“Jesus is Lord!” How often has that phrase been spoken in the past two thousand years?  It is an amazing theological statement full of implications but it can also be a phrase used so often that it loses its meaning to those who use it most.

We can also say with great accuracy that Jesus not only is Lord but has been Lord and will always be Lord.  The prophet Isaiah was given a great vision in the year that King Uzziah died.  It was a year of uncertainty in Israel.  A good king had died and the few faithful kings that ruled over Israel were typically followed by disastrous years of rule by wicked kings who forced God to send judgment on a rebellious nation. It was a year and a moment when Isaiah needed encouragement.

In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord seated on a throne, high and exalted, and the train of his robe filled the temple. Above him were seraphs, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. And they were calling to one another: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory.” At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke. “Woe to me!” I cried. “I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty.” (Isa.6:1-5).

In his moment of need, Isaiah wass given a vision of the throne room of God which exuded the power, the glory, and the might of the one on the throne. This was his God and the one who watched over Israel. It was a reminder that even when the earth or our particular part of the earth is in chaos, there is no chaos or panic in heaven.  At the same time that this vision was meant to reassure Isaiah that “God was still on his throne,”  the sheer glory, power, and holiness of the Lord overwhelmed Isaiah with a sense of his own sinfulness.  Yet God immediately cleansed the prophet so that he could stand in the His presence. He then gave him his prophetic orders.

Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?” And I said, “Here am I. Send me!” He said, “Go and tell this people: “ ‘Be ever hearing, but never understanding; be ever seeing, but never perceiving.’ Make the heart of this people calloused; make their ears dull and close their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts, and turn and be healed.” (Isa.6:8-10).

In John 12, the apostle quotes this passage from Isaiah about Israel but then says, “Isaiah said this because he saw Jesus’ glory and spoke about him” (Jn. 12:41). Isaiah’s vision opens up to us the glory that Jesus had in heaven before he put on flesh and became Son of Man.  He was Lord before the incarnation as well as after.  The word Lord, in both Hebrew and Greek simply means “one who has immense authority and one to whom great respect is due.” It is frequently applied to deity in both languages.

When we speak of Jesus as Lord, we echo his position of great authority and the immense honor due to him.  The N.T. speaks of his great authority over and over.

God put this power to work in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the age to come.  And he has put all things under his feet and has made him the head over all things for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all. (Eph.1:20-23)

Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. (Matt. 28:18)

Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Phil.2:9-11)

As those who are in Christ by faith, we have the immense honor of not only serving the King of Kings and Lords of Lords but of knowing him as a friend and brother. It’s not always easy keeping the balance between friendship and kingship, between reverent awe and familiarity. And yet we have the privilege of doing just that with the one who made Isaiah tremble. It is possible, not because Jesus has been brought down, but because we have been raised up with Him and “seated with Him in the heavenly places (Eph. 2:6).

Three things we should remember today:

1. Jesus is Lord and as such should have our immediate and complete obedience in all things as well as our greatest respect. He isa to be honored above all.

2. Jesus has all authority in heaven and earth and he exercises that power and authority on your behalf. When you enter into seasons of turmoil and chaos in your life, remember Isaiah’s vision of Christ on the throne and remember that although he is the Lord who sits in unspeakable glory, he also knows you by name and watches over you as a friend, a brother, and as the Good Shepherd.

3. You are seated with Christ in heavenly places and you represent the King of Glory with immense authority that has been delegated to you by the King. As his representative (ambassadors) on the earth you are to re-present Jesus and do what he would do in every circumstance of life. Your words carry weight, your prayers carry weight, and your actions carry weight when you are faithfully serving Him. Because you serve a king with great significance you are a person of great significance.

Spend some time today imagining Jesus in all his glory and seeing yourself in that same throne room, sitting at his right hand, as his ambassador and close friend. You are eagerly waiting for your next diplomatic mission. How are you dressed? How do you feel? How do you sit?  How do you walk? How do you speak?  Carry that with you today because that is  who you truly are in Christ – King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

We’ve all heard the expression, “It’s better to light one candle than to curse the darkness.”  That is not a quote from the Bible but it reflects biblical truth. James, the brother of Jesus, spent a good bit of his five-chapter epistle warning us about the words we speak.  One small part says the following.

With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God’s likeness. Out of the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, this should not be. (James 3:9-11)

We have talked about blessing and cursing before along with our authority as believers. To pronounce a blessing is a form of prayer that asks God to direct good toward the individual we have blessed.  A curse, on the other hand, is a form of prayer that asks for someone to direct evil toward an individual. Since God is not in the business of sending evil in response to hateful prayers, someone else in the spiritual realm will be glad to act on that prayer – especially a prayer uttered by one of God’s own children since that prayer gives the enemy authority to go after someone – even a fellow believer.

As a culture, we tend to dismiss words as meaningless but scripture doesn’t dismiss them so easily.  James clearly commands us to bless and not to curse. Proverbs tells us “the tongue has the power of life and death” (Prov.18:21). Jesus warns us that men will have to give account on judgment day for every careless word spoken (Matt. 12:36). And Paul admonishes us to let no unwholesome talk come out of our mouth but only what is good for building up other people (Eph.4:29).

Since our words carry authority as children of God and representatives of the King, they also carry the weight of prophetic messages calling things out that have not yet come to pass.  A prophetic word over a person does not just tell about future events but often activates a seed that God planted in that individual years earlier. A prophetic word about events moves things in the heavenly realms to bring that word to pass in the affairs of men and nations.

The point is that our words are more than random sounds or sentiments. They carry power or spiritual energy to influence things for good or bad. So God calls on us to speak well of those who would curse us, to pray for authorities, to give honor to whom honor is due, and to bless and not curse.

How many times have we spoken negatively about leaders, celebrities, cities, nations, or even preachers we don’t’ agree with?  How many times have we declared their depravity, their upcoming fall from grace, their darkness and their failure? How many times have we called judgment down with our words declaring that God should wash some city away, destroy it with an earthquake, or declare that some nation should be “nuked,” etc.?  But God was concerned even about the people of Nineveh who were Israel’s sworn enemies.

What if we spoke life, blessing, wisdom, revival, righteousness and hope over the people we usually curse? Would our words impart life rather than death, righteousness rather than depravity, peace rather than war, and love rather than hate?

Would politicians begin to serve the nation rather than themselves? Would presidents begin to make wise decisions instead of foolish ones? Would Muslim terrorists begin to see the world through different eyes?  Would failing husbands and fathers begin to succeed and marriages flourish rather than inch closer to divorce?

God wants us to bless and not curse because he desires that none should perish.  Blessing then becomes a powerful, divine weapon that God can use to transform men and nations. Blessing takes fuel and authority away from the enemy and begins to strangle demonic supply lines of hate and bitterness and cursing.

So today, ask the Holy Spirit to make you aware of every word so that none are spoken carelessly. Ask him to make you a spring of fresh water rather than salt water and a fountain of life rather than death.  I will ask him to do the same for me.

I have served in several churches in my time as a pastor and I have talked to dozens of people who were restless, wounded and discontent in the church they attended.  The common denominator was that they had been in the same church for years, it had become less and less dynamic, and had settled into just “keeping house.”  These believers were unchallenged and felt as if they were drying up.  They nearly all had spoken with leaders in their church on several occasions and had prayed for years that revival or renewal might break out.  They were each discouraged and disgruntled and yet continued to attend a church where they were essentially unfruitful. I’m assuming there are many others in that situation who struggle with whether to “find another church” or to “hang in there” another year.

For some reason, I feel prompted to share some thoughts on that today. There are always disgruntled members who are looking for the perfect church (defined as a church that would do everything their way) but that is not who I am thinking about in this blog.  I’m thinking about believers who have stayed in one congregation for years, served there faithfully, enjoyed some seasons of excitement and fruitfulness at that church – but that was long ago.  There are others who have been longing and praying for revival at their church or asking God for a powerful move of the Holy Spirit where they are.  Yet there is no evidence on the horizon of either of those desires being fulfilled.

When I ask why they live with such disappointment and discontent for years they usually answer that they love their church and the people there.  Often these are “lay leaders” in the church who feel that they would be abandoning others who have been crying out for the same things for years. And so they stay and attend faithfully each Sunday in what seems to be the triumph of hope over experience.

Lots of times I hear church leaders say that these people need to continue to serve, they need to be part of the solution and not the problem, or that they need to renew their personal zeal without depending on church leadership.  And, sometimes, that has merit.  But there are also churches that vacant of life, vacant of God’s Spirit, and whose leadership is not hungry at all  to change that environment.

I’m reminded of what Jesus said regarding his life of service to the Father.  “ I can only do what I see the Father doing” (Jn.5:19).  Henry Blackabay put it this way, “See what God is doing and join him there.”  Jesus pointed us to fruitfulness in the kingdom of God and to fields white unto harvest.  I believe there comes a time when we need to understand that God is doing nothing or very little in a field because no one is plowing, planting, or watering and those who oversee the field are content or even committed to it laying fallow.  There comes a time when believers need to find where God is working or moving and join him there in a field that is producing a harvest. Remember, those fields are always in need of laborers.

I know why many people hang on in unfruitful churches year after year.  They stay because of the relationships they have there and for what those people mean to them. They also have a history in that place – weddings, funeral’s, baptisms, etc. I am a huge fan of love and loyalty and think those are very godly traits.  But sometimes we put those relationships before our relationship to God and so choose to stay in a religious environment that weakens our spirit and greatly limits our fruitfulness in the kingdom.

I have also visited with dozens of people who attend churches where the gifts of the Spirit are minimized or rejected and who keep calling out to God to receive their own gift of healing, prophecy, or even tongues. They want to see a “Pentecost” at the church they attend beginning with themselves. They want to see lives changed and loved ones healed and set free from fear and addictions.  And so they stay for years yearning and praying for a move of God.  I don’t want to judge any specific situation, but typically if God is not moving it is because leadership is not allowing it.

God honors authority.  Many Christians have placed themselves under the authority of leaders who are truly not interested in a life-altering move of God or who deny the present ministry of the Holy Spirit. To see God move or to receive the gifts of the Spirit, those believers may have to step out from under authority that is saying “No” to those things and find spiritual leaders who are saying “Yes!”

Here’s the thing.  If everyone were living in a city whose water sources had dried up to a trickle and whose civic leaders refused to haul in water, would we applaud the ones who stayed and died of thirst with the people they loved or would it be better for one to leave, find a stream overflowing its banks with fresh water, return, and lead the others who were thirsty to that source?

If anyone chooses to leave a church I believe they should do so in love, with respect toward leadership, and in a way that does not create disunity, But I see so many being disobedient to Christ because they love a church that is being disobedient to his Spirit. Nearly every believer I know senses that we are in the last days. So why sit on the bench when the game is late in the fourth quarter, the team is playing for the greatest prize of all, and you are needed on the field?  Paul said to “Run in such a way as to win the prize” (1 Cor. 9:24).

I am not saying to run to another church at the first sign of trouble or at your first disappointment. Try to be part of the solution but, if year after year, God is not being allowed to display his transforming power and glory there, I encourage you to go where he is busting out, turning lives and the world upside down,  and join him there.  Be fruitful.  Be joyful.  Be passionate. Go where spiritual leaders welcome your hunger and zeal rather than feeling threatened by it.  The time is short.  Jesus wants you in the game!

Once demonic oppression is indicated in the life of a believer, dealing with the demonic is fairly straightforward.

Deliverance is based on a few essential beliefs and principles.

1.  The kingdom of heaven has power and authority much greater than anything in the kingdom of darkness.  Satan was cast down.
2. Jesus demonstrated that authority over demons again and again while on the earth as the Son of Man.
3. Satan, death, and the grave could not hold the resurrected Savior who died for our sins to take away Satan’s legal claims against us.
4. Positionally, we are sons and daughters in the house of God, kings and priests on the earth, and the representatives of Jesus Christ who carry his delegated power and authority over the enemy.
5.  The only power Satan has over believers is the power we give him when we choose to live unaligned with God in all or part of our life. Others to whom we are connected may also have given him that right (sins of the fathers, curses, etc.).
6.  Our misalignment gives Satan a legal right to “rent a room,” i.e. afflict or oppress us.
7. Re-aligning ourselves with the Father removes the enemy’s legal right to afflict us.
9.  Having removed that right, we can command demons to leave us by the authority of Jesus Christ who has all authority in heaven and on earth.

Basic Process for Finding Freedom from the Demonic

Make all declarations or statements verbally because you are declaring these things to the spiritual realm.

1.  Begin your re-alignment by declaring your faith in and allegiance to Jesus Christ.
2.  Renounce sin and all the works of Satan.
3.  Acknowledge the areas in your life that are unaligned with the Father. These may be areas of persistent unrepented sin, unbelief, or unforgiveness. As King David prayed, “Search my heart O God and show me if there is any offensive way in me,” you should also pray and ask God to show you any hidden sins or rebellion in your life. Do not rationalize, minimize or blame others for your sin and do not accuse God of having unjust standards.
4.  Confess and repent of your sins by declaring God’s standards to be righteous and agreeing with him about his standards and your failure to keep them. Ask for forgiveness in the name of Jesus based on his sacrifice for you and nothing else.  Be as specific as possible. Thank God for forgiving you. (See 1 Jn. 1:9).
5.  Confess the sins of your Fathers if you know them specifically.  If not, confess the wickedness, known and unknown, of your ancestors and renounce their sins and wickedness. Ask God to break the affects of their sins in your life and thank him for doing so.
6.  Forgive all those whom you have not forgiven.  This is an act of the will not your emotions. Biblical forgiveness is choosing to no longer require payment for a wrong done to you.  It is turning judgment of the matter over to God.  It is a decision to no longer act in any way designed to make someone pay for the wrong he/she did to you.  Jesus then instructs us to bless them and pray for them.  We must forgive those who sin against us because Jesus forgives our sins. It is not because they deserve it, but because Jesus deserves it.

Having re-aligned yourself with the Father, you may….

• Declare that Jesus became a curse for you so that you might blessed (Gal. 3:13-14).  Because of that you may ask Jesus to sever, make null and void, and cancel any curses that have ever been established against you by words or sins. Thank him for doing so.
• Declare that you are a son/daughter of the king. God’s representative on the earth, and that you serve in the power and authority of Jesus Christ.
• Renounce any sin, emotions or thoughts contrary to God’s truth that you believe demonic spirits have prompted or produced in you.  It may be something like … In the Name of Jesus I renounce fear, adultery, fornication, homosexuality, bitterness, pornography, unbelief, gossip, apathy, etc.
• Then in the name and the authority of Jesus Christ and by his blood that was shed for you, you can command those spirits to leave you immediately and never return.

That is the basic process and scriptural principles for breaking the power of the enemy in your life or someone else’s life based on whom Jesus is, what he has done and who you are in him.

For more details about this process and for suggested commands and declarations over the enemy I would recommend reading my book Born to Be Free. It is also important that you learn how to walk out your freedom so that the enemy cannot return. The book will give you a more thorough theological base, a more thorough understanding of who you are in Christ, and lead you through a thorough assessment of your life to discover entry points for the enemy.  It will also walk you through a systematic process for deliverance and maintaining your freedom.

All I have trued to do in this blog is to give you a sense of how the demonic operates and a basic framework for understanding deliverance.  Faith in Jesus is still the key in all of this.  I hope this eight part series has been helpful.

As Christians, we are unique in the universe.  We live under grace while everyone and everything else exists under law.  Law operates on the basis of authority and legalities. When Jesus died on the cross he redeemed us from the dominion of darkness (Col.1:13-14) and in doing so revoked Satan’s legal right to lay claim to us or treat us as slaves. For those who enter the kingdom of God by faith in Jesus Christ, Satan’s access is limited.  Temptation and persecution from the outside seem to be permitted in the spiritual realm.  Otherwise, we would not need divine weapons (2 Cor. 10:3), the armor of God (Eph.6:10-11), or an awareness of Satan’s schemes contrived against us.  We are told, however, that God will not allow us to be tempted beyond that which we are able to bear (1 Cor.10:13). Therefore, God has set limits on the extent to which Satan can attack or harass those who belong to Jesus.   The book of Job reflects those kind of spiritual boundaries.  As Satan came before God wanting to target Job, God set definite limits on Satan’s access to Job with each round of temptations.

For unbelievers, Satan seems to have very few limitations. The evil, brokenness, and perversion that is so prevalent in our world attests to that. That condition is not necessarily confined to the 21^st Century. The man who lived among the tombs in Mark 5 who had a “legion” of demons resident within him attests to that.  The question is, “Can Christians be afflicted with demonic spirits so that deliverance is needed to set them free?” and, if so, “How does Satan gain access to them since they have been delivered from his dominion?”  Great questions!  I’m glad you asked.

Many will argue that demons cannot possess believers because we belong to Christ and his Spirit lives within us.  I fully agree because possession implies ownership and we have certainly been purchased by the blood of Christ.  I do not believe Christians can be possessed by Satan (owned), but I believe they can be harassed and afflicted by spirits who are attached or residing within the person.

Jesus speaks about an unclean spirit being cast out of a man and then returning to that “house” to find it “unoccupied, swept clean, and put in order.” The spirit returns and brings other demonic spirits with him. (Mt.12:43-45).  Think of your body as a house. Suppose you decide to rent out a room in your house to generate some extra income. A young man knocks on your door and tells you that a friend told him about your room for rent.  He tells you that he goes to school all day and studies at night, is quiet, has few friends and you will hardly know he is there. You shake hands, write out a brief lease with the monthly amount you agree on and rent out the room.

In a week or two, however, you begin to notice loud music, friends coming to his room at all hours, and horrid smells drifting through the house.  You confront your renter and tell him that he is making your life miserable and he will need to move. He laughs, says he will stay as long as he likes and shows you the lease that you signed without written stipulations regarding noise, friends, or smells.  He has not taken possession of your house.  Except for the one room, the rest of your house still belongs to you, functions well, and is neat and clean.  However, because he was given a legal right to establish a dwelling in one room of your house, he can harass you from that position and eventually make your life miserable.  You will need to find a way to void his lease and then you can have him and his friends removed.

Although Jesus has removed Satan’s legal right to access believers, in general, an individual believer can give the enemy the right to rent a room “in their house” which can lead to a great deal of torment and chaos in that believer’s life.  So, how can Satan gain legal access to set up a stronghold in a believer’s life?  It happens through the process of coming into agreement with Satan in part of your life.  As you agree with him you walk with him (Amos 3:3).  If you walk with someone long enough, it is only a matter of time until they come home with you.

1. When Christians refuse to submit an area of their life to the lordship of Jesus and persist in unrepented sin, the enemy has open access to any area that is not under the Lordship of Jesus.
2. A refusal to forgive those who have wronged us gives Satan a legal right to invade a believer’s life because our refusal to forgive keeps God’s forgiveness from covering our sins.
3. “Sins of the Father’s” can give the enemy access. Scripture declares that certain sins will be passed down to the children to the 3^rd and 4^th generations. That means that the consequences of that sin will be inherited by the children which may include demonic assignments.
4. Curses that are attached to sins or that have been spoken over an individual may have demons assigned to enforce the curse and that curse will give the enemy a legal right to invade a believer’s life.
5. Many people come to Christ demonized and, like the promised land, the enemy still must be driven out even after entering into their salvation.
6. Unbelief can also be an open door to the enemy. Unbelief in God or the Word of God is actually coming into agreement with Satan.  Paul tells us that strongholds are belief systems within us that oppose God’s truth. When we fail to believe God about who we are in Christ, who Christ is, God’s standards for living, etc. we open a door to the demonic.
7. Experience also tells us that the demonic can gain entrance to our hearts through trauma  – especially violent or sexual trauma.  The wounds seem to create an opening for the enemy’s lies and the lies create an agreement with Satan.  Sometime the bitterness and unforgiveness attached to wounds opens the door as well.

Although saved and in Christ, we know that many Christians live in bondage to addictions; are tormented by fears and deep depression; live for decades with “secret sins;” and carry deep emotional wounds for years that destroy one relationship after another.  If believers can carry that kind of bondage and darkness within of them – even though they are saved – why would we doubt that they can be afflicted by demons as well?

Tomorrow, how to rid “your house” of the demonic in Part 7.

When dealing with the demonic, attitude and perspective is important. Regardless of their origins, demons (unclean spirits) are woven into the fabric of scripture throughout both the Old and New Testaments. We should never obsess about the demonic, however, but instead learn to fix our eyes on Jesus who has all authority in heaven and on earth. If you decide to walk through the woods on a cool fall afternoon, you want to be aware of poison ivy but not focus on it to the extend that you never notice the brilliant fall colors all around you or deer drinking out of a nearby stream. We need to simply keep an eye out for it as we walk through wooded areas, recognize it, stay clear of it when possible, eradicate it if it shows up on our property, and treat it if we feel its sting.  The demonic is the same.

Peter compares Satan to a roaring lion going about looking for someone to devour (1 Peter 5:8-9).  However, he tells us to be self-controlled and alert, not to be afraid.  He tells is to resist him and stand firm in the faith, not to run away. James tells us that when we resist the devil, he will flee from us. Our response to the demonic is faith rather than fear, wisdom rather than carelessness, and boldness rather than retreat when encounters occur.

We need to carry with us a strong sense of authority when we encounter the enemy because the one we represent is far greater that any demonic spirit. Roman consuls understood their authority.  In 168 BC, Antiochus IV, a Seleucid king, was laying siege to Egypt that, at the time, was an ally of Rome.  A Roman Consul named Gaius Popillius Laenas was sent to persuade Antiochus to withdraw from Egypt and return home.  The arrogant Antiochus responded that he would “think about it.” The Roman consul took his sword, drew a circle in the sand around the king and said, “Fine.  But before you step out of that circle, I want you to give me an answer for the Roman Senate.”   The implication was that Antiochus would face the legions of Rome if he stepped out of the circle without a decision to leave Egypt immediately. Weighing his options, Antiochus decided to withdraw. The consul understood the power that backed his authority and so he displayed boldness in the face of the enemy.

You represent the King of Kings and Lord of Lords whose everlasting kingdom took down Rome and overcame the kingdom of darkness. Our attitude against the enemy is not arrogance but confidence – confidence not in ourselves but in the one who gave us our commission to set captives free. Remember that a commission is a co-mission.  Jesus is there working with us when we face the enemy.

Having said that, demons are spiritual entities that roam the earth with a mission to harass, torment, derail people and oppose the will of God on the earth.  Jesus compared Satan to a thief who only comes to kill, steal and destroy (Jn.10:10).  Just as our mission is to impart life and peace because that is what our Lord does, demons come to kill, steal and destroy because that is what their lord does.

In scripture, we see a number of manifestations of these demonic missions. In the Old Testament we clearly see them promoting false worship in the form of idolatry.  That worship included sacrificing children on altars and in fire and all kinds of sexual perversions meant to arouse “the gods” in fertility rites. We also see warfare in spiritual realms as demonic princes fought to prevent angels from completing their tasks on behalf of God’s people. Demons are also evident in the dark arts of Pharaoh’s magicians, in Pharaoh’s edict to kill all Hebrew boys to prevent a “deliverer” from being provided by God to free his people, and in the unrelenting hatred held by surrounding tribes toward the Hebrews.

In the New Testament, demons tormented individuals such as the Garazene demoniac who lived among the tombs (Mk.5) and the boy who often fell into water and fire in seizure-like episodes (Mk.9).  They afflicted many individuals with physical conditions such as back pain, deaf and dumbness, blindness, etc.  They also continued the demonic tradition of “temptation” as they would draw people into sin and the consequences of that sin. We are told that Mary Magdalene had seven demons cast out of her. There is a strong tradition that she was a prostitute before coming to Jesus and being set free. The demonic clearly had a hand in her brokenness.

I believe that every sin or tormenting condition listed in the bible has a corresponding spirit whose assignment is to produce that condition or sin in the individual, family, organization, or nation to whom it is assigned. I also believe there are spirits not named in scripture that also harass the human race. Demonic spirits rarely produce an “exorcist moment” though I have seen some extreme manifestations.  Typically, they torment and harass by mimicking physical and psychological conditions that are experienced in the natural realm.  By doing so they remain undetected for years and, perhaps, generations. Their first goal is to keep people from accepting Jesus as Lord so that these individuals continue to be trapped in the kingdom of darkness. Failing that, the next goal is to cause fresh faith to wither and fail by orchestrating trials in a believer’s life.  Later these spirits will attempt to choke out the seed of God planted in believers by creating cares and worries in their lives or even by directing riches and pleasure their way (see Lk.8).

My experience and the experience of those who minister with me is that demonic oppression is far more prevalent than we think – even among believers. In a rational/technical culture demonic activity isn’t even on the radar screen and within the church generations have passed with no teaching or training in spiritual warfare.  We believe we are seeing the accumulation of demonic activity that has gone unchallenged for decades or centuries. In Part 6 of this series we will discuss how demons gain access to individuals, including believers, and how authority plays a significant role in that process.

The demonic is a spiritual reality that the church is commanded to deal with through the authority of Jesus Christ.  By the church, I mean every believer.  Christ, through his death and resurrection, has disarmed the enemy but we are still left to enforce the victory.  My father served in the Pacific during World War II.  He fought in the Philippines and New Guinea. Long after the Japanese signed the papers of surrender, Japanese forces on islands throughout the Pacific continued to fight.  Some fought because they were not aware of their nation’s surrender.  Others fought because they wouldn’t accept the surrender. The victory was won, but still had to be enforced.

When Jehovah brought Israel to the brink of entering Canaan, God told Joshua to get the people ready to cross the Jordan into the land he was about to give them.  He promised that he would give them every place where they set their feet and that no would be able to stand against them as long as they were faithful to God. But…Israel would have to arm themselves, cross the river and engage the enemy in battle.  In heaven the victory was already won, God had already given the land to Israel, and he promised that by the power of God, they would overcome all opposition to their taking possession of the land.  But, there were enemy forces in the land and God expected his people to partner with him in driving out the enemy.

The question could be asked, “Why didn’t God just drive out the hostile tribes with plagues or angelic armies before Israel arrived? Why fight battles that have already been won?  Experiencing the power of God to deliver is a much greater lesson than simply hearing about the power of God to deliver.  It is in the battle that you grow strong and in the victories that your faith increases.  That is true in dealing with the demonic as well.  The victory is settled. The power of God goes before us. But we are called to enter into the battle with full assurance of victory.  To experience the authority of Jesus Christ and the transformation of lives as you command demons makes the reality of the spiritual realm and the power of Jesus Christ undeniable. Every promise of Christ is established that much more firmly in your heart because you have experienced what once you only read about.

Let me list some promises and precedents to underline the victory that believers are called to enforce on the earth today:

Jesus was commissioned by the Father to not only preach the good news but to set captives free.

 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor.  He has sent me to proclaim release for the captives, and recovery of sight to the blind, to set free those who are oppressed. (Lk. 4:18)

 Jesus has authority over the demonic:

 That evening they brought to him many who were possessed with demons; and he cast out the spirits with a word, and cured all who were sick.  (Mt.8:16)

All authority in heaven and on earth has been given unto me.  (Mt.28:18)

The Kingdom on earth is manifested by authority over the demonic.

 But if it is by the Spirit of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come to you. (Mt.12:28)

The Apostles were given authority over the demonic.

 These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: … As you go, proclaim the good news, ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’  Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons.  (Mt. 10:5-8)

Seventy ordinary believers were given authority over the demonic.

 The seventy returned with joy, saying, “Lord, in your name even the demons submit to us!”  He said to them, “I watched Satan fall from heaven like a flash of lightning.  See, I have given you authority to tread on snakes and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy; and nothing will hurt you.  Nevertheless, do not rejoice at this, that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.” (Lk. 10:17-20)

All believers are given authority over the demonic.

And these signs will accompany those who believe: by using my name they will cast out demons; (Mk.16:17)

I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. (Jn.14:12)

We have received the same commission that Jesus was given to preach the gospel and set captives free.

Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” (Jn.20:21)

Having firmed up the promises and precedents for believers having authority, our next Blog will begin to discuss the work of demons and how the believer exercises the authority that has been given to all who follow Jesus.

I would much rather talk about the power and glory of Jesus and the advancing kingdom of God than the kingdom of darkness, but demons are still a spiritual reality that must be dealt with.  I have decided to do a series on the demonic because each of us will face them in our lives and I believe there is a great deal of demonic activity in America and the world today.  The only question is whether we will recognize what we are looking at and will we know what to do if we recognize that demonic spirits are in the mix.

A study of demons is both intriguing and frustrating.  They are simply a given in scripture with little or no explanation of their origins.  They are referenced in both the Old and New Testaments.  The first reference to demons is found in Deuteronomy.

Jeshurun grew fat and kicked; filled with food, he became heavy and sleek. He abandoned the God who made him and rejected the Rock his Savior. They made him jealous with their foreign gods and angered him with their detestable idols. They sacrificed to demons, which are not God— gods they had not known, gods that recently appeared, gods your fathers did not fear. (Dt.32:15-17). [Jeshurun is a poetic name for Israel who had begun to sacrifice to idols behind which were demonic spirits].

The Psalmist also declared, “But they mingled with the nations and adopted their customs. They worshiped their idols,which became a snare to them. They sacrificed their sons and their daughters to demons. They shed innocent blood, the blood of their sons and daughters, whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan, and the land was desecrated by their blood.”  (Ps.106:35-38).

In both references demonic spirits are attached to idol worship.  If we understand prophetic sections of the Old Testament correctly, Satan became proud and jealous and determined that he should be on the throne of heaven rather than Jehovah. It makes sense, then, that demons pose as gods and solicit worship.  Not only would their assignment include drawing people and nations away from the one true God, but surely they would also share the character of the one they serve and desire to be worshipped as he does.

The Old Testament refers to a number of spirits that are also demonic in nature – a lying spirit (2 Chr.18:22), a spirit of jealousy (Num.5:14 ESV), a haughty spirit (Prov.16:18-19), a spirit of heaviness or despair (Isa.61:3), a spirit of prostitution or spiritual adultery (Hos.4:12), and a spirit of perverseness (Isa. 19:14).

In Daniel 10, the curtain is drawn back on the spiritual realm and we see the angel sent in response to Daniel’s prayer engaged in cosmic warfare with the Prince of Persia who is resisting the plans of God.  This demonic spirit is so formidable that Michael, the arc angel, is released into the battle so that the first angel can deliver his message to Daniel. Later in the chapter the Prince of Greece is referenced which seems to be a demonic spirit as well.

So, throughout the Old Testament we see the move of demonic spirits who are opposing the people of God and pushing back against God’s will being done on the earth.  Some seem to be posing spirits who are not of great consequence while others seem to have power and authority in the kingdom of darkness. All of this lines up with Paul’s declaration in Ephesians 6 that the real battle is being waged in spiritual realms.

Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. (Eph.6:12)

Old Testament references to demons are somewhat scattered and vague but in the New Testament, the people of Israel seem to be quite familiar with the demonic.  Jesus, the twelve, the seventy-two and the church engaged in deliverance on a regular (almost daily) basis.  The pattern given to the followers of Jesus to announce the kingdom of heaven was to preach the gospel, heal the sick, cast out demons, cleanse lepers and raise the dead. Many times, those who came to Jesus seemed quite clear about whether a person had a physiological condition or a demon.  Demons manifested in torment, physical conditions that looked like an illness, demonic doctrines taught by men without conscience (1 Tim.4:1-2), and, of course, all kinds of temptation to draw men away from the Father.

In general then, we see that demonic spirits are present throughout scripture.  They are indicated before the flood since every imagination of man was evil all the time (Gen.6:5), as Moses faced the occult practices of Pharaoh’s magicians (Ex. 7:11), during the time of the Law and the Exile and most certainly in the New Testament. We will talk more about how these spirits manifest in men later, but tomorrow we will examine a few of the theories about the origin of these spiritual beings.

As I close the beginning of this study, I want to emphasize that however we understand the demonic, the bottom lines is always, “He that is in us is greater than he that is in the world” (1 Jn.4:4).  Believers who understand who they are in Christ should not fear the demonic; rather the demonic should fear those believers.

In the spiritual realm, authority is paramount. Those of us in Christ live under grace but the rest of creation, seen and unseen, operates under law.  Law operates on the basis of authority and the power to enforce that authority.  That is one of the reasons that the Spirit has gone to such great links to assure us of the authority of Christ.

And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.  Go therefore and make disciples of all nations … (Mt.28:18-19)

God put this power to work in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the age to come. (Eph.1:20-21)

Then I heard a loud voice in heaven, proclaiming, “Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Messiah, for the accuser of our comrades has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God. (Rev.12:10)

While Jesus has all authority we often forget that the Word of God has authority as well. The Bible not only contains truth and principles for living but edicts from the King.  Prophetic statements and commands are not just insights into the future or words to live by but they must come to pass because the King has declared them.  Those who stand in opposition to the word of God stand in opposition to the power and authority of heaven.

The phrase “It is written” is repeated throughout scripture and it carries the weight of “this is what the king has declared so it must be carried our or fulfilled.” When the Hebrew writer declares that the Word of God is “living and active” (Heb.4:12) he is saying that the word of God is not just ink on a page but that the Spirit of God and the powers of heaven move to activate that word in our lives and in the earth.  Paul says that the word of God is the sword of the Spirit and is part of the armor God has given us to stand against the enemy (Eph.6).  Most of the armor named is defensive and protective but the sword is an offensive weapon as well.  The Word of God is to be used as a weapon to not only protect us against the enemy but to take ground from the enemy as well.

When Satan confronted Jesus in the wilderness at the end of his forty-day fast, Jesus rebuffed each temptation with scripture and began each response with,“It is written. “  Jesus not only was aligning himself with the Father but was activating the word of God by declaring it against the enemy.  Jesus did not get into a dialogue with the devil but simply declared the word of God over the temptation and the situation. Matthew ends the account by telling us that the devil left and angels came and ministered to Jesus.  Remember, Jesus was operating as Son of Man rather than Son of God. When we declare the word with authority over the enemy or a work of the enemy, we can expect the enemy to leave and angels to minister.

I believe deliverance is more effective when our commands for the enemy to leave are prefaced with the word of God.  “It is written, ‘I have given you authority to tread on snakes and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy; and nothing will hurt you’”(Lk.10:18).  “It is written, ‘Every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord’” (Phil.2:10).  “ It is written, ‘these signs will accompany those who have believed: in my Name they will cast out demons’” (Mt.16:17) and so forth.

The word of God has authority.  Heaven will move to backup the edicts of the King with his power.  As you read through the gospels, Jesus spoke God’s word from the Old Testament over and over with authority.  You can sense from the passages that Jesus was absolutely convinced that if it was written it would surely come to pass and if it was written that was the place to take your stand. His example challenges us to know the Word and believe the Word as well. It is on the Word that we can stand and by the Word that we take ground, for it is written, “Man does not live by bread alone but be every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.”  Every command, every directive, every promise that we stand has come from the Kings mouth and that word will surely fulfill its purpose.

Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people. News about him spread all over Syria, and people brought to him all who were ill with various diseases, those suffering severe pain, the demon-possessed, those having seizures, and the paralyzed, and he healed them.  Matt.4:23-24

These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: “Do not go among the Gentiles or enter any town of the Samaritans. Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel. As you go, preach this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven is near.’ Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received, freely give.  Matt.10:5-8

After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them two by two ahead of him to every town and place where he was about to go. Heal the sick who are there and tell them, ‘The kingdom of God is near you.’ The seventy-two returned with joy and said, “Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name.” He replied, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you. However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”   Luke 10:1, 17-20

Very truly, I tell you, the one who believes in me will also do the works that I do and, in fact, will do greater works than these, because I am going to the Father.  I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.  If in my name you ask me for anything, I will do it.   Jn.14:12-14

But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal.  For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit; To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues:  But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will.  1 Cor. 12:7-11

For the kingdom of God is not a matter of words but of power.  1 Cor.4:20

Notice a pattern.  It is a pattern of power.  Jesus displayed it first.  Preach the gospel, heal the sick, cast out demons, cleanse lepers, raise the dead. Jesus then delegated power and authority to his twelve apostles. He told them to preach, heal, deliver, cleanse, and raise the dead.  Then he sent out seventy-two ordinary disciples who were told to do the same.  They came back triumphant.

Then Jesus promised that anyone who believes on him would do the works he had been doing and in fact they would do even greater things.  Then the Holy Spirit descended on the church and distributed spiritual gifts to every believer which included gifts that display miraculous power. The power of the kingdom of God was not reserved for Jesus or even for the twelve. It was given to seventy-two others and then to the whole church so that the church might continue to do the works Jesus did and even greater things.

There is no hint in these passages that the power and authority distributed first by Jesus and then by his Spirit would fade to a whimper within a few decades of their inauguration.  Power has always been at the core of the gospel: preach it, then demonstrate it.  That is the pattern. Destroy the works of the devil.  Heal broken hearts.  Return health to diseased bodies. Set people free from every form of bondage.

Why would we ever want less or settle for less? Instead, press in, cry out for more, risk asking for and declaring the miraculous works of God.  Bring Jesus everyone he died for by using every bit of the power and authority he paid for.  For the kingdom is not a matter of words but of power.