So many people today are living far below what God has for them. They are missing out on the peace, joy, wholeness and freedom that is found in knowing Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. As a believer in Him, we don’t have to be up all night dealing with sleep problems when scripture tells us that He gives blessings to His beloved in sleep. We don’t have to go around feeling worn out or depressed when He promises that His supernatural joy is our strength. We don’t have to be overcome by evil, but we can overcome evil with good!

So why are so many missing out on the victory God has in store for us?

Imagine that a police officer gets up one morning and goes to his assigned post to direct traffic. He walks out into the middle of the intersection, stands in the lane of traffic and stretches out his hand to stop the cars, but something strange starts happening. The cars start honking at him and swerving around him, barely missing him. The drivers are yelling, “Move out of the way!” As you can imagine, this makes the officer very upset until he looks down and realizes he isn’t wearing his badge. In fact, he’s not wearing any of his uniform; he is still in his pajamas! Of course, no one is stopping—they don’t know who he is and they don’t recognize the authority he has.

This is how it works for us in the spiritual realm. If we wake up to start the day but don’t “get dressed” spiritually, how will the forces of darkness know who we are? How will they know what authority is backing us? See, Jesus said He has given us all authority over the power of the enemy (Luke 10:19). That authority is the Word of God, but if we don’t display that authority on our hearts and on our lips, it’s like a police officer without a badge. But when we put on the full armor of God (Ephesians 6), it’s like putting on our uniform for the day. It shows that we have all of heaven backing us up!

Remember, just as the authority that a policeman carries is greater than himself, as a believer in Jesus Christ and a child of the Most High God, you have all authority in heaven and earth backing you up! Your authority isn’t about you; it’s about Who you represent. Use your authority by speaking the Word of God boldly. Imagine yourself putting up your hand and saying, “Stop right there!” to your problems, adversities, depression, anxiety, lack—anything that comes against you. Exercise your authority through the Word of God; put a stop to the forces of darkness. Stand with the badge of His Word on your heart and embrace the victory and blessing God has in store for you!