2 Corinthians 10:13-14 “We, however, will not boast beyond measure, but within the limits of the sphere which God appointed us--a sphere which especially includes you. (14) For we are not overextending ourselves (as though our authority did not extend to you), for it was to you that we came with the gospel of Christ.”
In this section we want to discuss the limits of the authority given to each of the Lord’s saints. Someone said, but I thought that we have been given authority over all the power of the enemy, so how can our authority have any limitations? While it is true to say that there is no limitation to our authority over the power of the enemy, nevertheless there is a limit as to where we can exercise that authority. In the above quoted passage of scripture the apostle Paul mentioned the sphere of authority that the Lord had given to him as an apostle. In other words Paul recognised that even though the Lord had given him authority as an apostle, there was a limit to his sphere of influence where he could exercise that authority. This passage reveals a spiritual truth to us, which is that just like the apostle Paul, God has appointed to each believer their own sphere of influence in the earth and it is within that sphere that each believer is able to exercise their authority over the devil and his cohorts. The reason why, when dealing with the devil, is it important for saints to recognise their sphere of influence is because the devil ignores the saint who attempts to operate outside of their sphere of authority. In other words, saints who attempt to operate outside of their sphere of influence will be unable to exercise authority over the devil and his demons.
Luke 10:19 “Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you.”
The sphere of influence which God appoints to each believer begins with the individual believer themselves and extends outward from that point. In the above quoted passage of scripture the Lord Jesus taught us that He has given us authority over all the power of the enemy and that nothing shall by any means hurt us. In other words each believer has been given full authority to stand against any attempt made by the devil and his demons to harm the saint in any way.
1 Corinthians 11:10 “For this reason the woman ought to have a symbol of authority on her head, because of the angels.”
The second sphere of influence over which saints are able to exercise their authority is in their home. In the above quoted passage of scripture the apostle Paul teaches us that the reason women wear a symbol of authority on their heads is because of the angles. The angels that Paul is referring to in this passage are Satan and his angels. The symbol of authority that Paul mentions in this passage refers to women covering their heads; which symbolises their submission to their husbands as their head and also as the head of the home. The point that I wanted to highlight from this passage is that Satan and his angels recognise the different levels of authority that God has decreed in the earth and will respond to that authority accordingly. The example given in this case is the authority that the man has as the head of his household, and also the authority that the woman has as his counterpart in that household. And so when it comes to the lives of their children, parents can and should exercise authority over Satan and his demons. Jesus also demonstrated a parents authority over their children when He instructed the ruler of the synagogue to stand in faith for his daughter so that she could be healed (Mark 5:35-36).
Michael E.B. Maher
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