There is a simple teaching we need to check out, especially if you read books on spiritual warfare or hang around Pentecostals/Charismatics. The teaching has to do with the “binding and loosing of demons.”
I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven. (Matthew 16:19)
Truly I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven. (Matthew 18:18)
Many good teachers believe that each Christian has spiritual authority granted to him by Jesus which allows him to bind a demonic spirit. This authority stops the actions of a specific demon.
All you have to do is discern the type of demon and then say something like, “In Jesus’ name, I bind the spirit of division in this house.”
Once the command is proclaimed, the specific demon is stopped, or bound, for a certain amount of time.
While the demon is stopped, or bound, you can then loose good into the spiritual vacuum created by the bound demon by proclaiming something like, “In Jesus’ name, I loose unity of the Holy Spirit in this house.”
The supposed effect is that the person or place (house, church, neighborhood, city, state, or whatever) which you are praying for will be set free from Satan’s grasp so the people will better know Jesus.
Now, this teaching has good intentions, but somewhat bad theology.
The binding and loosing which Jesus referred to in the above verses had to do with a rabbinical tradition about using scripture to handle contemporary situations.
Jewish rabbis bound the law when they felt the commandment of scripture was applicable to a particular situation and loosed a commandment when they felt it was not.
For example, let’s say you find a ten dollar bill in the middle of an empty parking lot. No one is around, so you put it in your billfold. Have you broken a commandment by stealing from someone? After all, the ten dollar bill wasn’t really yours.
A Jewish rabbi would say that you are loosed from the commandment of Exodus 20: 15 and can keep the ten dollar without incurring sin.
Now, there are some truths in these scriptures for spiritual warfare. What are they?
(Continued in Part 15)
Thank you for always putting Truth into words I can undertand. Great analogy. And I hope the next part comes out soon because I’m sitting on the edge of my seat…
I’m on the edge of my seat too, Mr. Larry! Thank you for teaching us and coaching us through this! God bless you!
Debbie,
Thanks. Hang on, we’re almost there…maybe.
I’ve ALWAYS wondered about those verses. They never made sense. Larry, you really do like cliffhangers, don’t you?
I’m so far behind in my blog reading…running to catch up…..
Chrystal,
Thanks. As many know, I read mysteries to learn how to write. Thus, the last sentence is usually a transition sentence.
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