The reason why many children of God are not living a triumphant life daily is because they refuse to submit themselves to the authority and lordship of their Father, the Almighty. Some are like the prodigal son who sought premature freedom and independence from his father (Luke 15:12-13). In Matthew 8:5-13, we see a man who knew what it was to be under authority and the blessings that come along with it. This man is the centurion, whose faith our Lord Jesus Christ described as great. After Jesus had decided to go with him to heal his servant, this centurion did not deem it necessary for Jesus to go to his house, because he was a man under authority and he understood the attendant implications of this. He knew Jesus Christ was under authority and had great authority. He also believed that if Jesus exercised His authority over demons from where He was, they would obey Him. Hear what he said in Matthew 8:8b
“Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof: but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed.”

It is interesting to note the contrast between the proud attitude of Naaman and the humble disposition of this centurion to spiritual authority (2nd Kings 5:11). The Holy Spirit reveals the secret to spiritual authority in James 4:7 where He says,
“Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”
This is where the problem lies with some children of God. First things first: we must submit to the authority of God in His word before we can resist the devil and his attacks. When we follow this order, the devil will definitely flee from us because we are operating under God’s authority in His word. Regardless of who is speaking it, the word of God must be respected and given its rightful place in our lives. You must submit to the authority of God’s word by being a doer of it if you will experience a performance of its purpose in your life (James 1:25). Beloved, are you under the authority of the Almighty God in His word? It is all well and good if you are. However, if you find it difficult to submit to God’s authority in His word, you will experience the frustration of the word not working for you. If you are in this situation, repent today and submit to God’s authority in His word that is forever settled. One more lesson you should learn from Matthew 8:5-13 is that while many shall come from all over the world to benefit from the blessings of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the children of the kingdom who refuse to submit to God’s authority would be cast away. This will not be your portion in Jesus’ Name.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.