CHAPTER 4
SPEAKING GODS WORD IS BASED ON AUTHORITY NOT MAGIC!
Speaking and believing God’s Word has sometimes been compared to magic. The Devil often attempts to counterfeit God for two important reasons. First, because people are created spiritual beings, we have a natural inclination to seek out and use spiritual authority. Therefore, the Devil must create a substitute for God’s Word and His spiritual authority. Second, the Devil desires to lead people away from God’s Word because he knows that God’s Word is the source of mankind’s authority on the earth, and God’s Word is the weapon that will ultimately destroy and defeat him. The Devil’s substitute for God’s Word is magic.
The Devil is the father of lies; therefore, he promises that magic will help us attain our desires. He promises that magic will give us authority over people and the elements. He promises that magic will make us wise. However, magic is everything opposite to the Word of God.
The Word of God’s meaning is plain … Magic is unintelligible and often uses secret incantations, spells, and words, such as abracadabra or hocus pocus.
The Word of God is available to everyone … Magic is a hidden mystery only available to a few.
The Word of God is available immediately after salvation … Magic is available only after a long initiation period.
The Word of God is based on God’s supreme authority … Magic is based on associations with devils.
Everything that magic promises, the Word of God delivers. When we speak the Word of God, we exercise authority over demons and devils. When we speak the Word of God, we exercise authority over the elements. When we speak God’s Word, we can exercise authority over poverty, sickness and death. When we speak God’s Word, we exercise authority over our rebellious and sin infected flesh. When we speak the Word of God, we attain the desires of our heart. When we speak the Word of God, we save the lost and set the captive free.
One important point, if a rancher’s cows are on his own land, I do not have authority to tell him to remove his cattle, this is a principal that is very important to understand. We have to understand the extent and the limits of our authority in Jesus Christ. Although, as I have illustrated, Christians have a lot of authority and power at their disposal, there are some limits to a Christian’s authority. Also, if you are not a Christian, I would be very careful about attempting to use the authority of Jesus Christ to gain advantage in the world.
People always ask, “Why does God allow so much suffering in the world?” The answer is this, people have been given a free will by God. People can decide whether or not they will serve God or whether they will serve the Devil. People can decide to hurt other people. People can decide to take advantage of other people. People can decide to use other people. Therefore, if somebody decides they would rather serve their flesh and remain in bondage and service to Satan, all we can do is pray for them. Do you remember the story concerning the sons of Sceva in the Book of Acts?
THEN CERTAIN OF THE VAGABOND JEWS, EXORCISTS, TOOK UPON THEM TO CALL OVER THEM WHICH HAD EVIL SPIRITS THE NAME OF THE LORD JESUS, SAYING, WE ADJURE YOU BY JESUS WHOM PAUL PREACHETH.
AND THERE WERE SEVEN SONS OF ONE SCEVA, A JEW, AND CHIEF OF THE PRIESTS, WHICH DID SO.
AND THE EVIL SPIRIT ANSWERED AND SAID, JESUS I KNOW, AND PAUL I KNOW; BUT WHO ARE YE?
AND THE MAN IN WHOM THE EVIL SPIRIT WAS LEAPED ON THEM, AND OVERCAME THEM, AND PREVAILED AGAINST THEM, SO THAT THEY FLED OUT OF THAT HOUSE NAKED AND WOUNDED.
ACTS 19:13-16
You see, the sons of Sceva thought the name of Jesus was some type of magic word. Speaking the Word of God is not based on magic; speaking the Word of God is based on authority. You must have a relationship with God before you can speak the Word of God and expect to be obeyed.
There are many people who believe that speaking verses out of the Bible and speaking the name of Jesus is some type of magic. They believe that it doesn’t matter whether they have a relationship with Jesus Christ or not. If they speak the name of Jesus, they must be obeyed. As the story about the sons of Sceva illustrates, they are dangerously wrong. If you begin to attack spiritual forces without a clear understanding of your authority in Jesus Christ, and do not have Angels backing you up, you can get into serious trouble.
Every once in a while, we hear stories of a layman who pretends to be a policeman, or a doctor, or a lawyer, and then goes around getting into all kinds of mischief. When someone uses the name of Jesus without being a Christian, they are doing the same thing, except they are treading on much more dangerous ground. This is the main reason why we need to confess that Jesus is our Lord and why we need to be well versed in the Word of God.
Would you want somebody who has thumbed through a medical book to perform open heart surgery on you?
I hope not! Somebody who has thumbed through the Bible and claims to be a teacher, a pastor, or a priest is very dangerous, not only to the church, but to themselves.
THESE ARE SPOTS IN YOUR FEASTS OF CHARITY WHEN THEY FEAST WITH YOU, FEEDING THEMSELVES WITHOUT FEAR: CLOUDS THEY ARE WITHOUT WATER, CARRIED ABOUT OF WINDS; TREES WHOSE FRUIT WHITHERETH, WITHOUT FRUIT, TWICE DEAD, PLUCKED UP BY THE ROOTS.
JUDE 1:12
Authority is still the same today as it was when the centurion was telling his soldiers to come and to go. The centurion simply spoke his order and he expected to be obeyed. If the centurion was not obeyed, you can be sure the consequences were very bad for the disobedient soldier under his command.
Why? Because the centurion was delegated authority from Caesar and the Roman Senate. The centurion could meet out punishment up to and including death to a disobedient soldier.
If a rancher refused to remove his or her cows from Indian land when a Bureau of Indian Affairs employee orders him to remove them, eventually they will end up paying a lot of money for court costs and fines for trespass damages. Actually, I have never even heard of a rancher that refused to remove their cows.