And it came to pass, when Jesus had ended these sayings, that the people were astounded at his doctrine, for he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes. Matthew 7:28-29

For I am a man under authority, having soldiers under me, and I say to this man, Go, and he goeth, and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it. Matthew 8:9.

I grew up with a profound respect for authority. When my daddy said, "Jump," I didn't even wait to ask how high. Although I seldom got spanked, the yelling was even worse. As I got older, I had a deep respect of, and fear for, authority figures of any kind: policemen, teachers, doctors, government officials, even preachers. It took many years to realize that these people are, after all, just people, worthy of respect, perhaps, but seldom fear. Even now, though, I'm very careful not to infringe on the rights and prerogatives of people who outrank me.

My experience seems to be almost a thing of the past. From children in a schoolroom to the man on the street to the woman in the office, we see a universal contempt for authority and for those who exercise it. Rebellion has replaced order as the rule of our society. It's not just that there is so little respect for authority, but that those who exercise it are often not worthy of respect. From the President to policemen, from politicians to business leaders, we see so many scandals that it's difficult to accord someone the respect them by virtue of their office.

God is the source of all authority (Romans 13:1). Jesus exercised his authority not only in casting out demons, curing the sick, and calming the winds, but also in his teaching. We call someone an "authority" in a subject because they are in command, so to speak, of the subject matter. Theirs is the final word. In Jesus' case, his was the final word in everything, and he is the ultimate authority. Just as government officials have authority delegated to them by a higher official, up to the President, Jesus delegated his authority to us, through the Holy Spirit (John 14:12; 16:22-23; Acts 1:8). We have that authority only because the Holy Spirit imbues us with power, just as he did the disciples as Pentecost.

A light bulb only glows in the presence of electricity, authority can only be exercised where there is power. Someone can wear a policeman's uniform, or a surgeon's gown, and try to trick others into believing they have authority, but that will work only until the lie is discovered. Lies do have power, of course; Satan's whole kingdom rests on them. Legitimate authority, though, comes from someone, or some group, with the power to enforce, or carry out, orders and commands. The Roman centurion had authority because the power of the Roman Empire stood behind him.

Just as with the centurion, we exercise the authority Christ gives us with words. Jesus healed diseases with the words of his mouth. He cast out demons and calmed the storms by speaking to them. He promised his disciples, and us through them, that we would do the works he had done, and even greater ones. How? Through the same power he himself exercised, through his Spirit. Because of the authority he gives us, and because of the power from the Holy Spirit, Christians should never live defeated, beaten-down lives. The battle is already won; we are the victors, and the spoils belong to us as heirs of the victorious King!

As with all things, God is still sovereign. Simply mouthing words isn't going to make something happen, if it's contrary to God's will. We have authority only for as long as we obey a greater authority. The centurion understood that; he first said he was one under authority, before mentioning the authority he exercised himself. Before authority, then, comes obedience, and for Christians that means obedience to God's will as expressed in his Word, and through the guidance of his Spirit in our lives and through others.

That said, God has still give us far more authority than most of us ever exercise or even know about. First of all, we have authority over Satan and his demons. Whether the Enemy is at work in our own lives, or in the lives of others we care about, we can send him packing. There are instances, as with the demon-possessed boy that Christ delivered, where the demonic power involved is beyond what most of us should try to tackle alone.

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JESUS IS the Bridge Ministries

Beneath His Wings Devotionals - Vol. 1