Embracing Our Authority

This episode explores the spiritual authority believers have in Christ, how to embrace and utilize it effectively, and the importance of faith, humility, and confidence in spiritual warfare and deliverance. Derek shares personal experiences, biblical insights, and practical guidance for walking in divine authority. 

KEY TOPICS 

• The biblical basis of spiritual authority in Christ How to embrace and activate your authority 
• The importance of humility, confidence, and faith 
• Personal stories of deliverance and spiritual battles 
• Practical steps to walk in divine authority 

SOUND BITES 

• "Our righteousness comes from Christ alone" 
• "The power is not from us, it’s from God" 
• "Our faith and trust in God's word protect us" 

Youtube video link: 

Landing Page: 

Ministry Website:

Facebook Group: 

Embracing Our Full Victory In Christ (book): 

Transcript

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SPEAKER_01 0:21

Welcome to Dominion Over Darkness, where breakthrough is real and freedom is fearless. No theatrics just broad truth. Undeniable power. If you're ready to break chains, step into your identity in Christ and walk in victory, you're in the right place.

SPEAKER_02 0:43

Welcome back to another episode of Dominion Over Darkness. We're so glad that you're with us again. Jill, how are you doing today?

SPEAKER_00 0:50

Good. How are you?

SPEAKER_02 0:51

I'm doing good. Before we get into our topic today, we are going to just quickly talk about our book again, embracing our full victory in Christ. The point of the book is to help people to plug into the power of the Holy Spirit. That is what we are created as Christians to have access to God's presence because of what Jesus did on the cross. Most churches, however, unfortunately, what I have seen as a pastor do not teach how to do that, how to come into the sanctification process. You hear a lot about it, but when people ask, how do I do that? How do I come into the sanctification process? Most of the time what they are taught is you can't control it, that it just happens. And there's some truth to that, but there's also it's very deceptive because you do have a part. There's a part that is God's part, and then there's our part, and there's a balance that has to happen. And if you're not cooperating, if you're not understanding where God has taken us on the journey that is sanctification, then it's our natural instincts to resist it because we don't have his mind. We don't think like he thinks. Our ways are not like his ways, like he says. And so there's a resistance. So the book is what shows us how to come into that, how to align with God, how to have that foundation of faith and how to plug into his presence, into his spirit, to walk the journey. Some of that does include, for some people, deliverance, very briefly touches on exorcism, but that's not the point of the book. It's more deliverance, is more of the main focus because that's more common today. But also the counseling element of it to help us to reprogram our minds, to take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ, to become what we were always meant to be, and then to ultimately come into being a nation of priests, a kingdom of priests here on earth, which is what it talks about not only in the Exodus, but it also talks about it in the book of Revelation as well. And so, yeah, that's that's our purpose. That's what God designed us to be, is unified to him. He's our power, he's our strength. And so if we allow him to work within us the way that we were meant to, then he's going to heal us, cleanse us, strengthen us. All of that is so that we can join him in the ministry that Jesus started to advance the kingdom here on earth. Most Christians aren't doing that today. And so a lot of times that suffering is the place that ends up being the megaphone into our lives to help us to realize the need for what God has offered us, the His provisions. So, anyways, the book is for everybody. And so you do not have to be somebody that's an elder or, you know, a pastor or somebody that is high up in the church. You can be brand new to your faith. And honestly, what a great place to start. You don't have the bad influence or unhealthy influences that can serve to block you in this relationship. You could start off really quickly on the right foot. And so that's the first thing. The book, you can get it. Um, on Amazon is the best place. You can get it in pretty much every format that is out there. But Amazon is the best place for you to get the book. A certification program that we have is the second thing that we wanted to talk really quickly with you about. Certification program is something that we're really excited to help people to do what we do here. And so it will start very basic, but it'll have phases that go through all the way up into things like deliverance and into counseling and even starting your own counseling organization and so forth. And also what that will do, that certification will welcome you into a community that supports you and helping you how to troubleshoot different situations, how to handle the variety of different things that you're gonna have that will come your way, guaranteed. And so it's a fascinating ministry. It is the best ministry that is out there, in my opinion. There's nothing better because it does allow us to be able to watch on the front lines right up close and personal of God doing a work to heal people still, even today. It is amazing. But we got to remember that the power is not from us, it's from God. And that is why it's important for us to align ourselves with Him, to plug into Him while He does that work through us. And so you'll always know that you are in God by the fruit that you bear through Him. And if it's not the kind of fruit of the Spirit that talks about in the Bible, then probably not on the right track. And so he stretches us, but it is not to convict, condemn. I should say there might be a uh uh conviction, but not a condemnation. He's not doing it to disconnect us or to crush us, but to simply guide us and to direct us. And it is discipline, but it's discipline and love. So anyway, the certification program is something that ultimately gets people to a point where they can use the things that we are talking about for their own ministries in doing what we do and to help other people in the healing process. So stay tuned to us here and we'll we'll let you know when it's available. All right. On that note, then, Jill, what are we going to be talking about today? What's our topic?

SPEAKER_00 5:50

We are going to be talking about embracing our authority.

SPEAKER_02 5:54

Okay. So authority is something that it's something that we receive from Christ, that he has given us authority to trample on snakes and scorpions to overcome all the power of the enemy. Nothing will hurt you or harm you. But we have to learn how to embrace that authority because there are things that will keep us from tapping into that authority or that power. I used uh, there's something that um I think it's out of Neil Anderson's book, Victory over the darkness, but I I know he also uses it. I'm almost positive that he uses it for uh his book on holiness, the common made holy, I think is is another one. But he uses this analogy that when slaves were set free in America, the very day that that was officially changed, where freedom came into the slaves in America, uh, they were legally set free. They had the authority to um to be able to walk off the plantations legally, but they didn't have the courage. They didn't have the knowledge, they didn't know how to tap into that freedom that they had. And so, and some of them stayed on the plantations because they didn't know any better either. We have to teach people how to be able to walk into the authority, to embrace the freedom that they've been given, the identity that they have in Christ. I mean, he he died and rose from the grave to give us this freedom and authority. And so the freedom is from the grasp of sin, that it no longer has any control over us. That's really important for us to understand that. And once we have that, then that is part of the breastplate of righteousness that we get, which is one of the pieces of the armor of God. And we learn that also by putting on the belt of truth, which is part of God's word. And so we learn the freedom that we have and the power that we have is when we tap in, when we remember that we're saved by grace through faith. So it's God's grace that gives us that freedom. There's nothing I could do to accomplish that, forgiveness of sins, freedom from sin. So that freedom is done. Now we're given the authority of God. We are given that when we receive the uh the helmet of salvation or the helmet of deliverance. And so that comes through faith. And so we have to understand what the armor of God is, belt of truth, and we've talked about this in the book, the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the shoes that make our feet ready, which is the gospel of peace. Those three elements make up the shield of faith. Faith is our part of the equation. And so when we understand truth, we're dedicated to truth, we understand our righteousness comes from Christ alone, not from myself, but that also aligns us with God, that we are we embrace the Holy Spirit, at least understanding it starts intellectually and then it goes into an experiential. And then the third is the gospel of peace, which make our feet ready for whatever the enemy and for the things that come against us. And so when we understand those things, then we have a shield of faith that can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one. And now we have the authority, we have the deliverance, the helmet of deliverance, the helmet of salvation that we can put on. And now we have the Holy Spirit as well and the power that comes with all of that, the authority. So it is a journey, again, but we have authority as children of God. That authority is something that God teaches us how to use. So, do we have authority over the snakes and scorpions the moment that we come into faith? We do. We are forgiven, we are given that freedom, but we have to learn how to embrace that authority because God is not going to give a child, you're not going to give a child the authority to run a corporation or decide whether people live or die just because they are maybe say royalty. I guess you could, I guess you could do that. But the foolishness that comes with that could bring more destruction. The sanctification process that God invites us into through the power of the Holy Spirit gives us the discipline, gives us the correction, gives us guidance and direction through love to be humble, to not be prideful, to understand that our power comes from Christ alone and not from ourselves, to be patient and not rebellious, which is our natural tendencies, especially because even though we are free from the grasp of sin, we still have been conditioned by sin in our mind to make it all about me. And so the journey is what purges us from these things and helps us to be humble, to be obedient, to follow God, to crave his presence. And as we do that, we're going to find that the authority that we have, we learn how to have more confidence in it. We learn how to utilize it more, and we also see that it bears fruit as well. So yeah, we we have parents that are brand new in believing than Christ. And in the beginning stages, that I tell them, I say, you have more authority over your child than I have as their pastor. I'm a pastor, I'm somebody that is an intermediator between God and and humanity. But you, as the child's parents, are the ones that that actually have more authority over that child. And so, as a child of God, even if you're new in the faith, you have the authority to cast away any demonic elements that are over them more than me. And so lean in on that authority because you're their parent. But either way, all of us have the authority over demons to be able to cast them out. And so we need to lean in on that. And so just because we have access to it doesn't mean that we are going to utilize it just like the slaves in America. They have the freedom and the power to walk off the plantation, but they don't have the faith and they don't have the courage, they don't have the knowledge. And so that's why discipleship is so important, is to teach people how to be able to do these things. And so here's another example of this is that when we were just talking about this in a study that I was part of a couple of weeks ago, that um many of us when we pray, we often pray, well, God, if it is your will to do this, then to do, then go ahead and to do this for this person. We we scripture, like where Jesus says, Lord, in Gethsemane when he's about ready to go to the cross, that, you know, if it is your will, let your will be done, Father. Well, I mean, yeah, that's true. And you can use that as a validation. And if you are doing it because you are humbly submitting to God's will truly, then great. But that I don't see that that's what's usually happening here. What Jesus is doing in that moment is that he's showing us he knows what God's will is, but he also is showing us that there is no other way for him, for for God to provide forgiveness for sins other than Jesus going to the cross. Please take this cup from me. But if this is your will, then let your will be done. If there's no other way, let your will be done. Okay. That's different from what I see today. A lot of people, that what they'll do is that they'll say, Lord, if your will, it is it is your will to heal this person. And really, what the heart of that is, is that I want to say that just so that if it doesn't get answered, I don't look foolish. I want to make sure that I don't look like that I'm not embarrassed or shameful or whatever. People can't say to me, Well, you don't, why didn't God answer your prayer? The better thing is for us to understand and to use the authority and say, and say, God, by the power and the authority that's given to me, then I ask, I command or I ask for healing to come into this person, let your Holy Spirit dwell here and emanate, emanate from within this person, give them healing. Look, if they, if it doesn't happen immediately, like it does in the gospels or or whatever in the in the New Testament with with even the epistles and Acts and stuff like that, it's okay. You planted a seed of healing into that person, and you don't know if there are layers that need to be removed. Give it time. But you have prayed healing into this person. You planted a seed and let God do his thing. Sometimes it is going to be miraculous in that moment. And but that's not the way that he always works. The healing is often, and we see this in our ministry, is that it can be a process. It's a journey. And so it's an invitation. The miraculous is an invitation into the journey. And although what we want in our society is we want everything to be drive-through, we want the opportunity to supersize, we want to make it however we want it to be, we want control. And we want it to be now so I can get back to my life and do everything that I was doing before because where I'm at right now is an inconvenience. But what if the very thing that we're dealing with is something that is forcing us to stop living the way that we are living? Instead of us changing our diet to not eat things that are giving us the heartburn, we'd rather take a pill and just keep eating the same thing over and over again rather than listening to our body that's trying to tell us something that maybe this is not good. Same thing even spiritually, that maybe this is something that is happening in our life. There's a pattern, there's a wound that's there that's saying pay attention to this. Well, God might give some healing to something in our life, but what that is doing ultimately is that it is simply validating that he is real and that he is powerful and that he can heal and he wants to heal. And that's a that's an invitation of love to then follow me. You see, Jesus say this with the people that he does give healing to. Some of them he says follow, but some of them he says, go to your people and tell them about what the Lord has done for you. It's different for each person. And so the point is it's an invitation to come into relationship with God. Let him guide us into whatever that journey is. And it's different for each person. Some people, when they come into salvation, they speak in tongues, some people don't. So it is different for each person, but the authority that we have is there regardless. And just because God doesn't heal a person when we pray over them doesn't mean that we don't have the authority. If we're more afraid about how we're going to look, then we're going to always say, Lord, if it is your will, and we say, you know, I want to be respectful. But Jesus commands us to go and teach everybody the things that teach all the nations. First of all, baptize them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and then teach them everything that I have taught you. And he has commanded us to go and heal, to heal the sick, cleanse the lepers and the poor and the and provide for the poor, and that's more of mercy and so forth, but heal the sick, raise the or uh cleanse the the demons and so forth, and raise the dead. The dead can be literal, but it also can be very much a spiritual thing as well. But the point is that we gotta be we have to be sensitive to where God is leading us. And again, if we understand it's a journey, then the more that we understand that when God is leading us to somebody and that somebody's in front of us, then, and if this is what he calls us to to heal somebody, that if he has brought this person in front of us, then we are to bring healing into them, or at least to declare healing in on them, to ask God to bring healing into this person's life. And what we got to be careful about is we often want to run too far ahead and we're like, this is how it's supposed to look to me. And if we remember with Elisha that the um that that um military guy, he comes and he wants healing. He's a leper and he wants healing from Elisha. And uh he he thinks that it should be that that he goes to some not this little tiny Jordan River, I think is what it is that he goes into. He's like, Aren't there better rivers that are in in his homeland? And he he wanted it to look a certain way. He wanted him to look up to the skies and to say some great words and to command the the gods or whatever to to give him healing. And Elisha just said, go into the water and and wash. I think it's three times. And he's like, Well, that's not the way that I wanted it to happen. And he almost doesn't do it. And one of his servants say, he told you how to go get well. What this is pretty awesome that he even gave you this. Why don't you go do it? And so he goes and he does it, and it works. And so the point is, is we got to trust God. It's not always gonna look the way we want it to look. And I'm not always gonna look the way that I want to look. Sometimes I might look foolish. Sometimes I might look like the one that's the crazy one. Sometimes I might look like Noah, who's building an ark when nobody's really ever even seen rain before, most likely, when he's talking about a flood that's happening, they ain't never seen anything like that. And they're like, what are you doing? Sometimes we are gonna look like Moses, going to Pharaoh, an old man with a stick and his older brother. We have to be willing to follow him. And again, we don't know what kind of seeds that we're planting. So when we do that, then our confidence grows with God, knowing that number one, he will bring healings into people. And to the measure that we use it, it'll be given to us. So if we lean in on the authority that God has given us in love, in humility, in compassion, and patience, all those, the fruit of the Spirit, as long as we are doing it in his image, his likeness, we're gonna find that our authority or the power of our authority is going to show up more and more and more in the people that we pray over, the things that we're doing, the deliverances that we officiate, all of that. And here's the other thing. So this is what I'm getting at. We have to have confidence in the truth, in God's word. We have to put on the belt of truth. We have to understand that our righteousness doesn't come from me, it comes from God. I have to be ready with the gospel that that brings peace. I have to pick up the shield of faith, which is following God as He guides and directs me. Then I get the authority, the power, and all of that in humility, in patience, in peace, in love, in joy, in hope, all of that. And we will see that we use this stuff in confidence and courage because all of the doubt, all the flaming arrows that come against us from the evil one will not affect us. Even the things of doubt about myself. Well, what am I going to look like? My righteousness is not dependent on me, it's on God, the breastplate of righteousness. He's the one. Now I can't fail with him. If I'm a child of God, I can't fail with him. All I can do is follow him and let him do what he's going to do through me. That's it. And so why this is all important, and I'm linking these together, the freedom and the authority and the journey and all of and the armor of God, all of these things are things that prepare us how to embrace the authority that we have access to. Do we have it immediately after faith? We do, but we learn how to embrace that authority and how to use it. And as we grow in it, it grows also more powerful. More he uses us as we are ready to be used more than anything. We're not earning anything. We're learning. We're servants. We are learning how to be his servant. So, and this is why all of this is important is when you bring it into deliverance also. When there's some people they say, Well, I just I don't think I have quite the authority that you have, Pastor. And I'm like, Do you believe in Jesus? Yes. Then you have the authority. Do you have the courage and the confidence to use it, the authority that you have? I have people that ask me, they say, Can you come and pray over my house? You have the authority to go and anoint your house and pray for it. Do it. Do it. If you are doing it and it's still not working, then fine. I will come and I will I will try. We'll see if that changes anything. I don't think it will. It's probably something else that needs to happen. There might be a cursed item that's within your home or something else that's happening. That needs to maybe happen happen from within the home. But you start with the most simple. And the point is do you have the courage to use the authority that you've been given in Christ? I remember the first time I ever did a deliverance. Trust me, I I struggled with this as much as any other human would. Remember when there was a woman I was counseling? God was had been teaching me for years about spiritual warfare and about deliverance and stuff. I knew in here the system. I knew how to do it. I didn't have the courage to step out and to do it. That was just, I didn't have the courage. But there was a situation that came up, and I could feel he's laying it on my harp. You know that this person is struggling with some spiritual issues. And it got to a point where she just finally said, I'm going to kill myself. And I'm like, I'm calling the police then. And she's like, I'll be dead before they get here. And I'm like, weren't supposed to come back so quick with uh overcoming what it was that I was gonna do to help you. And uh so I'm I'm praying, you know, in my mind, I'm like, God help me with this. And he goes, You know what she needs. Give it to her. And so at that point, I didn't even have the confidence and the courage to do a deliverance over the phone at that point. So I was like, all right, we need to do a deliverance. Let's uh I think this is a spiritual issue. I knew I needed to give her hope. And I'm like, um, so I took a step as much as I could at that point. And I just said, let's do a deliverance tomorrow. Promise me you will not take your life tonight. And I will trust you in that, but I believe that this will help you. I wanted her to have hope. And so thankfully, and then I was praying for her, and thankfully she didn't take her life. She came in the night the next day and and it worked. But that we have to have the courage to to take that step. And I know I was praying hard. I'm like, God, please don't abandon me in this. If any time I need you here right now to be here with me in this deliverance and to provide. And uh he did. He's never not shown up, ever, ever. And I've done many thousands of deliverances. Now I've helped probably around a thousand people or so, but multiple deliverances with people. He's never not shown up. He always shows up, and somehow, somehow he does speak into situations. And so you get confidence in your authority the more that you're willing to step out. And so we have to have the confidence to, when we feel that God's spirit is is moving in us and like compassion for a person to go and talk to them. And if they need prayer, then use the authority that we have and pray for them, asking for God to be with them, to bring healing, to provide one way or the other, not worried that what if it doesn't work? That's not up to us. It's not up to us. We have to use the authority. We all have the authority, but what Satan wants to always do is to make us fearful. Remember, deception and fear are the two things that he is, that he uses as a weapon. Deception and fear. Deception can attack our identity. That's well, who are you? Who are you? Well, if I have the belt of truth, I know that scripture tells me I'm a child of God. I put my faith in God, I'm saved by grace through faith. So grace is what saves me, not me. And so I have been forgiven. If I believe in Christ, then I have the authority that I need, and therefore I know that I have the breastplate of righteousness that's on me, the gospel that gives us peace, I'm ready for what it is that Satan's going to throw at me. I can have the shield of faith that believes in the truth and can protect me against all the efforts of Satan, so forth. So therefore, the deception doesn't work. And the fear, what if God doesn't show up is gone also, because I know that these times of prayer, these chances for me to grow with God, opportunities that the fear that I have is only showing me that I put more faith in my own image of what it is that I want that that other, my false self, what I want other people to see me as. I put more faith in that than I put in the in the power of God. But that's where the tire meets the road, right there, makes it real. Am I willing to put myself out there and not worry about that? That really is picking up a cross and following Christ, because I'm willing to put myself up there on the cross of people saying, well, it didn't work. Well, don't give up yet. The story's not over. I prayed for you, and I believe that God is going to provide, and so we'll continue to pray for you, but also keep your eyes open as to where God is leading you because you're not the one that determines how your salvation or how the provisions of God is going to happen. Be patient and uh watch. And uh you'd be you'd be surprised. I've told you about times where people, where I left the situation, nothing seemed to change, prayed for them, left, and then years later I find out that a person that was on hospice completely recovered and is alive and doing well and stuff, and where they were actually so weak that they had to be turned over with the help of other people in their bed when they wanted to move around because they were so skinny, so I mean, um, you never know. You never know. And so we have to have faith, we have to understand who we are, our identity, and in that, then we can we tap into our authority, but we have to have the courage, the faith to follow God and to use it. And we gotta get away from that. If it is your will to be done, Lord, then we pray this. Leave that out. If it's his will, we already know that you're his servant. So we already know that if it's not his will to do it at this time, it's not gonna happen. You don't need to say it. Because all that is is just simply to protect our own butt. That's all it is to save our face. So stop saying those things. I have to stop, because I've done that myself, not even knowing it. And sometimes we get into these routines where it's just like we're used to doing it, we don't even think about what we're saying. But if we really want that authority and for God to use us more than to use it, use it with confidence, love, and compassion, but to utilize it. And what we will find is that the authority that we have, Jill, you've seen me go after really powerful demons. And do I do I go into those situations as like, oh, oh, what if they, what if, what if, what if, oh, he said he's big, oh, he says he's really horrible, and he's been around since the beginning of time, and you know, that he'll crush me and everything. Oh no. No, I've been given, I thankfully, I'm not coming to you in the power and the authority of Derek. I'm coming to you in the power and the authority of Jesus, and I know that you have nothing over him, so shut up, and we get back into the deliverance. And it always it does work. It does work. Why do you think so uh in your opinion, why do you think why do you think so many people don't live in that authority? Like I mean, there I think there's a handful of reasons that are there, but what let's go down that path. What what do you think? Why do you think people don't live in that authority or embrace it?

SPEAKER_00 29:27

I don't think a lot of people are taught what that means and or maybe it's been taught wrong, and I mean, I I don't know, around the whole world, but it seems like it's more like that in the United States at least, that we just I don't think people are really taught about what that means and what that looks like. And I don't know, like even in prayer, just praying for yourself or whatever, if not even necessarily over somebody, but that too, just not understanding what your authority is. And I don't know, like, I mean, I think about using the term if it's your will, God. And I mean, just truthfully speaking, when I have said that in the past, not understanding it to the degree that I do now, it was still from a humble posture. It wasn't like I was afraid of the outcome. It was more of humbling myself and asking God to do his will, whatever that might be, because it might be it might look different from what I want it to look like. And so I don't know how I mean, I think it can also be used in a fear thing, but um using that is more humble, knowing that God can do whatever he wants to do, but knowing that it may not line up with what I want it to look like or whatever. And I don't know if that's right or wrong, but that's that's kind of my take on it. And I know that it can be like how you were describing it when we were listening to that teaching, it did feel a little bit, I don't know if convicting is the right word, but it kind of just, you know, that feeling inside where it's just like I don't know. And but I do understand like listening to it more. I understand what the basis of it was. And I personally don't think it's wrong to say that in certain situations if you are humble and you're just laying it out before God. But that's just my that's just my take on it. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 31:28

I think it's um I guess where where I see it being an issue is um it's one thing if you're trying to if you're trying to seek a direction and you're like this is what I would like. And like whatever, that that a job that says for the sake of discussion that you're you're seeking a job or whatever, that you're in for an interview, and it's pretty exciting, and you're like, you know what, I pray that it would be I pray that it would go well, and I pray that I would be able to get this job if it is your will. Okay, fine. But that's not really that's prayer, that's not really using your authority to heal a person or to it's not really has to do with authority. It's looking more for prayer for guidance. Right, you know, yeah. And so I think that that fits in that. Well, I think you can even I guess where my concern is is that when we use that so much that it's so easy for us to bring it in also when we're praying for someone for things like healing and restoration and stuff like that. And so what I guess where my point is more along the lines of that even if it is, maybe we can reword if we're looking for guidance into that, and can say, I would love this job, and I'm simply praying for guidance from you. And so that uh I surrender to your guidance in in whatever it is that that you have ordained for me. And I guess it is appropriate to say it at that point, if it is your will. But um, but I see it carried over so much from places like that, which are very valid and appropriate, but also into the healing side of things because people are so uncomfortable with that often. Yeah. Where it's like, let's pray for healing. And so I see people laying hands on somebody, and that's they fit it in there as well. If it is your will to heal this person, I'm like, okay. And so then they'd argue where, well, Paul had a thorn in the flesh that God didn't heal. Yeah, but he still used that to build and to strengthen Paul, and he even revealed to him why he didn't heal it. There are things that he has not healed with me that have been frustrating. And I've asked, why are you not healing? I keep praying for this. And there are times where he where he will say, I'm teaching you patience, I'm teaching you humility, I'm teaching you something. And there's some things that he might say to us, so I'm not gonna take this away. But isn't that isn't that a good opportunity for us to come into relationship and to even to what do you want me to know about this then, God? I've prayed for you this and it isn't working, and so what do you want me to know about this? I'm not gonna heal it. Well, what do you want me to do about it? Trust me. Still, authority, confidence. It if it's in the healing side of things, it should be confident authority, and you're calling on the authority of Christ to bring healing into this person. It sounds to me when I hear a person say that that they don't have a lot of confidence. I mean, it can be if it is your will, but it is God's will to heal and to deliver and to bring us out of the darkness and to not leave us abandoned in these places. And so, Lord, I pray that that you would heal this person, that you would bring healing into the situation, that you would would do these things. Of course, your will is what we seek as your servants in everything that happens. Yeah. That we're interceding for this person and you're bringing healing into them, period. How that looks, it's up to God. I guess that's more of a my point, but you have a good point, especially if you're looking for direction. That's a different story, though. That's that's prayer seeking guidance as opposed to using the authority that we have in Christ to overcome pain and suffering, things like that, I guess. Does that make sense?

SPEAKER_00 35:32

Yeah, and I think that that, I mean, at least that gives me clarity because when I heard that teaching, to me, that's that was a very cut and dry, like that's not you're never supposed to say that essentially. You're supposed to have that authority. But like that example I was giving, it it would have been something like that, like needing God's direction or his leading, or I want to do what you want me to do type thing. And so having that type of a your will be done. So I think for me at least, it was clarifying and it can be used. I don't think it's wrong. And I guess that's the danger that I I think I just run into these things a lot where you somebody says something that is true, but does that mean that it's applicable to all things? Not necessarily, like this is a good case in point. So I think that it's good that there was you gave that clarity because I agree, like when you're praying for things for people having the authority and not like but just praying for them and trusting that God is gonna do whatever he's gonna do and leaving it in his hands how he's going to do it, but not like you said. So yeah, I think that that I personally just think some stuff like that needs to be clarified, and hopefully that clarifies it for other people, and it did for me. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 37:02

Yeah, and that that's something that's the case with a lot of things in in faith and Christianity, is that there, you know, people a lot of times will just be very black and white, and this is the way it is in every situation. Tongues is one of them. Right. You know, that every person that that comes to faith has to speak in tongues. And a lot of times people that feel that way are the ones that speak in tongues. And so it's just something that they they assume that it's the case with everyone. Again, that's why we use things like the Enneagram to help us to see that different people, different personalities, the way that they process things, uh, it is different, different people. Um, doesn't always happen the same way. But um, but this is one of those situations that brings clarity, yeah, through discussion is to to help to understand more specifically where this applies, where it doesn't apply. So getting back to also the authority side of it, if we don't really trust the authority that we have, we're never going to do deliverance. Are you kidding me? Why would we ever face demonic elements if we don't believe that we have the authority to be able to face these things and that we can prevail? Our insecurities, our fear of what if I did something wrong? What if I my sins are not good with God, or whatever, that I what if I'm not right with God? What if I what if I'm not protected by God? And I know the pastor is, but I'm not a pastor. I haven't gone through all of that, so I don't, I don't know. We learn that again through relationship. And God, the journey is what God shows us, how much authority that we really do have. It's not a matter of having a seminary degree. A seminary degree helps us to be able to understand God's word to hopefully teach it better without um being heretical and to um hopefully, I guess it depends on which college or seminary you went to, but um but the authority is something that God gives us access to, the power of the Holy Spirit. And again, you've been it, it is, I've heard it said this a lot of times, is that it's like a um a police department deputizes people to exercise the power and the authority of that city, whatever that state or whatever the case is. And so you have the support of the city, of the nation, whatever, to exercise authority, legal authority over a certain realm. And we have authority over the demonic realm that God has given us to heal, to provide healing, to provide peace and power. And this world needs it desperately. But if we are trapped in fear because of deceptions and lies that we're believing, then we never tap into it. And it's so I've heard this said before many times in a lot of different places, and I've heard it from people even that I've worked with as well. And they say that Christians, whether it be satanic stuff or witchcraft or whatever, I've heard people, many people say that Christians have no idea the power that they possess. They really don't. And so, yeah, even malicious people that that have different rituals or things that they do for control, manipulation, deception, even for harm sometimes, curses, whatever things like that. And I have Christians that also that they're they're terrified of like, you know, there's in the area that I live in, there's there's definitely a decent amount of Wiccan people, Wicca, um, so witches, warlocks, whatever, and that they they believe in that. And there's even stores and stuff that that openly use it as a marketing tool as well. And um, I've got some people that are around here, that live around here, and that they they're just in a panic where they're like meeting with these people, and I know that they're witches, and I know that they're praying against this, I can feel it. And I'm like, do you pray for your safety and for for protection and for for you to then you shouldn't be afraid of them? I'm not afraid of them. Oh, when I I mean I had a I had an office that was right next to a bunch of witch stuff that was all over the place, and it didn't bother me at all. You know, honestly, if I met somebody like that, I'd talk to them. I'm not afraid of them. They don't have any power over me. Now, can I I can sense if I feel like somebody is praying something against me, I can feel that, and so I'm gonna pray against it. And but all of these things are opportunities, again, for us to grow stronger with God and to recognize the power that we have access to and for him to, and I know for me, those kind of things, if I sense a weakness in my armor, in my faith, in my walk with God, some of these things are going to illuminate that for me, that there's a there's a kink in my armor, and I need to address that. And it helps me to grow in God and to get stronger in that area. Maybe I'm being deceived and and tempted away by worldly ways, and that I need to come closer to God because I can feel that something is is influencing me in a way that's not healthy. All those things are good. But what I find, what you said, two things is yeah, why people don't embrace their authority. Number one, a lack of knowledge, lack of teaching. But number two is fear, that they're afraid. They just, even though they hear it, they're they're afraid. And that's because they're not believing the truth, they're not putting on the belt of truth, or don't understand the breastplate of righteousness. They don't have the faith that it takes to take a step with God. And if we do, he'll continue to show us you can trust me and I'm real, and I will be there with you. And it helps us to see, even when we have people that are around us that are struggling spiritually. I've had people before where they said I gave a person a ride somewhere and they told me that they were, you know, a witch and prostitute and a bunch of other things, and they're like, Oh, I don't not want to be around them anymore. And I'm like, why? Do you do you believe that God is calling you in to advance his kingdom? He's gonna bring, he's not just gonna bring you Christians all the time by the people that you like and that you feel safe around. He's going to bring you people that are trapped in the darkness. So love on them. They're not going to, unless you are so, if you are easily manipulated, where it's like that, I mean, what, they're they're prostitution? What do you think you're going to become a prostitute pretty soon or something? Or what? I mean, that that's ridiculous. I mean, it really is. I mean, unless you're struggling with porn and you actually are interested in in exploring that, then yeah, I'd say you probably want to stay away from that. That that is valid. Being serious, if if that's the case, and you're like, I don't think I can I don't think I can be around a person like that, that I get. And I would say there's wisdom in that to not dabble in uh even with people in that because you you could find yourself getting pulled into stuff that that's not good. But I'm talking about a person that's not even perfect. Think that a person, though, that is growing in Christ and that that if we're willing to follow him, he's going to lead us into people that are also still trapped in the darkness. And I believe that he's going to bring people to us that ultimately that we are able to help, even if it is guiding them into somebody else that we can pass them off to, that maybe is a little bit more experienced or whatever in that area. But that's an opportunity to learn also. If you have somebody that's willing to let you sit in on some of the sessions and helping them and encouraging them, then you can learn how to do this stuff so that you can help more people. There's nothing greater for us to be a part of than what God calls us into, advancing his kingdom. I mean, the rest of it all, we're going to get to the end of our life and we're going to realize there's a question that I know a guy that it took him losing basically just about everything that he felt was important to him, so his family and went through a divorce and so his kids and stuff. And he finally says to me, He says, I'm asking the question, I find myself asking this question fairly regularly, what's most important? And I'm like, that's it. That's what we should always be asking ourselves. What is most important? Is it our job? Or is our job just simply a gift that that helps us to make money and to provide? And it's fine. But if we lose it, it doesn't mean that our value goes anywhere or anything like that. It's just there'll be something else. Maybe it's time to transition into something different. What's most important? Is it my job or is it my family? Or is it or is it my religion, even? And sometimes that's the thing, is that we're it's we think it's God is what's most important, but in reality it's a religion. It's a man-made structure of control and and traditions and stuff that are in there that really have nothing to do with God for the most part. It's more God is the facade, but it's so what it what is it a big deal if a church decides to do Christmas a different way or not not have a Christmas service or whatever, but do it in a different way or something. Is that okay? Or you're like, no, it's not okay, or they change the music up, or they change whatever, different ministries that are happening because they feel the Holy Spirit is moving us. If it's religion or we're afraid of the different things that are happening in the culture around us, we're afraid because of the threat that it threatens my comfort. That's religion. That's that's that's not good. It's not God. And so what he started realizing is what's most important, even with the a conversation with this child, and he's like, Okay, child is wrong, but what's most important? What can I do here? And I need to I need to reestablish the relationship with my child because he has put religion higher, and uh the family has is basically gonna lose them all. And so God is good, and I have seen him in this person, even opening up new doors for this person, but we don't have to get to that place before we start asking that question, what's most important? And if we what's most important is that we're created in the image and likeness of God for a relationship, and if he is calling us back into that, then then that we follow that. And everything, all of it, including family, their gifts, all of it, and he will bless those things, speak into, bring healing, bring life, and we can lean in on the authority of asking for him to bring healing into our families, into situations, relationships, and things that are happening around us. We have that authority. We have the authority to command evil to leave, whether it be in our homes, whether it be in ourselves, whether it be in other people or children or whatever the case is, that we start to see that there is a spiritual battle that is happening, and that's where we win. That's where we win. It's not the people aren't as much the enemies as it is the spiritual element that we live within, but we have to lean in on the authority that we've been given. And we can't be fearful to use it. We have to learn how to use it. So have the courage to walk forward, take a step with God, and see opportunities, see challenges as opportunities to embrace it. And what he'll show us is that I will not leave you nor forsake you. Again, the other part of it, though, is that we run ahead and we have an idea of what we want it to look like. So we got to be careful to we're servants. He's God, he's the one that that is in charge. And how it ends up, that's up to him. But I am gonna lean in on the authority that he's given to me. If I'm seeking guidance, we've already talked about that. God, what do you want me to know about this? What do you want us to do or me to do about this? Asking for his will to be done, I think is a very valid thing. But the authority that he gives us is to trample on snakes and scorpions, to overcome all the power of the enemy. Nothing can harm you. And so we're called to come into that and to do it with humility and love, but also with confidence and courage as well. And if we're willing to follow him, with the measure that we use it, it'll be given to us. I guarantee you, guarantee you that he will definitely affirm it. If we're going too far, he'll also discipline us so that we back up a bit. If we're getting a little too confident, a little too prideful, a little too arrogant, he'll correct us on that as long as we're seeking him and we back up, we find that sweet spot. But yeah, you see that so much in deliverances where demonic elements really you see them doing it, where they're trying to intimidate. They're trying to, they'll laugh. And so they try to bring shame or whatever that they're laughing at me, who's officiating the deliverance. And I it doesn't bother me at all. I'm like, you're the ones going to the lake of fire here in a couple of minutes. So so be it. That's what you want. But in reality, it also has the ability to derail us, to bring us down all these things about how that looks me, how mate, how that makes me look when it's not about me, the deliverance. It's about the person that we're we're trying to help. And if a demon is laughing at a person that's doing the deliverance, it shows that demon is very arrogant, very prideful, and it probably is very powerful in this person. Doesn't mean that it's a powerful demon, but this person has fed that demon a lot. And so that's why it's so cocky. It's why it's so arrogant, that's why it is basically mocking the efforts. And it's okay. You still have the authority, nothing's changed. It's again, it's trying to derail the operations, it's trying to deceive. And we have to hold on to the truth, we have to hold on to who we know we are and pick up our shield of faith and embrace the power that God has given us. So if we do that, he will use us in mighty and powerful ways. I mean, Jesus tells us, he says the Father wants to work through us so that he can glorify himself and uh show the world who he is through us. So we have to have the courage to go forward in that. All right. Well, on that note, we'll wrap up today's session. So we hope you enjoyed it, and we're glad that you are with us here today. We hope you have a great week, and we hope to see you again next week. God bless. Hi, everyone.

SPEAKER_01 51:28

Don't you know?