Sons and Daughters of the Living God
Title: Healing and Forgiveness of Sin
Subject Matter: Some practical instructions on ministering healing, along with some teaching on the forgiveness of sin
Speaker: Neal Leazer
Recorded October 8, 2014 at Spirit Filled Living – a local church in Apex, NC
You can download the audio by right-clicking on the following link: Healing and Forgiveness of Sin
In my previous post, I attempted to answer the question “What are a demons?” In this post, I want to provide at least a partial answer to the question “What can demons do?”
The Bible does not have a chapter that provides a checklist of the abilities of demons. We have to piece this together the various accounts of their activities throughout Scripture. So, that is what I will do now. Here is a partial list of things demons can do, with scripture references attached to them:
It we want to group all of this into a few sentences, we could say something like this: If left unchecked or unopposed, demons can attempt to intimidate, deceive, harass, defile, afflict, tempt, entice, and control.
But before I end this article, I want to make sure that the reader does not go away fearful. Christians NEVER need to be afraid of demons.
The Bible tells us that Christians have overwhelming power and authority to resist, oppose, defeat, rebuke, and expel every demon. We (the believers) have been given power and authority by Jesus to destroy the works of the devil. We get to operate in the authority provided by Jesus. He has all authority (Matthew 28:18) and He has commissioned us to represent Him in His authority.
James 4:7 – Resist the devil and he will flee from YOU
Mark 16:16 – These signs shall follow THOSE THAT BELIEVE, in my name THEY shall cast out demons
Luke 10:19 – Behold, I give YOU authority to trample on snakes and scorpions, and over ALL the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt YOU
In my next post in this series, I plan to examine in more detail what the Bible has to say about the authority of the believer.
Title: Healing in the Atonement
Subject Matter: Jesus bore our sicknesses and diseases at the same time He bore our sins.
Speaker: Neal Leazer
Recorded September 17, 2014 at Spirit Filled Living – a local church in Apex, NC
You can download the audio by right-clicking on the following link: Healing in the Atonement
In the previous article, I showed from the Bible two major facts about Jesus and demons:
So, dealing with demons was important to Jesus, and it it something that Christians need to be equipped for.
But what exactly is a demon?
The Bible does not provide a scientific definition for us. There is not a verse that says “A demon is ____.” But from reading the different accounts of their activity, we can get a good idea of what they are and what kinds of things they can do.
A demon is a non-human, spiritual being. It is an invisible creature that does not have a physical body. Demons are not just mythological beings that exist only as part of primitive superstition. They are real, and it was very important to Jesus that His followers be prepared to deal with them.
Although some demons masquerade as the ghosts of deceased loved ones, demons are not dead people. They are a different class of being. They are not human. You can think of them as sub-human. In this way, they are similar to animals.
However, demons do have abilities that are not always associated with animals. For example, demons talk (Mark 1:23-24), have thoughts and make decisions (Matthew 12:43-44), form strategies (Ephesians 6:11), have emotions (James 2:19), spread doctrines (1 Timothy 4:1), and many other things associated with an “intelligent” life form. Although they have much less power than us, they can sometimes affect humans with results that range from mildly annoying all the way to dangerously life-threatening. They are evil without remorse, and should be treated as such.
Demons can affect people that don’t know how to (or are unwilling to) stand up to them. They operate through deception and intimidation, and from the accounts we have in the Bible, they seem to be very concerned with territory and authority. In this way, they are like bullies, or the mafia. They are also attracted to sin and garbage. In this way they are like vultures or flies. They have an intense desire to be attached to a human host, like parasites. And they operate largely through deception, like spies conducting espionage.
Scripture uses several different terms that refer to demons, and the terms are sometimes used interchangeably. The three main terms are:
All three of these terms refer to the same thing. A demon is the same thing as an unclean spirit, or an evil spirit.
There are also many different “types” of demons mentioned in the Bible. Here is a partial list:
While it is clear from the Bible that there is some sort of “ranking” system among demons, there is not a lot of detail given about the hierarchy. What we do see, even with limited detail, is that some demons are stronger or more influential than others. I have seen this in my own personal experience. When I am casting demons out of an afflicted person, sometimes the person is set free in just seconds. Other times it is more of a battle. But never forget that even the strongest, highest ranking demon is no match for the Holy Spirit who lives inside of every Christian (1 John 4:4). Demons are nothing to be afraid of.
Dealing with demons is not a game, and is not something to be taken lightly. But on the other hand, there is no need to be afraid or worried either. It is like termites. We are not afraid of them, but we also do not take them lightly because of the effect they can have if we ignore them or assume that they are harmless.
Before I end this article, I want to take a moment to address something. I have heard on more than one occasion from various speakers that there are certain ranks of demons that Christians do not have authority over. The teaching usually says that we are not supposed to come against those kinds of demons unless the Lord gives us a specific instruction and a special empowerment beyond what we normally have.
However, according to Ephesians 1:20-21, every demon is far below the feet of Jesus. And also according to Ephesians 2:6 every believer is also seated with Christ, far above every demon. So, every demon (including principalities and rulers and etc) is FAR BELOW the feet of every single believer.
When Jesus gives his representatives authority to drive out demons, he does not put qualifications or exceptions on it. Christians outrank demons, period. That is a Biblical fact. The weakest, newest, most immature believer outranks the even the strongest demon, by a large margin. And while the Christian may not be aware of this authority, or may not know how to use it, his actual rank is not affected by his knowledge or maturity level. Christians have been given authority over all demons without any qualification.
Luke 10:19 – Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you.
If you are new to this subject, then your first step is to accept these two facts: demons are real, and Christians have authority over them.
Title: Healing
Subject Matter: A discussion on the topic of healing, including lots of talk about God’s will in this area.
Speaker: Neal Leazer
Recorded September 10, 2014 at Spirit Filled Living – a local church in Apex, NC
You can download the audio by right-clicking on the following link: Healing
Jesus spent a considerable amount of His time on earth dealing with demons (aka evil spirits, unclean spirits, etc). This was one of His main activities. It was also one of the things that really drew people to him. Take a look at these passages.
Matthew 8:16
When evening had come, they brought to Him many who were demon-possessed. And He cast out the spirits with a word, and healed all who were sick,Mark 1:34
Then He healed many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons; and He did not allow the demons to speak, because they knew HimMark 1:39
39 And he went throughout all Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and casting out demons.Mark 3:11
And the unclean spirits, whenever they saw Him, fell down before Him and cried out, saying, “You are the Son of God.”Luke 4:36
Then they were all amazed and spoke among themselves, saying, “What a word this is! For with authority and power He commands the unclean spirits, and they come out.”Luke 6:17-18
And He came down with them and stood on a level place with a crowd of His disciples and a great multitude of people from all Judea and Jerusalem, and from the seacoast of Tyre and Sidon, who came to hear Him and be healed of their diseases,as well as those who were tormented with unclean spirits. And they were healed.Luke 7:21
And that very hour He cured many of infirmities, afflictions, and evil spirits; and to many blind He gave sight.
Preaching, teaching, healing the sick, and casting out demons. That’s what you would see if you went to see Jesus in action. He would preach the Kingdom of God, and then demonstrate it with displays of supernatural power. Or, He would do it in reverse order. He would exercise supernatural power over sickness and demons, and then He would preach and teach.
That is what the ministry of Jesus looked like. Casting out demons was a big part of it. It was one his three main areas of focus (with healing and preaching/teaching being the other two).
Also, we know from scripture that it was important to him that his representatives do this also as a regular part of their activities.
We can see it when he sent out the 12 (his first group of representatives):
Luke 9:1 – Then He called His twelve disciples together and gave them power and authority over all demons, and to cure diseases. He sent them to preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick.
We can also see it when he sent out the 70 (his second group of representatives):
Luke 10:1 – After these things the Lord appointed seventy others also, and sent them two by two before His face into every city and place where He Himself was about to go….
Luke 10:17-19 – Then the seventy returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name.” And He said to them, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you…”
Also, at the great commission, this is the first thing Jesus mentioned when he was describing the signs that “shall follow them that believe”:
Mark 16:17 – And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues…
When Jesus prepared people and sent them out to represent Him, casting out demons was part of the program. This is because He loves people, and wants them to be free from the influence of evil spirits, just like He wants people to be saved and healed.
As the Bible narrative continues in the book of Acts, you can see His followers dealing with demons as part of what they did. This wasn’t just something that happened during the ministry of Jesus before He died on the cross. It continued, just like healing and preaching/teaching continued. Those are the three main activities that followers of Jesus are supposed to be equipped for. That is our mission as Christians. We are supposed to doing the works that Jesus did (John 14:12) which means healing the sick, casting out demons, and preaching the gospel.
When teaching people about the different parts of the Christian walk, we should include training on dealing with demons. It should be a major area of focus, since it will be a regular part of our activities. There aren’t any less demons in the world now than there were 2000 years ago. And a representative of Jesus should be able (at least to some degree) to recognize demonic activity, to exercise authority over demons, and to drive them out of anyone that is being oppressed. This is a balanced, proper, and Biblical perspective.
“CHARIS” is a word in the original Greek language of the New Testament. It is often translated as grace, kindness, favor, blessing, etc.
It means “unmerited favor.” It means “goodwill that is not deserved.”
CHARIS only applies with the recipient is undeserving. If it is deserved in any way, it is not CHARIS. If there is anything that you can do earn it, it is not CHARIS.
CHARIS is a very general and broad term. When it is used in a specific instance, the Greek word is “CHARISMA.” This is often translated “gift.”
This is unmerited favor (grace) that is made specific in a specific instance.
It is an undeserved gift. If there is any part of it that is deserved, then it is not a CHARISMA. If you try to deserve it, then you make yourself ineligible.
Now if you want to make this word plural, you add “TA” to the end and you end up with “CHARISMATA.”
CHARISMATA means “free, undeserved gifts.”
That brings us to our passage in 1 Corinthians where the gifts of the Holy Spirit are listed
1 Corinthians 12:4-11
4 There are diversities of gifts (CHARISMATA), but the same Spirit.
5 There are differences of ministries, but the same Lord.
6 And there are diversities of activities, but it is the same God who works all in all.
7 But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all:
8 for to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit,
9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healings by the same Spirit,
10 to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues.
11 But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills.
These nine manifestations of the Holy Spirit are gifts that the Holy Spirit gives to people that don’t deserve them. There is no requirement on anyone to receive them. If there are requirements, then they are not CHARISMATA. Another word would have to be used. If you have to attain a certain level of maturity or holiness in order to receive them, then they would be called rewards instead of gifts.
But the word that is used here is CHARISMATA…free gifts that are not deserved in any way.
To bring this point out more clearly, consider the context of the passage that was quoted above. It comes from a letter (1 Corinthians) that was written to a group of Christians in the city of Corinth. In this letter they are being corrected for things that would make many of today’s believers blush. Here are a few examples:
To sum it all up, read the following passage from chapter 3:
1 Corinthians 3:1-3
1 Brothers, I could not address you as spiritual but as worldly–mere infants in Christ.
2 I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it. Indeed, you are still not ready.
3 You are still worldly. For since there is jealousy and quarreling among you, are you not worldly? Are you not acting like mere men?
These people are not mature. Rather, they are immature. Paul calls them spiritual babies. They are not ready for meat, they still need milk. The are carnal and worldly, they are not demonstrating holy living.
However, when you read chapters 12-14, you can see that this doesn’t stop the Holy Spirit from operating His supernatural gifts through them in miracles, healings, prophecy, and so on. The gifts of the Spirit are operating mightily in this group of believers. Paul even makes this statement in chapter 1:
1 Corinthians 1:7 – Therefore you do not lack any spiritual gift as you eagerly wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed.
It seems to me that many Christians have a very different idea about this. People seem to think that to operate in the gifts of the Spirit, you have to fast and pray, and live holy, and so on. But if that were true, then they wouldn’t be called gifts (CHARISMATA).
Don’t get me wrong, sin is bad and can ruin your life. And immaturity is nothing to be proud of. However, sin and immaturity do not stop the Holy Spirit from using us in His supernatural gifts. By definition, CHARISMATA gifts are only given to people that don’t deserve them.
Think about it like this: What human could work hard enough to deserve the power of God? Who could earn the right to demonstrate the power of God? Nobody but Jesus. You don’t earn this. You can’t earn it. You have to just receive and use/exercise the gifts by faith, and be thankful to God that He gives a bunch of misfits the opportunity to participate in whatever He is doing.
Never let anyone tell you that you need to reach a certain level of behavior or maturity in your walk before you can move in the wonderful, powerful, and supernatural gifts (CHARISMATA) of the Holy Spirit. Don’t get tricked into disqualifying yourself. The gifts are free to all that will receive them and use them. They are given as the Holy Spirit wills (1 Corinthians 7:11), and they are given freely. If you don’t deserve them, then you are a prime candidate to receive them.
Luke 4:39-39 (AMP)
38 Then He arose and left the synagogue and went into Simon’s (Peter’s) house. Now Simon’s mother-in-law was suffering in the grip of a burning fever, and they pleaded with Him for her.
39 And standing over her, He rebuked the fever, and it left her; and immediately she got up and began waiting on them.
Peter’s mother-in-law was sick with a fever, and they asked Jesus to help her. Jesus didn’t pray for her, though. Instead, Jesus rebuked the fever and it left her.
The word “rebuke” can also be translated “scold” or “sternly warn.”
Jesus gave orders to a physical condition. He spoke to a sickness. Instead of praying to the Father about the fever, He spoke to the fever. He was talking to the problem.
Think about that. Jesus spoke to a fever, and the fever left. That is amazing.
Although He didn’t operate in this way every time, this is not an isolated case. There are many other examples of this. Take a look at these:
Mark 7:32-35
32 Then they brought to Him one who was deaf and had an impediment in his speech, and they begged Him to put His hand on him.
33 And He took him aside from the multitude, and put His fingers in his ears, and He spat and touched his tongue.
34 Then, looking up to heaven, He sighed, and said to him, “Ephphatha,” that is, “Be opened.”
35 Immediately his ears were opened, and the impediment of his tongue was loosed, and he spoke plainly.Matthew 8:3
Then Jesus put out His hand and touched him, saying, “I am willing; be cleansed.” Immediately his leprosy was cleansed.
In these examples, Jesus is speaking to physical conditions, and giving orders. The physical bodies of the sick people respond to His orders.
This is a completely different dynamic than praying to the Father for healing. It is speaking to the problem on behalf of God, rather than speaking to God about the problem. This is one of the ways that Jesus ministered healing. And because Jesus is our example, this should be one of the ways that we are to minister healing as well.
Now at this point, you might be tempted to say “yeah, but that was Jesus.” But do not forget the words of Jesus in John 14:
John 14:12
Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father.
And don’t forget that all of the miracles of Jesus were performed in the power of the Holy Spirit (Acts 10:38). This is the same Holy Spirit that lives inside of every single born-again Christian. (Click here to read more about this).
If you read the healing accounts in Acts, you can see the followers of Jesus behaving in the same way many times. In cases where healing is concerned, they were not praying for God to do something, they were speaking to the problem, acting as a representative of the One they were serving.
Acts 3:1-8
1 Now Peter and John went up together to the temple at the hour of prayer, the ninth hour.
2 And a certain man lame from his mother’s womb was carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, to ask alms from those who entered the temple;
3 who, seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple, asked for alms.
4 And fixing his eyes on him, with John, Peter said, “Look at us.”
5 So he gave them his attention, expecting to receive something from them.
6 Then Peter said, “Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk.”
7 And he took him by the right hand and lifted him up, and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength.
8 So he, leaping up, stood and walked and entered the temple with them–walking, leaping, and praising God.
Peter and John were acting just like Jesus did. This makes complete sense when you think about the fact that Peter and John watched Jesus do things like this probably hundreds of times. They were just imitating their mentor. They were doing what Jesus would do, and they got the same results because it was the same Holy Spirit at work in them that was at work in Jesus.
Here’s another one. This time it is Paul. Paul didn’t become a believer until a long time after Jesus rose from the dead and ascended into heaven. So, he wasn’t there to watch Jesus during His earthly ministry, but he was acting the same way as the other disciples.
Acts 14:8-10
8 And in Lystra a certain man without strength in his feet was sitting, a cripple from his mother’s womb, who had never walked.
9 This man heard Paul speaking. Paul, observing him intently and seeing that he had faith to be healed,
10 said with a loud voice, “Stand up straight on your feet!” And he leaped and walked.
As children of God, we have the Holy Spirit living inside of us. He is the same Holy Spirit that lived and worked in Jesus when He came to earth. He (the Holy Spirit) knows how to heal people. He was present and active in every divine healing that has ever happened, so He has plenty of experience in fixing up broken bodies.
Everywhere you go, He goes. You will never run into a physical condition that He is not prepared to handle. He has chosen to work through us to demonstrate His love and His power on the earth. We can participate by believing this, and acting on it.
So, this is a new way to pray. As an ambassador of Christ the King, you can speak to the problem the same way that your King would if He were physically present. You are here to enforce the will of God by the power of the Holy Spirit. Jesus is your example, so do what He did. Speak to the problem. Tell it to obey God. Order the sickness to leave the person, in the name of Jesus.
Mark 1:40-45
40 Now a leper came to Him, imploring Him, kneeling down to Him and saying to Him, “If You are willing, You can make me clean.”
41 Then Jesus, moved with compassion, stretched out His hand and touched him, and said to him, “I am willing; be cleansed.”
42 As soon as He had spoken, immediately the leprosy left him, and he was cleansed
43 And He strictly warned him and sent him away at once,
44 and said to him, “See that you say nothing to anyone; but go your way, show yourself to the priest, and offer for your cleansing those things which Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.”
45 However, he went out and began to proclaim it freely, and to spread the matter, so that Jesus could no longer openly enter the city, but was outside in deserted places; and they came to Him from every direction.See also Matthew 8:2-4 and Luke 5:12-15
The leper came in faith the Jesus could heal him, but he did not seem to be in faith that Jesus would heal him.
This reminds me of many prayers I have prayed before (and I am sure that I am not alone in this). I believed that God could heal people, but I didn’t want to presume that He wanted to.
The prayer would go something like this: “Please heal John Doe, if it is your will. Amen.”
That is the way that this leper came to Jesus. He said “if you are willing, You can make me clean.” He believed in the ability of Jesus to heal, but he questioned His willingness to use it.
Jesus wasn’t mad about this. Instead, look at the simple reply. Jesus said “I am willing.”
The Greek word that is translated “willing” gives some additional light to this:
WILLING
Greek = thelo = Strong’s 23091) to will, have in mind, intend
1a) to be resolved or determined, to purpose
1b) to desire, to wish
1c) to love
1c1) to like to do a thing, be fond of doing
1d) to take delight in, have pleasure
Jesus made it clear that healing this man is something he would very much like to do. It’s not like Jesus said “well…ok, but just this once.” It was more like “I would love to!” This attitude toward healing that Jesus displays here is consistent in all other examples we have listed in the four gospels. He is willing to minister healing. That is something to keep in mind when you have the opportunity to minister healing to others.
Let your faith toward Jesus and your opinion of His nature be in harmony with what the bible says about Him. You are not being presumptuous if you believe God wants to heal. Read about Jesus in the four Gospels to see if God wants to heal. Jesus always healed the people that came to Him, and He was always doing the will of the Father (John 5:19).
Jesus was willing to heal, and he still is.
PS. Jesus “strictly warned” this man not to tell anyone what happened, but to go do what the Law required. If we assume that Jesus meant what He said, then we cannot say that the primary purpose of healing this man was to spread the gospel. God can heal you just because He is compassionate. God is good :)