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Not Ashamed of the Power That Saves,

Part 4:
The Power That Delivers From
The Powers of Darkness
Selected Texts
October 31, 2004

Introduction

My Experience with Demonization and the Power

of the Gospel

I’ll never forget my first interaction with a Satanist. He

was a fellow computer technician while I was working my
way through seminary. His name was Scott. He hired
into the department were I had been working for a
couple of years already. We seemed to hit it off for the
first couple of days. He was really a brilliant guy in
terms of his experience with computer hardware.

We had several personal conversations, mostly about

me since he asked so many questions. It came up that I
was a Christian and that I was working my way through
seminary to enter full-time pastoral ministry one day.
On the evening of our third day together, he inquired as
to the meaning of the gospel, since I had brought it up
so often, he said. I had a Bible in my car so I gave it to
him and told him to read the gospel of Mark and we
would talk the next day.

After work the next day, around 9:30 or so at night, I

shared more of the gospel with him for about a half an
hour. As we stood by my car in the parking lot under a
light, I answered many more questions from him. Our
conversation led us to the topic of sin. Scott didn’t think
he was that big of a sinner. But I felt strangely
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impressed to share John 8:44 with him so I did. There
Jesus is recorded as saying to the Pharisees that they
had Satan as their father because it was his works that
they did. When I shared that verse with him, I’ll never
forget the response. It was as if an invisible person
smacked him in the chest. He looked dazed for a
moment, and began falling backwards as if about to fall
on his rear end. As I recall, he caught himself, but still
looked dazed. I asked if he was okay and he didn’t
response, if I recall rightly. Instead, he mentioned he
had to go and we ended our conversation there.

The next day he came in looking strange. He was

wearing a black leather string necklace with a pewter
carving of some sort. As I got closer it looked like some
kind of dragon or something. It looked evil. He also had
an earring in his ear which was some sort of symbol. He
gave my Bible back to me and told me he didn’t want it
anymore because he was a Satanist and he didn’t intend
to follow any of that Jesus stuff.

What ensued in the days, weeks, and months that

followed was persecution. He intentionally used
extremely foul and vulgar language around me
constantly, making fun of my faith, taking verbal stabs
at me. I’m not sure what caused him to turn in just
three days. Perhaps he was new and simply didn’t want
to make a bad impression. I can imagine that it might
be hard to hire someone who outright claims they are a
Satanist. But my opinion is that the power of the gospel
struck him so hard that one night, that who he truly
followed was forced to come into full view in order to
oppose what he hated.

Transition

This is nothing new, beloved. The powers of darkness

have always mustered their energies and forces against
the powers of the gospel. And this is never seen more
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clearly than in the gospels and Acts. In those five books
we see our Lord Jesus Christ coming against the gates of
hell with the full force of the gospel message – a
message that healed a person spiritually, emotionally,
mentally and physically.

Biblical Examples of Demonization

• Matthew 8:28-34
• Matthew 9:32-33
• Matthew 12:22; 43-45
• Matthew 15:21-28
• Matthew 17:14-20
• Mark 1:21-28
• Mark 1:32-34
• Mark 5:1-20
• Luke 4:40,41
• Luke 8:2
• Luke 8:26-39
• Luke 9:37-43
• Luke 10 :1,9,17-20
• Luke 11:14-26
• Luke 13:10-17

“The exorcism of demons was one of the

most characteristic activities of Jesus’
ministry. At the very outset, Mark strikes the
note of exorcism as one of the motifs of
Jesus’ ministry (Mark 1:23-28). The mission
of the twelve (Mark 6:7) and of the seventy
as well (Luke 10:17) emphasizes this same
motif” (Ladd, Presence of the Future, p.
149).

• Acts 5:16
• Acts 16:16-18
• Acts 19:11-20
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• Acts 26:18

This last verse in Acts 26, where Paul is recounting his

conversion experience before Herod Agrippa, is an
excellent starting point for the sermon this morning.
You see, Paul’s call to apostleship was specifically for the
purpose of opening people’s eyes, spiritually, so that
they may be turned from darkness to light, from Satan
to Christ, from sin to salvation, and receive the
forgiveness of sins. In other words, Paul’s commission
was to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ and thereby
effectively break free those who were help captive to
Satan.

The Biblical Connection to Modern Day

People are still held captive today. Paul warned Timothy

in 1 Timothy 4:1,2 – “Now the Spirit expressly says
that in the later times some will depart from the faith by
devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of
demons,” and Paul says this happens through false
teachers. Demonic activity is alive and well today
through those who live ungodly lives yet claim to be
God’s teachers and preachers.

Paul describes them in 2 Corinthians 11:13-15 as just

that, “false apostles, deceitful workmen, disguising
themselves as apostles of Christ.” He goes on to
explain, “And no wonder, for eve Satan disguises himself
as an angel of light. So it is no surprise if his servants,
also, disguise themselves as servants of righteousness.”

The power that the Devil seems to have even in the

church is staggering. Paul speaks of some of these false
teachers and apostles in 2 Timothy 2:26 as having
been caught in “the snare of the devil, after being
captured by him to do his will.” His mission was the
same as expressed by Jude who wrote in verse 23,
“save others by snatching them out of the fire.” These
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are the fires of hell, of course, where Satan intends to
draw as many as he can with him when he is cast there
himself

In addition to the ministry that Christ, the disciples, Paul

and other Christians exercised in the early church
against the powers of darkness, a major part of our
defense is found in Ephesians 6:11,12 where Paul
writes, “Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be
able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we
do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the
rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic
powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual
forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up
the whole armor of God, that you may be able to
withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand
firm.”

The powers of darkness, of course, consist of Satan and

his well-organized army of malicious fallen angels called
demons. They are real. They are powerful. They can do
amazing things and deceive masses of people at one
time. They can gain and maintain control over human
beings. They can cause sickness, disease, mental
illness, and exhibit all manner of bizarre behavior as well
as manifest themselves in a person in the strangest,
most terrifying ways.

“Despite such statements concerning the

impressive position of our Enemy, neither
Jesus nor the New Testament characters
seemed alarmed by Satan’s activities. They
dealt with them matter of factly, knowing
that God’s power is infinitely greater than
that of the Enemy. Scripture makes it clear,
however, that Jesus and his followers took
demons seriously. While they were not
afraid of them, they acknowledged their
existence and used the power of the Holy
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Spirit to fight them” (Kraft, Defeating Dark
Angels, pp. 17-18).

Transition

But this morning’s sermon is not a tribute to the devil

and his angels. This sermon falls in line with a series of
sermons on the power of the gospel of Jesus Christ to
deliver people. Paul wrote in Romans 1:16 that he
was not ashamed of the gospel of Christ because
it was the power of God to save anyone who
believed. He was not ashamed of that power, as we
have heard over the last several weeks, because it is the
power of God to deliver a person from bondage, from
pride, and from culture. It is also the power of God
to deliver a person from the power of darkness.
This is something with which Paul was very
familiar, for he not only cast out demons and
healed those afflicted by demonic forces, but he
himself was tormented by demonic forces as he
recounts for us in 2 Corinthians 11.

But as Luke writes in Acts 26, Paul’s mission was

to free those held captive by Satan. How was this
accomplished? Through the unashamed
preaching of the gospel as he says in Romans
1:16. What is it about that gospel that gave him
power over the forces of darkness?

According to Paul’s letter to the Colossians in 2:13-15,

among the many things Christ accomplished at His
death are regeneration, forgiveness of all sins, and then
in verse 15 Paul writes, “When He had disarmed the
rulers and authorities, He made a public display of them,
having triumphed over them through Him.” This is the
decisive defeat and blow of victory delivered to
Satan on a more general level.
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The apostle John, however, also recognized a decisive
defeat for Satan on a more specific, individual,
personal level. In 1 John 3:8 he wrote, “But when
people keep on sinning, it shows they belong to the
Devil, who has been sinning since the beginning. But the
Son of God came to destroy these works of the Devil.”
Thus, Satan’s defeat has been dealt generally and
specifically. What we are waiting for now is the
consummation of that defeat by Christ throwing him and
his demons into hell. Until then we are merely waging
daily battles against him and his angels with the
realization that we have already won the war. Better
yet, having already won the war, we are merely working
out the final battles of that war.

It is helpful, therefore, for us to attain some theological

understanding of how this came to be. As one
theologian wrote,

“The meaning of Jesus’ exorcism of demons

in its relationship to the Kingdom of God is
precisely this: that before the eschatological
conquest of God’s Kingdom over evil and the
destruction of Satan, the Kingdom of God
has invaded the realm of Satan to deal him a
preliminary but decisive defeat” (Ladd, The
Presence of the Future, p. 151).

With this in mind I want to show you two truths about

the deliverance from the powers of darkness by Jesus
Christ.

1. Deliverance From Darkness by Jesus Meant

the Fulfillment of OT Gospel Promises –
Compare Isa. 61:1-2 with Luke 4:18

In Isa 61:1-2 Isaiah prophesies about the promised day

of the Lord in which one of the things that the Messiah
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would do was “to proclaim liberty to the captives, and
the opening of the prison to those who are bound…” It
was in the synagogue in Nazareth that Jesus proclaimed
that this gospel was no longer just a hope but an event.
And that event was His own coming as Messiah. The
preaching of the gospel meant the fulfillment of this
promise.

“The gospel is itself the greatest of the

messianic signs. The gospel was not a new
teaching; it was itself event. Preaching and
healing : these were the two signs of the
presence of the Kingdom” (ibid, pp. 166-67).

Further, this preaching of the gospel is associated with

authority, and particularly authority over demonic
powers. His preaching was the gospel. And the gospel
is not just mere human words, as Paul pointed out to the
Thessalonians about his own gospel preaching (chapter
1). No, the gospel was a message with authority.

“The Jews’ amazement at Jesus’ power over

demons was not the mere fact of exorcism
but the manner of his exorcisms. ‘What is
this? A new teaching! With authority he
commands even the unclean spirits, and
they obey him’” (Mark 1:27). The novelty in
Jesus’ teaching did not consist in its form or
content but in its power. He spoke, and
things happened. He commanded as one
who was master of demons, and they
obeyed his word” (ibid).

2. Deliverance From Darkness by Jesus Meant

the Inauguration of the Kingdom of God -
Matthew 12:22 ff
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The strong man is a picture of Satan. The binding of the
strong man represents Jesus binding of Satan’s power.
The plundering of the house represents Jesus’ plundering
of men and women under Satan’s control and influence
and bringing them to salvation. His palace or house is
“this present evil age” (Gal. 1:4).

The parallel passage in Luke 11:21-22 describes the

action as taking away his armor. This is another picture
for victory and defeat.

“In metaphorical language Jesus interprets

his own mission among men as an invasion
of Satan’s kingdom (Matt. 12:26) for the
purpose of assaulting the Evil One,
overcoming im, and despoiling him of his
goods. The last mentioned end is the
deliverance of men from the power of
satanic evil, which finds its most dramatic
expression in the exorcism of demons”
(ibid, pp. 151-52).

Therefore, as Matthew 12:28 says, Jesus’ power to

deliver from the power of darkness indicated the
inauguration of the kingdom of God. The exorcisms
themselves are a victorious combat with the devil and
his angels, pointing to the real presence of God on earth.
Therefore, whenever a demon is cast out of a human, it
signifies that Satan has been defeated and despoiled.

But as Jesus’ words in Matthew 12:43-45 reveal, it is not

enough to simply throw the strong man out. There must
be a replacement. Someone else must move into the
house or else Satan will return seven times stronger
than before. The point is that Jesus has overcome Him
and He has moved into this world to rule now. And more
specifically, unless Jesus moves into the life that has
been voided of demons, then deliverance from Satan is
only temporary. So Jesus exorcises demons so that the
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gospel may be preached and so that men may receive
Him as their Savior. Yet more generally, as is the point
of the passage, Jesus has come onto the scene and cast
Satan out temporarily. Yet when He returns and finds
Israel swept, cleaned, and unoccupied, he will enter it
again, but this time seven times more powerful.

Applications for Today

1. Believers Must Not Be Ashamed of This

Power that Delivers From Darkness, But
Rather Must Utilize It Boldly.

Now it is obvious from Scripture that the kingdom of God

was being inaugurated during Jesus’ ministry with the
preaching of the gospel and the casting out of demonic
forces among other things. There are some on one side
of the fence of this issue who would say that because
this power occurs in connection with the preaching of
the kingdom of God and hence the inauguration of that
kingdom, that the casting out of demons is no longer
valid today. Those on this side would say that because
the kingdom has already been inaugurated, there is no
need for this type of thing today.

On the other side of the fence are those who feel that
this activity is part of ministry today. These folks believe
sincerely and fervently that not only did this ministry not
stop with Christ and the apostles and the early church,
but all believers today continue to expel demons.

Now if you are waiting with baited breath to have this

solved for you, or to hear what I have to say about it, or
to see if what I’m going to say will validate your personal
conviction, too bad! What I will say is that demons still
exist today, that much is for sure. And we must still
preach the gospel today, for that is also a matter of
certainty in Scriptures. It is also a matter of certainty
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that the kingdom of God is still here on earth, though not
fulfilled yet until Jesus returns.

And though you might put these three pieces together

and derive what I believe, I will say that I denounce all
abuses of such ministries. Many “deliverance”
ministries, as they are called today, seem to have an
inordinate focus upon demonization, forgetting that
there are other aspects of the Christian life that must be
matured, perhaps more than a theology of demons. But
other such ministries seem to have a proper balance,
understanding that many times demonization does occur
because of sin, rebellion, persistent disobedience, and
failure to repent. Therefore, some ministries recognize
the need for repentance of one’s own sin problems
before even considering demonic activity.

But at other times, there is in fact demonic activity

occurring. And the fact that we do not seem to see it
today as we seem to perceive it occurring in the
Scriptures does not mean it is not occurring today.
Because demons are smart, they are extremely
deceptive and they do their work of deceit in a variety of
forms, manners and ways. And these may look to us as
if there is no apparent demonic activity going on, when
truly there is. That is the way they love to work.

But the bottom line, regardless of one’s view on demonic

activity and deliverance is that the preaching of the
gospel message is that power of God which Jesus
demonstrated, which the apostles demonstrated, which
Philip and other believers demonstrated. It is the power
of God that delivers a person from the power of Satan,
the power of darkness. And the reason Jesus and the
apostles and the early church was so bold in preaching
this gospel and engaging in this activity was because
they were not ashamed of it. They knew they held in
their hearts and on their lips the very message that
shattered the power of the enemy, breaking his hold on
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those over whom he had influence. It defeats them,
casts them out, and makes room for the good news.

Therefore, I do believe in the ministry of deliverance

from demonic activity today, and I believe it occurs
primarily through the preaching of the gospel of Jesus
Christ. It is that gospel, remember, that Isaiah
prophesied as breaking bonds, and setting prisoners and
captives free. The power of the gospel confronts head
on the powers of darkness and that message does not
let them remain relaxed in their positions of control. It
presents the good news of freedom, and that is
something every demon will fight until Christ forces
them to leave a person. Their entire existences are
centered upon keeping people captive to bad theology,
bitterness, fear, anger, lust, greed, control, occultism,
etc. But the power of the gospel message, that a person
can be freed from all of this, forgiven, justified,
sanctified, and glorified, that is a message that
decimates demonic control.

That is precisely why almost every demonic expulsion

found in Scriptures is associated with the preaching of
the gospel of the kingdom of God. I believe that gospel
must continue to be preached. And I also believe that
deliverance from the powers of darkness must continue
to be practiced in a biblical fashion because that is part
and parcel of what the gospel of Christ does to people in
bondage to the powers of darkness.

2. Know that Satan is in Limited Control of the

World Today Because of the Person and
Work of Jesus Christ.

Satan is definitely in control of the world and its system today, folks.
The Scriptures make this abundantly clear.
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• The World and every nation in it is still under the sway and
influence of the powers of darkness. Texts: 1 John 5:20; Eph.
2:2,3; 1 John 2:16,17

Western Society with all of its education and intellectualism is often

blinded to the activity of demons, if one believes in it at all. This is
truth in and of itself of demonic influence – the god of this world has
blinded their eyes.

The powers of darkness seem to often attach themselves to idols of any

kind. For those in Scripture and in second or third world societies even
today it was a pole, a tree, a statue, a stone image, etc. For those in first
world western societies today it is Pluralism, Humanism, Scientific
Materialism, Economic Materialism, Sexual Lust, Postmodernism.
And for those in western societies, things like divination, sorcery,
witchcraft, and occultism have been and still are on the rise.

• Satan has limited control over all unbelievers in the world.

John 12:30; 14:30; and 16:11 calls Satan the prince of this world.

John 8:44 records that in Jesus’ dispute with the Pharisees over the
woman caught in adultery, they were of their father the devil, and they
performed his lusts. Satan was a murderer from the beginning, and he
did not abide in the truth, because the truth is not in him. When he
speaks a lie he speaks from his own because he is a liar and the father
of lies

In Matthew 6:24 Jesus says a man will either love God and hate money,
or else love money and hate God. Mammon, as the old KJV speaks of
is money which is the material world under the control of Satan.

In 1 Peter 5:8 he is depicted as a roaring and hungry lion roaming

around looking for people to harm.

• But Satan’s Control is Limited Because of the Person and Work

of Jesus Christ.
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He is also limited because he knows his time is short, as Revelation
records for us. Therefore, what remains today is the same as what
remained in Bible days. We must preach the gospel because it still sets
captives free. It is still good news. It still has power to break the bonds
of the powers of darkness.

The person of Jesus Christ (as God in human form) and his earthly
work (of casting out demons, healing, raising the dead, dying on the
cross and himself rising from the dead) has all delivered a decisive
blow of defeat to Satan, essentially stripping him of his power (Col.
2:15; Luke 10:18; Rev. 12:9). Luke 10:8 is especially important for it
was in the preaching of the gospel that Christ saw Satan fall from
heaven. This was a metaphorical statement intended to communicate
that Satan has lost his authority over the world now that Christ has
entered into it.

“The place from which he was cast is heaven. During

the Old Testament times Satan had access to heaven, as
we learn from the book of Job. Being cast to the earth
symbolizes his ultimate defeat. This is learned from the
chorus which the angels sang upon this occasion (vv.
10-12). The theme was that salvation is come to heaven,
for the accuser of the brethren is cast down. The
inhabitants in heaven are exhorted to rejoice, and the
inhabitants of the earth are warned” (“Demon
Possession” by Rev. Jason Kortering, Pastor-on-loan to
First Evangelical Reformed Church, Singapore –
internet article at
http://www.rsglh.org/demon_possession.htm).

It is through his work on the cross that justification can be

accomplished and the power of the devil broken over an unbeliever.
“Victory over Satan is the wonderful work of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Through his blood of atonement, the devil is silenced” (ibid). What
incredible news to a person who is harassed, controlled and harmed by
demonic forces. They can run to Christ and He will deliver them and
rescue them forever!
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“The main point is this, the fear of evil spirits is taken
away because God is for us. The beautiful doctrine of
the covenant is such good news to fearful, superstitious
pagans. The angel sang of this on the occasion of the
ascension of Christ into heaven. We do well to declare
it to the nations…The gospel is not simply to say that
Jesus and the Holy Spirit are stronger than evil spirits.
No, there is only One who is control, and that is the
great Creator God. He is even in control of evil spirits
because of the work which Jesus Christ His Son did
while He was on earth…This has tremendous
implications for the gospel as it is brought to those who
are gripped in the fear of demons. As they tremble in
the presence of demonic power, which is real, they see it
about them and have experienced dreadful
consequences, they good news of the gospel to them is,
fear not! There is a way for deliverance. There is not
only a God who is more powerful than demons, but
there is a God who even controls the actions of demons
and turns them all for good…The gospel presents
demons as very real and powerful, but there is victory
over tem” (ibid).

“…the deliverance from demon possession is connected

with the preaching of the gospel. The word of the gospel
and the power of prayer is that which God uses to
deliver from demons. The ministry of the Word is that
which delivers one from demons (Col. 1:13). The power
of the Word preached is that of continual prayer, even as
Jesus told His disciples that certain demons can be cast
out only with much prayer and fasting (Matt. 17:21).
The prayerful preaching of the Word of God is the
vehicle for the deliverance from demon possession.

This is important for mission work. The preaching of the gospel

includes the authority of Christ to cast out demons in the name of the
living Lord. That preaching is the word of the exalted One, who has
defeated Satan, who also, in the bringing of the gospel to the heathen,
demonstrates His great power over all evil forces by delivering captives
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of Satan through the word and prayer of the missionaries. When
missionaries stand in the presence of one who is possessed, they must
bring the good news of the gospel to him or her, declaring that in Christ
there is deliverance. They must call such a one to repentance of sin and
to fall before the cross of Jesus in whom alone is life everlasting. Such
a one must be called to embrace Christ and forsake all evil. He must
turn to God in humble confession of sin and seek deliverance” (ibid).

The gospel message is the primary tool against the kingdom of Satan.
Preaching the message of God’s work in Christ – propitiation,
justification, sanctification, glorification, etc. – broke Satan’s power
when Christ first preached it, and will continue to break his power
when preached today.

o Satan and his demons cannot stand to have one of their own
believe that God will no longer be angry with them or that
God can be pleased with them. Satan and his demons retain
their control and authority through fear, making people
think that they must act in certain ways – rituals, sacrifices,
ceremonies, etc. – to keep the “bad” away from them and
make the “gods” happy. This is how he has always worked:
he evokes fear by telling people lies. But when the
propitiation of the gospel is preached, and a soul hears that
Christ has satisfied God’s anger against them, this becomes
a powerful tool of rescue and deliverance for one under
Satan’s control. And he and his demons will always put up
a fight over that!

o Satan and his demons cannot stand to have one of their own
believe that God can once and for all declare a person ‘not
guilty.’ Satan also retains his strength through sin. As long
as he has a person convinced of their sinfulness, and as long
as he can deceive them through the lie that they will never
be innocent in God’s eyes or loved by Him, he maintains his
authority over them. But the moment the truth of
justification is preached his power weakens. The person
over whom he holds sway begins to hear and listen to this
truth that Christ’s death allows God to proclaim a verdict of
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“not guilty” beginning now and lasting through all eternity.
Satan will surely put up a fight against this truth also.

o Satan and his demons retain strength and control when they
are able to continue deceiving a person to believe that God
is a liar and that even though they may come to God now,
He will forget about them in the future. But the truths of
sanctification and glorification and perseverance are facets
of the gospel that weaken his strength and control even
more. When a person hears that God not only will save
them and declare them “not guilty,” but will also keep them
until they die and bring them to heaven to live with Him,
Satan and his demons will surely put up a major struggle
against such truth.

o The powers of darkness simply cannot stand against the

power of the gospel for it speaks truth to those who so
desperately need to hear it. And that was Jesus point when
He said that if we accept the truth it will set is free, and He
meant really, really, really free!

Conclusion

What remains today is the same as what remained for those in

Scripture. We must preach the gospel to those who are held captive by
the powers of darkness and expect that they will be set free, just as
Christ and the apostles expected. The gospel message is power and
authority given to every believer. What is there to be ashamed of when
you have this kind of power? What is there to be afraid of when the
strongest evil forces in the world, including Satan himself, is subject to
the authority of the gospel of Jesus Christ? You simply cannot be
defeated when you are armed with this message of hope, forgiveness,
love, mercy and grace. And if you cannot be defeated, then take it
boldly to the world and stand before them and proclaim it
unashamedly.

I’ll close with another personal illustration. An older couple in their

late forties, early fifties began attending my first church in Northern,
CA. They came to me after a week or two there and told me of their
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son who was about 20 or 21 years old. Heartbroken was the only word
to describe these two parents over the mental condition of their son.
While able to carry on a conversation for a few moments, his mind was
immediately drawn elsewhere and continued conversation on any
subject was difficult. He had been hospitalized and medicated, but to
no avail. He was truly a mentally disturbed person.

His parents believed in demons, and the powers of darkness. They

suggested to me that they truly believed he was being demonized. I
looked into this a little more through research, study, and more
conversation with the young man and eventually began leaning toward
that conclusion as well.

One night, things got worse around the house such that the parents
called me for help. I asked them to bring their son to my office where
they all could meet with myself and the three other elders with whom I
served. The elders knew little of his situation and knew little of my
involvement with this man up to this point. But they exhorted me
anyway, as the young buck, before we met with them to go easy. I then
explained my views concerning this boy, views which were evidently
not shared with as much passion.

As our conversation with him unfolded that night, the seven of us were
gathered around my the conference table in my office, the young man
sitting to my right in a chair next to me. I believe that one of the
reasons why a person is demonized is because there is garbage in their
life called sin. Rats feed on garbage, and demons feed on sin. I knew
that if we could find the garbage and take it out to the street, the
demons would lose their power and authority to be harassing that man.

As I peered into his life, he exploded in a mix of tears, strange laughter,

and the wildest eyes I’d ever seen. He exploded with confessions about
his sinful habits, the wicked things he had done, and many other things
that would shake a person up. But knowing the power of the gospel, I
began by explaining God’s view of this man’s sin. Midway into my
proclamation to this young man, the same thing that happened to my
coworker Scott in Southern CA happened to this young man in
Northern CA.
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This man fell out of his chair, on his knees, put his face between his
knees, covering his head with his arms and began crying out for God to
forgive him. He wept like a little baby asking God to forgive him, wipe
away his sins. He must have said “I’m so sorry” about a dozen times.
This took place for about a half an hour as I bent down over him and
began encouraging him, praying over him, speaking words of truth to
him. Then he sat up in his chair, and his demeanor brought to my mind
the demeanor of the Gadarene man who had been demonized in Jesus’
day. This young man sat there in his right mind. His eyes had
changed, the look on his face had changed, he was not figgety and
jumpy anymore. He was able to pay attention.

So we prayed over him once more and sent him home with his parents
instructing them to make sure he ate when he got home and to let him
sleep as long as he wanted. While he was better he was tired. It was
evident to me that the gospel had scored a victory that night over that
young man’s life. If there were any other demons still attached to his
life when he left, their power was weakening until they would
eventually fall off like dead branches on a tree.

I didn’t know anything about how to expel demons at that time. I know
a little more now to know what else I might have done in addition to
what I already did. But I do know that it was the power of the gospel
that began to deliver that man that night, and nothing else. The sheer
force of the truth of the gospel to level a human being to the floor and
expose his heart wide open to the world, and cry out to God for mercy
on account of that sin…all of that can only be accounted to the power
of God that saves. And I am not ashamed of that power.