Matthew 28:16-20
“And Jesus came and said to them, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.’”
When we became believers, something beautiful and powerful happened to us supernaturally. We became a son or daughter of God, adopted and grafted into his family. We became co-heirs with Christ. As members of God’s family, we have the power and authority in Jesus’ name to do the things Jesus did. Back in week one of our fast we talked about the importance of our identity in Christ. Sons and daughters behave differently than servants or friends. As an heir, we know what belongs to our Father is also ours. As we pray with the authority of Jesus’ name, we can be sure that he is backing us up when we pray for his will to be done.
Because we have so much of the world’s view of power and influence around vying for our attention, we often have a significant amount of fear when we think of deliverance. But the truth is the power of God is so much bigger than the power of the enemy. The power of the enemy is the counterfeit of what God has to offer. The enemy fears the power of God and he fears the power of God in you. While we use wisdom and discernment through listening to the Holy Spirit, we do not need to fear. Rather we shift our faith toward Jesus and trust his words are true: he has given us power and authority in his name.
We invoke the name of Jesus to take authority over strongholds and demonic forces and remove them from our lives and those around us. We cancel the assignments of the enemy and command it to leave. We silence his voice and forbid him to speak. We break agreement with the lies he has sown, dismantle their hold on us, and usher in God’s truths using the power of the name of Jesus. In doing so, we are a part of advancing the Kingdom of Heaven and destroying the works of the devil.
We must continue to deepen our understanding of who we are in Christ, pursue deeper intimacy with the Holy Spirit, and exercise our faith muscle so we can boldly step out in the power and authority we have been given as children of the Most High God.
There is power in the name of Jesus.
Listening Prayer:
Ask the Holy Spirit to give you a better understanding of your authority in Christ. Ask him to reveal to you any areas where you have given into fear and had more faith in the power of the enemy than in the power of God. Repent and ask him to show you the truth of God’s power.
Prayer:
Heavenly Father, I confess that there are times I have had more faith in the power of the enemy than in your power. Help me in my unbelief. Help me to grow in understanding of the authority you have given me as a child of God. Help me to learn how to walk in your power and authority. Holy Spirit, I give you permission to teach me and train me. I want to be a part of advancing your kingdom. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Resource: Bible Verses on the Name of Jesus
Philippians 2:9-11
“Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
Luke 10:19
“Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall hurt you.”
Mark 16:17-18
“And these signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up serpents with their hands; and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover.”
Luke 10:17
“The seventy-two returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in your name!’”
1 John 4:2-4
“By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you heard was coming and now is in the world already. Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.”