The upsurge in astrological interest is unmistakable evidence of moral and social decay. Occultism rises ominously in times of world turmoil, religious apostasy, and moral decline. So says Chuck Swindoll. ¹ While there may be a rise in demon activity on planet earth, there also is a rise of believers in Jesus who know their authority in Christ and are using it. Maybe you don’t know that Jesus made you an authorized one or maybe you do know but you have cooled off in this area. If so, getting back to the Word in this area is the source of our life and victory.

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You can view a basic transcript of this podcast at the bottom of this section.

Accept the Challenge

Each week’s podcast contains a call to action. The Word of God will not produce in your life unless you put into operation.
This week’s call is:

Rise up and use your God given authority. Pray, lay your hands on the sick. Stop the enemy right in his tracks. Refuse to accept anything which is not of God in your life.

Join the Conversation

Each week’s podcast also contains a question designed to encourage testimony. Testimony is vital to a believer’s life. We overcome by it (Rev. 12:11).
This week’s question is:

Question: How has the subject of authority impacted your life? Would you please share your thoughts in the comments section below?

Episode Resources:

You can find additional information on the subject of the Kingdom of God in the resources listed below.

1. #S3-044: What is the Kingdom of God? [Podcast]
2. #S3-045: What Does The Future Kingdom of God Look Like? [Podcast]
3. #S3-046: How Important in the Kingdom of God Are the Kings Kids? [Podcast]
4. #S3-047: Why the Lordship of Jesus Is the Linchpin of Kingdom Authority [Podcast]

About Emery

Emery committed his life to the Lord Jesus Christ over 40 years ago and has served as both a full-time pastor and an itinerant minister. Both he and his wife Sharon of 35 years emphasize personal growth and development through the Word of God. The ministry of the Holy Spirit is both the focus and the hallmark of their mission. Read more about them here.

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If you enjoyed the podcast, please rate it on Stitcher Radio and leave a review. If you have a suggestion for a Bible topic you would like to see taught, or if you have a question, please e-mail me at emery@emeryhorvath.com

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Podcast Notes

Matthew 2:16–18 (NKJV) 16 Then Herod, when he saw that he was deceived by the wise men, was exceedingly angry; and he sent forth and put to death all the male children who were in Bethlehem and in all its districts, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had determined from the wise men. 17 Then was fulfilled what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet, saying: 18 “A voice was heard in Ramah, Lamentation, weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children, Refusing to be comforted, Because they are no more.”

• People are influenced by demons.
• Herod certainly was.
• What causes a man to kill innocent two-year-old children like this?
• What causes a man like Hitler to do the atrocities which he did?
• A mother strangles her child to death.
  • She says “A voice told me to do it.”
• The son of Sam killed people in New York City because of a dog, a Labrador retriever, told him to.
  • David Berkowitz murdered six people and wounded seven others.
  • He was also responsible for fourteen hundred arson attacks.
• He was sentenced to 365 years in jail.
• In 1987, David gave his heart to God and is actively involved in prison ministry to this day.
• The need to know about Kingdom authority is rooted in this singular fact, you are not alone on planet earth.
• In Eden, the most perfect place which ever existed on the planet, Adam found out that he was not alone.

Genesis 3:1 (NLT) 1 The serpent was the shrewdest of all the wild animals the LORD God had made. One day he asked the woman, “Did God really say you must not eat the fruit from any of the trees in the garden?”

• The fact that the human race shares the same space on planet earth with demons is not a reason to fear once you understand your kingdom ‘position’ in Christ.
• This position is expressed in Ephesians 1:16-22 and in 2:6.

Positional Truths Versus ‘Here and Now’ Realities

Ephesians 1:16–22 (KJV) — 16 Cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers; 17 That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him: 18 The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, 19 And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, 20 Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, 21 Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come: 22 And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church,

• Paul prayed for the Ephesian Church.
• This prayer contains within it the very foundations of authority.
• The very reason why you are authorized is found within these words.
• What did Paul pray?
• He prayed that God, the Father, would give to the Ephesian believers a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him and that the eyes of their understanding would be enlightened.
• You will never really know Bible truth any other way.
• To what end?
• Well, Paul tells us.
  • That we may know some things.
  • This knowing is an enlightened knowing.
  • It’s a spirit of wisdom and revelation knowing.
  • It’s not just knowing facts.
  • The Bible has sixty-six books, that’s a fact.
  • There’s no enlightenment in that.
  • Noah built an ark,
  • There’s no enlightenment in that.
  • Here in Ephesians, the fact is raised from the dead.
  • There’s no enlightenment in that.
  • It’s just fact.
  • Paul’s prayer is that we might be able to get the truth behind the facts.
• What facts?
• Well, three specific things.
  • The hope of His calling
  • The riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints.
  • The exceeding greatness of His power.
• Then, from verse twenty on through verse twenty-two, Paul amplifies or blows up the last of the three things you need to know which is the exceeding greatness of His power displayed in raising Jesus from the dead.
• Notice what God’s power did.
• It has to do with authority.
• He raised Jesus up FAR ABOVE.
• Not just a little bit above, but far above.
• Far above what?

Principalities

• The word ‘principality means a supernatural ruler.
• It means any supernatural being, besides God, acting in a ruling or commanding capacity; either good or evil.
• That would mean angels.
• It would mean demons.
• It would mean the four living beasts who are around the Throne.

Powers

• The word ‘power’ is the Greek word exousia or delegated authority.
• It is any person who exercises (administrative) control over others.

Might

• The word for ‘might’ is the word for dunamis which is, in this context, any influential, governing authority understood in terms of physical strength; including both human and supernatural authorities.

Dominion

• ‘Dominion’ here is the Greek word for lordship.
• The word is a noun and it is the state of having majestic dominion or ownership through legal authority; including both human and supernatural dominance.
• Now in case that’s not enough, Paul gives us a fifth phrase, ‘and every name that is named.’
• Just in case he missed something.
• So, what is the sum total of these five descriptors?
• The picture which Paul paints here is total dominion.
• Where do I come in?
• How does it help me to know He has dominion?

Seated with Jesus

Ephesians 2:6–8 (ESV) 6 and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God,

• We are living so below when really we are so far above.
• To illustrate this positional truth just ask yourself, where are you seated physically right now?
• In the natural we are here, on planet earth, a physical location.
• But, in the spirit realm, you are not here, you are seated with Jesus in heaven.
• God the Father does not look down to see you.
• He looks to His right hand to see you because Jesus is seated at His right hand and you are sitting there with Him.
• This is what a positional truth is.
• It’s different than natural truth.
• Naturally, you are sitting here.
• Spiritually, you are sitting there.
• So when you’re dealing with the enemy, you have to remember which chair you are sitting in.
• This truth, that you’re seated with Jesus in heavenly places, is a positional truth.
• Positional truths are ‘true’ whether you ever act on them or not.
• They are truths as God sees them or as God has LEGALLY established them.
• Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to pull on God’s positional truths until it changes things here in the natural.
• Satan will take advantage of you if you don’t.
• One tactic of the enemy is to magnify the natural and blow it up so big until you forget what chair you’re sitting in.
• It works something like this.
• Watch the negative situations which arise in your life.
• Watch your thought life.
• Because the thought will come and the feeling will arise that if you really had authority, all of this negativity wouldn’t be happening.
• When that happens Satan is trying to cloud God’s positional truths by making the ‘here and now’ so big that you forget about where you’re seated.
• Understand, Satan has no access to positional truth.
• It’s established in God.
• It’s established by the Blood Jesus shed.
• Positional truth is a God area.
• You are seated with Jesus far above all.
• If you learn to step back and look at what’s happening’ and ask yourself ‘what’s the real truth here?’, you will be the one with the advantage.
• What is the real truth when you’re being attacked by the enemy?
• The real truth is you’re seated with Him above the enemy.
• What’s the difference between people who know and act on these ‘authority’ truths and people who don’t?
• The difference is this.
• When the enemy comes to attack those who don’t understand their authority will look up to heaven for help.
• Whereas those who understand that they are authorized will look down from heaven and overcome.
• Your whole disposition is different when you’re looking down.
• So, step up and take a seat.

• When God raised Jesus from the dead, He raised you.
• Authority is an indicator of healthy Kingdom living.
• So, if authority is the key thing we should look at to know that the Kingdom is here, our focus shouldn’t be the future Millennial Reign of Jesus.
• We should start walking out our authority now.
• The kingdom of God is the Kings domain.
• It’s the dominion of the King.
• If you are not exercising dominion, if you are not walking in authority, if you are not binding, loosing, and rebuking the works of darkness, then you are missing out on a vital aspect of Kingdom of God life.
• The very word ‘Kingdom’, as we have already seen, speaks to this truth.
• Because the word Kingdom has dominion in it.
• The Kingdom of God is the domain where God reigns.
• It’s the sphere where God exercises domination.
• Or, we could say it this way.
• The Kingdom of God is the domain where God exercises dominion.

The Connection Between Authority and the Kingdom of God

• Jesus said these stunning words about the Kingdom of God in Luke 11:20.

Luke 11:20 (NKJV) 20 But if I cast out demons with the finger of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you.

• So, we’ve already noted the first words out of the mouth of Jesus.
• After He was anointed, after He was tempted in the wilderness, Jesus spoke out, ‘Repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.’
• But, did you notice how demons went flying out of people, Jesus cast them out left and right.
• Demons being expelled, demons being pummeled, demons screeching, demons begging to be left alone, demons being driven into the dry places of the earth are all part of the Kingdom God in manifestation.
• “If I cast out demons with the finger of God”, Jesus said, “surely the kingdom of God has come upon you.”
• Jesus exercised dominion over devils.
• And why not?
• The King always exercises dominion in His domain.
• Jesus cast them out.
• The Greek word ‘cast out’ means to drive out with force.
• It means to force to leave, to drive out, or expel. ²
• That means there wasn’t any negotiation.
• After all, this is the King whose talking.
• This is the King who is saying, “Come out of him, you unclean spirit.”
• You don’t ever want to mess with the King.

Adam’s Dominion Failure

• You must understand that the very reason why we are not in the Garden of Eden is that there was a child of the King who was given dominion by the King and he choose not to use it.
• Genesis 1:26 comes before Adam and Eve fell in the Garden.

Genesis 1:26 (ESV) — 26 Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”

• Adam’s failure was a dominion failure.
• Do we really want to make that mistake again?
• God gave Adam dominion over all the earth.
• So, here comes a serpent slithering into the Garden except it’s not just any old serpent, it’s Satan in league with a snake.
• What does Adam do when his territory is encroached upon?
• Does he defend his territory?
• Does he drive out the intruder?
• All he had to do was say ‘No’.
• All he had to do was to say to the serpent ‘Get out of here.’
• God had already said, ‘I give you authority over everything that creeps.’
• Look at all mankind has been through over the failure to use authority one single time.
• The Kingdom of God is about authority.
• Jesus said, ‘If I cast out devils by the Spirit of God, that’s how you know the Kingdom has come upon you.’
• The Kingdom is not this floating thing that people have thought, you know angels and harps.
• Adam failed to defend his territory.
• Will you make the same mistake?

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