And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. 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 2:8-11)
Jesus is the most powerful name and highest authority in all of heaven, earth, and hell. Philippians 2:8-11 explains how Jesus gained such dominion.
First, He humbled Himself. He left the perfection of heaven where angels waited on Him and there were no tears or pain to come to earth fashioned as a man. He had to deal with things that didn’t even exist in heaven, such as troublesome people, difficult situations, exhaustion, and physical strain.
Second, He was obedient unto death. Jesus was willing to go to the cross and endure the pain, ridicule and suffering of the moment to secure our future. However, the cross was not the end. It was the gateway to exaltation. The Greek word in this verse for highly exalted is huperupsoo, which means that God elevated Him and raised Him to the highest position possible. In that exalted position, the Father crowned the Son with a name.
The Greek word there for name is Onoma–it means that God gave Him authority. See, when God raised Jesus from death to life, He also elevated and crowned Him with a name that is greater than any earthly title or demonic power. When you call upon the name of Jesus, angels bow, demons tremble, and all of creation acknowledges His Lordship. In fact, every tongue will confess His Lordship.
The word confess in Greek in this verse is exomologeo, which means acknowledging the ascent. Every tongue in hell, earth, and heaven will acknowledge that Jesus is risen. He is elevated, and He is Lord over all.
Practical Application
When you don’t know what to say or what to pray, say the name of Jesus. Calling on the name of Jesus is the perfect confession. It is declaring His Lordship over the circumstance or issue at hand. Say out loud, “Jesus is Lord”!