Kenneth Copeland — Authority of the Believer
No man in himself has authority over God or
what belongs to Him. God has authority over it,
and He has given that authority both in heaven
and earth to Jesus.
It makes some religious folks mad when we talk
about the authority of the believer. I’ve never been able
to figure out why. It makes no sense to me. God’s people
should be hungry to learn about their God-given
rights and responsibilities.
By now it ought to have become clear to us that
God is not going to do everything in life for us. Why?
Because most things are in our realm of authority
and responsibility.
Suppose somebody were to break into your garage
and steal your lawn mower. When you call the police,
one of the first questions you would be asked is, “Was
the garage locked?” You wouldn’t say, “No, I’ve got faith
in the police.” They are faithful and devoted to duty;
but if you are not willing to lock your garage, how
can they help you?
That is the way religious people have been about
the works of Satan.
One of the very first things Jesus did after being
raised from the dead was to honor the Church by
crowning it with glory and honor. In Matthew 28,
He said that all power and all authority had been
given unto Him, both in heaven and in earth. He
ordered His followers to go into all the earth and
operate in His Name. What higher authority is
there? His Name is above every name that is named,
in heaven, in earth and under the earth (Ephesians
1:21; Philippians 2:9-10).
Then He gave us His full armor. He told us to
receive the Holy Spirit and become His witnesses
in all the earth (Acts 1:8). We are to do what He
does, say what He says and act like He acts. He has
promised that He will be with us even to the end
of the world (Matthew 28:20).
The devil will flee before us. But not if we don’t
exercise the God-given power, authority and dominion
that is ours as sons and daughters of the Most High
God. Not if we don’t have the will to trigger the faith
that allows us to use the spiritual weapons that God
has given us.
Our authority is not based on our strength or
power. It is based on the Word of God. Let the Word
fight its own battles. God has honored us with the
authority to use His Word, knowing that as we do so
He will honor it.
