A CHRISTIAN’S AUTHORITY OVER UNCLEAN SPIRITS
The Holy Bible tells us in Matthew
10:1 (AMPC), “AND
JESUS summoned to Him His twelve disciples and gave them power and authority over unclean
spirits, to drive them out, and to cure all kinds of disease and all kinds of
weakness and infirmity.”
The Bible contains several evidences where the Apostles of
the Lord Jesus Christ exercised this authority over unclean spirits and cured
sicknesses and diseases – Luke 10:17, Acts 3:1-10; Acts 5:12-15; Acts 19:11-12.
Now, this tells anyone reading that since the Lord Jesus gave
His Apostles authority and power to drive out unclean spirit and cure all
manner of sickness and diseases, it means sicknesses and diseases are not from
God but from the devil.
It is therefore a wrong statement for anyone to attribute the
cause of sicknesses and diseases to God because God cures sicknesses and
diseases as a proof of His love for His children.
However, there are many Christians today who believe that
this power and authority over unclean spirits, sicknesses and diseases ended
with the Apostles of Christ and the early Church.
Such people believe that today’s Christians do not have this
same priviledge conferred on them.
Now, let us look at the statements of the Lord Jesus
Christ to His Apostles shortly before He left this earth and ascended into
heaven in Mark 16:15-18 (AMPC), “And He (Jesus) said to
them, Go into all the world and preach and publish openly the good news (the Gospel) to every creature
[of the whole human race].
16 He who believes
[who adheres to and trusts in and relies on the Gospel and Him Whom it sets
forth] and is baptized will be saved [from the penalty of eternal death]; but
he who does not believe [who does not adhere to and trust in and rely on the
Gospel and Him Whom it sets forth] will be condemned.
17 And these
attesting signs will accompany those who believe: in My name they will drive
out demons; they will speak in new languages;
18 They will pick
up serpents; and [even] if they drink anything deadly, it will not hurt them;
they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will get well.”
Dear friend, clearly, we see Jesus conferring on future
believers of the Gospel, the Christians of any age, time and season, the same
authority and power over unclean spirits, sicknesses and diseases.
So the question now is, why are many of today’s Christians
not aware of this authority given by the Lord Jesus Christ? It is because they
have not studied the Bible themselves to see what Jesus, our Messiah, gave to
them.
Now, it is important to note here that satan, demons and
their human agents are pleased whenever a Christian is ignorant of this
authority over them and their activities so that they (demons and their human
agents) can operate freely to cause havoc in this world.
The havoc satan and his agents cause is hardship, poverty, accidents,
natural disasters, sicknesses and diseases and you find ignorant humans and
ignorant Christians alike attributing these evil events to God.
It is equally pertinent to note that it is one thing to know
about this authority and it is also another thing to exercise this authority. This
authority over unclean spirits, sicknesses and diseases can only be exercised
in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, the name above all other names.
If you try to exercise this authority over unclean spirits,
sicknesses and diseases in any other name or by any other means, nothing will
happen and satan and his agents would continue to oppress their victims.
Now, you know that it is only in the name of the Lord Jesus
Christ that one can exercise authority over satan and his agents.
Additionally, I want to point out here that it is only a
Christian that can exercise this authority. A non-Christian cannot exercise
this authority because he or she does not believe in the Lordship of Jesus
Christ.
He or she does not believe that Jesus is the Son of God and
therefore has a Divine nature.
Such individual does not believe that Jesus Christ came into
this world as a human being to give His life for the sins of mankind by
shedding His precious blood on the Cross of Calvary, a most significant event
that reconciled mankind back to God and destroyed the damage satan caused at
the beginning when he (satan) deceived Adam and Eve into disobeying God’s
commandment.
A non-Christian does not believe that having achieved the
purpose of dying for mankind’s sins, the Lord Jesus Christ resurrected on the
third day as He prophesied.
A non-Christian is therefore a non-Believer and since Jesus
said the attesting signs of a Believer in Him (Jesus) would be authority in His
name over unclean spirits, sicknesses and diseases, it means a non-Christian
cannot exercise this authority.
The solution is simple. A non-Christian, or non-Believer,
should become a Believer or a Christian. He can do this by simply realising his
deep and sincere need for Salvation that only the Lord Jesus Christ can give,
then he should sincerely repent of his sins, forsake them, confess them to God,
accept Jesus Christ as Messiah, and determine to live a life of strict
obedience to the commandments of Jesus Christ in the Holy Bible.
Once the person becomes a Believer, he can execute his
mandate given as a priviledge from the Lord Jesus Christ and exercise his authority
over unclean spirits, sicknesses and diseases.
The beauty of all this is that as long as the Believer or
Christian remains committed to full obedience of Jesus’ commandments in the
Holy Bible through integrity in his words and deeds, such Believer is assured
of eternal life in Heaven with the Lord Jesus once he departs from this world
at death.
Dear friend, wouldn’t you want to enjoy these privileges? I want
you to think deeply about this because eternity is a world without end and
every human being born into this world would stay eternity in one of two places
– HEAVEN or HELL depending on whether or not the person had a relationship with
the Lord Jesus Christ whilst alive here on earth.
There is no other yardstick for determining this except what I
have stated here.
The choice is left for everyone to make. I urge you
therefore, dear friend, to make the right choice in Christ Jesus and start your
journey into the priviledges reserved for you found only in Christ.
May the good Lord bless you as you
heed His Word today, act on it and share with others in Jesus’ Mighty Name, Amen.
Gabriel Ama.
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