Book Review - The Authority of the Believer
John MacMillan was born-again at an early age and later became an elder in the Presbyterian Church. At the age of forty-nine, he left his printing business to become a missionary in China. After ministering a few years in China, he was transferred to work for the Mission in the Philippines. He later returned to the United States and taught at Nyack College in Nyack, New York and became assistant editor of The Alliance Weekly (now Alliance Life). It was during his days on the mission field that he learned the truths of the authority of the believer in dealing with demonic personalities.
There are not too many books that I read these days that make it to my bookshelf for permanent use and study. Most of today’s Christian books involve quips of scripture along with long personal testimonials that usually have a meager tangential link to the Word. The Authority of the Believer is not that type of book. MacMillan presents clear and proper exposition of the Word which inculcates the spiritual maturity called for in Ephesians 2:10.
The Authority of the Believer is actually a compilation of three different of MacMillan’s works - The Authority of the Believer, The Authority of the Intercessor, and Encounter with Darkness. The entire compilation is 172 pages long. In the first portion of the book, MacMillan distills the meaning behind Ephesians 2 where the believer is said to be seated with Christ “in heavenly places.” MacMillan explores the source of authority, its limitations, and also its practical applications. Though his exegesis, MacMillan demonstrates the truth that God requires man’s active participation with him in the exercise of spiritual authority which is counter to much of today’s theology(ies). I particularly liked his treatment of several verses in Ephesians that demonstrate the nature of the resurrection.
The second portion of the book contains MacMillan’s Encounter with Darkness. In this short work, MacMillan reviews the Satanic system of demon personalities and their work in the world. He explores the forms of demonic approaches to man and gives personal accounts of his work in the Philippines and China along with accounts of other workers. One of MacMillan’s strengths is that he does not involve himself in debatable areas of scripture. For instance, he recognizes that the Word does not fully describe the origin of demon personalities; he recognizes that fact and then moves on to the definite truths that the Word holds concerning them. The result is a thorough and balanced grounding in the believer’s authority and the work and operation of demons in our day.
This book is going on the shelf.