-law and said, "If he comes back to me I will scratch his eyes out" (speaking of me). This so upset the mother-in-law that when they went home that night she began to talk to this young mother about the things of the Lord. As the pastor and I went to the parsonage after the service, I felt a quickening in my spirit to pray for her. So I did. Then about thirty minutes later I felt this same urge. Again I prayed.

Just before midnight the phone rang. After the pastor answered the phone and hung up he said, "Come on, we need to go pray for someone."

I said, "It is that young blond lady isn't it?"

He replied, "yes".

We arrived at the house, rang the bell and walked right on in. When this lady saw us she started screaming and raving. She became very violent. She started to run from the room but the pastor grabbed her and in the struggle she fell to the floor. By then I was there and held her on the floor.

Immediately I was faced with the shock of my life. Demons started talking through her voice just as they talked to Jesus when He dealt with them. For the next two and one-half hours we prayed, talked to; and took authority over these evil spirits. All in all about forty demons came out and each one named himself as we commanded them to. And even though it was a battle they had to come out in the name of Jesus.

Two things that would torment those evil spirits when they were mentioned were the Name of Jesus, and pleading the blood. There is "Power in the Blood". The song writer had the right idea. Another song writer said, "There's just something about that Name."

After two and one-half hours she was completely set free by the authority of Christ as we exercised the authority that we possessed. Praise God for this authority. What joy, what peace, what love, came on this lady's face as she then began to worship God. I know that she would say "praise God" for this authority He gives to His followers.

You see demons make us do things that we don't want to do, and say things that we don't mean to say. It was not the young lady who said she wanted to scratch my eyes out, it was the spirit that possessed her. An evil spirit, drives, forces, and makes us do things that we don't want to do. After she was delivered she was so happy that instead of scratching my eyes out, she embraced me and said, "Oh! How I love Jesus for setting me free."

The enemy is real. He is the cause of our trouble. We need to exercise authority over him. He is a defeated foe.

Let him know that you know. He cannot take control of us if we don't let him. Because he only has power, but we have authority. One of the statements these evil spirits kept making was, "Why did you come to this town? I hate you." You see they recognized that I had authority and that I knew I had it and would use it.

Many spirits named themselves and came out of that girl, tearing her as they left. I want to tell you about one of these spirits in particular because I have encountered this one several times in other cases. It was the spirit of witchcraft. This is a very active spirit in the world today. There is a large move toward witchcraft, spiritualist mediums, ESP, black magic, Satan worship, demon worship, and sorcery. We must protect ourselves from these spirits by "abstaining from all appearance of evil" (I Thess. 5:22).

If it even looks or has the appearance of evil we should not have anything to do with it. When this spirit named himself as witchcraft, I asked him when and how he entered this lady. His reply was, "When she was a teenager and started reading books on the subject of witchcraft and watched movies on television about witchcraft, ESP, etc."

We must "abstain from all appearance of evil." We must walk by faith and not by sight. We must KNOW that we possess authority and we must exercise it. Praise God, if we do things by the Bible pattern we can have victory and keep it.

As far as the Godhead is concerned, what is this power or authority? The Holy Spirit is the active power agent of the Godhead. "But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you ...." (Acts 1:8). When power is exercised by God, He does so through the Holy Spirit. And the very power that God exercises, you may receive by receiving the Baptism with the Holy Spirit.

Most Pentecostal people have not exercised the power they received. That power was there but they didn't recognize it and so it didn't do them any good. We need to receive the Holy Spirit so we can have power over the enemy, and power to witness.

In the book of Ephesians we are given more light on this thought. "In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory" (Eph. 1:13-14).

The Holy Spirit "is guarantee of our inheritance—the first fruit, the pledge and foretaste, the down payment on our heritage—in anticipation of its full redemption and our acquiring (complete) possession of it, to the praise of His glory" (Amplified New Testament, verse 14).

Notice that the Holy Spirit is the "guarantee of our inheritance." What is our inheritance? What we have "in Christ." Christ is an heir of God, and we are joint-heirs with Christ. He has authority over the devil and so do we. WE inherited it.

It is the Holy Spirit who is the power of God and we shall receive power after that the Holy Ghost is come upon us. As we read on in the first chapter of Ephesians verses 19 and 20 we can see that it is the Holy Spirit who must be released in us so the power of God can work.

EPHESIANS 1:19

"And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to usward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, which he wrought in Christ when he raised him from the dead....”

What is this "power" which is to usward? What is the power which raised Jesus from the dead? Romans 8:11 tells us.

"But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you."

Paul said that the Holy Spirit raised Christ from the dead. The Holy Spirit is the power plant, or power agent of the Godhead. "But ye shall receive power after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you."

The Holy Spirit is the earnest, or down-payment of our inheritance. He guarantees this power or authority. He guarantees that the inheritance, of our God-given rights to "all spiritual blessing," will always be there and will be easily accessible to all Spirit-filled believers who will pay the price for gaining KNOWLEDGE.

We cannot act beyond our KNOWLEDGE. That is why Paul prayed that they would be given the "spirit of wisdom and revelation in the KNOWLEDGE of him: The eyes of your understanding being enlightened." This same power that worked in Jesus after His baptism in water and in the Holy Spirit is available to us today. We need our eyes opened to "what is the exceeding greatness of his power to usward who believe" (Eph. 1:19).

We must permit Romans 16:20 to be applied to us: "And the God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet... "

Notice it is "your" feet.

Chapter 4

This Authority Is "In Christ"

"Blessed (praise, laudation and eulogy) be to the. God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Messiah, who has blessed us IN CHRIST With every spiritual (Holy Spirit given) blessing in the heavenly realm" (Eph. 1:3 Amplified New Testament).

Notice that these blessings are "in Christ." If we want to have the blessings of God then we must be "in Christ." "For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. And ye are complete in him which is the head of all principality and power" (Col. 2:9). Jesus "spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it" (Col. 2:15). If Jesus destroyed the work of the enemy and if we are "in Christ" then we also have overcome them. Because we are "risen with Christ ... and your life is hid with Christ in God" (Col. 2:1-3).

Have you ever stopped to think what it means to be "in Christ?" The Word says that Christ hath blessed us with "all spiritual blessings." It literally means "every possible benefit." He does this work in us. So to be "in Him" means that Christ has blessed us with every possible benefit within us. This is the key to being "in Him." The power, the authority, the benefits are already within us, in the person of Christ. All we have to do is release this power that is within and let Christ live through us.

IN HIM IS SALVATION

"For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord" (Rom. 6:23). This verse declares that there is only one way to have eternal life and that is through Jesus Christ. There is "none other name given under heaven whereby we must be saved." Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life; no man cometh unto the Father but by me" (John 14:6). When we came in repentance and acceptance of Christ as our Saviour then the Spirit "baptized us into one body" (I Cor. 12:13). Thus we are "in Him."

IN HIM IS THE BAPTISM WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT

"He shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with Fire ...." (Matt. 3:11). Again in John 1:33 we read "The same is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost." Jesus is the baptizer, the Holy Spirit is the agent. Truly "in Him" is the baptism of power. "But ye shall receive power after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you" (Acts 1:8). The baptism with the Holy Ghost is another benefit of being "in Him”—a command of Jesus Himself, for every born-again, blood washed, child of God. "Being assembled together with them COMMANDED them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father ... for John truly baptized with water but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost" (Acts 1:4-5). The child of God today needs this power to withstand the fiery darts of the wicked. So I would ask you but one question "Have you received the Holy Ghost since you believed?" (Acts 19:2).

IN HIM IS DELIVERANCE

There are times when our enemy, the devil, tries to oppose with all manner of evil, to tempt us to sin against the Almighty God. The Bible tells us that Satan is an angel of light. Many today are bound by alcohol, dope, lust, pride, anger, jealousy, fears, and many other spirits of darkness. They need the deliverance that only Jesus can give them. We are overcomers through the blood. "Who (Jesus) hath delivered us from the power of darkness" (Col. 1:13). If Jesus has conquered the "power of darkness" for us then we need to accept what is rightfully ours and let the blood set us free. "Resist the devil and he will flee from you" (James 4:7).

IN HIM IS HEALING

"Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness, by whose stripes ye were healed" (I Pet. 2:24). Notice it says, "Ye were healed." It has already been accomplished. Jesus paid the price. Psalm 103:2-3 states, "Bless the Lord O my soul and forget not all His benefits, who forgiveth all thine iniquities, who healeth all thy diseases.” Healing is another benefit of being "in Him."

IN HIM IS PROSPERITY

"But my God shall supply all your needs according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus" (Phil. 4:19). "No good thing will be with-held from them that walk up-rightly" (Psalm 84:11). These are but a couple of the many promises God gives to His children. The child of God should not worry over his needs. Our God is still a God of miracles. John said, "Beloved I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as they soul prospereth" (III John 2).

These are but a few of the wonderful benefits we have "in Him." One of the greatest revelations that has ever been given me is the truth found in Ephesians which in essence says, Satan has no power over me if I don't let him try to usurp it. Because I am "in Christ." Let us again turn to the book of Ephesians and see how we can exercise this authority we have in Christ, and put Satan under foot.

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ" (Eph. 1:3). Notice four truths found in the verse. (1) hath blessed: This is past-tense and has already been accomplished. (2) all spiritual blessings: Jesus has not left anything out that will bless His children. (3) in heavenly places: Literally "in the heavenlies." (4) in Christ: Only those "in Christ" can have certain blessing from God.

When Christ hanged on the cross and said "It is finished," all the redemptive work of God was completed. The enemy of God and man, the devil, was defeated. Sin was conquered, death lost its sting, demons were spoiled, the grave no longer had victory. He hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings.

There are two places, or two areas, wherein these blessing exist. "In Christ" and "in the heavenlies." It is important that we keep this in mind. Where is Christ today? Is he not in the heavenlies? Is He not at the right hand of God? Speaking about the power of the Holy Spirit that we already looked at, Eph. 1:20 says, "which he wrought in Christ when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places (or in the heavenlies)." These "heavenly places" are located "Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named...." (Eph. 1:21). Notice that Jesus is sitting "above" these demons and spirit powers. When you are above the circumstances you are victorious over them. We have been blessed "in Christ," "in the heavenlies." Paul describes the place of the demon power as "high places." "For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places" (Eph. 6:12). The enemy is in high places but not in the heavenlies where Christ is. Paul said that Jesus, "ascended up far above all heavens" (Eph. 4:10). Paul had an experience of being up into the third heaven.

Before the incarnation of Christ the Bible tells us that Jesus was with God in the heavenlies. "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God" (John 1:1). Sitting in the heavens Christ was ruling and reigning.

But the writer of Hebrews says, "But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man" (Heb. 2:9). Christ left the heavenlies and came down below the angels, principalities, powers, mights, and dominions which are only in "high places." While in this lower state Jesus was tempted in every point like as we are. It was while living in this lower sphere that Satan could tempt Jesus as he did in the wilderness. (Matt. 4:1-11). There is no evidence that Satan could tempt Jesus before this time. Because God can be tempted of no man.

Jesus won in His temptation to show us that we can win through Him. "There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it" (I Cor. 10:13).

When Christ was raised from the dead (Eph. 1:20), He ascended up far above the heavens (Eph. 1:21), and is seated at the right hand of God (Eph. 1 :20), back in the heavenlies from hence He came, where Satan has no authority.

And God "hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, which is his body ...." (Eph. 1:22-23). Notice that He is the head of the church. The church is His body. We are the church, we are part of His body. "For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body" (I Cor. 12:13).

Paul said that God "hath put all things under his feet" (Eph. 1:22). Are not the feet part of the body? Are we not part of the body? Is not Christ the head sitting in the heavens?

Eph. 2:6 says, "And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus." Since Christ is the Head and we are the body, and since we have been raised (positionally) to sit together in the heavenlies, and since the feet are part of the body, and since this body is sitting "far above the principalities and powers”—then the enemy has no right to harm us any more than he has a right to harm Jesus. Satan is under our feet. Praise God!

Speaking to the devil God said, "And I will put enmity between thee and the woman (the church) and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel" (Gen. 3:15). This is the first reference to the coming of Christ. It is also a reference to His body, the church.

Notice it said the head of the serpent, or devil, shall be bruised, and the heel of Christ shall be bruised. We are standing above Satan. He has been bruised. He has been defeated. Remember, the Word does not just work arbitrarily, we must have a KNOWLEDGE of it as we discussed in a previous chapter.

The book of Hebrews gives us some further light on this subject "... what is man, that thou art mindful of him? or the son of man, that thou visitest him? Thou madest him a little lower than the angels; thou crownedst him with glory and great honour, and didst set him over the works of thy hands: thou hast put all things in subjection under his feet, for in that he put all in subjection under him, he left nothing that is not put under him" (Heb. 2:6-8).

This was quoted from Psalms 8:4-6. The Psalmist goes on to say what has been put under man, and that is all of life. Hebrews goes on to say, "But now we see not yet all things put under him, but we see Jesus.... " The earth and animal life was put under man, but man was made lower than angelic beings, including Satan, "but we see Jesus." Jesus conquered all this and He became lower than the angels to "Taste death for every man" (Heb. 2:9), "that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil" (Heb. 2:14).

Praise God we have authority over the devil! He has been destroyed, but only to those who have this knowledge and act upon it.

Before this revelation was given to me I was defeated in many areas of my life. But when the knowledge came and I acted upon it then and only then did victory come.

The Holy Spirit and your relationship to Him is the key. He is the one to lead us into all truth. If we are ever to go deeper with God then we must study about the Person and work of the Holy Spirit. We must receive His fulness—that power to usward about which Paul speaks.

Romans 7:15-8:5 gives the picture of Paul's battle in life and what the answer was for him. It is still the same answer today. "For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I" (v. 15). "For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do" (v. 18-19).

Doesn't this give a true picture of many of us today? We are in a spiritual warfare and our weapons are not carnal but spiritual. The only way you can fight in the spiritual realm is to use spiritual weapons. "For the flesh lusteth against the things of the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh" (Gal. 5:17). Paul waged this war for some time then he finally stopped trying to do it himself and sought an answer from God when he cried out "O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from the body of death" (v. 24).

When we turn to God for help and an answer to a way out of our troubles, He hears and answers prayers. Paul got his answer. "I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord" (v. 25). Then the Lord proceeds to show Him the importance of the Holy Spirit in his life. "There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit, For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh; that the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit" (8:1-4).

So if we are going to wage a good warfare against the enemy we need to receive the in-filling of the Spirit and then we need to walk in that fullness. Many today are seeking and receiving the Spirit's fullness but are failing then to continually walk in the light of their experience. Consequently they do not stay filled and they lose the war.

Just keep in mind SATAN IS UNDER YOUR FEET. RESIST HIM.

Chapter 5

Delivered from the Power of Darkness

COLOSSIANS 1:13

"Who (Christ) hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear son."

Notice the past-tense used in this verse. These two events, have already been done in the mind of God. He has already delivered us from the power of darkness. He has also already translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son.

This goes right along with what we have already looked at in Ephesians 2:6, "And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus."

Paul also saw the need for telling this truth to the church at Colosse. "If we then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God" (Col. 3:1).

If we are going to understand and receive what the Bible declares rightly belongs to us, we need to notice the past-tense used in many scriptures. Thus indicating benefits, privileges, promises, and rights that have already been bought and paid for and are part of our inheritance. A lack of knowledge, however, can keep us from receiving what belongs to us. If I had a rich uncle who died and left me his estate but I did not know that I was an heir to it, then it would not do me any good.

A closer study of this verse will show that we have authority over Satan. The word that is translated "power" is really the word for "authority." So we can read it, "Who (Christ) hath delivered us from the authority of darkness."

And the word "darkness" has reference to Satan or anything in his realm of activity. So we can read it, "Who (Christ) hath delivered us from the authority of Satan." Praise God! When we know our place we can exercise authority over the enemy of our soul.

Let me not leave you with the idea that Satan is not a powerful spirit. We only need to look around us to see that he is. But we do need to recognize that "greater is he that is in us than he that is in the world." Satan is strong because he is called the "god of this world" (II Cor. 4:4), "the prince of the power of the air" (Eph. 2:2). Because he holds these positions he could tempt Jesus and offer Him the "kingdoms of this world" (Matt. 4:8). Not even Satan can offer what he does not have. He is the god of this world, the kingdoms of this world belong to him until Christ comes back and sets up His rule.

Many will ask, how did Satan become the god of this world? In order to answer this question we need to go back to the beginning. Gen. 1:26-28 says, "And God said, let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and LET THEM HAVE DOMINION over the fish of the sea, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. And God blessed them, and God said unto them, be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and HAVE DOMINION over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth."

We read in the creation account that after God made everything He said, "It is good." God then made man and turned it all over to him. Man was given dominion over all things. When man fell he turned it all over to the devil and Satan became the "god of this world."

As the "god of this world" he is always trying to dethrone God. Isaiah 14:12-14 gives us this picture. "For thou hast said in thine heart, I WILL ascend into heaven, I WILL exalt my throne above the stars of God: I WILL sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I WILL ascend above the heights of the clouds; I WILL be like the most High."

What Satan cannot do to God Himself, he will try to do to God's children. Thus God has equipped us with authority so we can fight this warfare while we are in this life.

One day God will perform His "I wills" as: recorded in Ezekiel 28:16-18; ".... I WILL cast thee as profane out of the mountain of God: and I WILL destroy thee, O covering cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire ... I WILL cast thee to the ground, I WILL lay thee before kings, that they may behold thee ... therefore WILL I bring forth a fire from the midst of thee, it shall devour thee, and I WILL bring thee to ashes upon the earth in the sight of all them that behold thee."

Because Adam turned this world over to Satan, God made provision for Satan's defeat. Speaking to Satan God said, "I will put enmity between thee and the woman and between thy seed and her seed it shall bruise thy head and thou shall bruise his heel" (Gen. 3:15).

This is the first reference to the coming of Jesus. But it has an even deeper meaning to the church, the body of Christ, of which Jesus is the Head. On the cross Jesus won total and complete victory for us. Satan could not conquer Him through death so all he can do now is play upon the ignorance of the children of God who have not studied the Word enough to see that they don't have to take his evil deeds.

Before the fall, Adam, who was representative of the human race, had everything perfect. This is hard for us to imagine because we have grown up in a world where everything seems to be out of order. Adam had perfect fellowship with God, perfect health, perfect environment, perfect living conditions, perfect food, perfectly pure water, perfect weather conditions, everything was beautifully and harmoniously working together. Even the animal life lived perfectly together. No problems, no fears, no anger, no anguish, no frustration, no pain, no sickness, no storms, no earthquakes, no tidal waves, nothing but perfection.

But after Adam sinned against God by breaking His commandment, be lost all. Everything seemed to do an about face. MAN AND THE EARTH WAS PUT UNDER A CURSE. Man lost his fellowship with God, lost his health, lost his dominion, lost all the love, peace, joy, and lasting happiness.

But praise God, "When the fulness of time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, to redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons" (Gal. 4:4-5). And because God sent His Son, "Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree" (Gal. 3:13). Everything that was lost in the first Adam, was redeemed back through the second Adam, Christ. He became the curse for us so we need not be cursed.

The curse can be divided into three areas (1) poverty, (2) sickness, (3) death. Christ hath redeemed us from these and "hath delivered us from the power (authority) of darkness (Satan)." We. become heir of all this when we repent and receive Christ. "What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit which are God’s" (I Cor. 6:19). Some people listen to the devil's wiles more than they listen to God's Word.

A man once said to me that he thought he had to have sickness and pain in this life because the body had not yet been redeemed. What he failed to understand was that in the mind of God this has already taken place. And we have been given the earnest or down-payment "until the redemption of the purchased possession" (Eph. 1:14). This is why Paul said in I Cor. 6:19 that "your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost" and that we should "Glorify God in your Body, and in your spirit ... " This man was saying that he could glorify God in his spirit because it was redeemed but not in his body. But Jesus said "glorify God in your body."

During the earthly ministry of Jesus He went about healing all who was oppressed of the devil. Sickness in our body does not glorify God. If it did then Jesus was wrong by healing people. Paul said, “glorify God in your body and in your spirit which are God’s." Both belong to God therefore glorify God in both.

We overcome the devil in two ways, the blood and our testimony. "And they overcome him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony" (Rev. 12:11). The song writer said "There is Power in the Blood." And the Word says, "you shall have whatsoever you saith" (Mark 11:23). We will deal more with this in a later chapter. Satan is the "god of this world" and will try to exercise power over you, and will unless you stop him through the blood of Christ and your testimony. In Adam we lost all, but through Christ we have gained it all back. Jesus paid the price for full redemption.

Before we were saved the "god of this world" was really our god. We were led by one of his evil spirits. This may sound shocking to some but let God's word be true and every man a liar. Ephesians 2:2 gives us this truth, "wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience." This verse indicates that before we were saved the "prince of the power of the air" (Satan) controlled our lives and that a spirit caused us to be disobedient. Again Paul said, "know ye not that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey his servants ye are to whom ye obey ..." (Rom. 6:16).

However, after we are saved it is a different picture, or at least it should be. "Therefore if any man be in Christ he is a new creature; old things are passed away; behold all things are become new" (II Cor. 5:17).

"And you hath he quickened (made alive) who were dead in trespasses and sins" (Eph. 2:1). When we are saved, Christ does a work in us that does away with all previous sins. "I am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sin" (Isa. 43:25). "For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more" (Heb. 8:12).

Praise the Lord, we have a merciful God who will forgive and forget. "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (I John 1:9). If God forgives and forgets then let us confess and forget. If we permit the devil to do so he will continually bring up old sins and tell us we are not worthy. Nothing could be further from the truth. If we believe that lie then we do not believe in God's ability to do a good work. Because Paul said, "For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works ..." (Eph. 2:10). If we are His workmanship then the work is good and complete. The truth shall set you free. Don't listen to the "god of this world", listen to the God of heaven. "Resist the devil and he will flee from you" (James 4:7).

When we get saved we have a new God. We have a new life. We have a new motive. We have new desires. Old things pass away behold all things become new. At that moment God, "hath delivered us from the power of darkness and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son." In the mind of Christ all this has already taken place. This is why we are exhorted to "Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus ... " (Phil. 2:5). No longer does Satan have power over us. We serve a new God. We've been redeemed. We've been bought with a price. Old things are passed away. Praise God!

You might ask, "If this is true and we have already been delivered from darkness and have already been translated into the kingdom of His Son, then why are so many Christians defeated?" The answer is twofold: (1) They lack knowledge of this truth. Their spiritual eyes have not been opened. They have not paid the price of Bible study that they might see. (2) Because of the first reason these people have not "grown up into him" (Eph. 4:15). They are still like children, "tossed to an fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine" (Eph. 4:14). For these two reasons they have not realized their inheritance in Christ.

We are given a strong exhortation throughout the Bible to study, grow, and thus experience the deeper things of God. A small child in a family has inherited the rights of that family. However, by law he cannot exercise his rights until he becomes of legal age. So it is true in God's family. "For ye are all CHILDREN of God by faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. And if ye be Christ’s then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise" (Gal. 3:26-29). The Bible teaches that when we are "born again" that we are babes in Christ, spiritual babies. And as spiritual babies we are to "desire the sincere milk of the word, that we may grow thereby" (I Pet. 2:2).

This is where so many fail. And in their failure they miss God. Because they may be adults physically and mentally, they start to study the Word and because they cannot fully understand it, they lay it aside. Their growth stops right there. There comes a time when a baby must be taken off a bottle and given stronger foods if it is to grow. The same is true in the spiritual realm. There comes a time when we must lay aside the milk and get into the meat of the Word.

The Bible is a spiritual book and cannot be understood by the natural man. We cannot approach God just through our five senses and understand Him. The natural man views the Bible as a book of historical facts, but he fails to see the deeper, spiritual, and, miraculous revelation of divine guidance given. Thus he cannot fully understand God. Many uneducated people have been given spiritual understanding of God and His Word and have had more spiritual insight than many educated people who just try to retain God in their minds.

Many have failed to see the difference between the natural man and the spiritual man. There are two realms operative in the world. The natural or physical realm, and the spiritual realm. Both are real. Because of this truth Paul told the Corinthian Christians that only the Spirit of God can reveal to them the deep things of God. "But he hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea the deep things of God" (I Cor. 2:10). Paul proceeded to tell these Spirit-filled Christians that "the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him; neither can he know them because they are spiritually discerned" (I Cor. 2:14).

This is one reason we need to receive the Spirit's fulness. However, the baptism with the Spirit does not automatically make us spiritual individuals. Some have failed to realize this. This experience is nothing more than an open door. After receiving this baptism it is up to us to permit the Holy Spirit to live in and through us, molding us into the image of Christ. We are still free-moral agents with a free-will to choose. The Corinthian Christians were still trying to approach God through the natural man. For this reason Paul said, "I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ. I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able" (I Cor. 3:1-2).

Just as there comes a time in the life of a child when his father takes away the bottle, so as to enhance the growth of that child, so there comes a time when our heavenly Father will do the same spiritually. The only difference is, the spiritual baby must take it upon himself to see to his feedings.

There is a difference in a "child" in the Lord, and a "son" though they are both lord of all. They both have an inheritance. But one has a legal right to his; inheritance while the other cannot exercise his rights. Why? Because one is not of age and the other is. "Now I say, that the heir, as long as he is a child, differeth nothing from a servant, though he be lord of all; but is under tutors and governors until the time appointed of the father. Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world: but when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, to redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father. Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; AND IF A SON, THEN AN HEIR OF GOD THROUGH CHRIST" (Gal. 4:17).

So we need to cease being children tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine. We need to grow up unto Him. Because in Him "we have obtained an inheritance" (Eph. 1:11). We need to pray with Paul that, "the eyes of our understanding being enlightened ... that we may know ... what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints" (Eph. 1:18).

Christ is part of God's family, He is God's Son. We are children of God because we have been bought and paid for. We have been born again into the family of God. Let us grow that we might partake of the "adoption of sons" and exercise our family, our redemptive rights against the devil. Because we have been delivered from the power of darkness and have been translated into the kingdom of His dear Son. "Neither give place to the devil" (Eph. 4:27), and "resist the devil, and he will flee from you" (James 4:7). These truths belong to us. Let us exercise the authority we have been given over the enemy.

SATAN IS UNDER OUR FEET, WE HAVE BEEN GIVEN AUTHORITY TO TREAD ON HIM.

Chapter 6

You Are the Key

Jesus said, "all power is given unto me in heaven and in earth" (Matt. 28:18). What most people fail to realize is that Jesus delegated this power to His church. "Behold I give unto YOU power" (Luke 10:19). ".... And gave THEM power and authority ..." (Luke 9:1). We need to approach God through His Word and in line with His Word. For years I would say, "Lord you defeat the devil for me." Then one day God revealed to me that He has done everything He is going to do. He defeated Satan by Christ's death. He spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it (Col. 2:15). He delivered me from the power of darkness. He made me to sit in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. It is now left up to me to exercise authority over the devil, and keep him under my feet. Jesus did it while He was on earth. He said He was empowering the church to do greater things than He did.

So Y OU are the key. If you are to be an overcomer then you must do something about it. If Satan is defeating you then you are permitting him too. You are not doing anything about it. This authority belongs to us. Christ wrestled with the devil and won so that we, through Him, might win also. That is why Paul said

"For WE wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places" (Eph. 6:12). Notice WE are actually doing the wrestling but we are exhorted to "be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might" (Eph. 6:11), and "taking the shield of faith" (Eph. 6:16), and the "Sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God" (Eph. 6:17). The Word teaches that WE must conquer the devil.

So many times I have said, "God rebuke the devil." I did not realize that no where in scripture was I told to pray like that. This is the reason our prayers are not answered. We pray amiss. We need to get our praying in line with the Word of God. Jesus said, "In my name shall THEY cast out devils ..." (Mark 16:17). Devils are not going to come out just automatically. WE must cast them out. WE must exercise our authority in the name of Jesus.

I remember my first encounter with demons. I was asked to go pray for a demon possessed lady. I went and I prayed but because of a lack of knowledge on the subject and not realizing I had authority I left the lady in the same condition as when I first saw her. She was tormented with these spirits. She had even tried to take her own life several times. I was not able to help her. A few years later, I was put into a place once again where I was to face these enemies. This time I was ready, I had gained a knowledge. I realized my authority in the name of Christ. After deliverance came and when the last evil spirit left what a sweet smile came on her face as she cried out to God, "Jesus I love you for setting me free." What a difference it makes when we know who we are and what authority we have and then act upon our knowledge. YOU are the key.

James 4:7 says, "resist the devil, and he will flee from YOU." "YOU" is the understood subject of this sentence. YOU have to do something about the devil. The authority has been given to YOU. YOU must exercise it. The devil will flee from YOU. This authority belongs to you and will work when you exercise it. Notice that James says that the devil WILL flee from you. The Word of God will work for us, when we do what it says, it will come to pass!

Another scripture that bears out this thought is I Peter 5:8-9: "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world." Again the word "YOU" should be inserted. "YOU be sober, be vigilant ...", "YOU resist stedfast in the faith ..." I like the Amplified New Testament's translation of verse nine, "Withstand him; be firm in faith (against his onset)—rooted, established, strong, immovable and determined ... " Again it is understood that YOU are in view. YOU must withstand him. If you do he will flee (run as in terror) from you.

Just before we are told to "be sober, be vigilant," and "to resist stedfast in the faith" we are told how this should be done. Here is a secret that many have failed to see. Verse six and seven says, "Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God ... casting all your care upon him ... " The Lord said He would never leave you nor forsake you. One reason why some fail in this warfare is that they try to fight the devil by themselves. We cannot win without God's help. We must trust in God and His Word which declares that Satan is defeated. We need to realize fully that we can cast all of our cares on him.

Most people will go to prayer and try to lay their burdens at the feet of Jesus, but when they are through praying they pick up their burdens and carry them out and worry over them. They worry and fret over circumstances which is a sign that they have not really left them or cast them on Jesus. So let us take our stand and resist the devil and he WILL flee. If we don't exercise our redemptive rights the enemy will devour us.

Paul found it necessary to tell the Ephesian Christians, "Neither give place to the devil" (Eph. 4:27). Again "YOU" is understood. It is up to you to give no place to the devil. It is up to you to "abstain from all appearance of evil" (I Thess. 5:22). YOU are the key. YOU can win over the devil. YOU can win over evil. Praise God! He has given YOU power and authority. The seventy who were sent out into the field of humanity to harvest souls, said in Luke chapter ten verse seventeeen, "Lord, even the devils are subject unto US through thy name."

They found that they had to exercise their authority and that it had to be exercised in the name of Jesus. That name that is above every name. Jesus followed the statement of the seventy with, "Behold I give unto YOU power and authority."

If we are to have the Word of God work for us, we must stop asking Jesus to do things for us and start doing what the Word tells us to do. This is the only way it will work. We need to get in line with the Word. One thing I have learned is that the Word of God has to work if we use it properly.

We have been given power in the person of the Holy Spirit which is the earnest of our inheritance. If we would understand what is the "exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward ..." (Eph. 1:19), we would be more willing to exercise this power. This power is in us. It has to be released. When we release the power of the Spirit in our lives, burdens will lift, circumstances are conquered, fears will vanish, unbeliefs turn into faith, defeats turn into victories, cowardness changes to courage. We become more than conquerors through Him that loves us. Praise the Lord! YOU are the key to this power and authority working.

SATAN IS UNDER YOUR FEET.

Chapter 7

Power in What You Say

ROMANS 10:8

"But what saith it, The word is nigh thee; even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach."

MARK 11 :23

"For verily I say unto you, that whosoever say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith."

The Word of God is in our mouths and we must speak it. When we confess the Word and believe what we are confessing, we give the Word a chance to work. This is why the writer of Hebrews says, "Let us hold fast the profession (literally, confession) of our faith without wavering" (Heb. 10:23).

When I was a small boy I used to say, "sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me." I would say that when someone would call me names. When I was older I realized that statement was not true. Words can hurt. James says, "The tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity ... it defileth the whole body, and setteth on the fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell ... the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison" (James 3:4-8).

Man cannot tame the tongue, but praise God, if we would fully surrender to the Holy Spirit, He can. If we "delight in the law of the Lord, and in his law meditate day and night" (Ps. 1:2), and "Let them not depart from thine eyes; but keep them in the midst of thine heart" (Prov. 4:21), and let the Word "not depart out of thy mouth" (Joshua 1:8), then we "shall have whatsoever he saith" (Mark 11:23). We need to confess what the Word says. So often we only confess what the devil is doing. We talk sickness, fears, unbeliefs, problems, circumstances, doubts. All of this is the devil's language. You would not swear because you say that is the devil's language. However, you talk his language everyday without realizing it, when you talk fears, doubts, sickness, etc.

It is just as easy to say, "by His stripes I am healed" and be quoting the Word, as it is to say, "the devil is making me sick," and be confessing his work. As we quote the Word we will be building faith. Something we need to do. "Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God" (Rom. 10:17). For years I would pray, "Lord increase my faith." That was praying amiss. That prayer will never be answered. Most people want faith to fall out of heaven and hit them on the head and then they will have faith. But it doesn't work that way. We must pay the price of Bible study. When we get our praying in line with the Word then our prayers will work.

We are constantly confessing something. Our prayer should be, "God help us to be aware of what we are confessing," that we might turn wrong confession into right confession. When we talk about confession we immediately think about confessing our sins. This is only one side of the coin. The negative side. We need to turn the coin over and spend more time confessing the positive side. The Word of God side. Confessing, what we have in Christ, what we have through redemption, what we are to Christ, what we can do through the name of Jesus, what God wants to do in and through us. We can have whatsoever we say. There is power in what you say!

You cannot have faith beyond your knowledge of the Word. Your faith cannot grow beyond your confession of that Word. And your faith cannot work without acting upon it. Faith without works is dead, states James.

Through faith, through the Word, through confession, through the name of Jesus and through His blood we are more than conquerors. "They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony." (Rev. 12:11), ...

"Greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world" (I John 4:4), ... "and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith" (I John 5:4).

My prayer, is that you the reader, will have your spiritual eyes opened to understand what is your inheritance, and what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward. Jesus exercised authority. He delegated that authority to us. We have it by being "in Christ." We have been delivered from the power of darkness. But remember you are the key to it working. There is power in what you say. RESIST THE DEVIL, AND HE WILL FLEE FROM YOU. WHY? BECAUSE SATAN IS UNDER YOUR FEET AND NOTHING SHALL BY ANY MEANS HURT YOU.

Table of Contents

Jesus Exercised Authority

Jesus Delegated Authority to His Followers

What Is Authority?

This Authority Is "In Christ"

Delivered from the Power of Darkness

You Are the Key

Power in What You Say