In the spiritual realm, authority is paramount. Those of us in Christ live under grace but the rest of creation, seen and unseen, operates under law.  Law operates on the basis of authority and the power to enforce that authority.  That is one of the reasons that the Spirit has gone to such great links to assure us of the authority of Christ.

And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.  Go therefore and make disciples of all nations … (Mt.28:18-19)

God put this power to work in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the age to come. (Eph.1:20-21)

Then I heard a loud voice in heaven, proclaiming, “Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Messiah, for the accuser of our comrades has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God. (Rev.12:10)

While Jesus has all authority we often forget that the Word of God has authority as well. The Bible not only contains truth and principles for living but edicts from the King.  Prophetic statements and commands are not just insights into the future or words to live by but they must come to pass because the King has declared them.  Those who stand in opposition to the word of God stand in opposition to the power and authority of heaven.

The phrase “It is written” is repeated throughout scripture and it carries the weight of “this is what the king has declared so it must be carried our or fulfilled.” When the Hebrew writer declares that the Word of God is “living and active” (Heb.4:12) he is saying that the word of God is not just ink on a page but that the Spirit of God and the powers of heaven move to activate that word in our lives and in the earth.  Paul says that the word of God is the sword of the Spirit and is part of the armor God has given us to stand against the enemy (Eph.6).  Most of the armor named is defensive and protective but the sword is an offensive weapon as well.  The Word of God is to be used as a weapon to not only protect us against the enemy but to take ground from the enemy as well.

When Satan confronted Jesus in the wilderness at the end of his forty-day fast, Jesus rebuffed each temptation with scripture and began each response with,“It is written. “  Jesus not only was aligning himself with the Father but was activating the word of God by declaring it against the enemy.  Jesus did not get into a dialogue with the devil but simply declared the word of God over the temptation and the situation. Matthew ends the account by telling us that the devil left and angels came and ministered to Jesus.  Remember, Jesus was operating as Son of Man rather than Son of God. When we declare the word with authority over the enemy or a work of the enemy, we can expect the enemy to leave and angels to minister.

I believe deliverance is more effective when our commands for the enemy to leave are prefaced with the word of God.  “It is written, ‘I have given you authority to tread on snakes and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy; and nothing will hurt you’”(Lk.10:18).  “It is written, ‘Every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord’” (Phil.2:10).  “ It is written, ‘these signs will accompany those who have believed: in my Name they will cast out demons’” (Mt.16:17) and so forth.

The word of God has authority.  Heaven will move to backup the edicts of the King with his power.  As you read through the gospels, Jesus spoke God’s word from the Old Testament over and over with authority.  You can sense from the passages that Jesus was absolutely convinced that if it was written it would surely come to pass and if it was written that was the place to take your stand. His example challenges us to know the Word and believe the Word as well. It is on the Word that we can stand and by the Word that we take ground, for it is written, “Man does not live by bread alone but be every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.”  Every command, every directive, every promise that we stand has come from the Kings mouth and that word will surely fulfill its purpose.