Know the Truth and Use the Authority You Have

You can have authority and still live like you do not have it. That happens when you do not know what God has said, or when you let what you see become bigger than the Word you have heard. I want you to understand this plainly: if you know Jesus, God has given you authority, and you need to use it.

What authority has Jesus given believers?

Jesus has given believers authority over the power of the enemy, not authority to control other people. Luke 10:19 says, “Behold, I give you authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you.”

That is what I want you to see. Jesus did not say, “I am going to give you authority one day.” He said, “I give you authority.” You have to know what you have before you can walk in it.

I used the picture of a police officer standing in front of a tractor trailer. That officer may not have the physical strength to stop the truck, but the authority behind the badge can stop it. In the same way, your authority is not about your natural strength. It is about the authority God has given you.

And remember this: that authority is not over your brother or your sister. I do not have authority over you, and you do not have authority over me. We have authority over the enemy who is trying to work against us.

Why does knowing the truth matter so much?

Knowing the truth matters because deception is one of the ways the enemy tries to make you act as though you have no authority. I said it plainly: he makes you look like you do not have authority.

That is why you need the Word of God. You cannot answer deception with feelings. You need to know what God has said.

When Jesus was confronted, He could say, “It is written.” That is where we have to get to. Read the Word. Get acquainted with the Word. Know the truth, because the truth that you know will make you free.

You have to bring your thoughts back to the Word of God. Some thoughts may look good and still not be godly. So do not let every thought lead you. Bring it back under what God has said.

What does it mean to walk by faith and not by sight?

Walking by faith means you keep standing on what God has said even when what you feel or see has not changed yet. I had pain in my body that morning, but I told God I was going to walk by faith and not by sight.

When I got up from my seat and stepped forward, the pain left. But I also told the church that sometimes you pray and the pain may still be there when you walk away. What do you do then? You keep walking.

Do not make your faith depend on whether everything changes in the first moment. Keep standing. Keep praying. Keep trusting God.

There are things we cannot explain. I said there are things you will not understand until you get to heaven. That does not mean I stop praying. I pray, and I keep praying.

How do I use the authority God has given me?

Use your authority by standing in God's Word, praying, and refusing to let the enemy decide what you will believe. When something comes against you, let your first response be to stand in the authority God has given you.

Spend time with God. Pray. Pray in the Holy Ghost, and pray in words you understand. Get acquainted with the Holy Ghost, and get acquainted with the Word from Genesis to Revelation.

Then when the enemy brings deception, you have something to answer with. You know the truth. You know what God has said. You know you are not waiting to receive authority someday.

So use it. Stand in faith. Speak according to the Word. Do not turn your authority against people; use it against the works of the enemy.

If you know Jesus, you have authority. Know the truth, walk by faith, and use what God has already given you.