Winter
2008
Spiritual Authority
Wade E Taylor
“Yet man is born to trouble, as the sparks fly upward.”
Job 5:7
None of us are exempt from problems in our lives. These are
neither accidental nor coincidental, but rather, an integral
part of the Lord’s program. He will have a people who
choose to choose Him, not because it is easy, but because
they are determined to push through life’s problems
in order to apprehend Him.
Many, however, take the easier route and give up when trials
come their way. Thus, the promise and reward is to those who
rise above the pressures of life and overcome.
Through redemption, we have become a new creation. Now, the
Lord desires to bring this new creation into spiritual maturity,
that we may fulfill His calling and purpose for us. Therefore,
we must fully commit our lives to the Lord, place our old
pattern of life (the works of the flesh), upon the cross and
“reckon ourselves to be dead to sin and alive to God”
(Romans 6:11).
“As newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word,
that you may grow thereby.” I Peter 2:2 NKJ
This growth process requires that we (as being a branch that
receives its life from the vine), are to set apart time to
be with Jesus for fellowship and communion, and wait on Him
in His presence, that His life might flow into our lives,
and become a personal reality within us.
“If you be willing and obedient, you shall eat the
good of the land.” Isaiah 1:19
Although this opportunity is given to all who are saved,
not everyone is willing to adjust to a “diet”
that is conducive to spiritual growth. Therefore, Jesus said,
“For many are called, but few are chosen” (Matthew
22:14).
In other words, “Few will pay the price in order to
be chosen.” This process of qualifying begins after
we have received the free gift of salvation, which has been
provided for us by Jesus upon Calvary’s cross. The outworking
of this gift of salvation requires that we not only acknowledge
that we will face problems and difficulties in our life experience,
but of greater consequence, that we view them rightly. Only
then will we be able to appropriately respond to the Lord
in the midst of them.
We mature spiritually by becoming actively involved with
the Lord in the outworking of this process. Therefore, there
are levels of experience and responsibilities in our spiritual
growth. For this process to be accomplished, we must develop
a sensitivity to His presence, that we might rightly respond
to Jesus as He seeks to guide us toward spiritual maturity.
Our problems and difficulties come from two main sources,
human and satanic. Because we have embraced the cross, died
to our own ways, and have submitted ourselves to His governmental
Kingdom rule, each of these problem areas will be tested in
some form or way, so a correction might be made. Only then
can we be changed (experientially) into His image and likeness
and become compatible with His will and purpose for us.
“To him that overcomes will I grant to sit with Me
in My throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with
My Father in His throne.” Revelation 3:21
We will never be qualified to rule nations until we have
first brought into subjection the “nations” that
reside within us. As we overcome in our struggles with the
problems created by our Adamic nature in every day life situations,
we will be experientially seated with Jesus in heavenly places,
and thus receive spiritual authority.
This will result in our being (as overcomers) caught up to
the Throne (seated with Him in His Throne, Revelation 3:21)
to “wrestle” in intercessory authority. As these
principalities are brought down, they will vent their rage
on mankind and the end-time calamities and judgments mentioned
in Revelation will begin to unfold.
While the children of Israel were in Egypt, it was easy for
them to exercise positive thinking and say, “Canaan
is ours, a land that flows with milk and honey.” But,
upon their arrival, they encountered giants and walled cities.
When the walls of Jericho were brought down through obedience
to a Divine directive, it was a type of the spiritual warfare
that results in a mighty defeat of principalities.
“To the intent that now to the principalities and powers
in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold
wisdom of God.” Ephesians 3:10
This is the wisdom of the Lord - He will use the very humanity
that Satan defeated in the Garden of Eden to bring down his
kingdom. Christians often recite Ephesians 2:6:
“And has raised us up together, and made us sit together
in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus.”
But, the enemy is entrenched in the heavens and must be confronted
through actual warfare before we will be able to experientially
enter into our place with the Lord - to be seated with Him
above all principalities and powers.
For us to wrestle against these principalities means that
there is to be a present, active warfare. Just reciting that
we are seated with Christ in heavenly places will not transport
us there. We must have an overcoming quality in our lives
wherein we enter into a relationship with our Lord in prophetic
intercessory authority – a “wrestling authority”
whereby victory may be won in our present circumstances.
Today, our Lord is looking for a people who actively seek
to grow into a level of spiritual maturity which will enable
them to assume this prophetic role of spiritual authority.
Just as the children of Israel walked together around Jericho
in obedience to the Word of the Lord, so also, we must become
part of a prophetic army that will function in total harmony
and unity.
Then, principalities will be brought down, and the heavens
will open to His glory and presence. This will release a moving
of the Spirit of God on the earth in visitation, as never
before.
The Lord is calling us to arise and come up into the heavenlies
with Him. Only as we fully avail ourselves to Him, reject
the path of least resistance, and begin to walk in the Spirit,
will this be possible.