Does the Devil Know Your Name? A 10-Day Brave Coaches Journeyნიმუში

Authority Comes from Sonship

“Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.” – John 1:12

“Satan trembles when he sees the weakest saint upon his knees.” – William Cowper

The sons of Sceva tried to borrow authority. They wanted the benefits of spiritual power without the relationship that gives it. But you cannot fake what you don’t possess. Authority in the kingdom is not inherited by tradition or religion—it is given by Christ to His sons. This is what John 1:12 declares: those who receive Him are given the right—the authority, the legal standing—to be children of God.

The devil knows the difference between a slave and a son. Slaves live in fear, insecurity, and uncertainty. They never feel at home in the Father’s house and are always unsure if they belong. Sons, however, live in confidence. They know their Father’s voice. They know His promises are for them. They walk with the assurance that heaven backs them. Hell trembles when it encounters a son who knows who he is in Christ.

Think of it this way: a child doesn’t wonder if his father will protect him or feed him—he expects it. In the same way, when you live as a son, you approach life differently. You pray with confidence. You resist temptation with authority. You face opposition knowing that the same God who called you also covers you.

Your authority in spiritual warfare has nothing to do with your charisma, status, or personal strength. It has everything to do with your position in Christ. You are not an outsider trying to prove yourself—you are a son walking in your Father’s house. Just like a son has the legal right to use the family name, you carry the authority of Jesus when you stand in your identity.

This is why Satan relentlessly attacks your identity. If he can make you believe you’re just a slave—still trapped in sin, bound by shame, or defined by your past—you will shrink back in fear instead of standing in faith. But when you embrace your identity as a son, you stop fighting for acceptance and start fighting from acceptance. Sons don’t strive to earn favor; they walk in the confidence of already being chosen.

Notice that Paul didn’t cast out demons or perform miracles because of his education or background. His authority flowed from his intimacy with Jesus. Sons of God carry power because they live in relationship, not religion. The closer you walk with the Father, the more His authority is evident in your life.

Prayer is one of the most powerful demonstrations of sonship. When you pray, you’re not approaching God as a beggar hoping for a scrap—you’re approaching Him as His child, invited into His presence. Even the “weakest saint on his knees” terrifies hell, because prayer is the act of a son calling on his Father’s power. You don’t need to shout at the darkness when you’re already standing in the light.

The parable of the prodigal son gives us a picture of this. When the father welcomed his lost son home, he gave him a robe, a ring, and sandals. Each symbolized restored sonship. The ring represented authority, the robe represented covering, and the sandals represented belonging. God doesn’t just forgive you—He reinstates you as His son with full rights and authority.

When you walk in sonship, you don’t just survive spiritual battles—you overcome them. Sons are heirs, and heirs walk with confidence. Slaves cower in fear, but sons step into the fight knowing their Father has already won the war. This is the authority God has entrusted to you, not because of what you’ve done, but because of who you are in Christ.

The Brave Truth: Your authority doesn’t come from who you are—it comes from Whose you are. You are a son of God, and sons carry the Father’s authority.

Reflection Question: Am I walking in fear like a slave, or confidence like a son?

Action Step: Write down three “I am” statements of identity [e.g., I am forgiven. I am a son of God (John 1:12). I am filled with and led by the Spirit (Romans 8:14).] and speak them out today.