Authority

We had a fun example of God at work last night, but a little background first.

When I was a lot younger and just starting out in Jesus’ service, I was walking our dogs in the fields beside our house. As usual a largish herd of cows began to take notice of our presence and started to move towards us. It was a little intimidating as they were distinctly coming straight for our youngest dog and began to run at us. The older dog began to head straight for the cows and barked at them with such confidence that the animals all turned and rushed away.

A little while later they were back and the older dog was off somewhere else. The pup took refuge closely behind me as the cows edged closer. When they had come far enough, I yelled at them briefly and they all scarpered.

I then looked at the pup and said, “Why don’t you use your bark, instead of cowering behind me? If you use your bark the cows will run away”.

Like a flash the LORD spoke clearly into my spirit, “And why don’t you use your authority to resist the enemy, instead of pleading that I do the work for you that you can do in My Name? Use your authority!”

On another occasion I was out praying alone on a path in some woods and suddenly this rabid dog came round the corner, foaming at the mouth and barking fiercely at me. Something rose up inside me and I looked at that ugly mutt and shouted “Hallelujah! Jesus is LORD!”. The dog screeched to a halt, turned round and, tail between its legs, raced off whimpering.

We have an important trip coming up to a remote place later this year, and I was sent a package (free of charge) from the USA with some expensive materials and equipment to share with the lost on this upcoming mission.

Yesterday I received word from the shipping company that the package had arrived and I went to the address where it was delivered only to find that it had not arrived and no one knew where it was. I asked some friends to pray and then, on the way home in the car, I realised that this smacked of an attack, and so I spoke out loud as I drove along a short command telling the enemy of our souls to back off and to “release the package in Jesus’ Name”. I then carried on home singing along with some worship songs and hymns.

It must have been twenty minutes or so later that I got a picture from my son-in-law of the package, which had been found and was now safely in hand. I had a real sense of that brief word stopping devilish plans.

Maybe someone reading this needs to know that it is time to stop begging God for things and, if you are in Christ and He is in you, use that authority that He has given you to resist the devil who has NO power over you, because Jesus has already overcome Him. Use your authority in Christ, because Jesus said, “All authority in Heaven and on earth has been given to Me, now go …” (Matt. xxviii 18 ff)