WHO’s in CHARGE ANYWAY?

Who’s In Charge?

We live in a time of turmoil. Families are in crisis; violence decimates our inner cities and school shootings are a regular occurrence. Our communities languish in lawlessness and bad things happen to good people. People ask us, “where is your God?  If God is good, why doesn’t He stop human trafficking, war, abuse etc.? These questions paralyze Christians, causing us to wonder, who’s in charge, anyway?

Confusion and Faith

As Christians, we try and provide answers, but we ourselves are confused and this dilutes our faith. We comfort others with truisms like: “Jesus is still on the Throne” or “God is in control” however, how should we pray with faith and boldness, when all we see is Satan winning? Is Satan stronger than God?

Why doesn’t God stop this invasion from the Kingdom of Darkness?

Authority to Rule

The devil is in the details, and we get ourselves tangled up in them. We must see the big picture in the spiritual realm to understand who’s in charge here and now. We must develop boldness to push back the darkness in Jesus.

When we ask – “who’s in charge” – we are really asking who is the ruler of this world? Whoever is the ruler, must have legal authority to actually be in charge. Furthermore, the ruler must possess power to enforce their authority. Authority plus power means – you are “in charge.”

Considering the struggles people experience, it’s overwhelming. Jesus is not here to deliver, heal, or protect us from evil. We pray – “your Kingdom come; Your will be done” – but how exactly can Jesus do this if He is not here with us?

King Jesus

Jesus blew everyone’s mind. Here on earth, He healed the sick and delivered the oppressed, setting captives free! The blind received sight and the deaf their hearing. The lame jumped for joy, and the dead were raised, all to the glory of God.

This demonstration of power and authority disoriented the religious leaders. They wanted to know WHICH KINGDOM was in operation through Jesus.

It wasn’t just power they were worried about it was authority! In other words, who gave Jesus the permission to be in charge?

“By what authority are you doing these things?” they asked.

I believe most of them were confused as they witnessed the power Jesus displayed. You see for millennia mankind languished under the domain of darkness, and the religious leaders had little power to help them. Now Jesus came and moved in both power and authority, challenging their world view.

Surely The Kingdom of God Had Come Upon Them

The leaders had never seen such a King. The scriptures spoke of Him, but now they saw His Kingdom manifest with their own eyes. Some embraced the Kingdom of God and followed Jesus; some wished to silence the disruption and keep the status quo.

Jesus shook up the kingdoms of this earth. In tiny Bethlehem, the King of kings and Lord of lords arrived, born to a virgin over 2000 years ago. She placed Him in a manger in a shepherds’ cave, the Son of the Living God and a descendant of King David. Jesus held the legal right to sit on the throne of the everlasting kingdom yet to come. However, He came the first time, not high and mighty, but meek and lowly so all of us could come near to know Him, fully God, yet fully man.

The kingdoms of this world and the Kingdom of Heaven encountered each other face to face, the moment the King was born. The cry of this tiny baby warned the Kingdom of Darkness that our King had come to fight for us!

By Who’s Authority

Jesus showed us how His authority to rule, overpowered the works of the Kingdom of Darkness.

•  Jesus taught with authority inspiring people with truth of God’s Word. Matthew 7:28-29
•  Jesus had authority over unclean spirits who would often cry out in fear in His presence. Mark 1:27
•  Jesus showed He possessed the authority to lay down His life for us and resurrection authority over death – the authority to take up His life again. John 10:17-18
•  Jesus had authority over nature as He commanded the waves and wind to stop raging on the Sea of Galilea. Mark 4:35-41
•  When some friends brought a crippled man to Jesus, it was the authority to forgive sins that healed the man.  Matthew 9:1-8

When Jesus healed and delivered people, the Kingdom of Light overpowered the Kingdom of Darkness, forcing it to submit to Jesus the King. We often think of the clash of the 2 kingdoms as a power struggle, but it’s not about power alone. It’s a question of who has authority. Who has the right to govern and rule over the power of another kingdom? Who’s in charge anyway?

Power

The Greek word for power is dynamis – (strong’s #1411). It is the same word from which we derive our word – dynamite! The Holy Spirit provides miraculous power to do the works of the Kingdom of God, here on earth.

Jesus had both the authority and the power of the Holy Spirit to overcome the Kingdom of Darkness. Peter preached it right:

How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth
with the Holy Ghost and with power:
who went about doing good,
and healing all that were oppressed of the devil;
for God was with Him.
Acts 10:38 KJV

Remember before He began his ministry on earth, Jesus went to John the Immerser to be baptized. The Heavens opened and the Holy Spirit descended on Jesus like a dove. The Holy Spirit is the power of God from Heaven.

So What About Us?

If Jesus needed the anointing of the Holy Spirit to destroy the works of the enemy, how much ore so us. As Christians, we all must seek the power and baptism in the Holy Spirit. We are called to destroy the evil works of darkness, just like Jesus with power. Eddie Jones wrote 2 recent IAF articles about the Holy Spirit. You can read them here.

You and I receive the same promise Jesus gave to the disciples long ago. The night before Jesus was crucified, He promised them they would not be left alone powerless against the evil one. He did not abandon them, or us, but sends His Holy Spirit to be with us and fill us with power.

Called to Overcome the Darkness

Jesus gave the disciples power and authority to heal sickness and disease and cast out demons. He gave them authority to overcome all the power of the evil one.

Jesus also told His followers they would do even greater works that He did. I believe we are included in that group! I pray we are up for the task!

^{12 “}Amen, amen I tell you, he who puts his trust in Me,
the works that I do, he will do;
and greater than these he will do,
because I am going to the Father.
¹³ And whatever you ask in My name, that will I do,
so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.
¹⁴ If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it.”
John 14:12-14   Tree of Life Version
– Jesus Speaking

Power of the Spirit and Authority of His Name

Jesus surely did not expect us to do this work alone. As He said His goodbyes to His followers and returned to Heaven, He gave them the task of spreading his Kingdom here on earth. We still follow that command until He returns!

¹⁴ “All authority in Heaven and earth has been given to me.
Go therefore .. . .”
Matthew 28:17-20

When Jesus directs His followers to ask Him anything in His name, He is encouraging us to use the authority which He possesses in Heaven and on Earth to destroy the works of the devil here and now.

•  When we use His name, we declare His authority to rule in whatever situation we face.
•  The power of the Holy Spirit backs us up and reveals His Kingdom has come!
•  We establish that He is “in charge” over any situation. When we use His name and walk in His authority to rule.

And so, the ball is in our court. Let’s walk with the Spirit and use the Name to show ourselves to be sons and daughters of Light in Jesus! No hiding under bushels but going therefore to destroy evil in Jesus name.