When
we talk about demons we have to caution ourselves not to go overboard in this
area. We don’t want to start thinking
everything that goes wrong is because of demons. That would be a
misunderstanding on our part; attributing too much power to them. Many times when things go wrong it is our own
fault. We initiated a chain of events that caused things to turn out
badly. Demons are limited in number,
power and ability; they are however tricky, sometimes initiating a suggestion
that we think is our own thought to which we follow, resulting in a bad
outcome. If we see from the Bible people
being set free we have to ask, did those people know they were not free? This is why we have exousia and dunamis
for evangelizing. Those we speak
to do not know they are mentally being held captive. If we extract those demons
blinding the minds of the unsaved, they can come to a saving knowledge of Jesus
Christ. That is the goal, that is the
reason we have power.
Our
power is really not given to us to fix the saved. The greatest distortion of the charismatic
church today is in healing and deliverance.
For some reason people have been led to believe (and remember Lucifer
had Holy Places) that Christians should all be healed, healthy, and living
“heaven on earth”. But that is not what
we see in the first century church. Just
because power is available does not mean we have the right to use it how we
want; overwhelmingly from scripture, every place dunamis or exousia was used
was in preaching the gospel. If people
got healed it was to the witness of the power of God, and the kingdom coming to
them. It was always for a witness,
adding to the church. If we were living “heaven on earth” why are we told to be
overcomers? Aren’t those who overcome
given rewards? We get our thinking so distorted that we turn all kinds of
things to receive health, lotions & potions, gadgets and superstitions. We live in a fallen world; we barely live
longer than 2 hours in comparison to one day being a thousand years to
God. What are we thinking? How many missionaries suffered, sometimes
tortured and having health issues, yet they kept right on preaching, even on
their death beds. Surely you would think
that those people should have been whole.
But that is not the case.
Why? We are to be overcomers. But we bought into a lie that says we should
be healed all the time. People even see
it as a sign of being a bad Christian if they are sick. That simply isn’t true. Remember the devil is the god of this age. Will
you preach the word to the lost if you have a pain in your neck? Will you
preach if you have a cough or cold? Will you reach out to the lost if you don’t
feel good and the lotions and potions aren’t working for you? It’s not about you feeling good. It’s about you doing what God asks in spite
of feeling good or bad. What you feel
like isn’t the issue, what stops you from living for God is. Our bodies were not meant to be perfect until
we get our new bodies. It is OK not to
be healthy and whole all the time. With this in mind, we can look at casting
out demons, because we now understand we are not striving for perfection for
ourselves on earth. What we are striving
to do is set captives free.
Jesus
said once the evil spirit finds that the place he used to dwell in is clean and
swept that he will go back there and bring seven spirits who are more evil in
to live with him. At first look this is
rather depressing, if we cast out a demon it will come back with more? Then why
cast any out? Last week we briefly
looked at the seven sons of Sceva, remember in those days there were Jews who
went around exorcising demons from people. Everyone has a basic police type
authority over demons, exousia. If I
have a demon I can cast it out myself, with my authority. Once saved we should all be doing this for ourselves. But before people could believe on Jesus as
the Christ they didn’t understand that casting out a demon could bring back
more demons. Remember they did not have
Holy Spirit to indwell in them. However
if they believed on Jesus as Messiah while he was walking on earth, the Holy
Spirit could be upon them, this is why Jesus told the disciples to tell people
that the kingdom of God was at hand.
Matt
10:5-8 These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying, Go not into
the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not:6 But
go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.7 And as ye go, preach,
saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand.8 Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers,
raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give.KJV
Here
Jesus tells his disciples to go only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel,
the Jews had the first opportunity to come to a saving knowledge of Jesus as
the Messiah. Next he sends the seventy
out everywhere he was to go, again to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
Luke
10:1-20 After these things the Lord appointed other seventy also, and sent them
two and two before his face into every city and place, whither he himself would
come.2 Therefore said he unto them, The harvest truly is great, but the
labourers are few: pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he would
send forth labourers into his harvest.3 Go your ways: behold, I send you forth
as lambs among wolves.4 Carry neither purse, nor scrip, nor shoes: and salute
no man by the way.5 And into whatsoever house ye enter, first say, Peace be to
this house.6 And if the son of peace be there, your peace shall rest upon it:
if not, it shall turn to you again.7 And in the same house remain, eating and
drinking such things as they give: for the labourer is worthy of his hire. Go
not from house to house.8 And into whatsoever city ye enter, and they receive
you, eat such things as are set before you:9 And heal the sick that are
therein, and say unto them, The kingdom of God is come nigh unto you.10
But into whatsoever city ye enter, and they receive you not, go your ways out
into the streets of the same, and say,11 Even the very dust of your city, which
cleaveth on us, we do wipe off against you: notwithstanding be ye sure of
this, that the kingdom of God is come nigh unto you.12 But I say unto you,
that it shall be more tolerable in that day for Sodom, than for that city. 13
Woe unto thee, Chorazin! woe unto thee, Bethsaida! for if the mighty works had
been done in Tyre and Sidon, which have been done in you, they had a great
while ago repented, sitting in sackcloth and ashes.14 But it shall be more
tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the judgment, than for you.15 And thou,
Capernaum, which art exalted to heaven, shalt be thrust down to hell.16 He that
heareth you heareth me; and he that despiseth you despiseth me; and he that
despiseth me despiseth him that sent me.17 And the seventy returned again with
joy, saying, Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through thy name.18 And
he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven.19 Behold, I
give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power
of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you.20 Notwithstanding in
this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice,
because your names are written in heaven.KJV
If
by preaching Jesus as Messiah brings the Kingdom of God to people then we have
our answer as to what the Kingdom of God is about, transferring citizenship
from this world to the Kingdom of God.
Mark
9:1 And he said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That there be some of them
that stand here, which shall not taste of death, till they have seen the
kingdom of God come with power.KJV
Some
did not die until after the day of Pentecost, when the Kingdom of God came with
dunamis, clothing people. What preaching
does when one believes is transfer their citizenship from the kingdom of satan
to the kingdom of God. With this in
mind, once you preach Jesus as Christ to someone, and they accept Jesus as
their Lord, they are no longer of this world.
This is why demons have to leave an individual when commanded to. They
cannot live in a “house” where Jesus is truly Lord. Therefore if a person believes on Jesus as
Lord, they now have the infilling of the Holy Ghost, which is uncomfortable to
demons. However if you cast a demon out
of someone who does not make Jesus Lord, the demon will come back with some
friends. Look at the analogy of the strong man.
Matt
12:28-29 But if I cast out devils by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God
is come unto you.29 Or else how can one enter into a strong man's house, and
spoil his goods, except he first bind the strong man? and then he will spoil
his house.KJV
Now
let’s look at the context of this in Luke.
Luke
11:20-26 But if I with the finger of God cast out devils, no doubt the kingdom
of God is come upon you.21 When a strong man armed keepeth his palace, his
goods are in peace:22 But when a stronger than he shall come upon him, and
overcome him, he taketh from him all his armour wherein he trusted, and
divideth his spoils.23 He that is not with me is against me: and he that
gathereth not with me scattereth.24 When the unclean spirit is gone out of a
man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest; and finding none, he saith, I
will return unto my house whence I came out.25 And when he cometh, he findeth
it swept and garnished.26 Then goeth he, and taketh to him seven other spirits
more wicked than himself; and they enter in, and dwell there: and the last
state of that man is worse than the first.KJV
Remember,
the people were saying that Jesus was casting out demons with Beelzebub. This
tells us it is probable that a bigger demon can cast out a smaller demon,
meaning if one who is not saved does an exorcism he can cast out demons with
bigger demons. But again Jesus establishes the Kingdom of God, because people
were believing on him as Messiah. We
have to keep in mind, the religious leaders did not believe on him, except for
Nicodemus. So as Jesus went out with miracles, people believed on Him as the
Messiah. In Acts, as the disciples went
out with miracles, people believed on Jesus as the Christ, and got healed and
saved. The Kingdom had come in power.
Now because of Pentecost the common man could have the inner working miraculous
power of dunamis. Jesus tells us a
little about the times.
Matt
11:1-15 And it came to pass, when Jesus had made an end of commanding his
twelve disciples, he departed thence to teach and to preach in their cities.2
Now when John had heard in the prison the works of Christ, he sent two of his
disciples,3 And said unto him, Art thou he that should come, or do we look for
another?4 Jesus answered and said unto them, Go and shew John again those
things which ye do hear and see:5 The blind receive their sight, and the lame
walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and
the poor have the gospel preached to them.6 And blessed is he, whosoever shall
not be offended in me.7 And as they departed, Jesus began to say unto the
multitudes concerning John, What went ye out into the wilderness to see? A reed
shaken with the wind?8 But what went ye out for to see? A man clothed in soft
raiment? behold, they that wear soft clothing are in kings' houses.9 But what went
ye out for to see? A prophet? yea, I say unto you, and more than a prophet.10
For this is he, of whom it is written, Behold, I send my messenger before thy
face, which shall prepare thy way before thee.11 Verily I say unto you, Among
them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the
Baptist: notwithstanding he that is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater
than he.12 And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of
heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force.13 For all the
prophets and the law prophesied until John.14 And if ye will receive it, this
is Elias, which was for to come.15 He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.KJV
The
Kingdom of God comes to earth but the Kingdom of Heaven is in heaven and
suffers violence. What is Jesus talking about since the days of John the
Baptist to that time when Jesus was speaking wasn’t a very long time. I have the feeling that the devil knew when
John the Baptist was preaching, that his time was growing shorter, and the
violence we read about is among the principalities, powers and rulers of
darkness as well as demons losing some ground.
People were hearing about the coming Messiah from John and Jesus said
the people are healed and the poor hear the gospel preached, people were
defecting from the kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of light, not just
strolling in but violently taking it by force.
It had become like a mad stampede believing in the Messiah and taking
heaven by force. This was not a little
move of God, the entire place was in an uproar as people believed on the
Messiah who was come. No one was twisting the arm of people to believe, it was
like black Friday at Wal-mart. Finally
there was hope, finally there was the Savior of the world, but it didn’t end
there, Pentecost came and the disciples had dunamis and it started all over
again. Killing Jesus was not the answer
to stopping the uproar, it caused it to spread.
Nothing
has changed since the book of Acts.
There has not been another “dispensation” or time period that changes
what we receive on the day we believe on Jesus as Lord. All of us who make Jesus Lord are sealed and
we have a token of our inheritance. When
a person believes on Jesus as Lord the violence starts again, the devil’s
kingdom loses ground and the people latch on to heaven. Is it any wonder why Christianity has become
so apathetic, so complacent? It is the
plan of the enemy to make the church look boring and weak so those in the
devils’ kingdom don’t defect, making it look as if there is nothing better over
in Christianity. But when a person’s eyes are opened they become ex-pats of the
devil’s kingdom.
Luke
6:17-19 And he came down with them, and stood in the plain, and the company of
his disciples, and a great multitude of people out of all Judaea and Jerusalem,
and from the sea coast of Tyre and Sidon, which came to hear him, and to be
healed of their diseases;18 And they that were vexed with unclean spirits: and
they were healed.19 And the whole multitude sought to touch him: for there went
virtue out of him, and healed them all.KJV
First
thing we need to take note of in casting out demons it that the people with the
demons made an effort to get healed. No
one dragged them kicking and screaming to hear Jesus speak. They came from long
distances to hear Jesus, this was a big effort. This tells us that the
individual if not completely incapacitated, should make an effort to be set
free. In other words they have to want
it. We can’t force this on someone,
otherwise the demon will come back with more and the last state of that person
will be worse than the first.
Acts
8:5-8 Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria, and preached Christ unto
them.6 And the people with one accord gave heed unto those things which Philip
spake, hearing and seeing the miracles which he did.7 For unclean spirits,
crying with loud voice, came out of many that were possessed with them: and
many taken with palsies, and that were lame, were healed.8 And there was great
joy in that city.KJV
Preaching
Christ heals people, especially when they, the people, give heed to the things
being said. Again, people make the effort to be healed by going somewhere to
hear about Christ. The people were filled with joy in the entire city. That is
revival.
Mark
1:23-27 And there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit; and he
cried out,24 Saying, Let us alone; what have we to do with thee, thou Jesus of
Nazareth? art thou come to destroy us? I know thee who thou art, the Holy One
of God.25 And Jesus rebuked him, saying, Hold thy peace, and come out of him.26
And when the unclean spirit had torn him, and cried with a loud voice, he came
out of him.27 And they were all amazed, insomuch that they questioned among
themselves, saying, What thing is this? what new doctrine is this? for with
authority commandeth he even the unclean spirits, and they do obey him.KJV
When
the demons saw Jesus coming they got upset, knowing who he was. When demons see us they should get upset as
we have Christ in us. How strong of a
Christian we are is known by demons. Jesus
told the demons to be quiet and come out.
Interesting the man was in the synagogue, but he had some demons
plaguing him, and we know there were more than one as they speak using plural
words; us, we, us. Then one speaks and
says ‘I know thee’ which tells us there is usually a leader or a stronger demon
among all of them. Jesus cast out the
bigger demon, the one who piped up and spoke for all of them. The people were
surprised that he had authority and the unclean spirits (plural) would obey
him. We have authority as well, and
unclean spirits should obey us.
Matt
17:14-21 And when they were come to the multitude, there came to him a certain
man, kneeling down to him, and saying,15 Lord, have mercy on my son: for he is
lunatick, and sore vexed: for ofttimes he falleth into the fire, and oft into
the water.16 And I brought him to thy disciples, and they could not cure him.17
Then Jesus answered and said, O faithless and perverse generation, how long
shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you? bring him hither to me.18 And
Jesus rebuked the devil; and he departed out of him: and the child was cured
from that very hour.19 Then came the disciples to Jesus apart, and said, Why
could not we cast him out?20 And Jesus said unto them, Because of your
unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard
seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it
shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.21 Howbeit this kind
goeth not out but by prayer and fasting.KJV
Jesus
rebuked the demon which caused this child much distress, but the disciples
could not cast it out. Jesus gives us a
clue. Since the child could not believe
for himself, the father brought him to be healed but it may be that the father
did not believe the disciples could help. At the same time the disciples may
not have believed they could cast out this demon. It would seem that this demon had a strong
power or hold on this child, this child needed all parties to be fasting and
praying, but having the faith or confidence to cast out the demon is essential
too. Jesus said the generation was
faithless and perverse, so in this case not only was it a lack of faith on the
disciples but on the group of people around this child. Sometimes what we see with our eyes can trick
us into unbelief. Do not go by what you
see but by what God says.
Acts
5:14-16 And believers were the more added to the Lord, multitudes both of men
and women.)15 Insomuch that they brought forth the sick into the streets, and
laid them on beds and couches, that at the least the shadow of Peter passing by
might overshadow some of them.16 There came also a multitude out of the cities
round about unto Jerusalem, bringing sick folks, and them which were vexed with
unclean spirits: and they were healed every one.KJV
The
people had heard and believed the disciples; and the church was growing. They knew without a doubt in their hearts
that what the disciples were saying and doing was the power of God, so much so
that they just brought people into the streets so that they would be “touched”
by Peter’s shadow. Then people came from
other cities with their sick folk. It
doesn’t say the disciples didn’t pray for them but the faith of the people was
so strong, that they knew just being in the presence of these disciples would
get them healed. This is being healed by their own faith. If we have faith as small as a mustard seed,
that is enough to get the job done, so then what is the logical understanding
here? People need to hear about Jesus
Christ, and when they believe on him they will have the faith to be
healed.
Matt
8:28-32 And when he was come to the other side into the country of the
Gergesenes, there met him two possessed with devils, coming out of the tombs,
exceeding fierce, so that no man might pass by that way.29 And, behold, they
cried out, saying, What have we to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God? art
thou come hither to torment us before the time?30 And there was a good way off
from them an herd of many swine feeding.31 So the devils besought him, saying,
If thou cast us out, suffer us to go away into the herd of swine.32 And he said
unto them, Go. And when they were come out, they went into the herd of swine:
and, behold, the whole herd of swine ran violently down a steep place into the
sea, and perished in the waters.KJV
In
this account there were two people possessed with devils. Again the demons use plural verbiage. The
demons went into the swine and entire herd was drowned, and all Jesus said was
‘Go’. Why were there a herd of swine
there in the first place? Swine were
unclean animals, there shouldn’t have been any herds there. This account in Luke may or may not be the
same as here we are told there is only one man. Gergesenes is not the same
usage as Gadarenes as well.
Luke
8:26-33 And they arrived at the country of the Gadarenes, which is over against
Galilee.27 And when he went forth to land, there met him out of the city a
certain man, which had devils long time, and ware no clothes, neither abode in
any house, but in the tombs.28 When he saw Jesus, he cried out, and fell down
before him, and with a loud voice said, What have I to do with thee, Jesus,
thou Son of God most high? I beseech thee, torment me not.29 (For he had
commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. For oftentimes it had
caught him: and he was kept bound with chains and in fetters; and he brake the
bands, and was driven of the devil into the wilderness.)30 And Jesus asked him,
saying, What is thy name? And he said, Legion: because many devils were entered
into him.31 And they besought him that he would not command them to go out into
the deep.32 And there was there an herd of many swine feeding on the mountain:
and they besought him that he would suffer them to enter into them. And he
suffered them.33 Then went the devils out of the man, and entered into the
swine: and the herd ran violently down a steep place into the lake, and were
choked.KJV
Here
we are told that Jesus asked the demon his name, and the demon in charge
responded. We have seen that multiple
demons can occupy a person. In this next
account, which is the same story, we get a little more detail.
Mark
5:1-9 And they came over unto the other side of the sea, into the country of
the Gadarenes.2 And when he was come out of the ship, immediately there met him
out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit,3 Who had his dwelling among the tombs;
and no man could bind him, no, not with chains:4 Because that he had been often
bound with fetters and chains, and the chains had been plucked asunder by him,
and the fetters broken in pieces: neither could any man tame him.5 And always,
night and day, he was in the mountains, and in the tombs, crying, and cutting
himself with stones.6 But when he saw Jesus afar off, he ran and worshipped
him,7 And cried with a loud voice, and said, What have I to do with thee,
Jesus, thou Son of the most high God? I adjure thee by God, that thou torment
me not.8 For he said unto him, Come out of the man, thou unclean spirit.9 And
he asked him, What is thy name? And he answered, saying, My name is Legion: for
we are many.10 And he besought him much that he would not send them away out of
the country.11 Now there was there nigh unto the mountains a great herd of
swine feeding.12 And all the devils besought him, saying, Send us into the
swine, that we may enter into them.13 And forthwith Jesus gave them leave. And
the unclean spirits went out, and entered into the swine: and the herd ran
violently down a steep place into the sea, (they were about two thousand;) and
were choked in the sea.14 And they that fed the swine fled, and told it in the
city, and in the country. And they went out to see what it was that was done.15
And they come to Jesus, and see him that was possessed with the devil, and had
the legion, sitting, and clothed, and in his right mind: and they were
afraid.16 And they that saw it told them how it befell to him that was
possessed with the devil, and also concerning the swine.17 And they began to
pray him to depart out of their coasts.18 And when he was come into the ship,
he that had been possessed with the devil prayed him that he might be with
him.19 Howbeit Jesus suffered him not, but saith unto him, Go home to thy
friends, and tell them how great things the Lord hath done for thee, and hath
had compassion on thee.KJV
In
this account we find out that the man was mutilating his own body; cutting. But
while the man was so burdened with many demons, the man was still able to run
to Jesus, and worship Him. Although the demons did not want to be anywhere near
Jesus, the man’s will was to run to Him.
This tells us that many times a person’s will and desire overrule
demons. This account tells us that there were two thousand swine, now this does
not mean the man had two thousand demons just that the ones that did go into
the swine started a stampede, and they all died. And here again we have to ask the question,
why were there swine feeding, and people feeding them. Usually the swine were the cleanup crew in
the fields eating the feces of the other animals such as cows and sheep. This is why swine are considered unclean
animals. But these swine were being
fed. So in this one instance Jesus made
two points, get the demons out of people and get the swine out of the
area. The people of the area got scared,
seeing this man now in his right mind, they asked Jesus to leave. Instead of taking the man with them, Jesus
told the man to go witness what the Lord has done for him.
In
these accounts we see that the preaching of Christ or the presence of Christ
extracts demons. So what is it that we
need to know to set the captives free?
Firstly, people have to want to hear about Christ, they have to make an
effort to want to be set free. Like the
man in the caves, he ran to Jesus while the demons were crying out; he wanted
to kneel at the feet of Jesus. They have to make the effort to receive
something. Secondly, they have to want
to change their citizenship from the kingdom of the devil to the Kingdom of
God. Thirdly, people’s own faith can heal them; once they have heard enough to
believe they can be set free by their own will and faith. Fourthly, if there is unbelief in the people
who are casting out the demons or the one who needs the deliverance the demons
will not leave and instead will challenge your authority. So our fifth understanding is that we have to
know that we have the power and authority to cast out demons. We have to build ourselves up in our faith
and knowledge of the word of God and Jesus the Christ. We have to sometimes give ourselves to
praying and fasting to strengthen our inner man. Sixth, we should not be swayed by what we see
with our physical eyes but we should stand on what the Word of God tells us, no
matter the circumstances. Next we have
to address the saved who need to be set free and, of course, there is more to
come.
