Our Spiritual Authority (Part 4) Preparation For Exercising Our Authority

Review:
We have covered the following:

• Why we need to walk in our spiritual authority
• The basis for our spiritual authority
• What we have authority over

Today:
Preparation for Exercising Our Authority

We will talk about seven key areas that help us prepare ourselves to walk in spiritual authority.
1, Being Strong In Intimacy And Identity
2, Obedience To God
3, The Armor Of God
4, Faith
5, Intercession
6, Fasting
7, Commitment

1, Being Strong In Intimacy And Identity
Life in the Garden
Adam and Eve walked in an intimate relationship – communion – with God. God visited and communed with them in the garden.
These 4 factors characterized life in the garden:

• Relationship – they walked in intimate communion and worship of God
• Submission – they walked in obedience to His command not to eat of that one tree
• Responsibility – they had a God-given mandate to be fruitful, multiply, subdue, have dominion...to fill the earth with people in the image and likeness of God – who will manifest His glory.
• Dominion – they were given authority to guard the garden – to protect the garden from an obvious enemy who seemed interested in intruding the garden. It is quite possible the this enemy had access to other parts of the earth, but the garden. Therefore, man was given dominion – the power to subdue and rule – and fill the earth with the glory of God.
• Their ability to subdue and have dominion flowed naturally out of who they were and as they walked in they fulfilled the first three – maintained intimate relationship with God, walked in submission to Him,and fulfilled responsibility He had given.

They had no other ‘weapon’ to exercise authority on the earth – no word of God, name of Jesus, blood of the Lamb, etc. These came into effect a later on.
At its very core our ability to manifest His glory and exercise authority on the earth - flows naturally out of who we are as sons and daughters of God - and as we walk in an intimate relationship with God, walk in submission to Him, and fulfill responsibility He has given us. The ‘weapons of our warfare’ we use are tools to express the authority that flows from these.
So to walk in spiritual authority and dominion these are foundational:

• We must develop an intimate relationship with the Lord.
• We must be strong in your identity – know who you are in Christ.

2, Obedience To God

James 4:6,7
My authority on the earth is in proportion to my submission to the King.
To the extent He reigns in me, He can also reign through me.
3, The Armor Of God
Ephesians 6:10-18
(Can quickly mention the 6 pieces of armor. Don’t have to elaborate on each too much, due to time constraints)
Helmet of Salvation
Breastplate of Righteousness
Belt of Truth
Shoes of the Gospel
Sword, the Word of God
Shield of Faith – used both to defend and as an offensive weapon
While Paul uses the imagery of the different pieces of a soldier’s armor – each of these : our salvation, righteousness (what God has given to us by faith and the life we live), truth (integrity), sharing the Gospel, using God’s Word, Faith in God – are important parts of our entire Christian life.
4, Faith
Matthew 17:19-21
Our faith in God is both a defensive weapon and an offensive weapon.
When we stand firm in faith in what God has said, the enemy’s fiery darts fall to the ground powerless. Holding up our shield, we are actually able to advance against the enemy, take over new ground and force the enemy out.

5, Intercession
Luke 22:31,32 Jesus prayed for Peter ahead of time.
Prayer helps us perceive and pre-empt any of satan’s strategies.
In prayer we confront and demolish enemy’s tactics
6, Fasting
Matthew 17:20,21
Fasting intensifies our spiritual hunger, passion and focus.
Fasting helps us subdue fleshly hindrances.
Fasting helps us eliminate doubt and unbelief.
7, Commitment
As individuals, if we are double minded and divided inside about what we desire to accomplish – it becomes easy for the enemy to stop us.
James 1:8, Mark 3:25
If you want to see souls saved – be committed to evangelizing and sharing the Gospel.
If you want to see people healed and delivered – be committed to believing and ministering for healing and deliverance.
...etc....
This also applies to us collectively as a body. We need to be absolutely committed to our common cause of manifesting His glory in our city and nation.