...About Dealing with Devils

I Have learned, and also taught in the past that Jesus came and conquered all the forces of evil with His death and resurrection. We have taught this erroneously. It is important for us to note that before Jesus died or was resurrected, He already had power over devils. They were already subject to Him. He did not wrestle or go into spiritual warfare to get the victory over the devil. He only spoke and the will of the Father was performed.

Jesus did not have to die and be resurrected to have power over the devil. He came to earth with this power because He came in the Holy Ghost, which is the Spirit of God.

All devils are subject to the Father. If any devil is going to be cast out, they will come out by the power of the Father. There is no power we have of ourselves. This is why Jesus said if He cast out a devil, He was doing it by the Spirit of God and the Kingdom of God had come to them.

Note that Jesus gave His disciples power to cast out devils. They had operated in this power, but they were not able to deliver the demoniac boy. Why? The Father had withdrawn His power and was not working with them. If there is any unbelief or darkness in us at all, we will be just as the disciples, the Father will not work through us.

In destroying a false doctrine, you must go to its basis. There is no private interpretation of any one scripture. Also, any interpretation of a scripture must stand the test of all other scriptures. If you feel there is a meaning of a scripture, but there is another scripture that contradicts that meaning, then that interpretation is an error.

There are four words taken from the two passages below that have been used to formulate the Spiritual Warfare Doctrine.

II Corinthians 10:4-5

4 For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds

5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;

Ephesians 6:12

For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

These words are:

1) War

2) Weapons

3) Warfare

4) Wrestle

This doctrine says that we, the sons of God, must war against the devil. Sons of God are now trying to fight in a war with demons and devils to work for the Father.

The weapons of our warfare are given to us by God. They are the Word and the Spirit. The interesting thing is how they are used against the enemy. We are commanded to pull down strongholds and imaginations. We never change the systems of this world, but we are sent to set captives free. It is people whom we are commanded to deliver from the captivity of the enemy. Now how is this done? Do we enter into physical or verbal combat with the devil, or do we simply pray and speak the Word? The forces of darkness are only powerful when there is an absence of light.

Do not equate the power of the devil against Christ with the failure of men and women of God to walk in the Spirit of God. Furthermore, in this wrestling contest is it not the intent of the writer to suggest that the people with their ideologies, systems and policies who attack us and our purpose for being are influenced by the powers of the darkness of this world? Nevertheless, is not our defense against such the Word and to walk in the Spirit? If so, then where is the war in the heavens in which saints of God wrestle with the devil in prayer.

Now there are some scriptures that I want you to examine relative to Jesus and the power He had while here on earth, and the power He gave His disciples before He died.

St. John 16:33

These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.

St. Luke 10:19

Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you.

St. Matthew 12:22, 28

22 Then was brought unto him one possessed with a devil, blind, and dumb: and he healed him, insomuch that the blind and dumb both spake and saw.

28 But if I cast out devils by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God is come unto you.

St. Matthew 16:19

I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.

St. Luke 10:17

And the seventy returned again with joy, saying, Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through thy name.

St. John 11:25-26

25 Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:

26 And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?

Let us now examine scriptures where the Father has given us, His sons, power over demons and devils.

Romans 8:37

Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.

Ephesians 4:8

Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men.

Revelation 1:18

I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive forevermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.

JESUS HAS

1) Already overcome the world,

2) Given us the keys to the Kingdom of Heaven, and

3) Power over all of the powers of the devil.

These being facts, why is it that we must wrestle or fight a battle that is already won? We are truly more than conquerors through Jesus Christ. WE ALREADY HAVE THE VICTORY!!!

If Jesus did not die to obtain power over demons and devils, then what was it that He conquered? Jesus came to conquer death.

Hebrews 2:14-15

14 Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil;

15 And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.

Death is separation from God. God told Adam that the day he ate of the tree he would surely die. In Adam, all mankind died and was separated from God. When Jesus conquered death, He paved the way for us to move from death into life. Jesus came to set the captives free. He led captivity, (which was death) captive. When He arose from the dead, He said He had power over death, hell and the grave and had put Himself in a position to destroy Satan.

Hebrews 10:20

By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh;

Once we accept Him as our Lord and Savior, death has no more power over us. Jesus had to submit to death so that through death He could conquer the devil. He has, through His death and His flesh, made it possible for us to have access and fellowship with the Father.

We do not have to war with demons and devils that are already subject to us through Christ. He is in us and we are in Him. As long as we walk in Christ, in holiness, the Spirit of God will exercise His power over devils and demons. We do not have to fight with something that is already subject to us.