Authority in Three Worlds
Authority in Three Worlds
by Charles Capps
Just how much authority do we really have? How far does that dominion extend? Philippians 2:10-11 tells us that there are three realms in which the authority of the name of Jesus prevails; heaven, the earth, and under the earth, which is the dominion of the principalities and powers of the enemy. “That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
In order to be confident in our authority, it is important to understand where that authority comes from and what right we have to stand in that position.
To have dominion in the earth requires a physical body. “...He who does not enter the sheepfold by the door, but climbs up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep.” (John 10:1-2)
Satan is the one who entered in some other way. He was not born in the earth. The only legal way to get into this earth with authority is to be born here. Even angels can’t preach the Gospel in the earth. They don’t have that authority.
We can’t send the Holy Ghost to Africa to preach the Gospel; the Holy Ghost doesn’t have a body. You are the one with the body, and you have the authority! When your authority and God’s ability get together, all things are possible.
Satan is the thief and robber. Jesus is the Good Shepherd. Jesus was born here; He entered in by the door of human birth. Jesus had the legal authority of a man born on earth.
Legal Entry Into Earth
Jesus came by the legal entry, through birth. He had all the authority of a man. He lived as a man and was anointed with the Holy Ghost. He went before us and destroyed the devil’s works. He went to the cross, gave up His life, and became the supreme sacrifice.
Because He suffered and died spiritually for us, He was born again and called the firstborn from the dead (Colossians 1:18); the firstborn among many brethren (Romans 8:29); and the first begotten of the dead (Revelation 1:5). Jesus was born again, and He has become the door.
The fleshy birth is the legal entry into the earth. But because Jesus is the Head of the Church and the firstborn from the dead, He became the door, or legal entry, into the Kingdom of God. There is no other way. You can’t get there by a church door. You can’t get there by being baptized. You can’t get there by paying your tithes or by being good. You must be born again, and Jesus is the door of that new birth!
Just as physical birth is the legal entry into earth, the spiritual birth through Jesus Christ is the only legal way into heaven.
Anointing of the Holy Ghost
When Jesus came to earth, He gave up His divine power. He came as a man and took upon Himself the body of a man. He was deity here, but He did not operate in divine power. He operated in the authority of a man anointed with the Holy Ghost. Before He ascended to the Father, He commissioned His disciples to go forth in His name, anointed by the Holy Ghost and do the same works that He had done: “And He said to them, ‘Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned. And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.’ ” (Mark 16:15-18)
He authorized them to represent Him to heal the sick, raise the dead and cast out devils. He not only gave them authority to do this, but also gave them the ability to do this through the power of the Holy Spirit.
Jesus said, “...the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.” (John 14:12)
What does Jesus’ going to the Father have to do with it? He said, “... if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you.” (John 16:7)
Paul said in 1 Corinthians 12:27, “Now you are the body of Christ, and members individually.” Jesus has ascended to the Father. The only physical body He has on earth is yours. Your body is the authority God has in the earth today. You are the one with the body! You are the one with authority in the earth, and He is the One with the power!
Jesus said, “I’m going to send the Holy Ghost (the ability of God) to reside in you. Then you will have the authority and the ability to destroy the works of the devil.” In other words, “If you’ll let Me use your body, I’ll let you use My ability.” That’s bad news for satan any way you look at it!
After Jesus rose from the dead, and until He ascended to the Father, He did not do a single miracle! He healed no one, cast out no demons, and raised no one from the dead. Why? Because He had become the glorified Christ. He had His glorified body and His divine power. He had lost His right to minister anymore on earth as a man. He was restored to His Godhead powers. He no longer had the body of a natural man; He had a glorified body.
Satan Has No Authority - He Has No Body Here
It’s time for the Church to get a revelation of this: Satan doesn’t have a body and therefore has no authority on earth!
Jesus is speaking in John 12:31 (before He went to the cross) and says, “Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out.” The word for judgment is the Greek word krisis and is translated into the English language as “crisis.” Crisis means “a turning point.” Jesus was saying, “Now is the turning point of this world. Now shall the prince of this world system be cast out.”
I always thought this was a future event, but evidently it took place when Jesus ascended to the throne. There’s no doubt Who ascended to the throne or who the dragon was that was cast out. What Jesus didn’t do in hell, He finished in heaven!
The Name of Jesus
Now notice, in addition to being born here legally on earth and having received the power of the Holy Spirit, Jesus said to use the authority of His name to exercise authority and dominion in these three worlds -- heaven, earth, and under the earth. In other words, the region of hell as well as heaven recognize the authority of this name - Jesus.
In Matthew 16:19, Jesus said, “And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”
The keys of the kingdom have been given to the church and we have the power of binding and loosing in all three realms. Every being in heaven, hell, and earth responds to that name!
Look at this scripture again: “That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Philippians 2:10-11)
The word things should really be translated “ beings.’’ In the Bible, things is italicized, which means that it was added by translators. Things do not have knees.
Let’s read it like this: “That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of beings in heaven, beings in earth, and beings under the earth; and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God, the Father.”
Someone said, “ Yes, that will happen when we get to heaven. Then we’re going to have the name of Jesus and all that authority.”
Well, that might sound good, but let’s read verses 14-16: “Do all things without complaining and disputing, that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding fast the word of life, so that I may rejoice in the day of Christ that I have not run in vain or labored in vain.”
There won’t be a crooked and perverse nation in heaven. He is saying man has authority to operate with legal authority in three worlds from the earth. We have read this scripture and said, “Glory to God, every knee will bow to Jesus someday, in the sweet by-and-by.”
It doesn’t say that! It says, “Every knee will bow to the name of Jesus.” And He gave us His name to use! “These signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues... they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.” (Mark 16:17-18)
You Have Authority
Delegated authority was given to us by Jesus Himself, so that we can fulfill the Great Commission. We have authority for three reasons:
We have been born of flesh. That has given us a body which makes us legal on earth.
We have been born of the Spirit, which gives us the anointing from God.
Jesus has bestowed His name upon us. We have authority to use the name of Jesus as if it were our very own!
He said that every knee should bow: of beings in heaven, beings in the earth, and beings under the earth, including principalities, powers, and rulers of darkness.
We stand in a unique position through that name. We can summon the aid of all heaven to work in our behalf. He said in that day we would ask Him nothing, but whatsoever we would ask the Father, He would give it to us.
Now He abides on earth in the Person of the Holy Spirit. All heaven is at your disposal. Whatsoever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven.
Believers on earth have authority to use the mighty name of Jesus to bind certain things from earth. We can bind the principalities, the powers, and the rulers of darkness. We can loose things on this earth that have already been loosed in heaven because we have the authority and the name that is above every name - Jesus.
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