Sometimes you HAVE to cast some devils out! Avoiding demon possessed people won’t make them go away! We see in Jesus' ministry some dramatic examples of exorcism, casting out of demons. But let's not be naïve. People who have lived under a demonic delusion or obsession for a significant period of their lives need a period of recovery, even though the root demonic cause of the problem has been dealt with. Let me explain. In order for a person to live with the demonic delusion or obsession, he is forced to develop a whole series of coping mechanisms that aren't appropriate to the free and open life of a Christian. These coping mechanisms must be gradually unlearned. They didn't develop overnight and they seldom disappear overnight. I believe that counseling by skilled, trained, and committed Christian counselors, pastors, or laypersons can be extremely helpful to help delivered people experience full recovery. The Body of Christ is not a place where we are to judge our recovering brothers and sisters, but to love and encourage and bear with them. The church is supposed to be a supportive, loving environment where people -- including you and me, my friend -- can find full healing from sin and deception, and their entrapping consequences.
Demonization and Healing
We see in scripture that some illnesses Jesus healed had their roots in demonic influence: blindness and dumbness (Matthew 9:32-33; 12:22; Luke 11:14), scoliosis (Luke 13:10), seizures (Luke 9:37-48), etc. But it is important for us to recognize that nowhere does the New Testament teach that ALL sickness is of demonically origin. Yes, in one sense sickness is the work of the devil, but not all sickness has a direct demonic cause. When Jesus healed the sick, only sometimes did he cast out a demon to do it. Most of the time it was with a word or the laying on of hands.
Comment by T.L. Hawkins on May 28, 2009 at 10:10am
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