The Believer's Authority Part 1
THE BELIEVER'S AUTHORITY.
WHAT YOU DIDN'T LEARN IN CHURCH.
by Andrew Wommack.
Introduction.
Most people have a humanistic view of how life works. Even though Christians don't like this terminology, many of them function day by day with this same mentality. By only looking on the surface level, they don't recognize the spirit realm behind it all.
Humanists don't acknowledge G.o.d. As a whole, they're either agnostic or atheist-believing that everything in life has a natural, physical cause. It's sad to say, but many Christians have this same att.i.tude. They don't realize the spiritual dynamics behind what's happening in the physical realm.
We are in a spiritual battle! Every single day, there is a battle raging in the spirit realm for the heart of each individual person, society, and the world as a whole. G.o.d is trying to draw us toward Himself and righteousness. He's trying to influence us to live consistently with Him so that His blessings can manifest in our lives. At the same time, Satan is trying to steal our hearts away from G.o.d. In an all-out battle against the Lord and His kingdom, the enemy is pouring all the trash and corruption he can into our lives.
Most of us-even Christians-don't recognize the intense battle being waged all around us each and every day. We don't know the spiritual significance of our choices, words, and actions. We're functionally ignorant of how these things determine whether we're yielded to G.o.d and releasing His power and blessing into our lives, or yielded to Satan and releasing sin and death into our lives. (Rom. 6:16.) The devil can't control you outside of your will. However, your lack of awareness and understanding of the battle only works to his advantage. If you choose to believe G.o.d's Word and learn to recognize what's happening in the spirit realm, you can begin taking the proper action to improve your situation. You can cooperate with G.o.d to manifest His power and blessings.
Submit yourselves therefore to G.o.d. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
JAMES 4:7.
You can can resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Your pa.s.sivity and lack of resistance doesn't mean that the battle isn't raging. It just simply means that you aren't winning. Satan is beating you in this area. resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Your pa.s.sivity and lack of resistance doesn't mean that the battle isn't raging. It just simply means that you aren't winning. Satan is beating you in this area.
The revelation of G.o.d's Word contained in this book has the potential of transforming your life. As you begin to understand and exercise your authority as a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ, Satan will flee and G.o.d's power and blessings will manifest in your life greater than ever before.
Chapter 1.
We're In A Spiritual Battle Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armour of G.o.d, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against princ.i.p.alities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
EPHESIANS 6:10-12.
G.o.d's Word reveals that we are not wrestling against flesh and blood, but demonic powers. Our fight isn't against people, but the spiritual forces influencing them. However, most of us simply don't recognize the role that the spirit realm plays in what occurs in our daily life. We think it's just human-natural -but the devil is busy influencing people every day.
It's useless to debate whether or not an individual is possessed, oppressed, or just depressed. When the New Testament calls someone demon-possessed, the Greek word there literally means "demonized." They are under the influence-and therefore, control-of the devil. This issue people make about whether someone is possessed, oppressed, or just depressed isn't in the Scriptures. The truth is that people all around the world today are being influenced, controlled, and used-to whatever degree-by the devil.
PROPER PERSPECTIVE.
Many westerners honestly believe that all the demons are over in some third-world country. But anyone who is spiritually perceptive knows that there is an abundance of demonic activity anywhere you go in the world, including the West. We just tend to look at things as being normal and natural for this day and age. We miss the fact that the origin of many things that happen in our day-things that tick us off and come against us-is spiritual. We fail to recognize the spiritual influence behind it.
If you were to adopt the biblical mindset, it would make a huge difference in the way you respond. You'd recognize that it's not that person who sits next to you at work, it's not your neighbor, your spouse, or your circ.u.mstances that are really what's coming against you. They can be influenced, inspired, and used of Satan, but they themselves aren't really the source. When you genuinely understand that this isn't a physical battle, it changes the way you respond.
I get a lot of hate mail and criticism because of the things I say. There was a time when I took these things personally and thought, Why is this individual so upset with me? I just looked at their criticisms and always tried to deal with them on the human level. Since then, I've come to recognize that Satan is the one who's trying to get my attention off of what G.o.d has told me to do. I recognize that the enemy is using some person to come against me. He's trying to gain an inroad into my life so he can steal G.o.d's Word from me. (Mark 4:16-17.) But because I look beyond the individual and don't take their comments personally, I'm able to put things into proper perspective and deal with it differently.
I've actually had some good friends come against me. Even though they did some pretty mean things, I've been able to look past that and forgive them. I recognized that they had a sensitivity in some area that Satan took advantage of and used them against me. I haven't been angry or bitter toward them because I understood what the devil was trying to do.
Since then, they've turned around and realized what happened. We've been able to completely reestablish our friendship because I recognized that it wasn't those people, but Satan trying to get at me.
SATAN USES PEOPLE.
Jesus exemplified this same perspective. He recognized when the devil was trying to get to Him through a person.
After Peter-under the influence of G.o.d-confessed Jesus as "the Christ, the Son of the living G.o.d" (Matt. 16:16), the Lord started explaining to His disciples about His soon coming crucifixion, death, and resurrection. Immediately, Peter began to rebuke Him, saying: Be it far from thee, Lord: this shall not be unto thee.
MATTHEW 16:22.
Apparently, Peter had missed Jesus' statement that He would rise again on the third day. Peter didn't even want to consider the thought of his beloved Lord being taken and killed. This was the same man who just moments before had been inspired and controlled by the Holy Spirit. Yet now Jesus...
Turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of G.o.d, but those that be of men.
MATTHEW 16:23.
The Lord recognized that Satan was speaking through Peter. This wasn't something coming from G.o.d. Jesus knew it was inconsistent with what the Father had clearly revealed to Him of His will. So even though Peter had previously spoken forth a glorious revelation by the Holy Spirit, Christ knew that the inspiration for this rebuke was from h.e.l.l.
There are times when the devil speaks to you through people. He'll use people to get at you. Of course, they may be unaware of the fact that they're being used of Satan. Peter was probably shocked, hurt, and offended when Jesus turned around and said, "Get behind me, Satan!" However, there are times when you need to rebuke the devil that way too.
WHOSE VOICE IS IT?.
Now don't misunderstand me and go around blasting people. I'm not saying you should rebuke everyone who disagrees with you, declaring, "You're of the devil. Satan is using you in my life." That's not what I'm trying to get across. You just need to recognize that Satan-as well as G.o.d-can speak through and use the people in your life. Like Jesus, you need to discern whose voice is coming through.
More than thirty years ago, my mother wanted to take my wife, my oldest son (who was one at the time), and me to the Smoky Mountains. This was back during our "poverty days." Jamie and I were struggling financially and didn't have any money, but since Mother offered to pay for everything on the trip, we decided to go ahead and go.
At that time, my mother had just started believing G.o.d for healing. Since she hadn't seen the manifestation yet in the specific areas she'd been believing for, basically she had suffered a defeat. Due to this, Mother was on the bubble about whether this "healing stuff" really worked or not. Since then, she's turned around and received great healing, but this was way back in the beginning of our ministry when Mother still thought I was somewhere out on the lunatic fringe.
Anyway, as we began our trip, Mother was nursing a little bit of a cold. She started saying negative things about my son like, "Keep him away from me or he'll catch this cold."
I'd answer, "No, Mother. He's not going to catch this cold."
Then she'd complain about the money, saying, "I really shouldn't be taking this trip. I don't have the money to do it."
So I just told her, "Hey, Mother. We have zippo, zilch, nada. If you don't have the money to take this trip, we need to go home now because I can't help you."
She'd respond, "Oh no! I've got plenty of money." Mother was just in a negative mindset, which made it a bad situation. During the hot summer day, my son sat right in front of the air conditioner. Since I understood that we can have what we say (Mark 11:23), it really bothered me when she said things like, "Don't put him there. He'll catch a cold!"
I'd have to counter that with, "No, he's not going to catch a cold."
"SHUT UP!"
All this griping and complaining was really out of character for my mother. She is a super lady and is usually very positive, but she was just stuck in this negative mindset. She talked doubt and unbelief all day long. It was a constant battle back and forth to counter what was being said. Since this was my mother, I tried to be as polite and kind as I possibly could.
The very first night of the trip, we all stayed in a hotel room together. Our son was sleeping in a little crib. Around eleven o'clock, he woke up with this croup in his throat that you could have heard in the next room. It was loud and he could hardly breathe, so I got up, prayed in tongues, rebuked the croup, and released my faith. He went back to sleep and everything was fine.
Thirty minutes later, the same thing happened. I got up, prayed over him, and he went back to sleep. Every thirty minutes, I was up and down like a yo-yo, praying over our son and trying to get him back to sleep. Finally, about three in the morning on one of my trips back to bed, my mother said, "Admit it, Andy. He's sick!"
I got right down there, stuck my finger in her face, and said, "Satan, in the name of Jesus, I command you to shut up! I will not receive any of your criticism or any of your curses. My son is blessed and not cursed!" Then I started speaking the Word. Mother never said another word, and our son never got up again that night. He was just fine, but Mother didn't say anything for two whole days- and we were together all the time in a car on vacation.
Finally, when she did speak, she cried, "Well, I'm sorry you think I'm the devil" and started into this self-pity party.
I said, "Mother, you know enough to know better. I've told you the Word of G.o.d. You knew that stuff you were saying was exactly opposite the Word. You'd just given yourself over to Satan. I'm not mad at you. I was just standing against the devil. He was trying to steal my faith for healing."
To this day, Mother continues to be one of my very best friends. She's over ninety five years old and enjoys the blessing of good health. My approach that night was pretty strong, but I knew Satan was behind this attack trying to steal my faith.
You can certainly take a stand against what people say with more tact than I displayed back then. I was young in the Lord and that's just the way I responded, but the principle applies regardless of how you administer it.
STRETCHED TO THE MAX.
We are in a spiritual battle! Unfortunately, most of the time people don't recognize it. They're just looking at things from a natural, human perspective. They factor G.o.d, the devil, and the whole supernatural realm right out of the equation. The average person doesn't realize the spiritual dynamics taking place. G.o.d doesn't send bad things our way. It's not just happenstance or fate. There's a real enemy out there that we must learn to deal with.
The first time I tried to produce a book was about twenty years ago. It was my Life for Today-Gospels Edition study Bible and commentary, which is almost six hundred pages long.
This was going to be a major expense. At that time, my ministry income was so low that to come up with $50,000 to print a book was two or three months' worth of income for me. This project was really stretching me to the max!
A number of different publishers came and offered to help us with the project. One offered to reduce our cost to $27,000 if we would pay right away. They said, "We're in a bind and need the money. If you pay right away, we'll give you this discount." So I went to my partners, raised the money-more than a month's worth of income at the time-and gave it to them. This was a major deal for us.
Within a month, I learned that the salesman had run off with our money. In fact, he'd burned several other well-known preachers at the same time!
I remember when I heard this news. My employee said, "This salesman just took our $27,000. We're going to have to come up with an additional $45,000 just in the next week or so to be able to make this project work. All together, we're looking at about $70,000."
SEVENFOLD.
My first reaction was shock. Is this really true? Then came a fleshly twinge of wanting to beat up this salesman. But I recognized who the real culprit was. Satan had come against me and was trying to steal from me.
Immediately, Proverbs 6:31 came to mind.
But if [a thief] be found, he shall restore sevenfold; he shall give all the substance of his house.
I recognized that this wasn't just a person trying to steal from me. Obviously, there were demonic ent.i.ties working behind the scenes. So within seconds of getting this news, I realized, This is the devil stealing from me, and I've caught him. Therefore, according to the Word of G.o.d, I demand it back seven times! Immediately, I took a piece of paper and figured out seven times $70,000. Instead of being angry, depressed, and hurt, I started dancing and praising G.o.d, saying, "Hallelujah, this is awesome. I'm getting $490,000 back this year!" As I continued praising G.o.d, that situation never did get me down or discouraged.
When that year was over, we had increased nearly to the penny $490,000-exactly seven times the amount of money that was taken from us. That was back during a period of time when our entire income was only about $500,000 a year. We nearly doubled our income that year!
What could have been a tragic scenario turned into a positive situation because I recognized that I'm not fighting flesh and blood. I'm fighting a spiritual battle, with spiritual weapons, against spiritual enemies. I realized that Satan was trying to come against me, and then acted on the Word.
WHO'S INFLUENCING WHOM?.
I've actually loaned people money before who have never paid me back. They said they would, but for whatever reason, they didn't. Instead of taking an offense and getting mad at the person, I recognize that this is Satan. Of course, the person cooperated in some measure and allowed him to do it, but I recognize that the devil was trying to get me into unforgiveness. So I just forgive them. My att.i.tude is, "Hey, just take it as a gift. I'm not going to sit here and harbor any animosity over this. It's not worth it."
You might think, Man, I'd never do something like that. But I recognize that there is a spiritual battle raging-and n.o.body is going to rent s.p.a.ce in my mind! n.o.body is going to occupy my heart except G.o.d. I refuse to harbor unforgiveness toward anyone. I will not allow bitterness even a toehold in my life. I'm aware that Satan uses such things as an inroad against me. Like it or not, there's a spiritual battle raging right now for your heart and mind. As you think in your heart is the way that you'll be. (Prov. 23:7.) Your thoughts become what you say and do, with your actions being the greatest expression of your authority. Therefore, you'll be influenced, dominated, and ruled by whomever you yield yourself to-G.o.d or Satan.
Chapter 2.
Whom He May Devour When you yield yourself to sin, you're serving Satan, who is the author of that sin. But when you yield yourself to obedience, you serve G.o.d, who is the author of that righteousness.
Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?
ROMANS 6:16.
In this spiritual battle, your actions are very important.
Most people recognize that actions are important in the physical realm. You know that there are consequences for what you do. If you're speeding while driving, you could get a ticket or cause a wreck. The ticket could cost money and put points on your license. The wreck could damage cars or even cost someone their life. When we talk negatively about someone, we can hurt their feelings or even loose demonic powers against them.
There's much more to life than just this physical, natural, surface level. Spiritual dynamics are constantly taking place. Whether or not the person you're speaking evil about ever knows it, you'll be affected. Venting anger, frustration, resentment, or unforgiveness affects you whether it affects anyone else or not. I've actually ridden with people who are very vocal in traffic when someone cuts them off. They've told me, "That person doesn't know what I said. They didn't hear me." It doesn't matter whether they ever hear you or not. If you get angry and bitter, you've just yielded yourself to Satan. Whether you recognize it or not, the devil is the one who influences us to respond in the wrong way.
THE WRATH OF MAN.
James 1:20 says, "The wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of G.o.d." In other words, giving place to anger and bitterness doesn't accomplish the righteousness of G.o.d. You aren't going to accomplish G.o.d's purposes by getting in the flesh, giving in to anger, and losing your temper. That's not the way G.o.d's kingdom works. So whether anyone else ever hears you or not-what you say is having an effect on you.
A fellow I led to the Lord some time ago was genuinely converted and had come quite a ways in his discipleship. He upholstered cars and was trying to restore a certain old one. One day, I went over to his house and knocked on the door but there was no answer. I knew he was home, so I walked around to the backyard. As I came around the corner of his house, I heard this awful profanity, screaming, and yelling.
This brother had a fence post and was beating the fire out of that car!
He was cussing this car up and down as I-his pastor-came around the corner. When he saw me, he stopped for a moment (conviction, I presume) and said, "Well, it's just a car. It's doesn't matter what I say to it. I didn't hurt anybody." I had to explain to him that it didn't matter what it was. When you give place to anger and vent like that, Satan jumps on it like a chicken on a June bug. The enemy will take full advantage of an open door like that to come and steal, kill, and destroy. (John 10:10.) Where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work. JAMES 3:16 Notice how this didn't say, "some" evil works. It didn't say envying and strife "could" allow the devil to come against "certain types of people." No, when you get into envy and strife, you're flinging the door wide open and saying, "Come on in Satan and do your worst in my life." You're drawing a great big target on your back and saying, "Shoot your best shot!" When you give in to envy and strife, you make yourself a target for the devil.
ARE YOU SPIRITUALLY STINKY? We are unto G.o.d a sweet savour [smell] of Christ, in them that are saved, and in them that perish. 2 CORINTHIANS 2:15 What is your spiritual scent? Are you giving off the sweet aroma of Christ, or are you spiritually stinky? Just like flies and rats, demons are attracted to open wounds and garbage in your life. Your rotten att.i.tude-getting mad in traffic, being bitter over whatever, and criticizing everything and everyone- is putting out an aroma that's drawing every demon in the county to your house. And you wonder, Why am I having these problems? Why does nothing go right for me? That's just ignorance gone to seed. You need to recognize that we're in a spiritual battle. Your thoughts, att.i.tudes, words, and actions are either releasing the power of G.o.d in your life, or they're releasing the power of the devil.
You might think, Fate is against me. I have bad luck. You may even put it off on the Lord, saying, "G.o.d, why have You allowed these things to happen to me?" It's not like that at all. G.o.d is good and He's doing everything He can to save, bless, heal, and prosper you. However, we do have an enemy who is going around looking for anyone he may destroy.
Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.
1 PETER 5:8.
Notice that it's "whom he may devour." Satan cannot devour (or destroy) you without your cooperation. One way he gains that cooperation is through ignorance. You may think that it doesn't matter if you get mad at the car you're working on, or the driver who just cut you off in traffic. You might think that n.o.body's harmed when you gossip about someone who isn't there, saying, "They won't hear this." But the truth is, once you start venting these things, Satan takes advantage of it.
For some reason or another, we feel like politicians are just fair game. We think we're free to say anything we want about them because the freedom of speech our country enjoys encourages us to voice our disagreement. However, there is a right and wrong way to do it. I've heard Christians rail on a presidential candidate or some other public officer in ways that aren't healthy. You can disagree without putting a person to shame with the words you say. It doesn't matter whether they ever hear you or not. You could be opening up a door to the devil through your words. (Rom. 6:16.) SPIRITUAL DYNAMICS.
You need to set a watch before your mouth (Ps. 141:3) and take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ. (2 Cor. 10:5.) You need to control your actions (Gal. 5:22-24) and recognize that the demonic realm is trying to take a shot at you every day of your life. If you allow a door to be opened to them, they'll come in for no other purpose than to steal, kill, and destroy. (John 10:10.) Remember, Satan is looking for whom he may devour.
You need to learn to recognize the spiritual dynamics happening in your life. G.o.d wants you to yield to Him so that His power and blessings can be released in you. Satan wants you to yield to him so that destruction and death can be released in you. In order to gain an inroad, the enemy is constantly trying to snare you with bitterness, unforgiveness, and unG.o.dliness of all kinds. Therefore, no matter what you do, you're either obeying G.o.d or obeying Satan. You're either submitting to G.o.d and His influence or to Satan and his influence. Every time you act, you are releasing spiritual power- either G.o.d's or the devil's-into your life. Since most people are ignorant of this truth, they allow all kinds of things in their life. Yet, if they were to recognize the results they're going to reap, they would never allow these things.
At one time the wife of one of our Bible college students was suffering from severe depression. When I began to tell her how she could be delivered from this, she explained that she had battled depression since she was a little girl. She'd go through a period of one or two months each year where she would be severely depressed and have to treat it with medication.
When I told her, "You don't want to live that way anymore; you need to get over this," she answered, "This is just the way that I am. It's not hurting anything. I get over it. Everything's okay in a month or so." She had totally accepted and embraced this depression, thinking it was only a pa.s.sing thing that had no lasting impact. But every time we submit to doing things Satan's way, we are having spiritual relations with him, which conceives evil. It isn't just benign.
SIN'S CONCEPTION.