Passages about Satan, demon spirits and spiritual warfare are interspersed throughout the bible. Many clients have an old-testament understanding of the demonic realm (much of it from the book of Job), that is incomplete and flawed. The reality is that things changed significantly when Jesus came on the scene and we need to correct that viewpoint.
What’s different between Job’s time and now? The differences arise from Christ’s death on the cross, his resurrection and the subsequent outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost.
- Jesus defeated the work of Satan and the demonic realm.
- He gave his church power and authority over the demonic realm. We can bind them, deliver people and resist them.Christians have
- God Himself living inside of them; we are the righteousness of God (2 Cor. 5:21).
In Job 1:1 we learn that he was blameless and upright; he feared God and shunned evil. Yet this did not shield him from demonic torment. Christians today are fighting a foe that has been defeated but still has power and the capacity to do damage. The thief still works to kill, steal and destroy but Jesus came that we might have life abundantly! (John 10:10).
Because of the power and authority we have been given, we can now drive demons out of people (Mark 16:17), lay hands on them to bring healing (Mark 16:17) and also resist them (James 4:7). The challenge for many is to see and properly discern this enemy we are fighting.
The bible says that our struggle is spiritual and not against flesh and blood (Eph. 6:10) but we must discern and spiritually see these enemies. Fortunately, one of the gifts handed to us at Pentecost was that of discerning of spirits (1 Cor 12:10). Our gracious Lord, who defeated the enemy and given us power and authority over him, also gave us the means to see him!
We are not meant to fight blind!God is still sovereign and demonic attacks against us are still allowed, just as they were in Job’s time, but now we can come against them and do not need to beg for help! As it was in Job’s time, the demonic realm is still able to bring sickness, afflictions and torment upon believers.
Job’s friends contended wrongfully that his torment was rooted in some sort of sin he had committed. Job demanded from God his day in court before God revealed his sovereignty to him and Job saw it in the spirit. He repented and now believed.We too, like Job, must get a new revelation, based upon the new covenant instituted under Christ. We can then rejoice in the victory that has been won, appropriate and enforce that victory in the world today.
Have you been afraid of the demonic realm or do you have the revelation that you are the one in charge?
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