It's 4:30 in the morning. I’ve been awake for a while now. There has been super heavy spiritual activity since 1:36 a.m. It's at that time I woke up to some intense activity, like waking up to the sound of a battle. There was shouting and noise. Messages were trying to come to me but I was not receiving them. I don’t know if that makes sense or not. Things were coming and the spirit of revelation would be there but as soon as I saw the thing it was gone.

It was intense activity, very intense and it was heavy throughout the whole room. At one point Elaine started talking in her sleep. She said something like, “Oh, I see. It’s like the kingdom and He’s the queen…I mean the King.” That was weird.

I lay there half awake and half asleep and this thing kept raging on. I kept trying to focus on what the thought was that kept trying to make its way to me. I started praying in the Spirit softly and then it crystallized. The word that came through was, “The ASCENDED LORD, JESUS.” And that was enough. It shook in my understanding.

I understood then the power of the Lord. Jesus is ascended and because He has ascended to the right hand of God, He has been given ALL power in heaven and in earth, not just SOME power but ALL power. My faith suddenly began to soar. I realized when I act under His command through relationship with the Holy Spirit, I am acting in the person and authority of THE ASCENDED LORD, JESUS, the highest point of power in all the universe.

This is the school of spiritual warfare I felt the Lord said He would begin giving me lessons in. In my conversation with Mike Ward the other day, this is one of the things we touched on, so the seed had already been planted in me. But now I saw it graphically and it was like two lessons came together. The first lesson had to do with speaking and commanding things to come forth when you knew God has already authorized them for you. I wrote about that yesterday.

But now in lesson two, I was seeing graphically the power that was and is at work in the earth to uproot, cast down and destroy darkness. In any warfare, success comes from the proper application of superior power and or tactics in defeating, destroying and spoiling an enemy. I was seeing that there is no greater power in heaven or in earth than the ASCENDED LORD, JESUS, as He declared to His followers after He did ascend, “ALL POWER is given to ME in heaven and in earth”, Matthew 28:18, and that becomes the basis of our faith and power in the earth to overthrow the effects of the fall of man.

Did I not know this already? Yes I did and no I didn’t. In a way my faith has been in the resurrection of Jesus from the dead and His triumph over death and all things related to death. But in this word the Lord was adjusting the focal point of my faith, past the triumph of the resurrection and onto the triumph of Jesus ASCENSION, for in the ascension resides Jesus absolute, infinite power.

I saw for me, this is a critical point in being schooled for warfare against darkness. JESUS ASCENCION TO THE THRONE OF ALL (INFINITE) POWER IN HEAVEN AND IN EARTH, AND MY FAITH IN THAT REALITY IS A PIVOTAL POINT OF BELIEF. And why is this pivotal? It is pivotal precisely because it has to do with the application of Jesus total, absolute power over all things in heaven and in earth in and through me (and you).

As I lay there taking this in, the word of the Lord came to me saying, “He ascended on high, He led captivity captive, and He gave gifts to men. He gave some to be apostles, and some to be prophets and some evangelists and some pastors and some teachers.” As these words came, there was powerful impact in them. These words ignited in me as the Lord showed me specific things about His purpose in me but more importantly about the method through which He engages and treads down spiritual wickedness in heavenly places. Jesus crushes the powers of spiritual darkness through an army of warrior men, women and children acting under His authority.

I saw that under the exercise of Jesus total supremacy in His ascension, He gives gifts, or authority to men. When a believer, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit is “authorized” by the Spirit in an area or in a thing, the power of that authority leads directly back to THE ONE who is ALL POWER. In other words, those operating under His command are authorized with the full authority and power of all of heaven, that being Jesus Christ Himself. The word of the Lord is the authorization of the Lord for the individual act out in power against the darkness.

As in a military structure, soldiers work under a system of command. Along with any directive from headquarters comes the full authority to command forces as well as resources on the field of battle. This is exactly the same structure alive within the command of Jesus Christ. Among the servants of God, there is a time to wait upon the word of the Lord for a situation and there is a time then to leverage the power granted and move with the authority of that command and deploy it’s power into the spiritual realm.

I’m struggling to put into words the picture I’ve been given of this. The word of the Lord makes us the fully authorized representative of the person of Jesus in the same way that an ambassador acts in the full faith and power of the country he or she represents. When a soldier or an ambassador receives an order from their command, the full faith and power of that command stands behind the given order, so the ambassador speaks, and the soldier acts knowing the full power of their government is backing them. In the case of the ASCENDED LORD, JESUS the fullness of infinite power backs those whom He authorizes by an inclination, a witness in their spirit, a dream, a vision, a word, etc.

The awesome power of authority is illustrated perfectly by the centurion that came to Jesus at Capernaum. Matthew records the incident in chapter 8 and verses 5-13 of his gospel, “And when Jesus entered Capernaum, there came to him a centurion, beseeching Him and saying, ’Lord, my servant lies at home sick from the palsy and is under extreme torment.’ And Jesus said to him, ‘I will come and heal him.’ The centurion then answered said, ‘Lord, I’m really not worthy to have you come under my roof: but if you will simply issue a command, my servant will be healed. For (like You) I am a man who is under authority, and in turn I have soldiers who are under me: and I command this man to go, and he goes and I command another to come to me and he does so; and I tell my servant, do this thing and he does what I say.’ WHEN JESUS HEARD IT HE MARVELLED and said to them that followed him, ‘Listen carefully to what I am about to say, because I HAVE NOT FOUND FAITH OF THIS MAGNITUDE anywhere in all of Israel’…And Jesus said to the centurion, ‘Go your way; and because you have believed, it will be done to you.’ AND THE SERVANT WAS HEALED IN THAT VERY SAME HOUR.”

It is critical to get this picture. Successful warfare brought against the very real dark spirit personalities depends upon it.

1. The centurion came with a request.
2. He received from Jesus the assurance of it being done when Jesus gave the word, “I will come and heal him.”
3. The centurion understood the way authority and power works and knew Jesus could simply speak the command because the Fathers authorization to heal was already given.
4. Jesus pointed out to all that this understanding is the working of faith on at a high level magnitude.
5. The authorized healing took place by Jesus, under the authority of the Father commanding it to be so.

This is the same way the Kingdom of God works now. Jesus the King determines the plan of battle and He commits the fullness of all the resources of His realm to the success of the campaign. So He sends out instructions by a messenger, the Holy Spirit, to the leaders, generals and soldiers who have placed themselves in the field of battle. Those orders are both the authorization and guarantee of the full provision required to obliterate an enemy strong hold.

But He puts the word into us, and once we receive the authorization WE command the situation to be as THE LORD has declared it to be. We see a need. We go to the Lord with it. He sends the “GO” signal by the messenger, the Holy Spirit. WE NO LONGER NEED TO GO GET FURTHER APPROVAL (instruction maybe, but approval no) BUT WE ARE NOW AUTHORIZED TO COMMAND THE SITUATION TO CONFORM TO THAT WORD THAT HAS ALREADY BEEN ISSUED.And we are authorized to command these things to do so IN THE NAME (AUTHORITY) OF THE ASCENDED LORD, JESUS.

It’s not our authority. It’s not by our might, but it is by HIS AUTHORITY AND HIS MIGHT and all other forces must bow down to the supreme authority by which we speak. We don’t beg the darkness to relinquish its hold, nor do we beg the heavens to offer some provision. But rather, by the authority already given us from the KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS, we have been given power TO COMMAND these things to be so!

This was what the centurion understood! When you act under authority, the authority you act under becomes the very authority you act with. Acting under that power becomes the power you act in. The power you exercise is the precise power given when the decree of the higher power was sent you! And if that power is the highest power in the universe then no power can resist or stand against that power!

Paul writes to the Philippians, “For this reason God also has HIGHLY EXALTED HIM and given Him A NAME that is ABOVE EVERY NAME: that at THE NAME OF JESUS every knee should bow, of things IN HEAVEN, and things IN EARTH, and things UNDER THE EARTH; And that EVERY TONGUE should confess that JESUS CHRIST IS LORD, to the glory of God the Father.”

Listen to David as he goes out to do battle against all odds in facing the giant Goliath: “And when the Philistine (Goliath) looked about and saw David he disdained him: for he saw he was but a youth…and the Philistine said to David, ‘Am I a dog, that you come to me with (shepherds) staves?’ And the Philistine cursed David by his gods. And the Philistine said to David, ‘Come to me and I will give your flesh to the fowl of the air and the beasts of the field.’ Then David said to the Philistine, ‘You come to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: BUT I COME TO YOU IN THE NAME (authority) OF THE LORD OF HOSTS, THE GOD OF THE ARMIES OF ISRAEL, WHOM YOU HAVE DEFIED. This day will the LORD deliver you into my hand…THAT ALL THE EARTH MAY KNOW THAT THERE IS A GOD IN ISRAEL’.”

David, not even a man but a simple dirty faced boy, a nothing and a nobody, goes out against this giant of a man who daily comes up and terrifies Saul and all the armies of Israel. Goliath challenges, and taunts and threatens and curses them by his gods. He threatens to tear David apart and kill him, making his carcass food for the fowl of the air and the beasts of the earth. But David has something not even a force like Goliath can do anything about. It’s not David’s shepherd tools because they are nothing against the intimidator. And it’s not even his sling or the five smooth stones from the brook. The power of David is in the fact that he came out against Goliath under the authority of God.

And we see David defying Goliath to his face! “You come with your sword and your spear and your shield”, David says. “But I come in the name – under the power and authorization of – the LORD OF HOSTS! And ALL THE ASSEMBLY WILL KNOW that the LORD doesn’t save with sword or spear.” And Goliath is enraged and attacks but David holds his ground, slings his stones in the name of the LORD and evil is decimated and decapitated that day.

One dirty little boy acting under the authorization of the LORD of HOSTS put to flight an entire army of evil spirits. It is THE ASCENDED LORD, JESUS, sitting right now on His throne of supreme power over all things Who, by the word of His Spirit sends authorization to His people to command spiritual forces on His behalf.

Finally, Psalm 68 is a Psalm of spiritual warfare. Everyone should read it and know that it applies prophetically to the Messiah, Jesus Christ and those under His command. It says:

“Let God arise, let his enemies be scattered: let those who hate Him flee before Him. As smoke is driven away, so will they be driven away: as wax melts before fire, so let the wicked (wickedness) perish at the presence of God…the Lord gave the word and great was the army of those that proclaimed it. Kings of armies did flee apace…the chariots of God are twenty thousand, even thousands of angels: the Lord is among them, as in Sinai in the holy place…You have ascended on high, you have led captivity captive: You have received gifts for men…Blessed be the Lord who daily loads us with benefits, even the God of our salvation…He that is our God is the God of salvation; and unto God the Lord belong the issues from death. But God will wound the head of His enemies…The Lord said…I will bring my people again from the depths of the sea: That YOUR foot may be dipped in the blood of your enemies, and the tongue of your dogs in the same…Your God has commanded your strength: strengthen, O’ God, that which You have wrought for us…Rebuke the company of spearmen, the multitude of the bulls, with the calves of the people, till every one submit himself with pieces of silver: scatter the people that delight in warring against us…Sing unto God you kingdoms of the earth; O’ sing praises to the Lord…To Him that rides on the heavens of heavens, which were of old: look, He sends out His voice, and it is a mighty voice…O’ God, you are terrible out of Your holy places: the God of Israel IS HE THAT GIVES STRENGTH AND POWER TO HIS PEOPLE. Blessed be God.

The word of the Lord and the witness of the Holy Spirit is the authorization for you to act! Command all things to conform to the word and will of THE ASCENDED LORD, JESUS and they must. Keep coming against the enemy stronghold with this and they must bow to the name of the Lord Jesus.

Randy