Over the years, I have run into people on the fringe of the Christian world.  These people have said they can see demons.  I’ve also heard them say that they can talk to the demons.  They explain how they can see a person and they see the demons in them.  Then they begin to name the demons, for instance, “Oh that lady has the demon of Jezebel in her!”  or “Look at him!  He has the demon alcohol.”  I’ve asked these individuals if they are being figurative.  I’ve asked them if they just mean that the person is a whore, or an alcoholic.  They usually respond by telling me that those are real demons and they have to be bound, gagged, and have their eyes blinded.  They tell me that they have to command them in Jesus name to go where He wills them to go.  When asked where they get a crazy idea like that, they say, “Well it’s in the Bible! Duh!”

Now I’ve been reading and studying the Bible for a while now.  I have to say, that I don’t think they are correct about how this is done.  First, what happens to an unsaved person when a demon leaves them?  Well, it comes back with seven other demons to find the place neat, tidy, and ready for tenants.  There is no indwelling of the Holy Spirit.  The person is still a slave to sin.  Consequently they are worse off than they were before.  We are also told in the Bible to not go looking for the supernatural unless that supernatural we are looking for is God.  So running around looking for demons and then calling every personality disorder, sin, or characteristic a demon of this or that is ludicrous.  It would be laughable if it weren’t so damaging.  Stay away from spiritist, mediums, witchcraft, sorcery, familiars, and so on.  How simple is that?  Just focus on Jesus and His word.

Are you Jesus?  Are you one of the Apostles? Then you don’t have the authority or ability to run around casting out demons.  You’re more like the sons of Sceva than you are a son of God if that is what you’re about.  Jesus gave us a mission, it is to preach the gospel and make disciples.  If you run across a person who is demonically possessed the best most loving thing you could do for them is to preach the gospel of Jesus to them.  If they are elect and respond to the gospel with repentance and faith, then the indwelling of the Holy Spirit will take care of the demon problem.  Where the Holy Spirit makes His home He won’t share with a demon.  Let God do the exercising of demons and you focus on the job you were given.

Don’t get me wrong, there are times where we will come into contact with people who may be demonically possessed.  In those times we need to be wise or we could do more damage than good.  Let’s imagine you are successful in casting out the demon in Jesus name.  Then what?  That poor wretch is just going to get possessed again by the original demon and seven more that are worse than the first one.  How is that loving and helpful?  I implore you, stop running around pretending you are ministering to people.  You are just hurting them.

If you are a disciple of one of these deliverance preachers or if you are one of them please reconsider what you have been taught, believe, and practice.  You have been deceived by a movement that is grounded in bad hermeneutics that have brought forth false doctrines.  Repent and practice a real ministry that is Biblical.  I don’t care what your experiences have been.  They are not proof of anything especially since they are not Biblical.  We must go with what the Bible says and not what our feelings or experiences might errantly lead us to.