AUTHORIZED TO TERRORIZE THE DEVIL

You are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is He that is in you, than he that is in the world - 1 John 4:4

“He that is in you” refers to our Almighty Father-God. "He that is in the world" refers to Satan, a fallen angel who drives his rebellious network of principalities, powers, and rulers of the darkness of this world (Eph.6:12). This infers that the power that's in the believer is greater than the power that's in the world. The power that backs our authority is greater than that which backs our enemies. In Christ, Satan no longer has the right to rule or exercise dominion over us.

Demons and evil spirits are fallen angels who have been dethroned by the Lord Jesus Christ. We must learn to deal with them on the basis of this sound knowledge, that Jesus defeated them, spoiled them, and put them to nought: “Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it” (Col. 2:15). Since Jesus has dethroned demons, we can in turn exercise dominion and reign over them!

Every believer possesses authority over the devil. We can break the power of the devil if he raises his head anywhere in our lives, in the lives of our loved ones, and in any life that we have spiritual influence over. Of course, authority must always be properly defined. That I have dominion over the devil doesn't mean that I’ll go down the street casting the devil out of everyone in sight. It means I will exercise authority over the devil that’s trying to invade my own life and the lives of those connected with me. I’ve got authority over my own household that i don't have in another’s. I can make the devil desist in some of his schemes in somebody else's life, but i can't always cast him out, unless I have authority in that household.

James 4:7 says: “…Resist the devil, and he will flee from YOU.” In Christ, you have the authority to resist the devil and dispel his darkness from your vicinity, causing him to FLEE, as someone in fright or terror! You can run the devil away from you or your home anytime. If a person is on your premises or domain, you have authority over him. This Scripture doesn’t say that Jesus will resist the devil on your behalf. No, you are meant to consciously exercise your God-given dominion over him. Also, it doesn't say that the devil will flee from Jesus; it says he'll flee from YOU! If believers didn’t have authority over the devil, the Bible wouldn't tell us to do something about him, or to do something you couldn’t do.

As a believer in Christ, divine authority is yours whether you feel like you've got it or not. Authority has nothing to do with feelings; but you must exercise what you’ve got. You have been set free from the enemy and simultaneously empowered with the right to exercise authority over Satan and his hosts. You are now authorized to terrorize the devil and his clique. As you exercise your God-given authority, demons will quake and quiver in fear, because of Jesus, whom you represent.