Jesus and Evil Spirits
October 24, 2012 
        

Then Jesus went down to Capernaum, a town in Galilee, and on the Sabbath began to teach the people. They were amazed at his teaching, because his message had authority. In the synagogue there was a man possessed by a demon, an evil spirit. He cried out at the top of his voice,

"Ha! What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are--the Holy One of God!"

"Be quiet!" Jesus said sternly. "Come out of him!"

           Then the demon threw the man down before them all and came out without injuring
            him. ³⁶ All the people were amazed and said to each other, "What is this teaching?
           With authority and power he gives orders to evil spirits and they come out!" ³⁷ And
           the news about him spread throughout the surrounding area.  Luke 4:31-37(NIV)  

 

When the Rabbis taught they supported every statement with quotations. They always said, "There is a saying that . . ." "Rabbi so and so said that ..." They always appealed to authority. When the prophets spoke, they said, "Thus saith the Lord." Theirs was a delegated authority. When Jesus spoke, he said, "I say to you." Jesus didn’t do either.   He acted as if He was God! 

This is astonishing.    It meant that Jesus was either a megalomaniac or that he really was speaking as “authority” incarnate.   Jesus was speaking as God Himself which forces those who heard him 2,000 years ago and those of us who hear him today to make a decision:   is he God, or is he megalomaniacally crazy, or was he just lying?

As for me I have concluded after much study that demonic powers do exist in the world and that they can wreak havoc in individual persons and in societies.  I also believe that modern medicine and even some aspects of modern psychology offer certain forms of relief from some manifestations of evil.   However, in order to be truly free, in order for a full cure to take hold, in order to experience the fullness of  life in God, one must go to the one and only cure from the darkness of demonic powers, and that is the Light.

Jesus still drives out demons.    In fact demonic powers of darkness cannot survive in the presence of God.   So how does one get “delivered”?   The place to start and the place to finish are the same place.   Be where Jesus is.  And where you find him in the Bible is two places:   in worship and in serving wherever there is a need.   

Finally, just ask.   List your “demons”. Confess them.   Then ask Jesus to set you free.   It may hurt and it may take time and you will need friends.   But if you ask believing and don’t quit, you will meet the healing power of Jesus.

“Lord, you are the great physician, the great healer, the Creator of the universe, the Sustainer of all that is and you are also a Father who loves me.   Lord I give you my hurts, hang ups, all my demons and ask you to heal me.   Amen”