by“‘In the name of the King!’ cried the cardinal’s officer. ’In the name of the King!’ repeated the musketeers, mechanically. ‘Yes, in the name of the King!’ said the young man; ‘and moreover, in the name of the cardinal!’” (Dumas, The Three Musketeers, ch. 5).
In The Three Musketeers, this exchange was a confrontation between the cardinal’s guards and the musketeers over a petty dispute, where both sides invoked the king’s name to assert authority. The cardinal’s officer did it to justify aggression, and the musketeers did it in defiant loyalty to Louis XIII.
That was a common practice in medieval times, and perhaps still today, where an official needed to state by whose authority they were doing something that they usually shouldn’t be able to do. For instance, making a declaration or arresting someone. A few Christians practice the same thing; however, most of them are not aware of the authority they possess in Christ. This short article aims to shed more light on the believer’s authority through the power of attorney in Jesus’ name.
The power of attorney
In legal or financial matters, provision is made for a situation where a person cannot be present to do an act by themselves. In such a situation, authority is given to another to act on their behalf in specific or all matters to that extent. That also works in the kingdom of God. The believer operates under a power of attorney to operate in Jesus’ name.
Jesus Christ, after He had appeared to the eleven and reprimanded them for their unbelief, gave them the power of attorney. He framed it as such, “And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they…” (Mark 16:17). This is why the phrase, “in the name of”, isn’t alien to the Christian community. When believers pray, they mostly exclaim, “In the mighty name of Jesus”, “in Jesus’ name”, etc. This is done by many to assert their authority over the entity or situation they are addressing.
Who has the power of attorney?
As the only legal beings on earth, we have the power to decide what happens on earth. That is why God is not responsible for the war and suffering that occur on earth. For this reason, if God wants to do something on earth, it is human beings that He uses. However, He doesn’t just use any human being—He uses those who have a personal relationship with Him through His Son, Jesus Christ: those who have believed in Him. He uses the believers. Without this authority, no human being can do God’s will on this earth.
An unbeliever who tries to do God’s will fails woefully because they do not have the authority to do so. That is because it is not just the believer who is aware of this authority in Christ. All creation knows of it. Even demons know the believer’s authority. A clear illustration of this is seen in Acts 19:11-20, where the sons of Sceva—Jewish exorcists—tried to use the name of “the Jesus whom Paul proclaims” to cast out a demon. The demon responded, “Jesus I know, and Paul I recognize, but who are you?” (v. 15). By demanding proof of authority (like a legal mandamus), the demon exposed their lack of divine commission. That led them to be overpowered, beaten, and flee naked. In essence, it is only the believer who has the power of attorney in Jesus’ name.
What do we have power to do?
As believers and ambassadors of the kingdom of God on earth, God gives us the power to do whatever He wills. The power to cast out devils, to heal the sick, to preach the good news belongs to us in Christ. But we must use it.
Exceptions
The believer does not have the power to convict people. Conviction is a thing of the heart, and it is spirits that have access to the heart, not humans. We also don’t have the power of attorney to teach people how to speak in diverse tongues. Again, we do not have the power to fill people with Joy and peace. In the kingdom of heaven, the arm of government responsible for this is the Holy Spirit. Some of these things are fruits of the Spirit that can only be obtained from fellowship with the Holy Spirit. Giving the believer power to do these things will usurp the authority of the Holy Spirit. For that reason, Jesus doesn’t give us this power.
In essence, we must take charge of our true identity in Christ and exercise our authority here on earth. The fact that you are a believer gives you the authority to do what Jesus wants you to do. Do not doubt your abilities. In the name of Jesus, you can do it.
