DEFEATING DEMONIC DRIVERS OF DISEASES

“Woman, you are loosed from your infirmity.” And He laid His hands on her, and immediately she was made straight…” – Luke 13:13a

DEFEATING DEMONIC DRIVERS of DISEASES is one of the privileges of Believers in Christ: “And behold, there was a woman who had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bent over and could in no way raise herself up. But when Jesus saw her, He called her to Him and said to her, “Woman, you are loosed from your infirmity.” And He laid His hands on her, and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God” (Lk.13: 11-13). This woman was crippled for 18 years, due to a demon! At the Master’s command and touch, this “daughter of Abraham, whom Satan had bound” was made straight instantaneously (v.17). Jesus still performs deliverance from demon-driven diseases and nothing can stop Him!

Although not all sicknesses are caused by demons, there is sound scriptural and practical evidence that DEMONS DRIVE DISEASES in many instances. It is clear in the book of Job, which deals about afflictions and sicknesses, that the devil was the cause of Job’s afflictions and diseases: “So Satan went out from the presence of the LORD, and struck Job with painful boils from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head” (Job 2:7). Satan delights in afflicting humanity with misery and diseases. Praise God – Job’s account ultimately ended on the note of total deliverance and full recovery (Job 42:10-13).

Demons are disembodied fallen angels who followed and fell with Satan's rebellion from heaven and are organized under him in hierarchical levels in the heavenly places and on earth (Eph.6:12). Demons do the bid of the devil – Deception and Evil! What they did in Bible times, they still do today: “steal, kill, and destroy” (Jh.10:10a). That we sometimes cannot see their activities does not preclude their existence or functioning. However, these evil spirits have been defeated, spoiled, and dethroned by the Lord Jesus Christ (Col.2:15). Based on this knowledge, we should operate from a position of Dominion! One of the major areas of demonic operation is the affliction of minds and bodies with sicknesses and diseases.

In Matthew 12: 22-28, a demon-possessed man was brought to Jesus, “and He healed him, so that the blind and mute man spoke and see” (v.22). Obviously, his blindness and muteness were demonically-driven symptoms. Jesus also made it clear in this instance that the devil is not in the healing business, but in the accusing and sickness business, as anything that hurts God delights Satan. True healing can only be performed through the power of God’s Spirit, not through the devil himself who causes sickness. The devil is however a specialist in ‘fake healings’ which are like mere magic, that never endure! Healing happens when evil spirits are driven out by the power of God’s Spirit, as in the cases of “certain women who had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities – Mary called Magdalene, out of whom had come seven demons” (Lk.8:2).

The Bible differentiates between casting out demons and healing the sick: Jesus “called His twelve disciples to Him, He gave them power over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease” (Mt.10:1). Again sickness is closely linked with evil spirits here. Acts 10:38 describes “how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with  the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.” That is, the devil had caused these diseases in these people.

We need not deal with an evil spirit in every case of healing. But when a demon is involved, people's physical conditions may not respond to prayer and the laying on of hands for healing. However, as we stand in Christ, equipped with the Word of God, and depend on the Holy Spirit, we’ll know when demons are present, and how to deal with and defeat them: “Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you” (Lk.10:19).