If you are a follower of Jesus Christ, I have some words of encouragement for you from Luke’s Gospel. In chapter 9, Luke opens his narrative about Jesus, telling of the commissioning of the disciples: ‘And he called the twelve together and gave them power and Authority over all demons and to cure diseases, and he sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal.’ These initial three verses recently captured my attention. After reading, praying, and reflecting, I noticed something interesting.
Embrace the Encouragement from Luke’s Gospel
Once you see what I draw your attention to here, I am certain you won’t be able to ignore it again. I hope to present a personal challenge to you here, particularly as we reflect on the Great Commission, the endeavours of the twelve disciples, and, subsequently, the seventy-two. I am already embracing the challenge myself. The underlying premise is that both you and I have been tasked with praying for the Sick and those oppressed by demons or their activities. So far, so good – you already know this, and for the most part, agree. Not all do, and that is understandable; some believers are persuaded that the days of the gifts of the Spirit, including healing and ministering deliverance to those troubled by demonic spirits, have passed.
Discovering the Power Within Scripture
Nonetheless, as I interpret Scripture, I perceive that Jesus has granted me authority and power (exousia and dunamis). This is indeed a significant claim, yet it is a truth mirrored in Scripture. The small nugget I share is likely to stimulate your thinking, positively impacting you, others, and even God. Impacting God? That’s a big claim, but I think when you hear what it is, you’ll agree – and it’s no small thing. The distinctiveness of this challenge I want to bring, along with its prophetic dimension, is something I’ve not previously considered.
The Reality of Healing Power in Our Hands
So as we unpack this, my stance is as a believer I literally hold the authority and power to heal the sick and infirm, and to cast out demons. It’s not a faith confession, an aspiration, or a declaration, but reality! Yes, many of us have believed this, or versions of this for years, but there’s more to this than meets the eye.
When we speak of authority and power – ‘exousia’ and ‘dunamis’, we are not just tossing around fancy Greek terms. We are talking about a divine endowment of authority and power. It’s easy to be a bystander, watching from the side-lines, but embracing the call to heal the sick and cast out demons is, properly, where the challenge lies. We want to encourage the church to be more than a passive observer; that’s the moment the faith journey takes an exhilarating turn. Faith and obedience are always intertwined. Jesus didn’t mince words when He sent out His disciples. In Matthew 10:7-8, His command was clear: Heal, raise, cleanse, drive out. This wasn’t a gentle suggestion; it was a mandate, charged with the urgency of the Kingdom.
Throughout Jesus’ ministry, we see a model of Jesus destroying the works of the evil one, and scattered throughout the entirety of the Gospels is the ongoing mention of authority and power. Jesus displayed that He had authority and then backed it up by demonstrating that authority with power.
It was a clear evidence and display of Lordship. To perform the acts that Jesus did requires that very ‘exousia’ and ‘dunamis’. Little wonder, then, that in Luke 9:1-3, when Jesus sends the disciples out on a trial run, he specifically gives them those two things. It wasn’t money they needed, a change of clothes, or the latest iPhone; it was ‘exousia’ and ‘dunamis’. For us, it’s not about our lordship – but it reflects His lordship in our lives, and also demonstrates our ‘sent-ness’; that divine power for the task at hand is upon us as followers of Christ.
The early disciples and believers understood this perfectly. They didn’t view healing and deliverance as optional extras; these were the essence of their mission. This wasn’t about showcasing power; it was about extending Christ’s compassion to the hurting, the broken, the marginalized, and witnessing the Kingdom of God powerfully manifest in their midst.
Reviving the Church’s Mission of Miracles
As Christians, perhaps we need to re-evaluate the Church’s role in healing the sick and exorcising demons, or at least, remind ourselves about it. Traditionally, the Church has been a blazing floodlight of hope and transformation, a place where miracles reflect the compassion and power of Jesus Christ. The Church is where God is at work among and through His people. Healing and deliverance are part of the care package as we reach out to broken people who are lost and without hope. We’re demonstrating that the Kingdom of God is breaking into people’s lives, setting captives free, and bringing life that is not only eternal, but full of freedom, joy, and happiness.
In recent times, for a multitude of reasons, a degree of scepticism and diminishing confidence in the veracity of the Scriptures, along with accompanying questions about cultural values and norms, have led some believers to a sense of ambiguity about the very things we have been looking at here. It’s true that the issues that the Church is facing, both internal and external, are important, but we must be careful not to be distracted from who we are, what we are as God’s people, and what He has done for us at the Cross, and especially with the gospel He has revealed to us.
At the heart of healing and deliverance is also the acceptance of biblical truth that we have been given authority and power, and the way this is exercised is by faith. But that faith is also relational; our walk with God is crucial. No one is, or has ever been, called to a nominal walk with God – God doesn’t forgive and then merely tolerate us – He loves us, very much. Out of the walk of intimacy with Him as Father, Lord, and Helper, comes the reassurance that we are not grieving the Holy Spirit but keeping in step with Him. That reassurance is key to our ability to step out in faith and confidence to do all that He leads us to do.
In the moment when we were transferred from darkness to light, when our sins were utterly blotted out, never to be remembered again, in that very moment, we were equipped to heal and deliver. However, for one reason or another, we often abstain. It goes without saying it is not of our own power that we can do anything; very clearly, it is Jesus who heals – we are just the conduits, his hands, but His command was unequivocal: ‘Lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.’ When you reach out, proclaim the good news of the kingdom, heal the sick, and cast out demons. Mark 16:17-18, Matthew 10:1, Luke 9:1-3; 10:9 vividly demonstrate that He entrusted this authority to the Church. Yet, nowadays, we often witness hesitation, reluctance, or even a stark refusal to engage in this dimension of Christian ministry.
Urgent Call to Action for Modern Believers
Is the Church, to some extent, relinquishing its divinely granted authority to heal and deliver? We possess this authority, yet it seems we have abandoned it by not actively participating in healing ministries and by treating the existence of demons as mere myths, akin to unicorns—questioning their very existence. Have we, or do we, abdicate the authority that has been entrusted to us, of which we are stewards? Much has been given to us, and much is required…
That may sound outrageous or simplistic, but personally, I have to ask myself (as you also might), am I walking in my faith with empowering confidence that not only can I lay hands on the sick or pray for those troubled by the evil one, but also that I have been given the authority and power to do that very task?
Like me, you have been given authority. So, when the sick ask for prayer, you don’t really have a choice of whether or not to pray for them – you are endowed with the authority to do just that!
It sounds harsh, but imagine if the entire church pressed in to follow in the footsteps of the early believers. This understanding will also help us pray for people in a less awkward manner, and without long, rambling “if it be the will” prayers: “Richard, I have been given authority by the Lord to pray for you, and I am pleased to do so and I say, Richard – be healed in the Name of Jesus.”
Obviously, this has to be worked out a little more (and there are many books on the subject), but I invite you to join with me in giving it thorough consideration, accompanied by prayer for wisdom. The premise is good. Someone is sick – I not only want to pray for them, but I have God-given authority to do it.
I wonder if we are failing each other here, especially when considering that at some point, we all might need medical intervention? We are indeed missing out! Personally, the concept that I am responsible for the stewardship of the authority and power over sickness and demons bestowed upon me is daunting. It’s much easier to be a spectator than to be a healer or deliverer.
Easier said than done?
There’s also a tendency in modern theology to over-intellectualise, leading to what could be described as ‘straining at gnats and swallowing a vast caravan of camels’, rather than equipping the saints to do the ‘stuff’ (as John Wimber called it). In this very difficult time in world history, we need good, solid teaching in the Church – God’s Word is sufficient for all areas of our lives, but to deal with physical pain and torment healing and deliverance is available!
I’m sure the disciples would have loved to have sat at the feet of Jesus night and day, listening to His parables and teaching, but they would have missed the obvious joy they (including Judas) experienced as they returned from a trip to tell Jesus the exciting news, ‘Even the demons are subject to us!’
That can be our experience today – it’s not just for those of a certain age range or just for elders and church ‘leaders’. It’s for all of us, with no control or permission needed, at any time, convenient or inconvenient!
By not stepping into our role as Spirit-led ‘healers and deliverers’, we risk quenching the Holy Spirit’s work in our midst. The Spirit is not merely a comforter; He also gives us precious enabling power that equips and empowers us for acts of supernatural ministry. The sick, like the poor, are always with us, but we can do something about it.
I applaud those who are already praying for the sick and bringing freedom to those troubled by an evil spirit. We don’t always see the sick healed, but we definitely will hear more testimonies of people healed if we encourage on another to step out in faith, confident that God has healing on the agenda – and we’re involved in that process!
So, heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, cast out demons. Let the adventure begin.
“The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, because the LORD has anointed
me to bring good news to the poor; he has sent me to bind up the broken-hearted,
to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the
opening of the prison to those who are bound.” (Isaiah 61:1)
