Which is more important?
“Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall be able to harm you in any way.” says the Lord (Lk. 10:19). The King James Bible does mention that Christ has given us “power” to walk on serpents and scorpions, but the Greek term for “power” is exousia, which means authority or jurisdiction. But when Jesus refers to the “power” of the adversary, He used a different term, dunamis, which literally means “power.” The Greek word dynamite is the source of the English words dynamite and dynamo. Thanks be to God, all that our foes have is POWER in this day and age — but what the Lord provides us is AUTHORITY! This demonstrates that authority is greater than power and has the ability to control power; as a result, authority has the upper hand. A lot is made of the adversary’s might; while it is true that enemies do have some power, they do not possess any authority! The satanic realm has been completely deposed of its power.
You have the upper hand
The Lord provides us authority so that we can cope with the full force of the enemy’s strength. An automobile going down the street can serve as an illustration of this. Despite the fact that it has hundreds of horsepower under the hood, it is under the control of a traffic officer. As soon as they blow their whistle, the powerful engine must slow to a whisper and the car must come to a complete stop. That is what it means to have authority over power! Once again, it is analogous to an army. Despite the fact that it possesses tremendous strength in the form of men, tanks, airplanes, guns, and bombs, the General retains authority. Before the General gives the order, nobody moves or does anything. That general has the authority to wield authority! Authority is superior to and regulates power; as a result, authority takes precedence over power. The authority over all of the enemy’s power has been entrusted to us by the Son of God who sits on the throne of grace! Rejoice because you now have the authority to speak to the strength of the adversary, and that adversary must accept your command or succumb! You have the authority to order the destruction of every stratagem and activity of the enemy in order to break its hold. You have the authority to breathe new life into people, circumstances, and even nations of people. That is the wonder of it all!
