Power Over Demonic Spirits

Luke 4:33-37

Demon possession is something many modern Christians struggle with. Part of the problem is the way it is portrayed in movies and the media. Modern psychology and psychiatry have also contributed to the confusion. Religious leaders and society as a whole have further compounded the problem by creating confusion as to what the spirit is and does. A lot of false teaching has resulted, with many Christians accepting the Bible’s statements as to having evil spirits cast out, with no real understanding of what it means.

In the book Competent To Counsel, Jay Adams pointed out that the vast majority of what we call mental illness does not involve any physical malfunction of the brain. Studying patients in a mental institution, he concluded that the majority were there as a result of a sense of guilt. Rather than taking responsibility for their actions, they allowed the guilt to take control of their thinking and began to act erratically, often in anger and violence. Like the alcoholic, people began to excuse their behavior as being beyond their control, allowing them to avoid taking responsibility. The temporary relief of the sense of guilt encouraged them to repeat the behavior, and it became habitual. Demon possession begins when satanic spirits begin to manipulate the thinking, bringing back the sense of guilt to trigger further episodes of the behavior. The attitude of re4bellion, anger, or fear controls the person’s thinking.

Modern psychologists often use drugs to suppress the feelings of guilt, reducing the erratic behavior, but not addressing the underlying problem. Counseling sessions focus attention away from the triggers, often blaming others for the sense of guilt, again temporarily holding the behavior in abeyance, but never eliminating the cause. As Dr. Adams says in his book, it is like opening the lid of a pressure cooker to let off some of the steam, then putting it back on without turning down the fire. The pressure will begin to build as soon as the lid is closed, and can become dangerous. A man in Albuquerque went off his medications, and murdered four people before being killed himself because the underlying guilt had not been dealt with and the demonic spirits used it to control him.

As Jesus said in Matthew 12:43-45, just driving out the evil spirit that is in control only sets the stage for worse behavior. “When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest, and findeth none. Then he saith, I will return into my house from whence I came out; and when he is come, he findeth it empty, swept, and garnished. Then goeth he, and taketh with himself seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter in and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first. Even so shall it be also unto this wicked generation.” Most studies indicate that psychiatric treatment results in temporary changes to more acceptable behavior without alleviating the guilt and anger.

Both the person and the demonic spirit controlling him are aware of the world around them and recognize that Christ threatens their present lifestyle. The guilt cannot be avoided by bad behavior. Luke records a typical reaction.

“And in the synagogue there was a man, which had a spirit of an unclean devil, and cried out with a loud voice, Saying, Let us alone; what have we to do with thee, thou Jesus of Nazareth? art thou come to destroy us? I know thee who thou art; the Holy One of God.” (Luke 4:33-34)

Jesus performed no ritual to drive out the demon, simply commanding him to come out. As I John 4:4 says, “because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world,” and the evil spirit could not refuse to obey. No ritual is needed to invoke the power of God, it resides in his children already, according to Acts 1:8.

“And Jesus rebuked him, saying, Hold thy peace, and come out of him. And when the devil had thrown him in the midst, he came out of him, and hurt him not.” (Luke 4:35)

Relinquishing control is seldom pleasant, and demonic spirits are especially troubled because it foreshadows their future imprisonment in the lake of fire. When Christ casts out the demon, he also removes the attitude that enabled the demon to gain control, by taking away the guilt, giving the person back control of himself. The demon can only regain control if the person then voluntarily goes back to the sin. The house is no longer empty. The demon often makes a final demonstration of control in a childish act of defiance.

“And they were all amazed, and spake among themselves, saying, What a word is this! for with authority and power he commandeth the unclean spirits, and they come out. And the fame of him went out into every place of the country round about.” (Luke 4:36-37)

Many purported to cast out demons in Jesus’ day, but Jesus’ approach and his results were far different than those of the others. He simply told them to go and they went. The power is the test whether something is of God, not the claims, as Paul declares in I Corinthians 4:19-20. “But I will come to you shortly, if the Lord will, and will know, not the speech of them which are puffed up, but the power. For the kingdom of God is not in word, but in power.” Again, it demonstrates that Jesus is the Christ, not just another man.