WATCH TIME | 3:08 MINUTES

Jesus’ Authority Over Demons

Here’s your weekly word of biblical encouragement from Bibles.net! Enjoy this short video devotional or read its contents below, adapted from a message by Pastor Britt Merrick.

The video above will remind you that if you have placed your faith in Jesus, you have been given authority in the name of Jesus. 

In the Gospels, whenever demons encounter Christ they were terrified. And there was no struggle. Right? It wasn’t as though Jesus had to struggle to cast demons out.

With just a word, the demons were thwarted.

With just a word, they were cast out.

With just a word, their work was broken.

There was no struggle.

Jesus had absolute authority when we read about it in the Gospels. Absolute authority.

And then he did the most incredible thing. He delegated his authority to his believers, his followers, so that the disciples after him begin to cast out demons. Sometimes they had difficulties—they’re not Jesus after all.

But what we saw was Christ—the one with all authority—delegating authority to his church, his believers, so that we now—hear me on this one—we now have authority in the name of Jesus over the Enemy.

You understand that?

Absolute authority in the name of Jesus over the Enemy.

It is imperative that every believer understands that. We are the ambassadors of Christ. An ambassador is never sent without the appropriate authority.

We are aliens and strangers in this world (1 Peter 2:11). Citizens of heaven (Philippians 3:20). We’ve been delivered from the domain of darkness and transferred into the kingdom of the beloved Son (Colossians 1:13). And we have been given, as the sons and daughters of the King, authority to act in his name over the demonic realm.

What does authority do for us?

Everything!

I want you to think of a traffic cop. A traffic cop does the most crazy thing. He stands in an intersection, with traffic coming at him from every direction. That’s a crazy job.

And yet somehow, when he holds up his hand, everybody stops their giant moving pieces of metal. All he did was hold up his hand.

Now, what the traffic cop doesn’t have is power. If the car kept coming, guess what? The car wins. Right? The car is more powerful than the traffic cop.

But what the traffic cop has is not power, but delegated authority.

He has the authority of the government behind him, so that when he raises his hand, it is the ruling governing party of the land that is saying to the oncoming traffic, “You must stop!” And so, everybody stops.

We have been given authority in the name of Jesus.

Satan is not more powerful than God, or Christ, but he is more powerful than us.

He’s an oncoming car.

But we have authority.”

Credits

Britt Merrick

The Bibles.net Weekly Word gives you weekly encouragement through a carefully chosen portion of a Bible-based message preached by a faithful Bible teacher. This content was adapted from the message, “Spiritual Warfare and the Armor of God” on Ephesians 6:10-20, by permission of Reality Church in Carpinteria, CA, and Pastor Britt Merrick.

Learn More About Britt Merrick

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