AS soon as people heard that Jesus was able to cast out demons, they rushed to Him! He healed the sick and expelled demons, although he was not preoccupied with evil spirits, he did not ignore them either.
Apparently evil spirits had been very active in the lives of people, oppressing them but with no one to cast them out!
One time when Jesus went to visit Peter, people heard that He was there.
Mathew 8:16. When evening came, many who had demons were brought to Him and He drove out the spirits with a word.
Further on in the verse 28, we are again told that Jesus encountered two demon possessed men who lived in the tombs.
Again He set them free from the torment they had endured at the hands of evil spirits.
After that a man who was demon possessed and could not talk was brought to Jesus. “And when the demon was driven out, the man who had been mute spoke.” Mathew 9:33.
Click on this link Do Christians need deliverance? to read a related article.
Jesus cast out demons
Jesus confronted the kingdom of darkness, showing us that God’s kingdom is established through confrontation.
Believers are an extension of this kingdom and the soldiers of light. They do not volunteer but actively participate in this warfare as on obligation.
Other incidents in the Bible where Jesus cast out demons from people include;
Mathew 12:22. Then they brought him a demon-possessed man who was blind and mute, and Jesus healed him, so that he could both talk and see.
Mathew 17:18. Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of the boy, and he was healed at that moment.
Click on the link below to read a related post on need for deliverance.
Mark 1:23 -28. Just then a man in their synagogue who was possessed by an impure spirit cried out, “What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth?
Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God!”
“Be quiet!” said Jesus sternly. “Come out of him!”
The impure spirit shook the man violently and came out of him with a shriek.
The people were all so amazed that they asked each other, “What is this? A new teaching—and with authority! He even gives orders to impure spirits and they obey him.”
News about him spread quickly over the whole region of Galilee.
Luke 4:41. Moreover, demons came out of many people, shouting, “You are the Son of God!” But he rebuked them and would not allow them to speak, because they knew he was the Messiah
Luke 8:2. and also some women who had been cured of evil spirits and diseases: Mary (called Magdalene) from whom seven demons had come out;
Why casting out of demons is not for non-believers
The ministry of deliverance is for Christian believers. It is the “children’s bread.”
To understand why it is a mistake to think that non-believers need this ministry even more than believers we look at Mathew 12:43-45.
When a defiling evil spirit is expelled from someone, it drifts along through the desert looking for an oasis, some unsuspecting soul it can bedevil.
When it doesn’t find anyone, it says, ‘I’ll go back to my old house.’
On return it finds the person spotlessly clean, but vacant. It then runs out and rounds up seven other spirits more evil than itself and they all move in.
That person ends up far worse off than if he had never gotten cleaned up in the first place.
Danger when cast out demons from non-believers
Deliverance from a demonic spirit means that the area it had occupied must be filled with the presence of the holy spirit.
For example a person who has been delivered from pornography must now fill his or her mind, which was previously occupied with pornographic images, with the word of God.
Sustaining your new found freedom is your full time job!
Click on the link below to read a related post on how to maintain your deliverance.
A non-believer is unable to do this, such that when cast out demons from him or her they are able to come back in greater number and additional force-and his or her condition ends up worse than it was.
If he had one demon before deliverance, he ends up having eight more wicked demons than the one he had originally.
Believers are not spared either.
A Christian who has been delivered from pornography has to occupy his mind with the word of God failure to which his or her addiction will come back eight times worse.
This is why it is important to have an open discussion with an individual before taking them through deliverance.
Click on this link Expect these 4 during spiritual deliverance for a related post on what to expect during a deliverance.
When Jesus commissioned His disciples for ministry, He gave them authority to cast out demons and heal diseases.
Mark 3:13-15. And he goeth up into a mountain, and calleth unto him whom he would: and they came unto him.
And he ordained twelve, that they should be with him, and that he might send them forth to preach,
And to have power to heal sicknesses, and to cast out devils.
Luke 9:1-2. When Jesus had called the Twelve together, he gave them power and authority to drive out all demons and to cure diseases,
and he sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal the sick.
The ministry comprised of driving out demons, curing diseases, preaching the good news and healing the sick. Unfortunately, most pastors today are only trained to preach the gospel.
As a result there are many that are harassed by demons and come to church Sunday after Sunday without relief.
Click on this link Expect these 4 during spiritual deliverance to read a related post.
Children’s bread
The truth is that if we cast demons out of non-believers, then we would be ignoring very important things that Jesus had to say about the deliverance ministry.
Mathew 15:2 He replied, “It is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to the dogs..
In the above verse, Jesus was speaking with a woman outside covenant with God, concerning casting a demon out of her daughter.
Jesus made it clear that this ministry was not intended for those outside covenant with God.
Likewise if we cast out demons out of someone who rejects Jesus as their Lord and savior, then we are setting that person up for a disaster.
For a non-believer the demons have a right to be there, and unless a person accepts Jesus, that right cannot be removed or nullified.
The Bible tells us that when our sins are forgiven, the unclean spirits are stripped of their legal grounds in our lives:
Colossians 2:13-15. And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh,
God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by cancelling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands.
This he set aside, nailing it to the cross.
He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him
A non-believer cannot have their legal grounds removed, therefore, attempting to drive out a demon can be a dangerous scenario.
