I will tell of your name to my brethren; in the midst of the congregation will I sing praise to you. The afflicted shall be satisfied. And all the families of the earth worship before thee. For the kingdom is the Lord's, and He rules over nations. All the prosperous of the earth will eat and worship. All those who go down to the dust will bow before Him, even he who cannot keep his own soul alive. Posterity will serve Him; It will be told of the Lord to the coming generation. They will come and will declare His righteousness--to a people that will be born that He has performed it. (Psalm 22:22-31)
But if I by the finger of God cast out devils, no doubt the kingdom of God is come unto you. (Luke 11:20
CASTING OUT DEMONS IS A SIGN OF
GOD'S KINGDOM BEING MANIFESTED:
Jesus Christ taught us to pray:
It is the nature of demons to tempt. They gain entrance and can invite in other spirits more wicked than themselves. (Luke 11:24)
Casting out demons is an integral part of the kingdom of God. Jesus announced
that the kingdom of God would come in power (Matt. 16:27-28, 25:31-46) and that
it would consist of three things 1) Righteousness 2) Peace 3) Joy in the Holy
Ghost.
The keys of the kingdom were given by Jesus to believers. (Matt. 16:19, 18:8,
1 Cor. 4:20) In Matt. 23:13 we read that the kingdom of God can be shut to some
people.
THE KINGDOM CAN BE LOST OR GAINED:
Jesus teaches us in Matt. 13:20, that the kingdom must be received, and
embraced, for the Evil One, that is the devil will try to steal it from those
who believe. Satan's methods of robbing believers of the message of the kingdom
is many-fold. 1) Neglect of the message, and appropriating it. 2) Overwhelming
trials sent to discourage. 3) The love of pleasure.
In granting believers authority to act in His name, Jesus gives revelation to
those who choose to appropriate the message of God's kingdom.
EXPOSING THE "SPIRIT OF INFIRMITY:"
Demons recognize those who exercize authority over them. (Mark 16:16-18) In
Matt. 8:16, we see Jesus casting out spirits with His word and healing all that
were sick. When you are praying for the sick, it is important to know the
difference, and as a Spirit-filled Christian, God will give you this kid of
discernment.
With regard to praying for healing, Jesus illustrates in the gospels that
"the spirit of infirmity" is a demonic spirit working even in the lives
of those people of God who have faith, when Jesus said:
Shall not this daughter of Abraham whom Satan has bound, lo, these 18
years; be loosed from this bond on the sabbath day? (Luke 13:16)
Observe that Jesus in no way condemns this child of God, but rather He
commends her, calling her a "daughter of Abraham." We notice here, that
this demon as some do, resided within the body for many years, and in this case
occuppied this person's physical body for 18 long years, the woman bent over so
that she was unable to lift herself up.
The woman was in the local synagogue, at the time Jesus was teaching as a
rabbai or a teacher of God's word. Since there were times in which unbelief
hindered healing, this woman's faith (Jesus calls her a daughter of Abraham) and
her receptivity to His ministry drew the attention of Jesus directly to her.
DELIVERANCE & HEALING ON THIS OCCASION:
The Lord Jesus first called out to the woman: Woman you are loosed of your
infirmity. Secondly, he laid His hands on her, and immediately she was made
straight and glorified God.
Observe the two actions. Jesus does not speak directly to the demonic spirit
of infirmity, though He indicates that this is the cause of the woman's physical
problem. He rather speaks directly to the woman, knowing that she would be
delivered through the power of His spoken word, as she believed. Secondly, Jesus
laid His hands on her, and immediately she was made straight and glorified God.
Today, the physicians would not likely recognize nor call this condition a
"spirit of infirmity"," because doctors are trained to detect illnesses
through the means of the physical senses of sight, or touch, not the
spiritual senses,while in medical school, and to identify illnesses based
solely upon their symptoms.
KINGDOMS IN CONFLICT:
Simultaneously, there was a clash with the demonic or Satanic kingdom, with
the leader of the synagogue becoming indignant that Jesus would heal on the
sabbath. After confronting this hypocrisy, calling the synagogue leader a
hypocrite in front of those in his synagogue that day, Jesus explained to all
that it was right that this "daughter of Abraham should be healed on the
sabbath, and all of the Lord's adversaries were publicly put to shame. The
people rejoiced in the good things God had done.
THE SPIRIT OF INFIRMITY CREATES WEAKNESS:
The spirit of infirmity creates a weakness in the physical body, or comes to
reinforce weakness in the body. There is nothing in scripture which indicates
that this spirit limits it's influence to that of bodily weakness. But in
operating in the physical realm, it can and does work in conjunction with other
disease causing spirits. Many forms disease such as cancers, diabetes, etc. come
in this way. As disease has a gateway or an entrance to the body, the "spirit of
infirmity" then is the initial "life giving spirit" (excuse the term) of many a
disease. But in praying for the sick, you will have to discern whether or not
this is the case in the situation you are dealing with.
JESUS CHRIST IS NO RESPECTER OF PERSONS:
Jesus Christ, the Saviour and light of the world came to bear the sins and
sicknesses of all people, for God so loved the world that He gave His only
begotten Son that whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have
everlasting life.
Jesus Christ came to heal all men, women and children, and to deliver those
oppressed of the devil. What you believe--if it is contrary to God's word, can
and will vitally effect your healing or total deliverance from demonic
oppression.
THE DEMONIC KINGDOM:
The demonic kingdom itself is invisible, but demons can manifest themselves
in and through the physical body, and this is how these disembodied
spirits seek self expression. They do not care how they gain entrance. At
times they are invited in through sinfulness in a life. But this is not always
the case, and we must not assume that because a person is ill, that this is some
judgment for sin, unless God reveals this to us as we are praying for the
person.
Some demons have come in through a trama, or by some other means. We rebuke
the "spirit of trauma" often times, as the Lord directs; in cases in
which there has been a severe trauma or emotional or physical shock to the
individual's body.
When demons gain entrance to the physical body, they work singly or in
numbers. Demons will attempt to evade detection, or to call reinforcements.
(Matt. 12:43-45) Jesus pointed out that even after being cast out, if the person
does not fortify His life with the full armour of God, a demon can enter with
others more wicked than itself. Jesus therefore warned: Sin no more lest a worse
thing come upon you. (John 5:14) But the good news is the power of the gospel is Jesus Christ, who came to save, heal and deliver all men and women from the effects of sin and Satan.
On the Day of Pentecost, Jesus Christ poured out the Holy Spirit on 120 waiting disciples. He's told them before He died, was resurrected, and ascended into heaven, where He ever lives to intercede for us, that "Ye shall receive POWER when the Holy Spirit comes upon you." (Acts 1:8)
It was this authority to act in His name, for which His 120 disciples (Which included Mary, the mother of Jesus and His brethren. (Acts 1:14) prayed and waited, in an upper room in Jerusalem, in Acts 1. And when the Day of Pentecost was fully come, the promised Holy Spirit was poured out, just as Jesus Christ said. The Apostle Peter stood and explained that this manifestation of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, in which the 120 were speaking supernaturally in languages they'd never learned, but which were recognized languages of the various nations represented that day, was actually the fulfilling a centuries old prophecy given by the Prophet Joel.
It's a wonderful thing to be saved. The greatest fulfillment of salvation is of course, heaven. But much of the power of Pentecost is now here and now. And that you and I might receive all that was purchased for us through the redemption price Jesus Christ paid, when He died on the cross for the sins of the world; Joel prophesied, and Peter quoted from this in His sermon at Pentecost in Jerusalem, saying to the first 3000 that received this:
These early Christians were so happy, and they went everywhere, fulfilling Jesus Christ's words in Mark 16:16-18, for they "Cast out demons, they spoke with new tongues in a heavenly language God bestowed on them, and they laid hands on the sick and saw them recover." This is all written in the bible in the Acts of the Apostles, and you can read it for yourself! God's invitation is extended to you today, if you have not yet heard the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, that you might know the God of your salvation in a personal way, and walk in the authority that He bestows on every child of God.
Acts 2:1-21
2:1 When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place.
2:2 And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting.
2:3 Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them.
2:4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability.
2:5 Now there were devout Jews from every nation under heaven living in Jerusalem.
2:6 And at this sound the crowd gathered and was bewildered, because each one heard them speaking in the native language of each.
2:7 Amazed and astonished, they asked, "Are not all these who are speaking Galileans?
2:8 And how is it that we hear, each of us, in our own native language?
2:9 Parthians, Medes, Elamites, and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia,
2:10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes,
2:11 Cretans and Arabs--in our own languages we hear them speaking about God's deeds of power."
2:12 All were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, "What does this mean?"
2:13 But others sneered and said, "They are filled with new wine."
2:14 But Peter, standing with the eleven, raised his voice and addressed them, "Men of Judea and all who live in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and listen to what I say.
2:15 Indeed, these are not drunk, as you suppose, for it is only nine o'clock in the morning.
2:16 No, this is what was spoken through the prophet Joel:
2:17 'In the last days it will be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams.
2:18 Even upon my slaves, both men and women, in those days I will pour out my Spirit; and they shall prophesy.
2:19 And I will show portents in the heaven above and signs on the earth below, blood, and fire, and smoky mist.
2:20 The sun shall be turned to darkness and the moon to blood, before the coming of the Lord's great and glorious day.
2:21 Then everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved."
Repent, be baptized every one of you (by immersion) in the name of Jesus Christ (Messiah) for the remission of sins and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you and your children, and for all afar off, as many as the Lord our God shalll call to Himself." (Acts 2:38)