In the previous article, we established that healing is in the atonement — purchased by the stripes of Christ and available to every new creation by faith. The instrument through which that healing is accessed, through which demonic opposition is overcome, through which prayer is answered, and through which every benefit of the cross is applied, is the same instrument in every case:
The name of Jesus.
It is mentioned on the lips of every early believer who cast out a demon, healed the sick, raised the dead, or stood before hostile authorities without wavering. It is the instrument Jesus Himself prescribed for prayer, for authority, and for spiritual dominion. It is the name the Apostle Paul declares to be above every other name in the universe. And it is the name that every being in heaven, on earth, and under the earth will one day bow before.
“Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” — Philippians 2:9–11 (KJV)
The name above every name. Not one of the great names. Not the greatest among equals. Above every name — a category unto itself, a position of absolute supremacy over every other identity, authority, and power that can be named in any realm of existence.
This article is about what that name is, what it carries, how it works, and what it means for the new creation who has been given the legal right to use it.
What a Name Is in Biblical Understanding — The Greek “Onoma”
To understand the power of the name of Jesus, you must first understand what a name is in the biblical world — because the modern Western concept of a name (a label that distinguishes one person from another) falls far short of what the biblical writers meant.
The Greek word for name is onoma — and in biblical usage, a name is not merely a tag. It is the full representation of a person’s identity, character, authority, and person. To act in someone’s name is to act as their authorised representative, carrying their full authority, standing in their place, doing what they would do. To invoke someone’s name is to invoke their presence, their power, and their standing.
This is why the ancient world took names with extraordinary seriousness. To change a name — as God changed Abram to Abraham and Jacob to Israel — was to declare a change in identity and destiny. To blaspheme a name was to attack the person it represented. And to be authorised to act in someone’s name was to be entrusted with everything that person was and had.
When God gave Jesus a name which is above every name, He was not simply assigning a label that ranks higher in some celestial register. He was declaring that the full person, identity, authority, and standing of the exalted Christ — everything He is, everything He accomplished, everything He owns — resides in and is represented by that name. The name is the person. And the person is the risen, exalted, victorious, all-authoritative Son of God.
This is what the new creation holds when they use the name of Jesus. Not a word. The full person.
“Highly Exalted” — The Journey That Preceded the Name
“Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name.” — Philippians 2:9 (KJV)
The word translated highly exalted is the Greek huperupsoo — to super-exalt, to raise to the highest possible position, to elevate above all that exists. The prefix huper means above and beyond, to the uttermost degree. God did not merely exalt Christ — He super-exalted Him, elevating Him to a position of supremacy that has no ceiling, no equal, and no rival.
And Paul connects this exaltation directly to what preceded it — the kenosis, the self-emptying of the eternal Son. He who was in the form of God, who thought it not robbery to be equal with God, humbled Himself — took the form of a servant, became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross (Philippians 2:6–8). The wherefore in verse 9 is the pivot: because He descended to the lowest possible position, God exalted Him to the highest possible position.
The name above every name was not given arbitrarily. It was earned — through the incarnation, through the sinless life, through Gethsemane, through the cross, through the resurrection, through the ascension. Every dimension of Christ’s humiliation and obedience is the ground on which the exaltation stands. And every prayer answered in that name, every demon cast out in that name, every healing appropriated in that name is the fruit of that completed journey.
Three Realms — Exhaustive Universal Subjection
“That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth.” — Philippians 2:10 (KJV)
Three realms. All three. Together they constitute the entirety of existence — and Paul’s point is precise: there is no realm, no category of being, no spiritual or physical entity anywhere in the created order that is outside the jurisdiction of the name of Jesus.
Things in heaven — the angelic realm, the seraphim and cherubim, the heavenly host, and every principality and power that operates in the heavenly dimension. The name is supreme there.
Things in earth — every human being, every earthly authority, every political power, every cultural system, every institution. The name is supreme here.
Things under the earth — every fallen being, every demonic power, every principality, every ruler of the darkness of this world. The name is supreme even there — even in the domain the enemy has claimed as his territory.
No exemptions. No exclusions. No realm of existence where any being can refuse to ultimately bow. The name of Jesus is the supreme authority in the universe — and the new creation that uses that name is appealing to the only authority that is absolute, total, and unopposable.
One Name — Three Expressions of the Same Authority
One of the most important insights that most teaching on the name of Jesus misses is the connection between the different ways the name operates — because what appears to be three or four different functions of the name is actually one unified authority expressing itself in different domains.
The name that saves. “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.” — Acts 4:12 (KJV). The name is the only name through which the sin-problem, the death-problem, the separation-from-God problem can be permanently solved. Not one of several possible names — the only name. The exclusivity is not narrow-minded; it is the result of the fact that only one Person in the history of the universe accomplished the atonement. Salvation is in the name because salvation is in the Person, and the name represents the Person.
The name that heals. “Then Peter said, Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk.” — Acts 3:6 (KJV). The lame man was healed — immediately, completely — not by Peter’s personal spiritual power or medical knowledge. By the name. The same name that saves also heals, because the same Person who bore sins also bore sicknesses, and the name represents everything that Person accomplished.
The name that casts out. “And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils.” — Mark 16:17 (KJV). The same name exercises authority over demonic powers — because the same cross that defeated the enemy at its root also established the legal basis for enforcing that defeat in every specific situation. The name that saved the new creation is the same name that protects them from the enemy’s continued attempts to operate in their life.
The name through which prayer is answered. “And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.” — John 14:13 (KJV). Every request brought before the Father in the name of Jesus is a request presented on the basis of all that the name represents — the completed work of Christ, the righteousness imputed to the believer, the covenant relationship secured by the blood. The Father honours the name because of who it represents.
One name. One Person. One victory. Expressed in salvation, healing, deliverance, and prayer — all drawing from the same inexhaustible source.
The Name Is Not a Formula — The Role of Faith and Understanding
Here is the pastoral warning that the New Testament itself gives — because the name of Jesus is not a magic incantation that produces results through mechanical repetition.
The book of Acts records a sobering episode that illustrates this precisely:
“Then certain of the vagabond Jews, exorcists, took upon them to call over them which had evil spirits the name of the Lord Jesus, saying, We adjure you by Jesus whom Paul preacheth. And the evil spirit answered and said, Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are ye?” — Acts 19:13, 15 (KJV)
The seven sons of Sceva attempted to use the name of Jesus as a formula — invoking it without relationship with the Person it represented, without faith in the One who bore it, without the authority that comes from being in Christ. The result was not power. The result was disaster.
The name of Jesus produces results when used by one who:
Is in Christ. The name belongs to Jesus, and the right to use it belongs to those who belong to Him. The new creation is in Christ — united with Him, identified with Him, carrying His righteousness. They are authorised representatives. The Sons of Sceva were not in Christ — and the name would not work for them.
Understands what the name represents. Faith comes by hearing the Word — and faith in the name comes from knowing what the name carries. The believer who understands that the name represents the full person, completed work, and supreme authority of the risen Christ approaches its use from a completely different foundation than one who merely repeats it as a phrase.
Acts in faith, not presumption. The name is not a charm to be deployed for any purpose. It is an expression of the authority of the Lord Jesus Christ — and it is most powerfully used when the request or declaration it accompanies is aligned with His character, His Word, and His will.
“And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.” — Colossians 3:17 (KJV)
All in the name of the Lord Jesus. Not just prayers for the sick or commands to demons — but everything the new creation does, in word and deed, carries the weight and representation of the name. The new creation is the body of Christ in the world — the visible, active representation of the One whose name they carry.
Practical Use of the Name — How the New Creation Applies It Daily
The name of Jesus is not reserved for crisis moments. It is the constant operating principle of the new-creation life — applicable in every area where the new creation exercises its identity and authority.
In prayer: Every request brought before the Father is presented in the name — not as a closing formula but as a declaration of the ground on which the prayer stands. I come to You on the basis of who Jesus is, what He has accomplished, and the righteousness He has imputed to me.
In healing: When praying for the sick — whether personally or through the church’s elders — the name of Jesus is the authority under which the prayer is offered and the command is spoken. In the name of Jesus Christ, be healed.
In spiritual conflict: When the enemy opposes, when demonic activity is present, when the weapons of warfare are deployed — the name is the authority invoked. In the name of Jesus, I resist this. In the name of Jesus, I command this to cease.
In daily life: Colossians 3:17 is comprehensive — everything in word or deed in the name of the Lord Jesus. The new creation that lives from this reality carries the presence and authority of Christ into every conversation, every decision, every relationship, every area of their daily world.
What Comes Next
The name of Jesus is the concentrated expression of everything Christ is and everything He accomplished. It is most powerfully and consistently expressed through the spoken word — the confession of faith that declares what God has said over every situation that challenges it. In the next article, we examine the power of confession — what the Bible teaches about the connection between what the new creation speaks and what the new creation experiences, and why the tongue is one of the most significant instruments in the new-creation life.
“Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.” — Proverbs 18:21 (KJV)
Death and life. In the power of the tongue. The new creation that understands this does not speak carelessly — because they know that what they consistently speak shapes what they consistently experience.
Bible Verses Cited: Philippians 2:6–11; Acts 3:6; Acts 4:12; Acts 19:13, 19:15; Mark 16:17; John 14:13; Colossians 3:17; Proverbs 18:21 (KJV)
Series: New Creation in Christ Jesus — Article 26 of 35
Author: Joseph Olarewaju | FaithBibleStudy.org
