Young people at Northern Lights Christian Center in Hayward, WI perform a skit on the Army of the Lord!

By Tom Shanklin

“Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you.” Luke 10:19, NKJV.

Most Bible-believing Christians recognize that there are demonic powers which wreak havoc on the earth. But many are NOT aware that God has given the Christian authority over wicked spirits through the work of Jesus Christ.

Satan and his cohorts are behind many of the problems that are in this world. Mental and emotional torment, sickness and disease, marital and family dysfunction, and various forms of addictions can all be the result of the works of these evil powers.

It is not possible for the blood-bought child of God to be possessed of a devil, but it is possible for them to be harassed and oppressed by wicked spirits. That is why Paul says to the believers in the book of Ephesians, “Neither give place to the devil.” Ephesians 4:27, KJV.

Christian believers must not open the door or “give place to the devil.” It’s our job to run him off, not invite him in.

I want to take a few minutes here to help you understand your authority in Christ and how to exercise that authority over Satan and his host of wicked spirits.

Jesus told His disciples, ““Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you.” Luke 10:19, NKJV. He says, “Look at this! You are in charge over wicked spirits!”

Now we know that when Jesus died on Calvary, He made the way for us to be forgiven of our sins and to become children of God. Then He rose again to give us victory over sin, death and the devil. Our part then is to receive Him as Lord and Savior and to believe that God raised Him from the dead.  See Romans 10:9-10.

The resurrection of Christ and His ascension into heaven holds the key to our authority in the realm of the spirit and victory over Satan. You see, through His death, burial and resurrection, Jesus defeated Satan and His cohorts for us. Notice what it says in Ephesians 1:

“Wherefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and love unto all the saints, Cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers; 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: 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, And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, 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: And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.” Ephesians 1:15-23, KJV.

This prayer from the pen of the Apostle Paul unlocks the understanding of what God has done for us in Christ. I encourage you to take time to read it, study it, meditate it, embrace it, and pray it for yourself. It will release the mystery of Christ in your life. In this prayer, we see that when Jesus rose from the dead and ascended, He was given a position “far above all principality and power.” Not a little bit above, Far above!

But you might say, “Yes, I believe Jesus is far above the devil, but where does that leave me?”

Well, let’s look at Ephesians 2:

“But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:” Ephesians 2:4-6, KJV.

If you have been trained to think that we as Christians are worms just waiting to be squashed by the devil and the circumstances of life, it will take you a while to grasp the message which I am presenting to you here. But the truth is, if you are a born again believer in Christ, you are seated with Christ in heavenly places and you are also far above all principality and power. The devil is under your feet!

Now, you may say, “It sure doesn’t feel like it!” But you need to understand. Feelings do not have a thing in the world to do with it. It’s the facts that matter! And the facts are that the devil is defeated and he is under your feet. Understanding this is the pathway to your victory, because as the scripture says, “…ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” John 8:32, KJV.

It’s only the truth that you KNOW that can set you free. So you see, Jesus has done His part. He has given you the victory. Now your job is to work on the KNOWING PART. You have to get God’s Word inside of you until your faith comes alive and you KNOW that you are seated with Christ…and that the devil is under your feet.

So we see that we have authority over the devil. That’s pretty clear. Now, we need to understand how to exercise that authority.

The biggest obsticle for most Christians in dealing with the devil is that they expect God to handle all their problems with Satan and his works. They reason that if God is Almighty, then He is more than capable to handling all their problems. They think, “If God wants me free, I will be free. If I’m not free, it must not be God’s will.” This leads to confusion, frustration, or passivity on the part of believers, because they reason, “If God is all powerful, and God is in charge, why doesn’t He do something about my sickness, my marriage, my mental torment, my addiction?”

Certainly God is All Powerful, but the truth is, He has done all that He is going to do about Satan and his cohorts…at least for now, until His angels cast into the bottomless pit before the millennial reign of Christ. He defeated the devil at Calvary and through the resurrection. Now, it’s YOUR TURN to do something about the devil. YOU must exercise authority! Jesus has delegated His authority to YOU!

As the Scripture says:

“And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils…” Mark 16:17, KJV.

“Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” James 4:7, KJV.

“Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.” 1 Peter 5:8, 9, KJV.

“Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.” Galatians 5:1, KJV.

He said, “YOU cast out devils! YOU resist the devil! YOU stand fast! YOU have to do it!” But you say, “How can I do it?” YOU do it in God’s power through Jesus’ name.

Authority over the devil has been given to you through the name of Jesus. That name is the name above EVERY name and it is given to YOU. It’s up to YOU to learn about the authority YOU have in that name and who YOU are in Christ and to begin to exercise that authority in the realm of the spirit. Make this confession and exercise your authority now! Use this confession regularly and you will see results!

Thank you Father, Jesus has given me authority over all the power of the enemy. In the name of Jesus I cast out devils. I steadfastly resist the devil in the faith and he flees in terror from me. I stand fast in the liberty wherewith Christ has set me free. I know the truth and the truth makes me free. Devil, you get out of my life, my family, my relationships, my body, my mind. Go devil go, in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth!