Taking Spiritual Authority Over Our Homes

This week on the podcast, we are talking about the concept of “binding and loosing.”  If you aren’t familiar, it’s essentially what we forbid and what we permit… in our lives… in our families… in our homes.  We talk about taking spiritual authority over the enemy, so I wanted to create a resource for you in case this was a new concept for you.  

The process of taking spiritual authority over your house can feel intimidating and even a little scary at first, especially if it’s your first time.  Let me encourage you that you are not doing this alone, but that you are walking in the authority of Christ.  Remember, Jesus said in Matthew 16:19:

And I will give you the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven. Whatever you forbid on earth will be forbidden in heaven, and whatever you permit on earth will be permitted in heaven.

When we feel like we are up against something dark, most of the time we are.  But we don’t have to let it stay that way.  Fear is not from the Lord, so even feeling that fear in the first place is something that the enemy is using to keep you from thinking you have spiritual authority.

In fact, Jesus gives us the authority as a believer to free our lives and our homes from the things the enemy tries to use to keep us bound.  Taking authority and kicking anything evil out of your home is called “rebuking,” and it’s a practice we see in the Scriptures. Here is a list if you would like to look some up:

Matthew 17:18

Mark 9:25

Luke 9:42

Luke 4:41

Matthew 16:23

I always suggest using common household olive oil to anoint your home.  But let me remind you, the power isn’t in the oil.  It’s in the Holy Spirit.  The oil is just a point of contact that we use in order to pray over the house and property.  Why olive oil?  Olive oil is used as a symbol for the Holy Spirit throughout the Bible.  It’s the oil the priests would use in the temple. Once something was anointed with oil, it was set apart as Holy or blessed.  The oil often represented the presence of the Holy Spirit, so we use it to “set apart” our homes spiritually.

Anoint the front door and pray that all who enter your home will “go out in joy and be led forth in peace. Isaiah 55:12

Before starting the cleansing your home, it’s best to start with your heart, asking the Lord to search you for any areas in your life that you have allowed the enemy access or authority.  If the Lord reveals something, confess it and ask for forgiveness.  Inviting God into that space is the first step. 

Search me, O God, and know my heart. Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting! Psalms 139:23-24

Once your heart is clear, it’s time to encourage your spirit:

¹⁰ Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.¹¹ Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. ¹² For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.¹³ Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.  Ephesians 6:11

We see an example of cleansing the home when Jesus Himself cleansed the temple.  It angered Him to see the sin and evil taking place in the temple, and He took authority over what was happening.  He gives us that same right.  When you take authority over the spiritual climate in your home, you are taking away any permission those evil spirits had to dwell in that space.

I always suggest the entrance door to the home as a place to start.  Anointing the door frame with a small amount of oil, verbally command out loud that any unclean spirit must leave.  You are not asking, you are commanding.  You could say something to the effect of:

In the name of Jesus, I bind any unclean spirit in this home right now and command them to flee.  Every spirit that is not of God must leave.  Nothing evil or unclean can enter this place.  

Just as the Holy Spirit dwells in our hearts as believers, we can ask Him to dwell in our homes.

Again, verbally and out loud, ask the Holy Spirit to fill your home.  You could say something to the effect of:

Right now I ask that the Holy Spirit fill this place, causing any unclean thing to flee.  Jesus, I invite your presence to dwell here, that you would send your angels to protect my family and my home, stopping any unclean thing from entering. 

Then repeat the process with every door and window.  Ideally, walk the property line and say the same prayer, anointing various trees or perimeter markers.

Have you had experience with this?  I would love it if you would share your thoughts on the She Hears Facebook page.  This is a new concept for many people, and it’s always helpful to hear everyone else’s experiences. I am praying for you to have wisdom as you walk through this week.

Be Blessed,

Rach