Have you ever wondered what society would be like if there were no law and police agencies to enforce it? Since the fall of Adam, the fallen nature of humanity has made legislation and its enforcement an absolute necessity. Man has to be governed. The corruption in our world is worse than we really know, because evil men work under cover as much as possible. The Bible tells us "men love darkness rather than light, because their deeds are evil." However, corruption is hardly anything compared to what it would be if there were no restraining officers of law and every man were free to act as he pleases.

What do violators do when they see an officer of the law? Some run or hide; others adjust their behavior. If they are mentally competent and sensible, they have respect for authority. Paul tells us, "Let every soul be subject unto higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God...for rulers are not a terror to good works, but to evil" (Romans 13:1-2).

The fact is, government did not originate with man, but with God. In eternity past, there was lawCnot laws, but authority. The Trinity was the supreme authority. Lucifer was once an archangel of high ranking authority in Heaven among the "powers and principalities." Michael and Gabriel are still high ranking chief princes of great power in God's system of authority.

Lucifer was the first in eternity past to break ranks, so to speak, and renounce his allegiance and submission to God's authority. But God was not taken by surprise, for in His infinite wisdom He had a plan ready to be put into place. We can see it unfolding in the Scriptures after the rebellion of Adam. Take time to read again Genesis 3 and notice how God began to lay the law down, to use a common expression, to Satan, Eve and Adam.

God's system of divine order for man was established through Moses, the law-giver; the judges; the kings; the prophets; the apostles; the pastors; the deacons; and the elders. Throughout the Bible, we find in God's work of redemption the violation of His authority, beginning with Lucifer and Adam, that resulted in sin and the demand for repentance. Sin was, and still is, rebellion against the authority of GodCrepentance is turning from self-will and submitting again to God's authority.

Satan also has a system of authority. It appears, from Paul's description of it in Ephesians 6:12, that he emulated God's system. Satan is very organized, having his evil spirits divided into different ranks: "principalities (archas, the preeminent ones), powers (exousias, the authorities), rulers of the darkness of this world and wicked spirits in high places." Regardless of how brilliant and powerful Satan is, he has been defeated and stripped of his legal authority. He can do only what he is allowed in the purposes of God.

Please notice again the title of this chapterCit is not The Power of Prayer, but The Power for Prayer. We are dealing with the subject of authority God has established for the work of prayer. First, I want to call your attention to the different kinds of authority:

All authority is not the same, for there is a plurality of authority, i.e. various kinds. As an example, I mention only a few:

Ecclesiastical authority - This has to do with the structure of various churches and denominations. The Roman Catholic Church has the Pope, the Cardinals, the Bishops and Priests, etc. Other churches have varied structures, but churches of some denominations have no hierarchy of ecclesiastical authority, because the individual church is self-governed by the mature members of the congregation.

Civil authority - I have already mentioned the words of Paul relative to this. The governing bodies of nations, states and other municipalities are civil authorities.

Domestic authority - The first mention of this is found in Genesis 3:16 where God said to Eve, "...thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee." In the fifth chapter of Ephesians, Paul gives us God's Word for domestic and parental authority.

Spiritual authority - This authority is mentioned very briefly in the Hebrew letter, but it is necessary that we give attention to it, for it is greatly misunderstood today. We are exhorted to, "Remember them who have the rule over you, who have spoken unto you the Word of God." "Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give an account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is profitable for you" (Hebrews 13:7, 17).

The authority referred to here is pastoral in nature. It is the ministry of caring pastors who pray for you, who teach and preach the Word to you that your spiritual needs may be supplied. God has not given any man authority over the mind and will of anyone. Peter exhorted the elders, "Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind; Neither as being lords over God's heritage, but being examples to the flock" (I Peter 5:2-3).

In the rest of this chapter, we will consider authority as it relates to us as believers, and to our life and work of prayer.

Jesus spoke profound truth about Himself when He said, "All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth" (Matthew 28:18). The Apostle Paul wrote about the humiliation and exaltation of Jesus in his Philippian letter. His humiliation was His incarnation, coming into the world in the fashion of a man in human flesh for the purpose of death on the cross. Paul said, "He humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross." Paul goes on to say that, "God also has highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name; That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth" (2:8-10).

Now listen to what Paul says in his Ephesian letter, "Which God wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own 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 world, but also in that which is to come; And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be head over all things to the church" (1:20-22).

And Peter wrote about Jesus, "Who is gone into heaven, and is on the right hand of God; angels and authorities and powers being made subject unto him" (I Peter 3:22). The Hebrew letter tells us essentially the same thingCthat all things are under the feet of Jesus. Also, the Psalmist said, "Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands; and hast put all things under his feet" (Psalm 8:6).

The feet of Jesus once trod the rocky and dusty terrain of Judea, Samaria and Galilee, carrying the gospel of the kingdomCthe message of hope and peace. They bore the frame of the sinless Son of God, God's Lamb provided to bear His judgment upon sin and to shed His blood for the remission of sin. The feet of Jesus were made sin and nailed to the cruel rugged cross of shame, but as they were, Jesus put His feet of judgment on the head of Satan and judged the prince of this evil world.

In His bruising of the head of Satan, Jesus' feet became the feet of authority as He defeated the oppressor. Paul tells that He, "...spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it (the cross)" (Colossians 2:15).

Can there be any question as to who is in authority in Heaven and in earth? Not at all, if you believe the Word of God. He has proven His authority over all things: over Satan and demons; over sickness and death; over nature, for "even the winds and the waves obey His voice," and "by Him all things consist." Jesus is the person of authority.

The Position of Authority

I will be brief here, for in chapter 1 we dealt quite extensively with our position in Christ. By virtue of our position in Him we are first of all:

In Authority

That which is subject to the Head is also subject to the body. Paul said, "The God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly" (Romans 16:20). Read again the words of Paul in Ephesians 2:4-6 where he tells us that we were quickened "together with Christ, raised together, and made to sit together in the heavens in Christ." In this divine work of grace, God the Father placed us in authority with His Son, and that explains how we are in authority. We do not naturally have authorityCwe have it positionally.

Under Authority

As soldiers in the conflict of the ages, it is absolutely necessary that we operate within the plan of authority God has established. Regardless of the truth of our being in authority, we cannot function effectually unless we bring ourselves under authority. We read in Matthew's gospel about the centurion who came to Jesus and asked Him to heal his invalid servant.

When Jesus said, "I will come and heal him," "The centurion answered and said, Lord, I am not worthy that thou should come under my roof: but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed. For I am a man under authority, having soldiers under me: and I say to this man, Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it" (8:8-9). Then Jesus commended this man's faith.

This centurion had a working knowledge of the military authority under which he served. The exercise of authority was routine with him. As the authority under which he served was woven into the fabric of his mind, spiritual authority must be likewise prevalent in our minds. Those who know what it is to submit to authority, have a demeanor of spirit and attitude that demands respect for their authority.

Many Christians, even pastors and teachers, are fearful of Satan; they never command him. I have never known a person who fully understands his position of authority in Christ; who is confident in his authority; and who is in attitude and conduct under authority, who is hesitant in the least to confront and command Satan.

Just a word of personal of testimony: I know that I am in Christ, i.e. in His authority. And I, by a desire of my heart and an act of my will, am under His authority. What a position of comfort and joy it is to me! I like the song that says, "I am proud to be an American." Well, I am proud to be a citizen of the Kingdom of Christ, a subject of the King of kings and Lord of lords. I like being under the authority of the Kingdom. I am perfectly content and comfortable as a subject to the majesty of Heaven, an ambassador for Christ, seeking reconciliation of souls to the Savior. And with confidence in my authority in Christ and a consciousness of being under His authority, I do frequently command Satan to cease his illegal intrusion and evil activity in particular matters, situations and in individual lives.

Is a policeman hesitant to apprehend a criminal? No, because he knows he is not only in authority, but under the authority of the municipality. Do you know who backs you up as you enforce the victory of Christ, resisting the powers of darkness on the legal basis of the cross? The sovereign God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob; the virgin-born, crucified, risen and ascended Lord Jesus Christ who is now seated at the right hand of the Father in Heaven are behind you. If your authority is real, not imagined or feigned, God will never allow Satan to cut the limb off behind you. You are undergirded by the blood of the Lamb.

Our failure to stand firm on the truth of our union with Christ results in a debilitating timidity in warfare. We must ever make this confession, "God is almighty in me, and I am powerful in Christ. In myself, I am no match for Satan, but Satan is no match for the redeemed in Christ."

The Purpose of Authority

The primary purpose of authority is for prayer. If you understand what prayer in Jesus' name is, it can be the greatest weapon you could possess. Praying in Jesus' name is not merely saying the words, "in Jesus name I pray" to close your prayer. It means infinitely more than that. A.J. Gordon said, "No mere selfish and earth-born desire can be endued with power, simply by being christened with that holy name. Nor can any longing toward God which has been truly begotten of the Spirit fail because the formula, "in Jesus' name may be lacking in its utterance."

To pray in the name of Christ is to pray in the authority of Christ, for that is our position. Prayer is possible only through a relationship or position in Christ. When this truth is realized and received, your view of prayer is correct. In Christ, you pray as a new creation, a co-heir with Christ your elder brother, sharing His position of authority with the Father.

The word name, as it pertains to praying in Jesus' name, refers not only to who a person is, but what he is. In this case, the person is Jesus, the Son of God, and He is authority. Samuel Chadwick said, "To pray in Jesus' name is to pray as one who is at one with Christ." A.T. Pierson said, "Prayer in the name of Jesus means praying by virtue of our identity with Him. As members of the body of Christ, we are where the Head is. In His name we are seated with Him on the Throne. To pray in Jesus' name is simply to pray. It is our authority to do so.

Oh, how we need a sense of authority in prayer and witnessing. The words of Elijah to Ahab encourage me, "As the Lord God of Israel liveth, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to my word" (I Kings 17:1). When the word of the Lord came to Elijah, he spoke it with a sense of the authority with which God vested him. We must have mature saints with strong spirits, "strong in the Lord," to wrestle with the spirits of evil.

Prayer is the hand that wields the Sword of the Spirit. We are to use the Word of God to claim God's affirmation of us to Satan and His intervention as we confront and command the enemy. If Jesus put his foot on the head of Satan, that is where we should put out feet of authority.

This is illustrated to us in Joshua's defeat of the five kings. He stripped them of their power and held them captive in a cave. But according to Joshua, victory was not complete. He had the kings brought out, and then he told his captains, "Come near, put your feet upon the necks of these kings" (Joshua 10:24). When they obeyed the command of Joshua, he said to them, "Fear not, nor be dismayed; be strong and of good courage, for thus shall the Lord do to all your enemies against whom we fight" (vs. 25). Later, Joshua slew the kings.

Jesus is our Joshua who subjugated Satan as did Joshua the kings. Although He has defeated Satan, He wants us to enforce His victory of Calvary by putting our feet of authority on the neck of the enemyCto consummate our victory He has gained for us.

This article taken from:
The Deeper Secrets of Prayer by Sam Wolfe.

Published by Evangel Publications
P.O. Box 11007, Huntsville, AL 35814


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