Contributor: Alex Alajiki

INTRODUCTION

Last week we did a summary on our ability to exercise authority on earth through the name of Jesus. The New Testament tells believers themselves to do something about the devil. The least member of the Body of Christ has just as much power over the devil as anyone else, and unless believers do something about the devil, nothing will be done in a lot of areas. We have dominion over the kingdom of darkness.

 ''Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over ALL the power of the enemy: and nothing [nothing, nothing, nothing, nothing, nothing] shall by any means hurt you" Luke 10:19

"Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son...." Colossians 1:13

              "the Father hath delivered us from the power or authority of darkness."
God already delivered us from the authority of darkness! Therefore, we've got a right to speak to darkness—that is, Satan and his kingdom—and tell them what to do!
Today, we shall look at the limitations of our authority in relation to other people. Understanding of this topic will prevent us from unnecessary prayer failures. 

     
1) The limitations of our authority; 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 [nothing, nothing, nothing, nothing, nothing] shall by any means hurt you" Emphasis mine

Our authority is over all the power of the devil. We can break the power of the devil if he raises his head anywhere in our own life or the lives of our immediate family or loved ones. We have authority there. They'll be free from the enemy because we've got the right to exercise our authority over him. That doesn't mean, however, that we'll go down the street casting the devil out of everyone we meet. It primarily means we can exercise authority over the devil in our own lives.
We've got to realize that we've got authority over our own household that you don't have in the next household. Spiritual authority is much like natural authority. For example, you don't have authority over my money. You can't tell me what to do with my money unless I give you permission to. You don't have authority over my children. You can make the devil desist in some of his manoeuvres in somebody else's life, but you can't always cast him out, because you don't have authority in that "household." We must be careful to understand this limitation and the right of people to allow the enemy in their lives.

“Assuredly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven” Matt.18:18

“When an unclean spirit goes out of a man, he goes through dry places, seeking rest, and finds none. 44 Then he says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ And when he comes, he finds it empty, swept, and put in order. 45 Then he goes and takes with him seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter and dwell there; and the last state of that man is worse than the first ….”
Math.12:43-45

2) Authority is a personal responsibility; Jam.4:7

“Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.”

The subject of this sentence is “YOU”. You have to resist the devil for the devil to flee from you.
This Scripture doesn't say that the devil will flee from Jesus; it says he'll flee from you! Similarly, you don't pray that Jesus will lay hands on the sick; you do it.
                "They ... shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover." (Mark 16:18)
When you lay hands on the sick, you are exercising authority over the devil. That authority is yours whether you feel like you've got it or not. Authority has nothing to do with feelings. But you must exercise your authority before the devil can run from you.

The word “Flee” is very important to understand the effect of our authority on the kingdom of darkness.
“Flee” is "to run from as if in terror." The devil will run from you in terror! Devils are terrified whenever we exercise our authority over them in the name of JESUS. They are not afraid of us, but of Jesus, whom we represent in His name.

3) Authority involves steadfast resistance; 1 Pet.5:8-9
“Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world.”

What does it mean to "Resist him, steadfast in our faith”.
To resist something is to “keep it at bay or to fend off its influence or advance”
To be steadfast is to be “resolutely or dutifully firm and unwavering”. It is to yield no ground to the devil.

So we are to keep the devil at bay or fend off his influence or advance resolutely or dutifully firm and unwavering in faith. Our faith must be in the word of God and the power in the name of Jesus.

The Spirit of God through the Apostle Peter wouldn't tell us to do something we couldn't do. The reason we can do it is because every believer has the same authority Paul had in Jesus Christ.

Conclusion
It is very important we understand the limitations of our authority when dealing with people or situations outside our jurisdictions. This will prevent us from unnecessary frustrations.

                  Part of this study is from the first chapter of The Believers’ Authority by Kenneth E. Hagin.

Contributor: Leye Olayiwola

INTRODUCTION

It's the end of the First Quarter since we began our study on the "Believers Authority" by Brother Kenneth E. Hagin. It's been very revealing and empowering. We will be looking at the summary of all the studies, so far, in today's meeting. Fasten your seat belt as we take off on this memorable journey of the Believers Authority!

Lesson 1: THE AUTHORITY OF THE BELIEVER [EPH.1:16-20; 3:14-19, LUK.10:19-20]
A) The Prayers of Paul (Eph.1:16-20; 3:14-19)
• We are encouraged to pray for “the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of God.” And for “the eyes of our understanding being enlightened”.
• We are also encouraged to pray “to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man”.
• We are also encouraged to pray “that Christ may dwell in our hearts through faith; that we, being rooted and grounded in love may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height and to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that we may be filled with all the fullness of God.
B) Dominion over Principalities, Powers, Rulers of Darkness & Spiritual wickedness in Heavenly Places; Eph.6:12,
• We need to realize that we have authority through Christ over all levels of the kingdom of darkness.
• Our wrestling is with evil spiritual forces.
• Those who live in Christ have been given every spiritual gift and are made alive and enthroned with Christ in the heavenly reality (Eph.1:3; 2:6).
C) The Authority of the Believer; Luk.10:19-20
• We receive this authority when we are born again. As we are made new creatures in Christ Jesus, we inherit the Name and authority of the Lord Jesus Christ, and we can use it in prayer against the enemy.
• We need to know what belongs to us. Jesus said, (John 8:32).

Lesson 2: WHAT IS AUTHORITY? [LUKE 10:19-20]
A) SCRIPTURE ANALYSIS
• Luke 10:19 says: "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."
Although the word "power" is used twice in this verse, two different words are found in the original Greek. What Jesus actually said was, "I have given you AUTHORITY to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the POWER of the enemy...."
B) AUTHORITY DEFINED
• Authority is defined as delegated power; the power to give orders or make decisions: the power or right to direct or control someone or something.
The value of our authority rests on the power that is behind that authority. God Himself is the power behind our authority!
C) “SERPENTS AND SCORPIONS"
• In speaking about "serpents and scorpions," Jesus was talking about the power of the devil—demons, evil spirits, and all his cohorts. We need to realize that we've got authority over them!
• The believer who thoroughly understands that the power of God is backing him can exercise his authority and face the enemy fearlessly.

Lesson 3: GOD'S MIGHTIEST WORK God's [Ephesians 1:18-23]
A) GOD'S MIGHTIEST WORK (Ephesians 1:19-20)
• Verse 19: "And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to usward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power." In other words, there was such an overwhelming display of God's power in raising Jesus from the dead that this actually was the mightiest work of God ever recorded!
• God wants us to know that He has set Christ "Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named...." (Eph. 1:21).
B) THE SOURCE OF OUR AUTHORITY (Ephesians 2:5-6)
• The source of our authority is found in the resurrection and exalting of Christ by God.
• When we realize that the authority that belongs to Christ also belongs to individual members of the Body of Christ and that this is available to us, our lives will be revolutionized! (1 Cor.12:12-14,27)
C) SEATED WITH CHRIST (1 Corinthians 6:17)
• We are one with Christ. We are Christ. We are seated at the right hand of the Majesty on High. All things have been put under our feet.
• Believers are very "cross" conscious and not "throne" conscious. We should not just remain at the cross. We need to go on to Pentecost, the Ascension, and the throne!
• The elevation of Christ's people with Him into the heavenlies clearly points to the fact that we are to sit with Him, sharing not only His throne but also His authority. That authority belongs to us! (Romans 5:17)

LESSON 4: MAINTAINING BALANCE [ECCLESIASTES 7:18]
A) WHAT IS BALANCE AND WHY DO WE NEED IT?
• Balance is “a state in which different things occur in equal or proper amounts or have an equal or proper amount of importance or in the correct proportions”. It also refers to an even distribution of weight enabling someone or something to remain upright and steady.
• We need balance because the lack of it means we are thrown into extremes; and that is where the enemy wants us to be. (Eccl.7:18 NIV)
• We need balance because anyone can take any subject—including the authority of the believer—push it to the extreme, and it becomes harmful and ceases to bless. It's easy to get into the ditch on either side of the road—into excess, wild fire, and fanaticism.
B) EXAMPLE OF THE NEGATIVE EXTREME
• Reverend M. J. Divine, was an African American spiritual leader from about 1907 until his death. After studying these scriptures we have been studying begin to reason that: “If we are Christ, then I am Christ. Christ is God, so I am God." He founded a popular cult and his followers worshiped him.
C) EXAMPLE OF THE “POSITIVE” EXTREME
• The only reason why a “positive extreme” may exist is solely because of lack of knowledge. (Romans 10:2; Proverbs 19:2a). For instance, in 2004 a Taiwanese man jumped into the enclosure of lions in a zoo and shouted, "Jesus will save you!" Cable TV stations showed the lion ripping off the man’s jacket as he stood in a grassy enclosure that held two of the animals.
D) EXAMPLE OF THE BALANCED
• John Alexander Dowie, a Scotsman who received a revelation about divine healing while ministering before the turn of the century in Australia, crossed the ocean many times during his lifetime. He encountered many storms, but said every time a storm came up, he did what Jesus did: He rebuked the storm and it always ceased. (John 14:12).

LESSON 5: BREAKING THE POWER OF THE DEVIL [EPHESIANS 6:12; COL.1:12, 13]
A) THE FALL OF THE FIRST ADAM - ADAM'S TREASON (Genesis 3:1-6)
Following are Satan's strategies;
• Deception (vs 1): Satan knows what God said, however, in order to get Eve's attention, he deliberately twisted the truth.
• Imperceptions (vs 3): It was never mentioned in Genesis 2:16-17 that God said to Adam not to touch the tree. Lesson here is never stay in the vicinity of what you should be avoiding. Sin is subtle and we therefore need to always be sensitive or perceptive.
• Opposition of the Word (vs 4): Satan will always counter or oppose the Word of God in our lives, howbeit subtly. God says "the wages of sin is death" and Satan says "the wages of sin is pleasure"
• Prioritising Pleasure (vs 5): This is one of the wiles of the devil. He only lay emphasis on the good side (pleasure of sin). Stolen water is sweet, And bread eaten in secret is pleasant.(
• Abominable becoming Acceptable (vs 6): When you "walk  in the counsel of the ungodly, stand in the path of sinners and sis in the seat of the scornful" long enough, evil things become naturally good and attractive to you.

B) THE VICTORIOUS RISE OF THE SECOND ADAM (1 Corinthians 15:45-47)
• Our New Spiritual Nature (1 Cor.15:45): Man was created, originally, a spirit-being, in the image of God. After the fall of first Adam, he died by loosing this spiritual nature. Thank God for Jesus Christ, the bible says He become the life-giving spirit. Through this, we have regained our God-nature, our victorious nature. (1 John5:4)
• Conferred Power & Authority (Luke 10:19): Our new creature nature has conferred on us Power and Authority over serpents and scorpions. Serpents and scorpions are symbolic of the inferior power of the enemy (Satan). Take note of the word "have given". This simply means we (believers) already have this Power. We are not going to have it.

LESSON 6: AUTHORITY NOW [EPHESIANS 6:10 - 18]
A) A FEW GROUND RULES
• We must remember that although we are in the world, we are not of the world. (John 17:16)
•  Satan's running a lot of what is here on earth, but he's not running everything! And definitely not you and me! (Romans 6:14)
•  He's not running the Church. (Matt. 16:18)
•  He's not dominating us; we can dominate him. (Luke 10:19)
•  We have authority over him! (Luke 10:19)
B) DEALING WITH IGNORANCE
• The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn't exist. There are even sincere Christians who believe that demons or the devil do not really exist, but are metaphors for serious human problems.
• Added to this is the erroneous belief that there is nothing we can do about him! But Ephesians 6:10-18 paints a different picture.
• We need to build these truths into our lives by meditating and feeding upon them until they become a part of our consciousness. (Luke 10:19)
• Naturally speaking, we eat certain foods every day because doctors tell us we need certain vitamins, minerals, etc., to build strong bodies. There are spiritual "vitamins" and "minerals," so to speak, we need to take every day, too, to be healthy Christians. (John 8:32)
C) WHY GIVE POWER AND AUTHORITY THAT CANNOT BE EXERCISED?
• All the authority that can be exercised upon the earth has to be exercised through the Church (you and me), because Christ is not here in person—in His physical body. (matt.28:18)
• The Church in this century does not have less authority than it did right after Jesus' death, burial, resurrection, ascension, and seating at the Father's right hand. If it has less authority today, it would have been better for Jesus not to have died. But no, bless God, we have authority.
• Exercising or taking authority implies rebuking, commanding, binding, casting out, loosening and giving orders in Jesus’ name! The devil may try to challenge your authority by his cunning suggestions but we know that when a king gives an order, he knows it's going to be carried out.

LESSON 7: HOW TO DEAL WITH THE DEVIL [JOHN 14:13-14]
A) A SUBTLE WEAPON OF THE ENEMY – “UNBELIEF & DOUBT”
• Unbelief and doubt especially against the ability of the Almighty God, His promises and our position in Christ is a subtle weapon the devil uses against us. We usually don’t easily identify it because it’s not aggressive!
B) DEALING WITH THE DEVIL AND HIS OPERATIONS
• Operation #1: He sends evil (temptation) ahead. Targeting our minds and using the weapon of lies and deception (Genesis 3:1-7) - (a) Counter temptation with the word of God (Matt.4:1-11); (b) Look out for the way of escape (1 Cor.10:13); (c) Don't meddle with Evil (1 Thess 5:22)
• Operation #2: He sends his agents (demons, sickness) to steal, kill and destroy. Targeting our bodies using the weapon of suffering and afflictions. (John 10:10a) - (a) Take authority over them (Luke 10:19; Acts 3:6).
• Operation #3: He toils with our emotions – our wills using the weapon of pride - (a) Give no room for the works of the flesh. (Eph.4:26-27); (b) Run from sin. (1 Corinthians 6:18a;             2 Timothy 2:22; 1 Corinthians 10:14). You don’t get any brownie points for hanging around sin!
• Operation #4: Discouragement! - Refuse to be discouraged!
• Operation #5: He engages himself (but only when you give him a foothold)- (a) Resist him by first submitting to God (James 4:7); (b) Use the Blood (Rev.12:11); (c) Set him up - against the Holy Spirit (Isaiah 59:19b).

LESSON 8: FAITH'S ROLE IN AUTHORITY [MARK 9:17-29]
A) THE RELATIONSHIP
There is an important link between faith and exercising authority! The understanding of this is mostly the missing link why some Christians cannot manifest in their authority. Authority is only realized through faith in God’s Word; therefore, authority and faith must go hand in hand working together.
B) FAITH GIVES ACCESS TO AUTHORITY
• Faith is involved in exercising spiritual authority by providing access to authority. And authority will not become a force within us until we take God‘s Word to heart and obey it—through Faith. (Mark 9:17-29)
• Authority is exercised with confidence not doubt or timidity. Authority comes from the heart not from the head. Authority demonstrates and speaks in accordance or agreement with God‘s authority.
C) AUTHORITY IS HINGED ON KNOWLEDGE
• Our authority is dependent upon our knowledge and understanding of the situation we are in. Without knowledge, it is impossible to have faith. (John 6:69)
• The opposite of knowledge is ignorance; and that is a realm the enemy wants people to live in! If Satan can get us to believe that this authority was only for a certain few disciples and apostles then and not for us now, we will have doubt in exercising it.
D) PITFALLS TO LOOK OUT FOR
• Faith Based on Manifestation
• Discouragement
• Failing to Obey Authority

LESSON 9: EXERCISING AUTHORITY [EPH.1:19-22, 2:4-6]
A) Christ’s Position with God; Eph.1:19-22
• When Jesus rose from the dead, he already defeated the host of hell according to Col.2:15
• Then God raised Him and seated Him at His right hand in heavenly places, the position of authority and power.
• His position and authority is far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come. All other authority is made subject to Christ.
• This authority is exercise on earth through the name of Jesus Christ which is above every name. (Phil.2:9-11)
B) Our Position in Christ Jesus; Eph.2:4-6
• The moment we are born again, our sins are not only forgiven, we are also made a new creature. (2 Cor.5:17).
• Our new identity in Christ Jesus made us to be joint heir with Christ and heir of His father. (Romans 8:16-17)
• This new positional reality was confirmed when Jesus rose from the dead and we were raised and seated with Him in heavenly places. In the mind of God, we were raised when Christ was raised. When Christ sat down, we sat down, too.
C) The Authority of Our Position; Luke 10:19
• Our authority to trample on all powers of the devil is because of our seating position in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. (Eph.2:6)
• Christ is not only seated at the right hand of the Father, above all the powers in Satan's realm, but we're there, too, because God "hath raised us up together." Not only have we been made to sit, but notice where we are sitting: "Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion...."
• All the authority that was given to Christ belongs to us through Him, and we can exercise it. We help Him by carrying out His work upon the earth.

Contributor: Alex Alajiki

INTRODUCTION:
Last week, we considered the topic “Faith's Role in Authority”. We discovered that there is an important link between faith and exercising authority. Lack of understanding of this link will frustrate the believer from exercising authority. Authority is only realized through faith in God’s Word; therefore, authority and faith must go hand in hand. Faith and boldness are developed through sound knowledge of God’s words and submission to His authority.
Today we are looking at Exercising Authority. Let us start with the analysis of an experiment;

Some years ago, an experiment in human behaviour produced intriguing results. Those taking part were divided into two groups. One group were appointed as guards (Victors) and were put in charge of the other group, who were assigned to be prisoners (Victims).What happened?

Within a few days, it was reported, most of the guards (Victors) had become bold and assertive, while the prisoners had become cowed and subservient. The conclusion that researchers came to was this: You gradually become whatever you are told or accepted that you are.

                           “For as he thinks in his heart, so is he.”   Prov.23:7

1) Christ’s Position with God; Eph.1:19-22

“and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come.”

When Jesus rose from the dead, he already defeated the host of hell according to Col.2:15 “Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it.”

Then God raised Him and seated Him at His right hand in heavenly places, the position of authority and power. “He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places”
His position and authority is far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come. All other authority is made subject to Christ.

This authority is exercise on earth through the name of Jesus Christ which is above every name according to
Phil.2:9-11 “Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, 11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

2) Our Position in Christ Jesus; Eph.2:4-6

“But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5 even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), 6 and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus.”
The moment we are born again, our sins are not only forgiven, we are also made a new creature according to 2 Cor.5:17 “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.”

Our new identity in Christ Jesus made us to be joint heir with Christ and heir of His father according to
Rom.8:16-17 “The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.”

This new positional reality was confirmed when Jesus rose from the dead and we were raised and seated with Him in heavenly places. In the mind of God, we were raised when Christ was raised. When Christ sat down, we sat down, too. That's where we are now, positionally speaking: We're seated at the right hand of the Father with Christ. The act of Christ's being seated implies that, for the time being, at least, certain aspects of His work are suspended because we are to continue with His work on earth according to John 20:21 “So Jesus said to them again, “Peace to you! As the Father has sent Me, I also send you.”

3) The Authority of Our Position; Luke 10:19
“Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you.”

Our authority to trample on all powers of the devil is because of our seating position in heavenly places in Christ Jesus according to Eph.2:6 “and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus.”

Eph.1:20-21 “which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, 21 far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come.”

Christ is not only seated at the right hand of the Father, above all the powers in Satan's realm, but we're there, too, because God "hath raised us up together." Not only have we been made to sit, but notice where we are sitting: "Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion...."
All the authority that was given to Christ belongs to us through Him, and we can exercise it. We help Him by carrying out His work upon the earth. And one aspect of His work that the word of God tells us to do is to conquer the devil! In fact, Christ can't do His work on the earth without us just like we cannot exercise authority without Him.

Conclusion.
Ephesians 6:12 says, "For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers...."
Since we are already seated far above the kingdom of darkness, in our battle against the enemy and his forces, we need to keep in mind that we're above them and we have authority over them. The Word tells us that Jesus has conquered them. Our job is to enforce His victory. His victory belongs to us, but we are to carry it out using the authority of His name.

Contributor: Isekhua Evborokhai

INTRODUCTION
In the past few weeks in our study of the authority of the believer we have been considering very interesting and engaging topics. Last week we looked at one of these topics: “How to “deal” with the devil.” In last week’s study we first looked at the enemy’s subtle weapon– “unbelief & doubt". These two are the opposite of the core matter of today’s topic “Faith's Role in Authority.”

THE RELATIONSHIP
There is an important link between faith and exercising authority! The understanding of this is mostly the missing link why some Christians cannot manifest in their authority. Authority is only realized through faith in God’s Word; therefore, authority and faith must go hand in hand working together.

FAITH GIVES ACCESS TO AUTHORITY
Faith is involved in exercising spiritual authority by providing access to authority. And authority will not become a force within us until we take God‘s Word to heart and obey it—through Faith.
We can learn a lot from the story told in Mark 9:17-29 about how faith allows us to access our authority.
When the disciples came across an unusually strong demon that wouldn't budge (verse 18),
“Whenever it seizes him, it throws him to the ground. He foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth and becomes rigid. I asked your disciples to drive out the spirit, but they could not.”

Jesus made it clear that they lacked faith by calling them faithless (verse 19).
““You unbelieving generation,” Jesus replied, “How long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy to me.”

He also made it clear that some demons are so strong that a higher than usual level of faith is required to cast them out (verses 28 and 29),
“And when He had come into the house, His disciples asked Him privately, “Why could we not cast it out?” So He said to them, “This kind can come out by nothing but prayer and fasting.”
And that we can gain that higher level of faith through prayer and fasting (verse 29).

In Matthew 17:20 we see the same story narrated slightly differently by Matthew
"And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, if ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you. However, this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting."

Authority is exercised with confidence not doubt or timidity. Authority comes from the heart not from the head. Authority demonstrates and speaks in accordance or agreement with God‘s authority. It takes faith, that knows, to recognize and embrace Godly authority. Because we believe God our faith responds with boldness, righteous indignation, assertiveness, perseverance, patience, and discernment. When we do not act in authority we are not recognizing what Christ has provided us. We are being misled and deceived by religious tradition, worldly thinking, and demonic trickery.

AUTHORITY IS HINGED ON KNOWLEDGE
Our authority is dependent upon our knowledge and understanding of the situation we are in. Without knowledge, it is impossible to have faith.
In John 6:69, Peter said to the Lord: “And we have believed and know that thou art the Holy One of God.”
In 2 Timothy 1:12, Paul said
“I know him whom I have believed.”

The Samaritans told the woman who brought Christ to them,
“Now we believe, not because of thy speaking; for we have heard for ourselves, and know that this is indeed the Saviour of the world” (John 4:42).

The opposite of knowledge is ignorance; and that is a realm the enemy wants people to live in! If Satan can get us to believe that this authority was only for a certain few disciples and apostles then and not for us now, we will have doubt in exercising it. If we do not know in our hearts what God has empowered and commissioned us to do then we will miss it spending our days living far less than sons and daughters of God!

PITFALLS TO LOOK OUT FOR
• Faith Based on Manifestation
The faith of some people operate in the “sense realm” and not based on the Bible. These people believe that if they get certain manifestations, then the devil is gone. So once he knows you operate is such a realm, he tricks you with these “manifestations” but he isn't gone. He's still there but wants you to believe he is gone, and you need to know that and exercise your authority.

• Discouragement
When circumstances don't change immediately, some people become discouraged and slip back into the natural. They start talking unbelief and they defeat themselves. They give the devil dominion over them.
As Smith Wigglesworth often said, "I'm not moved by what I see. I'm not moved by what I feel. I'm moved only by what I believe." So stand your ground.

• Failing to Obey Authority
Authority operates under authority and within authorities. In Matt. 8:5-13 we read about the faith of the Centurion. Emphasis on verse 8-10
“The centurion answered and said, "Lord, I am not worthy that You should come under my roof. But only speak a word, and my servant will be healed. For I also am a man under authority, having soldiers under me. And I say to this one, Go, ‘and he goes; and to another, Come, ‘and he comes; and to my servant, Do this, ‘and he does it." When Jesus heard it, He marvelled, and said to those who followed, "Assuredly, I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel!
The most distinguishing element of the Centurion‘s faith was his recognition of authority. Rom. 13:2 says: “Therefore whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves.”
We are being robbed from in this life if we do not from our heart understand the authority that belongs to believers. For us to operate in God‘s authority it is all related to how much we come under God‘s authority. As we live to God yielding our life to the Spirit we are coming under God‘s authority more and more. The more we submit to God‘s kingdom the more authority we‘ll exercise.

CONCLUSION
The Bible gives an interesting account that very well summarizes today’s study in Acts 19: 13-16
“Then certain of the vagabond Jews, exorcists, took upon them to call over them which had evil spirits the name of the Lord Jesus, saying, we adjure you by Jesus whom Paul preacheth.  And there were seven sons of one Sceva, a Jew, and chief of the priests, which did so. And the evil spirit answered and said, Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are ye? And the man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them, and overcame them, and prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded.”
Faith holds an important role in exercising authority. If one does not have faith or believe that they have authority then they would not be able to exercise it. And even if they go out to “exercise authority” without faith, the devil will see through their emptiness as in the case of the sons of Sceva.

Contributor: Isekhua Evborokhai

INTRODUCTION
Last week we looked at an interesting topic that answered some of the misconceptions about when believers should exercise their authority. We learnt that although all Christians have been given authority over demons, only very few even understand it, much less use it. There are those who believe we can't exercise any authority until the millennium reign; they think Satan is the one running everything down here and that we cannot do anything about it! We also emphasized one of the greatest tricks the devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn't exist. Because there are even sincere Christians who believe that demons or the devil do not really exist, but are metaphors for serious human problems. But we know better and in today’s study we will be looking at how to “deal” with the Devil.

1. A SUBTLE WEAPON OF THE ENEMY – “UNBELIEF & DOUBT”
Unbelief and doubt especially against the ability of the Almighty God, His promises and our position in Christ is a subtle weapon the devil uses against us. We usually don’t easily identify it because it’s not aggressive!  But as long as Satan can keep you in unbelief or hold you in the “arena of reason”, he'll beat you in every battle. But if you'll hold him in the arena of faith and the Spirit, you'll whip him every time! He won't and can’t argue with you about the Name of Jesus—he's afraid of that Name. Mark 11:23 (AMP) says: “I assure you and most solemnly say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be lifted up and thrown into the sea!’ and [a]does not doubt in his heart [in God’s unlimited power], but believes that what he says is going to take place, it will be done for him [in accordance with God’s will].”
Once the issue of unbelief is dealt with then you can handle the devil and put him where he belongs!

2. DEALING WITH THE DEVIL AND HIS OPERATIONS

Operation #1: He sends evil (temptation) ahead. Targeting our minds and using the weapon of lies and deception (Genesis 3:1-7)

• COUNTER TEMPTATION WITH THE WORD OF GOD!
Just as Jesus countered his temptations with the Word. See Matthew 4:1-11 and Luke 4. Also John 8:32 says: "You shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free."
• LOOK OUT FOR THE WAY OF ESCAPE (1 Cor.10:13)
“No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.”  There may be a way of escape for temptation but not for sin!

• DON’T MEDDLE WITH EVIL 1 Thessalonians 5:22 (AMP)
“Abstain from every form of evil [withdraw and keep away from it].”
Don’t linger, don’t hang around. Don’t give in to your fleshly desires. It is only when you “entertain” evil that sin can get hold of you! James 1:14-15 (NLT) says:
“Temptation comes from our own desires, which entice us and drag us away. 15 These desires give birth to sinful actions. And when sin is allowed to grow, it gives birth to death.”

Operation #2: He sends his agents (demons, sickness) to steal, kill and destroy. Targeting our bodies using the weapon of suffering and afflictions. John 10:10a

• TAKE AUTHORITY OVER THEM!
Luke 10:19 (NIV) says: “I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you.”
Peter at the Gate Beautiful demanded that the lame man be healed (Acts 3:6).
“Then Peter said, “Silver or gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.”
When you make the demand, it is not from God; but from the devil. You are exercising your God-given rights when you do. When Jesus made this statement in John 14: "And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do... If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it" (vv. 13, 14). He was not talking about prayer. The Greek word here is "demand," not "ask." The Greek actually reads, "Whatever you demand as your rights and privileges."  You don't have to stand there all day long and command devils to come out. All you need to do is to speak the word of faith. They will obey when you tell them to if you know your authority. They have to go once the command is given in faith.

Operation #3: He toils with our emotions – our wills using the weapon of pride

• GIVE NO ROOM FOR THE WORKS OF THE FLESH!
That is why the Bible in Ephesians 4:26-27 (MSG) says:
“Go ahead and be angry. You do well to be angry—but don’t use your anger as fuel for revenge. And don’t stay angry. Don’t go to bed angry. Don’t give the Devil that kind of foothold in your life.”
Instead of allowing anger rest in our bosoms (for instance), forgive. 2 Cor.2:11 says if we forgive, we . . . “. . . Keep Satan from taking advantage of us; for we are not ignorant of his schemes.”
Pride is usually one of the reasons we are unable to let go and forgive and therefore unable to submit to God. Also, sin in general (when harboured) renders us powerless!
Romans 13:14 says: "But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires." 
How? Ask yourself these questions
• Where and when, are you usually tempted?
• Is there a particular space that often is harder?
Prepare for that time, remove opportunity for temptation. Avoid situations before you even get in them.

• RUN FROM SIN!
1 Corinthians 6:18a says: “Flee immorality.”
2 Timothy 2:22a says: “Now flee from youthful lusts and pursue righteousness”
1 Corinthians 10:14 says: “Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry”
You don’t get any brownie points for hanging around sin!

Operation #4: Discouragement!

• REFUSE TO BE DISCOURAGED!
For every battle, we need courage. So the devil comes with discouragement - a loss of confidence or enthusiasm; dispiritedness. Especially by making people focus on their sins, weaknesses and failures because he knows that it's impossible for him to defeat you as long as you keep on fighting, so he tries to persuade you that you're a hopeless case, so you might as well surrender and give up. Deut. 31:8 says: “Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the LORD will personally go ahead of you. He will be with you; he will neither fail you nor abandon you."

Operation #5: He engages himself (but only when you give him a foothold)
• RESIST HIM!
Not by engaging with him but by first submitting to God. James 4:7 (NIV) says:
“Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”
As long as you are submitted to God, the devil is no match for you!

• USE THE BLOOD!
Revelations 12:11 says:
“And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives to the death.” Emphasis mine

• SET HIM UP!
. . . Against the Holy Spirit. Isaiah 59:19b says: “When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord shall lift up a standard against him.”

CONCLUSION
To deal with the devil, you have to be adequately equipped. Ephesians 6:13 says: “Therefore take up the whole armour of God that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm.”  In verse 17b of the same chapter, the Bible talks of the one offensive weapon in the entire armour; "the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God"!
The Word of God as a matter of fact, is "Quick (alive) & powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword!" (Hebrews 4:12).

Finally, don’t engage the devil in his territory (the arena of reason); but if he dares come into your territory, ensure your lifestyle (the word of your testimony) is right and because we have been made more than conquerors, your victory is sure!

Contributor: Isekhua Evborokhai

INTRODUCTION
Last week we looked at breaking the power of the devil. We embarked on an intelligence gathering mission - identifying the operations of the enemy to be able to break his power.
Today we will be looking at an interesting topic that answers some of the misconceptions about when believers should exercise their authority. Christians have been given authority over demons, yet very few even understand it, much less use it. There are those who believe we can't have much of anything now; they think Satan is the one running everything down here and that we cannot do anything about it!

A FEW GROUND RULES
• We must remember that although we are in the world, we are not of the world. (John 17:16)
• Satan's running a lot of what is here on earth, but he's not running everything! And definitely not you and me! (Romans 6:14)
• He's not running the Church. (Matt. 16:18)
• He's not dominating us; we can dominate him. (Luke 10:19)
• We have authority over him! (Luke 10:19)

DEALING WITH IGNORANCE
The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn't exist. There are even sincere Christians who believe that demons or the devil do not really exist, but are metaphors for serious human problems. Though one does not have to believe in the devil to be saved, such beliefs which are in direct conflict with the Scriptures have to be one of the devil's most effective deceptions. The devil dwells in darkness or hiddenness. If he can make Christians believe that he does not exist, he has certainly been successful at hiding himself. Added to this is the erroneous belief that there is nothing we can do about him! But Ephesians 6:10-18 paints a different picture:
“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.” Emphasis mine
In Luke 10:19, Jesus also said:
''Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over ALL the power of the enemy: and nothing [nothing, nothing, nothing, nothing, nothing] shall by any means hurt you".
We need to build these truths into our lives by meditating and feeding upon them until they become a part of our consciousness.
Naturally speaking, we eat certain foods every day because doctors tell us we need certain vitamins, minerals, etc., to build strong bodies. There are spiritual "vitamins" and "minerals," so to speak, we need to take every day, too, to be healthy Christians.
John 8:32 (NIV) says:
“Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."

WHY GIVE POWER AND AUTHORITY THAT CANNOT BE EXERCISED?
Jesus said in Matthew 28:18, "...ALL POWER is given unto ME in heaven and in earth." All the authority that can be exercised upon the earth has to be exercised through the Church (you and me), because Christ is not here in person—in His physical body.
The Church in this century does not have less authority than it did right after Jesus' death, burial, resurrection, ascension, and seating at the Father's right hand? If it has less authority today, it would have been better for Jesus not to have died. But no, bless God, we have authority.
Many problems exist because we permit them to—we're not doing anything about them. We're the ones who are supposed to do something about them, but we're trying to get someone else, including God, to do something about them. When we are faced with difficult circumstances we need to remember our authority! There are some situations that require more than only prayers but by exercising our authority. Matt. 18:18 talks about exercising our authority:
“Verily I say unto you, whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”
Exercising or taking authority implies rebuking, commanding, binding, casting out, loosening and giving orders in Jesus’ name! The devil may try to challenge your authority by his cunning suggestions but we need to know that when a king gives an order, he knows it's going to be carried out.

CONCLUSION
We are the Body of Christ. Even though we have prayed, leaving everything up to Him, He has conferred His authority on the earth to His Body, the Church. And what use is authority if it cannot be exercised when it is needed?
The trouble is that we relegate everything to the future! Most church people believe we will exercise our spiritual authority sometime in the Millennium. If that is so, why does the Bible say Satan will be bound during the Millennium? There won't be any need to exercise authority then, because there will be nothing that will hurt or destroy. It's now that we must exercise the authority we have been given; especially when there is something that will hurt and destroy, that we have authority.
Luke 10:19 (AMP) says:
"Listen carefully: I have given you authority [that you now possess] to tread on serpents and scorpions, and [the ability to exercise authority] over all the power of the enemy (Satan); and nothing will [in any way] harm you." Emphasis mine

Parts of this study was culled from The Believers’ Authority by Kenneth E. Hagin.

Contributor: Leye Olayiwola

INTRODUCTION

When generals go to war, one of the tactics used in fighting and advancing over the opposition is using spies to penetrate the camp of the opposition in obtaining their (the enemy) strategies. Once this is accomplished, the battle is half won. We will be considering the topic of Breaking The Power of The Devil from this perspective through the scriptures in this study starting from the creation of the first Adam and the victorious rise of the second Adam (Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ).       

THE FALL OF THE FIRST ADAM - ADAM'S TREASON (Genesis 3:1-6)
"But no one can go into a strong mans house and steal his property unless he first overpowers and ties up the strong man, and then he will ransack and rob his house." (Mark 3:27 AMP)

Originally, God made the earth and the fullness thereof, giving Adam dominion over all the works of His hands. In other words, Adam was the god of this world. Adam committed high treason and sold out to Satan, and Satan, through Adam, became the god of this world. Adam didn't have the moral right to commit treason, but he had the legal right to do so. Now Satan has a right to be here and be the god of this world until "Adam's lease" runs out. Satan had the right to rule over us until we became new creatures and got into the Body of Christ, as we see in Colossians 1: "Giving thanks unto the Father... Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son...." (vv. 12,13).
That's why Satan has no right to rule us or dominate us. Yet the average Christian has more faith in Satan's authority and power than in God's! One of the ways to overpower the strong man and incapacitate him is through obtaining knowledge of his strategies. This is being reiterated by Jesus in Mark 3:7. A good understanding of Satan's strategies, which is still being used in deceiving many, will be useful in successfully breaking his power over our lives. An insight into some of his strategies can be found in Genesis 3:1-6. We will consider these in details.

i) Deception (vs 1)
"Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said to the woman, Has God indeed said, You shall not eat of every tree of the garden?(Emphasis mine)
This is contrary to what God said in Gen.2:16-17. Satan knows what God said, however, in order to get Eve's attention, he deliberately twisted the truth. The lesson here is never to argue or stay in conversation with the devil. Just KNOW the truth and stand by it, no matter what.

ii) Imperception (vs 3)
"but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die."
It was never mentioned in Genesis 2:16-17 that God said to Adam not to touch the tree. They may have decided that it was safe for them not to touch as a precaution against being tempted to eat of the fruit. Why? Because wisdom dictates that there's no sense in "touching" or fiddling with what you shouldn't "eat". Lesson here is never stay in the vicinity of what you should be avoiding. Sin is subtle and we therefore need to always be sensitive or perceptive. The bible commands that we flee every appearances of evil.

iii) Opposition of the Word (vs 4)
"Then the serpent said to the woman, You will not surely die."
Satan will always counter or oppose the Word of God in our lives, howbeit subtly. God said "for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die". The devil however said, "you will not surely die". God says "the wages of sin is death" and Satan says "the wages of sin is pleasure", Does that sound familiar?

iv) Prioritising Pleasure (vs 5)
"For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil". (Emphasis mine)
This is actually true as we see later in verse 7. Sounds good that their eyes will be opened, doesn't it? This is one of the wiles of the devil. He only lay emphasis on the good side (pleasure of sin). Stolen water is sweet, And bread eaten in secret is pleasant.(Prov.9:17). As good and true as it sounds, is it God's desire or will? There are many so-called "good" ideas (suggestions, counsels, opinions) which may not necessarily be in line with God's will for us. The fact that others are doing it doesn't make it right. By the way, Adam and Eve were already like God.

v) Abominable becoming Acceptable (vs 6)
 "So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate."
How come Eve was just "seeing" that the tree was good for food? The tree has always been there and she's never seen it as good for food until now. When you "walk  in the counsel of the ungodly, stand in the path of sinners and sis in the seat of the scornful" long enough, evil things become naturally good and attractive to you. Notice that Eve had stayed in the devil's presence long enough to begin to perceive abonimable things as acceptable.

As a result of all these, Man lost God's presence as detailed in Genesis 3:23-24;
"therefore the LORD God sent him out of the garden of Eden to till the ground from which he was taken. 24 So He drove out the man; and He placed cherubim at the east of the garden of Eden, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to guard the way to the tree of life."

THE VICTORIOUS RISE OF THE SECOND ADAM (1 Corinthians 15:45-47)
We see in Ephesians 6:12 that ".. .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" [a marginal note calls them "wicked spirits in the heavenlies"].
The Word of God teaches us that these evil spirits (or demons) are fallen angels who have been dethroned by the Lord Jesus Christ. Our contact with these demons should be with the knowledge that Jesus defeated them, spoiled them, put them to nought (Col. 2:15). And now that Jesus has dethroned them, we can reign over them! Our victory over the power of the Devil is appropriated through the following. 

i) Our New Spiritual Nature (1 Cor.15:45)
"And so it is written, The first man Adam became a living being." The last Adam became a life-giving spirit"
Man was created, originally, a spirit-being, in the image of God. After the fall of first Adam, he died by loosing this spiritual nature. Thank God for Jesus Christ, the bible says He become the life-giving spirit.Through this, we have regained our God-nature, our victorious nature.    1 John 5:4 sums this up;
"For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. 5 Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?" Our faith in Jesus death on the cross, His resurrection, ascension and His seating at the right-hand of God the father is the victory that has overcome the world (the devil and all his works)."

ii) Conferred Power & Authority
"Listen carefully: I have given you authority [that you now possess] to tread on serpents and scorpions, and [the ability to exercise authority] over all the power of the enemy (Satan); and nothing will [in any way] harm you." (Luke 10:19)
Our new creature nature has conferred on us Power and Authority over serpents and scorpions. Serpents and scorpions are symbolic of the inferior power of the enemy (Satan). Take note of the word "have given". This simply means we (believers) already have this Power. We are not going to have it. We have it, praise God!. What for? To break and incapacitate the Power of Satan!

IN CONCLUSION
Our trouble is that we relegate everything to the future! Most church people believe we will exercise our spiritual authority sometime in the Millennium. If that is so, why does the Bible say Satan will be bound during the Millennium? There won't be any need to exercise authority then, because there will be nothing here that will hurt or destroy. You have authority over the power of the Devil. Our part is to exercise this power and authority in the name that is above every other name. The name of Jesus Christ. hallelujah!!!

Part of this study was culled from The Believers' Authority by Kenneth E. Hagin.

Contributor: Isekhua Evborokhai

INTRODUCTION

In the last study titled “God's Mightiest Work”, we considered the source of our authority, that we are seated with Christ and concluded by saying that one of the major challenges being faced in our world today, as Christians is staying balanced. In today’s study we will be continuing from this conclusion by examining the topic “Maintaining Balance” (as it relates to understanding and exercising our authority in Christ Jesus.)

• WHAT IS BALANCE?
Balance can be defined as “a state in which different things occur in equal or proper amounts or have an equal or proper amount of importance or in the correct proportions”. It also refers to an even distribution of weight enabling someone or something to remain upright and steady.

• WHY DO WE NEED IT?
1. We need balance, no doubt – because the lack of it means we are thrown into extremes; and that is where the enemy wants us to be. Because he knows that once he has someone there; they become one-sided (either short sighted or long sighted). Ecclesiastes 7:18 (NIV) says:
“It is good to grasp the one and not let go of the other. The man who fears God will avoid all [extremes].”
The Message version renders Ecclesiastes 7:18 thus: 
“It’s best to stay in touch with both sides of an issue. A person who fears God deals responsibly with all of reality, not just a piece of it.”

2. We need balance because anyone can take any subject—including the authority of the believer—push it to the extreme, and it becomes harmful and ceases to bless. It's easy to get into the ditch on either side of the road—into excess, wild fire, and fanaticism.
This is the reason why Paul prayed for wisdom, understanding, and authority over the demonic powers and the problems they create through their constant manipulation of men's minds. It seems like it's the most difficult thing in the world for the Church to stay balanced. Let us look at some examples

• EXAMPLE OF THE NEGATIVE EXTREME
Reverend M. J. Divine, was an African American spiritual leader from about 1907 until his death. After studying these very scriptures we have been studying begin to reason this way: “If we are Christ, then I am Christ. Christ is God, so I am God."
He founded a cult that was very popular and his followers worshiped him.
That is why the Bible admonishes us to “ . . . try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.” 1 John 4:1 because according to Matthew 7:21 – “Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.”

• EXAMPLE OF THE “POSITIVE” EXTREME
The only reason why a “positive extreme” may exist is solely because of lack of knowledge. 
Romans 10:2 says “For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge.” Emphasis mine
Prov. 19:2a (NET) warns that: “It is dangerous to have zeal without knowledge” Emphasis mine
For instance, in 2004 a Taiwanese man jumped into the enclosure of  lions in a zoo and shouted, "Jesus will save you!" Cable TV stations showed the lion ripping off the man’s jacket as he stood in a grassy enclosure that held two of the animals. Without panicking, the man fell back onto a stone ridge, and the lion then jumped at him, biting him in the arm. It also clawed at his trousers before retreating when the zoo keepers intervened.

• EXAMPLE OF THE BALANCED
John Alexander Dowie, a Scotsman who received a revelation about divine healing while ministering before the turn of the century in Australia, crossed the ocean many times during his lifetime. He encountered many storms, but said every time a storm came up, he did what Jesus did: He rebuked the storm and it always ceased. We should not be amazed by this, because Jesus said,
".. .He that believeth on me, 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).
Jesus didn't say that only a select few would do these works; He said those who believe on Him would.

CONCLUSION
In conclusion we will consider how we can maintain balance in our lives as it relates to understanding and exercising our God given authority.

1. Don’t tempt God! Because Jesus said in Luke 10:19 – “that He has given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you.” (Paraphrased). Does not imply that we walk into a cage of snakes and scorpions for the sake of it! Jesus Himself resisted the devil when he suggested the same in Matt.4: 5-7
“Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple, And saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone. Jesus said unto him, it is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God."

2. If and when we are faced with the opposition of the enemy, we should not be afraid but be confident that we have the authority to trample on snakes and scorpions – both literal and/or figuratively (of the devil, and his principalities and powers, and all his emissaries), and nothing shall by any means hurt us!
3. Know the Word of God for yourself! And “Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves." You will know them by their fruits. Matt. 7:15
4. Don’t downplay the promise of authority you have over the devil! It is not a myth! It is authority backed by the Almighty God Himself! If we have no regard for the authority we have, we will fail to exercise it and consequently the devil will have authority over us instead of the other way round!
5. Allow the Word of God and gifting in the Body of Christ develop you to the point of maturity so you can become “steady”. Ephesians 4:11-14 says:
“So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming.”

Parts of this study was culled from The Believers’ Authority by Kenneth E. Hagin.

Contributor: Leye Olayiwola

INTRODUCTION: One of the highlighted points in last week's teaching was that "The value of our authority rests on the power that is behind that authority. God Himself is the power behind our authority!" What an awesome time it has been since this series began. We also had a deep study on the scriptural analysis of Power and Authority amongst many other topics. It is strongly recommended that you get a copy of the study if you do not have it.
This week, we will continue on the topic of authority as we consider, in more details, how we have become partakers of divine Authority with Christ and the relevance of this gracious divine priviledge to our Christian lifestyle. 

GOD'S MIGHTIEST WORK (Ephesians 1:19-20)
"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, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places,"
• Notice especially the nineteenth verse: "And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to usward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power. " In other words, there was such an overwhelming display of God's power in raising Jesus from the dead that this actually was the mightiest work of God ever recorded!
• The Resurrection was opposed by Satan and all his cohorts. However, his forces were confused and defeated by our Lord Jesus Christ, who arose, ascended, and is now seated at the right hand of the Father, far above them (Col.2:15)
• These are the same demonic powers we have to deal with, but, thank God, Jesus defeated them. Other translations say He "put them to nought" or "paralyzed them." We must daily walk in this consciousness. The devil and his cohorts are no match to us (by His grace).
• In ancient times, victorious kings bringing back captives would have a parade, making a show of them openly. Jesus did this with the devil, putting him on display before three worlds—heaven, hell, and earth—after He defeated him. God gave us this account in the Scriptures so we in this world would know what had happened.
• God wants us to know what happened in the death, burial, resurrection, and seating of Jesus Christ. He wants us to know that He has set Christ "Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named...." (Eph. 1:21).

THE SOURCE OF OUR AUTHORITY (Ephesians 2:5-6)
"Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) and hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:"
• The source of our authority is found in the resurrection and exalting of Christ by God.
• The same verb in Ephesians 1:20 that expresses the reviving of Christ from the dead expresses the reviving of His people in Ephesians 2:1. In other words, the act of God that raised Christ from the dead also raised His Body. In the mind of God, when Jesus was raised from the dead, we were raised from the dead!
• Eph. 2:5-6 deals with the conferring of authority. Notice that the Head (Christ) and the Body (the Church) were raised together. Furthermore, this authority was conferred not only upon the Head, but also upon the Body, because the Head and the Body are one. (When you think of a person, you think of his head and body as one.)
• When we realize that the authority that belongs to Christ also belongs to individual members of the Body of Christ and that this is available to us, our lives will be revolutionized! (1 Cor.12:12-14,27)

SEATED WITH CHRIST (1 Corinthians 6:17)
"But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit."
• We are one with Christ. We are Christ. We are seated at the right hand of the Majesty on High. All things have been put under our feet.
• Believers are very "cross" conscious and not "throne" conscious. We should not just remain at the cross. We need to go on to Pentecost, the Ascension, and the throne!
• The cross is actually a place of defeat, whereas the Resurrection is a place of triumph. When you preach the cross, you're preaching death, and you leave people in death. We died all right, but we're raised with Christ. We're seated with Him. Positionally, that's where we are right now: We're seated with Christ in the place of authority in heavenly places.
• We need to be delivered from the bondage of death and walk in the newness of life. We're not at the cross. We died with Christ, but He has raised us up together with Him. Glory to God, learn how to take your place of authority. (Hebrews 1:13)-The right hand of the throne of God is the center of power of the whole universe!
• The elevation of Christ's people with Him into the heavenlies clearly points to the fact that we are to sit with Him, sharing not only His throne but also His authority. That authority belongs to us! (Romans 5:17)

CONCLUSION
One of the major challenges being faced in our world today, as Christians is staying balanced. This is the reason why Paul prayed for wisdom, understanding, and authority over the demonic powers and the problems they create through their constant manipulation of men's minds. Anyone can take any subject—including the authority of the believer—push it to the extreme, and it becomes harmful and ceases to bless. It's easy to get into the ditch on either side of the road—into excess, wild fire, and fanaticism. Let's go down the middle of the road and maintain balance. As we study what the Word of God teaches and educate our spirits about the authority of the believer, I believe we'll be able to walk in this great truth more and more.
This study was culled from The Believers’ Authority by Kenneth E. Hagin.

Contributor: Isekhua Evborokhai

INTRODUCTION

In last week's study we looked at the authority of a believer. We considered the prayers of Paul and learnt that we inherit the Name and authority of the Lord Jesus Christ, and we can use it in prayer against the enemy. We concluded by saying that only a few of us have gotten to the edge of the believer’s authority, but there was hope that before Jesus comes again, a whole company of believers will rise up with the authority that is theirs. In today’s study we will look at what this authority is all about; when Jesus said:

“Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you.  Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven.” Emphasis mine

SCRIPTURE ANALYSIS
The translators of the King James Version translated many words consistently, but not the Greek words for "power" and "authority". For example, in the King James Version, Jesus says in 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."
Although the word "power" is used twice in this verse, two different words are found in the original Greek. What Jesus actually said was, "I have given you AUTHORITY to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the POWER of the enemy...."

AUTHORITY DEFINED
Authority is defined as delegated power; the power to give orders or make decisions: the power or right to direct or control someone or something.
The value of our authority rests on the power that is behind that authority. God Himself is the power behind our authority!
It means one has the ability to issue decrees as we see in Job 22:28
“Thou shalt also decree a thing, and it shall be established unto thee: and the light shall shine upon thy ways.”
Also see Matthew 18:18
“Verily I say unto you, whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”

Policemen who direct traffic during the rush hour just raise their hands and the cars stop. These men don't have the physical power to stop the vehicles if the drivers choose not to stop. But they don't use their own strength to stop traffic; they are strong in the authority that is invested in them by the government they serve. People recognize that authority and stop their cars.

“SERPENTS AND SCORPIONS"
In speaking about "serpents and scorpions," Jesus was talking about the power of the devil—demons, evil spirits, and all his cohorts. We need to realize that we've got authority over them!
The devil and his forces are obliged to recognize our authority because of the power behind our authority!
The believer who thoroughly understands that the power of God is backing him can exercise his authority and face the enemy fearlessly.
Paul told believers to be strong in the Lord, and in the power of His might (Eph. 6:10). That means you can like the policeman step out in front of the devil, hold up your hand, and tell him not to come any closer. Use your authority!
Ephesians 6:10 says,
"Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might."
Many people read that verse and think the Lord is telling them to be strong in themselves. But the Scripture doesn't say a word about being strong in yourself. It says to be strong in the Lord.

CONCLUSION
First John 4:4 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."
"He that is in the world" is Satan, the god of this world and the head of principalities, powers, and rulers of the darkness of this world. But the power that's in you is greater than the power that's in the world, because the power that backs our authority is greater than that which backs our enemies.

This study was culled from The Believers’ Authority by Kenneth E. Hagin.