“All the people were amazed and said to each other, “What words these are! With authority and power he gives orders to impure spirits and they come out!”
Luke 4:36
One quiet Sabbath, Jesus went down to Capernaum, a town in Galilee, to teach people in their synagogue. It was a glorious service, the people were amazed at his teaching, because his words had authority. He wasn’t teaching like their religious leaders who will come and just start quoting old Rabbis. Jesus brought God’s counsel to the people directly and they were blessed.
While this service was going on, there was a man possessed by a demon, an impure spirit. He cried out at the top of his voice, “Go away! What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God!”
The situation must have been really awkward and embarrassing; and just when the people thought they had seen the best of Jesus’ authority in action, Jesus walked up to the man and said sternly. “Be quiet! Come out of him!” Then the demon threw the man down before them all and came out without injuring him. All the people were amazed and said to each other, “What words these are! With authority and power he gives orders to impure spirits and they come out!”
Guess what? Even though I wasn’t there, I still wonder today too; how can Jesus have that much authority? The answer is simple, he was a man under authority. Paul said this about him in Philipians 2:8 that “being found in the fashion of a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient unto death—even the death of the cross.” Not only that, Jesus himself told us that “I can do nothing on my own. I judge as God tells me. Therefore, my judgement is just, because I carry out the will of the one who sent me, not my own will” (John 5:30).
It is in light of this that James advised us that we must “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.(James 4:7). The reason we get so much resistance when we command nature and spirits is that our own obedience is not complete in the first place. We can resist the devil all we like but he will not flee knowing that we ourselves are as guilty of rebellion to God as he is. A man who will command spiritual authority must first be subject to the Lord on whose behalf he seeks to command this authority.
Are you submitted to God?
PRAYER
Dear Lord, your word says that I should submit myself to you and only then can I resist the devil, and he will flee from me. Although I know this truth, acting on it is sometimes hard. Please help me to draw strength from you for obedience.
