Many ministers and denominations today completely ignore the devil, and they ridicule and belittle those who preach spiritual warfare and the authority of the believer. However, if Jesus and His disciples considered teaching on spiritual warfare and the authority of the believer vitally important, then I think we’re in good company in teaching God’s people to discern and destroy Satan’s influence and dominion over their lives, families and cities.
Jesus taught about the importance and responsibility of exercising authority over our enemy. “‘If Satan also is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand? Because you say I cast out demons by Beelzebub. And if I cast out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore they will be your judges. But if I cast out demons with the finger of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you. When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own palace, his goods are in peace. But when a stronger than he comes upon him and overcomes him, he takes from him all his armor in which he trusted, and divides his spoils.’” (Luke 11:18-22)
The “strong man” is that demonic power that has control over people, families, cities and nations. This strong man must be conquered before his “goods” can be spoiled. As we bind the strong man through prayer in the name of Jesus, we then can see God’s Kingdom come to our lives, families, cities and nations.
Jesus said that the binding of the strong man was the first step to taking his goods. We read in Matthew 16:19: “‘And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.’”
The preaching of the Gospel and the work of the ministry must be preceded by prayer (spiritual warfare) that addresses the strong man being dealt with. Without bathing our works in intercession, we doom our efforts to mediocre results at best.
