AUTHORITY AND THE DELIVERANCE MINISTRY

The secular world largely denies the existence of spirit beings. The educated West closes its eyes to any reality apart from the physical. However, the spiritual reality is well attested to by all the major religions and the Bible, but what control or influence do we have regarding this world? Do we still have the authority, at least as the Apostles had been given, to cast our demons and to heal the sick?

·       And he called the twelve and began to send them out two by two, and gave them authority over the unclean spirits. He charged them to take nothing for their journey except a staff—no bread, no bag, no money in their belts—but to wear sandals and not put on two tunics. (Mark 6:7-9 ESV; 13:5; Matthew 10:1; Luke 9:1)

This is a very important question. If we still have this same authority, and we are not casting out demons as the Apostles had done, is there something the matter with us, as some preachers allege? Let’s put the question in another way: “Should we still be doing what the Apostles had done, especially when they were initially sent out be Jesus, or has the situation changed?” It is clear that the situation does sometimes change along with Jesus’ commands. Notice that in the above passage, they had also been instructed “to take nothing for their journey except a staff—no bread, no bag, no money in their belts—but to wear sandals and not put on two tunics.” However, Jesus had changed this directive prior to His crucifixion:

·       And he said to them, “When I sent you out with no moneybag or knapsack or sandals, did you lack anything?” They said, “Nothing.” He said to them, “But now let the one who has a moneybag take it, and likewise a knapsack. And let the one who has no sword sell his cloak and buy one. For I tell you that this Scripture must be fulfilled in me: ‘And he was numbered with the transgressors.’ For what is written about me has its fulfillment.” (Luke 22:35-37)

The situation had now changed. They would now have to anticipate severe persecution. Therefore, they had to be prepared with “moneybag…knapsack…sword.” Since the situation had now changed along with Jesus’ directions, should we also regard the authority over demons as something that belongs to the past? There are several reasons to regard that this level of authority as something that was just meant for the time of the Apostles.

Although we do find that casting out demons occurred during the Book of Acts, we find no command to cast out demons throughout the Epistles and the Book of Revelation. Even Jesus’ Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20) makes no mention of casting out demons. Even the Apostle Paul had seemed reluctant to cast out a demon:

·       She [the demon possessed girl] followed Paul and us, crying out, “These men are servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to you the way of salvation.” And this she kept doing for many days. Paul, having become greatly annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.” And it came out that very hour. (Acts 16:17-18)

Why hadn’t Paul cast this demon out immediately? Evidently, he had reservations about doing this.

It seems that even the Archangels lacked this level of authority over Satan:

·       But when the archangel Michael, contending with the devil, was disputing about the body of Moses, he did not presume to pronounce a blasphemous judgment, but said, “The Lord rebuke you.” (Jude 1:9)

Even Michael seemed to lack the authority to rebuke the devil. Instead, he had to invoke the Lord to rebuke Satan.

I do not want to discredit the deliverance ministry, but it seems that we have a better means to deal with the devil. According to Jesus, merely casting out demons could lead to a far worse result:

·       “When the unclean spirit has gone out of a person, it passes through waterless places seeking rest, but finds none. Then it says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ And when it comes, it finds the house empty, swept, and put in order. Then it goes and brings with it seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they enter and dwell there, and the last state of that person is worse than the first. So also will it be with this evil generation.” (Matthew 12:43-45)

A house swept clean has to be filled, lest it be filled with even more demons. Jesus’ “evil generation” had filled themselves with other “demons” – demons of lust, arrogance, and self-righteousness. This seems to be the fate of those who have managed to clean up their lives through rituals, self-denial, self-help, and even external practices of virtue, all of which leave the inside of the cup filthy and vulnerable.

Instead, it is necessary for us to realize that we cannot affect real and lasting change through our own efforts (John 15:4-5). Jesus had compared these activities to merely white-washing the outside of a tomb and cleaning the outside of the cup, while ignoring the filth inside the cup.

Instead, we must be born-again, by the mercies of God, and to fill our house with the Word of God. Merely casting a demon out leaves the individual vulnerable to an even worse outcome.