How to Use Our Spiritual Authority Against the Enemy

Recently I wrote on authority. We discussed the importance of knowing we have God-given authority which is backed by God’s power, and we also hit on the importance of using that authority instead of sitting idly by waiting for God to move. I think so many Christians don’t realize the power that we have available to us and through us because of Jesus. In that previous post we talked about the history, foundation, and basis of our authority. This week I’d like to go a little further into what it looks like to build our confidence and practically use that spiritual authority, especially in situations of spiritual warfare or attacks from the enemy.

As a quick recap…

God owns the earth (Psalm 24:1). When God created humans, he gave us spiritual authority to act as his stewards (Genesis 1:26-28, Hebrews 2:5-8). Then Adam sinned and passed that authority over to Satan (Luke 4:6, 2 Corinthians 4:4, 1 John 5:19, Ephesians 2:2). Later, Jesus came and restored that authority (Matthew 28:18, Romans 5:17-21, Colossians 1:20). Then, Jesus transferred this authority back to his followers (Matthew 16:19, Matthew 28:18-20, Luke 10:19, John 20:21-22, Acts 1:8, Luke 24:47).

As the body of Christ, we have authority to do the works of Jesus in the world today. It is our responsibility to resist and stand against the enemy.

“Look, I have given you authority over all the power of the enemy, and you can walk among snakes and scorpions and crush them. Nothing will injure you.” Luke 10:19 (NLT)

“These miraculous signs will accompany those who believe: They will cast out demons in my name, and they will speak in new languages. They will be able to handle snakes with safety, and if they drink anything poisonous, it won’t hurt them. They will be able to place their hands on the sick, and they will be healed.” Mark 16:17-18 (NLT)

“Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” James 4:7 (NIV)

“Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings.” 1 Peter 5:8-9 (NIV)

“Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil.” Ephesians 6:11 (NLT)

Remind them of who they are

When praying about this post I believe I heard God say, “Remind them of who they are.” In order to start confidently using our God-given spiritual authority against the enemy, we need to know that we are God’s children, and that we have the one true and only God on our side to back us up and empower us. Additionally, we need to know that God has already promised us victory.

We are children and heirs of God himself!

Of course Satan will hate us because he hates God, and we are children of God. Now, think about the power of that last truth—we are children of God! We’ve got a pretty awesome father who will back up and protect his kids. The value of authority rests in the power behind it. God is the power behind our influence. When we use our God-given authority, HIS power backs us up, and there is no greater power than God’s.

“But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God.” John 1:12 (NLT)

“See how very much our Father loves us, for he calls us his children, and that is what we are! But the people who belong to this world don’t recognize that we are God’s children because they don’t know him.” 1 John 3:1 (NLT)

“For his Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God’s children.” Romans 8:16 (NLT)

“For in him we live and move and exist. As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are his offspring.’” Acts 17:28 (NIV)

“The LORD is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me?” Psalm 118:6 (ESV)

“What shall we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can ever be against us?” Romans 8:31 (NLT)

We have a reserved seat of power and spiritual authority in heaven

Our ability to rebuke the devil and use spiritual authority comes through our relationship with Jesus. When we have relationship with Jesus we have a reserved seat with him at the right hand of God, which is a seat of power and authority. However, we need to remember that this was given to us—we could never earn this position on our own. When we use our spiritual authority, we are partnering with God and his power.

“After the Lord Jesus had spoken to them, he was taken up into heaven and he sat at the right hand of God.” Mark 16:19 (NIV)

“I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who believe him. This is the same mighty power that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God’s right hand in the heavenly realms. Now he is far above any ruler or authority or power or leader or anything else—not only in this world but also in the world to come. God has put all things under the authority of Christ and has made him head over all things for the benefit of the church. And the church is his body; it is made full and complete by Christ, who fills all things everywhere with himself.” Ephesians 1:19-23 (NLT)

“And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus” Ephesians 2:6 (NIV)

We are overcomers in Christ and fight from a place of victory!

You fight FROM a place of victory not FOR victory. God has already promised the victory. Jesus has already overcome. Above all, we have to believe that promise and operate in faith based on that belief.

“For the LORD your God is the one who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies to give you victory.” Deuteronomy 20:4 (NIV)

“But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” 1 Corinthians 15:57 (NIV)

“But I thank God, who always leads us in victory because of Christ. Wherever we go, God uses us to make clear what it means to know Christ. It’s like a fragrance that fills the air.” 2 Corinthians 2:14 (GWT)

“No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.” Romans 8:37 (NLT)

“Now my beloved ones, I have saved these most important truths for last: Be supernaturally infused with strength through your life-union with the Lord Jesus. Stand victorious with the force of his explosive power flowing in and through you.” Ephesians 6:10 (TPT)

“But you belong to God, my dear children. You have already won a victory over those people, because the Spirit who lives in you is greater than the spirit who lives in the world.” 1 John 4:4 (NLT)

“For every child of God defeats this evil world, and we achieve this victory through our faith.” 1 John 5:4 (NLT)

“I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.” John 16:33 (NLT)

Take Some Practical Steps to Use Your Spiritual Authority Against the Enemy:

• First, exercise authority after an attack from the enemy through prayer, binding and loosing, and with commands and decrees that you release with your words.

When you’re under attack, and you believe it might be an attack from the enemy (as opposed to natural consequences that you’ve brought on yourself), you need to get to work exercising your authority. For example, you or a family member may have been struck with an illness; had an attack on your finances such things breaking, unexpected expenses, etc.; have experienced some extreme or unusual conflict in relationships; or maybe you’ve encountered problems at your job. These are all potentially attacks from Satan.

Start with prayer, asking God for wisdom, guidance, protection and help. Remind God of his promises in the Bible (Isaiah 43:26). Then bind Satan and loose the power and assistance from heaven on your behalf, and verbally resist Satan commanding him to leave. For example, say something like…

“Satan, I bind you right now in the name of Jesus from (insert situation…from my health, from my marriage, from my children, from my finances, from my job, etc.). The Bible says that what is bound on earth is bound in heaven, so you are bound right now in the name of Jesus. The Bible also says what is loosed on earth is loosed in heaven, so right now I loose the angels of heaven to fight for and protect (insert situation…me, my health, my marriage, my children, my finances, my job, etc.). You must do what I say because the Bible says that I have authority over ALL of the power of the enemy. Because I am submitted to God, I can resist you and you have to flee. Leave (insert situation) right now in the name of Jesus!”

“Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” Matthew 18:18 (NIV)

“Look, I have given you authority over all the power of the enemy, and you can walk among snakes and scorpions and crush them. Nothing will injure you.” Luke 10:19 (NLT)

“Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” James 4:7 (NIV)

• Then, you also need to take authority preemptively too. Bind Satan BEFORE he has a chance to wreak havoc.

You need to rebuke, in the name of Jesus, any demon or evil force that will try to block your path or way. Go on the offensive and stop the enemy before he even starts to attack you. You have authority to stop him in advance! Again, say the same or similar command or declaration to the one above.

• Next, expect some pushback or resistance.

I heard Pastor Willie George say recently that anytime someone uses authority where there has been none, the kingdom of darkness steps in and starts to fight back. We can see an example of this in Mark 1:23-24 where an unclean/evil spirit speaks up immediately after the people were amazed because Jesus used such authority. However this pushback didn’t stop him. He continued in his authority, and the enemy had to concede. You too need to keep resisting and rebuking. Don’t give in.

• In addition, build your intimacy with God to become confident in your authority.

Remember who you are! You are a child of God backed by the power of heaven, and victory is already yours! However, if you still don’t feel confident in that authority, you need to build your intimacy with God. Start spending more time with him–in the Bible, in prayer, and in listening to him. Tony Evans said a lack of spiritual authority could be due to a lack of intimacy with God…

“Authority simply means the right to use an already existing power, but the key is to know how to access that power source. Throughout His life, Jesus had modeled to the disciples how His own power and authority flowed out of His intimate relationship with God as His Father. If the disciples were to exercise the authority to move mountains, they must first know the God who has the power to move the mountains. A believer’s lack of spiritual authority can often originate from a lack of intimacy with the Source of all authority.”^[1]

• Finally, stop asking and wondering why God isn’t stopping the attacks from the enemy. Instead start using the spiritual authority that God gave YOU to stop the enemy.

Too many of us just expect God to act on our behalf and when it seems like he isn’t several people just assume it must be God’s will for (fill in the blank) to happen. We have to stop waiting for God to stop the things that he gave us the power to stop. I love the Day 28 devotion “Why isn’t God stopping this?” from the Fast From Wrong Thinking reading plan on YouVersion (Bible app):

DAY 38 — “Why Isn’t God Stopping This?”

Today we’re fasting from the thought that says, “Why isn’t God stopping this?”

This thinking is rooted in the inaccurate belief that God is in control of everything. Don’t get me wrong: He started this world in control of everything, but He gave much authority to mankind at Creation; and then again as new creations, in Christ. We have to stop waiting for God to stop the things He gave us the power to stop. Jesus said: Whatever we bind on earth is bound in heaven.

LET’S CHANGE IT TODAY

1. You have authority in life. Remember, Jesus has given us ALL power over the enemy (Luke 10:19). The enemy, the devil, wants to blind you to your authority so that you will accept whatever happens in life; or wait for God to do something about it. Awaken to your God-given authority as a child of God.

2. Start reigning, and you’ll stop whining. “Through the abundance of grace and the gift of righteousness, we REIGN in life.” (Romans 5:17) As you awake to grace & righteousness–and your God-given authority–you’ll stop thinking & feeling like a victim. 

3. God gives every GOOD gift. (James 1:17) God is good, and the devil is bad. It was Satan, not God, who smote Job. But God has given us power to resist the devil; and walk in our God-given authority and destiny.

“So Satan left the Lord’s presence, and he struck Job with terrible boils from head to foot.” Job 2:7 NLT

4. God doesn’t send storms to teach us a lesson. Life brings storms. But God brings shelter. God is the source of our shelter, not the source of the storm. Isaiah 25:4 says, “. . . You are a refuge from the storm . . .”

5. Plant the right seeds BEFORE the storms of life hit. (Mark 4:26-35) Jesus taught His disciples to plant the seed of God’s Word. THEN, He got in the boat and the storm hit. They had the power to stop the storm. They just didn’t know it.

6. You’re just like Jesus! Yes, the disciples woke Jesus and He stopped the storm, BUT 1 John 4:17 tells us, that as He is, so are we. He gave you His Word, His Name, and His authority. You can stop the forces of hell that come against you.

“And as we live in God, our love grows more perfect. So we will not be afraid on the day of judgment, but we can face him with confidence because we live like Jesus here in this world.” 1 John 4:17 NLT

7. Wisdom is greater than the storm. And the wise build their house–their life–on the Word of God. No matter what life or the enemy throws at you, you will stand, when your life is built on the wisdom of God’s Word.

THINK IT AND SAY IT

I agree with Jesus and take authority over the storms of life, and over all the power of the enemy. Through the abundance of grace and the gift of righteousness, I reign in life. I have the power to declare PEACE in the midst of the storms of life. I walk in wisdom by acting on the Word, and I rise above every situation, in the Name of Jesus!

“Look, I have given you authority over all the power of the enemy, and you can walk among snakes and scorpions and crush them. Nothing will injure you.” Luke 10:19 (NLT)

“For the sin of this one man, Adam, caused death to rule over many. But even greater is God’s wonderful grace and his gift of righteousness, for all who receive it will live in triumph over sin and death through this one man, Jesus Christ.” Romans 5:17 (NLT)^[2]

Make a plan right now. Where do you need to stand against the enemy (either defensively or preemptively)? Where are you going to start using your spiritual authority? Tell us about it by leaving a comment below!

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If you know anyone that could benefit from this, please pay it forward!  Share this post via the sharing links below.  “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.” 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 (NIV)

1. Evans, Tony. “Spiritual Authority-Day 1.” Bible.com, my.bible.com/reading-plans/14715-spiritual-authority/day/1. ↑
2. Dickow, Gregory. “Fast From Wrong Thinking-Day 38 Why isn’t God stopping this.” Bible.com, my.bible.com/reading-plans/13766-fast-from-wrong-thinking/day/38. ↑