Romans 5:17 reads, “For if by one man's (Adam’s) offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.”

     We are to reign in this life by reigning over the circumstances that come against our life – WE are to have the last word. Circumstances may show up, but WE are the ones who determine the effect they will have on us. We are to REIGN in life – just as a king reigns. In his domain, HIS word is final!

     We are authorized to live as though we have no enemy – for Jesus has made us MASTER over the devil. When our spirit grasps the truth that Satan is a defeated foe, and we walk in our authority, the devil is done pushing us around!

     We will have everything we “put up with.”

     As a parent, you have parental authority to hold order in your home. If you don’t exercise your authority as a parent, your children will try to run and control the home. You will have everything in your home that you “put up with.” But if you decide that you are done putting up with children disobeying, disrespecting, and dishonoring you and the home, you are authorized to walk in your parental authority.

     If you don’t exercise your authority in the home, the kids will try to take that place and role. It’s the same with the devil – when you don’t exercise your authority over him, he will rise up and work against your life – simply because you didn’t exercise your authority.

     If a parent hasn’t been exercising their authority and the kids have been running the home, the kids will try to rebel when the parent starts exercising their authority over them – they want to be in charge. But if the parent will PERSIST and not back down, order can be restored.

     The devil is the same way – if he’s been used to getting his way in your life, he will REBEL and cause great commotion when you start exercising your God-given authority. The devil wants to make you think your authority doesn’t work for you – but it does!

     If you take your authority against symptoms in your body and forbid them to stay, they may seem to increase – the devil wants you to think your authority doesn’t work for you and try to get you to back down from using your authority. But your authority will work for you! Just continue in the use of your authority – don’t back down. He will challenge you, but just stand your ground!

     First Peter 5:8 & 9 instructs us, “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: whom resist stedfast in the faith….” (AMPC — Withstand him; be firm in faith [against his onset—rooted, established, strong, immovable, and determined).....”

     James 4:7 tells us, “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” In this verse, we see two instructions given. First, submit to God, and secondly, resist the devil (exercise your authority over him). The result of doing both of those things is that the devil will flee.

     What does it mean to “submit to God”? Obey God – do what is He dealing with you about. Authority won’t work right if we aren’t obeying the One who delegated us the authority. We can’t live disobedient to the Word and to the Spirit of God and think that our authority will work right. We must first be SUBMITTED to God – THEN resist the devil, and he will flee!

     If the devil isn’t fleeing – if the situation isn’t changing over time – check and see if you are first submitted to God and obeying Him. Disobedience will interrupt the flow of power.

     People may wonder – “Well, if Satan is defeated, why do I have to deal with him?” He has been defeated, but he hasn’t yet been IMPRISONED. One day, he will be imprisoned and we won’t have to deal with him – but until that day, we are the “police officers” of our lives – exercising our authority.

     Police officers don’t make laws – they just enforce them. They are authorized to enforce laws they didn’t make. A police officer operates under DELEGATED AUTHORITY – it’s the authority of the city – it’s not authority he won for himself – it was delegated to him.

     A police officer’s authority will work for him, regardless of how he FEELS that day. He may feel physically ill and weak, but his authority still works. It doesn’t matter whether or not you FEEL like you’re in authority – authority is yours because of the POSITION you occupy – not because of how you FEEL.

     There are 3 hindrances to us exercising our dominion:

1. Ignorance – what a person doesn’t know, he won’t take possession of or walk in.

2. Unbelief – the Hebrews that God delivered out of Egypt didn’t enter into all that belonged to them because of unbelief. They are a warning to us. When a person doesn’t trust God – the One our dominion stems from – it is impossible to operate in true dominion. How do you say to someone, “I love you, but I don’t believe a word you say”?

3. Sin – this is the greatest element that destroys man’s effective use of his authority and dominion. To exercise dominion, we must be made clean and remain clean by the Blood. Being clean includes being obedient to God.

     Thank God for the authority we have in Christ. We are to exercise ourselves in authority every day – that is, actively resist anything that isn’t from God. Resist symptoms, wrong thoughts, fear, unbelief, sin, and everything else that God has delivered us from.

     Jesus paid a great price for us to have the inheritance that we have in Christ. Our authority is an important part of that inheritance, so let’s not neglect it, but become skillful in exercising it. As we daily walk in our authority, God’s power backs us up and life is made sweeter.