Definition of Authority: The power or right to give orders, make decisions, and enforce obedience
I always start with our personal responsibility.
We must take authority over our attitudes, words, and thoughts. It is our responsibility and we are not helpless.
Attitudes
Romans 12:2 And do not be conformed to this world [any longer with its superficial values and customs], but be transformed and progressively changed [as you mature spiritually] by the renewing of your mind [focusing on godly values and ethical attitudes], so that you may prove [for yourselves] what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect [in His plan and purpose for you].
Galatians 5:22-23 But the fruit of the Spirit [the result of His presence within us] is love [unselfish concern for others], joy, [inner] peace, patience [not the ability to wait, but how we act while waiting], kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control. Against such things there is no law.
We cannot let our emotions and feelings dictate our attitude. We can and will walk through difficult situations, but even when we face those situations we can allow the fruit of the Spirit to show though in our lives.
Use Galatians 5: 22-23 as a measuring stick for our lives-take inventory. Where do we come up short? What are we will to do to address the issue?
Words
Proverbs 11:9 With his mouth the godless man destroys his neighbor, But through knowledge and discernment the righteous will be rescued.
Proverbs 15:4 A soothing tongue [speaking words that build up and encourage] is a tree of life, But a perversive tongue [speaking words that overwhelm and depress] crushes the spirit.
Proverbs 16:24 Pleasant words are like a honeycomb, Sweet and delightful to the soul and healing to the body.
Proverbs 18:21 Death and life are in the power of the tongue, And those who love it and indulge it will eat its fruit and bear the consequences of their words.
Proverbs 18:4 The words of a man’s mouth are like deep waters [copious and difficult to fathom]; The fountain of [mature, godly] wisdom is like a bubbling stream [sparkling, fresh, pure, and life-giving].
Proverbs 12:18 There is one who speaks rashly like the thrusts of a sword, But the tongue of the wise brings healing.
Luke 6:43-45 For there is no good tree which produces bad fruit, nor, on the other hand, a bad tree which produces good fruit. 44 For each tree is known and identified by its own fruit. For figs are not picked from thorn bushes, nor is a cluster of grapes picked from a briar bush. 45 The [intrinsically] good man produces what is good and honorable and moral out of the good treasure [stored] in his heart; and the [intrinsically] evil man produces what is wicked and depraved out of the evil [in his heart]; for his mouth speaks from the overflow of his heart.
Our words reveal our heart condition.
Proverbs 21:23 He who guards his mouth and his tongue guards himself from troubles.
James 3:5 In the same sense, the tongue is a small part of the body, and yet it boasts of great things. See [by comparison] how great a forest is set on fire by a small spark!
James 1:26 If anyone thinks himself to be religious [scrupulously observant of the rituals of his faith], and does not control his tongue but deludes his own heart, this person’s religion is worthless (futile, barren).
Titus 3:2 to slander or abuse no one, to be kind and conciliatory and gentle, showing unqualified consideration and courtesy toward everyone.
Psalm 34:13 Keep your tongue from evil And your lips from speaking deceit. Anything that does not line up with the Word of God is deceit-the root is a lie.
Ephesians 4:29 Do not let unwholesome [foul, profane, worthless, vulgar] words ever come out of your mouth, but only such speech as is good for building up others, according to the need and the occasion, so that it will be a blessing to those who hear [you speak].
Matthew 12:36 But I tell you, on the day of judgment people will have to give an accounting for every careless or useless word they speak.
As the old saying goes-if you do not have anything good to say, don’t say anything at all.
Thoughts
The Bible would not tell us to take our thoughts captive if it wasn’t possible.
Authority given to us by Jesus
Binding and Loosing
Matthew 16:19
I will give you the keys (authority) of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you bind [forbid, declare to be improper and unlawful] on earth will have [already] been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose [permit, declare lawful] on earth will have [already] been loosed in heaven.Top of Form
Authority in His name
Philippians 2:9-11
For this reason also [because He obeyed and so completely humbled Himself], God has highly exalted Him and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee shall bow [in submission], of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess and openly acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord (sovereign God), to the glory of God the Father.
Mark 16:17-18
These signs will accompany those who have believed: in My name they will cast out demons, they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up serpents, and if they drink anything deadly, it will not hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will get well.”
Luke 10:19-20
Nothing to fear! Do not fear the enemy!
We are born into a world with an enemy whose only goal is to: kill, steal and destroy us. Whether you want to engage or not, you are in a war-we all are. The good news is, we can learn to defeat the enemy and stop letting him run all over us. We do not have to be reactionary/defense. We can go on the offense and take back our territory that the enemy has stolen from us. We can be the ones to draw the line in the sand and say no more.
How-to Walk-in Authority
Right Living with Jesus
Romans 12:1-2
Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies [dedicating all of yourselves, set apart] as a living sacrifice, holy and well-pleasing to God, which is your rational (logical, intelligent) act of worship. And do not be conformed to this world [any longer with its superficial values and customs] but be transformed and progressively changed [as you mature spiritually] by the renewing of your mind [focusing on godly values and ethical attitudes], so that you may prove [for yourselves] what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect [in His plan and purpose for you].
Read all of Romans 12
Acts 19:11-20
God was doing extraordinary and unusual miracles by the hands of Paul, so that even handkerchiefs or face-towels or aprons that had touched his skin were brought to the sick, and their diseases left them, and the evil spirits came out [of them]. Then some of the traveling Jewish exorcists also attempted to call the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits, saying, “I implore you and solemnly command you by the Jesus whom Paul preaches!” Seven sons of one [named] Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, were doing this.
But the evil spirit retorted, “I know and recognize and acknowledge Jesus, and I know about Paul, but as for you, who are you?” Then the man, in whom was the evil spirit, leaped on them and subdued all of them and overpowered them, so that they ran out of that house [in terror, stripped] naked and wounded. This became known to all who lived in Ephesus, both Jews and Greeks. And fear fell upon them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was magnified and exalted. Many of those who had become believers were coming, confessing and disclosing their [former sinful] practices. And many of those who had practiced magical arts collected their books and [throwing book after book on the pile] began burning them in front of everyone. They calculated their value and found it to be 50,000 pieces of silver. So the word of the Lord [concerning eternal salvation through faith in Christ] was growing greatly and prevailing.
1 John 3:8
The one who practices sin [separating himself from God, and offending Him by acts of disobedience, indifference, or rebellion] is of the devil [and takes his inner character and moral values from him, not God]; for the devil has sinned and violated God’s law from the beginning. The Son of God appeared for this purpose, to destroy the works of the devil.
We cannot walk in the authority of Jesus if we do not have a relationship with Him.
We have not been left powerless. We have to learn how to walk in that authority.
Once we fully surrender to God we can begin to understand who we really are in Him and the identity been given to us by Him and that is when we can fully step into the authority given to us by Jesus.
Blessings,
Nichole Henson, Fullness of Joy Ministry
Fullness Of Joy Ministry 
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