Understanding your Spiritual authority is crucial for your ability to do spiritual warfare – and if you did not know that there is a war going on in the heavenly realm – you only need to look around you at your own life. You will see that there is some thing or someone trying to stop you from growing and prospering as you press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. (Phil 3:13-14)
There is absolutely no way that a believer should go into battle with the enemy without knowing or understanding that you have a God-given authority as a believer. As I journey through life, it is sad to see how fellow brothers and sisters in Christ have no idea of this authority that has been given to them, mostly due to the fact there is a lack of discipleship in the body of Christ at large. Believe you me, the enemy does not want you to know that you have any authority to go to war with him and that you have the God-given ability to defeat him.
The war that exists in the spiritual realm is clearly described to us in Daniel 10:10-14:
“Then behold, a hand touched me and set me unsteadily on my hands and knees. So he said to me, “O Daniel, you highly regarded and greatly beloved man, understand the words that I am about to say to you and stand upright, for I have now been sent to you.” And while he was saying this word to me, I stood up trembling. Then he said to me, “Do not be afraid, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart on understanding this and on humbling yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come in response to your words. But the prince of the kingdom of Persia was standing in opposition to me for twenty-one days. Then, behold, Michael, one of the chief [of the celestial] princes, came to help me, for I had been left there with the kings of Persia. Now I have come to make you understand what will happen to your people in the latter days, for the vision is in regard to the days yet to come.”
The angel tells Daniel that he was sent with a message, but that the prince (principality) of Persia was set against him and prevented him from getting to Daniel for 21 days. It was not until the angel Michael, one of the chief princes as described in the book of Daniel, came to assist – that he finally got the breakthrough to deliver his message.
From time-to-time God will let us have a sneak peek into the war that happens around us on a daily basis in the spiritual realm.
Growing up in my teenage years, my parents were pastoring a church in the Northern Provence of the Nation of South Africa. God was pouring out His Spirit at the time and we saw all kinds of supernatural things happening. It was a season of growth and excitement as the believers came to fellowship and worship together in unity.
The enemy would have none of it! Through a series of events some of the leaders came to disagree with the direction the church was heading into. Instead of resigning and going their separate ways, they decided to lead an Old Testament “Kora” style revolt (church split) in that fellowship. As the enemy started sowing dissention amongst the brethren, the move of the spirit was quenched and the church started falling apart.
One night during this time, friends of our family came to visit. After the kids went to bed, the adults entered into a time of prayer and intercession. It was during this time of prayer that the supernatural made an appearance in the natural realm over our family.
As they were praying, there was a knock on the front door. When my father answered the door, he found a fireman standing at the door. No, the fireman was not a supernatural being. The firemen said that the department had received calls from some of the neighbors and the neighbors had reported that our house was on fire.
My Dad promptly invited him in and showed him around the house explaining that they were praying over a certain situation and of course there was no fire to be found in or around the house.
The fireman left. Mom, Dad and our friends continued again in prayer seeking and petitioning our Heavenly Father like in the book of Daniel trying to come to an understanding off what was happening in the church. After some time had passed there was another knock at the door, but this time a much with more intensity it could be said that it was more of a banging than knocking.
It was the same fireman, but this time exclaiming that he had seen the fire for himself!
“The fire is all over the roof of your house!” he exclaimed. “It is so bad that the tall trees in the backyard is on fire! It must be something with the electricity because I can see the bolts of electricity running on the electrical wires from the house all the way to the end of the street! The transformer that supplies the neighborhood with electricity has sparks flying all over the place!”
Of course there was no physical signs of fire or electrical burns when inspected.
The poor firemen! What a sight it must have been. What a spectacle it must have been to watch as the heavenly supernatural powers of good and evil fought while the saints of God pressed in and interceded – advancing the Kingdom of heaven on earth.
We have to come to the realization that when you pray and invoke the Name of Jesus, the Name above every Name, the whole of the spiritual realm has to come to attention! They pitch their ears knowing that something is about to happen, and all “Heaven” is about to break lose and cause havoc in their different precincts.
That is why we as saints of God cannot just throw around the Name of Jesus. His Name is precious and packed full of power. Maybe, just maybe the reason why you cannot exercise your full authority as a Christian is because you have used that precious name without any regard to the power that it packs.
Jesus is the one who brings the miracle, we are only vessels the He uses to pour his authority through. He reconciled us back to the Father and I think for those of us who understand we can take it for granted that we can enter into the throne room of the Heavenly-Father with boldness. (James 4:16) Then there is the larger part of the body of Christ, that did not even know we could enter or think they are too sinful to enter into the throne room of the Father.
Understanding that you have been brought into right standing with our Heavenly Father (been made righteous) through what Jesus did on the cross is a big part of discovering your authority as a follower of Jesus. (Rom 5:1-11)
The prayers that you pray on earth matters. God’s Word states that the prayers of the righteous accomplish much. (James 5:16)
What God says or thinks about you is the only thing that matters in this life. Maybe it is time for you to get in the Word and find out how Father God sees you. Ask God to show you how He sees you. When you come to the realization that when you pray the God who commands angel armies is backing up your prayers, you will have the impact you desire in you prayer life. Prayer is not complicated, it is as easy as having a conversation with your Heavenly Father. Remember, your prayer life will be tested. I can guarantee you this from my life experience, that God will be faithful when you, as His word says, pray without stopping. (1Thess 5:17)
Don’t get discouraged, discouragement is the first line of attack by the enemy.
Daniel prayed for 21 days and then the breakthrough came. We win or lose battles in our Christian walk daily. It is your prayer life, your relationship with Father God that makes the difference.
This is a reminder that we are at war! We win this war by applying pressure to both knees and ending prayers with: “In the Mighty Name of Jesus, the Name Above Every Name, Amen!”
