“The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because He has anointed me to preach the Good News to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” (Luke 4:18+19)
Immediately after quoting this text in the Synagogue Jesus fulfilled what he had spoken. He drove out demons (releasing those captives) and began His healing miracles. Over time we seem to have overlooked or diminished Jesus’ second step of his strategic plan. He followed the same plan throughout each of the Gospels. It was simple, focused and effective. Preach, deliver (people), and heal.
I am prone to skip over that middle strategy myself. Demons…really? When I was a student at Gordon-Conwell Seminary the Ockenga Institute held seminars with various speakers. I knew if this because my wife worked at the Institute. So, I would attend the seminars. One seminar dealt with “Spiritual Warfare and Deliverance.” I made it through only a portion of the event…and left scratching my head. And I thought, “what could this possibly mean today?” I shrugged it off and left.
Something I have noticed more and more is that Jesus took this step seriously. If anyone could see through a charlatan wouldn’t it be Jesus? He could and can see our hearts. He dealt with “demons” quickly and authoritatively.
Now here we are in the 21st century. Are we too sophisticated to realize the evidence, power, and persistence of “demons”? Before I continue clarification is necessary. In my estimate “demons” equal those things that take the place of God’s Spirit within us. Idols tend to be things that are external which we desire. Once an idol totally posseses our very selves then we are talking about our “demons”. Another spirit takes root inside us. Either it drives God away or does not allow us to accept the gift of grace in the first place.
This type of possession which blocks God’s Spirit takes hold prior to our awareness of its presence. How can we battle something that has always been there? It has always been part of “me” right?
This understanding was triggered as I listened to the speakers at the Summit. John Maxwell’s focus was to “add value” to people’s lives. Upon reflection I wondered if we can add more value to a person than what God placed there when they were created? Danielle Strickland emphasized that often the message we preach to people entering the church “relates to our depravity”. She indicated that we need to remember that “God created us good.”
The questions which prompted this blog entry were, “what caused us to believe that we are not good?”, and “what stands in the way of our ability to see ourselves through God’s eyes?”
I came to the conclusion that Jesus’ second step belongs here! When there is a boulder or a mountain in the way how do we remove it? By the power of God alone. Praying very definite if not specific requests for release. Praying to set the captives free so then they could hear and respond to the Word as well.
I do not believe “demons” have names as if characters in a far-fetched story. They are names we are quite familiar with- “abuse”; “abandonment”; “shame”; “fear” and I am sure you know others quite personally.
There is only one place to take these “demons” that may possess us. Bring them to Christ and the Cross. Extinguish their power by the blood and the Word. And, pray that the Holy Spirit would fill the space made empty by the retreat of the “other” spirit. The transformation that God performs in and through us is amazing. We have proof of that in each of the Gospels and the Acts of the Apostles. Jesus can and will speak to us, drive out our demons and heal us even in the 21st century.
Blessings–>
partofHISstory 