Spiritual Authority!

I was teaching at an Encounter Weekend that the TACF Youth Network had organised this past weekend. I was teaching on the subject of Spiritual Strongholds, a pretty important teaching because we do a lot of prayer ministry and deliverance after this teaching to bring people freedom from the strongholds they have just identified.

I had been warned ahead of time that the enemy would try to distract and confuse people to prevent them from hearing what God was trying to say through me. Well, just before we started the session, a storm started to pick up and there was thunder, lightning and some pretty loud winds as well. When I started my talk I said,

"It's no co-incidence there's a storm outside just now. There's about to be a storm in here as well but you don't need to be afraid unless you're a demon."

Well, part-way into my talk one of the staff of the camp we were using came in and said that there had been a tornado warning and that we should be ready to head down to the basement if anything happened. He also gave us candles in case we lost power.

I instantly remembered the Jason Upton CD, Remember which I mentioned in my blog last week. He rebuked a Tornado and it left. I thought, "Right, here we go. It's my turn to rebuke the weather now. If Jason Upton can do it, so can I!" I waited for the staff member to leave the room and then I prayed. It wasn't overly complex. It was something like this,

"Daddy, I just take authority over this storm in the name of Jesus and tell you storm that you have to leave now. Enemy, we're not impressed with you and we're not going anywhere. Tornado, you are not coming here. I rebuke you in Jesus name and tell you to go. We're not leaving becuase we need to stay here and deal with our demons."

I then went back to my teaching and didn't think any more about it. Well, I don't know how soon afterwards it was that I noticed but all of a sudden it was very quiet outside! I stopped for a moment to listen because I was actually surprised. It really had worked! I took authority over a storm in Jesus' name and it left!

Now, you need to realise something here. I don't pray in tongues for an hour a day. I don't do any special, complex intense devotions each day that give me more authority than mere mortals. No, I'm just a Christian! I'm a child of the King and I recognise the authority that gives me. Authority over the spiritual forces of darkness and all that they control.

It's time for us to rise up and stop letting the enemy push us around! Church, realise your authority and RISE UP! For too long we've been hiding in corners, scared of the enemy. Check out Psalm 18. See how David starts out hiding in God, his stronghold. He is not doing well:

v4: The cords of death encompassed me,
And the torrents of ungodliness terrified me.

By verse 37 he is the one doing the attacking and the enemy is the one on the run:

v37: I pursued my enemies and overtook them,
And I did not turn back until they were consumed.

Too often we live in verse 4 when really, Jesus has done all the work. We're in verse 37 now! Let's live like it!