How do you exercise your authority as a believer? Did you even know you have authority? The bible lets us understand that we have been given authority over the power of the enemy (Luke 10:19). It is something that we received from God through Christ Jesus. Certainly, there must have been a reason we were given this free gift. So why? It is because as He (God) is so are we in this world (1 John 4:17). If we are children of The King, then we ought to also have a position of authority too! Now, what does this authority mean? It means we have control over certain situations. (Romans 8:15-17)

We know from our little or probably vast knowledge of monarchy form of rulership that the King does not handle all situations. He has subordinates who handle trivial and less serious matters among the people or concerning the nation. Which means, those people have a certain authority over their heads over their jurisdiction. So, it is for us as well. We have been given authority over some certain jurisdiction such as Luke 9:1 & Luke 10:19 tell us. Demons and powers of darkness are under our authority in the sense that we can permit them to function…or not.

Permission. It’s a word that’s gaining popularity in the church these days, for good reasons. Many people who know the authority of a believer, are now coming into understanding that a lot of things that happen around them need their permission to happen. Matthew 18:18 tells us that whatever we permit on earth is permitted in heaven and whatever we forbid on earth is forbidden in heaven. Eureka! The dots finally connect. This establishes that not all the things that happen to a Christian especially the bad, is orchestrated by God. Rather, it has been allowed in heaven because we have allowed it here on earth.

Sickness for example, is not in the will of God for His children, I mean what Father wishes for his child to be sick? So why do some Christians live in sickness? It simply because those Christian have permitted it either by actions or by words. By words in the sense that they keep claiming the sickness using phrases or words like “my” or “it usually happens to me” or “we have it in our family” (see posts on the power of the tongue for more on this). Or by actions such as in the case of a smoker. You know smoking destroys your lungs but you keep smoking anyway…is that not a permission to sickness? This also cuts across those who eat unhealthily and have made it a habit, you cannot be declaring that you are healed and that God will satisfy you with long life but keep doing things that could jeopardize your health. You are only giving permission to sickness.

It is just like a student wanting to pass his exams in flying colors but he never settles down to study neither does he do his assignments. Even if he keeps declaring that success is his portion and The Holy Spirit is his teacher, he would fail perfectly because he has chosen to permit failure by his actions.

However, one thing we can always count on God for is His ability to help us out of a messy situation. You and I were once a mess and we did not even know it…yet Jesus still came to die for our sins (Romans 5:8). You’re probably sitting there and thinking that you have lost it all maybe because in the time past you have permitted poverty or you’re calculating the odds of nailing success at this time of your life since you’ve wasted so much time permitting failure or you’re seated holding your doctor’s report which mirrors the unhealthy life you’ve been living. I am here to give you good news that God still rectifies mistakes. That student who didn’t study and ended up failing could realize his mistake and sit up against the next semester. He could study hard and even come out with the best result in his class because he has chosen to forbid failure and it will be forbidden in heaven too. Whatever situation you are in now as a result of you permitting it formerly, you still have a chance to sit up, make changes and forbid that thing here on earth so that it takes effect in heaven.

My pastor would always say that when you pray for healing, you have to begin to act like someone who is healed. I would not imagine someone healed from lung cancer probably because of smoking, going back to smoking. Therefore, if today you are forbidding sickness, failure or poverty, begin to act like one who is healed and take care of your health, begin to act like a success and do what people aiming success do, begin to act like someone living in abundance and work like the rich do.

Even your spiritual growth and exercising your spiritual authority (over forces of evil) boils down to your permission. Will you permit or forbid? … it is all in your control.