Authority

Read Time: 8 Minutes

Authority in the new testament is most often translated from the Greek word exousia, which is also translated power.

The first use of the word exousia in the New Testament is when Jesus Christ is tempted in the wilderness..

Luke 4
:5 And the devil, taking him up into an high mountain,
   shewed unto him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time.
:6 And the devil said unto him,
   All this power [exousia] will I give thee, and the glory of them:
   for that is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it.
:7 If thou therefore wilt worship me, all shall be thine.
:8 And Jesus answered and said unto him,
  Get thee behind me, Satan: for it is written,
  Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.

This power that the devil is referring to is authority and rule over all the kingdoms of the world. How did Satan get this power? It was delivered unto him when Eve disobeyed God and believed the lies of the serpent, the devil, and then Adam followed along. Adam and Eve had dominion over the earth and critters in it initially (Genesis 1:26).

Genesis 3
:17 And unto Adam he said, 
   Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, 
   and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying,
   Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake;
   in sorrow [labor] shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life;

Prior to Adam and Eve's disobedience there was no curse, no thorns, no thistles, no death, and no sin. Adam and Eve had dominion over the earth.  But Satan tricked them and obtained that dominion and power. (Luke 4:5,6) With Satan having dominion he was able to cause death, disease, sin, thorns, thistles, and hardship.

That power that is spoken of in Luke 4 is the authority, the dominion, the power over God's creation.

Another instance of the word exousia is in Matthew 7. At the end of the teachings on the mount (Matthew 5:1 - 7:29) Jesus Christ taught as one that had authority and not as the scribes.

Matthew 7
:28 And it came to pass, when Jesus had ended these sayings,
   the people were astonished at his doctrine:
:29 For he taught them as one having authority [exousia], and not as the scribes.

Where did Jesus Christ get such authority? It is first declared when Jesus Christ forgave the sins of the man with palsey that was let down through the roof while he was teaching.

Matthew 9
:8 But when the multitudes saw it, they marvelled,
    and glorified God, which had given such power [exousia] unto men.

God, the Father, gave Jesus Christ the power, the authority, to speak His Word and deliver people.

After God raised Jesus Christ from the dead he met eleven of the apostles and declared:

Matthew 28
:18b ...All power [exousia] is given unto me in heaven and in earth.

The source of the power is of God.

John 1
:12 But as many as received him [God], to them gave he power [exousia]
   to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:

Jesus Christ was a man like we are yet without sin, he received the holy spirit after he was baptized by John.

Matthew 1
:16 And Jesus, when he was baptized,
   went up straightway out of the water:
   and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him,
   and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove,
   and lighting upon him:
:17 And lo a voice from heaven, saying,
   This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.
2:1 Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness
   to be tempted of the devil.

Jesus Christ received holy spirit at this time and this is first record of him being led by the spirit that God had given him. Jesus is now being led by the holy spirit and chose to only do the Father's will. (John 5:30) The words Jesus Christ spoke were always of God.

John 14
:10 Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me?
   the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself:
   but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works.
:11 Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me:
   or else believe me for the very works’ sake.
:12 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me,
   the works that I do shall he do also;
   and greater works than these shall he do;
   because I go unto my Father.
:13 And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name,
   that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.
:14 If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.
:15 If ye love me, keep my commandments.
:16 And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter,
   that he may abide with you for ever;
:17 Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive,
   because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him:
   but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.
:18 I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.

:26 But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, [hagion pneuma]
    whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things,
    and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.
:27 Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you:
    not as the world giveth, give I unto you.
    Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

What love the Father has for us that he would give holy spirit, the comforter, power, dunamis, latent, inherent power from on high. This is not authority but the juice in the battery so to speak, which we activate with the authority that God has given us. We get our English word dynamite from dunamis

Luke 4
:13 And when the devil had ended all the temptation,
    he departed from him for a season.
:14 And Jesus returned in the power [dunamis] of the Spirit into Galilee:
    and there went out a fame of him through all the region round about.

After Jesus Christ returned to Nazareth and declared the beginning of his ministry to preach the acceptable year of the Lord (Luke 4:17-19), he was thrust out of the synagogue and they tried to throw Jesus off a cliff but...

:30 But he passing through the midst of them went his way,
:31 And came down to Capernaum, a city of Galilee,
   and taught them on the sabbath days.
:32 And they were astonished at his doctrine:
   for his word was with power. [exousia]
:33 And in the synagogue there was a man,
   which had a spirit of an unclean devil,
   and cried out with a loud voice,
:34 Saying, Let us alone; what have we to do with thee,
   thou Jesus of Nazareth? art thou come to destroy us?
   I know thee who thou art; the Holy One of God.
:35 And Jesus rebuked him, saying, [speaking to a devil spirit]
   Hold thy peace, and come out of him.
   And when the devil had thrown him in the midst,
   he came out of him, and hurt him not.
:36 And they were all amazed, and spake among themselves,
   saying, What a word is this!
   for with authority [exousia] and power [dunamis] he commandeth
   the unclean spirits, and they come out.

God has given us many accounts of the manifestations of power through Jesus Christ. But God didn't stop there. For all who believe on Jesus Christ can do the works that Christ did and more (John 14:12). And He is going to teach us all about it in His Word and the words that he speaks to us daily.

Ephesians 1
:17 That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory,
   may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation
   in the knowledge of him:
:18 The eyes of your understanding being enlightened;
   that ye may know what is the hope of his calling,
   and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,
:19 And what is the exceeding greatness of his power [dunamis]
   to us-ward who believe,
   according to the working of his mighty power, [kratos: force, strength]
:20 Which he wrought in Christ,
   when he raised him from the dead,
   and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places,
:21 Far above all principality, and power,[exousia] and might,[dunamis] and dominion,
   and every name that is named, not only in this world,
   but also in that which is to come:
:22 And hath put all things under his feet,
   and gave him to be the head over all things to the church,
:23 Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.

Come to God and ask for the knowledge and wisdom of the hope of His calling and the riches of His glory. Ask God to manifest through you the exceeding greatness of his power according to HIS MIGHTY STRENGTH. It is not by our own strength or will. Remember, God's ways are higher than our ways. We need not fear the adversary for God has put all of his authority and power under Christ's feet. In the times of the Bible when a foe is conquered the conqueror would put their foot on the throat of the enemy. The enemy is under the body of Christ's feet! We have the authority to command the promises of God and see them come to pass!

Colossians 2
:6 As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him:
:7 Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith,
   as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.
:8 Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit,
   after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world,
   and not after Christ.
:9 For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.
:10 And ye are complete in him,
   which is the head of all principality and power: [exousia]

Take time for God and His Word; take time be with Him and talk with Him. Let Him build you up and establish you in the faith of Jesus Christ. Be thankful. Don't let the world change your focus. No matter the circumstances we are complete in Christ which is the head of all the principalities and powers of the world.

When you have authority over something it has to obey and it has no right or authority to rebel.

:13 And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh,
   hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses;
:14 Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us,
   which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;
:15 And having spoiled principalities and powers, [exousia]
   he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.

Glory be to God who sent His Son to redeem us so that we are no longer under the curse of Adam. We are no longer subject to the authority of the adversary. Those principalities and powers are spoiled; stripped of all authority over us.

Let us stand boldly before the throne of grace and take our rightful places in the Body of Christ as more than conquerors through Christ.

 

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I recommend a book by Jan Magiera "The Armor of Victory; Exposing the Strategy of the Evil One"

"We are at war and the warfare is spiritual! God’s plan of salvation is fulfilled in Christ, and everyone who believes in Christ as Lord has received an overwhelming victory in him. The victory is won, but we must appropriate it into our lives on a daily basis by putting on the whole armor of God. We are at war and the warfare is spiritual! God’s plan of salvation is fulfilled in Christ, and everyone who believes in Christ as Lord has received an overwhelming victory in him. The victory is won, but we must appropriate it into our lives on a daily basis by putting on the whole armor of God."
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