In Luke 10:19 Jesus said, “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.”
Here Jesus gave authority to the seventy disciples He sent out. But in Mark chapter 16, Jesus gave this same authority to everyone who is a believer.
When Jesus gave this authority to all who believe, He was giving the authority to the church. Christians are the church.
When you accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior, your spirit within you becomes “born again.” You become a part of the church. When the Bible talks about the church, if you are a believer in Jesus, it’s talking about you. And, as a Christian, you are an heir to the authority Jesus gave.
So when Jesus said “I give you authority…over all the power of the enemy,” He’s talking to you. As a believer you have been given authority over the demonic forces of this world. They are subject to you.
Now, the devil doesn’t care if you have authority over him as long as you don’t exercise it. As long as you stand idly by and let him destroy your home, finances and body, he could care less how much authority you have. All that concerns him is whether or not you use it.
Once I substituted in a high school class for a day. When I went into the class, the students knew I had authority. They knew I had the authority to expel them from class and to give them a failing grade for that day. But, they were not sure if I knew I had and would use my authority. So, they pushed just a little. They started making a few noises.
When I didn’t make them stop, they started getting a little louder. Eventually they were almost out of control. Then, I used my authority and got the class back in line. But it wasn’t easy. I had let things get so far out of hand that it took all the class time just to get things under control. If I had used my authority in the beginning, things would have never gotten out of control in the first place.
Satan is just like that high school class. He knows we have authority over him. He knows that with a word we can expel him. He knows that if we know our place in the body of Christ and operate in the anointing and authority that has been given to us, he will be ineffective in his attack on us. So, he tests us to see if we know we have the authority. And, if we know we have it, he tests us to see if we will use it.
We should walk daily in our authority. We should keep things under control. When we allow things to get to the limit, we usually act out of desperation rather than authority.
Ephesians 1 tells us that we are the body and Jesus is the head. Verse 22 says that God has put all things, principalities, powers, might and dominion and everything that has a name under the feet of Jesus. The feet are a part of the body. As the body of Christ, as believers, the enemy is under our feet.
Satan has been defeated, but he hasn’t been destroyed. You must take authority over him daily. And you can. Jesus gave you that authority.
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Dr. Larry Ollison is founder and Senior Pastor of Walk on the Water Faith Church and founder of Larry Ollison Ministries. With over forty years in the ministry, he is a very popular speaker nationally and internationally and ministers the Word of Faith through radio, television, Internet, and daily e-mail devotionals. As the author of twelve books (including The Power of Grace, The Practical Handbook for Christian Living, Breaking the Cycle of Offense, Life is in the Blood, and recently released The Paradise of God), he is in frequent demand for radio/TV interviews, book signings, and magazine publications.
Dr. Ollison was raised a Southern Baptist. While majoring in theology at Southwest Baptist University, he received the baptism of the Holy Spirit. For many years he traveled extensively speaking at Full Gospel Business Men's meetings and conventions. He later earned an M.A. in Theology and a Ph.D. and Th.D. from Life Christian University.
Currently President of International Convention of Faith Ministries (ICFM), Dr. Ollison is also Vice-President of Spirit FM Christian Radio Network, Missouri State Director of Christians United for Israel (CUFI), and a Trustee on the boards of several international ministries. He is also the host of The Cutting Edge Radio Broadcast and authors The Cutting Edge Daily Devotional.
As the owner of a marine dealership, his extensive business background brings a unique flavor to his teaching. He founded and served as chairman of the Missouri State Marine Board, President of the Marine Dealers’ Association, Vice-President of a bank holding company, along with holding several directorships in various corporations.
Dr. Ollison's strongest areas of teaching are the blood of Jesus, faith, relationships, the Hebrew language, the Holy Spirit, the end times, and heaven. During ministry, he operates freely in the gifts of the Holy Spirit. His use of humor and his ability to make a theological concept simple makes it enjoyable and easy for everyone to understand. Countless testimonies have been received from people who say their lives have been changed after experiencing Dr. Ollison's unique ministry.
Dr. Ollison is a pastor, pilot, teacher, and author. His number one goal is to meet the needs of the people through the teaching of faith in God's Word. He and his wife, Loretta, have two children and six grandchildren.