You Have Authority Over Demons

August Teaching Letter from Rick Renner

 

 

Dear Friends,

What a joy to greet you in the name of Jesus!

Today I am going to speak to you about Jesus’ authority — and about the authority He has given to us — over demon spirits. But first, I want to personally THANK YOU for connecting with us and taking the time to read what is on my heart to share with you this month. When God called us to do this ministry many years ago, the Holy Spirit said he would provide everything we need to do the work, and God is using our partners to help put “fuel in the tank” so we can take God’s Word to the ends of the earth. Would you prayerfully consider becoming one of those who help us carry out this great work by joining our amazing team of partners? When the Lord plants a vision in someone’s heart to carry out His work, He always calls “senders” alongside to help fulfill that vision. And as the Lord has called Denise and me to “go” to the other side of the world to bring the trusted teaching of the Bible to hungry hearts, we truly know we cannot do it without our team of partners who have been called by the Lord to send us out. If you would like to know more about what we do as a ministry, please visit our website at renner.org/how-we-help.

I am also excited to tell you that my newest book called The Miracles of Jesus Christ — An Eye-Opening Examination of Every Miracle, Healing, and Demonic Encounter in the Gospels and the Book of Acts will be released on September 1. I honestly don’t know of another book like this one — and I believe God is going to use it to open the eyes of people’s understanding regarding Jesus’ power at work on the earth in both past and present times. I spent hundreds of hours to mine treasures from the Scriptures about Jesus’ miraculous ministry and am fully convinced that this will be an eye-opening book to take you deeper into the ministry of Jesus and to help you know how to move in the power of God yourself.

From now until September 1, this book is available for the introductory price of $28.00. If you will visit our website at renner.org or call our office at 1-800-742-5593, you can preorder your copy at this wonderful discount. You may want to order several copies of this book, because I believe you will want to share a copy with your pastor or with friends who long to see the power of God in operation.

But today I want to take you to the gospel of Luke, to the moment when Jesus delivered a demonized man from nearly 7,000 demons. Luke 8:26 says, “And they arrived at the country of the Gadarenes, which is over against Galilee.” The country of the Gadarenes lies to the east of the Sea of Galilee, and it is where Jesus’ boat arrived near the ancient village of Kursi. In close proximity to this village was a cemetery, and nearby were rugged cliffs dotted with numerous small caves. Today the ruins of a Byzantine monastery from the Sixth Century can be visited there, constructed to honor the encounter between Jesus and this demoniac.

Luke 8:27 says, “And when he went forth to land, there met him out of the city a certain man, which had devils long time, and ware no clothes, neither abode in any house, but in the tombs.” The word “met” is derived from the Greek word hupantao, often rendered as met and is used to picture a dramatic encounter wherein the demoniac dramatically rushed out from the tombs and rugged cliffs to confront Jesus. Luke elaborated on this confrontation by describing the miserable state of the man who “had devils long time, and ware no clothes, neither abode in any house, but in the tombs.”

The word “devils” is daimonia, plural, which portrays an infestation of demons. Luke, who was a physician, informed us that the man had been under demonic influence for a considerable period of time. The original text uses the words chrono hikano — words derived from the Greek word chronos, indicating an extended time frame and the root of the English term “chronology,” along with the Greek word hikanos, which means many, sufficient, or considerable. Together these words describe a prolonged and significant span of time.

Luke also noted that this man wandered without clothing. Not only was this man’s naked body exposed to harsh weather conditions, but this shows how the demonic presence drove him into a position of social humility as he roamed about bare. Additionally, Luke remarked that the man “neither abode in any house, but in the tombs.” Although Luke 8:39 states that the man actually had a home, instead of living there as a normal person would do, he was driven to live in the atmosphere of death among the tombs.

Luke 8:28 says, “When he saw Jesus, he cried out, and fell down before him, and with a loud voice said, What have I to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God most high? I beseech thee, torment me not.” The words “cried out” are translated from a form of the Greek word anakradzo. The root of this word, kradzo, depicts a cry, scream, or shriek, while its prefix ana implies an ongoing action. Therefore, the man wasn’t simply yelling once, but his screams echoed continuously as they sliced through the air with unrelenting ferocity. The words “fell down” are from a form of the Greek word prospipto, which is a compound of the words pros and pipto. Here the word pros means toward, and the word pipto pictures a downward fall. As a compound, these words picture the man throwing himself toward Jesus as quickly as possible.

The word “beseech” is derived from Greek word deomai, which means to implore, to plead, or to pray earnestly. In this encounter, we discover that even demons, when faced with dire situations, can adopt religious behavior and language. The spirit specifically prayed, “Torment me not.” The word “torment” is a form of the Greek word basanidzo, a term borrowed from the world of torture, and it pictures anguish, intense distress, pain, suffering, and torture.

Exactly how Jesus was tormenting this spirit is described in Luke 8:29. That verse says, “For he had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. For oftentimes it had caught him: and he was kept bound with chains and in fetters; and he brake the bands, and was driven of the devil into the wilderness.”

Notice the verse says “he had commanded” the unclean spirit to come out of the man. The tense of these words in Greek is repetitive, and a better rendering would read, “…he was persistently commanding and commanding.” This suggests that the spirit didn’t depart instantly, so Jesus intensified His demands, persistently commanding and commanding the spirit to exit the man. The command to “come out” is derived from the Greek words exelthein apo. The word exelthein is a variant of exerchomai, which means to come or to go. The Greek word apo means away and conveys a sense of detachment. Thus, Jesus was resolute that this spirit would depart and sever itself from the man.

In Mark’s account of this event, Mark 5:4 says that no man could “tame” this demonized man. The word “tame” refers to seasoned animal trainers who had been summoned to try to subdue this troubled soul who wandered about among the tombs. Yet in every instance, those intending to help him left in defeat. Jesus, however, was unyielding as He persistently commanded the oppressive spirit to release its grip. This evil spirit had never faced such unwavering resolve, and it was this unshakable and persistent authority that caused the spirit to experience “torment.” In this narrative, we see that while demons relish inflicting suffering and torment on others, when confronted by the power of God, they cannot cope with pressure themselves.

In Luke 8:29, with his medical background, Luke provided a vivid description, stating, “For oftentimes it had caught him: and he was kept bound with chains and in fetters; and he brake the bands, and was driven of the devil into the wilderness.” The word “oftentimes” translates from the Greek word polus, suggesting a large number of unpredictable episodes. As a physician, Dr. Luke selected a term that described something like epilepsy to illustrate how this condition manifested. Just as an individual with epilepsy typically enjoys normalcy but occasionally experiences seizures, this man could at times be in control of his senses. Yet he would often suddenly find himself seized by the spirit and thrust into a frenzy of madness.

Luke noted that the man was “kept bound with chains and in fetters; and he brake the bands, and was driven of the devil into the wilderness.” The words “kept bound” come from the Greek word desmeuo, which suggests binding as one would bind up in order to take captive a dangerous criminal. The word “chains” is translated from a form of the Greek word halusis, which refers to the formidable iron chains used by Romans to bind prisoners. The word “fetters” is derived from pedais, which is plural to denote shackles used to restrict both feet of prisoners. These fetters typically consisted of solid metal bands encircling the ankles, linked by short chains to severely limit movement.

But remarkably, this man was so infused with demonic strength that he “brake the bands.” The word “brake” is rendered from a form of the Greek word diarresso, meaning to tear apart, and it indicates that he could destroy these metal restraints as easily as ripping a sheet of paper. Luke then added that this man was “driven of the devil into the wilderness.” The word “driven” derives from the Greek word elauno, often used to depict a leaf swept by the wind or a ship propelled by a storm, signifying powerlessness against the force. Thus, much like a leaf or a ship with no resistance to the wind’s might, this man was driven “of” the devil. The word “of” is from the Greek word hupo, and it indicates direct agency, revealing that the man was literally driven madly into the wilderness by the devil.

Luke 8:30 says, “And Jesus asked him, saying, What is thy name? And he said, Legion: because many devils were entered into him.” In this intriguing account, we witness an unusual moment in which Jesus deviates from His customary approach of silencing evil spirits. Unlike other spirits that would typically flee with one word of His command, this one clung tenaciously to its host and seemingly defied Jesus’ repeated commands. Jesus inquired of the spirit to learn its identity, and the evil spirit’s reply revealed the complexity of the situation. Jesus asked, “What is thy name?” And he answered, “Legion.” Luke explained, “…because many devils were entered into him.”

Here Jesus breaks His pattern of not permitting evil spirits to speak, and He asks the demon to identify itself. The reason for this change is that Jesus was seemingly intrigued the spirit did not easily come out of the man. This narrative shows that Jesus was repeatedly commanding, commanding, and commanding the spirit to come out, yet it had not yet come out. Again, Luke 8:30 says, “…Jesus asked him, saying, What is thy name? And he said, Legion: because many devils were entered into him.”

The term “legion” has roots in military language, and it signifies a force of 6,826 soldiers. In Luke 8:30, the word “many” is translated from the Greek word polla, which portrays a vast multitude. This reveals that the man suffered under the torment of nearly 7,000 unclean spirits. Up to this point, Jesus had been in a dialogue with a singular spirit, but Jesus continued to apply spiritual pressure, and suddenly the entire legion of demons spoke all at once.

If you read the remainder of this account in Luke 8, you will see that the demons implored Jesus to send them into a herd of swine that were nearby. In Jewish tradition, pigs were seen as the epitome of filth and were shunned as unclean creatures under the laws of Moses. As such, not a morsel of pork was ever to touch the lips of a devout Jew. But on the eastern shores of the Sea of Galilee, where Gentiles resided, a herd of these swine roamed that were possibly owned by non-Jews. The leading demonic voice among the legion of demons boldly pleaded for all the spirits to be allowed to go into these pigs. Those demons knew Jesus had authority to command them to leave the man, but this shows that evil spirits are so fearful of being disembodied that they are willing to take up residency anywhere, including in pigs.

Luke 8:32 reveals that Jesus “suffered” the demons to enter the pigs. This word “suffered” is a compound of the Greek words epi, meaning over, and trope, meaning to turn. In this moment, Jesus granted their wish and “turned them over” to the swine, which then immediately ran into the sea and drowned (v. 33). Then Luke 8:34 says, “When they that fed them [the swine] saw what was done, they fled, and went and told it in the city and in the country.” Verse 35 says, “Then they went out to see what was done; and came to Jesus, and found the man, out of whom the devils were departed, sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed, and in his right mind: and they were afraid.”

As the crowd arrived, they laid eyes on the man who was previously frenzied and unkempt, but was now the picture of tranquility and order, seated calmly at Jesus’ feet, clothed and possessing a clear mind. The stark transformation left these bystanders trembling with fear. Once frightened by the demonized man, they now found themselves unsettled by his transformation. This reaction reveals the fickle nature of human emotion, and we are reminded that both Scripture and experience reveal that when people encounter God’s power, it commonly either draws them closer, or they are pushed away with fear or misgiving.

So now I want you to think about this….

Every miracle recorded in the Old and New Testaments belongs to us as testimonies of the nature of God — His holiness, His mercy, His compassion, and His great power, all demonstrated toward mankind to teach us His heart and His ways. What does Jesus’ act of setting this one man free tell you about His thoughts toward this man? What about His thoughts toward the evil that completely stole — even hijacked — this man’s life? Jesus did this for one man! Read Psalm 8:4 and Jeremiah 29:11. Ponder God’s thoughts toward you, as well as His ability to care individually about every person on the planet as he or she cries out to Him just as this “madman” did.

Jesus gave His name and His authority to us, and when we are confronted with an evil presence, we must remember that we have His name and His authority to bind it and to drive it out. We are not powerless; we are powerful when we use the name of Jesus and the authority He gave to us. So when you feel you are confronted with evil, it is a time for you to use His all-powerful name and authority to tell that presence to flee. It will obey you, just as it obeyed Jesus! Oh, how I love to see how Jesus sets people free. He is still in the business of setting people free today — and He wants to use you to do it!

As I close my letter, I want to remind you that we are here to pray for you. It doesn’t matter what you are facing, Jesus has the answer — and if you’ll let us know of the need, we will pray scripturally with you. First John 5:14-15 promises that God will hear, He will answer, and you will have the answer that you need. Call us at 1-800-742-5593 or send an email with your prayer need to prayer@renner.org. As soon as we hear from you, we will release our faith along with yours, and Jesus will do what needs to be done. But please, let us know how we can be praying for you.

And please pray for us too. Denise and I, our family, and our team, are pushing ferociously against the powers of darkness with the light of God’s Word. That darkness is being driven back and lives are being changed, but we covet your prayers for us as we do this God-called work.

We love you and thank God for you!

We are your brother and sister, friends, and partners in Jesus Christ,

Rick and Denise Renner
along with Paul, Philip, and Joel Renner and our entire ministry team