Casting Our Demons

 Casting Our Demons by  Chad MacDonald

It seems that as we read New Testament Scriptures, Jesus and the early church cast out demons everywhere they went. With regularity, demon power was confronted and driven out of the lives of the people.

In fact, it is the casting out of devils that is the very first sign we are told would accompany those that believe. Yet when comparing the frequency of deliverance ministry in the Gospels and the book of Acts to the modern Western church, something seems off.

A few years ago, I was summoned to a hospital psychiatric floor in order to minister to a veteran who was suffering from severe PTSD. He had reported hearing voices in his head and was having frequent hallucinations, which drove him to attempt suicidal and reckless behavior.

I soon arrived at the hospital, checked into the floor and was granted access to the wing. Immediately, I could sense the demonic oppression on that floor. I proceeded toward the area where I was to meet with the young man and as I walked down the hallway, I watched as patients who were clearly tormented by demons darted across the hallway to avoid me. The cosmic powers of darkness knew I had arrived. Demon power recognizes authority and quickly moves to avoid confrontation with a power with which they cannot contend—the power of God.

The moment I stepped onto that floor, anointing and divine authority invaded that place. It sent shockwaves through that wing as demons literally ran for cover.

Sitting alone at a table, I found the young veteran awaiting my arrival. He looked at me and said, "Do you think I'm crazy?" With tears in his eyes he stared at me, desperate for freedom.

"No sir, you are not crazy. You are being tormented by demons and I have come today because Jesus wants to set you free!" I responded as I laid my hands on him and commanded those spirits, "Come out."

Right there in the middle of that conference room in the psychiatric wing of that hospital, the power of God hit that young man. A clearness suddenly flooded his eyes. Jesus Christ set him free that day and delivered him from that horrible, demonic bondage. I went on to lead that man to saving faith in Christ that day. Truly—that day, hell lost another one. He was free!

Such a powerful change had occurred in this man that the following day, the medical staff immediately released him to his wife.

Almost one-third of all of Jesus' commands relating to intervention involved casting out of devils. Sadly, this ratio is not commensurate to what is practiced in the modern church today. A large portion of the body of Christ have buried their heads in the sand and ignored demonic activity altogether. Meanwhile, multitudes are suffering from the affliction of demonic power.

This anti-supernatural worldview that has crept into the church has provided the perfect cover for the enemy to creep into the lives of people undetected. This is the reason that both church and life go on as usual without any dramatic manifestations of demons. Because of this, it is wrongly assumed that these kinds of things only happen on "the mission field."

Nothing could be further from the truth.

The reason that these evil spirits can operate and go undetected inside the confines of the modern church is that they are not threatened. You see, demon power responds to only two things — authority and the anointing!

That's the reason most Christians can go their entire lives and never even witness deliverance, much less participate in one. Demons only manifest and are driven to the light in the presence of authority and anointing.

Sadly, because so many churches today are void of both, the people will remain bound. It was the presence of the anointing upon Jesus that caused the demonic outbursts in the synagogue.

When the anointing is combined with an individual walking in authority, it sends panic into the realms of darkness.

"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" (Luke 4:36, KJV).