Understanding Our Authority In ChristSample

What is Authority? The importance of understanding our authority is foundational to our lives as believers in Christ. Imagine you have a $20 bill stuck in a pocket of a pair of pants, but you don’t know it’s there. Because you are unaware of it, you won’t use it, and it won’t do you any good. This is similar to our authority. If we don’t know that we have it, we won’t use it, and can therefore unknowingly walk around in bondage! As we begin this discussion, it’s important that we understand what “authority” actually means. One definition of authority is “delegated power.” It’s power that is granted to someone else by someone who is IN authority. An example of this would be policemen who are directing traffic. Obviously, in and of themselves, they don’t have the power to stop the cars, right? So they don’t use their own strength to direct traffic; they are strong in the authority delegated to them by the government. So clearly, the value of our authority rests on the power that is behind it. And that is really great news for us because the God of the universe is the power behind our authority. The devil and his forces HAVE to recognize our authority as believers. When we understand this, we can face the enemy fearlessly! Ask the Lord: "Father, as a believer, do I understand and exercise the 'delegated power' that you have given me? If not, why is that? And if so, how can I continue to grow in this?" Read: 1 John 4:4 James 4:7