In this lesson, we will discuss the spiritual authority of a believer in Christ. You need to know your spiritual authority as a child of God and put it to use.
Many believers are ignorant of their authority, and the devil takes advantage of that. By the time you finish reading this article, you will not only understand your spiritual authority, but you will also learn how to apply it in your daily life.
Child of God, this authority is not needed in heaven and will not be useful when we get to heaven because there are no battles to fight there. We need it here on earth—that is why we must know it and learn how to use it.
What is Spiritual Authority
Before we dive into understanding our authority in Christ, let’s define spiritual authority.
First, what is authority? Authority is defined as the power or right to make or enforce rules, give orders, or impose obligations; or a position having such power or right.
When we use this power to enforce spiritual rules or give orders, it is called spiritual authority.
In simple terms, spiritual authority means Christ has given us power to enforce Kingdom rules, give orders to the devil and demons, and impose heavenly obligations here on earth.
So, if you are born again, you have the right to do all these on earth on behalf of Christ.
Understanding Your Authority in Christ
It is crucial to understand your authority as a Christian because a worker who does not know his KPI (Key Performance Index) cannot perform at maximum capacity. If you don’t know your scope of work, you may be deceived into doing what you are not employed to do—and that could get you “fired.”
If you have never bothered to discover your authority in Christ—or if you are here now because you want to know—then you are in the right place. You will learn everything you need to know about your authority in Christ.
What Your Authority Does Not Cover
Your authority as a Christian does not control the will of another person. God respects people’s will, so He won’t give you authority that violates another person’s choice.
As you learn about your authority in Christ, know that it stops where another person’s will is involved. You should not try to use your authority to control or manipulate someone else. Doing so is called sorcery or witchcraft.
There is no sorcery or witchcraft in Christ, so we do not practice such things in the Kingdom.
What Your Spiritual Authority Covers
These are the areas over which you have 100% authority as a believer:
Anything that belongs to you – This includes your body, house, land, car, children, etc. You can stop the devil from touching anything that belongs to you, and he will obey. If you understand this, you won’t wait for God to act before stopping him. Whenever he tries to touch what belongs to you, you can stop him. Knowing how to stop waiting for God to act and for you to use your spiritual authority is very important
When you understand that you have power over your body, you won’t allow the devil to place sickness on you. You will learn to rebuke sickness, which is the property of the devil in your life. The Bible calls healing the childre's bread, you should be able to eat it anytime you are sick.
Authority over demons and the devil – You have the authority to cast out demons and the devil. You need to recognise this power over demons and devil and learn how to use it.
Authority over nature – You can speak to storms like Jesus did, and they obey you. You can speak to wild animals, and they will obey. This reminds me of a man I know who spoke the storm, and it obeyed.
What Happened When You Were Born Again?
If you don’t understand what happened when you were born again, you won’t appreciate your authority in Christ. The devil will make you feel you don’t have the right to use the authority God has given you.
If it takes reading this multiple times to settle it in your spirit, do so—because this will change the dynamics of your spiritual life.
When you understand this, you can rebuke the devil authoritatively, and he will obey you. The devil dreads spiritual boldness and flees whenever he encounters it.
This understanding will give you the boldness to use your authority confidently.
Born Again Through the Word of God
We got born again through the Word of God. This is why we must always spend time with the Word to feed the Spirit because that is where we came from.
1 Peter 1:23 NKJV [23] “having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever”
The same Word God used to create the world is the same Word that caused you to be born again. The Bible says the Word lives forever, which means you also will live forever with God in heaven. Thank God we won’t live forever in hellfire because we are born again.
When you are born again, three things happen:
1. Identity Shift
When man fell, God’s nature in man was corrupted. It changed to a corrupt and destructive nature, combining the attributes of the devil and man. God was completely removed from man’s nature.
Genesis 2:16–17 NKJV “And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, ‘Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it, you shall surely die’”
Man became disconnected from God, and as we see in Genesis 3, he started running away from God—a behavior many still exhibit today.
God planned to restore us by sending Jesus to pay the penalty of sin, so we could receive the righteousness of God.
II Corinthians 5:21 NKJV [21] “For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”
Through the death and resurrection of Jesus, we can be born again. Believing in His death and resurrection gives us a new nature.
II Corinthians 5:17 NKJV [17] “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.”
God removes our sinful, destructive nature and gives us His own nature again. When born again, the Spirit of God is deposited into your spirit. You now have the very nature of God—the life that created the world.
You can now enjoy a fruitful relationship with God and truly become His child.
Think of this shift in identity like buying a bottle of Coke (representing your old life) and replacing the contents with pure water (God’s life). The bottle remains the same, but the content changes. This is what happens when you are born again—the dark, sinful content is removed, and God’s life is restored.
Glory to God—I am born again!
If you are interested in learning more about the born-again life, get my book “Born Again: What Does It Mean?”
2. Authority Restored
The second thing that happens when you are born again is that your sonship is restored. You become a child of God, which means you now have authority over nature, demons, the devil, and other things—just as your Father has.
Dominion, which is spiritual authority, is a family issue. If you are not from this kingly family, there are authorities you cannot exhibit.
Now, being in the family of the King of Kings, you can decree things, and they come to pass. God placed you on earth to rule and control it, just as He does in heaven. You then discover that you even have authority over life and death. Which means you can decide when you would die.
This authority was stolen when Adam sinned, but the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ restored it.
Matthew 28:18-20 NKJV [18] “And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, ‘All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.’ [19] Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, [20] teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.
Jesus handed this authority to the Church, His body. Now, you have the authority. Glory to God!
3. Dominion Mandate
Being born again restores your dominion over the earth. You are now positioned to rule on earth as God intended.
Why Many Christians Live Powerless Lives
Many Christians live powerless, demon-oppressed lives because of ignorance. If demons can still oppress you and you rely on others for help, you are not living in the power God intended yet. This is why you should understand your authority as a believer.
Weak relationship with God – Authority flows from relationship. A police officer’s authority works because of his connection to the government. Without that connection, no one obeys him. Your relationship with God gives credibility to your authority. This is why you should learn how to build a personal relationship with God. When you build a personal relationship with God, you will quickly see that there are many benefits that comes with it.
Ignorance of rights – Many believers don’t know their kingdom rights. If a law enforcement agent doesn’t know the law, he cannot enforce it. Study the Bible—it contains all your rights and privileges.
Fear-based theology – If you live in fear, you cannot operate in power. Fear is believing more in the devil's power than in God's power. Fear is a property of the devil—do not let it control you.
Waiting on God instead of acting – Many wait for God to act in areas where He has already given them authority. For example, if demons are disturbing your neighborhood, stop calling God and rebuke them yourself—they will flee. Recognize the spiritual forces behind physical circumstances and take action.
Matthew 18:18 NKJV [18] “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.”
Your authority is exercised through your mouth. Learn to declare what you want to happen.
Your Authority Over
Here’s a continuation of what your authority covers:
Fear – God has given you authority over fear. Spiritually, you are higher than fear.
The devil – You have authority over the devil because you are seated in heavenly places far above principalities and powers.
The devil is under your feet.
Curses – Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law.
The sacrifice of Jesus frees us from curses, and you have authority to destroy them.
Sickness – I Peter 2:24 NKJV [24] “who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—by whose stripes you were healed.”
You are empowered to heal sickness.
Mark 16:17-18 NKJV [17] “And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; [18] they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.”
Circumstances – You have authority over worldly matters. Speak to storms, and they will obey. Speak to wild animals, and they will obey.
Speaking God’s Word as a Weapon
Your primary instrument is the Word of God. Just as a police officer uses tools to enforce authority, the Word is your tool.
Ephesians 6:17 NKJV [17] “And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.”
Know the Word and when to use it. Speak healing scriptures for healing, provision scriptures for provision, and so on. The Word is like a gun—speaking it releases its power. Keep the Word constantly on your lips.
Paul's Authority over Demons.
Here’s a short story to illustrate practical application:
Acts 16:16–18 (KJV)
“And it came to pass, as we went to prayer, a certain damsel possessed with a spirit of divination met us, which brought her masters much gain by soothsaying:
The same followed Paul and us, and cried, saying, These men are the servants of the most high God, which shew unto us the way of salvation.
And this did she many days. But Paul, being grieved, turned and said to the spirit, I command thee in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her. And he came out the same hour.”
As you can see, Paul used his authority to get rid of the spirit speaking through the slave girl.
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