The Identity Of A Believer’s Dominion

In believer's fellowship this year, we started with how to navigate in this new season for fulfilment. If our lives on earth will register fulfilment in this season and beyond, we have been told by the servant of the Lord that there are tools that we must lay hold on, there are tools that we must give our life to. And she started by speaking about the tool of peace. And at the last Believers fellowship, we consider light as a tool for navigating in this season for fulfilment. In this piece with the help of the Holy Spirit, we're going to look at “THE IDENTITY OF A BELIEVER’S DOMINION”.

 

We have heard so much about dominion, listened to messages, have read the Bible many times. We've seen men living their lives based on dominion; commanding result in their destinies. We have seen men that when we mention them, we will say this man was a general. We can see that there is something common to all men who have walked this face of the earth and have fulfilled their destiny. And that thing is this common identity, they have this common identity. The identity of a believer’s dominion.

 

Let's quickly open to Matthew chapter 17 verses 14 to 21. Our major concern or focus there is verse 21. But for emphasis sake, or context sake, we'll read from verse 14. Another text we'll take is in Luke chapter 8 verses 26 to 28. But let's first take Matthew 17 verses 14 to 21.

 

This account talks about a moment when Jesus took Peter, John and James to the mountain of Transfiguration. And when He was done, they were descending. And the other disciples were waiting for them. But before they could come, a man whose son was sick, came into the picture, begging the other disciples, that please, help me, my daughter is sick. “My son is being afflicted”.

 

Let's read from verse 14: ^“And when they had come to the multitude, a man came to Him, kneeling to Him and saying, ¹⁵ “Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is ^[c]an epileptic and suffers severely; for he often falls into the fire and often into the water. ¹⁶ So I brought him to Your disciples.” That is the matter.

 

¹⁷ Then Jesus answered and said, “O ^[d]faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I bear with you? Bring him here to Me.” ¹⁸ And Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of him, and the child was cured from that very hour. ¹⁹ Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, “Why could we not cast it out?” ²⁰ So Jesus said to them, “Because of your ^[e]unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you. ^{21 [f]}However, this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting.”

 

 

As a way of illustration, when you see a king, the topic we're considering is the identity of a believer’s dominion. When you see a king in the kingdom of the world when you see their king, there is the possibility that if a king in a village decides that, oh, today is a community meeting, and he gathered everybody, you were not there when the people gathered, and you came into the scene, there is that tendency that, with the appearance of the king in that meeting, even if nobody, even if you do not ask anybody, with the costume of the king; the crown on his hand, with the bead, and all manner of things that the community approved that these have to be part of the wears or the uniform of the king, you will be able to say, with this, this is the king, this must be the king, this must be their king. So, kings are identified by proof; by identity. Something will say to you that this is this person.

 

Identity matters anywhere we go. Kings don't drop their identity at home when they are going out. If they do, they could be taken for a common person, and be treated in a manner that is not supposed to. So as a king, one thing you do is that anywhere you go, as you move your identity moves with you. You don't leave your identity somewhere. So, in the kingdom of God also; as believers, we have our identity.

 

 

Dominion is our thing; it is our portion, God created man for dominion. Yes, God created man for dominion. So, it's our thing, but dominion has an identity. Dominion is not by talking. Dominion is not by height, is not by nationality. God has moved past maybe transfer dominion or copied dominion. This is how my father used to drive out demons. So, if I do like that, the demon will go. God has moved beyond bottled dominion.

 

 

The place we read, the Bible says, the man brought his sick son to the rest of the disciples. And the man said, “Jesus helped me, they could not help me”. Now, when you look at Jesus, one of the things we understand from the Scripture, before Jesus was crucified, it was difficult for the people to point to anybody among them and say, this is Jesus. The Pharisees, needed somebody, an insider to point to them who Jesus was before they could arrest him and crucify him. But on this account, the matter is this. Jesus was also human like them. They all appeared with one hand, two hands and two legs. If you look at Peter physically, there was nothing that was on Jesus that was not on him. Jesus had a garment on Him, Peter had a garment on him too. John had a garment on him, Peter had a garment on him, and Jesus also had a garment. Matthew, who did not go to the mountain or transfiguration, also had a garment; has clothes on him.

 

 

So, dominion is not by I wear a suit, I wear a tie. It is not by our physical appearance, there is an identity. Dominion has an identity. And for us to dominate, to be able to fulfill destiny, to be able to fulfill what God has created us for; what God has called us for; what God has created us in Christ Jesus for, then this identity we must carry. This identity must be upon us, anytime, anywhere. In the same way, a king does not put his identity at home, when he is going out for a function that is the same way we must carry our identity as believers, anywhere we go.

 

 

The matter now becomes what is the difference between Peter and Jesus at this time? At this material time in Matthew chapter 17, what was the difference? What was it that Jesus carried that they did not carry? Now, when we look at verse 21, Jesus says something, He said, “However, this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting”. But let me ask us, is it after Jesus came, that the people knew how to fast and pray, the Jews? Before Jesus came on board, the matter of fasting was like a religious practice for the Jews.

 

 

At a point, both the disciples of John, and the disciples of the Pharisees came to Jesus and asked, our disciples fast, the disciples of John fast, but why is it that your disciples are not fasting? That is to tell us that this thing is not a matter of whether there was fasting on earth before Jesus came or not, there was fasting. But in fasting, a believer without his identity, regardless of the number of hours you spent fasting, cannot put you in dominion.

 

 

If you see the account of this man before the ministry of Jesus started, the evil spirit that was tormenting this boy had already been gone. So, where were the Pharisees, the scribes, the teachers of the law, the scholars; where were the priests that they could not cure this man despite their fasting, despite their prayers? So, there is a kind of fasting that carries power, there is a kind of prayer that carries power, and this prayer and this fasting must be done by a man that carries this identity of dominium. Fasting cannot produce results when this identity is not there. Prayer cannot produce results when this identity is not there. The identity must be there.

Jesus said, “This cannot go out except by prayer and fasting,” but he was not talking about religious fasting. Men that have no identity of dominion.

 

 

When we also see Luke chapter 8, we will also see a situation there, when Jesus and his disciples entered a space. They came to a space. Luke chapter 8at from verse 26 to 28. This account is also in Matthew, you will see when the demon encounters them. The Bible says, “²⁶ Then they sailed to the country of the ^[k]Gadarenes, which is opposite Galilee. ²⁷ And when He stepped out.”

 

 

You can see that “They,” then verse 27 says, “And when He stepped down”. So, two different people. All of them came there. The demon saw them. The demon saw them before seeing Jesus physically, that is the man, the man who was demon-possessed saw the disciples even before Jesus. But what was it that is in Jesus, that these demons were crying because of him? And when you read down, you will now  see what the demons were saying:

 

 

“When he saw Jesus [the demon-possessed man] he cried out, fell before him, and with a loud voice said, what have I to do with you, Jesus, Son of the Most High God, I beg you do not torment me.”

 

 

What is it that is in Jesus that is capable of tormenting this demon, that this demon is crying like that? Jesus exercises dominion to the fullest. And as believers, we, Apostle Paul said, “Let this mind be in us as it was in Christ Jesus”. If we will get the result of Jesus, then we must carry what Jesus carries. We must go about what Jesus went about with why he was here on earth.

 

 

See, men were praying before Jesus came. But those men who were praying, they were praying without identity, no identity. The restoration of identity to us through Christ Jesus. We pray that this restoration will be evident in our lives in our lifetime in Jesus' name. So Jesus had this identity of dominion, and the demons testified to it. They recognize that identity in him and anywhere. Jesus doesn't have to make noise or begin to, see when you see prayers: look at the prayer that Jesus prayed at the gravesite where Lazarus was buried. If you shake the way, some of us believe pray today, the number of words that Jesus uttered is not even up to the preamble of prayer that we offer just to bless food. Just to bless a cooked food, our prayers are endless.

 

 

Look at 2 Kings chapter six, you see the life of Elisha, the man with the identity. Wow! You see this man's life was something else. Read 2 Kings chapter 6 so that you will begin to see that we cannot bribe God with our long prayers, we cannot as believers, God is not looking for men who will fast 300 times or days in a year. He is looking for men who carry this identity, who have grown into the fullness of the Son; whom He can entrust matters, and territories into their hands.

 

 

God said,  “I sought for a man who will stand in the gap,” men that have this identity. Second Kings chapter 6  talks about Elisha, just imagine when he was faced with all this situation, the king of Syria sent an army to go and arrest him. If Elisha has to go and pray inside for hours before coming to declare what should be; he legislated the matter, he just placed an order: this is what should be. There is no time to waste. In 2 Kings chapter 6, you will see short, short prayers there. The King sent horseman, you will begin to see from this 14th. The king of Syria sent horsemen and chariots to go and arrest Elisha. Then Elisha's servant saw the man who came to arrest his master and he was afraid. Then he came to his master and said, in verse 16, “And so he answered, do not fear for those who are with us are more than those who are within. And Elisha prayed and said, Lord, I pray to open his eyes that he may see. Then the Lord opened his eyes”.

 

It doesn't take time. It is not because a prayer is long, that is why God is going to answer that prayer. Or that is why the thing is going to happen because you've prayed a very long prayer. No! The situation respects the identity that we carry. Situations answer to the identity, not the time we waste, not the water we carry, or the mantles we carry all about. No, not that.

 

 

When you see again that Elisha prayed in verse 18. You now see the prayer, is very short. “So when the Syrians came down to him, Elisha prayed to the Lord, I say strike these people, I pray with blindness, and he struck them with blindness according to the Word of Elisha.” Simply, strike them with blindness.

 

The identity of Dominium; He doesn't make noise. When Naman came to Elisha seeking healing. Elisha said, go to River Jordan and bathe yourself, Naman was speaking arrogantly what are the rivers in Jordan compared to the rivers in his own Syria country? It is not about having the river. It is about carrying the identity. You may have all the rivers in your country, who cares? Do you have the identity? When we carry the identity, that is what the situation obeys. That is what circumstances obey, fear. That is what demons fear.

 

 

In Genesis chapter chapter 2 verse 7. What is this identity of a believer’s dominion? “And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life and man became a living being.” In verse in chapter 1 verse 26, the Bible says, “God created man in His image, according to his likeness”. And the Bible added, “Let them have dominion”.

 

 

The man that God created in His image was the man that God released through breath. You know, when God breathed into man, many things happened there. Last week, we were taught things that happened there. You know, when God created man in His image and likeness, man was created spirit. So, by the reason of the breath, comes the spirits: man’s spirit transfers to man, and God’s Spirit transferred into man, into his spirit. So that transaction that God made, that transaction, God releases His Spirit into a man. That is what made man a domineering force, being. It is not the container, the container that God formed, that one was lifeless. As the servant of God was saying the other day, we have seen so many of them before. We have seen so many of them before. That one cannot do anything. It is not that one. The one that God released, and God released His Spirit into that one.

 

 

So, it is the Spirit of God in man that is the identity of the dominion that we have. If you see, we talk about Elisha, we have talked about Adam in Genesis chapter 2, you see that immediately God created him, and God started giving him the assignment. Imagine one man naming the whole animals in the world. It is about dominion. For them to even come to him is dominion. He named them by that dominion, by that identity, the identity that God gave to him. Then also when you see the life of Moses, God said, when the children of Israel became tough for only him to handle, God said, select 70 men from among the people; I will carry out of my Spirit that has put inside you, and I will give put on them. So it is about the Spirit of God, that is in us. That is in Christ. That is in a believer that gives him that identity, that place of Dominion, it is the Spirit of God. If you see the life of Samson, the Bible talks about how Samson lost the presence of God in his life. Samson was a mighty man. He was a mighty man, the strongest man that men saw in his time. But the moment the Spirit of God departed from him, he became an ordinary man. He became an ordinary man. So as believers, what should be our craving? What should we fight for? What should we long for? Some people will tell you; that you need to get this and that, or until Dr. is attached to your name, they don't believe their names are carrying weight yet. But is it all about that? It's not all about that, it is not about grammar. It is the identity. When we carry this identity, that is what puts us in charge; that is what will help us to navigate through the situations of life. That is what we cause our generation to answer to us. It is not quarrelling over issues.

 

 

So, we have to know as believers what we have to crave for, what we should crave for, what we should run after, and what we should spend our time to get.

 

 

How Can I Operate In This Identity As A Believer

 

What is my responsibility, if I will live out my life, in this new season, to become who God has ordained me to be? What is the responsibility that God is giving to me in this matter?

 

You know that Adam lost it. And now, we have to grow into it; into that position in Christ Jesus. We have to grow. Having become children, and having been saved from the world, there is a need for believers that we grow. What is our responsibility, if we will operate in this dominion, if we will operate and manifest our real life; live our real life, in this present time? Quickly, what is our responsibility, if we must operate or live according to this identity? Because there is nothing that is before us as believers in the hierarchy of creation, after Christ is the believer, not even enjoy Lucifer, not even angels; not even the 24 Elders, after Christ is a man; is you believer, I  believer. But when will lack this identity; when this identity in us is not visible? You know, Jesus was talking about a situation when a man is delivered from demons, demons are cast out of a man. If the man remains like that, and nothing happens, nothing happens to him. More demons will come to possess him. So, as believers what is our responsibility:

 

1.  Compulsory Evacuation of the old life.

We have heard countless times about self-denial. Jesus said in Matthew chapter 18 verse 24, “If you want to be my disciple, you must deny yourself”. We've heard that many times. But the matter is this. Do you also know that many men in the scripture that God anointed to use, who held to self-life, who were concerned about self, who gave their life and their priority to serve the things of this world? Let's say all of them missed it. Some of them were even destroyed. One thing is that if the grace in our lives is not used for what God has given us the grace for, it will cause us disgrace. That is just it. When the grace that God has given us is not used for what God has given us the grace for, it will cause us disgrace.

 

 

During my university days, I was out one morning for an early morning cry, and the Holy Spirit said something to me. Because then my heart was just over so many things, how I was going to have businesses in all the 36 states in Nigeria. But there was one thing the Holy Spirit said to me. He said, “Son, the Grace, My grace that I've given you, is not for money making it is for my ministry”.

 

 

Do you know that my mind went off it? I ignored it as if it didn't matter. When trouble came I experienced the other side of grace. See, when grace is given to a man is given to that man for the function. When God anointed men in the Old Testament, He anointed them for the functions. But the moment they began to use the grace, the anointing of God upon their lives, the oil, the Spirit that was upon them. It brought disgrace and destruction upon them.

 

 

Look at the life of King Saul, Saul and his three sons, died in battle one day. When David was speaking concerning Saul, he said, “How can I put forth my hand against the Lord's anointed,” it means no doubt, the anointing of God was upon him. But an anointed man died in battle with his three sons, and one day, his family was wiped out. So when we refuse to grow, as children of God to use the grace we have received, for what God has given us the grace for; the other side of it is that it can ruin us.

 

 

Look at the life of Samson, He was a mighty man. The Spirit was upon him. But because he was not using, at a point, “Am I not a strong man, I can go for any lady, who is there?” Who cares?  Samson was gaining ground for self. And that brought destruction, and Samson left the scene before time. The Bible ever recorded that he killed more people, the day he died than all his lifetime. Imagine. Is that a good testimony? It is the misuse of Grace that brought him to that point.

 

 

So, as children of God, at our new birth, we receive the Spirit of God. One thing that qualifies us to receive the Spirit of God in us is that we are born again. Jesus says, “They that are born of the Spirit are spirit”. And what is in us, that make us sons of God is that the Spirit of God dwells in us. So when we refuse to grow steadily, to become one with the spirit that is in us, because for the spirit to use us or for us to reign in dominion, we must become one. (Read John 6:68, Matt. 16:24, 19:27.)

 

2. Becoming One With The Spirit By The Reason Of Growth

See the life of Jesus in John chapter 1, verse 30, Jesus said, “I am my Father are one”.

 

 

Starting from the book of John, the Bible says, “The Word became flesh,” the way I was born, the way you were born, the Word became flesh. It's not as if Jesus jumped down from heaven to the earth as God, He grew.  In Luke, chapter 2 verse 40, the Bible says, “The child grew and became strong in spirit”. If Jesus after birth had not grown, see, His destiny would have been silent. Jesus needed to grow, to be able to fulfil his assignment. Again, the Bible says, “He learned obedience through the things that he suffered”. He learned obedience, even in submission of his will to the Father, it is by learning, by growth.

 

 

So, as believers, we have been called to the growth process, we have to grow. In Romans chapter 8 verse 14, the Bible says, “It is only those who are led by the Spirit, that are sons of God”.

 

 

You see, how can, if not until we have grown to become one with the spirit that is in us, how can the Spirit lead us? it's not possible, it will be two people in one, the Holy Spirit in you and yourself. Because you have not become one, because when we become One with Him, our own identity is lost. And his identity, the identity of Dominion, the Spirit becomes visible. So, we have the responsibility to grow into one that is oneness with the Spirit. Jesus said, “I and my father are one”.

 

 

When you look at the tripartite divine equations, they will always balance no matter how you turn them. Jesus said, “I and my father are one.” If God the Father is equal to God the Son, God the Son, is equal to God the Father. And I, I am equal to Jesus; the next equation will be that I will be equal to God. Hence, the same Spirit in God the Father, the same Spirit in God the Son, the same Spirit in me: the same identity. Then we'll be able to get the results that Jesus had on earth.

 

 

It is not by magic. It is not by shouting. It is not by crying. It is not even by drinking holy water. No bathing yourself with oil, believing that this one is imported oil.

 

 

One day I went to school for an interview, I was seeking for teaching appointment, and then I was at Mararaba in Nasarawa State.  A woman came and was invited to the school because her son was sick. Do you know when this woman entered the office, she met the son, and the way the woman was behaving with the oil she came with, she said, “This is from Papa,” and it seemed as if the identity was inside the oil. We are the ones carrying the identity. We are the ones; anything we are not led to do, when we do it, we are practising another thing.

 

 

We must be led; a believer must be led. If not, he or she is doing his own thing. God has moved beyond copied anointing, copied dominion. Saying, “That is how my father in Lord used to do it. That is how my father, my father was a pastor. That is how he used to heal people”.

 

 

See, our people used to say that it is not frowning at Juju or magic power that the juju will use to work, if the juju will work, it will work. It is not that you are shouting at it, you must not shut for it to work. If the identity is there, it will be evident. In the face of trials, it will be evident. In the face of trouble, it will be evident. In the time of lack, it will be evident.

 

 

No king leaves his identity in the house and goes out for function. They always go with it.

 

 

3. Being Filled with The Holy Spirit by Asking for More

 

 

 Luke chapter 11 verse 13. If you see how Jesus rendered this account, He said, “Ask you will receive …if you then being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children. How much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him.”

 

 

The text can also be read like this: “How much more will your heavenly Father fill you with the Holy Spirit, when you ask Him,” because you already have Him. Look at the disciples in Acts chapters 29 to 30. In Acts chapter 2, they had already received the power of the Holy Spirit, they have already received the Holy Spirit, Holy Spirit has come upon them. In chapter 4, when they were threatened by the elders in the council, they came again and asked for more filling.

 

 

In Luke chapter 11 verse 13, what Jesus is speaking or hammering on is the filling. Because we have to grow, after we have grown into one with Him, He will fill us and when we need more, we ask for more.

 

 

In Acts chapter 4,  look at what happened, they said, “Give boldness to your servants that they may speak”. Now, verse 29, Now Lord, look on their threats and grant to your servants that with all boldness, they may speak your word by stretching out your hand to heal. Then when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit

 

 

Filled again, a second time. So, when we fail the first time; we have the privilege to be filled again. But this cannot happen if we refuse to grow. You know, in the world they talk about evacuation, abortion. If there is any necessary abortion, then we should abort ourselves. There is no point aborting the life of an innocent baby, there is no offence they committed. While the right thing to abort or evacuate from our life is self. Because if the grace is there and is not used for the right reason, it will cause disgrace.

 

 

So as believers, we have been called to exercise dominion, that is our obligation. It's our obligation, it is not something we have to negotiate. Whether should I or should I not? It's our obligation. I don't know if the three matters that have been addressed here are an issue that you've seen, I don’t know the number, either number one, number two or number three, the one that the Lord is reminding you that concerning this matter, we have to address this as we take our time to pray. We have to cry to the Lord, that this matter, this area, that is not trying to agree or align with your will, that is it seems as if it is tearing my life apart, my life is going in another direction from the way you are leading me. Oh, God, address this matter.

 

Thanks for the gift of your time, We are John Ojoagbene and Apeh Francis Abah!

Feel free to share your thoughts or testimony in the comment box below. I promise to respond to them as soon as possible!