The Headship Of Jesus

Derek Prince

Published: 1990

Last Updated: September 2026

Read Time: 2

The Church

Jesus

Jesus is head over all things, and God has given Him to the Church as its rightful leader. This devotional draws on Ephesians to show how Christ’s headship and ministry gifts protect believers from deception and unstable doctrine.

When Jesus the Messiah returns from heaven, He will restore all things and reign in glory. One major aspect of this restoration is the headship of Jesus.

Let’s consider for a moment what the New Testament has to say about this. In Ephesians 1, that glorious prayer of the apostle Paul, he closes with a declaration of what God did in demonstrating His power in the resurrection and ascension of Jesus Christ. Let’s just take the last three verses of Ephesians 1. God exalted Jesus:

“... far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age, but also in that which is to come. He put all things under his feet...”

It is important to know that everything is under the feet of Jesus at this time. And then it says:

“... he [God] gave him [Jesus] to be head over all things to the church, which is his body...”

The language is so accurate. God put all things under the feet of Jesus. But when it comes to the headship of Jesus over the Church, He gave Him, He’s God’s gracious gift to the Church as head. And He is head not over some things but over all things.

I have to say that I don’t believe this revelation has penetrated to most of the Body of Christ at all. In this series, I’m going to try to explain some of what ’s involved in it.

Then in Ephesians 4, Paul talks about the purpose of the ministry gifts. We ’ll begin in verse 14:

“That we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every word of doctrine, by the trickery of men, and the cunning craftiness, by which they lie and wait to deceive.”

Do you know some people who are tossed to and fro and carried about with every word of doctrine? I’m afraid there are many of them. What is interesting is that Paul says God gave apostles, prophets, evangelists and teachers that we should no longer be tossed to and fro. In other words, until these ministries are operating in the Church, I think people are going to be tossed to and fro.

Prayer Response

Thank You Lord, first and foremost, for Your Son Jesus, the Head of the Church. But thank You also for the ministries You have given to the Church. Help me to respect and discern those ministries, to be open for correction, and help me to receive the gifts that You would want me to give, so I too, can be a blessing for the Church. In Jesus’ Name, amen.