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The Believer's Authority
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The Believer's Authority |
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This web page is to some extent a very condensed and modified adaptation of a book entitled "The Believer's Authority" written by Kenneth E. Hagin [KEH] in 1967, and added to in 1984. The complete book is available from www.rhema.org.
Do we, as believers, have spiritual authority on this earth, that we're not using?
( believers: members of the body of Christ, aka members of the congregation of Jesus Christ )
Are we as believers, doing the work that
God intended for us to do?
First, let's examine the role, that God has permitted, for Satan to play in the universe.
Eph 6:11 Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
Eph 6:12 For we [believers] 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.
1Pe 5:9 Whom resist [the devil, standing] stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the [rest of the] world.
1Pe 5:10 But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his [God's] eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, [God will] make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.
1Pe 5:11 To him [God] be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.
Luk 10:18 And he [Jesus] said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven.
Luk 10:19 Behold, I [Jesus] give unto you power [authority, #1849] to tread on serpents and scorpions, and [authority, #1849] over all the power [#1411] of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you.
[ Note that the authority to tread on serpents and scorpions refers to treading on Satan: demons, evil spirits, and all of Satan's cohorts. Remember how the serpent led Adam and Eve astray in Gen 3:1-15. ]
[ Note that Jesus does not say here that we are to pray to God or to Jesus, for either of them to exercise this authority for us. Rather, Jesus says He has given us authority over all the power of the enemy [ to be exercised by us in Jesus' name (through Christ) using God's power ]. Jesus, God, the Holy Spirit, Satan and all of his cohorts understand this. All that remains is for us, as members of the body of Christ, aka Christ's congregation, to understand this, and to exercise this gift of authority over all the power of the enemy. ]
[ Note that "he that is in the world" is Satan, the temporary ruler of this world and the head of principalities, powers, and rulers of the darkness of this world. ]
Joh 14:13 And whatsoever ye shall ask in my [Jesus'] name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.
Joh 14:14 If ye shall ask any thing in my [Jesus'] name, I will do it.
Joh 14:15 If ye love me [Jesus], keep my commandments.
[ For more on Jesus' "my commandments",
see Keep " The 8 Commandments" of the New Covenant
]
Begin by reading the first three chapters of Ephesians, over and over again for several days. Eph 1, Eph 2, Eph 3.
Say the following 2 prayers over and over again, for yourself, and for others you are praying for.
Whenever you see { me, _____ } ,
insert "me" if you are praying this prayer for yourself, or insert the
name of the person you are praying this prayer for in the blank
_____.
Prayer #1: Ephesians 1:16-20
Eph 1:17 That the God of our { my, _____'s } Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you { me, _____ } the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him [God]:
Eph 1:18 The eyes of your { my, _____'s } understanding being enlightened; that ye { I, _____ } may know what is the hope of his [God's] calling, and what the riches of the glory of his [God's] inheritance in the saints,
Eph 1:19 And what is the exceeding greatness of his [God's] power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his [God's] mighty power,
Eph 1:20 Which he [God] wrought in Christ, when he [God] raised him [Christ] from the dead, and set him [Christ] at his [God's] own right hand in the heavenly places,
Eph 3:15 Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named,
Eph 3:16 That he [the Father, God] would grant you { me, _____ }, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man;
Eph 3:17 That Christ may dwell in your { my, _____'s } hearts by faith; that ye { I, _____ }, being rooted and grounded in love,
Eph 3:18 May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height;
Eph 3:19 And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye { I, _____ } might be filled with all the fulness of God.
Praying the prayers above twice a day for others, may begin to produce results in as few as 10 days.
KEH quote: "It was surprising how
fast my kinfolks changed once I started praying for them scripturally.
(I had been praying for some of them for years with no results.)"
Christ is the Head of the body of Christ, the body being Christ's congregation.
Col 1:15 [Christ] Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature:
Col 1:16 For by him [Christ] were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:
Col 1:17 And he [Christ] is before all things, and by him all things consist.
Col 1:18 And he [Christ] is the head of the body, the church [ congregation ]: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.
Col 1:19 For it pleased the Father that in him [Christ] should all fulness dwell;
Col 1:20 And [Christ], having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven.
Col 2:12 [Believers] Buried with him [Christ] in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead.
Col 2:13 And [when] you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh [sinful nature], hath he [God] quickened together [made you alive] with him [Christ], having forgiven you all trespasses [all your sins];
Col 2:14 Blotting out [cancelling] the handwriting [written code] of ordinances [with its regulations] that was against us, [and] which was contrary [opposed] to us, and took it out of the way [away], nailing it to his [Christ's] cross;
Col 2:15 And having spoiled [disarmed the] principalities [powers] and powers [authorities], he made a shew of them openly [public spectacle of them], triumphing over them in it [by the cross].
The Bible says Satan had the power of death, but Jesus conquered him.
Rev 1:18 I [Jesus Christ] am he that liveth [2,000 years ago], and was dead [crucified]; and, behold, I am alive [resurrected] for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.
These are the keys of authority.
KEH quote: "We must remember that physical death is not of God; it is of the enemy." Therefore, "death is still an enemy. The Bible says it is the last enemy that will be put underfoot." So, until believers are raptured before Christ's return at Armageddon, "we have only a limited power over death."
KEH quote: "When you get out beyond
the written Word of God, you're getting out too far. Stay with the
Word." "Don't put the Spirit above the Word. Put the Word first
and the Spirit second, and you'll be safe."
The Bible tells us to rebuke the enemy ourselves.
The Bible calls fear a spirit that is not of/from God.
Jam 4:7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
Those who oppose the truth, say:(pg 75)