Exercising Authority !

Exercising Authority : (Ephesians 6:12) say, "For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers. . ." If you take this verse as of its setting and go on talking about this awful fight we're in against the devil and describing how powerful the devil years, you've missed the whole point Paul was making--- because that's not what he's saying in Ephesians. Remember, when Paul wrote this letter to the church at Ephesus, he didn't divide it into chapters and verses. Scholars did that at a much later date to help us in making reference. You can do great home sometimes about picking one verse out of a chapter, taking it out of its setting, and making it say something it doesn't say. The Holy Spirit through Paul already had a say in the second chapter that we are seated above these powers that we have to deal with. Not only is Christ seated at the right hand of the Father, far above all these powers, but we're there, too, because God has made us sit together with Christ. This therefore, in our battle against the enemy and his folds, we need to keep in mind that we're above them and we have authority over them. The Word tells us that Jesus has conquered them. Our job is to enforce His victory. His victory belongs to us, but we are to carry it out. I read a testimony of a particular preacher, that in 1952, the Lord Jesus Christ appeared to him in a vision and talk to him for about an hour and 1/2 about the devil, demons, and demon possession. At the end of that vision, and evil spirit that looked like a little monkey or elf ran between Jesus and him and spread something like a smokescreen or dark cloud. Then this demon began jumping up and down, crying in a shrill voice, "yakety--yak,yakety-yak." He said he could see Jesus or understand what he was saying. Through his entire experience, Jesus was teaching him something. And if you will be attentive, you'll find the answer here too many things that have troubled you. He couldn't understand why Jesus allowed the demon to make such a racket. He wondered why Jesus didn't rebuke the demon so he could hear what He was saying. He waited a few moments, but Jesus didn't take any action against the demon. Jesus was still talking, but he could not understand a word He was saying--- and he needed to, because He was giving instructions concerning the devil, demons, and how to exercise authority. He thought to himself, doesn't the Lord know I'm not hearing what He wants him to know ? He needed to hear that. He said he was missing it ! He almost panicked. He became so desperate he cried out, "in the Name of Jesus, you fools spirit, I command you to stop !" The minute he said that, the little demon hit the floor like a sack of salt, and the black cloud disappeared. The demon lay there trembling, whimpering, and whining like a whipped pup. He said the demon would look at him. "Not only shut up, but get out of here in Jesus Name he said !" He commanded. And the little demon ran off. The Lord knew exactly what was in his mind. He was thinking, why didn't Jesus do something about that ? Why did Jesus permit it ? Jesus looked at him and said, "if you had done something about that, I couldn't have." He said that came as a real shock to him-- it astounded him. He replied, "Lord, he said I know I didn't hear You right ! You said you would, didn't You ?" He replied, "No, if you had done something about that, I couldn't have." He said he went through these four times with him. He was empathetic about it, saying, "No, I didn't say I would not, I said I could not." He said, Now, dear Lord, I just can't accept that. I never heard or preached anything like that in my life !" He told the Lord he didn't care how many times he saw Him in visions--- He would have to prove this to him by at least three scriptures out of the New Testament because we're not living under the old Covenant, we are living under the New he said Jesus smiled sweetly and said he would give him four. He said, he'd read through the New Testament 150 times and many portions of it more than that. If that is in there, I don't know it !"