I’ve met a lot of people lately, myself included, who have numerous and recurring problems which they can’t seem to overcome without encountering five more unexpected setbacks. Obviously everyone has issues, and I don’t intend to make light of anyone’s struggles, but I think sometimes we’re all guilty of tolerating and feeling discouraged by our problems, when instead we should be chasing after them with a sledgehammer. Jesus promised every one of us that we would have problems in this life, but as John 16:33 clearly states, we shouldn’t be focusing on those problems at all, but rather on the Savior who overcame ALL the troubles of this world.
Jesus didn’t die on the cross so that you could barely squeak by in life. He came to give you life, and life more abundantly. Too often, I think we as believers are very skillful at recognizing spiritual attacks directed against us in life. The problem I see is that, while we quite correctly assess when the Enemy is moving against us, we fail to respond to it appropriately. I can personally attest to the fact that it’s very tempting, upon recognizing some evil directed at my life, to simply curl up in the fetal position and cry, “woe is me, I’m under heavy spiritual attack and I need God to save me somehow.” What we fail to realize is that God has granted us, through his son Jesus, complete access to his presence and power at any given moment of our lives simply by invoking it in prayer.
In Luke chapter 10, Jesus appoints 72 disciples and sends them out into the surrounding countryside with a divine commission to heal the sick, drive out demons, and spread the good news of the Gospel. I’ll pick up the reading in verse 17…
In Luke chapter 10, Jesus appoints 72 disciples and sends them out into the surrounding countryside with a divine commission to heal the sick, drive out demons, and spread the good news of the Gospel. I’ll pick up the reading in verse 17…
The seventy-two returned with joy and said, “Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name.”
He replied, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you."
He replied, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you."
What many believers fail to recognize, or at least struggle to remember on a daily basis, is that YOU were divinely appointed by God through his Son Jesus to speak on His behalf and to wield His authority over the spiritual forces of this earth.
In the highly political world of D.C., pretty much everyone is familiar with the concept and role of a Chief of Staff. Every Congressman, Senator, and even the President himself has a Chief of Staff who is appointed to act as their right hand, speaking on their behalf and approving or disapproving of things which they deem ultimately too inconsequential to waste their bosses’ time with. Even in the story of Joseph, we see that Pharaoh appoints Joseph as his second-in-command over the entire kingdom of Egypt, and he gives Joseph his signet ring as a symbol of his authority and position as his representative. Jesus himself also uses the ring as an example in the story of the prodigal son, when in verse 22, upon his son’s joyous return to his father’s house, he immediately commands that a ring be placed on his finger as a sign that he once again belongs to his father’s family and, consequently, carries his authority.
When Jesus commissions his disciples just before his departure from earth, he begins his last words to them by saying, “All authority in Heaven and on Earth has been given to me. Therefore, go...”
What he’s saying, in essence, is that because he has all power and authority at his command, he has therefore empowered us to be his representatives on this planet until his return. You are, in effect, God’s Chief of Staff on this earth. The problems you encounter are nothing compared to the ring you wear on your hand, which represents the authority of the highest King in the universe. Are you experiencing depression? Rebuke it in the name of Jesus. Do you need healing for a physical illness or injury? Claim that restoration by the power of the Great Physician. Do you require deliverance from a persistent and debilitating addiction? Declare in the name of the Most High God that the power of the enemy over your life is shattered.
Nevertheless, let’s all keep one last thing in mind: YOU are not omnipotent. You merely represent someone who is. As Jesus continues in the passage in Luke 10, he warns the disciples:
“However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”
This is not the name-it-and-claim-it prosperity gospel. Although you have been granted authority by the King of Kings, it’s important to remember that God still works when and where he wills, not wherever you WANT him to. Just as every Chief of Staff is responsible to the one who hired them, so too every one of us is accountable to God for the way in which we represent Him.
It’s time to stop allowing your problems to dictate your situation. Start invoking the Name of your almighty protector and redeemer over your situations, not as a last resort, but as a first line of attack.
In the highly political world of D.C., pretty much everyone is familiar with the concept and role of a Chief of Staff. Every Congressman, Senator, and even the President himself has a Chief of Staff who is appointed to act as their right hand, speaking on their behalf and approving or disapproving of things which they deem ultimately too inconsequential to waste their bosses’ time with. Even in the story of Joseph, we see that Pharaoh appoints Joseph as his second-in-command over the entire kingdom of Egypt, and he gives Joseph his signet ring as a symbol of his authority and position as his representative. Jesus himself also uses the ring as an example in the story of the prodigal son, when in verse 22, upon his son’s joyous return to his father’s house, he immediately commands that a ring be placed on his finger as a sign that he once again belongs to his father’s family and, consequently, carries his authority.
When Jesus commissions his disciples just before his departure from earth, he begins his last words to them by saying, “All authority in Heaven and on Earth has been given to me. Therefore, go...”
What he’s saying, in essence, is that because he has all power and authority at his command, he has therefore empowered us to be his representatives on this planet until his return. You are, in effect, God’s Chief of Staff on this earth. The problems you encounter are nothing compared to the ring you wear on your hand, which represents the authority of the highest King in the universe. Are you experiencing depression? Rebuke it in the name of Jesus. Do you need healing for a physical illness or injury? Claim that restoration by the power of the Great Physician. Do you require deliverance from a persistent and debilitating addiction? Declare in the name of the Most High God that the power of the enemy over your life is shattered.
Nevertheless, let’s all keep one last thing in mind: YOU are not omnipotent. You merely represent someone who is. As Jesus continues in the passage in Luke 10, he warns the disciples:
“However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”
This is not the name-it-and-claim-it prosperity gospel. Although you have been granted authority by the King of Kings, it’s important to remember that God still works when and where he wills, not wherever you WANT him to. Just as every Chief of Staff is responsible to the one who hired them, so too every one of us is accountable to God for the way in which we represent Him.
It’s time to stop allowing your problems to dictate your situation. Start invoking the Name of your almighty protector and redeemer over your situations, not as a last resort, but as a first line of attack.
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