All authority is delegated authority. Even Jesus while He was on earth living as a man, operated in delegated authority. In Matthew 28:18, after His resurrection, Jesus said, “All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth.” He was reminding His disciples, then and now, that He has the right to sent them out to carry on the work He started.
Any person in any position of authority operates in delegated authority. No one self-generates his own authority. Any attempt to do so will easily be recognized by others as fraudulent. Think false prophets, messiahs, etc.
In the secular realm, we often think of police and government officials as examples of authorities, and rightly so. Someone gives the policeman a badge and gun and the right to use it under certain circumstances. But if he goes rogue and steps beyond the authority given, then his use of authority is no longer legitimate. He may still have the position of policeman, badge, and gun but he has abused the authority given to him. And we, the people, have the right to appeal to his superiors and demand he is held accountable for his actions. This same scenario is applicable in all realms of life.
AUTHORITY IN THE SPIRIT REALM
Every believer in Jesus Christ as his personal Savior and Lord has a measure of authority. For it to be effective he must use it within the guidelines given, the Word of God.
Some ministry gifts (Ephesians 4:11-16) have a wider scope of authority than others. This authority works according to the gift given. Yet, it is limited and the person through whom the ministry gift flows cannot do anything they want with that authority. If they do, the One who gave the gift can negate the gift or anointing of the Spirit.
It behooves us to learn what authority is, how it operates, and our response to it. If we do so, we can be a success in any circumstance and situation that we may face.
I believe this is going to become extremely important in the near future as we face end-time events!
With these thoughts in mind, re-read Romans 13:1-8.