Bible

[mathew633]

BELIEVING IN CHRIST'S AUTHORITY
Matthew 17:20
Truly I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you shall say to this mountain, "Move from here to there," and it shall move; and nothing shall be impossible to you

What does it take to effectively exercise Christ's authority over spiritual powers? Can any Christian do so regardless of his level of spiritual maturity? If so, why aren't we more consistent in demonstrating our authority over Satan's kingdom?

I believe there are at least four qualifications for demonstrating authority over rulers and authorities in the spiritual realm. We'll consider them over the next few days.

The first qualification is belief . In the spiritual realm, if you don't believe you have authority, you're not going to exercise it. If your belief is weak, your expression of it will also be weak and ineffective. But if you grasp with confidence the authority that Christ has conferred upon you, you will exercise it with confidence.

Imagine a rookie traffic copy approaching a busy intersection to direct traffic for the first time. They told him at the academy that all he had to do was step into the street and hold up his hand and the cars would stop, but he's not so sure. He stands on the curb, tweets his whistle weakly, and sort of waves at an oncoming car, which roars by him. His authority is diminished by his lack of confidence.

Now imagine a seasoned officer coming on the scene. He sizes up the situation, steps into the street carefully but confidently, gives a blast on his whistle, and stretches out his hand

--and the cars stop. There's no doubt in his mind that he's in control in that intersection because he has a settled belief in his authority.

You may consider yourself just a "rookie" at stopping the devil's traffic in your life. But Jesus Christ is a seasoned veteran, and you're in Him. Build your faith in your authority by studying how Jesus operated against the powers of darkness in the Gospels and how we are commanded to do so in the Epistles.

Prayer: Lord, enlarge my belief that I have been given authority over principalities and powers in Christ, and help me act on that belief.

http://www.crosswalk.com/devotionals/dailyinchrist