Chapter 33: Lordship Matters – Water Baptism

Jesus came and told his disciples, "I have been given complete authority in heaven and on earth. 19 Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. 20 Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Matthew 28:18-20 (NLT)

The Great Commission instructs the church to go and make disciples. The two sub-points our Lord attached were 1.) water baptism, and 2.) teaching them to obey his commands. Since baptism is the first command for disciples, it is a top priority and not to be skipped over or taken lightly. It is often the first way any new disciple can show his commitment to the Lord. The church is commissioned teach its disciples the necessity of obedience in all things, especially water baptism.

Water baptism is a public declaration that we belong to the Lord and a pledge to serve him.

When a person accepts the gospel invitation to be reconciled to God through faith in Christ and His finished work on the cross, he or she is born again and indwelled by the Holy Spirit.

The third Person of the Trinity sets up a permanent residence in our lives. He is the resident Christian, the only One Who can live the Christian life. He is our Helper, the One Who ministers grace to us, enabling us to be assured, bold and obedient followers of Christ.

The Bible says that we are “sealed” by this same Spirit. God marks us in an invisible way as belonging to Him. According to Paul, this spiritual seal is proof that God will complete the work of salvation in us which He has begun.

Now He who establishes us with you in Christ and anointed us is God, 22 who also sealed us and gave us the Spirit in our hearts as a pledge. 2 Corinthians 1:21-22 (NASB)

This seal is invisible and must be spiritually discerned, but our faith is meant to be a public proclamation, not something hidden. When we submit to a public water baptism, before witnesses, we boldly declare that we belong to Jesus Christ and our lives are his.

Water baptism is our public seal confirming God’s invisible seal, which signifies our union with and allegiance to Christ.

We declare that our old way of living for sin and our own desires is finished, dead, and buried, and that the rest of our natural lives will be lived for our Lord in the power of His resurrection as the Holy Spirit enables us.

Paul wrote the following regarding water baptism.

All of God lives in Christ's body, 10 and God has made you [plural] complete in Christ. Christ is in charge of every ruler and authority. 11 In him you were also circumcised. It was not a circumcision performed by human hands. But it was a removal of the corrupt nature in the circumcision performed by Christ. 12 This happened when you were placed in the tomb with Christ through baptism. In baptism you were also brought back to life with Christ through faith in the power of God, who brought him back to life. 13 You were once dead because of your failures and your uncircumcised corrupt nature. But God made you alive with Christ when he forgave all our failures. 14 He did this by erasing the charges that were brought against us by the written laws God had established. He took the charges away by nailing them to the cross. 15 He stripped the rulers and authorities {of their power} and made a public spectacle of them as he celebrated his victory in Christ. Colossians 2:9-15 (GW)

There are three major baptisms mentioned in Scripture – baptism into the body of Christ, baptism into water, and baptism in the Holy Spirit. Each of these baptisms is different, having a different baptizer, a different subject, a different medium into which the subject is baptized, and a different purpose.

The baptism into the body of Christ takes place at the new birth. The Holy Spirit takes the new believer and immerses him or her into Christ’s body, the church. This is when we are sealed in Christ by the indwelling Spirit.

For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and we were all made to drink of one Spirit. 1 Corinthians 12:13 (NASB)

Water baptism is the outward demonstration of the inward baptism into Christ’s body with the added dimension of its being a public declaration of allegiance to Christ.

In water baptism, another believer baptizes a new convert, or someone who finally realizes how important it is, into water. Water baptism is an object lesson that our old sin nature and old way of life are dead and buried in union with Christ’s death and that we are now risen in union with Christ’s resurrection to live the rest of our earthly lives for Him.

Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death? 4 Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life. Romans 6:3-4 (NASB)

The third baptism is the baptism into the Holy Spirit. In this one, Jesus Himself baptizes the believer into the Holy Spirit to empower him or her for service. We will have much more to say about this one later.

Water baptism does not justify a person before God: only the blood of Jesus can do that. Rather water baptism is the obedient and proper response of a grateful and submitted heart to his or her Lord.

Corresponding to that, baptism now saves you—not the removal of dirt from the flesh, but an appeal to God for a good conscience—through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, 1 Peter 3:21 (NASB)

Salvation in this verse should not be confused with the new birth or justification. Rather, we are “saved” in the sense of being set apart to God by obeying the Lord in this crucial public declaration of faith, just as we are likewise saved in this fashion every time we obey God, but especially when our obedience results in a bold proclamation of faith in Christ.

In some cultures where Christianity is strongly resisted, such as radical Islamic states, a person can quietly confess Christ at times without repercussion, but when he or she is baptized in water, it is an entirely different matter. Muslims understand that water baptism equates to a radical declaration of allegiance to the Lord Jesus.

No person should take water baptism casually, as if it were merely a step in joining a church. It is a declaration of war upon Satan’s kingdom and a commitment to unflinchingly testify to the gospel even unto death.

As such, water baptism should only be administered to those believers who fully understand what they are doing. It should be a time of celebration and soberness – a celebration that we are taking a big step in our faith journey with the Lord and soberness because we understand that we are truly identifying ourselves with Christ’s death and saying we are willing even to die for our Lord.

Some churches believe that water baptism is what saves us. They confuse the baptism into the body of Christ which happens at the new birth with water baptism. This is just one example of why it is so important for us to understand the teaching regarding spirit, soul, and body.

Other groups make a big deal out of whose name we baptize in. Jesus told us to baptize in the name of the Trinity – Father, Son, and Spirit. The early disciples baptized into the name of Jesus. There is a group which believes that Jesus is the only name into which we must be baptized for it to be valid. This group does not hold a Trinitarian view. Instead, they believe the One God appears in various “modes,” sometimes as Father, sometimes as Son, and at other times as the Spirit. The heresy is called Modalism.

The Scriptures clearly teach that God is One, but that Father, Son, and Spirit are all God and distinct from one another. Hence, we have the mysterious doctrine of the Trinity that is clearly above our comprehension. It is for us to acknowledge but not completely understand, any more than we completely understand how we are composed of body, soul, and spirit – a trinity of its own. There are times when all three persons are present at once, such as at the baptism of Christ by John the Baptist. (Matthew 3:16-17) If the Father and Son are the same, to whom was Jesus praying and calling Father? To whom was Jesus being obedient when he went to the cross? The Spirit was sent by Jesus to empower us to be his witnesses after Jesus ascended into heaven. The Spirit’s presence in our lives is proof that Jesus is the Lord, seated at God’s right hand.

I recommend using the trinitarian formula that Jesus gave us in the Great Commission, but it is also proper to baptize in the name of Jesus as did the first apostles.

Click here to see the other articles in this series.

 

Questions for Further Study and Discussion 
  • Has this chapter altered how you view water baptism?
  • Is it clear to you how water baptism differs from being saved by faith in Christ’s finished work on the cross and his resurrection?
  • If you were previously water baptized, did you understand the commitment you were making?
  • Do you feel the need to be baptized at this time?

Chapter 47: Lordship Matters – Authority to Heal the Sick

Note: This lesson builds on Lesson 25 – Redemption from Sickness and Disease, which lays out the theological framework for healing. This is more of a practical application.

One of the signs that should accompany the proclamation of the gospel is healing. Jesus instructed his disciples…

And as you go, preach, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ 8 “Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons. Freely you received, freely give.  Matthew 10:7–8 (NASB95) — 

"These signs will accompany those who have believed: in My name they will cast out demons, they will speak with new tongues; 18 they will pick up serpents, and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover." Mark 16:17-18 (NASB) 

Few things make us more desperate for a Savior than being sick, especially when there is nothing that a doctor can do for us. Sickness and disease are products of Adam’s sin, which corrupted creation and introduced death in all its forms. It represents an aberration from God’s original intent. The suffering it brings is a reminder of our weakness and mortality and reveals our need for a Savior.

Healing is a function of God’s mercy and love and reveals his desire to relieve human suffering.

When He went ashore, He saw a large crowd, and felt compassion for them and healed their sick.  Matthew 14:14 (NASB95) —

In Exodus 15:26, God revealed that one of His names is, “Jehovah Rapha”… “I AM the LORD, who heals you.” The literal translation of this name is: “I AM your healing.” Healing is one of God’s unchanging attributes, and although God’s plans may change, He himself never changes (see Mal. 3:6). If God’s nature was to heal then, it is still His nature to heal today. [Medic, Praying. Divine Healing Made Simple (The Kingdom of God Made Simple) (pp. 37-38). Inkity Press. Kindle Edition.]

And He said, “If you will give earnest heed to the voice of the Lord your God, and do what is right in His sight, and give ear to His commandments, and keep all His statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you which I have put on the Egyptians; for I, the Lord, am your healer.”  Exodus 15:26 (NASB95) — 

In this verse, healing depended on Israel’s obedience. In the New Covenant, however, our healing is directly connected to Christ’s obedience. He earned our healing through his suffering.

Jesus accomplished our healing by the wounds He received during His passion and crucifixion. In other words, healing is part of the atonement.

An unbiased reading of Isaiah 53 can lead to no other conclusion.

Surely he took up our infirmities [literally, sicknesses] and carried our sorrows [literally, pains], yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted. 5 But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed. 6 We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all. Isaiah 53:4-6 (NIV)

The same Hebrew verbs refer to His carrying our sins and sicknesses. If He carried one away, then He did the same for the other. This interpretation is corroborated by Peter in his first letter.

He personally carried away our sins in his own body on the cross so we can be dead to sin and live for what is right. You have been healed by his wounds! 1 Peter 2:24 (NLT)

In order to make it even more clear, the Holy Spirit inspired Matthew to write the following, which absolutely links Isaiah 53 to physical healing.

That evening many demon-possessed people were brought to Jesus. All the spirits fled when he commanded them to leave; and he healed all the sick. 17 This fulfilled the word of the Lord through Isaiah, who said, "He took our sicknesses and removed our diseases." Matthew 8:16-17 (NLT)

Once a debt is paid, it never needs to be paid again. Jesus paid the debt for our sins and purchased our healing in the process.

The gospels link forgiveness to healing. Both are fruit of what Jesus accomplished by his passion, crucifixion, and resurrection.

“Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven’; or to say, ‘Get up, and pick up your pallet and walk’? 10 “But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—He said to the paralytic, 11 “I say to you, get up, pick up your pallet and go home.” 12 And he got up and immediately picked up the pallet and went out in the sight of everyone, so that they were all amazed and were glorifying God, saying, “We have never seen anything like this.”  Mark 2:9–12 (NASB95) — 

While it’s true that Jesus used this encounter as a visible demonstration of His authority to forgive sin, it also illustrates the relationship between forgiveness of sin and healing. Jesus has the same authority over both sin and sickness and the grace of God deals with them in the same way. With the same proclamation Jesus forgave the man’s sin and healed him of his sickness. [Medic, Praying. Divine Healing Made Simple (The Kingdom of God Made Simple) (pp. 39-40). Inkity Press. Kindle Edition.]

Jesus perfectly represents God the Father and his heart toward people. (Hebrews 1:3) Since he often healed people during his earthly ministry and commanded his disciples to do the same, we know that is God’s heart and intention.”

And no doubt you know that God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. Then Jesus went around doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the Devil, for God was with him. Acts 10:38 (NLT)

[Jesus said…] and heal those in it who are sick, and say to them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’  Luke 10:9 (NASB95) — 

Healing is “…a tangible demonstration of God’s power, love, mercy and compassion, a means of warfare against the kingdom of darkness, a means of making people spiritually, physically and emotionally whole and a way to bring people into a personal relationship with God.” [Medic, Praying. Divine Healing Made Simple (The Kingdom of God Made Simple) (p. 26). Inkity Press. Kindle Edition.]

Some say that God no longer heals because now we have the written Bible, and we no longer need God to prove the truth of his message by demonstrations of power. The Word of God says, however, that Jesus is always the same.

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.  Hebrews 13:8 (NASB95) — 

His compassion for people has not changed. God’s desire to prove the truth of the gospel has not changed. The only difference is that we in the West believe that we only need logical arguments to satisfy our thirst for truth. This is a very “Greek” way of thinking that does not reflect God’s wisdom.

For indeed Jews ask for signs and Greeks search for wisdom; 23 but we preach Christ crucified, to Jews a stumbling block and to Gentiles foolishness, 24 but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.  1 Corinthians 1:22–24 (NASB95) — 

Everyone deeply needs to experience God’s power as well as his truth. That is why Paul operated in both realms when he brought the gospel to people.

and my message and my preaching were not in persuasive words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, 5 so that your faith would not rest on the wisdom of men, but on the power of God.  1 Corinthians 2:4–5 (NASB95) — 

Healing is kind of a dinner bell calling people to salvation. When healing takes place, people flock to hear the gospel message. Nothing more clearly reveals God’s love and personal interest to a seeker than a physical healing.

When people see that Jesus has the power to heal, they can more readily believe He has the power to deliver their souls from hell, give them eternal life, redeem them for all oppression, and restore them to intimacy with the Father.

Healing not only applies to the body: God also heals the soul (mind, will, emotions). He heals marriages, old hurts and wounds, and areas in which we have been devastated by the devil, other people, or our own sin.

As for me, I said, “O Lord, be gracious to me; Heal my soul, for I have sinned against You.”  Psalm 41:4 (NASB95) — 

The Good Shepherd loves people and wants the best for us. Those who have his heart for others will feel the same and do as he did.

Jesus is looking for those who will take the gospel and his healing ministry to the lost and dying.

Jesus was going through all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every kind of disease and every kind of sickness. 36 Seeing the people, He felt compassion for them, because they were distressed and dispirited like sheep without a shepherd. 37 Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. 38 “Therefore beseech the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest.”  Matthew 9:35–38 (NASB95) — 

Somehow, we have concluded that representatives of Christ should only preach the gospel. I think these verses and others reveal that we are to minister physical and other kinds of healing, too. Is our reluctance to do so because we are afraid of looking foolish if healing does not seem to take place? Are we more concerned about our own reputation than we are determined to properly represent God’s heart to those who need his healing touch?

After His resurrection and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, the Acts of the Apostles records that the early Christians preached the gospel with signs following that confirmed the truth of their words. This has been the pattern for evangelism from the beginning of the church.

Healing and evangelism are inextricably linked.

Healing has been called the “children’s bread,” which refers to Jesus’ conversation with the Syro-Phoenician woman. She begged Jesus to heal her daughter, but Our Lord replied that it was not proper to take the “children’s bread” and cast it to the “dogs,” an analogical and perhaps derogatory term for non-Jewish people. Not to be deterred, this faith-filled woman responded that even the dogs eat the crumbs from the family table. Jesus responded to her humility and persistent faith by granting her request.

From this passage we learn that anyone who comes to the Lord with persistent faith can reasonably expect Him to mercifully heal them and their loved ones. Warning: this is not a law or a rule, but a principle.

This principle of God’s willingness to heal us is confirmed by Jesus’ words to the leper who asked to be healed.

While He was in one of the cities, behold, there was a man covered with leprosy; and when he saw Jesus, he fell on his face and implored Him, saying, “Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.” 13 And He stretched out His hand and touched him, saying, “I am willing; be cleansed.” And immediately the leprosy left him.  Luke 5:12–13 (NASB95) — 

There is no record of Jesus ever denying someone who asked for healing.

“Jesus healed all who came to Him. No one was turned away. As long as people were willing to be healed, He was willing to heal them. He didn’t heal all who were sick, but rather, He healed all who were willing to be made well.” [Medic, Praying. Divine Healing Made Simple (The Kingdom of God Made Simple) (p. 41). Inkity Press. Kindle Edition.]

But what about when we pray and healing does not (seem to?) take place? All sorts of theories have been advanced as to why this happens. Some have concluded that the faith of the one seeking healing or the one praying was deficient since healing has been bought and paid for already. Some have looked for other reasons, such as unconfessed sin or other such hindrances.

While all these things may play a factor, I believe it is important for us to acknowledge that sometimes we simply do not know why some are not healed.

We should not “blame” the unhealed person or the minister for not having enough faith, even though that may be the case. The blame game belongs to the devil, the Accuser of the Brethren, and could put us in the same camp as Job’s friends who said that his suffering was a punishment for his sin, when that was not the case at all. God was simply dealing with Job in an incomprehensible way. It was only at the end that it became clear what God had accomplished through Job’s suffering.

We need to disassociate ourselves from looking for deficiencies in ourselves and others. Instead, it is important for us to see ourselves as Christ’s representatives.

“The key to operating in the power of God is in knowing your identity in Christ and knowing how He wants to work in you. You must shed the false identities you’ve accepted from man and receive the identity given to you by God.” [Medic, Praying. Divine Healing Made Simple (The Kingdom of God Made Simple) (p. 52). Inkity Press. Kindle Edition.]

When it comes to healing, our primary responsibility always is to love people, trust God, and hold on to what the Bible teaches, regardless of the perceived outcome.

We will never go wrong if we seek to bring glory and honor to our Lord by our attitude, words, and actions. The one who endures the adversity of apparently not being healed and does not complain or accuse God perhaps glorifies God more than the person who experiences physical healing. Who is sufficient for these things?

If we are suffering from sickness, the first thing we can do is fully surrender to God and ask Him to glorify Himself through our lives and our present situation. I believe by so doing we maximize our ability to hear His voice, know His will, and believe His Word.

and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed.  1 Peter 2:24 (NASB95) — 

The truth is that we already have been healed, whether it appears so or not. The price was fully paid at Calvary.

Faith receives our healing immediately without waiting for any outward manifestation. Nevertheless, the timing and method of our experiencing that healing lies entirely with God.

We still live in a fallen world. Everyone is destined to die, barring Christ’s return before that happens. (Hebrews 9:27) The most perfect expression of healing will take place at the resurrection when these mortal bodies will be replaced by spiritual ones that will never get sick or die. Until then, we live in a sin-scarred world having bodies that are still subject to the effects of Adam’s sin. Our spirits are made perfect at the new birth. Our souls are being transformed day by day, but our bodies will not be perfected until the resurrection. This means we must be okay ministering inside the tension created by the “already / not yet” aspect of the kingdom of God.

Christ already paid the price for our healing, but we don’t always see an immediate result when we pray. However, our faith always rests upon the completed aspect of healing.

Here are some practical tips for praying for the sick.

  1. Practically speaking, we should expect that God will heal each time we pray.
  1. Teach those receiving ministry that they play a part, too.
    • They can ask for healing,
    • Believe for healing,
    • Receive their healing, and
    • Thank God for their healing. All of which requires faith and an open heart.
  1. Prior to praying, it might be advisable to share some Bible verses with the sick person to elevate his or her faith. Remind the one receiving ministry that…
    • One of God’s compound names is the Lord who heals us. It is his nature to heal.
    • Jesus already paid the price for our healing.
    • Jesus further revealed God’s desire to heal us by healing everyone who came to him.
    • Faith receives immediately what God promised before it ever sees any evidence. Faith is the evidence. (Hebrews 11:1)
    • Remember that our faith rests on the promises of God made effective by the power of the Holy Spirit and the authority of our Lord Jesus.

We must understand that the power to heal resides with us. It is true that the power does not originate in us. It comes from God. But it comes to us and is released through us by the power of the Holy Spirit operating in us. We are something like portable power stations walking the earth. How marvelous it is that He has placed His treasure in these very earthen vessels. [Medic, Praying. Divine Healing Made Simple (The Kingdom of God Made Simple) (p. 84). Inkity Press. Kindle Edition.] 

  1. Worship is always a good thing. It brings the sick person and the one praying into the manifest presence of God. “God’s glory brings healing, deliverance, creative miracles, and much more into existence. Wherever God’s presence is manifested in this way, heaven touches earth.” [Medic, Praying. Divine Healing Made Simple (The Kingdom of God Made Simple) (p. 94). Inkity Press. Kindle Edition.]
  1. Ask the Holy Spirit for any specific instructions.

“To operate successfully in healing it’s imperative to establish a strong, active relationship with the Holy Spirit. All that we do must be led and powered by the Spirit of God.” [Medic, Praying. Divine Healing Made Simple (The Kingdom of God Made Simple) (p. 103). Inkity Press. Kindle Edition.] 

“Always invite the Holy Spirit to lead the healing encounter and allow Him to do with the person what He wants done. Ministry with the Holy Spirit is a dance. He leads and we follow.” [Medic, Praying. Divine Healing Made Simple (The Kingdom of God Made Simple) (p. 105). Inkity Press. Kindle Edition.]

“A word of knowledge may be given to encourage us to pray for a condition we wouldn’t normally have faith to heal. One of the first words of knowledge I received was for a man with Lou Gehrig’s disease. At this point in my life I had no faith that I’d ever see this condition healed. When I gave the word to him and his wife, it boosted their hope.” [Medic, Praying. Divine Healing Made Simple (The Kingdom of God Made Simple) (p. 118). Inkity Press. Kindle Edition.] 

“If you’d like to receive words of knowledge, ask God to reveal things to you and spend time getting to know His ways. The revelation gifts are relational and time is the commodity of relationships.” [Medic, Praying. Divine Healing Made Simple (The Kingdom of God Made Simple) (p. 119). Inkity Press. Kindle Edition.]

  1. It is a good idea to lay hands upon the sick, since Jesus often did it that way and the Bible encourages us to do the same. (Mark 16:18) The only place we are instructed to anoint with oil is in a command to elders in the church. (James 5:14)
  1. When we pray for the sick, we should do so aloud with confidence, more in the way of a command than a petition. We represent Christ and enforce his victory by using our God-given authority to speak words of liberation.
The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, Because the Lord has anointed me To bring good news to the afflicted; He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to captives And freedom to prisoners;  Isaiah 61:1 (NASB95) — 
  1. It is okay to pray more than once for a particular issue. Jesus did so in the case of the blind man who was only partially healed at first.
Taking the blind man by the hand, He brought him out of the village; and after spitting on his eyes and laying His hands on him, He asked him, “Do you see anything?” 24 And he looked up and said, “I see men, for I see them like trees, walking around.” 25 Then again He laid His hands on his eyes; and he looked intently and was restored, and began to see everything clearly.  Mark 8:23–25 (NASB95) — 

 “Among my friends who have the highest success rates in healing, there is agreement on one approach that seems to work best. It involves commanding sickness or pain to leave and commanding healing to take its place. Don’t beg or plead with God to heal anyone. The most common mistake people make is begging God to heal. The second is quitting too soon. Persistence brings breakthrough. You’ll have to get used to a little embarrassment. You may look a bit foolish repeatedly commanding a broken leg to be healed when there is no outward sign that it’s helping. Yet the vast majority of healings I’ve seen came because I stood there looking like an idiot, repeatedly commanding an injury to be healed until it finally was healed.” [Medic, Praying. Divine Healing Made Simple (The Kingdom of God Made Simple) (pp. 107-108). Inkity Press. Kindle Edition.]

“When I started seeing people healed, most of it came after four or five times of commanding healing to happen. Be persistent and don’t quit. If you see any change in symptoms or severity of pain after four or five times, keep going. You’re making progress. If you see any change at all, you can eventually get it to go away completely.” [Medic, Praying. Divine Healing Made Simple (The Kingdom of God Made Simple) (pp. 108-109). Inkity Press. Kindle Edition.]

  1. Consider the possibility that an evil spirit of infirmity might be present. We handle that by casting it out.

“If healing is going poorly consider the possibility that a spirit is present that must be removed.” [Medic, Praying. Divine Healing Made Simple (The Kingdom of God Made Simple) (p. 108). Inkity Press. Kindle Edition.] 

“When praying with someone, if they suddenly experience pain they didn’t have before, or if a present sensation of pain moves to another part of the body or becomes worse, it’s a sure sign that an evil spirit is manifesting. Demons sometimes manifest to frighten their host. If the demon can create enough fear in the mind of its host they may ask you to stop praying for them, thinking you’re only making things worse. My advice in these cases is to tell them there is a spirit present and the increased pain is a tactic it’s using to frighten them. Ask if you may continue and reassure them it will eventually leave.” [Medic, Praying. Divine Healing Made Simple (The Kingdom of God Made Simple) (pp. 163-164). Inkity Press. Kindle Edition.]

“If someone receives prayer from multiple people with a good track record for healing and no progress is being made, it almost certainly points to a demonic presence that hasn’t been dealt with.”  [Medic, Praying. Divine Healing Made Simple (The Kingdom of God Made Simple) (p. 219). Inkity Press. Kindle Edition.]

  1. We should not be afraid to ask the person if they experienced healing after we pray. We may discover that the person was completely healed, only partially healed, or nothing seemed to happen. Our attitude should be to stick with it as long as it takes as long as the recipient is willing. Just listen to the Lord and do what he says. Once I prayed for my wife to be healed of a headache. Afterward I asked her if it was gone. She said no, so I prayed again. The second time it left immediately.

Refuse to be embarrassed if nothing seems to happen. Our reputation is not on the line. God’s is, and he can handle it.

If after repeated prayer, no healing seems to take place, I usually tell the person to keep believing because every healing is not instantaneous.

We must also keep in mind that eventually we all will die.

Healing is always a temporary fix at best. The resurrection is the final solution for these mortal bodies, which are wearing out and proceeding inexorably toward death.

May God be glorified by our faith in His promises and our trust in his loving kindness, wisdom, and sovereign power, no matter what. May we glorify God by receiving our healing by faith and by trusting him even if we do not experience healing in this life. May the gospel be confirmed by the bold pronouncement of healing in Jesus’ name followed by healing and miracles!

For further reading, I recommend two other books. Christ the Healer by F.F. Bosworth and Divine Healing Made Simple by the Praying Medic (Dave Hayes).

Click here to see the other articles in this series.

Questions for Further Study and Discussion
  1. Have you ever seen someone receive instantaneous healing?
  2. Have you ever prayed for someone who was healed?
  3. Do you have any fears or misgivings regarding praying for the sick?

Chapter 32: Lordship Matters – Jesus Is Lord

This chapter begins a new section entitled “Lordship Matters.” The part we just completed focused mainly on different aspects of Christ’s finished work of salvation. Now that we have a better idea of what our Savior has done for us, we will look at what is involved with Christ being our Lord.

Paul wrote that confessing Jesus as Lord is what saves us. (Romans 10:9-10) Adam’s and Eve’s sin was a renouncing of their submission to God. They chose instead to obey the serpent. It is not surprising, therefore, that the fundamental element of our salvation is the reestablishment of our proper relationship to Christ’s lordship.

The early church boldly declared the central truth of the gospel that “Jesus is Lord,” which was a clear provocation to Roman rule and law. Romans were required to publicly confess that Caesar was lord (a divine title), sometimes on pain of death, which would be a violation of any true believer’s conscience. Many a Christian died a martyr’s death for standing firm in his confession of Christ’s Lordship. Today, here in America, we are currently not threatened in such a way by the governing authorities; nevertheless, it is just as important to confess and live in such a way that it is apparent to all who is the Lord.

In earlier times, the concept of lordship was easily understood. People lived with daily exposure to human lordship in operation all around them. Kings ruled over their subjects, doing what they wished and expecting absolute obedience from their people. Slave masters ruled over their slaves. Women generally regarded their husbands as lords of the home. Today things are not so clear to us here in America. We have lived for over 200 years under a republican form of government that believes a ruler’s authority and right to rule are derived from the consent of the people. The idea of a lord having absolute authority over us is usually only something we find in the military in our country.

Paul wrote the following words as a guiding principle for understanding how to properly relate to authority.

Every person is to be in subjection to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God. Romans 13:1 (NASB)

Here we learn that all authority is established by God, who is the supreme authority. As such, authorities here on earth are supposed to represent God’s rule. Paul went on to explain what the proper functioning of authority looks like.

For rulers are not a cause of fear for good behavior, but for evil. Do you want to have no fear of authority? Do what is good and you will have praise from the same; 4  for it is a minister of God to you for good. But if you do what is evil, be afraid; for it does not bear the sword for nothing; for it is a minister of God, an avenger who brings wrath on the one who practices evil. Romans 13:3-4 (NASB)

Our founding fathers were convinced that any government that misrepresents God by imposing tyranny on its subjects must be resisted, overthrown, and replaced with a more godly form of government. They viewed Great Britain as having violated their own Constitution, which invalidated their right to rule over the colonists.

Paul and the other apostles also lived under a tyrannical form of government imposed by Rome. However, he did not advocate for resistance or armed rebellion against their overlords. Instead, they told followers of Christ to submit to the government, unless it required them to disobey God or violate their consciences.

The general principle for us today is to obey delegated authority whenever we are able to do so in good conscience.

As citizens of a constitutional republic, we have the responsibility to participate in our government, at least to the extent of voting for our representatives. When government overreaches by going beyond what is constitutional and takes away our God-given freedoms, as it did during the Covid lockdown, it is our responsibility not to obey, but to resist in non-violent ways. If push comes to shove, however, it is conceivable that violence might be required. Nevertheless, that would be a last resort. The first obligation is to obey whenever possible.

Today, because live in a society and under a government of elected officials, we are comfortable evaluating and even criticizing those in authority. We often regard what authorities tell us to do as if they are mere suggestions rather than commands. This attitude extends beyond government into the home, the workplace, and school. Many even transfer this kind of thinking to their relationship with God. We may not take seriously what God’s Word says. We may find it easy to say “No” to the Lord of Lords, or, in a passive aggressive way, perhaps simply ignore Him for days on end.

Jesus warned us against this sort of mentality and behavior.

Not everyone who calls out to me, ‘Lord! Lord!’ will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Only those who actually do the will of my Father in heaven will enter. 22  On judgment day many will say to me, ‘Lord! Lord! We prophesied in your name and cast out demons in your name and performed many miracles in your name.’ 23  But I will reply, ‘I never knew you. Get away from me, you who break God’s laws.’ Matthew 7:21-23 (NLT) 

We understand from a previous teaching that Jesus explained that the primary way of “doing his will” is to put our faith and allegiance in him.

They replied, “We want to perform God’s works, too. What should we do?” 29  Jesus told them, “This is the only work God wants from you: Believe in the one he has sent.” John 6:28-29 (NLT) 

However, genuine faith will always produce acts of obedience to God through the inner transformative work of the Holy Spirit.

As James wrote: “Faith without works is dead.” (James 2:20) As we work through the next several chapters on lordship matters, it will be important for us to keep in mind this connection between faith and works and grace and obedience. It will force us to navigate the tension between having God for our friend and knowing him as Lord. Hopefully, we can arrive at a place where we have a proper fear of God that produces the obedience of faith without any damage being done the sense of wonder inspired by his amazing love for us and the grace he extends our way.

Click here to see the other articles in this series.

Questions for Further Study and Discussion
  1. Do you think our founding fathers were biblically correct in their assessment that Great Britain governed illegitimately, since they violated their own constitution by denying rights to the colonists, and deserved to be overthrown?
  2. Why do you suppose that we generally balk at giving others the ability to tell us what to do?
  3. Do you think that most who claim to be Christians know Jesus as Savior and Lord, or just as Savior? Why do you think this?

Chapter 46: Lordship Matters – Authority to Cast Out Demons

The preaching of the gospel signifies the coming of God’s kingdom. Healings, miracles, and casting out demons should regularly accompany this proclamation of freedom from Satan’s dominion.

"These signs will accompany those who have believed: in My name they will cast out demons, they will speak with new tongues; 18 they will pick up serpents, and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover." Mark 16:17-18 (NASB) 

The purpose of this teaching is to equip the hearer to become knowledgeable and confident to step out in faith with reliance upon the Spirit of God to set people free from demonic oppression. God loves to use ordinary people who believe his promises, rely on his Spirit, and step out in faith. Ordinary people like us can do extraordinary things. Casting out demons is not a quick fix. Rather it is usually part of a more comprehensive process of helping people escape bondage. We don’t want to be guilty of having only one tool in our bag, say a hammer, and seeing every problem as a nail.

What is a demon?

Scripture is not clear on this matter. Some hold that they are fallen angels; while others believe they are some other malevolent creatures, who for some reason crave to inhabit and oppress humans. Probably they wish to have a bodily means of expressing their evil in the world, or it may simply be that they wish to mar the crown of God’s creation. Regardless of their origin, demons have power to oppress or demonize people, and Jesus came to set us free from their influence. In addition, our Lord delegated authority to his followers to do the same.

When Jesus rose from the dead, Satan and all in his kingdom suffered a complete defeat.

Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 9 For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.  Philippians 2:8–11 (NASB95) — 

Christ’s resurrection sealed the destruction of the kingdom of darkness and introduced the reign of God.

When we respond to the gospel, Father God transfer’s us from Satan’s rule into Jesus’ glorious kingdom.

For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son,  Colossians 1:13 (NASB95) — 
 
What is demonization?

Unfortunately, most Bible translations incorrectly describe demonic activity as “possession,” implying ownership and complete control over us. The Scriptures call it “demonization,” which can come in varying degrees. Let’s look at an example.

When evening came, after the sun had set, they began bringing to Him all who were ill and those who were demon-possessed (Greek: daimonizomai = English: demonized).  Mark 1:32 (NASB95)

What a difference it would make in our thinking if this had been translated like this.

When evening came, after the sun had set, they began bringing to Him all who were ill and those who were oppressed or harassed by demons (demonized).

Oppression communicates something very different from possession. Some who oppose the idea that a Christian can “have” a demon correctly argue that those who belong to Christ cannot be possessed or owned by an evil spirit since we belong to God. However, this does not preclude a Christian’s being oppressed by a demon, which happens quite often.

Demons oppress people in a variety of ways, using fear, intimidation, and deception. Below are the names given to these spirits in the Bible.

  • Demon (daimonion) – Matthew 7:22. This is the general term.
  • Evil Spirit (pneuma poneros) – Matthew 12:45. This is also a general term. All demons are evil. This goes for ghosts, poltergeists, etc. There is no Casper the friendly ghost. Don’t be deceived by the current fad of ghost busting. To learn more about this, consider reading Seeing Ghosts through God’s Eyes by Mark Hunnemann.
  • Unclean Spirit (pneuma akathartos) – Matthew 10:1. This is another general term, but one we in the West do not often use. The opposite of clean or holy is unclean or defiled. Unclean spirits defile what they touch. Jesus, the Clean One, cleanses unclean people with a touch. Part of his ministry was and is to drive out spirits of uncleanness. I think that sexual perversion can be demonic and defiles us.
  • Spirit of Infirmity, Weakness, or Sickness (pneuma astheneia) – Luke 13:11. Some sicknesses and diseases are caused by evil spirits. We must discern whether we are dealing with a “simple” sickness or one that is demonically induced. One requires healing. The other, deliverance.
  • Spirit of Fear, Timidity, or Cowardice (pneuma deilia) – 2 Timothy 1:7. Some spirits inspire fear in those they oppress. Spirits can only minister to others who they are and what they have. Perfect love (Jesus) drives out all fear.
  • Spirit of Python, Fortune Telling, Divination (pneuma puthon) – Acts 16:16. Evil spirits inspire false prophecy and other forms of divination (knowing things by means of an evil source). This is one reason why we must steer clear of demonically inspired sources of information, which include Ouija boards, fortune telling tarot cards, astrology, etc.. Satan always desires to bring people into bondage through false knowledge. He will reveal just enough truth to hook people, but his ultimate desire is to enslave and destroy us by means of clever lies.
  • Spirit of Slavery (pneuma douleia) – Romans 8:15. This spirit keeps people in bondage, often through fear and intimidation. Addictions may be at least partly caused by such a spirit. I believe these spirits are also at work in false religions and legalism.
  • Spirit of Antichrist (pneuma antichristos) – 1 John 4:3. This is the spirit behind false worship and false messiahs. It denies Christ and inspires others to do the same.
  • Spirit of Stupor (pneuma katanuxis) – Romans 11:8. This spirit seeks to dull people’s ability to hear and respond to God and the Gospel. When people start nodding off when anything spiritual is happening, it might be because of this spirit. Of course, they might be suffering from a lack of sleep, too.
  • Lying Spirit (ruach sheqer) – 2 Chronicles 18:22. This spirit works to keep people deceived. Some people are motivated by this spirit to lie. Others are lied to by this spirit. In the biblical example cited, lying spirits inspired false prophets to lie to the king to induce him to take a course of action that would result in his death. Today perhaps the legacy media is the closest parallel.

What evil spirits do according to the Bible.

  • Afflict – to apply pressure,
  • Harass – to distress or trouble,
  • Dispirit – to throw down,
  • Oppress – to exercise power over,
  • Torment –  to make a person hurt himself and cry out,
  • Inflict physical problems – such as sickness, deafness, blindness, muteness, seizures,
  • Try to destroy – such as throw someone into a fire,
  • Make insane – such as the Gerasene demoniac,
  • Defile – Unclean spirits afflict with impurity, sexual or otherwise,
  • Terrify – to fall upon, startle, inspire fear (Saul).
How do people become demonized?

I do not believe that demons are behind our every sin or problem. The greatest culprit we face is our own inborn propensity to sin, which the Bible calls the “flesh.” Paul advised us to…

… lay aside the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit, 23 and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind, 24 and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth.  Ephesians 4:22–24 (NASB95) — 

Even though our “flesh” should be our first suspect when we have a recurring problem, demons may be more prevalent than we think. They seek to take advantage of “open doors” in our lives to harass and oppress us.

Thankfully, they cannot oppress us at will if they have not been given access to do so.

Like a sparrow in its flitting, like a swallow in its flying, 
So a curse without cause does not alight.  Proverbs 26:2 (NASB95) — 

We do not have to be worried about some demon “jumping on us,” nor do we have to be concerned that, if we touch a demonized person, the demon can transfer to us. Jesus often laid his hands on demonized people as part of the deliverance process.

And He was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath. 11 And there was a woman who for eighteen years had had a sickness caused by a spirit; and she was bent double, and could not straighten up at all. 12 When Jesus saw her, He called her over and said to her, “Woman, you are freed from your sickness.” 13 And He laid His hands on her; and immediately she was made erect again and began glorifying God.  Luke 13:10–13 (NASB95) — 

In general, demons are attracted to some sort of “nest” of pain or lies or a “hook” created by some habitual or gateway sin by which to gain traction in our lives. Demons may gain access, it appears, in several ways. Here is a partial list.

  • When we give ourselves over to habitual sin, particularly bitterness, which opens our soul to whatever spirit or spirits may wish to “set up shop” in that area of sinfulness,
  • Sexual sin with a demonized partner,
  • If we participate in the occult in some way, even if it is done ignorantly,
  • If we are traumatized, especially when we are young, and we turn to someone or something other than God to help us,
  • If we give ourselves over to believing lies about God which contradict his character or the scriptures,
  • Through abuse, especially sexual abuse, especially when the abuse is done by someone who should be our protector, and
  • By the passing down of generational or family (familiar) spirits, such as when witchcraft is passed down from a parent or grandparent to a child.
  • Lately more demonic movies and TV shows are being aired. It is quite possible, I believe, for people who are watching these shows to open their hearts and minds to the demonic. It is akin to dabbling in the occult.
  • By opening our souls to evil through the use of drugs and mind altering chemicals.

Demons do not play fair and will take advantage of any opportunity or opening to oppress people, whether we sin intentionally or naively, as in occult involvement, or whether we commit sin or sin is committed against us, as in abuse. Parents, who are supposed to be protectors of their children, can open the door for their children to be demonized by bringing the occult, etc. into their homes.

Lastly, demons can even be sent by God to torment us if we refuse to forgive others.

“Then summoning him, his lord said to him, ‘You wicked slave, I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. 33 ‘Should you not also have had mercy on your fellow slave, in the same way that I had mercy on you?’ 34 “And his lord, moved with anger, handed him over to the torturers until he should repay all that was owed him. 35 “My heavenly Father will also do the same to you, if each of you does not forgive his brother from your heart.”  Matthew 18:32–35 (NASB95) — 
 
How do we identify demons?

If we believe that demons exist, that they were defeated by our Lord, and that we have authority over them, how do we know when we are dealing with one? That is less straightforward except for those times when they clearly manifest their presence.

Generally, demons seek to remain undetected. Therefore, the first step is to identify the problem.

They want us to assume that the oppression we experience at their hands is of our own making. For example, if we are being bombarded with lustful thoughts from an unclean spirit, it wants us to think these thoughts are all from our own mind. If we do not know a demon is at work, we will not take steps to get rid of it.

Demons try to distract from God and his work. We must never allow them to become the main event or attraction. Rather, we should see them as a sideshow. The underlying problem(s) that gave demons access is (are) the main issue that needs to be addressed and resolved.

Some believe that we should always suspect a demon when a person has a recurrent or difficult problem with sin or addiction. I believe our problems are usually more complicated than that. When helping someone get free from devastating problems, I address their bondage by looking at obvious sin, especially bitterness, generational problems passed down through their family, lies believed, unhealed traumatic pain, and lastly, demons. We all have what the Bible calls the “flesh,” our inborn propensity to sin. The “flesh” never reforms or goes away; although, it does not have the power to rule us after we are born again. However, we can give in to it if we choose. I begin with delving into these various areas of bondage, understanding that I may encounter a demon along the way. I trust the Holy Spirit to reveal if one is there. Often removing the ”nest” gets rid of the demon.

When we allow Jesus to liberate and heal us in these areas and uncover demons, they are easily removed. Deliverance is the easiest part of helping people experience their freedom in Christ.

When healing people, about half the time Jesus simply spoke words of healing, and the rest of the time he identified the problem as having a demonic origin. Our Lord was able to discern the difference, and so must we.

It can be harmful and confusing if we try to cast out a demon that is not present.

Nothing will happen, leaving either us or the person receiving ministry confused. It may be decided that Jesus does not have the desire to help us or that the minister is powerless. The flesh cannot be cast out.

The Holy Spirit gives us the ability to discern the presence or work of a demon (1 Corinthians 12:10), but it takes experience and faith to become proficient at it.

The gift of discerning of spirits is many-faceted. I know a person who told me that she can “smell” them. Others “see” them with spiritual discernment. Many detect their presence intuitively. Others “figure out” that they are the problem by analyzing the symptoms. Occasionally demons manifest in some obvious way. Each minister must figure out how God works through him or her. Personally, I must rely heavily on the Spirit of God since I cannot figure this stuff out on my own. I find this is the safest and most effective way to minister to people.

If we are convinced that the Holy Spirit will help us as we minister in Christ’s name and authority, it will enable us to step out in faith.  

I sometimes resort to commanding a suspected demon to manifest in a “controlled” way. I may pray something like this: “Evil spirit, if you are there, I command you to manifest in a way that Jesus allows and will not hinder or distract us in any way but will reveal your presence.” Once I suspected a young woman who was addicted to cigarettes may have been suffering from demonization. With her permission, I commanded any demon operating in her to manifest. She immediately had a vile taste in her mouth. I commanded the spirit to leave, and she was released from her addiction.

On a humorous side, once while ministering to a man, after we prayed, he heard a voice inside him say, “I am not going to leave either.” We both burst into laughter, realizing that a demon just revealed its presence. We immediately cast it out.

How can we be set free?

Once we identify any demons and help the demonized person to repent and renounce whatever gave them entrance, it is an easy matter to dispose of them. Helping people to be set free from demons is best done in active cooperation with the Holy Spirit. Jesus said that he cast out spirits by the “finger of God,” meaning the Holy Spirit, and so must we.

Forgiveness

Often the first step to being freed from bondage, including demonic oppression, is to forgive. Never try to go forward in a deliverance process until the person who desires freedom has released all bitterness.

Unforgiveness is the Christian’s archenemy.

Generational Devastation – Lies – Unhealed Traumatic Pain

With the Holy Spirit’s help, we can uncover the presence of generational devastation, lie-based strongholds, and unhealed traumatic wounds. This usually takes time, sometimes hours of ministry, which I call Personal Prayer Ministry. Identifying the problem, of course, is not solving it. The Spirit of God will also show us how to help people find freedom in Christ. In the process of freeing people from these things, we often uncover the presence and activity of demons, because those areas are where they love to hide and operate. Jesus is the great Liberator. We are simply his representatives whom he commissioned to carry on his work.

Any lie-based stronghold that is uncovered should be renounced and replaced it with the God’s truth. This can happen in a variety of ways, but often it takes place when the Spirit speaks directly to the person seeking freedom. If there are any unhealed wounds, we should ask Jesus to heal them. Generational devastation must be confessed and Christ’s victory over it declared.

We are human, but we don't wage war with human plans and methods. 4 We use God's mighty weapons, not mere worldly weapons, to knock down the Devil's strongholds. 5 With these weapons we break down every proud argument that keeps people from knowing God. With these weapons we conquer their rebellious ideas, and we teach them to obey Christ. 2 Corinthians 10:3-5 (NLT)

 

The Occult

Once we have helped a demonized person release any bitterness and examine the other three areas of bondage, the next general thing to cover is whether the person has ever participated in the occult or some secret society. Sometimes this may be moved higher up the list. Just let the Holy Spirit guide you. Occult involvement can be as “innocent” as playing with a Ouija board as a child or as serious as participating in satanic rituals. We can trust the Holy Spirit to reveal where a spirit gained access, and sometimes a simple checklist can help spur the memory. Here is a sample list.

Occult

Abortion (Molech), animal spirits, antichrist, astral projection, astrology, automatic writing, black magic, books, clairvoyance, conjuring, control, crystal ball, demon dispatching, demon worship, divination, eight ball, evil eye, ESP, fortune telling, handwriting analysis, hexing, horoscopes, hypnosis, I Ching, incantations, jezebel, levitation, meditation, mediumship, mental telepathy, necromancy, non-Christian exorcism, Ouija board, palm reading, past life readings, pendulum readings, psychic readings, psychic healings, python, reincarnation, satanic worship, séances, slavery (occult), sorcery, spells, spirit guides, spiritism, superstition, table tipping, tarot cards, tea leaves, third eye, trance, TM, vampire, victim, voodoo, water witching, werewolf, white magic, Wicca, witchcraft

Have you ever?

Cast a spell, drunk blood or urine, had hard rock, heavy metal, punk rock or violent rap music, had Masonic or occult jewelry, had occult books, fetishes, heard voices, joined a coven, played Dungeons and Dragons, made a blood pact, oath or vow, participated in martial arts, seen a sacrifice, demons or horror movies, selected a guru, used mantras, visited pagan temples or Indian burial grounds?

Secret Societies, Cults, etc.

Armstrong, Baha’i, Buddhism, Buffaloes, Christadelphians, Christian Science, College fraternities and sororities, Daughters of the Nile, DeMolay, Eastern Religions, Eastern Star Lodge, Edgar Cayce, Elks Lodge, Free Masonry, Hare Krishna,  Hinduism, Indian Occult Rituals, Inner Peace Movement, Islam, JWs, Job’s Daughters, KKK, Knights of Columbus, Mafia, Masons, Moonies, Moose Lodge, Mormonism, New Age, Odd Fellows, Orange Lodge, Rainbow Girls, Rebecca’s Lodge, Religious Science, Rosicrucians, Santeria, Satanism, Scientology, Shamanism, Shintoism, Shriners, Silva Mind Control, Spiritualism, Swedeborgianism, Knights Templars, the Way, Theosophy, Unitarians, Voodoo, Wicca, White Shrine, Witchcraft

Confession and Renunciation

If we discover an open door via the occult, as with any other sin that may act as a gateway or hook for demonization, it is best to lead the person to confess the involvement as sin, renounce any association, and command any spirits that gained access to leave.

A big key to easily uprooting a demon from its place is for the demonized person to renounce the sin or activity that opened the door.

Afterward doing these things, it is a simple matter to use Christ’s authority to command the demon to leave. The Holy Spirit will enforce our command. If we try to cast out a spirit without prior repentance, we may find that it resists leaving or reattaches itself to the delivered person because the door of access was left open.

“When the unclean spirit goes out of a man, it passes through waterless places seeking rest, and not finding any, it says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ 25 “And when it comes, it finds it swept and put in order. 26 “Then it goes and takes along seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they go in and live there; and the last state of that man becomes worse than the first.”  Luke 11:24–26 (NASB95) — 

Strangely enough, some people are reluctant to part with their demon “friends” or familiar spirits because they have been deceived into thinking they are somehow beneficial to them. All this should be exposed and renounced prior to casting out a spirit.

For example, one woman we helped had been exposed to a spirit of death in her childhood. Over the years she took comfort thinking that if things got bad enough, she could always die. When we identified the spirit’s presence, initially she was not sure she was ready to part with her “old friend.” We asked the Holy Spirit to reveal the true nature of this spirit to her. Almost immediately she said she wanted to be free. After we cast it out, she later told me how much freer she felt. She had been suffering oppression from this spirit for years without knowing it.

Say It Aloud. Don’t Just Silently Pray.

It is vital that we have a thorough knowledge of the Bible and an acquaintance with working in partnership with the Holy Spirit, which is another topic.

Confessing and renouncing sinful activity that opened the door to the demonic should be done out loud. It is not certain that demons can read our thoughts, and every example of deliverance in the Bible was done orally.

We are not to be passive. Instead the Lord wants us to use the authority we have by boldly and directly commanding evil spirits.

One caveat I want to mention here is that once while praying for a demonized person in tongues, he experienced complete deliverance with physical manifestations of gagging, etc. I was not consciously ordering the spirit to leave. The Holy Spirit took over. I did not even know that could happen. Since then I often pray in tongues during deliverance, sometimes going into obvious warfare prayer in an unknown language. It is a wonderful thing to partner with God’s Spirit!

Pre-Deliverance Checklist and Prayers

Evil spirits are master intimidators and inveterate liars. They will use every trick in the book to convince us that we have no ability or right to get rid of them. The usual shenanigans include telling us that they are too strong for us, are not going to do what we tell them, have a right to be there, or to try to convince us that we have some area of personal sin that disqualifies us from ministry. For this reason, before every ministry session I spend time declaring aloud and reminding myself, the person(s) with whom I am working, the Lord, and any demons present that my righteousness is derived solely from Christ, not my own performance; my authority is Christ’s authority, and I am his personal representative; and Jesus is Lord over the ministry session (and everything else). I also invite the Holy Spirit to oversee everything and ask him to work in and through me to help the other person.

Here is a checklist of things to pray aloud before engaging in ministry.

  • Proclaim the Lordship of Jesus and reaffirm that you are under his authority.
  • Acknowledge that you have been given Christ’s delegated authority.
  • Thank God that Christ’s righteousness has been given to you and your ability to cast out demons does not depend on your own spiritual performance or standing.
  • Surrender the ministry session to Jesus and the Holy Spirit.
  • Ask the Holy Spirit to oversee every aspect of what you do, including putting into your mind Bible verses, giving you spiritual gifts including faith and discerning of spirits, and generally leading you.
  • Bind the activity of all evil spirits that may be present, commanding them to not interfere in any way with what you are doing and only to manifest with the express permission of our Lord.
  • Lead the person receiving ministry to declare his or her surrender to the Lord Jesus.

Once this is done, many times I will spend some time worshiping the Lord and praying in the Spirit (tongues). Praying in the Spirit attunes me to the Holy Spirit, making me sensitive to any direction he may give.

Taking Authority over the Demon

Reading Scripture aloud can build faith. Here is a passage that is helpful.

The seventy returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name.” 18 And He said to them, “I was watching Satan fall from heaven like lightning. 19 “Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing will injure you. Luke 10:17–19 (NASB95) — 

When ready, the person ministering deliverance should speak a command to any evil spirit to leave the person in the name and authority of Jesus Christ and not return.

Should the demon resist, and they often will, especially if we are new at deliverance or weak in faith, it might be wise to find out if there is any yet undiscovered hook or foothold that should be identified, confessed, and renounced. Here are some possible blockage points.

  • Unconfessed secret sin or vow
  • Undiscovered generational sin
  • Unconfessed or unrenounced occult involvement
  • Agreement with a lie, such as my sin was too great to be forgiven,
  • Pride – “My” demon is so strong that not just anyone can cast it out.

Remember: there is nothing a person may have done that can effectively block deliverance. It is all a smokescreen.

For example, once while ministering to a young man who claimed to be a believer and suffered from a strong sense of condemnation, I began teaching him on how Jesus died and rose to set us free from the power of condemnation. (John 5:24 and Romans 8:1) He began laughing at me in an obvious demonic way. Once he stopped manifesting, he confessed that he was terrified because he did not understand what was happening. I began rebuking and binding the spirit, but nothing changed. I realized that something was yet to be uncovered; so, I asked the Spirit of God to show me what to do. Eventually, after several episodes of this mocking laughter, the young man confessed that he had previously “turned his back on the Lord.” I led him in a prayer of repentance. There was no further manifestation. The evil spirit left because the Lord had allowed it to stay only until the underlying sin was exposed and renounced. What a blessing that it did not go when I first commanded it to leave! Otherwise, the real problem would have gone undetected. This is a reminder that demons are never the main attraction. They are often the smoke that is coming from an underlying fire.

If a demon refuses to obey our command to leave, we should assume that we have not dealt with everything yet. Never conclude that the spirit is not under our authority in Christ.

Sometimes it is taught that certain demons are so strong that the average person cannot dislodge them. This is a lie. Every believer has the authority of Christ backed by the power of the Holy Spirit.

No demon is too strong for the least likely believer. The key is for us to know and believe that.

Demonic disobedience must not be tolerated. They will try to bluff us away from our stand on Christ’s authority. If we have covered every angle, I find that it is a good thing to turn any resistant demons over to Christ for Him to deal with as He sees fit. We do not have time to waste on recalcitrant demons.

No demon can resist the awesome power of God’s Spirit released by the authority of our command in Christ’s name!

A resource to gain greater understanding of these principles is a book by Neil Anderson entitled Bondage Breaker. Another great book is Biblical Healing and Deliverance by Kylstra.

Let us remember that casting out demons is not a power struggle between us and the evil spirit. It is an authority issue.

We use Christ’s authority, which is triumphant and overarching. The power that enforces our Lord’s shared authority comes from the Holy Spirit, the “finger of God.” Casting out a demon is no harder for the Holy Spirit than thumping a fly is to us. Jesus did the hard work. The Holy Spirit enforces his victory. We act as representatives.

And He called the twelve together, and gave them power and authority over all the demons and to heal diseases. Luke 9:1 (NASB) 

How do we know when the evil spirit has departed?

The Holy Spirit operates in and through individuals in a variety of ways. (1 Corinthians 12:4-7) In my case, I often have an inner confirmation from the Holy Spirit when a spirit leaves. I don’t know how to describe it except that it seems to be a kind of inner “whoosh.” I am sure that this is not helpful to you at all, which is good, because the last thing we need to do is try to copy someone else. At other times I see the spirit leave in a visionary way. God can confirm that a spirit has been cast out in any number of ways. We might even ask the person receiving ministry if they experienced anything. But let us remember that we do not even need confirmation. We operate by faith, not by sight. (2 Corinthians 5:7) However, thankfully, God may give us an inner or external confirmation. Often the person receiving ministry feels deliverance happening or senses the result of a spirit having left, as in a sense of release, joy, freedom, peace, etc. A minister may “see” it leave through spiritual discernment. (1 Corinthians 12:10) The person being delivered might have some sort of physical manifestation, such as coughing, gagging, etc. Regardless, we base our faith in God’s Word, whether we see any evidence or not. Demons must obey our commands given in Christ’s name. Period.

In conclusion, demons are never the main thing and casting them out should never be what we focus on. Rather, according to Jesus, we should rejoice that God loved us so much that he reconciled us to himself! (Luke 10: 20)

Click here to see the other articles in this series.

Chapter 31: Christ’s Finished Work – Sonship

The last aspect of Christ’s finished work that we will cover is what I call sonship. It derives from the new birth and conveys that believers have been given the responsibilities, rights, privileges, and authority that come with our being sons of God. All born again believers, both male and female, are spiritual sons because the Spirit of God’s Son lives inside us.

For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, “Abba! Father!” 16 The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him. Romans 8:15–17 (NASB95) —

Our new identity is “in Christ,” who is God’s only begotten Son. This is not a gender issue but a spiritual identity. If females feel uncomfortable with identifying as a “son,” perhaps they will be comforted that men must learn to see themselves as the “bride of Christ.” We are all sons because in Christ spiritually speaking there is neither male nor female.

For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s descendants, heirs according to promise. Galatians 3:27–29 (NASB95) —

This resurrection reality does not mean that the anatomical, physiological, and psychological differences between men and women have been obliterated. Rather, it speaks of the new spiritual reality that will become completely manifested in the resurrection.

But Jesus answered and said to them, “You are mistaken, not understanding the Scriptures nor the power of God. 30 “For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven. Matthew 22:29–30 (NASB95) —

Resurrected people do not become angels, but they become like angels, their new bodies having properties and abilities like angels. Paul spoke of this new reality as being “one new man” in Christ.

But now in Christ Jesus you who formerly were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. 14 For He Himself is our peace, who made both groups into one and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall, 15 by abolishing in His flesh the enmity, which is the Law of commandments contained in ordinances, so that in Himself He might make the two into one new man, thus establishing peace, 16 and might reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross, by it having put to death the enmity. 17 AND HE CAME AND PREACHED PEACE TO YOU WHO WERE FAR AWAY, AND PEACE TO THOSE WHO WERE NEAR; 18 for through Him we both have our access in one Spirit to the Father. Ephesians 2:13–18 (NASB95) —

Since our present earthly reality, however, involves our being either male and female, it is usually less complicated to think of ourselves as children of God rather than sons.

As God’s children, we have been given enormous privileges and authority related to sonship.

See how very much our heavenly Father loves us, for he allows us to be called his children, and we really are! But the people who belong to this world don't know God, so they don't understand that we are his children. 2 Yes, dear friends, we are already God's children, and we can't even imagine what we will be like when Christ returns. But we do know that when he comes we will be like him, for we will see him as he really is. 1 John 3:1-2 (NLT)

Being God’s sons and daughters gives us responsibilities as his representatives here on earth.

In Biblical times, the oldest son was charged with running family affairs when his appointed time came. Jesus is our elder brother who already has been given complete authority, but He shares this responsibility with us along with the commensurate authority to do the job.

Our eternal destiny as children of God is to reign with Christ.

The following verse illustrates this, even though it is couched in symbolic language.

Blessed and holy is the one who has a part in the first resurrection; over these the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with Him for a thousand years. Revelation 20:6 (NASB95) —

Whether or not we believe that his promise refers to a literal one thousand year reign or the church age in which we now live, the truth is that we shall or do reign with Christ. Jesus shares his authority with his brothers and sisters in the Lord who are children of God via the new birth.

Because we are in Christ, that which is true of him is also true for us, minus his divinity. We have been blessed with every spiritual blessing, including God’s authority, in Christ.

Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth. 3 For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory. Colossians 3:1–4 (NASB95) —

Since our eternal destiny is to rule with Christ, our time here on earth is partially a training ground for us to learn to use Christ’s authority.

For if by the transgression of the one, death reigned through the one, much more those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ. Romans 5:17 (NASB95) —

We use this authority when we speak in his name. When we proclaim the gospel, we tell people that God will forgive and give them eternal life, if they put their faith in Christ and surrender to his lordship. Who gave us  authority to say such things? God. We also have authority to “proclaim liberty to captives.” (Luke 4:18) This includes casting out demons and healing the sick. Every believer should become comfortable doing these things as God’s representative. One day we will judge angels; so, we should become comfortable making spiritual judgments regarding practical things here on earth, too.

When one of you has a dispute with another believer, how dare you file a lawsuit and ask a secular court to decide the matter instead of taking it to other believers! 2  Don’t you realize that someday we believers will judge the world? And since you are going to judge the world, can’t you decide even these little things among yourselves? 3  Don’t you realize that we will judge angels? So you should surely be able to resolve ordinary disputes in this life. 1 Corinthians 6:1-3 (NLT) 

Being God’s children gives us the responsibility to properly represent Christ, and it also has its privileges.

As his beloved children, we have access to the Father’s throne and heart.

God’s purpose in all this was to use the church to display his wisdom in its rich variety to all the unseen rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. 11  This was his eternal plan, which he carried out through Christ Jesus our Lord. 12  Because of Christ and our faith in him, we can now come boldly and confidently into God’s presence. Ephesians 3:10-12 (NLT) 

Our Lord Jesus dwells in the “bosom” of the Father. I liken this to a child sitting on his Father’s lap, a place of safety, intimacy, and privilege. Since we are “in Christ,” we are also seated there at all times. (John 1:18) We have access to our Father’s heart as beloved children. There is nothing greater than that!

As his children, we have a place in His kingdom family forever.

A slave is not a permanent member of the family, but a son is part of the family forever. John 8:35 (NLT) 

We eat at the Father’s table and carry His name. We have been given honor and authority in Christ. Truly we are the most privileged of people!

The rights and authority we have as sons of God relate to that which has been given to us in Christ. However we now experience only a small part of what will one day be given to us when our full sonship will be revealed at the resurrection.

So you should not be like cowering, fearful slaves. You should behave instead like God's very own children, adopted into his family—calling him "Father, dear Father." 16 For his Holy Spirit speaks to us deep in our hearts and tells us that we are God's children. 17 And since we are his children, we will share his treasures—for everything God gives to his Son, Christ, is ours, too. But if we are to share his glory, we must also share his suffering. 18 Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will give us later. 19 For all creation is waiting eagerly for that future day when God will reveal who his children really are. 20 Against its will, everything on earth was subjected to God's curse. 21 All creation anticipates the day when it will join God's children in glorious freedom from death and decay. 22 For we know that all creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. 23 And even we Christians, although we have the Holy Spirit within us as a foretaste of future glory, also groan to be released from pain and suffering. We, too, wait anxiously for that day when God will give us our full rights as his children, including the new bodies he has promised us. 24 Now that we are saved, we eagerly look forward to this freedom. For if you already have something, you don't need to hope for it. 25 But if we look forward to something we don't have yet, we must wait patiently and confidently. Romans 8:15-25 (NLT)

When we believers receive our full rights and privileges of sonship at the resurrection, the whole creation will be released from the bondage to death and decay that sin inaugurated. To be a son (or daughter) of God is the greatest privilege imaginable. We will be greatly helped on our discipleship journey if we remember that this is our core identity.

Click here to see the other articles in this series.

Questions for Further Study and Discussion
  • As Christ’s representatives here on earth, we carry his authority. In what areas do you feel that you need to grow in your ability, competence, or faith to do that?
    • Announcing the good news and forgiveness of sins?
    • Casting out demons?
    • Healing the sick?
    • Raising the dead?
    • Rebuking and correcting recalcitrant sinners?
    • Pronouncing judgments?
    • Discriminating (judging) between that which is good and that which is not?
    • Binding and loosing?
    • Commanding nature?

Chapter 30: Christ’s Finished Work – Glorification Part 2

The final part of our salvation which is called glorification will transition us from earth to heaven and make us suitable for dwelling with God for eternity.

I declare to you, brothers, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. 51 Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed-- 52 in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. 53 For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. 54 When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: "Death has been swallowed up in victory." 1 Corinthians 15:50-54 (NIV) 

Our glorification will be the final defeat of death and sin’s power in our lives and in God’s creation.

Against its will, all creation was subjected to God’s curse. But with eager hope, 21  the creation looks forward to the day when it will join God’s children in glorious freedom from death and decay. 22  For we know that all creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. 23  And we believers also groan, even though we have the Holy Spirit within us as a foretaste of future glory, for we long for our bodies to be released from sin and suffering. We, too, wait with eager hope for the day when God will give us our full rights as his adopted children, including the new bodies he has promised us. Romans 8:20-23 (NLT)

At the new birth, through forgiveness and justification, we were delivered from the penalty of sin. Jesus took the consequences of our sin upon himself, releasing us from our unpayable debt to God and giving to us His righteousness in exchange. This relates to the salvation of our spirits.

Through our identification with Christ’s death and resurrection we have been set free from sin’s power and its ability to dominate us. Even though we still have an inherited propensity to sin, called the “flesh,” it has been rendered “inactive” or “ineffective” and otherwise stripped of its intimidating and oppressive power to dominate our lives. The salvation of our souls, or spiritual transformation, requires that we apply this great truth to our lives by faith so that we can experience the victory Christ won for us through reliance upon the Holy Spirit. It is an ongoing battle that must be fought every day.

Glorification will be the grand finale which removes sin’s very presence from our lives. After resurrection, we will no longer have an inherited propensity to sin because our “flesh” will have been replaced by that which is eternal and without corruption.

Afterward, we will no longer have to struggle with the battle between flesh and spirit because that great enemy called the self-life will have been destroyed forever!

Glorification takes care of the problem we now have by our being creatures caught between two worlds. We have been uniquely created to intersect the spiritual world and the natural one, but because sin brought death to our natural bodies, we are no longer suited for eternity without having a major overhaul. The resurrection and glorification provide just that. Every hindrance to experiencing a blessed eternity will be removed in one glorious moment!

Work of Christ

Justification

Transformation

Glorification

Definition

We were declared not guilty by God and given Christ’s perfect right standing with him.

Jesus freed us from the enslaving power of sin, which allows the Holy Spirit to work into us what Christ has accomplished.

Our bodies are set free from the curse of sin and death. Our souls are released from the struggle between flesh and spirit.

Timing

Past – once for all (immediate) at the cross

Past and present. Although, we were redeemed at the cross, each day we appropriate grace for transformation by faith and reliance upon the Spirit.

Future – The resurrection will take place at the return of Christ which will fulfill our great salvation. We now live in hope of this great event.

Result

We were delivered from the penalty of sin.

We are overcoming sin’s power to rule us.

We will be delivered from the very presence of sin.

Click here to see the other articles in this series.

 

Questions for Further Study and Discussion
  • God created us to interface with both the natural and the spiritual dimensions. How comfortable are you at present with navigating both realms?
  • Why do you think it was necessary for God to first deliver us from the penalty of sin before we can experience freedom from its power? (Hint: Romans 8:1-2)
  • How do you imagine our existence will be minus the downward pull of the flesh?

Chapter 29: Glorification

This chapter will cover some important points about glorification, which is the final installment of our great salvation.

The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him. 18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us. 19 For the anxious longing of the creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God. 20 For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope 21 that the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God. 22 For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now. 23 And not only this, but also we ourselves, having the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our body. 24 For in hope we have been saved, but hope that is seen is not hope; for who hopes for what he already sees? 25 But if we hope for what we do not see, with perseverance we wait eagerly for it. Romans 8:16-25 (NASB) 

Christians have a confident expectation, which is the definition of hope, that our salvation is not limited to what we experience here on earth. At present, we are very much “under construction;” so, if we are not happy with what we see in ourselves and other believers, we should never give up. The best is yet to come.

By way of review, however, it is important to remember that our salvation is threefold. It pertains to past, present, and future, with reference to the spirit, soul, and body. The chart below provides a quick overview of what we have covered so far in the previous lessons. I include transformation as a subset of redemption. Because we have been forgiven, justified, and reconciled to the Father, we are capable of being transformed by the work of the Holy Spirit as we cling to God’s promises in the Bible. Whereas the works of propitiation, forgiveness, reconciliation, and justification were accomplished at the cross in the past, transformation requires our partnership in the process and are a combination of believing in what Christ already accomplished and yielding to the ongoing work of the Spirit in our lives. It is a daily process rather than something accomplished “once for all.”

Glorification, however, is completely in the future, even though God reckons it to already be done.

Work of Christ

Propitiation

Forgiveness

Justification

Redemption

Glorification

Definition

God’s wrath against our sin has been appeased.

Our debt toward God has been erased.

Our guilt has been removed and we have been given Christ’s right standing with God.

We have been bought back from slavery and set free.

Our bodies are set free from the curse of sin and death through the resurrection.

Timing

Past – once for all at the cross

Past – once for all at the cross

Past – once for all at the cross

Past and present. Although, we were redeemed at the cross, each day we appropriate the grace for transformation.

Future – At the return of Christ, the resurrection will take place. We now live in hope of this great event.

Result

We can now enjoy God’s love without fear.

We can now forgive others as God forgave us.

We can now come boldly into God’s presence without condemnation or shame.

We are now free to serve God and others.

The bipolar conflict between flesh and spirit is solved. We will be whole at last and fit to rule and reign with Christ.

We have already covered the past and present aspects of our salvation, which refer to our spirits and souls. This chapter  further examines the salvation of our bodies, which is still in the future. We will use the opening passage above as our text.

  • The first point we will make is that we will be glorified “with Him,” which means we will have no glory that is inherent in ourselves. Ours will be a reflected glory. Just as the moon’s light reflects the sun’s, our glory will reflect the Son’s.
  • Secondly, glorification is linked with suffering. This is not something we like to dwell upon, but it is true. Christians are called to suffer with Christ. Of course, we do not share in his atoning work on the cross, but we do share in the suffering associated with His rejection and persecution. As we identify ourselves with Him through our witness here on earth, we will partake of His sufferings. Paul wrote: “Yes, and everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.2 Timothy 3:12 (NLT) God promises that these sufferings will be directly compensated in glory. We do not earn glory, however, because it is only by grace that any of us can share in Christ’s sufferings with faith and joy.
  • Thirdly, the glory that awaits us is far superior to anything we can imagine here on earth. Once again, Paul wrote: “That is what the Scriptures mean when they say, “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him.” 1 Corinthians 2:9 (NLT) It takes faith to embrace suffering and discipline here on earth for the sake of God’s kingdom in order to receive a better reward in heaven. The author of the letter to the Hebrews wrote: “It was by faith that Moses, when he grew up, refused to be treated as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. 25 He chose to share the oppression of God’s people instead of enjoying the fleeting pleasures of sin. 26 He thought it was better to suffer for the sake of the Messiah than to own the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking ahead to the great reward that God would give him. 27 It was by faith that Moses left the land of Egypt. He was not afraid of the king. Moses kept right on going because he kept his eyes on the one who is invisible. Hebrews 11:24-27 (NLT) Only those who have properly evaluated the exchange rate will pay the cost.
  • Fourthly, all of creation will be affected by the glorification of God’s people. Our glorification will take place in concurrence with Christ’s Second Coming and the establishment of a new heaven and new earth. Not only will we believers be transformed, but God will finish the salvation of His universe, too! This will be a “God thing” that will bring Him immense pleasure and glory.
  • Fifthly, in the present time, we must endure contradiction by faith. From Scripture we know what is to come, as least in part, but we must live in a sin-filled world in bodies that are still subject to decay and with souls that are conflicted by the battle of “flesh” and spirit. It takes faith and perseverance to endure. God’s grace, however, is sufficient, as we keep our eyes on our Lord Jesus!
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily hinders our progress. And let us run with endurance the race that God has set before us. 2 We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, on whom our faith depends from start to finish. He was willing to die a shameful death on the cross because of the joy he knew would be his afterward. Now he is seated in the place of highest honor beside God's throne in heaven. Hebrews 12:1-2 (NLT) 
Click here to see the other articles in this series.

 

Questions for Further Study and Discussion
  • Can you think of a reason that suffering and glory are linked?
  • Why do you think our glorification is linked to the renewal of the entire creation?
  • Does the hope of the resurrection motivate you to serve Christ?

28: Christ’s Finished Work – Sanctification or Transformation

In this lesson we will examine how the Holy Spirit transforms us via the ongoing application of Christ’s finished work on a daily basis. Paul referenced this process in his letter to the church in Ephesus.

..that, in reference to your former manner of life, you lay aside the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit, 23 and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind, 24 and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth. Ephesians 4:22-24 (NASB)

I include spiritual transformation, the process of “sanctification” or becoming holy or “set apart to God” in thought, motive, words, and action, in a grouping under Christ’s Finished Work. I have stated earlier that salvation has three dimensions – past, present, and future. Some aspects of Christ’s work on the cross are a “once for all” “done deal,” never to be repeated, such as propitiation and justification. These things were accomplished on our behalf before we were ever born. We simply “tap into” the benefits. Believers are also “in process” in some areas, as we are all too familiar. Perhaps every Christian should wear a tee shirt stating: “Under Construction – Please Excuse the Mess.” Additionally, part of our salvation still awaits us at a future time via the resurrection from the dead.

Sanctification, or, as I prefer to call it, transformation, is part of the present or ongoing work of Christ in our lives, but there is also a completed aspect to it.

Our daily “walk” with God depends on three things: 1) a personal trust relationship with Christ, 2) a dependence upon the indwelling Holy Spirit to supply what we call “grace,” and 3) faith in God’s promises found in the Bible. Without a proper understanding of God’s Word, we will not even know what those promises are!

For us to properly draw upon God’s grace (the ability he gives to us via his Holy Spirit), we must first understand that all that we need for godly living has already been given to us in Christ.

Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord; 3 seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence. 2 Peter 1:2-3 (NASB)

Jesus has already done everything that God requires us to do.

The benefits derived from his life of perfect obedience have been transferred to us because we are one with Christ.  (1 Corinthians 6:17)

This enables us to live out in the present what Christ accomplished for us in the past. Paul, in the opening scripture passage above (Ephesians 4:22-24), exhorts us, to “put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth.” The “new self” is who we are as a result of the new birth.

Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. 2 Corinthians 5:17 (NASB)

Our transformation into Christlikeness depends upon our “clothing” ourselves by faith with the finished work of Christ’s perfect life, death, and resurrection. What he did for us is already ours, but we must “apply” it by faith to our present situation.

God wants us to believe what the Bible says is true about us.

Jesus called it “abiding in the vine.” We live in the present by accessing what Christ has already done for us at Calvary and by waiting with expectation for the full manifestation of that salvation at the resurrection.

We live in a divine tension between what is done and what is still to come. This “tension” is called faith.

Faith is the key to the transformation process, as it is to everything in the Kingdom of God.

I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me. Galatians 2:20 (NASB)

In the above verse, we see that Paul lived in the present by accessing the past finished work of Christ on the cross. In the following verse, note that his present is also lived in anticipation of the coming completion of our salvation.

For we through the Spirit, by faith, are waiting for the hope of righteousness. 6 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything, but faith working through love. Galatians 5:5-6 (NASB) 

The hope of righteousness is a term that acknowledges that we do not yet experience or manifest the righteousness of Christ in any complete or perfect way, even though we have the legal righteousness of Christ in our “spiritual bank account” through justification. In the present state, we are still flawed because our bodies (the “flesh”) are still connected to Adam’s sin. God removed sin’s power to rule over us but did not obliterate its pull through the “flesh” altogether, or we would be physically dead. At any moment, we are still capable of sinning, that is, until the resurrection, when we shall be made completely righteous in every sense of the word because our physical bodies connected to Adam will be replaced with glorious new creation bodies. In the present, therefore, we live with the tension caused by having a “fleshly” side and a “spiritual” side. We now have a period of time to learn how to rely on God’s promises and the Holy Spirit to transform our thinking, words, and behavior.

Sanctification or transformation depends upon changing how we think so that we come into agreement with God’s truth.

Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. 2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect. Romans 12:1-2 (NASB)

By accepting the truth of God’s Word, we change how we think, which is the definition of repentance.

Lies must be displaced by truth. Strongholds of deception must be torn down so that the knowledge of Christ may flow into the barren and devastated places in our souls. Fear must be replaced by faith in our loving God. Unbelief must be rooted out, and a fresh crop of trust planted. Selfishness must be crucified so that love may develop and flourish.

Transformation is a daily process of dying to self and living to God.

Transformation requires faith, surrender, and obedience. Transformation is the working out of what God has worked into us via the new birth and Christ’s finished work.

So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling; 13  for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure. Philippians 2:12-13 (NASB) 

We have all that we need for life and godliness right now in Christ, but it takes a lifetime to work that out. The Christian will have good days and bad, ups and downs, progress and regression. There are still hidden areas of sin and deception in each one of us that God will expose and demolish one way or another. If we cooperate in the process, life will be much easier for us and more blessed.

Transformation is a joint venture with the Holy Spirit.

Love is never passive. God wants us to pursue him with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength. Like Paul, we can make it our goal in life to know Christ and fulfill God’s purpose for our lives.

Not that I have already obtained it or have already become perfect, but I press on so that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus. 13 Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Philippians 3:12-14 (NASB) 

The Holy Spirit is beckoning us. Let’s do this!

Click here to see the other articles in this series.

Questions for Further Study and Discussion
  • Can you explain how transformation or sanctification is both part of Christ’s finished work and an ongoing work of God’s Spirit in us?
  • Describe our part in the transformation process.
  • Explain what Paul meant in Romans 8:24 when he wrote, “For in hope we have been saved.”

27: Christ’s Finished Work – Reconciliation

So now we can rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God—all because of what our Lord Jesus Christ has done for us in making us friends of God. Romans 5:11 (NLT)

One of the things that is extremely useful for a Bible student is the art of simplification. Can we sum up a complex teaching in one easy to understand idea?

Christ’s Finished Work is a deep, multi-faceted subject, but I believe we can say that the purpose behind all Jesus accomplished on the cross is contained in the one word, “reconciliation.”

In fact, Paul called the gospel message the “word of reconciliation”.

Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation, 19 namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation. 20 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. 21 He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. 2 Corinthians 5:18-21 (NASB)

Reconciliation restores estranged parties to friendship by removing offenses and settling conflicts.

It doesn’t just happen all by itself. Reconciliation requires someone to take the initiative and the other party to respond. Reconciliation is always a two-way process; whereas, forgiveness can be unilateral.

Why did Christ die? Most people would answer, “So our sins could be forgiven.” But why did our sins need to be forgiven? Many would say, “So we can go to heaven.” These two answers are focused on our needs rather than God’s glory. It is only natural that we think of things from a human perspective, but we need to understand, however, that the gospel and all God does is primarily for His own glorious purposes and secondarily for our benefit. If we are properly aligned with Him, whatever is for His glory will always be for our benefit. Jesus’ motivation to endure the cross was first to please His Father and secondly to save us.

So, if we look at salvation from a more God-centered point of view, the purpose of salvation cannot be merely to get us into heaven. It has more directly to do with God’s pleasure, which was to reconcile us to himself.

God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure. Ephesians 1:5 (NLT)

In addition to bringing God pleasure, knowing the Father is our greatest privilege and joy. Father God, or Abba, as Jesus calls Him, is the goal of salvation. He is the summation of all things.

When all things are subjected to Him, then the Son Himself also will be subjected to the One who subjected all things to Him, so that God may be all in all. 1 Corinthians 15:28 (NASB) 

As Jesus neared the end of His time here on earth, he told His disciples that he eagerly anticipated His reunion with Abba.

Remember what I told you: I am going away, but I will come back to you again. If you really love me, you will be very happy for me, because now I can go to the Father, who is greater than I am. John 14:28 (NLT) 

Jesus came to earth to live and die and rise again for our sake by the will of the Father, but His goal, after accomplishing this service, was to return to His Father to wait until our time arrives to join Him in glory.

Don't be troubled. You trust God, now trust in me. 2 There are many rooms in my Father's home, and I am going to prepare a place for you. If this were not so, I would tell you plainly. 3 When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am. John 14:1-3 (NLT) 

When we arrive in heaven, it will be Jesus’ honor to show to us the glory He had and has with His Abba, a glory in which we will share as co-regents with Christ! How good and gracious is our God!

Father, I want these whom you've given me to be with me, so they can see my glory. You gave me the glory because you loved me even before the world began! John 17:24 (NLT) 

The Father is the kindest and most loving Person we will ever know. Salvation was His plan from the beginning. His heart is so large that He was willing for His only begotten Son to die so that we could be restored to a close relationship with Him.

To be forgiven is one thing, but to be embraced in His loving arms and restored to the full rights of sonship is quite another.

The prodigal son hoped that he would be forgiven and given a place with the servants, but, to his utter amazement, he was fully reconciled to his dad. Jesus told this parable to give us insight into the Father’s heart. Jesus’ ministry, in part at least, is unfolding to us the depths of Abba’s love for us.

No one has ever seen God. But his only Son, who is himself God, is near to the Father's heart; he has told us about him. John 1:18 (NLT) 

If you ever want to know Abba better, Jesus is the One to show you. The secret to Christian maturity is a growing revelation of the Father’s love. Paul prayed for the church at Ephesus.

When I think of the wisdom and scope of God's plan, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father, 15 the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth. 16 I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will give you mighty inner strength through his Holy Spirit. 17 And I pray that Christ will be more and more at home in your hearts as you trust in him. May your roots go down deep into the soil of God's marvelous love. 18 And may you have the power to understand, as all God's people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love really is. 19 May you experience the love of Christ, though it is so great you will never fully understand it. Then you will be filled with the fullness of life and power that comes from God. Ephesians 3:14-19 (NLT)

Can a person have a loftier or more important goal than knowing the Father and His incredible love? I cannot think of one.

As a result of our being reconciled to Father God, it is extremely important that we pursue reconciliation with family, church members, friends, neighbors, and sometimes even enemies here on earth.

So if you are presenting a sacrifice at the altar in the Temple and you suddenly remember that someone has something against you, 24  leave your sacrifice there at the altar. Go and be reconciled to that person. Then come and offer your sacrifice to God. Matthew 5:23-24 (NLT) 

God wants his people to demonstrate here on earth what is true in heaven.

Reconciliation begins with forgiveness, which is a unilateral decision to release someone from any offense or debt they may have incurred against us. If the forgiven person responds to our forgiving them, reconciliation is possible. Often reconciliation also requires confrontation, the pointing out of how that person has offended us.

If another believer sins against you, go privately and point out the offense. If the other person listens and confesses it, you have won that person back. Matthew 18:15 (NLT) 

The goal of confrontation is reconciliation. When we present the gospel, we should understand that we are God’s representatives imploring our hearers to accept God’s offer of forgiveness and reconciliation. To reject such a gracious offer is tantamount to agreeing that we deserve the flames of hell.

There is no judgment against anyone who believes in him. But anyone who does not believe in him has already been judged for not believing in God’s one and only Son. 19  And the judgment is based on this fact: God’s light came into the world, but people loved the darkness more than the light, for their actions were evil. John 3:18-19 (NLT)

The reconciliation offered by God through the gospel is his greatest gift to humanity.

To refuse it is to spurn God’s love and invite the destruction that results from being separated from God, who is the source and sustainer of life.

And God will provide rest for you who are being persecuted and also for us when the Lord Jesus appears from heaven. He will come with his mighty angels, 8  in flaming fire, bringing judgment on those who don’t know God and on those who refuse to obey the Good News of our Lord Jesus. 9  They will be punished with eternal destruction, forever separated from the Lord and from his glorious power. 2 Thessalonians 1:7-9 (NLT)
Click here to see the other articles in this series.

 

Questions for Further Study and Discussion
  • How would you simplify the gospel message into one thought? Which of the following is preeminent in your mind?
    • Forgiveness
    • Redemption
    • Justification
    • Reconciliation
    • Receiving the Holy Spirit
    • Resurrection
    • Eternal Life
    • Ruling and reigning with Christ
  • Do you think it accomplishes anything good to ask people to consider God’s perspective on salvation rather than simply focus on the benefits that come to us?

26: Christ’s Finished Work – Redemption from Demonic Oppression

You know of Jesus of Nazareth, how God anointed Him with the Holy Spirit and with power, and how He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him. Acts 10:38 (NASB)

Many people today question whether demons are even real, seeing them as a throwback to earlier times before science provided a framework for understanding many seemingly mysterious diseases such as epilepsy. Others who do accept the existence of demons would argue that Christians cannot be afflicted by them. Their rationale is that once a person is indwelt by God’s Spirit, there can be no room for an evil spirit to cohabit the same individual. They might also argue that a Christian is “possessed” or owned by God; therefore, it would be impossible to also be “possessed” by an evil spirit.

If we dismiss the existence of the demonic on the grounds that it was an accommodation to mankind’s ignorance at the time the Bible was written, we end up dismissing a fundamental theological truth. The Bible teaches that there are fallen angels who aligned with Satan when he revolted against God in ages past. These angels were expelled from heaven and constitute a Satanic host of evil arrayed against the church.

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. Ephesians 6:12 (NASB)

Scripture does not clearly reveal whether demons are fallen angels or some other beings, but we do know that they are aligned with Satan for evil purposes. Demons afflict people and dwell in them at times.

Apparently, the human body is quite inviting to evil spirits and gives them a medium through which to perpetrate evil acts. Jesus said that demons find “rest” in a human body.

"Now when the unclean spirit goes out of a man, it passes through waterless places seeking rest, and does not find it. 44  "Then it says, 'I will return to my house from which I came'; and when it comes, it finds it unoccupied, swept, and put in order. 45  "Then it goes and takes along with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there; and the last state of that man becomes worse than the first. That is the way it will also be with this evil generation." Matthew 12:43-45 (NASB)

In addition, by hijacking a human body and personality, demons dishonor God by marring or distorting his creatures and our God-given purpose to glorify him.

Jesus understood the reality of demons, using his authority as God’s Son to confront and expel them on many occasions.

Jesus, being God, knows far more than any mere mortal; so, whatever He declares is true, I feel perfectly safe believing the same. Otherwise, we find ourselves pitting our very limited intellects and experience against the wisdom and knowledge of God Himself.

If we accept that demons exist, which is the Biblical position, then how do they gain access and how does Jesus set us free from their power?

As previously mentioned, Adam relinquished to Satan the authority God gave him when he succumbed to temptation in the Garden. Satan gained access to oppress and harm humanity as a result and became a vicious oppressor. Because of our own sin and that of others, demon hosts gained access to people, who were somewhat defenseless against their onslaught. The Bible does not explicitly tell us how demons gain ability to oppress us, but observation plus analysis reveal some key insights.

Demons gain access to oppress us when we “open” the following “doors,” allowing them to come into our lives. Sometimes we deliberately open these doors, sometimes others open them for us, and at other times we naively open them.

  • Our own sin, especially bitterness,
  • Participation in the occult, whether innocently or not. This can include initiation into and participation in various secret societies, such as the Masonic Lodge.
  • Experiencing severe trauma during which or afterward we may open ourselves up to demons, which pose as our friends and offer help or comfort,
  • Abuse,
  • Generational strongholds and sins that are passed down from one family member to another, and
  • By believing lies that give demons a “hook” or “landing place” in our lives.

When Jesus healed and delivered people, about half the time he “healed” them and the other times he “delivered” them from demons.

We learn from our Lord that it is vital to discern whether an affliction has a physical or demonic basis.

When Jesus laid down His life at Calvary in perfect obedience to the Father’s will, he took back from Satan the authority Adam had ceded to him. Jesus became the Second Adam, the Progenitor of a new race of humans, who come into existence via the second birth. After his resurrection, Jesus told us that He alone now has “all authority” in heaven and earth. (Matthew 28:18)

The Bible also reveals that Christ’s victory over Satan and his minions extends to us who have voluntarily put ourselves under his authority by acknowledging him as our Lord.

And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross. Colossians 2:15 (NIV) 

Jesus used his authority as the Son of God to deliver people from demons when He walked the earth. His authority now is connected to his being the crucified and risen Son of Man, the Lord of Lords. He shares or delegates his authority to his church which represents him on planet Earth.

Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing will injure you. 20 Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are recorded in heaven. Luke 10:19-20 (NASB) 

These signs will accompany those who have believed: in My name they will cast out demons, they will speak with new tongues; Mark 16:17 (NASB)

Believers now have the authority of Christ that enables us to cast out demons. The Holy Spirit backs up our commands to these evil beings and forces them to obey.

But what about the other question? Can a Christian have a demon? The answer to this question hinges upon our understanding of what it means to be oppressed by a demon.

The King James Version of the Bible translates the Greek word “daimonizomai” as “demon possessed”. A better translation would simply be “demonized”. Nowhere is the idea of possession communicated in the Greek.

Once we divest ourselves of the possession aspect of the word, we no longer must answer, “How can a Christian be possessed or owned by an evil spirit since he or she now belongs to the Lord?” No evil spirit can own a Christian; however, I believe a Christian can be “demonized”.

Demons can harass, afflict, and oppress Christians, if we do not take the steps to either protect ourselves and/or rid ourselves of this problem.

Demons can gain access into our lives through the same ways they access an unbeliever’s life. For example, if a Christian has had occult involvement either before or after becoming a believer, there is a good chance that there is some level of demonization going on. If a person suffered severe abuse as a child, it is highly likely that some demonic oppression is present. It does not matter if the activity was naive or deliberate, the devil will take advantage of any open door.

Demons seek to hide their activity as best they can, especially from Christians who would not tolerate their presence, were it known. It often takes experienced ministers who rely upon the gift of discerning of spirits (1 Cor.12:10) through the Holy Spirit to identify and root these beings out of our lives.

It is crucial that we close every possible door of access to prevent their return.

Once a demon is found and the access “portal” closed through repentance and renouncing whatever let them in, it is a simple matter to expel them in Jesus’ name. There is no reason a Christian should suffer from demonic oppression.

Sometimes demons hide behind the lies we believe. These lie-based strongholds are more important and more difficult areas of bondage. Once the lie is identified and removed, any associated demonic oppression is easily remedied. We will talk more about this later.

If you desire further insight into deliverance from demonic oppression, a great resource to study is Neil Anderson’s Bondage Breaker. I have also written a series of articles on the subject, which can be found at the following link: https://thirdpeter.com/articles/discipleship-essentials/biblical-healing-and-deliverance/ . Part 21 begins the section on deliverance.

Click here to see the other articles in this series.

Questions for Further Study and Discussion
  • If you become aware of a demon in a person, what will you do?
  • Put the following steps in order.
    • Lead the person in prayer to repent and renounce whatever allowed the demon access into his or her life.
    • Command the spirit to leave and never come back.
    • Pray for the protection of all persons involved. Command the spirits not to try to attach themselves to anyone involved.
    • Thank God for freeing the person.
    • Command any evil spirits to identify themselves.
    • Confess that everyone taking part in the deliverance is under the authority and protection of the Lord Jesus.
    • Bind any evil spirits and forbid them to manifest or act in any manner contrary to the Lord’s will.
    • Lead the individual in prayer to surrender to the Lordship of Christ, especially in the area under demonic oppression.
    • Advise the individual how to avoid reinfestation.
    • Discern if the spirit is gone.
    • Ask the Holy Spirit to give discernment and wisdom as to how to proceed.
    • Identify any spirit oppressing the individual.
    • Acknowledge that all parties are clothed with the righteousness of Christ.
  • Are all these steps necessary each time you expel a demon?
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