R

egardless of modern perspective, there are absolutes. Nothing challenges the

intellectual mindset more than the view that there is, beyond all reasoning, a
pragmatic, unwavering perspective of seeing things in black and white, with no
gray area. The belief in absolute truth stirs zealous opposition. In today’s culture, we are
encouraged to embrace the diverse and surrender the core of our beliefs. While America
touts “In God We Trust,” our culture screams hostility to traditional Christianity through
governmental policies, entertainment, education, and in every aspect of our modern
culture. Judeo-Christian values are mocked and ridiculed and the moral compass is losing
ground to hostile, anti-God, anti-Christian theology. We are encouraged to promote
tolerance at the expense of forfeiting foundational truths of the Word of God. These
perceptions are diametrically opposed to what we, as Christians, are taught throughout
scripture. Society tells us that to be in authority, one must take it; make room for yourself
at the expense of those around you, climb your way to the top of the corporate ladder.
Even in church one may find the “you must work your way up” mentality. However, in
the government of the Kingdom of God things are quite the opposite. True spiritual
authority is given to those who are willing to give up their personal freedoms for the good
of others; those who are willing to lay down their own desires and wants and submit their
will to a higher authority. We are given in scripture a beautiful picture of a man who
understood true authority.

After Jesus had finished all his sayings in the hearing of the people, he entered
Capernaum. A centurion there had a slave whom he valued highly, and who was ill
and close to death. When he heard about Jesus, he sent some Jewish elders to him,
asking him to come and heal his slave. When them came to Jesus, they appealed to
him earnestly, saying, “He is worthy of having you do this for him, for he loves our
people, and it is he who built our synagogue for us.” And Jesus went with them, but
when he was not far from the house, the centurion sent friends to say to him, “Lord,
do not trouble yourself, for I am not worthy to have you come under my roof;
therefore I did not presume to come to you. But only speak the word, and let my
servant be healed. For I also am a man set under authority, with soldiers under me;
and I say to one, “Go,” and he goes, and to another, “Come,” and he comes, and to
my slave, “Do this,” and the slave does it.” When Jesus heard this he was amazed at
him, and turning to the crowd that followed him, he said, “I tell you, not even in
Israel have I found such faith.”When those who had been sent returned to the house,
they found the slave in good health (Lk 7:1-10).

The key words within this text that imply a true understanding of spiritual authority are,
“For I also am a man set under authority.” While deliverance ministry is the act of
taking supernatural authority over spirits in the spirit realm, in order to participate or be
used as an instrument of restoration, one must walk under authority in the natural realm.
The spiritual laws are in place and do not change. Finding one’s place within the
framework of deliverance ministry will invariably start with submission to the will of
God. Obedience to the written Word is one of those absolutes. Does this mean a
deliverance minister must have a sinless life? No, but a sinless lifestyle is critical. There
is tremendous power in the supernatural realm, and working in a position of fighting the
forces of evil can open oneself up to serious attack of the enemy. Sin leaves us open and
vulnerable. It produces death in us, and represents an agreement with the very forces
against which we stand. Obedience to the will of God will always supersede the work
with which one is involved. Scripture substantiates this:

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but
only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven. On that day many will say to
me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your
name, and do many deeds of power in your name?’ Then I will declare to them, ‘I
never knew you; go away from me, you evil-doers’ (Mt 7:21-2).

Once again, doing the will of the Father determines the success or failure of our work,
and not the work itself. Biblical principles of authority reign throughout scripture and can
be used as a test and measurement of the authority one is given in the government of
God. The word obedient actually means “coming under or being submissive to the
restraint or command of another.” By our act of obedience, we are establishing the
kingship of God in our lives. Once properly aligned with God as our leader, we may
proceed in the establishment of His Kingdom on earth where we act as His chosen
vessels to fulfill His plans and purposes. To establish the authority of God on earth, we
must first walk in submission to His authority. To come against authority it is to come
against God. The authority of God is supreme, unconditional, and absolute. His Word is
His authority. It is unchanging and eternal, and all authority in heaven and earth is
derived from this authority. Obedience to God’s Commandments and to His written
Word is the first step in achieving spiritual authority. Throughout scripture, we are taught
that God desires hearts that will submit to Him. He gave us, through Spirit-filled men, a
thorough set of guidelines and expectations that we are to follow. These laws are to
protect us from the consequences of sin. The law itself can be looked at as a type of
governor or a model of all truth. Moses wrote it down, Noah declared it to men long
before, and God established it before the foundations of the world. Hence, Jesus said He
came not to abolish the law, but to fulfill it. The law is not an irrelevant list of arbitrary
commands. It is the spiritual basis for life and death, for blessings and curses, for freedom
or bondage. Jesus clearly taught us that He came not to abolish the law but to fulfill it.
Thus, through His death, burial, and resurrection we have been given grace. However,
grace was never meant to override the rights and wrongs of our daily living. It, along with
our willingness to submit to God’s intentions for us as given in the law, was meant to
reestablish the harmony we have with a living Savior. Unrepentant sin alienates us from
God. Sin brings into our lives darkness, guilt, and shame. When we are walking in
darkness in any area of our life, we are living a life far less than what God has intended
for us. It is in that place of darkness that the forces of evil are allowed to operate.

The good news of the Gospel has released us from the legal justification of the written
code and it has given us a higher law to fulfill, the law of the Spirit. The law is holy. It is
just and good. It is our disciplinarian given to train us in righteousness. We are given
precepts that are meant to regulate our moral code. We are instructed to be not only
hearers of the law but, also doers of the law. As Christians, we should choose to live a
righteous life allowing the Bible to be our blueprint, looking at it as gracious duties and
privileges we have been given to protect us and keep us in fellowship with our Lord. The
Apostle Paul teaches us in Romans 3:28 that we are justified by faith, however, in
Roman’s 3:31 he asks, “Do we then overthrow the law by, this faith? By no means! On
the contrary, we uphold the law.” Many times when there is a need for deliverance
ministry, it is often due to an individual who has repeatedly broken the commands of
God. The law was given, in part, for the acknowledgment of sin. It was also given for our
own protection. Often a person in need of deliverance refuses to see a particular sin with
which he has been involved, or it may simply be a matter of denial. Pointing out in
scripture what the Word of God has to say pertaining to a certain sinful behavior will be a
good place to start. It will help obliterate any attempt to justify one’s actions. It will also
be that solid rock on which to stand as the healing process begins. Healing from such
wounds caused by disobedience must start with an acknowledgment that sin has ruled in
a certain area of one’s life. After the confession has occurred, the individual should make
a conscious decision to turn away from that sin, to stop the behavior or lifestyle and begin
replacing those ungodly thoughts, actions or deeds with godly behaviors. Sin produces
death, death to the body, the soul, and the spirit. We need not be fooled. We are justified
through faith in Jesus Christ. We cannot work our way into heaven. We can, however,
find freedom and peace in this lifetime as we willingly submit to the leading and
guidance of God’s Word.

... Surely, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed than the fat of rams (I Sa
15:22).

The revealed will of God teaches us many things. We are to be holy as He is holy. We are
to avoid sexual immorality, live a life of faith, and to have a grateful attitude. We are to
love our brothers and sisters in Christ and also love our enemies. We are to edify and not
tear one another down. We are to rejoice in all things. We can sum it up in the words of
the prophet Micah, “He has told you, O mortal, what is good; and what does the Lord require
of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God” (Mic 6:8)?
In addition to understanding and obeying God’s will as communicated in His Word, we must
obey His will as communicated through the Holy Spirit and prophetic guidance. The Apostle
Paul tells us that we may discern what is the will of God by being transformed in our minds
and not conforming to this world. We have a choice to make. We can follow the lead of the
Lord or our own desires. Self-will, however, is a path toward destruction and it is impervious
to the very nature of God within us.

The battle that rages within is the battle between spirit and flesh. As we give in to our flesh, it
becomes stronger and our ability to resist the desires of the flesh becomes weaker. Although
once saved, we are new creatures in Christ and dead to sin. Paul warns us in Romans, chapter
six, that we should not allow sin to reign in our mortal bodies and we must therefore learn to
deny the lust of the flesh. Herein lies the problem. Many Christians have claimed Jesus as the
Lord of their life, yet still have areas in which the lusts of the flesh rule. Healing of the body,
soul or spirit begins with a conscious decision to set the mind on things of the Spirit and refuse
to allow sin to exercise dominion over any part of life. Paul taught in Romans that an
individual would be a slave to the one whom they choose to obey: a slave of sin, which leads
to death, or a slave of obedience, which leads to righteousness. We understand that it is not
enough to call Him Lord. We must follow the will of the Lord, be obedient to Him, and allow
Him to be Lord of our lives. Jesus, in the garden of Gethsemane, prayed to God. He said,
“Abba, Father, for you all things are possible; remove this cup from me; yet, not what I want,
but what you want” (Mk 14:36). Jesus is our perfect role model.

Through His life and actions, we can see the importance of laying down our wants and desires
and putting priority on what we are asked to do for God. Jesus asked Peter a question. He
asked if He was not to drink the cup provided for Him by His Father. He had already made
that decision. It was His food to do the will of the one who had sent Him and Jesus would
fulfill His destiny and purpose regardless of what it would cost. Jesus submitted to the will of
His Father totally and without reservation and we are to do the same. There are consequences
when we do not. Paul, when he was Saul, before his name was changed, stood against the will
of God. He asked, “Who are you, Lord?” The reply came, “I am Jesus, whom you are
persecuting” (Ac 9:5). Paul was “kicking against the goads,” fighting against the will of
Christ Jesus until he was struck with blindness on the road to Damascus. God had chosen Paul
to be used as an instrument in spreading the Gospel to the Gentiles. He heard the voice of the
Lord and in an instant he became a follower and disciple of Jesus. Paul was not left in such a
condition, however. Ananias, a disciple who lived in Damascus, was obedient to the will of
the Lord as he followed instructions to go to the street called Straight to find Saul of Tarsus
and lay hands on him so that he might regain his sight. Ananias was well aware of the
reputation Saul had for persecuting Christians. He was well aware that his obedience to the
direction of the Lord could potentially cost him his life. Where would we be today had it not
been for the obedience of Ananias? Would we have had the tremendous insight into the life,
death and resurrection of Christ had it not been for the willingness of Ananias to follow the
direction of the Lord? Ananias is a New Testament example of willingly obeying the voice of
God. We, as Christians are to hear His voice and we are to follow just as Ananias did. Jesus is
the Good Shepherd and He told us what those who believed in Him would do. They would
hear and follow!

My sheep hear my voice. I know them, and they follow me (Jn 10:27).

All authority is from God; therefore, we must learn to obey all authority. Delegated
authority is possessed by those who have been entrusted and empowered to carry out
certain acts, without impediment. Along with the delegated authority, there should be a
set of standards, which would outline the rights that may be exercised within the
boundaries and scope of that place of responsibility. Within the operation of the church,
there is a certain hierarchy of authority that must be recognized and respected. Christ is
the head. He is the supreme authority over His Church. He gives His chosen leaders
direction. They are to follow His lead. Church leadership is carefully ranked within
scripture. With God-given position, there will be the anointing of God to carry it through.
Every position of authority within the church should stem from, and out of, a ministry
call. True ministry flows out of death, death of self, and there is no exception! It is God
who calls, and man who recognizes that call. We are never to assume a position of
ministry that God has not given. He calls and commissions and His delegated authority
will back it up. In other words, there should be an appointing by the laying on of hands
from a person of authority, who will send forth a servant of God into that service or
ministry only through prayer and fasting.

Then after fasting and praying they laid their hands on them and sent them off (Ac
13:3).

A Family’s Shame
Within the family, as within the Church, proper authority at the head, spiritually and
naturally, supported through submission, brings unity and blessings. Proper order within
the family structure also offers protective covering, spiritual guidance, and focused
direction as to where the family is heading. Fathers are the spiritual leaders of the family
unit. They are the leaders of the family whether they see themselves as such or not.
Fathers set the course of the direction for their family. It can be in a positive direction or
a negative direction; and most often it is a mixture of the two. Whatever is in the head is
also in the body. Jesus taught this lesson through His obedience to His heavenly Father.
As He stated, He only did what He saw His Father do. This teaching sets a spiritual
precedent to fathers today. Children will often do what they see their own fathers do.
Therefore, it is critical for the father of the home to take the position of spiritual
leadership and it should not be relinquished to the mother. We have biblical examples of
situations where the head of the household was not respected or upheld as the leader.
When there has been a violation of that order, the entire family suffers consequences.
Let’s look at the lesson of Ham when he uncovered the nakedness of his father.

Noah, a man of the soil, was the first to plant a vineyard. He drank some of the wine
and became drunk, and he lay uncovered in his tent. And Ham, the father of Canaan,
saw the nakedness of his father, and told his two brothers outside. Then Shem and
Japheth took a garment, laid it on both their shoulders, and walked backward and
covered the nakedness of their father; their faces were turned away, and they did not
see their father's nakedness
(Ge 9:20-23).

Shem and Japheth entered the tent backwards and turned as to not look upon their
father’s shortcomings. Ham, however, exploited what was a bad situation by inviting his
brothers to gaze upon Noah. The result of such an act was astounding. We can trace the
bloodline of Ham and see that there was a repeated history of sexual perversion. Canaan,
the forth son of Ham, had settled in the land of Canaan, and it had become the epitome of
sexual exploitation and degradation. His descendants, the Canaanites, worshiped
numerous false gods and were steeped in fertility cults, more so than any other in the
ancient world. What began as the exposure of the nakedness of one man, resulted in a
generational curse as evidenced in the extreme sexual perversions of the land of Canaan.
The lessons that can be learned from the examples of Nadab and Abihu are quite
profound. They worked apart from Aaron, thus they worked apart from God. Aaron, the
high priest, was consecrated into the priestly office of the Levitical tribe by Moses. He
and his sons had traveled with Moses part of the way up Mount Sinai where Moses had
received the law written on stone. There they were able to experience at least a glimpse
of the divine presence of God. They had been trained in proper worship with the very
specific regulations to follow. However, in a rebellious act, Aaron’s sons chose to kindle
a “strange fire.” They were to use fire from the altar, which burned perpetually, for
burning incense in worship, but they chose fire from another source, therefore making it
unacceptable before the Lord and they were destroyed instantly in the sanctuary.

This strange fire was unauthorized. They had served without proper order,
independently, and without direction. Some scholars speculate that they may have been
intoxicated also, although that is only speculation based on Leviticus 10:8-9 where they
were instructed not to partake of wine while they were to serve within the sanctuary.
They had incorrectly performed the worship service apart from the leadership of their
father and this invidious conduct brought about severe and immediate judgment of the
Lord being consumed by fire. The charge: they had kindled a “strange fire” and the result
was that they were consumed by fire. We can gain great insight as we look at the lesson
of Aaron and Miriam as they rebelled against God-ordained leadership. Aaron was the
older brother of Moses by three years. Moses was the spiritual father of Israel. Chosen of
God as deliverer, judge, lawgiver, and prophet, the Lord spoke directly to Moses. He was
the most humble man on the face of the earth. Because of jealousy, Miriam and Aaron
spoke against Moses. Their reviling and rebellious action brought about judgment of the
Lord and, in His anger, the Lord departed from them. Miriam became leprous. Aaron and
Miriam were charged with speaking against their leader because of jealousy. Rebellion
and reviling those in leadership will result in the loss of the presence of God, just as
witnessed in the above case where the cloud departed from the Tent of Meetings As
previously stated, the Bible clearly teaches that the husband is to be the head of the
household. Often, this is an area where spiritual authority is violated. Wives may take the
lead role for many different reasons; however it is ultimately the responsibility of the
husband to stand in the place of authority.

Wives, in the same way, accept the authority of your husbands, so that, even if some
of them do not obey the word, they may be won over without a word by their wives'
conduct, when they see the purity and reverence of your lives ( I Pe 3:1).

Women who constantly usurp their husband’s authority, whether in open defiance 
or  through  some  form  of  manipulation  and  trickery,  hurt  their  own  household, 
themselves, and their children. They are, in essence, ripping the blessings promised 
to  a  godly  family  out  of  their  own  hands.  Frequently,  those  in  need  of  deliverance 
have  found  ways  of  covertly  undermining  those  who  are  in  authority,  and  often 
present  themselves  as  being  totally  submissive.  Those  who  receive  deliverance 
ministry must be willing to be honest with themselves and they must be willing to 
turn from the actions and attitudes that have afforded them the ability to gain the 
leadership role.  
© 2009 

Robin Bertram Ministries

robin@robinbertram.org
www.robinbertram.tv
919-923-4137