How to Exercise the Authority and Power of Jesus Christ
Authority is not merely influence or persuasion—it is the God-given right that carries judicial weight and supersedes every other power. In contrast, power refers to the ability, strength, or capacity to act and bring about results; it is the active force that makes things happen.
In Christ, believers receive both dimensions: the authority, which grants us the right to act in Jesus’ name, and the power, which equips us through the Holy Spirit to carry out what we have been authorized to do. These two cannot be separated—authority without power is empty, and power without authority is reckless. Together, they enable us to faithfully and effectively represent Christ in the world.
The Pathway to Exercising Christ’s Authority
While authority and power are both given to believers in Christ, they are not activated automatically. Scripture shows that walking in this authority requires a journey of alignment with God.
It begins with a relationship with Christ, where intimacy and fellowship ground us in His presence. From there flows submission, the yielding of our will to His lordship. Out of submission comes obedience, the practical expression of living according to His commands and leading. Finally, God entrusts us with an assignment—a specific mission or purpose through which His authority is exercised. Relationship, submission, obedience, and assignment form a divine order; together, they position believers to not only carry the right and ability of Christ’s authority, but also to use it effectively and in harmony with His will.
Relational, Not Mechanical
Exercising authority in Jesus is not like flipping a magic power switch at our own convenience. It is not inherited automatically just because someone says, “I believe.” Authority in Christ is deeply relational, not mechanical. It flows from our ongoing connection with Him and is demonstrated through obedience to His leading.
Relationship is the essence of this reality—without it, authority remains theoretical and powerless. Believing in Jesus is not the finish line but the starting point of a lifelong journey of walking with Him, learning from Him, and remaining close to Him.
Scripture paints this picture clearly: Jesus describes Himself as the vine and us as the branches, reminding us that apart from Him we can do nothing. When we abide in Him—dwelling in His presence, holding firm in faith, and aligning our lives with His will—we live in relationship with Christ, and it is from this place of intimacy that true authority flows.
Submission and Obedience
Authority in Christ is not exercised through outward actions alone but through a heart that is rightly aligned with God. Obedience is the outward response—doing what God commands and following His instruction.
Submission, however, is deeper; it is the inward attitude of willingly placing ourselves under God’s authority, even before He gives a specific command. Submission makes authority effective because it positions us under the One who holds all authority. It is the inward yielding of control, while obedience is the outward expression of that surrender.
Without submission, obedience often crumbles under pressure, like a child stomping into cleaning their room while inwardly rebelling. True submission, however, produces willing and joyful obedience that lasts. Authority cannot operate apart from submission, but when submission is paired with obedience, the authority God has given us becomes both active and effective.
Assignment: Walking in What Christ Sends You to Do
Authority never originates with us; it comes only from Jesus, who declared, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me” (Matthew 28:18). Believers operate under His delegated authority, meaning that any power we exercise is His, not ours. This is why assignment and authority are always linked.
When Jesus sent out the seventy-two in Luke 10, He gave them authority specifically for that mission—to heal the sick, proclaim the Kingdom, and cast out demons. The authority was not a blanket pass to do whatever they pleased; it was tied directly to the work He had sent them to do. In the same way, when we walk faithfully in the assignment God has given us, His authority flows through us because we are under His divine commission.
The life of Paul illustrates this truth. After his encounter with Jesus on the road to Damascus, Saul was blinded, healed, baptized, and immediately began proclaiming that Jesus is the Son of God (Acts 9:18–22). The text says he grew “more and more powerful,” baffling the Jews by proving that Jesus is the Messiah. Even when conspiracies arose to kill him (Acts 9:23–24), God preserved him because he was on assignment.
Later, in Acts 19, Paul’s ministry demonstrates how authority continues to flow when a believer remains in the work Christ has appointed: extraordinary miracles were performed through him, so much so that even handkerchiefs and aprons that touched him carried healing power (Acts 19:11–12).
In contrast, the sons of Sceva show what happens when people attempt to wield authority apart from Christ’s assignment. They tried to invoke the name of Jesus “on demand,” saying, “In the name of the Jesus whom Paul preaches, I command you to come out” (Acts 19:13–14). But the demons knew they had no true authority. “Jesus I know, and Paul I know about, but who are you?” the evil spirit replied, before overpowering them (Acts 19:15–16). This stark difference reveals that authority is not a formula or a tool we can manipulate—it is the outflow of being sent by Christ and walking faithfully in the mission He assigns.
The Biblical Pattern for Exercising Authority
From Scripture we can clearly see that four elements consistently emerge as necessary for believers to walk in Christ’s authority: relationship, submission, obedience, and assignment. These are not random or optional pieces but a biblical pattern designed by God.
Relationship anchors us in Christ, the true source of authority. Submission humbles our hearts under His lordship. Obedience demonstrates our willingness to follow His commands. And assignment provides the mission through which His authority flows into action.
When these four elements are aligned, authority is no longer just a concept—it becomes a living reality in the believer’s life. It is through this divine order that we represent Christ with both the right and the power to bring His Kingdom to bear on the world around us.
The authority of Christ is always complete, but our ability to walk in His authority is not automatic. It’s not like flipping a switch. To exercise His authority, we must first build a real relationship with Christ, live in submission to His Lordship, walk in obedience to His word, and step into the assignment He has given us. Authority flows from intimacy, surrender, and mission.