Podcast Summary:

Podcast: Dufresne Ministries Podcast
Episode: Our Authority In Christ, Part Four | Nancy Dufresne | Jesus the Healer Broadcast
Date: December 9, 2021
Host/Speaker: Pastor Nancy Dufresne

Episode Overview

In Part Four of the “Our Authority in Christ” series, Pastor Nancy Dufresne digs deeper into the biblical foundation, function, and daily practice of the authority given to believers through Jesus Christ. Using Scripture, real-life applications, and analogy, Nancy explains how Christians can exercise this divine authority to maintain spiritual order, resist the devil, and carry out God’s plans on Earth. This episode stresses the importance of understanding, embracing, and activating our authority in Christ, and addresses practical hindrances that might prevent its full operation.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Divine Authority: Its Source and Nature

• Scriptural Foundation: Nancy opens with Psalm 8:4-6, clarifying that “a little lower than angels” in Hebrew means “a little lower than God” (Elohim).
• Man’s Design For Dominion:

  “God made us to have dominion… Not human, just our own natural dominion and authority only, but a divine authority. Well, what is that divine authority? The authority that belongs to us in Christ.” (01:39)

• Every believer shares the authority of Christ:

  “So it’s not a different authority than Jesus has. It’s the exact same authority. Why? Because the head and the body are one.” (04:16)

2. Exercising Authority: Heaven Backs What We Initiate

• Matthew 18:18 – Binding and loosing on earth:

  “Whatever you forbid, whatever you bind, whatever you say, ‘I’m not going to have that anymore.’ Notice this? Heaven will have movement. Heaven will back you up. But the movement begins on earth, not in heaven.” (06:05)

• Responsibility to Act:

  “So many people are waiting for God to do something about their problem. And God is waiting on people to stand up in the authority…” (05:25)

3. Order, Fellowship, and the Flow of Authority

• Why Things Go Out of Order: If your life is out of order, it’s because authority hasn’t been exercised as intended.
• Jesus always confronted and addressed Satan—never leaving Satan as the last word.

  “Whenever there was somebody brought to Jesus that was bound and wanted to be free, Jesus always dealt with him. Why? He walked in his authority. You have the same authority.” (13:18)

4. Authority Restored After the Fall

• The authority Adam lost to Satan has been restored to believers through Jesus; Satan is the god of this world because Adam gave him the authority.

  “He didn’t get that from God. He got that from Adam. But he’s not the God of us. Because Jesus spoiled principalities and powers.” (16:20)

5. Practical Application of Authority

• Examine your life:

  “If there’s something in your life or in your home that isn’t as you want it to be, you’re authorized to change it. Speak and exercise your dominion and your authority to bring blessing to that home.” (19:20)

6. Divine Order: Submission and Resistance

• James 4:7 – “Submit to God, resist the devil and he will flee”:

  “You can’t get to number two unless you went to number one first... Authority works when your connection with the One your authority flows from is in place.” (20:22)

• Submission includes obedience to both general (Scripture) and specific (the Spirit’s leading) instructions from God.

  “What has the Word instructed you in that you’re not doing? Because that’s when your authority will flow uninterrupted.” (23:42)

• Examples: faithfulness to church, tithes and offerings, walking in love with others.

7. How God Deals With Us

• God’s continual dealings are not criticism, but preparation for maturity and effective authority.

  “He’s working to bring us into the fullness of the stature of Christ… further into the maturity of who we are in Christ.” (25:55)

8. Exercising Authority Is Ongoing and Practical

• Authority doesn’t depend on feelings:

  “It doesn’t matter whether you feel good that day. It doesn’t matter whether you feel anointing or the presence of God. That authority is still yours. It’s with the position.” (38:30)

• Every day requires believers to keep their spiritual authority “in working order,” just like parents need their authority daily.

9. Illustration: The Police Officer Analogy

• Believers are like law enforcement officers—they don’t make the law, they enforce the existing law.

  “We don’t make the laws. God made the laws. We carry out the laws that’s in his book and it’s our job to enforce it.” (43:40)

• If you don’t enforce spiritual law, lawlessness (chaos) will take over in your life.
• The higher authority (God) backs us up, and the equipment is provided.

10. Hindrances to Exercising Authority

• Three Main Hindrances:
  1. Ignorance: Not knowing your authority allows the devil to work.

     “So get rid of ignorance. How do you get rid of it? Study the Word… This is something that really probably needs to be a daily diet.” (49:20)

  2. Unbelief: Not trusting in your God-given authority blocks its effectiveness.

     “When a person doesn’t trust God, they don’t trust the one their authority stems from, then it’s impossible to operate in true dominion.” (53:30)

  3. Sin: Disobedience interrupts and blocks Dominion’s flow.

     “Submitting to God, don’t submit to sin. Yield to God. Don’t yield to wrongdoing because sin will interrupt the flow of the success of your exercise of dominion…” (54:35)

• Living clean and trusting in the cleansing blood of Jesus keeps believers in position.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the essential nature of authority:

  “Dominion is not to be a foreign flow to us. Walking in our authority is not to be foreign to us. It’s connected with how we were made to function…” (02:00)

• On responsibility and initiative:

  “God allows what we allow… If we were to ask God, ‘God, why are you allowing that to happen?’ If we could hear him… he would say, ‘well, why are you allowing it?’” (07:37)

• On exercising authority, not passivity:

  “Even though authority is yours, it won’t operate until you exercise it. Even heaven has to exercise authority. Then you’re going to have to exercise authority…” (33:15)

• On living clean for effective authority:

  “To exercise dominion, we have to live clean. Thank God for the blood of Jesus that cleanses us. Why? Because it positions us to exercise and occupy our seat of authority.” (56:05)

Timestamp Guide to Key Segments

• Authority in Creation and Christ: 01:39-06:00
• Shared Authority with Christ Explained: 04:16-05:35
• Matthew 18:18—Earth Initiates, Heaven Responds: 06:05-08:45
• Responsibility to Forbid and Permit: 07:15-09:20
• Why the Devil Pushes Christians Around: 05:25-11:40
• Authority Lost and Restored (Adam, Jesus, Satan): 13:18-16:40
• Change Your Life By Exercising Authority: 19:20-20:15
• James 4:7—Order of Submission and Resistance: 20:22-24:00
• Obedience as Prerequisite to Authority Working: 23:42-29:10
• Authority Is Daily, Not Conditional On Feelings: 38:30-41:00
• The Police Officer Analogy: 43:40-48:10
• Three Hindrances To Authority: 49:20-56:05

Final Thoughts

Nancy Dufresne’s message in this episode is a practical and scriptural call to action for believers to stop spiritual passivity. Our authority is not automatic—it must be recognized, received, and intentionally used, supported by a lifestyle of obedience and faith. The desire is that every listener will leave equipped to “enforce spiritual law” in every area of life, resisting the enemy and releasing God’s blessing for themselves and others.