Religion is an institution. The Church is a living man. The tragedy of the ages is the effort of men to marry these two; an illicit corrupt institution is the only result—a hideous misrepresentation having an appearance or likeness of Christ, but it is a deformed illegitimate offspring. 

Like Ishmael, it must be cast out. But these Ishmaels cry, “We are the true heirs!” With only a pretend holiness, having no understanding of the power of God, these dry professors, who by their own limited power of self, seek to set the standard for life, holiness, and sanctification. They declare themselves the image bearers, saying, “This is what Christ looks like!” They reject all who do not look like them. They are an abomination, and they worship the flesh. Their god is their lust. Only the Holy Ghost can say, “This is Christ!”

New covenant kings must reign over this satanic strategy. This is a desperate hour for the kings of Christ to reign by grace! Why should anyone suppose that man’s touch can have any place in God’s house when the first Church had to be born of, baptized in, and filled with the Holy Ghost? 

These New Covenant kings must rule over the Satanic oppression that seeks to divide the Body. New Covenant kings must destroy what Satan tries to do to Jesus’ Church. We have authority over the enemy. By the power of God, we can protect the Body. Paul sent Timothy to the churches to do this very thing by cutting off the ministers of Satan. 

Paul also traveled to churches to expose the false teachers. For the kingdom of God is not in word but in power. Likewise, we have authority to protect the Church. We have authority to cut off the false teachers who try to hurt God’s Church. We must exercise our authority over the false apostles of Satan who abuse the Body of Christ. 

We shall terrify those who seek to defraud the believer! New Covenant kings will cut off the strongholds from whom false teachers work. Those deceitful workers pretending to be the ministers of Christ will not be allowed to pervert the gospel; they must be resisted and cut off. We will fight those who seek to bring the believers back into bondage; it is for freedom that Christ has set us free (Galatians 5:1). 

The Lord has given us the authority to edify the Body. We are not to exercise our authority to destroy the body or terrify the people. We have authority to edify the people of God. We have authority to bring peace, righteousness, comfort, faith, and liberty into the Church. We have authority to produce gladness among God’s people, giving them superfluous grace.

Lee Shipp is founding pastor of First New Testament Church in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. He has ministered for more than thirty years and is also president of A Call to the Heart.