Spiritual Authority

 Zechariah 1-3; Luke 11

“Jesus was driving out a demon that was mute. When the demon left, the man who had been mute spoke…’if I drive out demons by the finger of God, then the kingdom of God has come to you.’”

Luke 11:14, 20

Spiritual authority is not a theoretical concept that is based on our years of Bible learning or positions in the Church. Jesus confronted a mute spirit and it was forced to leave a man’s body because Jesus carried spiritual authority. Jesus pointed to the finger of God on his life through which God’s authority was expressed. This same authority to operationalize the kingdom of God’s authority on earth was given to Christ’s disciples. That includes the disciples of Christ today. The spiritual authority to drive out unclean spirits is one of the demonstrations of Christ’s kingdom authority at work in us. Jesus uses the metaphor of a strong man protecting his house and all that it contains, until someone overpowers him and plunders his home. Jesus plundered the ‘home’ of a mute spirit and set a man free.

How many others are looking for that same freedom today?

Do we know the hand of God on our lives so that we, too, are able to drive out demons by the finger of God? Paul’s testimony was that the message of the kingdom came with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, rather than wise and persuasive words (2 Corinthians 2:4, 5).

Can we say the same?

“Lord Jesus, set the captives free, for your glory.”