The Authority of God

 Some in our church have been studying the events that are taking place in our nation and how evil has gained so much control in the past few months.  As Christians, we have been seeking what we should do to fight the corruption spreading across our nation.  Paul warned us that we are not fighting a ground battle against evil; we fight a war against powerful entities in the heavens.  These power control nations and move men to do evil against mankind.  There is not one nation on this earth that is under the control of the LORD.  There are even fewer churches that are under the power of the LORD.  Many within the church know nothing about the warfare that is taking place every day.  Churches have emulated the world for so long that they have lost their relevance to society.  Many within the church are unsaved and never have come to the knowledge of salvation.  We have been reduced to a social gathering and no longer a warrior priesthood.

 

When Paul used the illustration of putting on God's armor, he used the most fearful warrior he could picture at that time-- a Roman soldier.  Today, when we talk about the armor of God, we have no idea what we are talking about.  We lack the power even to be a force on the battlefield.  We are not trained to handle the weapons God has given to us. Yet, we believe that if we think we have put on the armor, we are safe.  Military people are not given weapons to use until they are qualified to use them.

 

We have Christians going on the battlefield thinking that they will be protected by all the armor God has provided.  Not so.  It would be best if you learned how to use it first.  We go to battle against the demons and evil spirits; they laugh at us because they know we have not come under the power and authority of the LORD.  They know we are still serving the devil.  The Christian is to be holy as the LORD is holy; that is a command.  To fulfill that command, we must yield to the authority of God in our life.  We seek the things of the Kingdom over the things of this earth.  We are not subject to the rule of the principalities in high place but under the authority of God.

What does it mean to under the authority of God?

Matthew 8:5-10 and when Jesus entered Capernaum a centurion came to Him imploring Him and saying Lord, my servant is lying paralyzed at home fearfully tormented and Jesus said to him I will come and heal him but the centurion said Lord I'm not worthy for you to come under my roof but just say the word and my servant will be healed for I am also a man under authority with soldiers under me I say to this one go and he goes and to another come and he comes and to my slave do this and he does it now when Jesus heard this He marveled and said to those who were following truly I say to you I have not found such great faith with anyone in Israel what is it that would cause the son of God to marvel it says Jesus marveled He was astonished what astonished Him the faith of this man and the amazing thing this was not a man who was a part of Israel he was not a part of the covenant this was a gentile man and Jesus said this man has more faith than anyone of the household of faith this man has a greater understanding of what faith actually is what is it that He's talking about here He's talking about the exercise of authority this man understood that when authority is released power goes with that authority he understood the power of a word he understood that Jesus could just speak a word and it would release power from God to bring healing to his servant Jesus didn't need to physically go there and lay hands on him that His word released authority so the question would be how do we get that kind of authority?

That authority came with salvation, but many have never learned how to walk in that authority, and here he reveals a principle this man said I am a man under authority. I understand that when my boss speaks and releases authority, I obey his command, so I know that when you speak, all of creation has to obey you because you are God almighty. Jesus said, wow, I wish everybody would get that revelation; that's the revelation that we need today.

 When I speak His word, it releases His power, not my word in and of itself that has any authority or any power His word because I'm under His authority.  Coming under authority requires obedience.

3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: 4 (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds;) 5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ; 6 And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled. 2 Corth. 10:3-6

The source of every spiritual battle you fight is rooted in one of three things: the world, your flesh, or the devil. And, a massive part of each battle takes place in your mind. Thus, we were given the helmet of salvation to protect our minds.

The problem is our helmets cannot protect us if we have the devil in our mind.  God places great importance on your mind, and He created you so that you will always move in the direction of your dominant thoughts. The Bible says in Proverbs 23:7, "For as he thinks in his heart, so is he." What and how you think affects every area of your life.

It's pretty simple: the way you think is the way you live. Your thoughts shape your habits and control your life. God intends that His words would influence all your thoughts and actions. Jesus said, "It is written, 'Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God" (Luke 4:4). That is what should be normal for us.

Most people assume the way they think is "normal," but that is not necessarily so. Our culture, traditions, how we were raised, and the things we experience fill us with thoughts, ideas, and beliefs. Unfortunately, many of these are far from what God says is normal.

The Apostle Paul talks about how God has equipped us to deal with thoughts that do not line up with His Word. He said, "For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ" (2 Corinthians 10:4-5).

We need to take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ. This means that there will be thoughts that come into our minds that we need to reject. These thoughts – the ones we should reject but do not – can become strongholds.

Strongholds are the result of wrong thinking or beliefs that have taken root in your life. They are contrary to God's thoughts and are most often inspired by the devil's lies – lies you believe about yourself, God, or others – and they give the devil a stronghold on your actions, behaviors, and habits. The more intensely you believe these lies, the stronger the hold.

 

If we have strongholds in our minds, we are not living under the authority of God.  Salvation is transforming the mind to change your behavior.  It is not by prayer; it is by action.  You can pray a thousand prayers, but your behavior will not change if you do not renew your mind. If you do not change how you think, you will not change how you act because as you think in your heart, so are you.

Strongholds don't just sit in your mind doing nothing. Instead, they produce actions, behaviors, and habits that seem impossible to get rid of no matter what you try. It is like being in a boat that is filling up with water. You can grab a bucket and work hard at getting the water out of the boat, but the water is not the problem.

The problem is that there is a hole in the bottom of the boat. Until you plug the hole, you are going to keep getting water in the boat. All the hard work in the world will not get the water out.

The hole in the bottom of a boat is like a stronghold. It is something you believe that causes certain behavior or habits. You can try hard to get rid of the behavior, but it just keeps coming back like the water. You cannot get rid of the habit until you change what you believe. That is how you plug the hole.

When you change what you believe, you will change what you do. As you think in your heart, so will you be.

James 5:16

Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed—the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.

 

I asked God to show me any strongholds I had in my mind.  Things that would hinder me from being under God's authority things that would give the devil a place in my mind.  How can I win the battle if the enemy is already in my mind?

Here is what the LORD showed me.  Some people in this church irritate me, and the LORD showed me I need to repent and stop letting Satan push my buttons.  My dad used to say; if I know where your goat is tied, I can let it loose at any time.  Satan knows where our goat is tied, and he will let it loose whenever. So we allow Satan to use people to get to us. So I asked God to forgive me.  I didn't ask him to change the people who irritate me but change my thinking to transform my mind. I am the one with the stronghold in my mind.  After service, don't come to me and ask if You were the one who irritated me.  You need to ask God if you have been allowing Satan to use you to hinder others.  Clear out the stronghold in your mind and put yourself under the authority of God.

If we are to be successful on the battlefield of life, we must come under the authority of God.  That means complete surrender, yielding to His will.  We cannot allow the devil to build strongholds in our minds.  We cannot win the battle if the enemy is already in our minds.

Some people live in fear and refuse to follow through on the truth they know.  We allow Satan to control how we approach problems in our life.  There are many sprinters in life and few long-distance runners.  Some will talk about a good fight until a commitment to the battle is required.  They believe if they hide that they will escape the conflict.  The problem with this thinking is you have already lost and have surrendered to the devil.   You have to decide to come under the authority of God and trust Him that nothing can come on you unless God allows it.  Understand this open war is against you whether you accept it or not.  The only hope and power we have are under the authority of God.

10 There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling.  11 For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways.  12 They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone.

 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

The LORD is preparing a remnant will you be in that remnant?  I told you last Sunday I intend to go to heaven, and I would like you to be there.