It is crucial for the body of Christ to understand the power that the name of Jesus carries so as believers we can effectively administer the authority of God as His ambassadors here on earth.
The Supreme Authority of Jesus's Name
"Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." - Philippians 2:9-11
Jesus has been exalted to the highest place. He is above all, His name is above every name, and every knee bows and every tongue acknowledges His Lordship. The name of Jesus carries supreme authority.
The name of Jesus is our inheritance.
"Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God" (John 1:12). Do you believe in His name? I am a child of God. "The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven. So he became as much superior to the angels as the name he has inherited is superior to theirs." - Hebrews 1:3-4
The angels first announced the name of Jesus to Mary and Joseph, the parents selected from heaven to give this name to their son: "She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins." - Matthew 1:21
Jesus – transliteration in Hebrew is "Yeshua" meaning "Yahweh is salvation," implying that God alone is our salvation. Only God can save.
Salvation (Greek: soteria) denotes deliverance and preservation; it signifies rescue. It is a gift. We are delivered from our enemies and from the wrath of God due to sin. Salvation is the assurance to believers in Jesus Christ that immediately upon putting their faith in Him as Lord and Savior, spiritual and eternal deliverance is granted through repentance and faith alone.
God introduced himself to Moses as YAHWEH – "I am" or "He who is." Yahweh implies "I am the self-existent and eternal one," translated in English as "God" or "LORD." "Ya" is the name of Israel's God, combined with the verb "Yasha" meaning "to rescue, deliver, to save." In Koine Greek, the English spelling for Jesus is Joshua. Jesus was a common name among the Jewish people, perhaps the 6th most popular name in Judea during this time period. This is why Jesus was referred to as Jesus of Nazareth (his hometown).
The Supremacy of Christ
"The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross." - Colossians 1:15-20
The Holy Spirit is our paraclete (the one who stands alongside us). He is our advocate, helper, comforter, and counselor.
He is also our stand-in. A stand-in is a person who takes someone else's place or does someone else's job for a while—a substitute, a fill-in. "Shileok" means "to stand in." In ancient cultures, when sending someone in your name, they went as you. In today's culture, a representative does not carry the fullness of the one they are representing like it once did in older civilizations.
Example: In biblical times, a herald was a representative of the king, delivering messages and carrying the weight of the king's authority.
Example: Today, when a president cannot attend an event, they will send a representative as a courtesy to take their place. The representative is not authorized to extend the president's authority as the president.
When we step out in faith, the paraclete stands in for Jesus operating through us. This is why we NEED to be baptized in the Holy Spirit.
"But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." - Acts 1:8
"On that day you will realize that I am in my Father and you are in me, and I am in you." - John 14:20
All Authority in Heaven Has Been Invested in the Name of Jesus
His authority is invested in His name and given to us to execute judgment on spiritual forces of darkness. The name of Jesus establishes the authority of the One who sits at the Father's right hand. We destroy our enemies with this name because we wage the battle from the third heaven in all authority and victory.
"And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus." - Ephesians 2:6
We have been given power of attorney over His name. The body of Christ has been given legal authorization to utilize this name because His body is His designated people that are to continue in the mission, message, and authority of Jesus Christ. We are expected to do what Jesus did, continuing in his ministry of bringing freedom to the spiritually oppressed and incarcerated. We are to destroy the works of the devil.
We have Power of Attorney to continue the works Jesus was doing in the power of the Holy Spirit:
"Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father." - John 14:12
Power of Attorney is a legal document that grants one the authority to act on behalf of another person in specific matters. It allows you to designate someone you trust to manage your affairs if you become unable to do so yourself.
Jesus signed the new covenant in His blood for you and me. He has designated us to Go. "But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you." - John 14:26
The Great Commission
"Then Jesus came to them and said, 'All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.'" - Matthew 28:18-20. A commission is an authoritative order, to be charged to complete an assignment. It is to entrust a person or group with power or authority. For what purpose? To (1) make disciples (2) Baptize them (3)Teach them to obey everything commanded by Jesus
"He said to them, 'Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well.' After the Lord Jesus had spoken to them, he was taken up into heaven and he sat at the right hand of God." - Mark 16:15-19
Salvation and the extension of this authority to believers to expand the Kingdom is primarily why Jesus had to be glorified (His death, burial, and resurrection). We are to continue in labor for this purpose in the Great Commission—to enlarge the Kingdom of God here on earth, making disciples of all nations. Jesus left us with a wonderful and trustworthy promise; Matthew 28:20 “And surely I will be with you always to the very end of the age” Be rest assured knowing that Jesus will never leave or forsake you.
Increase and Multiply
God's first commandment to humanity was to take dominion and subdue the earth: "God blessed them and said to them, 'Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.'" - Genesis 1:28 Jesus's last commandment was the Great Commission—"Go, make disciples of all nations.” Both God’s first and last commandments were to increase and multiply.
You Must Carry Spiritual Ranking to Maximize the Enforcement of the Name of Jesus
If you are not a believer in Jesus Christ, don't expect the name to work for you.
"Some Jews who went around driving out evil spirits tried to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those who were demon-possessed. They would say, 'In the name of the Jesus whom Paul preaches, I command you to come out.' Seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, were doing this. One day the evil spirit answered them, 'Jesus I know, and Paul I know about, but who are you?' Then the man who had the evil spirit jumped on them and overpowered them all. He gave them such a beating that they ran out of the house naked and bleeding. When this became known to the Jews and Greeks living in Ephesus, they were all seized with fear, and the name of the Lord Jesus was held in high honor." - Acts 19:13-17
We have the power to authorize His name to advance His Kingdom (His government). The government of God works through us in the name of Jesus. The sick are healed, demons cast out, blind see, deaf hear, the lost are saved and set free, the dead are raised, doors are opened, the impossible is possible.
The power that flows from His name will be in proportion to how much His word dwells in us—our love, surrender, and obedience to His word is about equivalent to Christ personally being in us.
When we call upon the name of Jesus, it is the Word of God dominating us. It is not enough to just quote scripture verses in times of desperation. Jesus will not come on the scene if His word is not ruling your life. Our Spirit acts upon the Word. The lordship of Christ needs to be expressed in our lives. It should be dominating us. This love will express itself through you, and you will see salvations, miracles, signs, and wonders as a result.
Conclusion
We have victory over seven realities: sin, death, hell, Satan, the flesh, the grave, and the world (7-Fold Victory).
The name of Jesus carries absolute authority. Eternal life is granted by the name of Jesus. We have life in this wonderful name. Repentance is granted in the name of Jesus. Forgiveness of Sins is granted in the name of Jesus. We are protected by the power of the name of Jesus. Strength and healing come from this name. The paralyzed walk in the name of Jesus. Speech is loosed in the name of Jesus. Blind eyes see in the name of Jesus. Demons are cast out in the name of Jesus. The dead are raised in the name of Jesus. Baptism is in the name of Jesus. The wise recognize the name of Jesus with high honor. We believers call upon the name of Jesus as it is our spiritual inheritance.
"Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved." - Acts 4:12