JESUS’ FIRST DELIVERANCE – 2
(The following article is word-for-word what I teach pastors in India. Reading it will give you exactly what I teach in my conferences.)
In our previous blog we saw Jesus enter a synagogue and speak (Mark 1:21-28). Hearing God’s Word stirs up demons and those who had access to a man attending the synagogue really acted out. No one knew he was demonized, he probably didn’t know it himself. Jesus cast the demons out.
DEMONS LEAVE (Mark 1:25-26; 9:14-29; Mt 12:43-45) Jesus didn’t let the demon talk any more. “Be quiet,” He told them. Demons like to communicate with people. They would like to communicate with you when you deal with them. Sometimes they put thoughts in people’s minds. Other times they will speak through the person’s voice but it will sound like someone different. Jesus never lets demons speak. They are liars and deceivers and you cannot believe what they say so don’t ever talk with them. Like Jesus, just tell them to “Be quiet!”
And then Jesus commands them to “Be gone.” There is no special formula that He uses here. There is no ritual, no church service, nothing other than His order. His command is the only reason they will leave. You can have a large church service with a lot of singing and a lot of people praying but it is only Jesus that can command demons to “Be gone.” God gives us His power and authority to command demons to be gone in His name. But it is always only in Jesus’ name – not in our name.
When Jesus commanded him, the demon had to obey. Look what the demons did. They shook the man violently and came out of him with a shriek. They had to obey but they do this as they leave. It is like a rebellious child that you make obey.
What they are trying to do is to put fear into this man and those watching. Satan and his demons use fear. Their power is not as great as they would want you to think so they use fear to appear stronger than they are. They might use fear to let you think they will hurt you or attack you or kill you. But I will tell you this – if they could do that they would have already done it! God won’t let them do anything more that He allows. Like with Job, Satan has to have God’s permission to do anything he does. When you fear him you give him strength and credit and worship. That allows him to work against you. Jesus told the demon leader to “be quiet and leave” so he had to do that because Jesus is greater than he is.
What God does is greater than anything Satan can do. Jesus can remove demons. But then it is up to us to not allow them to return. Turn to Matthew Chapter 12 and read verses 43 – 45. People ask me, “When you command a demon to come out of a person where do you tell it to go?” I don’t want him to be free to come back to that person or to enter someone else. But neither do I know where Jesus wants him to go. So, I always say, “You go where Jesus sends you.” I don’t want him coming back to this person. Eventually all demons will be in hell for all eternity. But now they can return if a person does not fill himself with God’s spirit.
These demons were cast out but the person was not filled with God’s presence. Like putting a hand in a glove, the person must fill his life with God’s presence or the demons will come back. That’s one of the dangers of having deliverance services for a lot of people at one time. The demons can be cast out but the person needs to know what to do to grow to fill those places. If not, seven times as many will come back (Matthew 12:43-45).
I always council and disciple people so they know how they should be living for Jesus. If they continue to live in sin that will allow the demons to come back. Maybe it is a sin in their family line from generation to generation. It could be something they have in their homes that opens themselves to demonic influence. Or the land where their home is located is controlled by demons. Perhaps someone has put a curse on him . Whatever the sin is it needs to be put under the blood of Jesus. If there is anything wrong a person is doing they need to repent and stop doing that. They need to dedicated themselves to God and be filled with His presence.
Here are some lessons we can learn from Jesus’ first deliverance. Demons can and will work in a Christian if they open their lives to them. Demons hate Jesus and His Word. Jesus must obey Jesus when He commands them to be gone. After the demons leave, the person must live a life of obedience and faithfulness to Jesus.
I want to pray with you about these things so Satan and demos aren’t affecting you. It helps you know how to pray for yourself and others. Let’s pray. “Dear Jesus, we thank You for the salvation we have in Jesus. We know You are greater than Satan and his demons. We know You have power over them and have given us that power in Jesus’ name. In Jesus name I forbid any demons to work against me or my family or my church. If I have committed any sin that they use to work against me I put it under the blood of Jesus. In Jesus’ name I break any claim that comes down through my family line. In Jesus’ name I dedicate the land where my home and church are to God. In Jesus’ name I break any curse any one has made against me, my family, or my church. In Jesus’ name I forbid any demons to work against me or my family or my church for any reason. Please fill me with Your Holy Spirit. Surround me with Your angels. Use me for Your glory.”
Then I will pray for the people present in the conference: “Father, I pray for each one here that You would surround them with Your Presence, You would fill them with Your Spirit. In Jesus’ name I come against any of Satan’s forces that would try any work against them or their family or their church. We put that all under the blood of Jesus. Their sin we put under the blood of Jesus. Anything in their family line, any curses on them, anything on the property where they live we cover all that with Jesus’ blood. We command that these spirits be gone immediately and permanently in Jesus’ name. I pray you show these men anything else they need to learn or do and that they find the total freedom that you give that you have. I pray that you give them the courage and the wisdom to use these things as they minister to bring freedom to others that need them. Father, we thank you for this time and this conference and all these things today. We pray you encourage them and remind them of these things to be the men, the pastors that you would have them to be. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen!”
Matthew 12:43–45 “When an evil spirit comes out of a man, it goes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it. 44 Then it says, ‘I will return to the house I left.’ When it arrives, it finds the house unoccupied, swept clean and put in order. 45 Then it goes and takes with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there. And the final condition of that man is worse than the first. That is how it will be with this wicked generation.”
Never fear demons for God is much greater and they can only do what He allows, but ask God to show you if there is any area in your life where you are influenced by demons. Confess it and ask God to fill it with His Presence from then on.
(For more information in Spiritual Warfare see my books, “Spiritual Warfare Handbook” and “Spiritual Warfare in the Bible” on the CTO web site: https://www.christiantrainingonline.org/our-ministries/spiritual-warfare/learning-more/ or email me at jerry@ChristianTrainingOrganization.org and I will send you a PDF copy. If you have any questions about spiritual warfare write to me.)
cto Rev. Dr. JERRY SCHMOYER
Christian Training Organization
Jerry@ChristianTrainingOrganization.org
(India Outreach, Spiritual Warfare, Family Ministries, Counseling, World View)
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