Reigning In Life As A King (6 page)

But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit.

I Corinthians 6:17

The Practical Application:

Every man must choose to let the inner man dominate his life.

If we are going to live like kings, our spirits must be in control. Given a choice to love or to hate, our spirits will choose love. Given a choice to be encouraged or to be discouraged, we will choose to be encouraged. These decisions come out of the newly created spirit—the inner man. You can strengthen the inner man as you study the Word of God and begin to see what God says about you.

There is a story about a great, roaring lion and a little puppy. No one would ask, "Which one do you think can whip the other one?" What a foolish question!

You could change the outcome of that fight, however. All you would need to do is stop feeding the lion and start feeding the puppy. If you were patient and continually fed that puppy week after week, he would become strong and healthy. After a time, the Hon would become so weak that he could no longer lift his paw.

When you become a Christian, your inner nature is like that little puppy. It must be fed, taught, and trained. Your outer, fleshly nature, like the Hon, must be starved until it has no strength.

The people who live without victory are those who feed the lion. They spend very little time in Bible study. They are unconcerned about attending a good Bible teaching church. They sit in front of television sets and feed their carnal natures by the hour. The old lion roars and they wonder why they do not walk in victory.

What you feed your spirit is very important. The new inner spirit will not grow as you eat a steak. It must have spiritual food.

It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.

John 6:63

The devil's trick is to keep us in doctrinal chains and hide the great truths of God from us. For years I was kept in ignorance.

As a minister, I walked in all the light I knew. I am sure other denominational ministers are doing all they know to do also, but many of us were kept in ignorance. We trusted our teachers, and were not taught the complete truths of God's Word.

We were taught fear and condemnation. We were beaten down and constantly reminded of how weak and unworthy we were.

It was my joy as a preacher to nail people's hides to the wall. I really let them know how bad they were. The more I did it, the more they bragged on me. They thought that was good preaching.

There was a little bird who was hatched in a cage. He did not know anything about life outside of that cage. He had never been outside. As he grew, he began to notice those things on his sides. He wondered what they were.

One day he learned that his wings would lift up and down. He flapped his wings so fast that he flew into the side of the cage. He did that over and over. Deep inside he heard a little voice saying, "You are not made for a cage." But that was the only home he knew.

Then, someone opened the door of the cage and the bird flew out for the first time. Can't you hear that little bird saying, "This is it! I was made for something bigger than a cage!"

The devil has made certain that the Body of Christ is all caged up. We have been fed bird seed when we were made to be eagles.

Millions of Christians are behind cages, locked up in doctrines that say miracles have passed away and the days of supernatural direction are over.

By the power of the Holy Spirit, these denominational cages are being opened and we are beginning to fly together. We are learning the great truths of the Word of God. We are experiencing the victorious life of Jesus Christ!

The Divine Side:

God, through Jesus Christ, has delivered us from Satan's power.

Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light:

Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son.

Colossians 1:12-13

God has delivered us from the authority of Satan. It is not something we need to ask God to do for us. HE HAS ALREADY DONE IT! It is an eternal truth!

Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.

And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power.

And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.

Colossians 2:8,10,15

Many times we try to win the battles of life with philosophy or the traditions of men.

Jesus has spoiled principalities and powers, and if we will bind those forces in our daily prayer lives, we will see the manifestation of the things for which we are believing God.

The Practical Application:

Every Christian must study the Word of God and learn to defeat his enemy, the devil, for himself.

The way to do this is through prayer. We must say what the Word of God says. We must learn to pray in the Holy Spirit until we see the desired results.

Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.

RESIST THE DEVIL!

For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

KNOW YOUR ENEMY!

Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

RESIST TEMPTATION!

Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;

KNOW WHO YOU ARE IN CHRIST!

And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;

BE PEACEFUL!

Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.

DO NOT GIVE UP!

And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:

SPEAK THE WORD!

Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints.

PRAY ALWAYS!

Ephesians 6:11-18

God wants us to rule and reign over the devil in this life through PRAYER!

The Divine Side:

God, through Jesus Christ, has forgiven all our sins.

In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace.

Ephesians 1:7

Our sins are forgiven, not on the basis of the sins we have committed, but on the basis of the riches of His grace. God's grace is rich and free!

Have you ever held a tiny baby? You admire that baby and talk about how sweet it is. That baby has no past. As a newborn Christian, you have no past.

I do not care what your past was. I do not care how many crimes you have committed. When you come to God, your past ceases to exist.

The Practical Application:

Every believer of the Lord Jesus Christ must learn to act on the Word of God instead of on what he sees, feels, or hears.

When it seems that you have failed, do not condemn yourself.

There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

Romans 8:1

If you feel that you have missed God or failed your fellowman, do not continue in that state of mind!

But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

I John 1:7,9

Be quick to get back into the light. Confess your sin and believe that He has cleansed you.

Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, whom he hath redeemed from the hand of the enemy.

Psalm 107:2

The secret of victory is acting fearlessly and confessing boldly! Satan is afraid of you!

God, through Jesus Christ, has redeemed you. God, through Jesus Christ, has made you a new creature. God, through Jesus Christ, has delivered you from Satan's power. God, through Jesus Christ, has forgiven all your sins.

WE REIGN IN LIFE AS KINGS THROUGH
THE GIFT OF RIGHTEOUSNESS.

Chapter Five
Reigning In Life Through
The Name Of Jesus

We can reign in life as kings through the wonderful Name of Jesus.

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.

And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.

Colossians 3:16-17

In order to reign in life, we must understand that we do everything in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ.

We do not have to tolerate what the devil throws at us. We do not have to worm our way through life, crying and putting up with all his evil schemes. We allow the devil to have freedom in our lives because of ignorance or inactivity.

God created us to live an abundant life. We will begin to partake of that abundance as we learn to exercise authority in the Name of Jesus.

The Name of Jesus means much to the Father.

That Name means much to the Body of Christ.

His Name means much to the devil and demon forces.

Often, we gather under good names such as Baptist, Methodist, or Church of God, but we have almost ignored the Name of Jesus. Today the denominational names are growing dimmer and the Name of Jesus is growing brighter!

At the right hand of God, Jesus holds the highest position in the universe.

Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places,

Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come.

Ephesians 1:20-21

Because of His position, Jesus owns everything. He is the heir of all things.

God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in
time past unto the fathers by the prophets,

Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds.

Hebrews 1:1-2

Because of His position, the Name of Jesus holds the highest
authority in the spirit realm.

No matter what your struggle may be, it is with spirit beings without bodies. Our battle is not with people, but with the rulers of the darkness of this world. (Ephesians 6:12) Jesus is the Name that holds all authority in the area where those spirit beings live, and God requires us to use that Name.

THE NAME OF JESUS IS THE MOST
POWERFUL NAME IN THE UNIVERSE!

Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:

Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:

But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:

And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.

Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:

That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;

And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Philippians 2:5-11

Jesus gave us the right to use His name.

Recently, an attorney who represents me in another city, called my office. In the conversation, he said that he was sending me a form to sign, a power of attorney. He needed legal permission to use my name. It was necessary for him to take action on my behalf in a location where it was not possible for me to be. By signing this form, I gave him the right to act in my behalf.

That is exactly what Jesus did when He gave us the right to use His Name.

Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.

And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.

If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.

John 14:12-14

We should do the works that Jesus did. Think about all the blind people, the deaf people, and the demon possessed people whom Jesus healed. He said, "The works that I do, you can do."

Jesus said we can ask anything in His Name. The word ask in the Greek actually means demand. However, we should never demand things from God in an arrogant manner.

Instead, we should search the Word of God and come boldly to Him, saying, "This is mine according to Your Word." When we do this, we will know that we are praying according to God's will. God will see to it that it is done. He will see that sickness, disease, and demon powers leave us.

But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.

John 14:26

Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.

John 15:16

We know that we do not pray to Jesus. The Bible says we should pray to the Father in the Name of Jesus.

And in that day ye shall ask me nothing. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you.