“Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall hurt you.” (Luke 10:19)
Power is the capacity of a person or group to influence others and alter their actions, beliefs, and behaviors. Authority is the right that a person or group has been given to use their power over others.
A policeman may have the power to arrest someone but they must have the authority of the department to legally do so. An employee may have the knowledge and ability to make a major change in their company but they must have to been given the authority from the boss to do so.
As Christians, as it states above, we have been given the power AND the authority from Heaven to confront the enemy when he comes at us with his temptations and distractions. We have the power and authority so why do we, so many times, let the devil have his way? Do we not know what authority we have? Have we not read and memorized power verses from the Bible to use? The devil is seeking whom he may devour, (1 Peter 5:8). If we use our power and authority to resist him, he will flee, (James 4:7). We must understand and use the power and authority God has given us. Sometimes it won’t be easy or immediate but we must stand on God’s Word and be persistent. And it certainly helps to have “two or three” warriors with you to do battle.
Imagine this scene: You’re on the Path of Life when this demon jumps out of the bushes and confronts you with a temptation. You say, “Get outa here, I’m not listening to you, you can’t hurt me!” The demon replies with a snicker, “A
Ha, and who do you think you are?” You declare, “I’m a Child of God!” At that very instant, Jesus steps out from behind you and says, “That’s right, and I’ve given them the power and authority to kick you back in the bushes.” The demon realizes he’s confronted the wrong person and quickly flees the scene. We have the power and authority! But, we must use them. I have written about some battle scriptures that I use in my blog. You can find them at: https://roadrevelations.org/2019/04/battle-plan. “Not today, devil!”