SPIRITUAL WARFARE
ninth chapter of Matthew [9:1-38], Jesus demonstrated that His ministry focused on three things: healing the sick; casting out demons; and preaching the good news of the kingdom. He sent out the apostles and he told them to focus on the same three areas [Matthew 10:1]. When later on seventy more were sent, they returned with joy and exclaimed that even the demons submit to us in your name [Luke 10;1.17-21]. The purpose of Jesus’ ministry was to demonstrate his dominion over the powers which destroy humanity: Sin, disease and death, and Satan.. Satan’s tempting of Eve brought about physical maladies. His evil spirits inhabiting humankind gave him control over individuals. His introducing sin to the earth through Adam and Eve brought about the spiritual downfall of the human race. By defeating the devil’s forces, Jesus clearly demonstrated his absolute power to establish his Kingdom. Jesus did not come to heal all the sick during his earthly life. Neither he sent his apostles to do that. He came to establish the
GUERRA ESPIRITUAL - LESSON 14
Kingdom and his apostles were sent to proclaimed the good news. His visible victories over Satan, disease and death were a clear demonstration of His Kingdom Power. Many people believe that they have the power to perform miracles and cast out demons. They really believe this sincerely, but Jesus clearly taught that the true purpose of the Kingdom of God is to do the will of God. [Matthew 7:21-23]. Acts 19:13-16 mentions a group of Jews who practiced exorcisms, most likely even before Paul arrived at the city. The seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, commanded an evil spirit to depart a man in the name of Jesus, and it beat them up! Evidently, it is not enough to mention the name of Jesus. Reading the New Testament we see that, apart for Jesus’ earthly ministry and some isolated cases in the book of Acts, the empashis is on fighting those satanic manipulations that lead us into lying, anger, stealing, slothfulness, unwholesome talk, bitterness rage, brawling, slander, malice and
refusing to forgive [Ephesians 4:25-32]. Satan has been defeated by Jesus [Colossians 2:15]. We need to understand that it is only by his power that we can be saved from Satan. Our mission is to love him, praise him, obey him, serve him, and proclaim him. By doing these thins we can overcome. The synoptic gospels report of an unusual event where the apostles could not help a boy with a demon. It had lived in a boy since his childhood, causing seizures and suffering. It robbed him of the faculties of speech and hearing, and occasionally would try to kill him by throwing him into water or fire. Look at what was said in Matthew 17:17-21; Mark 9:21-29; and Luke 9:39-43. Jesus referred to unbelief three times in the accounts: unbelieving people in general, the unbelief of the apostles themselves, and the unbelief of the boy’s father. The apostles own lack of faith prevented their success in that spiritual battle. The purer our faith, the holier our live, the closer our relationship with Him, the more of God’s power we can call into spiritual battle.
Las posesiones demoniacas y la Biblia «Jesús... anduvo haciendo el bien y sanando a todos los que estaban oprimidos por el diablo, porque Dios estaba con él» Hechos 10:38
Negar la influencia demoniaca en una persona es negar la Biblia. Jesús habló con una multitud de demonios que se llamaban a sí mismos «Legión». Ellos lo identificaron y le pidieron que no los arrojara al abismo. A menos que los escritores bíblicos se estuvieran inventando un cuento,
estos demonios eran reales (Lucas 8:26-39. Mateo. 8.28-34; Marcos 5.1-20). Hoy hay escépticos que buscan justificar su incredulidad alegando que hay «cristianos» que pretenden expulsar demonios de gente que en realidad padecen de
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algún trastorno psiquiátrico o fisiológico. Que alguien haga un diagnóstico equivocado no significa que los demonios no existan. Claro que muchos pretenden sacar demonios donde no los hay. Mucha gente ha sido perjudicada por creyentes http://www.planetaenvivo.com