Authority can be derived from a variety of sources, including experience, position, and delegation. For example, a church's members give their pastor a position of authority, ideally based on his experience, and he delegates some of that authority back to other members of the staff. We see similar things happening in government, while in business, the original authority comes from the experience of starting the company, or the position of owning it.
God’s experience as the creator of the universe, gave him the position of authority over the earth. He has delegated some of his authority over the earth to humans, first over themselves, through free-will, and by extension of what they can do through free will, over the rest of the planet. Humans were explicitly given authority over the earth, back in Genesis. It is inferred that much of that original authority was passed on to Satan by Adam and Eve’s first sin. Clearly Jesus took back that ground through his life and death, but it is hard to measure how much of that authority Jesus has given back to believers here on earth, and how far that authority extends.
Clearly humans are called to, at the very least, be stewards of the earth. That gives them authority to use its resources, and take care of it for God. Animals are clearly part of the earth that we have explicit authority over, but our culture is abdicating that authority, attempting to share it with the animals. Do humans have authority over the weather? Clearly Jesus did, and he was fully human, but I am more accustomed to the idea that our prayers to change the weather rely on God’s authority to take effect. When something is prayed for “in Jesus name” we are borrowing his authority, and are accountable for what we do with that authority.
It is debatable whether or not humans have authority over angels. I see little in the way of direct Biblical support for this, but it is presupposed in certain circles of believers. Among other issues, they aren’t necessarily from or on earth. I am not going to claim that it is wrong, but at this point I will refrain from "commanding" angels in my prayers. Most Biblical references to angels describe them as powerful, and quite literally frightening to mankind. (Their opening line is usually "Do not be afraid") I know people who describe seeing angels, and interacting with them to a degree, but I have yet to witness any discreet sign of their presence around us.
Demons on the other hand, I have no theological issues with humans taking authority over. I don't doubt their existence, but I do wonder if they are as common as certain people believe. Witnessing the actions of someone who was clearly demon possessed back in 2007, actually had a significant impact on restoring my faith in the existence of God. Demonic influence was the only rational explanation for what I was seeing, and if demons exist, then it naturally follows that angels, and therefore God, must exist as well. And based on principles in the Bible, I have no doubt that God has given us authority over demons, if we are ready to take it.
God clearly intended for people to exercise authority over each other as well, in a variety of contexts, which I will examine in my next post.
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