known unknowns, part 3

In previous posts, we discussed the theological reality of Satan and the few mentions of his presence in the Old Testament. Now here’s a brief synopsis of what the New Testament has to say.

In the New Testament, Satan and demons are all over the place, particularly in the life of Jesus. A primary function of Jesus’ ministry is freeing people from being inhabited by demons. Sometimes there is just one demon inside someone, and sometimes there are a bunch. The demon can make someone have a physical sickness or a mental disorder. It can cause the person to try to kill himself. It can drive people away from society. It can use the person’s mouth to speak. It can use the person to commit violence against others. And demons know exactly who Jesus is when Jesus shows up.

We know also, from other Jewish sources, that Jews, particularly Pharisees, had a well-developed, complex understanding of demons and demonization. They had outlined what kinds of reasons why people have demons and what kinds of things to do to get rid of them. They had elaborate rituals and people who were trained in them. Sometimes they were successful (Matt. 12:27) and sometimes not (Acts 19:13-16). People in other cultures/religions also were and are concerned with getting rid of evil spirits, also with elaborate rituals that sometimes work and often do not. In my experience, the more unsuccessful you are, the more elaborate your system becomes. When it doesn’t work, we tend to say, “It’s because we didn’t do this,” and when that doesn’t work, we realize there’s even more missing. Sometimes, even for Christians, it can become more about magical rituals than the authority and power of the Lord Jesus.

The thing that amazes people about Jesus is that it’s all very simple with him. He just tells the demon to get out and the demon gets out. He doesn’t imply that the demon got in because the person did something to invite the demon in; he never has conversations with people that would get to that root; he simply treats them like a casualty of war and heals them. Sometimes he does see the need to get to know more about the demon (Mark 5:9). Sometimes it’s not instantaneous and there’s a bit of a struggle. It’s also important to know that his disciples, even after receiving authority over demons, are unable to cast one out. Jesus said in response that “this kind doesn’t come out except through prayer and fasting” (Mark 9:29).  I know that some of us have been helped and delivered from demons by a more elaborate and formal process of inventorying our lives to get rid of places where we have given the devil a foothold. This was probably good, maybe necessary – if it worked, that’s all that really matters. And there’s an amazing authority in Jesus for deliverance. 

After Jesus, deliverance from demons accompanies the preaching of the apostles as they spread the word of God from place to place, but the letters to the churches do not mention anything about deliverance. They mention a struggle against Satan, both offensive and defensive, in which Christians are to engage wisely, but the much greater emphasis in the letters is on who we are in Christ and how to live in community. That’s really important. Paul casts out demons when he needs to, but he doesn’t make a big deal about that when he teaches the churches.

The biggest type of spiritual warfare we can engage in is to strengthen ourselves in Christ and to build up the church, which is in the process of implementing the victory of the cross in this world against the powers of the world that were defeated, but are still active. As you go about applying spiritual warfare principles to your life, this is what you need to focus on. Focus on God directly, and Satan only indirectly. What we are for speaks much more loudly than what we’re against. Go church! Live strong! Stand!

- Pastor Bo Bannister