There is something in the name of Jesus that is awesome and fascinating. Hence, the quiver of an intercessor cannot be complete without it. The name of Jesus is the seat of authority. St. Paul highlights the power that is intrinsically connected with this name when he says:
“Therefore God has highly exalted Him and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Phil. 2:9–11).
An invocation of this name in faith will activate the power in it to save. The kingdom of darkness is sent trembling and confused when this wonderful name is invoked. The demons shudder at the mention of the name Jesus.
St. Peter the fisherman, who served Jesus very faithfully, knows better what this name constitutes. While he and John were going to the Temple to pray, a cripple asked alms from them. Peter said to him: “I have no silver and gold, but I give you what I have; in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk” (Acts 3:6). The crippled man sprang up instantly and walked. They were thereafter arrested for using the name of Jesus to perform a miracle.
The elders and rulers of the people thought that they had done away with Jesus, but His disciples made them understand that He was still present through His awesome name. During the process of interrogation, Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, told them:
“Be it known to you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, by Him this man is standing before you well. This is the stone which was rejected by you builders, but which has become the head of the corner. And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:10–12).
Jesus declares to John the Evangelist: “I Jesus have sent my angel to you with this testimony for the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, the bright morning star” (Rev. 22:16). David is the symbol of authority in Israel. To talk about the dynasty of Israel is to talk about the dynasty of David. He is the reference point and the seat of power and authority in subsequent dynasties in Israel and Judah. But Jesus acknowledges that He is the root of this authority. He is the meaning and the soul of this Davidic authority. It was in Him that the successful exploits of David were rooted.
This explains the prophecy of Isaiah when he said:
“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder, and His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of His government and of peace there will be no end, upon the throne of David, and over His kingdom” (Isa. 9:6–7).
This is to say that it is Jesus who determines the status of every other kingdom, earthly or spiritual. Every form of government is rooted in Him: the government of spirits and of men, of angels and of demons, of nature and of the supernatural. The nonspecification of this government in the text quoted from the prophet Isaiah shows that His authority is all encompassing. For “in Him we live and move and have our being” (Acts. 17:28). And apart from Him we can do nothing (John 15:5). Since He has the key of David (Rev. 3:7), He has access to unassailable authority. Thus, in the name of Jesus resides all the divinity of God, the power that raised Him from the dead:
This article is from a chapter in The Art of Spiritual Warfare.
He is the image of the invisible God, the first-born of all creation; for in Him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or authorities — all things were created through Him and for Him. He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. He is the head of the body, the Church; He is the beginning, the first-born from the dead, that in everything He might be pre-eminent. For in Him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell. (Col. 1:15–19)
And for Him to be the root and at the same time the offspring of David means that He was, He is, and He will continue to be the Alpha and the Omega (Rev. 1:8). His authority is both universal and eternal. Accordingly, the letter to the Hebrews testifies: “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever” (13:8).
Thus, when we speak about the name of Jesus, we speak about the authority that is connected with the Person of Jesus. It is for this reason that He told His disciples: “And these signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it will not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover” (Mark 16:17–18). The victory of believers over evil is rooted in the name of Jesus.
There was this case of a young girl who was attacked in a dream by demonic forces. The next morning she discovered that she had lost her power of speech. The condition defied medical diagnosis and treatment. This trouble lingered for a week before some intercessors took up the case.
At a point in the prayer of intervention, she was asked to pronounce the name of Jesus. It was difficult. She was encouraged to do it while intercessions continued. She tried harder and harder but did not succeed. She was made to understand what authority this name bore and exhorted to step out in faith and fill her mind with the power in this name and use her mental strength to move her tongue to pronounce the name of Jesus. She took a step of faith and tried again and again, and all of a sudden she shouted, “Jeeeesssuuuuuusss.”
And that was it. The yoke was broken and the miracle happened. In the name of Jesus every knee shall bow.
No one can make demons subject to him except with the name of Jesus. Thus, Justin Martyr stated with pride and authority:
For every demon, when exorcised in the name of this very Son of God — who is the First-born of every creature, who became man by the Virgin, who suffered, and was crucified under Pontius Pilate by your nation, who died, who rose from the dead, and ascended into heaven — is overcome and subdued. But though you exorcise any demon in the name of any of those who were amongst you — either kings, or righteous men, or prophets, or patriarchs — it will not be subject to you.
It does not take much to call the name of Jesus. Only a guileless believing tongue can do it. Just call it from the depth of your being with a faith devoid of doubt. Intercessors should discover this power and exploit it. Christians, who know this, have used it to score lots of victories. Since my secondary school days, I have loved this beautiful song from the little hymn book called “Ancient and Modern,” even before I began to experience its contents in praxis:
How sweet the name of Jesus sounds in a believer’s ear.
It soothes his sorrows, heals his wounds, and drives away his fear.
It makes the wounded spirit whole, and calms the troubled breast;
’Tis manna to the hungry soul, and to the weary, rest.
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This article is an excerpt from The Art of Spiritual Warfare: The Secret Weapons Satan Can’t Withstand. It is available as a paperback or ebook from Sophia Institute Press.
Tagged as: Holy Name of Jesus, Sophia Excerpts, spiritual warfare
Venatius Chukwudum Oforka comes from the town of Isiokpo in Ideato Local Government Area of Imo State, Nigeria. He holds bachelor’s degrees in philosophy and theology from Urban University Rome and masters degrees in the same areas of study from Imo State University and the University of Lampeter, Wales, respectively. He did his doctoral studies in moral theology at the University of Tübingen, Germany.