There are various types of spirituality across the world. There are too many types of spiritual beliefs and religions to mention, but one thing that I find confounding is how many people believe in spirits, both good and bad, but don't believe in God or Satan.
People will embrace spirituality so long as it does not have any structure or purpose. They want the supernatural goosebumps a spiritual encounter gives, but they don't like the order of a supernatural realm.
Spirits are not roaming the earth in the form of your grandmother or best friend so that they can live in a non-existent plain and be at your beck and call to give you advice. Spirits are not ghosts playing with balls in an abandoned house or poltergeists stirring up trouble in your new home (although it can happen).
There are no ancient books that prove the existence of spirit being as I just described, but rather, the Bible has a lot to say about spirits. For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. – Col 1:16 NIV
There are angelic spirits, demonic spirits, the spirit of a human being, and the Spirit of God. All of these spirits are actively engaged in a supernatural realm that is often played out in the earthly realm.
The Bible tells us that there is warfare in these realms. It even tells us where believers are to take up the battle. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood [contending only with physical opponents], but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this [present] darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly (supernatural) places. – Eph 6:12 AMP
I think all the fascination with spirits is because God is Spirit, and He created us in His image. We are created to seek Him and know our supernatural Creator. We may not realize these things because they are spiritual, and the natural mind cannot understand them.
But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. – 1Cor 2:14 NKJV
When we understand that there is a war raging against humans and it has a purpose to destroy, kill, and steal (John 10:10), we are equipped to dismantle the lies about the supernatural realm. When we cast these demonic spirits out of our lives, we live the abundant life Jesus promised.
As a minister who operated in deliverance and healing, I have come to understand that there are often demonic spirits holding people in bondage and keeping them from being healed. Look at how Jesus handled spirits that held people to sickness or disease.
The backdrop of the verse you are going to read is that Jesus was doing good, healing on the Sabbath.
22 Then one was brought to Him who was demon-possessed, blind and mute; and He healed him, so that the blind and mute man both spoke and saw. 23 And all the multitudes were amazed and said, "Could this be the Son of David?" 24 Now when the Pharisees heard it they said, "This fellow does not cast out demons except by Beelzebub, the ruler of the demons." - Matthew 22-24 NKJV
In verse twenty-two, we simply see a man who cannot speak or see is healed by Jesus so that he can see and speak afterward. We see a miracle, and all the people are amazed and believe that this man must be the Son of David (Messiah).
However, Jesus actually cast a demon out of this man so that he would be healed. Demonic spirits demonize people and can make them physically, spiritually, and mentally sick. We don't see Jesus cast the spirit out, but He did because the Pharisees begin to blame Him for doing so through the same spirit that had the man bound – Beelzebub or Satan.
Jesus then goes on to say that a kingdom divided cannot stand. This subject is for another blog. For now, I want to share another descriptive case of demon possession. It might help if you knew that the Greek translation of demon-possessed is daimonzomai. It does not mean ownership of a person, but it means to hold another under his will. A demon-possessed person is under the subjection or power of a demon. Sometimes, they are sick, and sometimes, they are under a spirit of error whereby they don't believe in God. At other times, they are mentally ill. A demon has them under its power.
On another occasion in Mark chapter nine, we find the disciples unable to help a man and his son. Jesus walked up on the scene, and the father of the demonized boy said, "Teacher, I brought You my son who has a mute spirit. Mark 9:17 The man then went on to describe the boy's symptoms then Jesus rebuked those around for their lack of faith. Jesus asked the father how long his son had been this way, and the father answered, "From childhood." A discussion ensues between Jesus and the man as to whether the man believed Jesus could help him, and the father responded with, "Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!" - Mark 9:24b
This sounds like a desperate and honest answer. Jesus responded by saying, "Deaf and dumb spirit, I command you, come out of him and enter him no more!" - Mark 9:25b
The demon left the boy by convulsing him one more time and screaming out loud as he left. The boy was healed.
Sometimes, we need to be brave enough to call a spirit out of a person so they can receive healing. A word of knowledge is all it takes at times to know what is holding back a person's prosperity.
I was praying with a man who asked for healing of his knees and back. At the time, we were asking people to come to the altar if they had a prayer need and this man came forth. I looked at him, sought the Lord, and then heard he had a crippling spirit. Now, this man appeared to be very healthy, so there was no outward sign of a physical problem. I realized Holy Spirit was instructing me to call out the generationally inherited crippling spirit. After three to five minutes of doing this, the man began to convulse and was thrown on the floor violently. I had never seen a demon throw someone violently to the ground, much like the encounter Jesus had with the young man with the deaf and dumb spirit.
After a few more minutes of calling this spirit out of the man and the man convulsing and shaking, the spirit left. The man hugged me while weeping and saying thank you. The outward appearance of this man gave me no reason to think he was demonically oppressed or possessed. He even serves in ministry at a local church.
Our congregation went back into a time of worship and magnified the Lord. That is what deliverance should bring, a magnification of God's name.
Let's pray,
Heavenly Father, thank You for the ministry of Jesus Christ demonstrated on the earth. Thank You for giving me the authority to cast out demons and see the sick healed. Help me to believe I have this privilege as Your child to do the same thing Jesus' disciples did. Help me with unbelief when I don't know that I can help someone in a time of need. Give me the courage to call out a spirit when a person needs healing. In Jesus' name, Amen.
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