The Authority of Binding and Loosing

You will only get victory on earth because you have engaged the authority of heaven, God's way. But Dr. Tony Evans says God doesn't delegate His power to battling believers. Forget spiritual authority where there is disunity.

This is The Alternative with Dr. Tony Evans, author, speaker, senior pastor of Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship in Dallas, Texas, and president of The Urban Alternative. The Bible promises spiritual authority to those of us who follow Christ, but Dr. Evans says God only grants us the power to use it when we meet certain conditions. Let's turn to Matthew chapter 18 as we discover what those conditions are. Kingdom authority may be defined as the divinely delegated right and responsibility that has been bequeathed to believers to act on God's behalf to rule over His creation under the lordship of Jesus Christ. With God's kingdom comes authority. One of the ways that that authority is grasped, connected with, and utilized is in kingdom prayer.

Kingdom prayer is divinely authorized access for heaven to invade earth. And one of the expressions that talks about authority is binding and loosing. Now if you've grown up in church, you've heard people talk about binding this and binding that.

And what they're talking about is exercising authority. And that is precisely what the phrase means. The word binding and loosing is not a magic formula for you to get God to do what you want. Yet it is a powerful formula because of what's stated. Because verse 18 says, whatever you bind, and it goes on to say, and whatever you lose.

First of all, whatever. This scope of this statement is staggering. In other words, he doesn't give an exception. He says, whatever you bind, whatever you lose, it says heaven is going to back it up. Or to put it in contemporary words, God says, I got you.

I got you. Please notice something in the phrase. You are the one doing the binding, not God. You are the one doing the loosing, not God. Whatever you bind and whatever you lose will have been done in heaven. So God will back up legitimate binding and legitimate loosing.

Heaven will back it up when it's done right on earth. So binding and loosing is restricting or releasing. It is limiting or unlimiting something. It is locking or unlocking something. So that's what the word means.

But how does the word work? And to what does the word binding and loosing apply, since we've got this big whatever standing out here? Well, let me tell you, based on this passage, you're binding and loosing what's coming out of hell, gates of hell. You're binding and loosing. So what's the difference between binding and loosing? Bind, when you've been binding something, you're tying it up. You're keeping it from mobility. You're keeping it from moving. To bind means something is coming after you that you want held back from you. You want it to be tied up. You don't want it to get through. You don't want it to be able to penetrate you.

It's holding evil, Satan, hell off of you. Loosing is because he already got you. He's already all up in your grill. He's already controlling something. You're already addicted.

You're already living in defeat. You're already relationally in discord. You're already miserable and you can't get out of it and you need to be loosed from the hostage taking he's already taken you. Binding is keeping him off you. Whatever you bind, I got you. Whatever you loose, I got you.

Heaven will back you up. Well, if the problem is the gates of hell, he says you must use the keys of heaven and you must do it in concert with the church because that's the entity that owns the keys. So you don't have a private key ring. You don't have your own keys. The church has the keys.

You have to use those keys for your situation. Again I say to you, verse 19, if two of you agree on earth about anything that they ask, it shall be done for them by my Father who is in heaven. Now we get down to two or three. Two or three witnesses is not a novel concept. It's all through the Bible. American civil government to a large degree borrowed from the Bible and one of the things they borrowed was the principle of witnesses. In Deuteronomy 19 verse 15, it says you cannot accuse somebody by the witness of one person. There must be two or three witnesses. Deuteronomy chapter 17 verse 6, you cannot bring an accusation or judgment by one person. There must be two or three witnesses. So two or three witnesses was used of confirming something legally because it's used of trying civil cases. Jesus takes the principle of legality, two and three witnesses, and applies it now to binding and loosing.

Why? Because we are seeking to do in the spiritual realm what the political realm was seeking to do in civil judgments. To do that, he says you need two or three witnesses. Now this is not just two or three people out of nowhere because in verse 17 he says, tell it to the church. If he refuses to listen to the church, let it be to you as a gentile and a tax collector. So he hasn't left the church. He's still talking about the church because that is the authorized legal entity from heaven to history.

So let me explain something. When you connect with people, even if they're Christians, who are not connected to the embassy, they can't help you with binding and loosing. Because binding and loosing has only been delegated to the church, not just to you out here just binding stuff and I bind the devil.

No, no, no. If you are disconnected from the embassy, that's why people don't just need to go to church for preaching. People don't need to go to church just for singing and for fellowship.

All those are absolutely critical. The reason you need to be connected to the church is so you can suck heaven down into history through the embassy that God has created. And if people understood that that's what the church is for in addition to these other things, they would understand this is a bigger deal than just sitting in a pew once a week.

I want to be able to legislate. But now his concern is not everybody in the church on Sunday morning because he's talking about two or three. He says two or three gathered. The word gathered is used of the church in Hebrews chapter 10, verse 25. Don't forsake the gathering. It's talking about the church. He says when they are connected and two or three, now we got legal validity because that's how the word two or three is used in scripture.

We've got legal authorization. So let's see how you can begin to bind and lose. Keep the devil off of you in whatever category he's on you or get him off of you if he's already locked you down. And loose him and get him off of your back.

No longer is he controlling whatever area of your life that he happens to be controlling right now. He says if you come together, two or three, that's a legal gathering because it's connected to the church, anything, somebody say anything. That's like whatever. Verse 18 says whatever.

Verse 19 says anything. Anything that they may ask. Oh, we just introduced prayer, ask.

So now you are asking. You're asking heaven to intervene on your behalf in history for the binding and losing as defined in chapter 16, which is the gates of hell. He says anything that they may ask, the two must agree. The Greek word for agree is where we get our English word symphony from. When you go to a symphony, you have different instruments, but you only have one song being played. In other words, there's unity of the song while there are differences of the instruments.

Let me explain something. Forget spiritual authority where there is disunity. Forget spiritual authority where there is disunity. The reason why the enemy creates disunity is not just so that folks won't get along.

No, no, no, he's doing it for a bigger purpose. He knows that lack of agreement will keep God from responding. Now there's a theological reason for that. The Trinity is one God composed of three co-equal persons who are distinct in personality. The Father is not the Son, the Son is not the Spirit. They are three distinct persons, but they make up the one Godhead. They always operate in perfect unity with one another, except when Jesus died on the cross. My God, my God, why has thou forsaken me?

Because of sin. But they, apart from that, always are in perfect sync with one another. So when there is not agreement connected to the church by the two or three who want to see the binding and loosing, what you have just done is uninvited God to the prayer you just prayed. Once agreement is lost, binding and loosing is lost, so heaven cannot intervene into the circumstance. So he says it must be by agreement. That is, you've got to be in the same, you're different people, but you've got to be on the same spiritual page.

So he says that. And then he makes a staggering promise. It shall be done for them by my Father who is in heaven. So you must bind, you must bring God's perspective, the keys, you must talk to God, the prayer, you must be in agreement with God, and then you must be linked to the legal entity, the local church.

That's connectivity. But remember, he's talking about two or three, so he's not talking about you being in church, he's talking about you being connected with church with the two or the three. Dr. Evans will come right back with more of this lesson from his powerful series, Igniting Kingdom Prayer. As we've been learning, kingdom prayer isn't just any prayer. It starts with understanding God's comprehensive authority over every area of our lives.

This series will help you get your mind around that idea and connect you with the power that's available when you make the Lord's agenda your first priority. We'd like to send you this two-volume collection of all 12 full-length messages on CD or digital download as our way of saying thanks when you make a donation to help us keep Tony's teaching on this station. Get your copy when you visit tonyevans.org or call us at 1-800-800-3222. Our resource request line is open 24-7, so there's no need to wait.

Again, that's 1-800-800-3222 or online at tonyevans.org. Well, Dr. Evans will bring us Part 2 of today's lesson right after this. Deep green forests, snow-capped mountains, breathtaking glaciers, eagles soaring overhead, whales breaching the surface of the ocean. It's a place abounding with natural wonders, a magnificent example of what our Creator can do. Few places evidence God's creative power like the stunning wilderness of coastal Alaska.

And now you can experience it with us. Join Tony Evans and other friends of the ministry as together we discover the glory of God's spectacular creation on an unforgettable Alaskan cruise. Set sail with us to take in the splendor of God's creation along with the wonders of His Word. We'll enjoy great teaching from Dr. Tony Evans and other gifted instructors as well as life-changing worship and special musical performances. This spiritually uplifting cruise will give us time to relax, refresh, and refocus as we take a journey through Scripture while surrounded by the awesome creation that is Alaska.

Find out more about the urban alternative Alaskan cruise at tonyevans.org today. He comes with a statement, and it's a powerful statement in verse 20. And where two or three have gathered together, where two or three have gathered together, so you've come in agreement, you've come together, and he says, and you've done it in my name, in my name. He said the Father's gonna do it, but you gotta do it in my name. Now, Matthew 28, 18 says, Jesus says, all authority is given to me in heaven and on earth.

Translation, I'm in charge now. I'm in charge up there in heaven, and I'm in charge down here on earth, and I'm the link between the two. So in order to get it from heaven down here to earth, Jesus is saying, you gotta come through me.

There's one mediator between God and man, and the Bible says that is the man, Christ Jesus. Why do you need to go through Jesus? Revelation 1, 18, because Revelation 1, 18 says, I got the keys. Jesus says, I got the keys. You need the keys?

I got the keys. And I got the keys that can overrule hell. I can overrule what's holding you hostage. I can lose it.

I can keep it off of you. I can bind it, because I got the keys in Revelation. When you sign a check, you're giving authorization for the check to be cashed. If there is no signature, the check won't be cashed. If it's somebody else's signature, the check won't be cashed. And if somebody wrote your name and they were not authorized to do it, that's forgery.

So it shouldn't be cashed and you going to jail, because you have done something illegally. You know why? Because of your name. See, your name is not just your signature.

Your name is you. It's the person standing behind the signature. See, a lot of folk use Jesus's name, but Jesus didn't sign it. That's called spiritual forgery. In his name doesn't mean you didn't tag on at the end of your prayer in Jesus's name. That sounds right, and it sounds like he signed it, but if what he is wanting and what you are doing isn't the same thing, that's forgery, because that's an unauthorized use of his name. He will only give his authority when you're operating on his authority based on his keys connected with his institution, done by agreement, and he says that you must do it in my name, but he says something else, and there am I in the midst.

Whoa. See, a lot of us pray in Jesus's name while he is on the periphery. He cannot be on the periphery. He must be the centerpiece of the decision. He must be the centerpiece of the consideration.

He just can't be a throw-in, a tag-along. He must be at the centerpiece of it. In Exodus chapter 17, beginning around verse eight, Israel is in a battle. They're in a war. They're fighting. It's a life and death struggle.

They're battling. Moses goes up to the top of the hill, and Moses takes the rod, the staff that God gave him. They turned it into the rod of God, and Moses held it up. The rod was Moses's symbol of authority. He opened the Red Sea with the rod. It was a symbol of heaven coming down to change something on earth when he held up the rod. As long as Moses held up the rod, it said Israel prevailed. But the moment Moses dropped the rod, it says the enemy prevailed.

Oh, wait a minute now. Israel down in the valley doing the best they can, fighting as hard as they can, trying as hard as they can. But whether they were winning or losing wasn't determined by how hard they were trying.

It was determined by what Moses was doing of holding up the symbol of authority. A lot of us are trying hard to fix our mess, get out of debt, get out of addiction, solve this problem, heal this man. It's not we trying. We're trying down here in this battle, but the problem is something's got to be solved up there to give you victory down here. The problem occurred, however, that it says Moses's arms got heavy. In other words, he got tired.

Let me put it another way. He got sick and tired. He got tired, his arms got heavy, and his arms started to droop. And when his arms started to droop, it says the enemy began to prevail because the symbol of authority had been lost. So Moses got two other men to come and to hold up his arms because he was tired, and he was going to droop and quit and give up. But the two men held up his arms. They became two witnesses, two supporting testimonies for victory. And when they held up his arms, it says, and Israel prevailed over their enemies.

Let me put it another way. What was happening on the ground would not ultimately be determined by what they were doing on the ground. Now, they still had to fight on the ground, but the power and the authority for the victory of the fight was not on the ground where they were fighting. The authority and victory and power would come from what was happening in the invisible realm that would determine whether they won or lost in the visible realm. If you're fighting for your marriage, if you're fighting for successful singlehood, if you're fighting for the dead, if you're fighting for the addiction, or whatever the situation happens to be, yes, you have a responsibility to do what you ought to do, but that's not where the authority lies. Whatever you buy, whatever you lose, it says, I will have already done it in heaven.

So the answer is up there. So to put it another way, if you ignore the spiritual, if you ignore the keys, if you ignore the connection with the church, if you ignore the agreement, if you ignore those things, you will not get help from heaven while you're battling the warfare on earth. You will only get victory on earth because you have engaged the authority of heaven, God's way.

And when you and I do that, now we'll see some binding and losing. And Dr. Evans will come back in a moment to leave us with a real-life example, so stay with us. Before he returns, though, I want to let you know that today's message, in its entirety, is available as a part of Tony's current series, Igniting Kingdom Prayer. There are 12 messages in this two-volume collection packed with material we won't have time to bring you on the air, and they're yours as our thank-you gift when you make a contribution to help support this ministry.

There's no way we can continue this broadcast without the faithfulness of listeners like you, and we truly appreciate your partnership and what we do. Just visit tonyevans.org to get the details and make the arrangements. And that's also where you can find out about streaming the popular film, Journey with Jesus. In Journey with Jesus, Dr. Evans travels to Israel along with Crystal, Priscilla, and Anthony Evans to experience firsthand the places Jesus walked, preached, and ministered while on earth. More than just a captivating travelogue, they discuss the biblical and historical significance of each stop along the way and what it means for us today. For a limited time, you can stream Journey with Jesus right into your own home. Plan on making it a part of your preparation for Easter this year. Find out more about the film or the Igniting Kingdom Prayer audio series when you visit tonyevans.org or call us at 1-800-800-3222, and one of our helpful team members will assist with your resource request.

Again, that's tonyevans.org or by phone, 1-800-800-3222. If God already knows everything, why would He ever have reason to change His mind? We'll find out tomorrow as Dr. Evans takes a look at when and why the Lord chooses to be flexible. Right now, though, Dr. Evans is back to wrap up our time together with an encouraging victory story. We had a brother, he stopped me. He said, you remember y'all gathered around me and prayed for me, the elders? You gathered around and prayed for me because I had prostate cancer. He said, you gathered around and prayed for me and you brought that thing before God.

And he stopped me in the hall. I just thought you might want to know they can't find the cancer anymore. We should be seeing a lot more of the supernatural in the natural if we were to do it God's way. We would see more authority, more victory, more deliverance if we will do it God's way. But He's not going to adjust to you doing it your way. He's not going to do it. You keep bringing the world in and the world's methodology in. We got to be in the world. But when you keep bringing their world view in, you have just exited God because He don't need help. The Alternative with Dr. Tony Evans is brought to you by the Urban Alternative and is made possible by the generous contributions of listeners like you.