There is a name above every name. This name has metaphysical authority and all demons bow to it. This name is controversial yet highly esteemed. It is not a good luck charm, or verbal mantra for personal gain. To claim this name, as the exclusive path to heaven, is to ostracize yourself, from all other religions of this world. But for those who truly believe in the name, exclusivism is the inevitable path, nonetheless. In fact, this name is not only dangerous, but ‘power packed.’ Use it wisely, or do not use it at all.
What is this illustrious name? It is of course, the name of our precious Savior and King: Jesus Christ. His name holds tremendous sway in the spiritual realm. His name is highly esteemed, not only because of Christ’s achievements, but the immeasurable Honor bestowed upon Him by our Heavenly Father. As the perfect Mediator, Christ embodies in Himself, all three offices.
Jesus is a Prophet, to enlighten the nations, a Priest, to offer Himself as a sacrifice for the nations and a King who will soon rule over all nations. This coming Millennial reign of Christ, will ensure every sphere of human activity will come under Christ’s control. Evil doing will be suppressed with a rod of iron, Satan will be bound, and the earth shall be filled with the knowledge and glory of God. We look forward to that day!
Let us now investigate the biblical origin and various benefits of speaking His esteemed name.
The name exalted above all names
Christ was conferred the ‘name above all names’ due to His life, death, and bodily resurrection. Christ has rightful ownership over you on two counts, not only is He responsible for your existence, but He later bought you with His own precious blood, despite your rebellion against Him (Rom 5:8). Our God is merciful, but He does, however, expect a return on His investment, which we have a lifetime to procure.
The Son of God, though He was by nature equal to God, voluntarily subjected himself to sinless human limitations, by taking man’s nature, became a servant to man, and finally died on the cross for man’s redemption. Because the God of the universe was willing to humble Himself and suffer an excruciating death, via the Persian tradition (namely crucifixion-later adopted by the Romans), He is the only one qualified to judge humanity for its indiscretions. Little did the Romans know their adopted and most barbaric form of execution (crucifixion), was the literal fulfillment of prophecy. All of this of course, was foretold, long in advance of His first coming. To find out more about this, click here.
In fact, every knee shall bow (voluntarily or involuntarily), on the day of judgment, which is appointed to every man, upon their physical death (Heb 9:27). In the three spheres of existence; namely, Heaven, Earth, and Hell, Christ’s name reigns supreme. It is by conquest of the grave, death, and hell, that He won His rightful inheritance, once and for all:
“But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth.“
Philippians 2:7–10
The name in Prayer
God desires to grant us the petitions of our heart according to His will, which is revealed in His Holy Word. John’s gospel highlights His name as the means by which, we attain our petition:
“And in that day ye shall ask me nothing. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you. Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full.“
John 16:23–24
The name of Allah, Confucius, Buddha or Muhammad will not grant the petition of your heart, but the name of Jesus only. God is looking for people to take Him at His word and petition Him in the name of His precious Son. Give His name a try and you will not be disappointed.
The name in Power
“And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick,
and they shall recover.”
Mark 16:17–18
Several noted scholars have tried to remove this passage from the Bible down the years, citing its exclusion from certain ‘older’ manuscripts. In fact, this passage, is entirely absent from several modern translations. But when it comes to Bible manuscripts, ‘older’ is not necessarily ‘better.’ The ‘received text’ was embodied in the majority of manuscripts, comprising over five thousand in all. It is from the so called, minority of supposedly older manuscripts, the modern translations stem but this minority is not representative of the Holy Writ in circulation, which are aligned with Antioch, not Alexandria. The bible is clear, nothing good ever came out of Egypt, manuscripts included.
If Satan could remove this passage from the Holy Bible, he would have won a great victory. Why? Because the name of Jesus belongs to every child of God and God expects us to use His name in the face of satanic onslaught, as this passage attests. Lest we forget Christ commissioned His disciples, and the seventy, who went about delivering the demonically oppressed, in the highways and byways of Judea and Samaria (Lk 10:1-16). This was a veritable sign that the Kingdom of God, had truly come to them and it also served as a precedent for Christ’s Church.
Prior to His ascension, Christ made it clear that His name was to be used against Satan and his cohorts. Why did Jesus come to the earth?…He came to destroy the ‘works’ of the devil (1st Jn 3:8). These works can only be destroyed by the church, as we utilize His name accordingly. By casting out demons and healing the sick, Christ demonstrated how to sabotage the devils ‘works.’ Indeed, Christ mandated us to do ‘greater works’ in His name (Jn 14:12). It is precisely because all power and authority was given to Jesus, in heaven and earth, that His name is the very embodiment of His ascendancy (Mat 28:18).
Although the Gospels are a transitional text in many ways, the apostles and early church fathers continued this practice of healing the sick and casting out demons, further disseminating Christ’s will for humanity, throughout the ages. The mere mention of His name grants immediate access to the power and authority it wields in the spiritual realm. Jesus wants us to use His name!
Incidentally, if you are interested in finding out more about the names of God, click here.
Jesus gave us power and authority
Christianity in essence is a confession. You confessed Christ to be saved (Rom 10:8-10), you declare His name to be delivered and you speak life to receive healing. Scripture attests to this, “Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession” (Heb 4:14). The term ‘profession’ is synonymous with confession. By holding fast to our confession of faith, we activate God in our lives. If we lack confession, we will be short on victory, it’s that simple. Our High Priest (Jesus) monitors those who have the gumption to use His name, and He will back them up every time. In each instance of miraculous healing, I have witnessed down the years, the name of Jesus was inevitably uttered…There is power in the name!
In one of the most remarkable testimonies ever shared, Kenneth E. Hagin, had a visitation from Christ in the mid 1950’s. In this visitation, Christ was trying to speak to Kenneth, yet invariably, an entity, which looked like a gorilla, (a type of demonic spirit), hindered the message due to its incessant blabbering. After a while, Kenneth got fed up and frustrated, commanding this entity to cease from speaking. Incredibly, Christ told Kenneth that if he hadn’t commanded the entity, Jesus ‘could not’ have. Kenneth initially thought Christ said, He ‘would’ not have, but Jesus reiterated that He ‘could not’ and there’s a vast difference.
In other words, because the Church has been granted spiritual authority, Christ was unable to enforce His authority in this situation, as He already conferred it to us…This should be a wake-up call!
In reality, under certain conditions, God can be limited in His ability to intervene in the earth because He honors the free will of men. Many people don’t want to hear this because they want all the responsibility in God’s hands. Sadly, If the church does not take hold of its rightful authority, people can suffer due to our apathy or neglect of this almighty power, which is beholden to the name. Christ will most certainly back up His name, whenever or wherever it is spoken, but it is entirely the church’s responsibility to enforce its God-given authority, otherwise God’s will, could be stifled in the earth.
If you wish to learn more about your spiritual authority and how to enforce it, check out our five–part series.
The name ushers His presence
“For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.” Matthew 18:20
The mere mention of His name ushers in His presence, particularly when at least two or three are gathered. God will never leave nor forsake you (Heb 13:5). His presence is our comforter.
A more excellent name by inheritance
“Being made so much better than the angels (Jesus), as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they. For unto which of the angels said he at any time, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee? And again, I will be to him a Father, and he shall be to me a Son? And again, when he bringeth in the first begotten into the world, he saith, And let all the angels of God worship him.”
Hebrews 1:4–6
The natural question we should ask, is when exactly did Christ receive His inheritance? He was God incarnated as the baby Jesus, yet He was not truly ‘begotten’ until He was raised from the dead! Lets read from the book of Acts, “God hath fulfilled the same unto us their children, in that he hath raised up Jesus again; as it is also written in the second psalm, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee” (Acts 13:33).
It was on the very day of His resurrection, that our Heavenly Father begat Christ, having tasted spiritual death for every man! Christ wasn’t begotten when Mary gave birth to Him, He was begotten on the day of His resurrection! He who knew no sin, became sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God (2 Cor 5:21). Christ became sin for us, our wage of sin needed to be paid and only He could pay it.
Christ was the curse bearer; Christ was the sin bearer, in fact He became a curse for us, so that we might be redeemed from the curse of the law (Gal 3:13). It is ironic that a tree was the source of our death (Gen 3), and Christ had to die on a tree to redeem us. We should never forget that Christ went to Hell, following His death and prior to His ascension. To find out more about the compartments of Hell and what Christ did there, click here.
Peter: A case study of using the name
The Apostle Peter knew what Christ accomplished when he visited hell, mentioning it in his discourse on the day of Pentecost, with reference to King David, saying, “For David speaketh concerning him, I foresaw the Lord always before my face, for he is on my right hand, that I should not be moved: Therefore did my heart rejoice, and my tongue was glad; moreover also my flesh shall rest in hope: Because thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption” (Acts 2:25–27).
In a way, Peter was paraphrasing Psalms 49 and 86, when he made this statement to the several thousand people gathered that day. Christ’s suffering was real, which some theologians have downplayed, but because He was willing to suffer on our behalf, He was granted ‘the name of above every name.’ It was Peter who used the name of Jesus at three o’clock in the afternoon on his way to the temple, with the Apostle John, healing a crippled man in the process (Acts 3:3-6).
Peter was well acquainted with the immense power in ‘the name,’ and spoke it often. He knew the hefty price that Christ paid for us and the victory He won over the hordes of darkness, “And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it” (Col 2:15). In doing so, Jesus delivered us from the power of darkness and translated us into His kingdom (Col 1:13). Peter didn’t have a gold leafed King James Bible in his possession, nor fancy bible software, lexicons or even a dictionary…but he did have ‘the name’!
In a separate incident the Apostle Paul used ‘the name’ to deliver a damsel, possessed with an evil spirit of divination (Acts 16:16-18). This damsels unique gift of soothsaying via dark practices brought much gain to her slave masters in the town of Philippi (modern day Greece). The young girl followed them around for several days proclaiming who they were and what they were doing. Evidently Paul had enough and cast the spirit out of her, in Jesus’ name. This is once again, a demonstration of the demonic realm bowing to the name of our Lord in spiritual confrontation. The same measure of respect holds true today, His name is above every name!
The question is, what are you going to do with ‘the name’?
Washed, Sanctified and Justified by the name
“And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God” (1 Corinthians 6:11).
You are washed in His precious blood, sanctified, and made in right standing with your Heavenly Father and justified; ‘just as if’ you never sinned in the first place!…How cool is that!
‘The name’ has spiritual authority
“And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come: And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church.”
Ephesians 1:19–22
The monumental power and authority at the church’s disposal cannot be overstated. However, the ecclesia is often accused of being toothless, because it wrongly believes that God is ‘in control of everything and everyone.’ For some, to resist evil would be to oppose God’s, so called, ‘mysterious ways.‘ This is ignorance personified, as God has NOTHING to do with evil.
Let us be very clear, God does not utilize evil for His purposes. To do so would put Him in league with Lucifer. God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all (1st Jn 1:5). We too are children of light and should act appropriately (1st Thess 5:5). God does not use evil for His purposes, something often claimed by pantheists, who couch evil as merely another facet of God’s personality. This ideology is prevalent in the Star Wars franchise which is listed as the second highest grossing film franchise of all time, second only to the Marvel Universe. The global influence of these movie franchises has had a devastating impact on the psyche of our youth who struggle to separate reality, from science fiction. If you wish to find out more about the occultic undertones of the Marvel franchise, click here.
The Mysterious Jedi Force of Pantheism
George Lucas (a liberal Methodist) was an avid reader of Carlos Castaneda (a Mexican sorcerer). Lucas claimed to have a mystical experience when he was six years old and again as a teenager. Evidently Lucas was touched by ‘the dark side’ at an early age and his revelations from these encounters are evident in his movie trilogies for all to see. Film has long been used as a propaganda tool throughout history and entertainment usually has a hidden motive, of which the recipient is unaware. The lure of the occult through film and television is so strong these days, we have lost literally thousands of young people to the Jedi, science fiction mythos, which has even become an official religion. The Jedi Church for instance, now has seven chapters, with a strong on-line presence, in the United States, United Kingdom, New Zealand and Turkey.
George Lucas cited Carlos Castaneda as a strong influence in his writings. In Garry Jenkins book, Empire Building: The Remarkable, Real-life story of Star Wars, we are told that Lucas, “…in his search for fantasy, read Grimm’s fairy tales and CS Lewis’ Narnia Chronicles, JRR Tolkien and Frazier’s Golden Bough. He also read Greek, Islamic and Indian mythology and the works of modern mythologists like Carlos Castaneda and Joseph Campbell” (Empire Building, page 38).
Jenkins goes on to reference Castaneda as an influence on Lucas, once more, “Lucas had by now simplified the mysticism in his script. Obi-Wan Kenobi would be a guardian of the wisdom of the Jedi knights and the force, a mysterious power “that binds the universe together”. Lucas had found the inspiration for the idea in a story in Carlos Castaneda’s Tales Of Power, in which a Mexican Indian mystic, Don Juan, described a “life force“ (Empire Building, page 62).
New Age is a subtle form of Pantheism, which espouses that, “God is all…and all is God.” This belief was also communicated in Lucas’s Star Wars Trilogy. The term states that God is not the sum of the spiritual substance of all, but an impersonal being, or part of a “universal mind.” We know from scripture that God is in all, but also above all, and independent of all. Jesus is, “the exact representation of His being” (Heb 1:3); “the image of the invisible God” (Col 1:15).
Of course when one mentions, “all is God,” that includes evil which is a lie from the pit of hell. The beautiful deception of the New Age Movement is that evil not only remains undefined but is also a necessary part of their false Godhead. In their eyes, evil is merely another side of the coin, working together for the ‘greater good.’
It is interesting that Sir Alec Guinness, who played the Jedi Master Obi Wan Kanobi, initially expressed some reticence about playing the role, as he was a devout Catholic at the time. The mystical connotation of ‘the force,’ was antagonistic to his personal faith, no doubt because it had it’s origin in Mexican mysticism.
Evil exists in the earth, because humanity permits it. We must have nothing to do with the unfruitful works of darkness but instead, expose them (Eph 5:11). Evil occurs because of free will. Free will was a gift that has been downtrodden and abused by both man and angel, which are coincidentally, both higher orders, of God’s creation.
Lazarus raised up: Testimony of Smith Wigglesworth
In his book, Ever increasing Faith, Smith Wigglesworth recalls his visit to Wales, in order to pray for a man called Lazarus. Lazarus had been a leader in the assembly, until he broke down physically and collapsed. He was bed-fast for six years prior to Smith’s visit, suffering from Tuberculosis. His condition was desperate.
When Smith visited him, he was now in a bitter condition, having been sick for so long. Wigglesworth was led by God’s Spirit, to do something unique, being aware that others had prayed for him many times, to no avail. Wigglesworth and the seven men present, encircled Lazarus’ bed, but instead of praying, they spoke the mighty name of Jesus!
As they began to whisper, “Jesus, Jesus, Jesus,” over and over, the power of God fell that same hour. As they persisted, God’s power finally came to rest on the bedridden, skeletal Welshman. Smith shouted, “The power of God is here, it is yours to accept!” Lazarus began to motion his lips and uttered, “I have been bitter in my heart and I know I have grieved the Spirit of God. I am helpless, I cannot lift my hands, or even lift a spoon to my mouth.”
A Yorkshire-man whom God used mightily!
Smith replied, “Repent and God will hear you.” Lazarus repented and suddenly the power of God went straight through Him. As the men surrounding Lazarus persisted in calling upon the name of Jesus, the bed shook and the man shook. Smith felt led to adjourn the gathering at that point, and everyone departed from Lazarus, in order for God to manifest His power freely.
A few moments later, Smith watched Lazarus get off the bed, dress himself and make his way downstairs. He had been bedridden for six straight years and the only thing that raised up this man was the mighty name of Jesus, nothing else had worked up to that point. Notice, a spirit of bitterness had gripped the heart of Lazarus. The Bible says bitterness has the capacity to defile not only ourselves but many around us (Heb 12:15). Our hearts condition can greatly influence our capacity to receive healing from God. We must guard our hearts continually (Prov 4:23).
Only the name of Jesus can release you from satanic bondage and bring the requisite healing you have so desired these past years. Lazarus is a case in point.
What about you?
Friend, do you realize you have vast power at your disposal, and that power is only unleashed when you utter the name of Jesus? What things are lying dormant in your life right now, that can only be awakened by the utterance of His precious name? Are you waiting on God to rid you of satanic bondage in the form of addiction to alcohol, pornography, drugs, food, or bad relationships, which are pulling you down and hindering God’s perfect will for your life? It is time to USE THE NAME!!
Why wallow in the mire of mediocrity any longer? How much more can you take of not seeing breakthrough in your finances, relationships, and health? If you think you are waiting on God, think again…He is waiting on you. You need to speak His name and declare the truth over your situation. Jesus went about, teaching, preaching and healing, in that order (Mat 9:35). He did so, to raise people’s faith in His goodness, so when the time came, they were ready to receive God’s full provision for their lives. That time is now…do not wait any longer.
One of my favorite scriptures, shows who the oppressor really is… “How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.” Acts 10:38
Notice the devil is the oppressor. Jesus destroyed the ‘works of the devil,’ by casting out demons and healing the sick. If sickness is a part of God’s ‘mysterious plan’ as some theologians posit, Jesus did not agree. By destroying the works of the devil, Christ was going about about His Father’s business! If the Church follows suit, we too are pleasing the Father with ‘greater works’ (Jn 14:12).
Sickness only came into this world because of sin. Without sin, there would be no sickness. Sickness only exists because Adam and Eve permitted it’s entrance into this world via their transgression (Gen 3:6-7). Now that Christ has absolved your sin, why not take full provision of the atonement, and use His name to command symptoms of sickness and disease, to leave your flesh this very hour. If Lazarus (the Welshman) can be raised up, so can you, as God is not a respecter of persons. He rewards faith openly (Heb 11:6).
You might need a little convincing, that God wants to heal you and that’s OK. Click here to meditate on the healing provisions God has made for you. When you are finally convinced, it is His will to heal, then it’s time to use the name of Jesus to command any Satanic oppression to leave you!
God honors the authority He has already granted to you, but if you are ignorant of it, or don’t enforce it, you’ll be left in the same condition for the rest of your life.
God wants you well but it will take an effort of your will to overcome the forces availed against you…the choice is yours…choose to act.
Author: Carl G. M. Joseph
Have you believed on the Lord Jesus Christ? If not, click here to find out more…
Bibliography:
The Name of Jesus Kenneth E. Hagin (Kenneth Hagin Ministries (January 1, 2007))
Ever increasing Faith Smith Wigglesworth Independently published (June 15, 2021)
Knowing the Doctrines of the Bible (Myer Pearlman), Gospel Publishing House; Revised edition (January 1, 1981)
Nelson, P.C., Bible Doctrines (Revised Edition, 75th Anniversary Edition – Gospel Publishing House, Pentecostal Classic, Springfield, MO., 2009,), 18.
Empire Building: The Remarkable, Real-life story of Star Wars, Garry Jenkins, Simon & Schuster (Trade Division); First Edition (March 3, 1997)
https://www.cnbc.com/2021/01/31/the-13-highest-grossing-film-franchises-at-the-box-office.html
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