Demons

Delivery Man

Knock knock – “Who is it?” “Delivery man” “OK – come on in.” How often have we heard this? How often has the delivery man come round? What does he deliver? Groceries, pizza, parcel from Amazon or some other supplier? OK, so I’m teasing a little bit. I am leading up to talking about a Christian delivery man or woman.

So what’s different about a Christian delivery man or woman? Let me give you a clue from Isaiah 61:1 “The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners,” Did you spot it? “to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners,” Freedom for captives and release from darkness for prisoners – what is that? Or more accurately, who are these captives and prisoners.

The captives and prisoners referred to in this passage of scripture are, I believe, those who are ‘held’ by any addictions, diseases, or demons !! There – I’ve mentioned the unmentionable – demons. Those “delivery” people who help free people from any addiction or disease or any demon are operating in the deliverance ministry. The main issue with this description is whether or not you believe that a Christian can have a demon.

I simply refer you to Mark 16:15-18 “He said to them, Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation. Whoever believes and is baptised will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well.” I ask you one question to go with this passage – Do you or do you not believe that the Bible is the Word of God.

To me this is the crux of everything. If we believe the Bible is the Word of God then we have to believe that “In my name they will drive out demons.” It’s no use saying that this died out with the first church, or that it only applied up to the first Pentecost and thereafter the Holy Spirit resides in you so no demon can do so. It would be so illogical for Jesus to speak the great commission if it were to last just 7 or 8 weeks. The Holy Spirit resides in or with our spirit – not in our soul or our flesh. It is in our soul or flesh that demons attach themselves to us with differing levels of legal rights to be there.

Deliverance is still a valid ministry for a Christian despite the cries of those who do not believe in the demonic for any Christian. If we could rid even a small percentage of the church of its demons, we would have a much more Christ-like church. If we could even get more in the church to acknowledge the possibility and presence of demons - well, I can only imagine the effect. They are real and their influence on all our lives is real. Its time to take action against them - before we lose even more people to the one whose only aim is to destroy.