Faith Fellowship Church…PO Box 1586…Broken Arrow, OK 74013…Pastor Terry Dashner

“Spiritual Authority and Spiritual Power—good partners to have”

I invested 14 years of my life in law enforcement. I was first hired in 1989 by the Cob County Police Department in Georgia. Not long after that I sought out and was accepted for employment with the Tulsa Police Department in Oklahoma, my home state. In September 2003, the Lord released me from my law enforcement assignment and placed me in full time ministry at Faith Fellowship Church as senior pastor.

Enough of my “bio”—here’s my point: God taught me many practical lessons as a police officer to further prepare me for pastoral ministry in the local church. One of the lessons was concerning authority and power. I would like to share this lesson with you. Maybe it will help you in your spiritual growth. Here’s the lesson.

Authority over an adversary is only effective when it lies outside one’s self. In other words, the authority I had to subdue hardened criminals—sometimes very big and mean criminals—came from the entire community, state, and nation I served and was displayed in a little, shining badge I pinned over my heart. When I approached someone who was doing wrong, I didn’t attempt to apprehend him by my own authority. I wasn’t there by the authority of my college degree. I wasn’t there by the authority of my right to vote. I wasn’t there by the authority of my physical demeanor. I’m of average size and not very scary looking. (Ok—I’m of average size). I was able to subdue the criminal because I was there by the authority of the law. And the criminal had to succumb to that authority or suffer dire consequences.

Now allow me use that lesson as a spiritual application. As a believer in Jesus Christ I have authority over His enemies of the Cross. As you know, there is still a spiritual war being waged in the unseen heavenlies. The Apostle Paul speaks about the “principalities and powers in the heavenlies” in his letters to the Ephesians and Colossians. He tells them (and us) to “put on the full armour of Christ” to combat the unseen enemies that are very real in their attempt to thwart the church. If Christians—every Christian—attempts to resist these demonic forces by their own authority, they lose. On the other hand, if the children of light will stand in the authority of Jesus Christ, they will overcome the enemies of Jesus and the church every time. Jesus guarantees the victory because He is raised from the dead, alive, and living with the Father in heaven. The Father has given Him “all authority” and Jesus gives His authority to the church (Christians). That is why we are commanded in scripture to pray, speak, and live in the authority of Jesus by saying, “I claim this in the name of Jesus.” I stand here in the authority of Jesus Christ. He’s the Victor, and I have the victory in Jesus’ name!

There is one final word that you should know. Sometimes the criminal, or criminals, I was sent to apprehend didn’t want to comply with my requests. In those situations I always called for a “backer.” At my request on the radio, any number of my brothers and sisters would come from all directions to help me. And Tulsa has a good size department with the Tulsa County Sheriff’s Office, and Oklahoma Highway Patrol to help when needed. This help was in addition to my police authority to apprehend the unruly. It was POWER sent to help me. Here’s the spiritual application: When circumstances seem overwhelming in your life you can get help. You don’t have to face it alone. The Holy Spirit has been sent from the Father and the Son to help the saints of God, especially in prayer. The Bible says that the Holy Spirit helps us when we don’t know how or what we should pray for. If you will call on Him, He will come to you with His POWER and lift you high above the circumstances. You can’t lose with God! You have the authority of Jesus’ name and the power of the Holy Spirit on request to help you. That is why the Bible says that if God is for us, then who can be against us? Stand strong against your adversaries and unjust circumstances in life by the authority of Jesus and the power of the Holy Spirit.

Keep the faith. Stay the course. Pray always in the Holy Spirit. And remember, JESUS IS COMING SOON!! Pastor T.

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