DEMONS AREN'T DYING NOW

All through the four Gospels in Jesus' ministry on earth, he had only ONE thing to do with demons — TO CAST THEM OUT.

Matthew 8:16

[16]When the even was come, they brought unto him many that were POSSESSED WITH DEVILS: and HE CAST OUT THE SPIRITS with his word, and healed all that were sick.

Matthew 9:32-33

[32]As they went out, behold, they brought to him a dumb man POSSESSED WITH A DEVIL.

[33]And WHEN THE DEVIL WAS CAST OUT, the dumb spake: and the multitudes marvelled, saying, It was never so seen in Israel.

Matthew 17:18

[18]And JESUS REBUKED THE DEVIL; AND HE DEPARTED OUT OF HIM: and the child was cured from that very hour.

When he commissioned his twelve disciples to go about preaching the gospel of the kingdom, he empowered them to do same.

Matthew 10:1,8

[1]And when he had called unto him his twelve disciples, HE GAVE THEM POWER AGAINST UNCLEAN SPIRITS, TO CAST THEM OUT, and to heal all manner of sickness and all manner of disease.

[8]Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, CAST OUT DEVILS: freely ye have received, freely give.

Nowhere in the Bible will you see Jesus or anyone else commanding a demon to fall down and die. Why? They knew better. The destruction of evil spirits is at the end of the world, not now.

A reference that serves as a good pointer to this is the event in Matthew 8, when Jesus healed two violent demon-possessed men.

Matthew 8:28-29

[28]And when he was come to the other side into the country of the Gergesenes, there met him two POSSESSED WITH DEVILS, coming out of the tombs, exceeding fierce, so that no man might pass by that way.

[29]And, behold, they cried out, saying, What have we to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God? ART THOU COME HITHER TO TORMENT US BEFORE THE TIME?

Can you see that?

"Time" there is "kairos" in the Greek. It describes a fixed timing of an occasion. It means "appointed time".

Matthew 8:30-32

[30]And there was a good way off from them an herd of many swine feeding.

[31]So the devils besought him, saying, IF THOU CAST US OUT, suffer us to go away into the herd of swine.

[32]And he said unto them, GO. And when they were come out, they went into the herd of swine: and, behold, the whole herd of swine ran violently down a steep place into the sea, and perished in the waters.

So Jesus never at any point commanded any demon to die. He always cast them out of their victims.

This shows that there is an appointed time for their final destruction and that time is not now.

2 Peter 2:4

[4]For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, TO BE RESERVED UNTO JUDGMENT.

This means that they being bound in chains of darkness now is not talking about them being unable to move around and cause evils, but it refers to them BEING IN A STATE of irrevocable darkness, until their eternal destruction at the end of time.

Jude 1:6

[6]And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, HE HATH RESERVED IN EVERLASTING CHAINS UNDER DARKNESS UNTO THE JUDGMENT OF THE GREAT DAY.

Hence, even after his beautiful eternal sacrifice for mankind, when he was leaving the earth, he still emphasized same thing.

Mark 16:17

[17]And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they CAST OUT DEVILS; they shall speak with new tongues.

However, one thing we can also observe from our pointer text is that these demons can feel the pangs of pain even now.

Matthew 8:29

[29]And, behold, they cried out, saying, What have we to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God? ART THOU COME HITHER TO TORMENT US before the time?

Luke 8:28

[28]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.

Acts 8:6-8

[6]And the people with one accord gave heed unto those things which Philip spake, hearing and seeing the miracles which he did.

[7]FOR UNCLEAN SPIRITS, CRYING WITH LOUD VOICE, CAME OUT OF MANY THAT WERE POSSESSED WITH THEM: and many taken with palsies, and that were lame, were healed.

[8]And there was great joy in that city.

So God never commissioned us to kill demons, it is an exercise in futility. We have just one business with evil spirits – to cast them out.

Blessings.

(P.S. All Bible references are in the Authorized King James Version)

Victor Ibosiola © 2020