“All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth . . . Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father. ... And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. ... If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it ... (Matthew 28:18, John 14:12-14).”
“Brother Chappell, for years I have asked God in prayer to save my uncle and he is further away from God than ever,” complained Jim. I replied, “Jim, we must stop ‘asking’ God and in Jesus Name, we must take authority over Satan from blinding him from receiving Jesus.” We did this and boldly “called forth” salvation and within two weeks his uncle had given his heart to Jesus!
In the Philippines, I was beginning a salvation meeting on a basketball court in front of a large crowd. As I started to preach, the rain began. As the onlookers began to leave, I cried, “Wait, I am going to pray and the rain is going to stop. Everyone stood still in somewhat of a shock at such an assertion. I prayed, “In Jesus Name I command this rain to stop until this entire service is over. Within a few seconds it stopped. I preached and led many to the Lord and then it started raining again!
“I lost my job and could not get another one,” said Ray. He continued, “My wife had left me for a close friend of mine. I was filled with rage. Rev. Chappell persuaded me to forgive them both and I tell you it wasn’t easy.” After Ray had deeply forgiven them both, in Jesus name, we broke the Satanic curse on Him from unforgivness, and we commanded a new job for him. Within two weeks our mighty God moved in an amazing way and Ray had a wonderful job!
We have authority in His Name. We can cause His will, His agenda, His desires to take place on the earth through the authority He has given us. Let’s use it!
“But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you . . . they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover ( Acts 1:8, Mark 16:18)”
A few months after our infilling of the Holy Spirit, my wife, Pattie, grimaced in pain as she caught her knee in the car door. “Oh, my knee. I have really hurt it.” she cried out. Immediately, I laid hands on Pattie, and prayed, “In Jesus Name, I speak healing to this knee. I command the pain to go!”
“Jack, as soon as you prayed, I felt a strange tingling sensation go down my leg. Praise God, all the pain is really gone!”
Months later, my ten year old daughter, Constance, ran into the house sobbing.
“Dad, I stepped on a bee and the pain is awful,”
“Constance, I am going to pray for you and God is going to heal you. I gently laid hands on her, and spoke a simple prayer, “In the wonderful name of Jesus, be healed,”
“Dad, you won’t believe it. The pain is gone!”
As I saw Constance joyfully returning to her playmates, I pondered, “This is great. My wife, Pattie, and now Constance, have been healed by the power of God. This really works! I can lay hands on the sick in Jesus Name and see them recover!” Others were healed as I continued to lay hands on individuals. The Lord gave me a glimpse of the healing ministry I would be involved in, as I continued to see one healing miracle after another.
It was an exciting, new season, one of exercising my God-given authority in many areas. God was truly beginning to reveal his purpose in our life.
Adam through his sin gave up his God-given delegated power to rule and reign over the earth to Satan. Jesus has given it back to us by defeating the devil through his sinless life of total obedience to God culminating in His death and resurrection.
He is the head. We are His Body on the earth. He has delegated or given to us unlimited power to establish His Kingdom on the Earth. God has chosen to rule the earth through the Body of Christ. It is our responsibility to enforce the victory over the devil, which Jesus has already accomplished for us. The devil is a defeated foe!
God does everything on the earth through us, His Body, the Body of Christ. Christians live in sickness and pain. Lives are lost. Wars take place. Dishonesty reigns. Babies are aborted. Satan wins battles. All of this takes place when we fail to do our part in intercession, obedience, and in total commitment to God. It is we who permit bad things to happen not God! We can change much of this.
On the night I began my journey with the Lord, I walked through two doors that led to His Glory, His Presence, and His authority—the door of salvation, which brings us into a vital union with Jesus Christ, and the door of the baptism in the Holy Spirit, including speaking in other tongues. This second door opens the way for the power of God to be manifested in our lives, and for us to live in a much greater dimension of His Glory—His Manifest Presence.
Most likely you have already walked through the first spiritual door that leads to His Glory—the door of salvation. This is a doorway through which we enter the Kingdom of God (John 3:5). The Kingdom of God on earth is God’s rulership on earth within the hearts and minds of born-again Christians.
The second door, however, must also be entered for you to begin your journey of experiencing the fullness of His Glory and authority. Jesus said, “And behold, I send forth the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high (Luke 24:49).” We each need to be baptized in the Holy Spirit, and speak freely in tongues.
An authority came into my life when I was baptized in the Holy Spirit.
Principles (or Laws) of Enforcing Jesus’ Victory Over the Devil?
Just as everything that happens in the natural world is governed by laws or principles, the same thing is true in the Kingdom of God. So let's see some basic principles or laws that we need to understand to enforce the victory won by Jesus over the devil.
Principle Number 1 ... God is a faith God, not an “If it be thy will God.”
Never pray for any type of miracle with the Words, “If it be your will.” Why? Because these are words of unbelief. He is a “faith God” not an “If it be His will God!!!” It is His will to meet all of our needs—healing (physical, mental, and emotional), protection, financial, and spiritual “according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus (Phil 4:19).”
Jesus made clear His will in John 10:10 ... “The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. His will is determined by His Word, by the bible promises. He has provided in the “finished work” on the cross of Calvary for every need in every person's life. It is up to each of us to reach out by faith and receive it.
Is it really His will to heal everyone? Is it His will to heal me? . . . "Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed (I Peter 2:24) . . ."Who forgiveth all (my) thine iniquities; who healeth all (my) thy diseases (Psalms 103:3)." “Is any sick among you? Let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord ... And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up ... (James 5:14-15).
Yes, it is His will to heal you and me and to meet all of needs, even all of our
Principal Number 2 ... In Jesus Name, it is we, (not God), who must bind or break the power of Satan. He has already defeated Him for us. He has given us the authority and it is we who must exercise it. We must enforce the victory, He has won it for us. He has made us powerful!
Luke 10:19 Behold, I give unto you [in Jesus Name] power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you.
James 4:7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. [You] Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
1 Peter 5:8-9 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: Whom [you, in Jesus Name] resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.
Matthew 16:19 And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever [not God, but you and me] thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.
Principle 3 ... In the name of Jesus, we must boldly speak to the difficulties, the trials, the sickness, the family challenges--the “mountains” in our lives. We have three choices concerning the mountains in our lives--to complain about them, to deny them, or in Jesus Name to move them by speaking to them with the authority of God. It is this third choice we must make. We must command them to leave. God won't do it without our cooperation. He has already won the victory for us through the death and resurrection of His Son! It is we who must enforce this victory. He has risen and the Father has raised us together with Him! We are seated with Him in heavenly places (Ephesians 2:6).
“For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith (Mark 11:23).” ... So don't ask God to save your child, heal your body, replenish your finances, remove your depression, or restore a relationship. We must command it to be done in Jesus Name.
Principle 4 When we bind Satan, decree, declare or speak to the mountains in our lives, it must be from a word-filled heart. We must read, study and confess the Word of God. “Day and night meditation” on the word brings prosperity into every area of our lives (Joshua 1:8, Psalms 1:1-3).
Principle 5 When we speak to the mountains in our lives, we must “walk in forgiveness.” We must give up the right for revenge or desire for harm to come to the one who hurt or deeply disappointed us. We must even pray with passion for them to be blessed by God. … “And when you stand praying, forgive (Mark 11:25)”
Principle 6 We need to live a sin-free life. We must change our negative, sinful habits. We must repent for every sin in our lives, including the sins of unforgiveness, pride, unbelief, grumbling, complaining, criticizing others, dishonoring our parents or marriage partner, dishonesty, not paying our tithes, and impure sexual thoughts, words, or actions. “For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps. Who did no sin . . . Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed (I Peter 2:24).”
Principle 7 We need to live, worship, intercede, and call forth miracles from The Third Heaven. This is walking in the Spirit. It is living in the Glory—His presence. “And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 2:6).” Then we must thank the Lord over and over for the answer until we see it fulfilled.
The Right and Wrong Way to Force those “Mountains” in our Lives to Move
1) Salvation for your son.
Wrong way. Father, in Jesus Name, please save my son.
Right Way: In Jesus name I break the power of Satan blinding the mind of my son to the glorious light of your salvation (2 Corinthians 4:3-4). I call forth his salvation. I decree salvation in his life in Jesus Name. I thank you, Lord Jesus. It is done.
2) Healing for your sickness.
Wrong Way: Father, in Jesus Name, heal my cancer (diabetes, back, etc) if it is your will. This is unbelief. It is His will to heal you of all diseases.
Right way: I thank you Lord that you have already purchased healing for me on the cross. It is your will to heal me. In Jesus Name I receive my healing at this moment, and I thank you for it. I command any evil spirits of sickness to leave now and never return. In Jesus name, I call it done, and thank you, Lord, for the miracle.
Wrong way. Father in Jesus Name, if it be your will, please have my home to sell and at a good price.
Right way. In Jesus Name, I command my home to sell at a price that will be highly pleasing to you. I break the power of Satan from interfering in any way with the sale of my home, and I thank you that my home is sold. Keep praising the Lord every day that your home is sold. You will see it take place.
4) Intercession for others.
Wrong Way. Father in Jesus Name, meet the financial need (healing, marriage, salvation) of my friend, Bill.
Right Way. In Jesus Name, I break the power of Satan coming against the finances of my friend, Bill. I call forth finances and wisdom for Bill in financial matters. Money, in Jesus Name, come! For his marriage: Lord, in Jesus name, I break (or bind) the power of Satan coming against Bill's marriage
In summary, through the Name of His Son, Jesus, God has delegated to us His power to accomplish his purposes on the earth. We must “partner” with Him. Jesus will not do it without us. He is the head and we are the Body. If it is to be done, we must do it, and through His mighty Name, we have access to His power. In John 14:12-13, this is God's promise and command to each of us, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father. … and whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the son.”