Faith Fellowship Church…PO Box 1586…Broken Arrow, OK 74013…Pastor Terry Dashner“Spiritual Authority and Spiritual Power—good partners to have”
I invested 14 years of my life in law enforcement. I was first hired in 1989 by
Cob County Police Department in Georgia. Not long after that I sought out and was accepted for employment with Tulsa Police Department in Oklahoma, my home state. In September 2003, Lord released me from my law enforcement assignment and placed me in full time ministry at Faith Fellowship Church as senior pastor.
Enough of my “bio”—here’s my point: God taught me many practical lessons as a police officer to further prepare me for pastoral ministry in local church. One of lessons was concerning authority and power. I would like to share this lesson with you. Maybe it will help you in your spiritual growth. Here’s lesson.
Authority over an adversary is only effective when it lies outside one’s self. In other words, authority I had to subdue hardened criminals—sometimes very big and mean criminals—came from entire community, state, and nation I served and was displayed in a little, shining badge I pinned over my heart. When I approached someone who was doing wrong, I didn’t attempt to apprehend him by my own authority. I wasn’t there by authority of my college degree. I wasn’t there by authority of my right to vote. I wasn’t there by authority of my physical demeanor. I’m of average size and not very scary looking. (Ok—I’m of average size). I was able to subdue criminal because I was there by authority of law. And criminal had to succumb to that authority or suffer dire consequences.
Now allow me use that lesson as a spiritual application. As a believer in Jesus Christ I have authority over His enemies of Cross. As you know, there is still a spiritual war being waged in unseen heavenlies. The Apostle Paul speaks about “principalities and powers in heavenlies” in his letters to Ephesians and Colossians. He tells them (and us) to “put on full armour of Christ” to combat unseen enemies that are very real in their attempt to thwart church. If Christians—every Christian—attempts to resist these demonic forces by their own authority, they lose. On other hand, if children of light will stand in authority of Jesus Christ, they will overcome enemies of Jesus and church every time. Jesus guarantees victory because He is raised from dead, alive, and living with Father in heaven. The Father has given Him “all authority” and Jesus gives His authority to church (Christians). That is why we are commanded in scripture to pray, speak, and live in authority of Jesus by saying, “I claim this in name of Jesus.” I stand here in authority of Jesus Christ. He’s Victor, and I have victory in Jesus’ name!
