Properly Use the Authority Jesus Gives You 

Some of you may recall an episode of The Andy Griffith Show in which scrawny Deputy Barney Fife confronts a couple of tough farmers who were illegally selling their produce on the side of the road. They flaunted their physical superiority over the deputy, made fun of him, and caused him to run off scared. However, by the end of the show, both they and Barney had learned something. An emboldened Barney encountered them again, reminding them that although they were bigger than he was, the people of Mayberry had given him the authority to represent them and to carry out the law. While he may not have had the physical ability to make those farmers move, he had the authority to do it.

 We need to recognize that truth about Jesus too. In His case, not only did He have the ability to do great things, but He had authority over sickness, evil, and even nature itself. He had the right and power to heal diseases, cast out demons, and calm stormy seas because of who He was as the Son of God.

Amazingly, He passed along that authority to His followers, at least to some degree and for certain occasions. He said that they would do the same kind of works He did. We find some of the disciples in the book of Acts doing such works of healing and other miracles in Jesus’ name. As Jesus was proclaiming what we have come to call the Great Commission, He prefaced it by saying, “All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth” (Matthew 28:18). Maybe He was letting us know not only that He had all authority, but also that He was sending His followers out under that same authority. In a sense, He has deputized us. Jesus has given us the power and authority to minister in His name.

Therefore, on the one hand, we need to make use of the authority Jesus has bestowed on us. We don’t have to quiver and run away from evil forces and Satan. The Bible tells us that greater is He who is in us than he who is in the world. I am concerned that too many of us are like Barney Fife at his first encounter with those tough farmers. We let sin and Satan intimidate us. We cower in the face of evil and as we are confronted by the difficulties the devil throws in our pathway. We run scared when dealing with adversity and opposition.

Let’s remember whose we are – that we belong to the Lord and we are His ambassadors. We represent Him. We can make use of His authority to be overcomers and to be victorious over sin and evil in the world.

However, on the other hand, let’s be careful not to overstep or misuse that authority. Among those who like to talk about “taking authority” over things, there often seems to be an arrogant spirit. We need to be sure we exalt the Lord, not ourselves. It also seems that some people start claiming authority over every aspect of their lives without regard to what God’s will may be. They presume to take authority over anything they don’t like or that gets in the way of what they want. Some see demons around every corner, and ignore the fact that some of those difficulties are the result of their own foolish choices. 

Remember the quote from the Spiderman movie – “with great power comes great responsibility”. We have been given great power and authority by the Lord, but it comes with great responsibility to use it wisely and in the way God intends. Don’t ignore or neglect that authority. At the same time, let’s use it wisely under the Lord’s direction.