In the last months of his life, my father gave me power of attorney over all of his affairs. It was his power, but it was entrusted to me. Therefore, I had the right to act on his behalf in all matters concerning his estate.
In our spiritual battle with the devil, we are told in Ephesians 6:10 to “…be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might.” We have, as it were, power of attorney to act on Christ’s behalf. That is, we have His Word, and we have the right to speak on His behalf in any situation.
The word “power” here is a word that carries the idea of vigor and strength. The verb form of this word means “to take something into one’s possession; to apprehend, or seize.” It’s a word of authority – the power to take hold of a situation.
Now that’s what the Christian has a right to do. If we are a child of God and walking with the Lord, we represent Him in the realm of spiritual things. It’s like being an ambassador in a foreign country. A United States’ Ambassador represents the authority of the President of the United States, and has the power to act on his behalf. He has diplomatic immunity from the laws of that country, and is answerable only to U.S. law. When he speaks, he speaks with the official voice of the American President. In reality, an ambassador’s strength is in the power of the President’s authority.
Well, in 2 Corinthians 5:20, we are told that we are ambassadors for Christ, standing in His stead as we minister in the world. That means that when we speak His Word, we speak with His authority. His Word has the power to change lives, and it has been entrusted to us. Are you “strong” in the Word of God? If so, you are “strong…in the power of His might.”
Say – if you are an ambassador for Christ, you really ought to know His Word!